bbykimmy

Manipulating!? They are sweethearts who welcomed her into their home! The least she can do is be good. I'm glad you're enjoying it - but remember (seriously) none of the characters are intended to be actual reflections or representations of anyone. Everyone has been twisted and bent to fit the story ❤️ And here we go again! =============================== Chapter Seven "Faith has been spending so much time with Angie!" Lila's complaints had been steadily increasing over the past few days, as Faith had been missing from the house more and more. It wasn't until then that Sabrina learned just how much their red-haired friend did for Lila. "I know, hun. But c'mon, you need to take your medicine." With Faith gone, her responsibilities fell to Sabrina - starting with waking Lila up in the morning and helping with her morning routine. She held the small cup of multi-colored pills in one hand, a small glass of water in the other. It was fifty-fifty on whether or not she'd make it out of the room without being Lila-pounced. "But I want Faith to bring me my medicine!" Here it came. "I want FAITH!" "I'm bringing you breakfast right after this, don't you want waffles?" It worked. "Yeah I want waffles... " Lila's bottom lip protruded in a pout. She had quieted down, however. "With whipped cream?" "Take your medicine and I'll go make your waffles with whipped cream." "Thanks Bree," the smaller woman smiled as she knocked back the cup of pills. Sabrina gave a small sigh of relief as she washed them down with the water. Yesterday hadn't been so easy, Lila had ended up screaming at her, that she wasn't doing it right - and Kinsley had ended up coming downstairs and scolding both of them, which hardly seemed fair. "Can I have a hug now?" The moment of truth. She couldn't say no or Lila would cry - she had made that mistake two days ago - but if she said yes... "Of course." Sabrina took the cups and set them aside, planting her feet firmly on the ground before leaning forward to embrace Lila, who did exactly what Sabrina had been afraid of. The hug lingered for a moment before Lila pulled as hard as she could, yanking Sabrina down into the bed and wrapping both arms and legs around her tightly. "Lila, let go! I need to make you breakfast." "Breakfast after. It's cuddle time!" Sabrina winced as Lila squeezed her, relaxing as best she could. Resisting would make Lila cry, which would have Kinsley coming in and scolding her. It was easier just to rest until Lila fell back to sleep - she estimated it would take about fifteen minutes. Then she'd slip out, make Lila breakfast, and get everything ready for her daily video games. Lila, it seemed, did as little for herself as humanly possible. Sabrina hadn't ever seen the girl make food for herself, Faith made everything for her... which meant that while Faith was busy visiting Angie, she was responsible for making everything for Lila. Then she'd need to clean all the empty cans and plates from the upstairs "lounge" area, where they all watched movies the night before. But that would have to wait until Lila was done with her. Her irritation faded as Lila's face snuggled into her breasts. "I'm glad you're here, Bree." Lila yawned, blinking heavily as a lazy smile spread across her face. "Me too." Sabrina stroked Lila's hair gently. She was stuck, but she was going to enjoy it. Lila lasted twenty minutes, rather than the fifteen that Sabrina had expected. At the earliest opportunity, she slipped away, leaving the slumbering girl - she used one of Lila's larger stuffed animals, a hedgehog, to replace her. Sabrina rolled her eyes as Lila's sleeping arms clamped tightly around the plush creature. "...to me ten minutes ago!" Kinsley's voice came floating down the stairs as Sabrina pulled Lila's door shut once again. The smallest doll was supposed to get up, but Sabrina knew she'd be able to get more done if she slumbered. Caring for Lila had given her a newfound respect for Faith. The grunge-punk pixie worked pretty hard, it turned out. "Your coffee will be right up!" Sabrina kept her call to a whisper-shout, hopefully loud enough that Kinsley would hear, but not so loud that Lila would awaken. She started mixing the waffle batter, set the coffee brewing, and ran upstairs quickly to collect the trash and dishes from the night before. "Why is my coffee late?" Kinsley's chair didn't even turn around, she called imperiously without even looking. "Snuggle attack. It's brewing now, I'll bring it up to you soon." "Good girl." Kinsley had been saying that more and more often the past couple of days, and Sabrina was actually starting to enjoy it. It made her feel warm inside, like she was really helping, like she was making everyone's lives better. It had bothered her at first, it sounded like something a person would say to a pet, but it often came with a gentle caress that made her wonder if Kinsley might be interested in dating her. With the coffee poured, she started the waffle iron. One was delivered while the other one cooked. A little syrup and whipped cream later and Lila's breakfast was good to go. Kinsley was sipping her coffee and staring at arcane charts upstairs, now it was time to get Lila eating without getting grabbed again. "Lila honey... I brought waffles. With whipped cream, just like you asked." "Still sleepy, go 'way." "Come on, Lila. They'll get cold and soggy and then you won't want them. Eat up while they're warm!" Sabrina wondered in the back of her mind if this was anything like caring for a child - it certainly felt like it. "Sing me the waffle song." She was dead serious as she sat up, drawing the plate into her lap. "What?" There was a bite in her mouth, half-chewed before she answered, a dollop of whipped cream on the end of her nose. "Sing me the waffle song!" "I don't know a waffle song, sweetie." "Faith sings me the waffle song! You have to sing me the waffle song!" "We didn't sing the waffle song yesterday." Lila was a creature of routine, she liked things a very specific way and she wanted things her specific way, exactly the same, every time. "I didn't want the waffle song yesterday. I want the waffle song today. Sing me the waffle song NOW!" Sabrina shrugged, standing. Her breakfast was about a quarter eaten, she was started, at least. "I'm going to go see if Kinsley needs anything, you eat your breakfast and we'll play games after." "Waffle. Song." Lila was still complaining even as she walked away, pulling the door closed behind her. Sabrina was confident that the energetic girl wouldn't go back to sleep now that she had sugar in her body. Shaking her head, she plopped down on the couch in the front room and flipped on the TV. Normally, they watched shows and movies upstairs on the nicer setup, the downstairs one was pretty much solely for Lila's video game systems, the entertainment center a tangle of wires, chargers, and controllers. She took a deep, cleansing breath - knowing that her rest wouldn't be very long. "Bree!" Lila came stomping out of the bedroom, syrup stuck in a few spots around her mouth. "I'm mad at you. You didn't even TRY to sing me a waffle song, and you got up and you ignored me. You should be... " Sabrina flipped the TV input over to Lila's game, where she left it paused. With a tap on the controller, the game resumed, sending Lila's car careening without a driver. She dove for the controller. "Bree you brat! You're bad at being Faith." "Well it's a good thing I'm not trying to be Faith then, isn't it? I'll take care of you, honey bunches, but I'll do it my way." Lila's lips vanished as her mouth became a thin line, pressed together tightly. Her eyes narrowed. "You're not taking care of me. You're serving me. You're beneath me, Bree-Bree." Sabrina smirked and licked her thumb, wiping some syrup from Lila's face. "Of course, honey. Would you like me to bring you a soda?" "Kinsley!" Sabrina flinched from the intensity of the scream. "Kinsley!!" The footsteps were thunderous as Kinsley rushed down the stairs. Sabrina was frozen, completely unsure of what to do, her face a mask of shock. "What's wrong? Who's hurt? What happened?" Kinsley panted as she rounded the stairs to see the two women sitting on the couch. "Nothi- " "She's bullying me! She's beneath me and she's bullying me and I don't like it! Spank her!" Sabrina's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at Kinsley. The game was paused now, and her pulse was racing in the silence. "Are you bullying her?" "No! Of course not, I wiped a little of the syrup off her face and- " "She's bullying me. Tell her that she's below me." Sabrina bit her tongue, staring intently at Kinsley, who took a deep breath and uncrossed her arms. "You know that's not how it works. You've got to fight your own battles, Lila." "Am I allowed to?" Kinsley only nodded her response, a single, curt nod. "What are you talking about?" Sabrina felt uncertain. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, and Lila was no longer acting upset in the least. She had calmed down and looked almost thoughtful, a small smile turning up the corner of her lips. "Nothing Bree. I'm sorry for disturbing you, Kinsley. Bree, aren't you sorry for disturbing Kinsley?" Sabrina looked from Lila to Kinsley and back, before sighing. "Yes, I'm sorry I disturbed you, Kinsley." "Good girl." Kinsley smiled warmly and turned around, heading back upstairs. "What was that all about?" Sabrina turned to Lila without sitting back down, wary. "What did she mean, 'fight your own battles'?" "Oh nothing, sweet Bree. May I please have a soda and we'll play a game together?" Vicious to saccharine sweet in an instant, Sabrina nodded warily. She walked to the kitchen, casting a backwards glance at Lila who had picked up her phone and was tapping away at it with her thumbs. When Sabrina stepped back into the front room, the couch was empty. "Lila?" She stepped toward the couch, but didn't make it. The smaller girl tackled her from the side, grabbing at her arm and twisting. "Say you're beneath me!" Lila shouted, trying to force Sabrina to her knees. Sabrina gave up trying to hold onto the soda, dropped it on Lila's bare foot and twisted, slipping out of her hold easily. "I'm not beneath you. I'm your friend and I don't mind taking care of you." "Not fair! That hurts!" "Let's just play the game, huh?" Sabrina smiled, spreading her arms a bit, palms up. Lila made one more grab, but Sabrina was prepared and slipped away yet again. "If you don't want me to hang out with you, that's fine. You can make your own lunch, I suppose." "Bree!" Lila pouted, picking up the fallen soda. "Fine. Let's just play. But this isn't over. Kinsley said you're at the bottom, and Faith did too. So... watch yourself." Sabrina crossed her arms and stood up, leaning slightly and staring skeptically at the smaller woman. Lila grabbed her controller and put the soda aside - it wasn't safe to open yet. "How do you keep slipping out of holds?" "I'm just very flexible." Sabrina took her seat as well, grabbing a spare controller and keeping a good arm's length between herself and Lila. "It's always been easy for me to slip out of someone's grasp. Call it my special gift, I suppose." "Yeah... " The rest of the night was peaceful, though Sabrina spent the majority of it on high alert, waiting for Lila to jump at her. Faith didn't come home at all that night, opting to stay at Angie's - apparently her gig the next day was out there, so it was easier just to stay over. It was odd eating dinner without her, she had been a constant, stabilizing presence for weeks. Plus it meant being responsible for Lila again the next day. Lila offered to sleep with her that night, in either of their rooms, but Sabrina declined. The girl seemed a little too eager. She'd see how things began the next day.

Thaaaaaanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'd love it if you'd hit the Like button on the post! ❤️ ? You're rooting for her to get diapered!? Who even said anything about diapers? Nobody mentioned diapers. Why do you think they'd do that to her?? Awwwwwww thanks!!

? You don't think Bree can make the same climb that Faith did?? Have you no faith in our protagonist?? Generally, there isn't a lot of scat at all in my works, messing tends to be done for emotional effect. No offense, but your prank isn't in my wheelhouse - I prefer messing to be very subtle and emotionally charged. ?? Are you rooting for poor Sabrina to get punished?? She's the protagonist, we're supposed to go, "Oh no, she's in trouble! I hope she escapes!!" I bet you're the kind of person who roots for the villain in the movie!!! Btw, I root for the villain in the movie. Yeah... she doesn't exactly have a ton of leverage, but they seem to have more than a little on her, huh? Thanks for the Like! I can see each and every person who likes my posts and I appreciate your support! We're closed to a week straight of Kimmy #1 on the Leaderboard again, which hasn't happened since BtG!! Oh, and I didn't respond to the second half of this one! If your Little wants to talk about BtG with me, tell her to send me a message here or on Tumblr (or on Discord!) I'm always happy to discuss my fiction ❤️❤️

Gosh! Sorry I didn't comment at all yesterday. I got sucked into Final Fantasy 14 and I played aaaaaaaallllllll day. It was nuts. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thank you for commenting! I'm hoping that the comments will liven up now that the story's getting juicy!! True fact, that one has actually happened to me. Lila is... well, she's a complex character You can be both sensitive and aggressive. She's the sort that can't take a compliment very well - and I can't say much more than that without giving things away! Thank you thank you!! So, when I write a character, I start with a kernel. A single fact or facet of the character that I know I want to focus on, then I build off of that. This one is a little different because the original kernels that make up the characters are exaggerated traits of people that I know I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thank you for commenting! And now, on with the show! ========================== Chapter Six RoseAndThorns: Okay, so apparently they have some kind of prank war going on and now I'm part of it Jewelee: Like what? RoseAndThorns: Like okay, it started with me irritating Lila RoseAndThorns: And she told Faith to put some ice down my pants and she did Jewelee: Lila's the small one? The one that looks like a kid? RoseAndThorns: Right. I got her back though, I froze all of Faith's bras Jewelee: lol Jewelee: What are you, 12? RoseAndThorns: Shut up RoseAndThorns: It was fitting revenge Jewelee: So what happened? You said it's a war RoseAndThorns: It got a little physical RoseAndThorns: Faith is a lot stronger than she looks RoseAndThorns: We ended up wrestling in the living room RoseAndThorns: I escaped her hold 'cuz double-jointed Jewelee: lol RoseAndThorns: She wasn't ready for that RoseAndThorns: So now I have to be on the lookout Jewelee: Sounds like fun? Jewelee: I hope you win ❤️ RoseAndThorns: I'm no pushover RoseAndThorns: I'll win "Bree! Come on! We're heading out to dinner." Out to dinner. That was odd, they almost never went out. Other than shopping or a quick walk, they almost never went out in general. Someone would either order pizza or would run through a drive-thru and bring it home. Sabrina had gone on several short trips, but no real "outing". RoseAndThorns: Gotta go She slipped her phone in her back pocket and headed out to the living room. "Where are we going?" The three of them were standing by the front door, Kinsley at the back nearest the door, Lila to the left with a huge grin on her face, and Faith to the right with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl. "We're going out to the Burger Shack, the one with unlimited fries." "Oh I like that place, I haven't eaten there forever." Sabrina studiously ignored Faith's glare - it was obvious she was still upset about her bras, though they would be long-returned to room temperature by now. "Let's go." "We just have one problem." Faith's foot was tapping on the ground as she spoke. "You put Faith's bra in the freezer?" Kinsley asked in that way that wasn't really a question, but the way a parent asks a child to confess. "Sure did." Sabrina grinned. "She tossed ice down my pants. Turnabout is fair play." Lila only grinned wider, bouncing from foot to foot with sudden energy. Sabrina didn't feel so sure anymore. "Are you sorry?" Faith demanded. "Are you sorry for putting ice down my pants?" "You were being a brat. I was correcting your behavior. I don't need to apologize for that. I tried to discuss this with you earlier today, but you walked away." "You tried to pin me to the ground! Of course I walked away, I'm not going to fight you." "Faith is within her rights to discipline you, Bree." Kinsley's tone was serious, but her words seemed absurd. "What!? Discipline me for what? I just said I don't like tits on a guy! And how is tossing ice down my underpants within her rights?" Kinsley shook her head, sighing. "Look. We have a pecking order here. I'm at the top, you're at the bottom. Lila and Faith are above you." Sabrina blinked as her normally friendly host laid out this previously unmentioned set of rules. "If either of them decide you need to be punished, then you will be. How's your job hunt going?" Sabrina had been cut off before she could object to the mention of punishment. She blushed, looking down. "I haven't gotten a single callback. Yet. I was-" "Did you ask Faith to take you out? Or to bring you more applications?" "I was going to... " "You were going to continue to enjoy our hospitality as long as you could?" Guilt washed over Sabrina. She had been doing her best to help out around the house, to be a productive member of the group, but the fact was she hadn't been actively looking. All of the applications that Faith had brought to her had been filled out, Sabrina had given them back to Faith to turn in... but she hadn't followed up after that. She had been planning on doing just that for well over a week, but there was always something to do, something to watch, something to play with the other housemates. "It's not like that... I was going to ask Faith to take me to some places to apply in person, pound the pavement, you know... I just... " "You just haven't." Kinsley folded her arms as well. "Look, you're one of us now, right? You're not just crashing here at this point, you live here." "I do?" It hadn't even been a month. "You mean, you want me to stay?" Lila looked overjoyed, Kinsley looked very happy, but Faith looked irritated at best. Does she not want me to be here? "Absolutely! Very yes!" Lila's grin was ear-to-ear as she swayed back and forth, her eyes shining. "Don't you want to?" It didn't take much thought for Sabrina, a smile crept across her face - the past two weeks had been the least stressful, most enjoyable time in quite a long time. They accepted her here, they joked with her, they played games together and talked about their lives and experiences until well into the night. She felt like, for the first time in her life, she fit in. The guilt was still there, gnawing at her, but she could promise to try harder. "I mean, of course I do... the past couple of weeks have been the best. I'm so thankful for you, for your hospitality." "So you're staying?" Faith's scowl softened, one corner of her lips upturned. "Yes, thank you!" Faith stepped forward and placed her hands gently on Sabrina's shoulders. "Then there's one thing you need to do. You have to be punished for freezing my bras." "You're serious? What are you going to do?" Kinsley nodded, still standing by the door. "Nothing much, Bree. This is your first punishment." "If you don't count the ice!" Lila giggled, wrapping herself around Kinsley's arm, her eyes never leaving Sabrina's. "You're going to go change your clothes," Faith explained calmly. "Go grab the dress that's in your closet, and the white tights from the dresser." "There's no dress in- " "Go, Bree." Faith stepped back, her arms crossed again and a smug smile on her face. * * * The image that looked out at her from the mirror on the back of the door was not the one that she expected. The dress was simple, loose hanging, and de-emphasized her bust. The hem of the skirt fell just to her knees, the white tights underneath combining to make her look much younger than she was ready to admit. "I'm twenty-six." Her reflection didn't seem to believe her. She ran a hand over her too-long hair, the prickly softness of the length she preferred was gone and it was beginning to feel fluffy. "And I'm shaving this when we get back." She looked herself up and down again, the soft pink of the dress covered in small red flowers. Drawing a deep breath, she focused on the fact that they had accepted her, that she was a part of the house now. This small indignity would be worth it, they were her friends. Two weeks of being around them essentially twenty-four hours a day had solidified that bond, and for the first time since she could remember, she felt hopeful for the future. Faith beamed, her irritation gone as Sabrina returned to the living room. "Oh you look darling! I told you it would fit." The last comment was aimed at Lila, who simply stuck her tongue out at Faith. "So why do you want me to look younger?" "We just need to get you used to the hierarchy." Kinsley stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Sabrina's shoulders and pulling her close, towering over her. "And you seem to think you're more mature than Lila, don't you?" Against her will, Sabrina's cheeks responded, burning red and revealing her true thoughts. "Well you're starting at the bottom, sugar." "How do I climb up? You said Faith came after Lila, so it's not a time thing." "That's for you to figure out, my dear. Now come on, I'm hungry." "You look really, really cute Bree!" Lila took Sabrina's hand in both of hers and tugged her toward the door. Dinner wasn't so bad, other than the waitress referring to Sabrina as "the little sister". She had tried to correct the woman but had earned a swift kick in the leg from Faith underneath the table as a warning. The food was good, the company was good, and everything was very normal excepting the interactions with the staff... and having to hold Kinsley's hand in the parking lot. She was very glad to be back to the old house on Sortwell, to the swinging shingle and the creaking floorboards. The moment they were through the door, she headed straight back for her room. It didn't feel like Emmie's room now, not just some place she was squatting in, they had accepted her into their bizarre little commune. Still, she couldn't wait to get changed. Faith called after her before she had gotten halfway down the hall. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to go change, get out of this dress." "Oh no you don't. You're in that dress because you froze my bras." Sabrina whirled, placing her fists on her hips. "I froze your bras because you put ice down my pants!" "Which we've already established that I'm allowed to do. But you're not allowed to put my freaking bras in the freezer! So get back here, we're going to play some games." "I will, right after I change." Sabrina turned and walked away, headed for her room and ignoring Faith. "Kinsley!" Faith called for the tallest of the three. "I need a hand." Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Sabrina closed the door to her room behind her and began pulling the dress over her head. "This is ridiculous." She wasn't prepared for her bedroom door opening behind her, Kinsley's tall form filling the doorway. "What the fuck!? I'm changing!" "And you were told not to." Kinsley's face was stone and her hands were unyielding marble as she grabbed Sabrina by the waist, her arms still tangled up in the half-removed dress. Without warning, a strong strike shot pain throughout Sabrina's bottom. She cried out, trying to get back to her feet. A hand on her shoulderblade held her to the bed, as Kinsley's other hand delivered a second hit, and a third. "Ow! Stop! You can't do this!" "I can. Or you can leave. It's that simple." A chill rushed through Sabrina as she felt the hands withdraw, though the pain still lingered. She turned around and pulled her dress down, looking up at Kinsley, and seeing Faith standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest once more and a smug smirk on her lips. There was no smirk upon Kinsley's, no trace of jest or humor. The tallest of the dolls could have been made of ice. "You can't be serious. You invite me to stay and in the same day you give me an ultimatum? That's some garbage and you know it. Am I welcome here or aren't I?" "Of course you're welcome here," Faith chimed in. "You just have to follow the rules." "But the rules were just don't make Lila cry and be kind to each other! This isn't kind." "Those are the rules for guests." Kinsley took a step forward and placed a finger under Sabrina's chin, guiding her eyes upward. "You're a part of the Dollhouse now. You're a doll. You fit in so perfectly, we love you so much, but you have to show respect to those above you in the house." "Who is above me?" "Right now? Everyone. You're at the bottom, sugar. But do as you're told and you'll be just fine." Kinsley caressed Sabrina's cheek as she spoke, the gentle stroke a stark contrast to the sharp strike that she still felt in the flesh of her posterior. Sabrina's mind reeled as she considered the ramifications of this change. The three of them were generally nice, but the fact of the matter was that Kinsley had just hit her and she looked more than prepared to do it again. She weighed the thought of returning to the street, of going back to her landlord and begging for a chance to pay him back. Of heading to a shelter and hoping that they would be kind to her, in spite of her obvious queerness - but she knew there was no hope there. Not in the south. "What are the rules?" She pursed her lips and looked down, her chin slipping from Kinsley's fingers. "If you're told to do something by someone above you, you do it. Do your chores and do what you can to help the Dollhouse. The stuff I said about taking care of each other still stands, that's what we're all about. And we love you - or we wouldn't have accepted you here. We would have helped you get back on your feet and sent you on your way, the same way we have so many people before you." Faith's expression softened as Kinsley spoke, her posture relaxed and a smile spread across her face. "We're hoping that maybe you'll help us help the next person." Sabrina's confusion melted away as she looked up at her smiling friends. They were oddballs, but they loved her and she knew it. She nodded. "Okay. But how do I get so I'm not on the bottom?" "We'll work on that." Kinsley ran a hand over Sabrina's hair, smiling warmly. "Don't worry."

Chapter Five "I'd really rather not." Sabrina grumbled as she remembered to close her legs, sitting on the couch in the dress. "But it's so cute!" Lila's laugh was high pitched but jolly, she was genuinely amused. "You should call her Mama all the time!" "I'm glad nothing bad happened." Faith plopped down on the other side of Sabrina, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "That must have been really scary!" "It was. I'll be honest, I cried." Faith couldn't hide her wry smirk. "I bet that the only thing that saved you is that dress. It might work in the future. Minors don't need to carry ID." "I'm twenty-six! I have tattoos! I can't pass for a teenager!" "I'm twenty-six," Lila countered, "and I get mistaken for a teenager all the time. Just wear long sleeves. I call Kinsley 'Mama' in public sometimes. It just makes things easier. It's no big deal." "Wait, you already call her that?" Sabrina blinked, turning toward the smaller woman, equally surprised at her admission and her age. "Sometimes... shut up." Lila's cheeks flushed pink and she turned away, picking her controller back up from the couch. She scowled and huffed, grumbling, "Maybe you secretly want it, and that's why you're objecting so much." The TV came to life once again, gunfire and zombies. "I do not!" "Very convincing!" Faith laughed, standing up and stretching. "Maybe you shouldn't resist so much, hun. We're only trying to help, y'know." "You're right, you're right. No sense in being a baby about it." A wide, knowing smirk spread across Faith's lips. Sabrina cocked her head to one side, wondering what in-joke she was missing, but for once the two didn't explain it. She cleaned up the remainder of the cheeseburger dinner that Kinsley had purchased and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Frowning at her reflection, she sighed. A razor was waiting for her on the sink, one that hadn't been there that morning when she brushed her teeth. She didn't like shaving under her arms, she had stopped quite a while ago. It got her looks sometimes but generally the sort of person that would thumb their nose at armpit hair wasn't the sort of person she wanted to associate with. Similarly, she rarely shaved her legs - but thankfully the hairs there were blonde and generally unseen, exposed by the hem of the dress. The water in the shower was nice and hot, despite the age of the tub and the plumbing. Water cascaded over her, washing away her stress and pain as always. Showers in the Dollhouse were nice. Relaxing, restoring, luxurious despite the modest conditions. At the end, she complied and scraped away her rebellion, leaving her armpits hairless and then with a sigh and an irritatingly long amount of time, her legs matched. With her hair being more than the smallest amount of stubble, she was starting to look more feminine - and she didn't particularly care for it. "Dresses and shaved legs." Her reflection didn't answer, of course. "But it's no big deal, right? I'll get a job soon, it's only temporary... and it might help me land a job." She stared down at her arms, the towel pinned in her pits, around her chest. The intertwining roses on her left forearm and an abstract tribal design on her right. She'd get more if she had the money. Sabrina loved her ink, her declaration of her identity, that she wouldn't be shackled by the expectations of traditional society, supposedly "polite" society - but she couldn't deny that it had hindered her job searches before. She needed to shave her head again, and soon. Faith was just stepping out of Emmie's room as Sabrina exited the bathroom, wrapped in the towel. "I moved some clothes into your closet, not much but this way nobody has to deliver you a new outfit every day. Sorry I just went in, I tried to ask you while you were showering, but I don't think you heard me knock." "It's okay." Sabrina felt a little irritated at the invasion of her space... but it wasn't really her space. It was Emmie's room and she was just sleeping in it. "I appreciate it." She was deeply relieved to find an unopened pack underwear, a couple of pairs of blue jeans, and a half-dozen old but simple t-shirts. With a grin, she pulled on a grey t-shirt that declared "I Hate Shirts With Words On Them". They were all ladies' cut, apparently - tiny sleeves that didn't go halfway to her bicep, fabric pulled tight across her chest to accentuate her breasts. She preferred loose, men's shirts or tank tops, but she wasn't going to complain. It wasn't her usual standoffish clothing, but it was a lot better than the dress had been. She ran the damp towel over her hair one more time, frowning that it wasn't dry yet when her phone buzzed on the dresser. Jewellee: I haven't heard from you in a week, what's the word? With a grimace, she began tapping out a reply with her thumbs. She shouldn't have left Jules hanging. It was hard to admit to herself that she had actually been enjoying herself lately and hadn't thought as much about talking to the friend who had been digitally standing beside her for so long. RoseAndThorns: Sorry Jules, I've just been really busy. Trying to find a job. Sabrina carried the towel back to the bathroom, shutting her door behind her. After hanging the towel to dry, she plopped down on the couch next to Lila to read. "It's just that I'm not sure at this point how to tell Angie, you know? Sometimes I want to be the domme, but she's so, so good at it that I just kind of melt." Faith wasn't even looking at Lila as she spoke, both of their eyes turned toward the TV. "Watch out! You're getting flanked." Jewelee: How's it going? Any offers? "Got him! Look Faith, just tell her. Or, I dunno, spank her ass one night. Maybe she'll get the hint. Bree, are you more dommy or subby?" RoseAndThorns: None so far, not even an interview yet. I'm going to start pounding the pavement tomorrow "What me?" Sabrina blinked, glancing up at the pair. Lila's eyes were still fixed on the screen, but Faith was looking rather inquisitive. "I don't know, I'm not really into that stuff. Like Fifty Shades of Grey? No thanks." Jewelee: But you're still staying with them, right? The Dollhouse actually exists, you're not just pulling my leg "That book is garbage," Lila said derisively. "No no, not like that at all." Faith shook her head. "Like, do you want a taller partner or a shorter partner? Do you want to be the one kissing or do you want someone to kiss you?" RoseAndThorns: It exists, they're actually really nice "She's a sub." "I am not. I um... I guess I like it when my partner's taller. I like being kissed more than I like being the kisser, especially if they're taller." "And you want someone to tie you up and spank you." Lila's grin was enormous even though she was still fully focused on the game, shooting and dodging. Jewelee: Are the rumors true? That they're into weird stuff? "I do not! I've never done anything like that." It was difficult holding essentially two conversations at once, but she wasn't ready to let go of her connection with Jules in that moment. RoseAndThorns: Not really? At least not that I've seen. They just like video games a lot and some dirty jokes, pretty normal The current conversation didn't go far enough to prove that anyone was into "weird stuff", spanking was tamer than some of the stuff she'd read in her novels. Her thoughts drifted to The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, a book Rice had written under a pen name... and one that Sabrina had never finished. It was all about sex slaves and humiliation - it had been too much for her, the entire four-book set was in her apartment but she hadn't read anything but the beginning of the first book. Sabrina stared down at her phone, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. "Oh my goodness, you blush at the drop of a hat." Faith laughed, setting a gentle hand on Sabrina's leg. "Look, you like it when someone tall leans down and kisses you, right? Even though you're quite butch, you like to feel... pursued." "I mean, everyone likes that, right?" Jewelee: Tell me everything! "All I'm saying is, if you like these things, that that means you might be a little more on the submissive side... and you might actually enjoy it if you gave it a try." RoseAndThorns: Sec "I don't think all of that kinky stuff is for me. Power to you if that's your thing, but it's just not mine." It wasn't entirely the truth. She had some small curiosity about it but was far too embarrassed to admit it. "Sure, sure. What about you, Lila. What about the cute security guard at work?" "Mallory? Oh, she's going to be mine at some point." Lila giggled, a tiny girlish laugh that didn't match the tone of her words at all. "I really want to squish her boobs." Sabrina couldn't help but laugh over the absurdity of the childlike Lila's statement. It was hard to think of her as an adult at all, honestly, which only made her declaration seem sillier. Lila shot a split-second glare at the other woman before snapping her attention back to the game. "What? You're gay, you don't like boobs?" "I'm bi." Sabrina sounded more defensive than she intended to, that small gap still between herself and Lila. "And I'm a lesbian but we're both gay, dummy." Lila sneered, pausing the game and frowning at Sabrina. "Jeez, you're so dense sometimes. Do you or do you not like boobs?" "On a woman, sure. Not so much on a guy." "Ugh! You're being a brat. Faith, drop some ice in her underwear." "What!?" "Sure thing." Faith got up and headed for the kitchen as though this were a normal request, as though Lila had asked for a soda. Sabrina followed her, eyes wide as she opened the fridge. "You can't be serious. Wait. Faith! Stop!" "You're officially one of us now!" Lila's voice rang out from the living room as Sabrina screeched, reaching around behind her to try and fish the ice cube out of her panties. Faith had moved so confidently, so efficiently. She had plucked an ice cube from the bin in the freezer, taken one step and grabbed Sabrina by the wrist, spinning her around and in one fluid motion, releasing the wrist and pulling back the waistband of her jeans. The ice hurt against her flesh, but as she reached for it, Faith slapped her hand. "Faith!" "You earned that one. You're one of us now." Faith smirked, folding placing her hands on her hips - ready to smack a hand away again. "What does that even mean?!" The ice was beyond uncomfortable, it was painful against her skin. Sabrina gritted her teeth and turned around, reaching back to attempt fish it out again. Faith reach around her and batted her hands away. "Is this too much bullying for you, Bree?" That was the first time Faith had used the nickname, and Sabrina's heart sank. "This is how it is in this house. We were feeling you out, now we know we like you. You like us, don't you?" The trickle of cold water slid down, dripping through the thin fabric of her panties, dripping down her thigh. Sabrina winced. "Of course I like you. I've really enjoyed living here the past couple of weeks. But that doesn't mean- " "You're the new girl," Lila called out. "That means we're going to pick on you a bit. It just means we like you. Take the ice out of your pants and come play!" With gritted teeth, she tried once more. This time, Faith allowed it. Sabrina tossed the remnants of the ice cube in the sink and rubbed some warmth into her bottom. And swore she'd get Faith back for that one, in some subtle way.

I'm glad you're enjoying her as a character! She's a lot of fun to write. What? It was obviously a mistake! Mistakes happen! There's nothing nefarious going on! Got it!

Chapter Four The next two weeks flew by. Faith took the filled out applications for her, and Sabrina found herself not getting dressed and just hanging around the house, cleaning, making simple meals, and playing games with her temporary roommates in an easy rhythm. Kinsley worked on her computer each day, Faith went to "gigs" irregularly, and every so often she took Lila along with her. Those days were the strangest, essentially alone in the house and watching Kinsley's disturbingly massive library of movies and television shows. The sort of thing she never really allowed herself time to enjoy in the day-to-day struggle of survival. It was almost alarmingly relaxing. Sabrina was actually surprised when Kinsley asked her to go grocery shopping, providing her not with her own clothes, but with a lovely short dress - the sort that Lila would wear out. "Do you know where my bag of clothes got off to?" She hadn't wanted to bother Kinsley with it, but holding the dress, she overcame her southern urge to avoid making a fuss. Dresses had never been her idea of enjoyable attire. The hair on her head was no longer short and stubbly, but unexpectedly soft when she ran a hand over it. It was past time to shave it. "Oh, Faith didn't tell you?" Kinsley looked uncomfortable, a frown darkening her usually happy expression. "We took your clothes off to the laundromat... but they lost the whole bag. They gave the load to the wrong customer or something. I'm sorry hun, I was hoping we would have gotten them back by now, but Lila doesn't mind loaning you some clothes." Sabrina took the news surprisingly hard. The last of her possessions, gone. The one thing that was unmistakably hers. She felt suddenly vulnerable and held the dress close, shaking. "It's okay, sugar. We can take you shopping and buy you a thing or two, or you can use your first paycheck to replenish your wardrobe." "But nobody's called me back. Faith turned in all those applications, but I haven't gotten one single call. I've been here a week longer than I planned, and I'm starting to feel really guilty about it. I eat your food and- " "And you're our friend. You clean up, you make food, you provide joy and companionship. Not a one of us is sad that you're here, Bree." Bree. That nickname had been coming up more and more over the past week. Lila had switched to using it exclusively, but this was the first time it had come from Kinsley's lips. "I just- " "Shhh." Sabrina found herself with arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to Kinsley's chest, a hand stroking her too-soft, too-long hair. "Everything's fine. We're glad you're here and you're certainly not the first person who stayed a little longer than they thought they would. Now go get dressed, we'll get cheeseburgers on the way back from the store." The conversation ended as Kinsley gently pushed her toward Emmie's room before turning and walking away, calling to the other two dolls, asking if there was anything special they might want from the store. Sabrina stood in the hallway for a moment, looking at Kinsley's back, the blonde curls bouncing as she animatedly talked to the other two. Kinsley was in the most sedate clothing Sabrina had seen yet, a simple dark blue tunic top and blue jeans. The dress in her own hands was decidedly less casual, a sleeveless A-line with small flowers in blue and violet. A stark contrast to her preferred camo pants and tank tops. Kinsley glanced back at her with a smile and a wave, shooing her off to Emmie's room to change. She really wasn't being given a choice, and this wasn't the hill she wanted to die on. The dress looked uncomfortable, and her unshaven armpits stood out displeasingly against the light fabric of the dress. A look in the mirror revealed her very butch hair and nipples obvious with the lack of a bra. Excepting her breasts, she looked very much the part of a rebellious tomboy being forced to wear a dress by her mother. And she didn't like it. "Kinsley," she called as she stepped from Emmie's room, closing the door behind her. "I need a bra, does anyone have one I can borrow?" Hers were B cups, Faith looked like she might have a similar fit. "Or can we pick one up while we're out?" A borrowed bra was never comfortable, they never fit right. She didn't need one a lot of the time, the benefit of having smaller breasts. "That dress looks so good on you!" Lila gushed from her spot on the couch as Sabrina emerged into the living room. "I love it!" Sabrina's cheeks felt hot. She found herself being guided to the couch and sat down next to Lila while Faith slipped her shoes on her feet - she hadn't even noticed the other woman. "You don't want to borrow one, sugar. I'm sorry about your laundry bag, we'll get you one while we're out." Kinsley took Sabrina by the hand, leading her toward the front door. "Wait! I need my wallet.. and... " Sabrina frowned as she realized that the dress had no pockets, no way to carry her rather masculine wallet - or her phone, for that matter. "You don't need it, I'll buy you a bra - do you even have the cash for one right now?" "I've got a twenty." Sabrina objected. "I can... " "Hush, you might need that later. Come on, we'll only be a bit." "You might want to take care of your armpits tonight though, hun. No offense." Faith looked even more mature than usual in her grunge-chic. The crimson-haired woman waved as Sabrina was tugged out the door, sputtering and stammering. "Wait wait wait!" Sabrina dug her heels in as they stepped out onto the porch, the first time she had really been outside in over two weeks. "This is not okay. I'm not comfortable, I want- " Her words ended abruptly at Kinsley's stern face. "Tell me what you want, Bree. Tell me what demands you have." "I just want some pants, some other clothes... " "It hurts me that you're being this ungrateful. Do we ask too much of you?" Sabrina couldn't maintain eye contact at the shaming. She looked down at her ratty, worn sneakers. "It's just a quick trip to the store. You can stay here if you want." "No, I'm sorry. It's... it's fine, it's fine. It's just a short trip. You're right." "Thank you." Sabrina followed to the car, her head hung and feeling quite terrible about herself. Kinsley is right. It's just a dress. It's just a short trip. It's fine, it doesn't matter. The drive was silent, tense. Sabrina stared out the window, feeling worse than naked. She had no ID, wearing unfamiliar and unflattering clothes, and Kinsley was driving a little too fast for her comfort. Sabrina was extremely cautious when driving, getting pulled over was far too big a risk to be in a hurry anywhere. "I'm sorry." Sabrina was still looking away from Kinsley as she spoke, her voice quiet. "I should have... " She trailed off, gripping the seat with her right hand tightly. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten so upset, you didn't do anything wrong. I just want what's best for the people who come to us, and there have been a few that took advantage of us. You didn't deserve- " She stopped mid-sentence as the whoop of a siren came from behind, red and blue lights flashing. "Shit." Sabrina panicked, tears coming to her eyes almost immediately. Terror filled her at the thought of being pulled away from her new friends, from her saviors. She had been trying so hard to get back on her feet, to overcome her past mistakes. And now it could all go up in a flash just because she had complained about a dress. "I'll handle this, sugar. Just play along, okay?" Sabrina could only nod. Kinsley rolled the window down and took a deep breath. Just as the officer came into view at the driver's side window, Kinsley began to shout. "I told you that getting to that party wasn't worth it, you ungrateful child! You didn't even shave your filthy pits! Oh Lord, Robby is going to be so mad at me." Tears were rolling down Kinsley's cheeks as she seemingly began to hyperventilate. Shame flooded Sabrina, who began to cry as well. "Ma'am, I need you to calm down. Do you know why I pulled you over?" The silver glasses reflected the two tear-stricken women, raw emotion above the stone-faced mouth of the officer. Square jawed and deep-voiced, he sounded like he was trying very hard to maintain his own composure. "I'm so sorry, officer. We're late for her father's birthday party and I told her he'd understand if we were a little late... he's a good man, y'understand. He's a God-fearing man. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been speeding. I just couldn't take her crying, and- " Sabrina shrank into her seat, wrapping her arms around her stomach, trying to keep her tattoos hidden. It wouldn't help if her ink torpedoed Kinsley's ruse. "Ma'am, calm down. You were doing 43 in a 35. I need you to slow it down, okay?" The officer looked deeply uncomfortable at the display, and Sabrina could read it on his face - he'd dealt with domestic issues with "God-fearing" aggressive husbands before. She stared in shock, her sobs overcoming her as fear gripped her heart tighter than she was squeezing her arms together. This could end well, but it could all still go sideways. "Yes officer, I'm so sorry!" "I'm going to let you off with a warning, but I need you to be more careful. Get your daughter to that party, but stay under the speed limit, y'hear?" "I will officer, thank you sir. I'm so sorry. Thank you so much." As the officer turned and somewhat awkwardly walked away, Kinsley lowered her voice. "Bree, I swear, don't you dare tell your father about this, you got me? I love you so much, I love you." The look in the other woman's eyes, a sharp stare, told Sabrina that she needed to respond. "Yes, Mama." * * * Shopping was awkward and Sabrina felt shaky after the adrenaline rush of the near-disaster. Kinsley insisted that she continue calling her "Mama" while they were out, just in case. Sabrina didn't really care for it. She was guided around the store, pulled by her hand, and generally treated like an unruly teenager. About halfway through the trip, Kinsley stopped suddenly in the middle of the Coke aisle and pulled Sabrina in quickly for a hug, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman and pressing the side of her head into her bosom. "I was so scared I was going to lose you. That I was going to fail you. That a stupid fight would take you away from us. I'm supposed to be protecting you - please, Bree. Please, that was too close for me. Please don't fight me on the little stuff?" Sabrina's emotions were a thunderstorm inside her, fear of losing her friends and her freedom, sadness, and shock that she was being blamed for all of this. This could have all been avoided if they'd just given me some pants... But that thought was banished by a hot tear falling on her cheek from above. She wrapped her arms around Kinsley as well. "I'm sorry, I won't fight you on the little things." What choice did she have? Argue that it wasn't her fault and potentially get kicked out? It was obvious that Kinsley was convinced that she was in the right, and a dress wasn't worth facing the streets again, not after weeks of feeling so happy and secure in the Dollhouse. She hoped things would return to normal soon.

She was mentioned, but she doesn't live there. Angie is Faith's girlfriend. Also, why are you wary of Lila?

Ah - but you know what I'm talking about Tell me it isn't everywhere and a half-religion Best girl. I'm worried it's a bit of a slow start for the audience - we aren't getting many comments so far (I super appreciate everyone who does comment!) but Chapter Four starts to turn up the heat a bit.

Chapter Three Sabrina woke alone, roused by the savory smells of pasta and meatballs. With a groan, she climbed from the bed and made her way to the kitchen where Faith was cooking dinner. The living room was empty, the television quiet. "Good morning, Sunshine," Faith greeted her before dumping the strained spaghetti noodles into the pasta sauce. "Grab a bowl, they're in that cabinet. Do you eat meat?" "Yeah? You don't?" "Oh I do and Lila does, but Kinsley is vegetarian. She doesn't like the idea of being responsible for animal suffering, you know how it is. So the meatballs are over there. The pasta is vegetarian, but it doesn't mean we have to keep it that way for ourselves." "Does that make her uncomfortable?" The plates and bowls in the cabinet were a calamity of mismatched strangeness, chipped bowls and a mix of fine-looking china plates and ceramics from Wal-Mart. The spaghetti smelled good, with a strange spice hiding under the tomato and onion. "Lila said that it used to. Those pajamas look cute on you by the way. Here, will you carry Kinsley's bowl and I'll take Lila's? We usually eat upstairs." Dinner was a calm affair. The strangest thing was that Sabrina felt like she instantly fit in. The conversation was casual, there were no probing questions. Kinsley didn't say anything about checking into her, and no one said a word about Lila's visiting her bed. The mood was light and they explained their in-jokes with kindness. It was obvious that the three of them had been friends for quite a while, they almost had their own dialect. But Sabrina wanted to know. "So how long have you been friends?" It was Kinsley who answered with a smile, placing a gentle hand on Lila's. "We've been friends for eight years now. Faith has been living with us for four." "She was one of our early dolls. We just kept her," Lila chimed in with a giggle. She shot a knowing look to Faith, who grinned in return. "We've helped a lot of dolls, more women than men but we're equal opportunity. People just find us. I did. You did." It was Faith's turn to lay a gentle hand on Sabrina's. "You're safe here. We'll help you. It's what we do." "But why?" "Because," Kinsley smiled, sitting up straight and pushing her chair back. "Someone helped each of us when we needed it, and every now and again you find a treasure. Something worth keeping. Thanks for dinner, Faith. And thanks for cleaning up, Sabrina. I've got charts to watch, the markets close soon. Lila, don't forget you have to do your chores." "I know." Lila's sigh was that of a petulant teenager and discomfort swept through Sabrina - they were dressed the same. Faith rose from the table and headed downstairs and Kinsley wheeled back over to her array of blinking screens, leaving the other two essentially alone. "Do you need help?" Sabrina offered. Better to be more of an older sister in this situation than an immature equal. "I don't mind. What do you need to do?" Her tone was undoubtedly that of a superior talking to a younger person, and Lila's face clouded in response, her eyebrows drawing together and her lips pursed in annoyance. "I'm not some kid." Lila crossed her arms over her chest, her bottom lip poking out in a decidedly not-mature fashion. "I can handle it, I've been doing my chores long before you came around, Bree. Don't think you can come in here and treat me like a child." Sabrina bit her tongue quite literally, suppressing the urge to snap at the brat - she had been quite clear about her nickname preference but she knew it would be deeply unwise to antagonize her host, especially on her very first day. She needed their help, so she'd take the abuse. "I'm sorry, I don't think you're a kid. I just thought you might like some help, since I'm here. I'm really sorry I upset you." "It's fine," Lila sighed. "Just don't, okay? You're on dishes, I've got to go do the vacuuming." The dishes weren't hard, it seemed like the "dolls" kept a relatively clean house, despite the crumbling exterior. They were definitely an interesting bunch. Sabrina was invited to sit on the couch with Faith, watching Lila play her video game. Kinsley joined shortly thereafter and the four of them just hung out. It seemed odd to have their group social activity be watching only one person play a game, but it was quite enjoyable. There was a lazy camaraderie between the three keepers of the dollhouse, and Sabrina found herself comfortable, surprisingly quickly. The video game gave way to watching television, and the laughter lasted well into the night. Sabrina's heart ached at how easily their friendship came, but there was a scratch at the back of her brain, a warning, a fear. That they would turn out like so many of her other friends, that they would be shallow, that some small thing would turn them against her. Over something that should have been trivial, over something that a friend in some TV show or in the movies would laugh off. That betrayal was inevitable. And that feeling created an invisible wall between them. Sabrina's mind continually turned back to the moment of defensive irritation that Lila had snapped at her in. It was very much a surprise to her when the small girl woke her up again in the night, wrapping her arms tightly around Sabrina, a soft nose nuzzling the back of her neck. The night had been comfortable, but she had maintained her distance. TV had given way to some light drinking and Lila had lightened up once the boxed wine had begun to flow, but there was still a tension there. Sabrina certainly hadn't expected her to crawl into bed again. The cuddling was undoubtedly comforting, however. She was disappointed when she awoke alone the next morning. Lila had left at some point during the night. With a fuzzy tongue, she rose and showered. She returned to Emmie's room hoping to find her clothes laundered, but there was only another pair of pajamas waiting. With a shrug, she donned them and made her way to discuss her living situation with Kinsley. "Let's work on your resume." Kinsley was chipper and up early, despite their late night. A stuffed teddy bear smiled at her from the desk next to the woman's keyboard, a stark contrast to the intimidating data stream that sped by. Kinsley was a wizard on the computer, her fingers flying across the keys with a loud click-clack, a loudness Sabrina was entirely unused to coming from a keyboard. Within half an hour, her life and experience was on the screen in a pretty font with splashes of color. It looked good, professional. She smiled in awe at the tall pastel-clad woman. She was in a pair of jeans and a tie-died tank top this morning, an entirely different set of rings on her fingers, each digit encircled in silver, small gems, and fairies. Similarly, a pair of fairies dangled from her ear lobes, waving their wands and surely providing the magic that seemed to surround Kinsley. Sabrina blushed at the thought. It was far too soon to begin courting anyone, let alone a person who was providing her shelter. Her blush turned from one of simple embarrassment to shame as she looked over her work experience laid bare on the screen. It was dismal. Fast food and factory jobs. Unskilled labor. Her mother had told her to go off to Charlotte for college, but that was before she came out. When everything started falling apart. "Hey, hey. It's okay." Kinsley lifted her fallen chin with a gentle finger, causing the shorter Sabrina to stare up at the woman. "Everything's okay." "My resume is pathetic. What am I doing?" "Would you say you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, cutie?" Another blush. Sabrina was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. "No, definitely not." "Do you feel you really got a fair shot at things, or were you struggling to survive? Papa paid for college, right? You told us some of your story last night. Honey, you haven't had an easy time of it. So what if you're starting from the bottom. It don't mean you can't climb to the top. It's Friday, you just take it easy, tidy up around the house some, clean up the empties from last night. Faith is going to bring you some applications for you to fill out today, okay?" "I'm headed out!" Faith's shout came from the bottom of the stairs. "Short gig today, just portraits on site. Sabrina can fix lunch for Lila, right?" "I'm sure she wouldn't mind that." Kinsley answered, standing and talking right over the top of Sabrina's head. "Pick up some apps for her, will you? Usual places." "Sure thing!" "There, see?" Kinsley smiled down, towering above Sabrina's sitting form. "Easy peasy. You just relax, maybe play a game with Lila after you're done cleaning. Take good care of her, okay? Can you do that for me?" "No problem." The empties were easy, just a few beer bottles and the wine box. The way that some things were top of the line expensive and other things were the cheapest they could possibly be was baffling, but interesting. The three of them were such an eclectic collection. Sabrina felt the closest to Kinsley, then Faith, then Lila... despite the fact that she had been the closest physically to Lila. Her dreams had been filled with the girl, following her, hugging her, sharing a juice box of all things. And after a long hug following the shared drink, Dream-Lila had whispered in her ear: I think I want to keep you. Lunch was easy as well, Lila wanted peanut butter and jelly - but it had to be cut into four triangles. It was an easy enough request to fulfill. She made Kinsley's requested salad as well, and had everything tidied and done by early afternoon, the floor in the kitchen swept and the microwave cleaned. She sat down on the couch with the pajama'd Lila and watched her wander about some barren wasteland, shooting giant scorpions and zombies with a sniper rifle. It wasn't the same game as yesterday, that one had seemed much more peaceful with a happy blue character jumping about and collecting flags. After a while, they were playing a racing game together, ridiculous cartoon animals driving equally silly cars around an absurdly complicated track with all manner of animated obstacles. Faith came home with several heavy looking black cases that she carried into her room, which was down the hall from the room Sabrina was staying in, and joined them in their wacky race. Joy and laughter abounded, that easy camaraderie returning, with Sabrina feeling closer to both women. Kinsley also joined in for a bit, the screen split into quadrants for each of their bizarre vehicles. Pizza was delivered, and the games and fun extended through the evening and into the night, Sabrina's worries forgotten in the friendly energy. It felt like she had found an oasis in a dark world, a shining jewel of love and acceptance that she had never believed possible, safe with her new and unlikely friends. Before Sabrina retired to bed, well after midnight, Faith gave her a stack of papers - job applications - which the shorter woman vowed to fill out the following day. Faith, with her shockingly bright red hair, was all smiles and warmth, encouragement and friendship. Despite the sobering moment of holding the papers, Sabrina went to bed with a smile. There were no Lila cuddles that night. The bed was empty when Sabrina woke in the middle of the night, alone. The house was eerily quiet with the glow of the television gone. Lila's door was open, the cat snuggled up to the smaller girl, who was hugging a stuffed horse and slumbering soundly. Sabrina was surprised by the disappointment she felt, by the loneliness that gripped her heart as she returned to the bed in Emmie's room. She knew it was unrealistic to expect the relative stranger to visit her bed again, but it was undeniably nice to have the warmth of another body near her while she rested, and sleep did not come as easily that night.

Having people who understand you, who you can depend on to help you when you're down, and who can accept your help when you can give it... it's really amazing. I'm sorry for the people who are in rough situations, I wish them the best and that they can find a safehaven. Queer homelessness is still a big problem in this country, I've known too many people who came out - in a world that is much safer to do so in than when I was young - only to lose their entire family and their friends. It still happens, it's a problem, and it sucks. Remember! Consent is key and this is a work of fiction. We're going to go some dark places and explore some dark feelings that boundaries and safewords in a real power exchange relationship should solve. As per usual, I'll be happy to discuss the feelings of the characters (without spoiling things) and what COULD have been done differently. It really is - I'm from Kansas, which isn't the South but it's close enough in many ways. I've spent SOME time in the south and I'm passingly familiar with the culture. And sweet tea is AMAZING. I'm glad you like Lila! She's a fun character to write.

I'm glad you're on board! And thank you for commenting ❤️ I see that I got your very first post ever, which I loooooooove being someone's first post!! Ain't that the truth. Thank you for letting the stories touch you emotionally! I feel like that's crucial to the enjoyment of it Let the characters into your heart, so you can be a part of the journey. I'm beyond tickled that you love this story so much ❤️

Chapter Two Sweet tea was a staple of the South. A unifying force. Northerners just didn't get it, complained about how much sugar was in the drink. But that was the way it was supposed to be. The South wasn't perfect, there was intolerance and bigotry, hatred and racism. Everything was mighty fine if you were a part of the majority, a part of the patriarchy, but being a queer woman left her decidedly outside that realm of "normal". The South wasn't perfect, but sweet tea and Southern hospitality were. Sabrina knew she should have packed up and gone North, away from the place that raised her, the place that scorned her, but she just couldn't manage. New York, Chicago, Seattle, some place where the f-word wasn't casually thrown around to refer to her queer compatriots. Maybe someday. But for now, there was comfort in sweet tea. "This is Sabrina," Kinsley said from her spot on one side of the ramshackle card table that sat in the breakfast nook off to one side of the kitchen. The appliances in the kitchen were ancient, the tiles on the floor were spiderwebbed with age. It was a stark contrast from the modernity of the tech den upstairs. This matched the outside of the old house, but nobody paid it any mind. "She's going to be staying in Emmie's room for a while. She's one of us, I think, and it's been a while since she had someone to care for her." "Welcome, sweetie." Faith offered a warm smile and a refill before sitting down to Sabrina's right. Lila was on her left, with Kinsley directly across, and Sabrina felt surrounded and enveloped by their kindness. They were an odd bunch, all home on a Thursday afternoon and Lila in pajamas. Their styles couldn't be more different, but the connection between the three of them was palpable. "I'll get your room tidied up after I sit a spell and I'll show you around." It was hard to tell who was the "leader", honestly. It seemed like it would be Kinsley, but Faith seemed like the most together. There was a childlike quality about Lila that Sabrina just couldn't put her finger on. She was younger, for sure, but definitely in her twenties. She just had a youthful energy about her, a carefree attitude. "Thanks... " Sabrina ran a hand over her shaven head before continuing, a common nervous gesture for her. "Um, are there any rules I should know about? Don't let the cat out, that kind of thing?" "Don't let Mamoru out, Bree! She'll run away!" Lila stopped mid-drink, lowering the glass from her mouth with both hands, which wasn't helping her appearance of immaturity. "I won't! I was just asking for examples. And I prefer Sabrina, please. I've never liked shortened versions of my name." Lila wilted visibly, a dying flower. Guilt instead bloomed, in the pit of Sabrina's stomach. "No offense." "Let's go back to your game, honey," Faith offered, standing and taking Lila's hand. The sounds of the video game soon followed. "Well, rule number one is that Lila is a sensitive soul, I suppose. She's a sweetie who has had a hard time of it. Please be kind to her." Sabrina could feel the guilt in her gut twist to anxiety and opened her mouth to defend herself, to say that she didn't mean it. "I know you didn't mean to, you didn't do anything wrong. She can't have everything she wants, we just have to be delicate with her. Don't worry. And yes, please don't let the cat out. "Since you're not paying rent, we do ask that you do some chores around the house. Do you have a car?" "No." Sabrina hung her head. The car had been totaled the day after the plant let her go... the other driver didn't have insurance, and hers wasn't going to cover anything. It had made finding another job substantially harder. It was the sort of thing she normally would have turned to friends or family for... but those were gone. Facing reality of it brought with it another surge of sadness. "Not anymore." "That's okay, hun." Kinsley reached a butterfly-adorned hand across the table and patted Sabrina's reassuringly. "We'll drive you to interviews or wherever you need to go. What you don't contribute in money, you'll contribute in helping the house, right?" "Of course! I'm not looking for something for nothing, I just... " "You just need a little help, that's all. Everyone needs help sometimes, and we're no strangers to giving it. You're not the first person to come knocking for a hand up, and you won't be the last." Kinsley's laugh was a hearty chuckle, full of mirth and caring. Sabrina couldn't help but smile. "So what chores do you need me to do?" "Well, do you like cooking?" "I like it but I'm terrible at it. I can try, though." "That's okay, how about we start you with the dishes? The rules here are simple: be kind, take care of your fellow dolls, and put in at least as much as you take out. Money, chores, emotional support - we need each other to survive. The South ain't exactly kind to queer women, you know." Sabrina laughed nervously. "I'm all too aware. So... are any of you an item?" "We're very free with our affection, but no. Lila and I dated once, long ago, but that was practically a different lifetime. Faith is seeing someone, I'm sure you'll meet her when she comes around. Angie's clever, you'll like her." Kinsley stood, pushing her chair back and stretching. "We'll take care of you if you take care of us. No hard drugs. No drinking unless we're all drinking together. Don't bring strangers into the house. Try not to make Lila cry. If you're not sure about something, ask. But always, always be kind." Sabrina stood as well, looking up at her host, and rubbing her shaven head once again. "Thanks. You've no reason to trust me, you don't know me. I appreciate this." "Oh, I'll be checking up on you, Sabrina Warren. I'll be asking around, find out where you got our information. I'm trusting you, but I'm verifying. If you're telling me lies, you're out. Got it? And if you're here to steal something... just know that we've helped a lot of people over the years. There are lots of folks out there who would love to pay back a favor, huh? I'd much, much rather add you to the list of people we've helped rather than the people who have hurt us." "I don't steal." Sabrina stood tall and proud as she said it, but still had to look up to Kinsley. "No worries there." She took a glance at the kitchen counters, the dishes waiting in the sink. "How about I do the dishes until Faith wants to show me the room?" "Sounds great, sugar," Kinsley smiled, laying a friendly hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "I'm going to go check my charts. You be a good girl, okay?" Sabrina only blinked as the taller woman walked away, before turning to the sink to show that she didn't mind earning her keep. It had been a hard road, a hard month, and she was grateful for their kindness. * * * Emmie's room was lavender on two walls and peach on the other two. Sabrina wondered if Kinsley had something to do with the motif. The blankets on the bed were a dark red, however - something a little more mature. A long, short dresser with a mirror lined one wall, and a bookshelf next to the closet door, covered in stuffed animals. Apparently Emmie had been a collector of some kind. Bunnies, squirrels, and other happy woodland creatures smiled out at her, a stark contrast to the bare, curtainless window it stood next to and the dead tree branch swinging slightly in the wind. The window was a squat rectangle near the ceiling, a very odd thing but it let a lot of light in the room. An old, wooden trunk with a heavy lid waited at the foot of the bed, and the dark stain of the wood offset some of the soft pastels of the walls. It wasn't as large as the bedroom in her old apartment, but it was a room. It was cool and dry, and it was a safe place to sleep. The only thing that really struck her as odd - not the stuffed animals, not the big white dragonflies dancing on the walls - was the fact that the doorknob to the room had a keyhole beneath it, the kind you could peek through. All of the doors in the house seemed to have that, that and the odd push-button lightswitches. Two small, round buttons - a white one on top and a black one on the bottom. Pushing the black one turned off the lights, pushing the white one turned them on. It was novel, in a way. A relic of a time gone by. The house had to be a hundred years old, and the creaking floorboards did nothing to dispel that notion. An old, maroon towel waited for her, folded on the bed. Kinsley had taken her gym bag, since it was full of dirty clothes anyway. After a quick look around, she grabbed the towel and headed for the bathroom... which also had a keyhole under the doorknob. With a shrug she closed the door and stripped, wondering if she should bother shaving her legs and pits. It felt wrong to borrow someone else's grooming supplies, though, and if anyone would accept her unshaven self, it would be these three. She wasn't a fan of stereotypical femininity anyway - there was nothing wrong with it, she had just been doing that particular rebellion so long it was second nature, part of her identity. The hot water cascading over her felt amazing, and the freedom to enjoy it was as refreshing as the water itself. In this moment, she felt her heart lighten, simply enjoying the visceral pleasure of caring for her basic needs. When the shower was done, when the water was off and the last bit slid down the drain, her heart slid with it. The reality of her situation settled back into its place, no longer held at bay by the unwanted buffer of stress at needing to find a safe place to sleep. With that pressure gone, the crushing reality of how far she had fallen was unrelenting and she slowly sank to her knees in the empty tub. The tears followed shortly after and she sat, huddled with her arms around her knees, and sobbed. The world was cruel, it was a lesson she had learned early, but the depth of sadness that enveloped her felt insurmountable. She cried until the tears wouldn't come any more, until she was exhausted and empty. Bundling herself up in the towel, she opened the door slowly and walked the four feet to the door to Emmie's room, and slipped inside. Waiting for her was a pair of striped pajamas, white and mint green. With a weak smile, she draped the towel over the corner of the bare dresser and slipped into the soft, warm garment. The bed called to her, and she didn't resist. She collapsed on it, grabbing for a stuffed animal without thinking, hugging it. She felt like she was bleeding, like all the warmth in her body was seeping out of her from a slice across the belly. It felt like her emotional pain was just pouring out of her, pooling on the bed beside her. With eyes closed, her breathing ragged, she rested. She was barely aware of the door opening a while later, of her light being turned off, and a soft, warm body joining her in the bed. Lila's voice was a caring whisper in her ear. "You seemed like you needed a cuddle." Gentle arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. Soft breasts in her back, kind arms around her body. Steady, calm breathing against her own. A tender stroke along her cheek, across her eyebrow. In Lila's arms, she drifted off to sleep.

I dunno yet if this is a proper Kimmy story, you'll have to tell me when the journey is done! All of my best work came from personal pain and this one is more of an exploration of darker feelings from the safety of a new and friendly environment. How about, "It's always darkest just before Kimmy makes it darker" Yay! Well thanks for joining us once again ❤️❤️❤️ And thank you for taking the time to comment! I'm sorry you're having a hard time, hun. I'm glad friends have been there for you, and I hope you get back on your feet.

I have NO IDEA what you're talking about. This is a brand-new story that I just made up, all the characters are entirely fictional and any resemblance to any individual living or dead is purely coincidence. That said, if anyone wants to GUESS about what-character-might-be-who from some ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, I can't stop anyone. We'll see - this will be on my usual posting schedule, one chapter per day as long as I have them. We'll almost certainly take a break while I'm at CAP (but then again maybe not). Every like and comment is deeply appreciated and I love discussion and speculation as the story goes on! I hope you enjoy the trip! I still don't know how this one ends, but I've been enjoying writing it!

Hello friends! This story is a rambling, meandering mess loosely based on a fun scene that I got to play in. It is absolutely a work of fiction and the characters are not a representation of any real person. It's a very, very dark vision of a lighthearted scene that just tickled my brain in a very twisted way. None of it's real, please don't think it is -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Life in the Dollhouse - Chapter One The old building loomed, and the small woman shivered in its shadow. Brick pillars bookended the porch with its sagging roof, a sandy brown shingle hanging down and swaying in the breeze. A mess of letters poked out of the old iron mailbox mounted to the siding to one side of the door. Yellow electric light spilled from the smattering of broken blinds in the front window, accompanied by blue flashes and the sounds of a video game. Sabrina didn't know a thing about video games, she had always been more of a bookworm. Anne Rice was her vice, which invited mockery from her circle of friends. Well, ex-friends. Everyone had ditched her when she came out as bisexual. Being a gay man was at least tolerated in South Carolina, but a bi woman wasn't understood. She was supposed to "pick a team" - the few friends she had left, mostly gay men - dropped her when she started dating Mark. Her few straight friends had dumped her the previous year over Bethany, and that had been a disaster on its own. But "switching teams" was apparently the final straw. When the poultry plant "downsized" her, Sabrina Warren had nowhere else to turn. She had tried desperately to find another job, anything, but it hadn't been going well. The tattoos on her arms weren't helping. She ran a hand over her shaven head, feeling the prickles of the stubbly purple-dyed hair as she wondered whether she was crazy enough to just drop in on these people. The Dollhouse on Sortwell Road. A friend of a friend had suggested it. Apparently a trio of queer women ran the house and offered refuge for a fellow queer down on their luck. They had a reputation for kindness, but there was also a dark rumor or two. That they were into some weird stuff. All she had was an address and a name - Kinsley Adams. "Beggars can't be choosers," she muttered to herself as she stepped toward the door, an old gym bag clutched in her left hand. She knew she looked like a typical bull dyke at this point, camo pants and a tank top, showing her modest cleavage. But it was hot, and also it was her last clean outfit. The aesthetic was ruined by her height, however. At 5'4", she wasn't exactly intimidating. The gym bag held the rest of her clothes, basically everything she owned now - her crazy landlord was holding the rest of her stuff hostage until she could come up with the back rent. She knew it wasn't legal, but she wasn't about to call the cops. Too many unpaid tickets to risk it, and too many prior arrests to talk her way out of it. She was pretty sure that the unpaid tickets had led to a warrant. One hand raised and ready to knock, a black flash of movement caught the corner of her eye. A tuxedo cat, fat and saucy, glared at her from the window, poking its face through the broken blinds. It croaked out a hoarse mew before bolting away at her knock. The sounds of the video game and the flashing blue lights ceased. "Faith! Get the door!" The voice was high-pitched and came from just inside the window, but almost certainly belonged to an adult. Sabrina resisted the urge to peek through the window to see who was doing the shouting. Second thoughts gave way to third thoughts, and she very nearly turned and left... but the sound of the door unlocking convinced her to turn around. "Hey." A slender grunge chick greeted her, red flannel tied around the waist of her skinny black jeans. She wore a tight black t-shirt with some brightly colored monster smiling from it, too short to cover her midsection. The woman had lovely abs and a pair of perky breasts, and Sabrina blushed as she forced her gaze upwards. She looked kind, a fire-engine-red pixie cut and a warm smile. The blast of cold air that rushed out felt like a gentle kiss to Sabrina. "What can I do for you?" "Um.. I'm looking for Kinsley? My friend Jules suggested that I look her up, but nobody knew her phone number." This brought a raised eyebrow, astonishingly also a bright red, like a character from a cartoon. Her eyes were brown and showed her suspicion, but still generally friendly. "Did your friend tell you to ask her something in specific? She's asleep right now, but I can deliver a message." That seemed strange given the volume of the television and the fact that it was four in the afternoon on a Thursday. "Uh.. " She felt like an idiot saying it out loud, but it's what Jules said her friend told her. "Is this the Dollhouse on Sortwell?" "Kinsley!" The other girl shouted from just inside the open door. "Kinsley! It's someone for you!" Sabrina jolted from the sudden voice, startled, and nearly missed the strange glint that appeared in the red-haired woman's eye for just a split second. She smiled wide and stepped back, holding open the screen door. "Come on in. I'm Faith, that's Lila. Kinsley's upstairs." "Oh, I don't want to wake her up." Sabrina stepped in tentatively, looking over at the short woman in comfortable-looking pajamas, white and blue striped. She held some sort of controller in her hand and had a roundish face. Her hair was also red, but a much less shocking red - more of an auburn, in a pretty bob that suited her. Her face was nicely framed by it, and accented by a pair of maroon eyeglasses. "She won't mind," the small woman chirped from her seat on the couch. "You said the magic word. This is the Dollhouse and we're the dolls!" Her giggle was innocent and bubbly, and Sabrina couldn't help but smile despite the odd statement. "That's just a nickname." Faith slipped an arm around Sabrina's shoulder, leading her deeper into the house and closing the door behind them, taking a moment to lock the deadbolt with a key, leaving it poking out of the door. "We help people. One of the first people Kinsley helped called her and Lila 'a doll' all the time, you know? Like a term of endearment. 'You are such a doll'. Kinsley liked it so much that she kept it." "That's um, that's why I'm here. I just need a place to crash for a week or so until I can find another job. I'm really sorry, I wouldn't normally do this but Jules- " "Don't worry about it. I'm not making any promises, though. That's up to Kinsley. C'mon." Her teeth were blindingly white, pearly in her mouth. Sabrina relaxed a bit, but still felt uncomfortable and pushy, barging into a stranger's house and asking to sleep there. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as Faith led her up the rickety stairs in the center of the house. It was an odd layout, a long living room on one side of the stairs with a doorway to a kitchen on one end and a doorway to another room on the other, and a hallway on the other side of the stairs, a series of closed doors. The place was old, and the push-button lightswitch on the wall drew a confused blink from the visitor. The stairs led to a large room with a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams above them. The windows were low, inches above the floor, and the big room was lined with desks on one wall and a sectional couch facing a very nice looking TV and entertainment setup. Faith guided her, toward the desks, where a mass of short blonde curls waited, bobbing above the back of a large chair in front of a truly intimidating computer setup. Six monitors with graphs and charts in red and blue with green lines moving across them. "Hey Kinsley. We've got someone asking about the Dollhouse." Glancing around the room, Sabrina felt awed by the setup. So much technology in such a bad area of town, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. Sortwell Road was in a bad part of Columbia, there was a lot of drug activity and very little in the way of law enforcement. It wasn't a place she wanted to walk around alone at night. She stole another glance, looking at Faith. The woman was slender but her arms looked wiry and strong without losing that delicate quality of femininity. She stood slightly taller than Sabrina, maybe 5'5", and she stood with her hips at an angle, her arms hanging loosely. The chair turned slowly, revealing the smiling woman who owned those natural curls. Her eyes were an icy blue, but they were lit with a warm light and her grin was equally warm and welcoming, spreading from ear to ear. She was dressed from head to toe in mismatched pastels, a soft peach blouse and blue pants ending above a pair of pale green sandals. Her fingernails were something else, a riot of yellows and pinks, with a dash of green to them. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. "Welcome! Would you care for some sweet tea? Oh, they told you I was asleep, didn't they?" Sabrina blinked, realizing that her confusion and suspicion was written plain on her face. Her cheeks flushed red once again. "I was, actually, until about twenty minutes ago." The blonde tapped a fancy looking watch on her wrist. "But the euro took a tumble, so there's things to be done. You know how it is." Sabrina had absolutely no idea how it was. "Um, thanks. This is kind of awkward for me, and I'm really sorry, but I was told that you sometimes help people in the community who need it." Faith gave Sabrina's shoulder a friendly pat. "I'm going to go back downstairs with Lila. Call if you want that tea." "Come in, sugar." Kinsley beckoned, gesturing to a chair at the desk next to hers, a fancy-looking flat monitor on the desktop and a keyboard covered in softly blinking lights. Nice but nowhere near as intimidating as the multitude of screens that floated on steel beams behind the other woman. "Faith won't mind if you sit at her desk while we talk." Tentatively, Sabrina took the offered seat, setting her gym bag gently on the floor to one side. "Thanks... Kinsley." She scanned the pastel-clad lady, only realizing now that she was closer just how tall Kinsley was. Her chair was wider than the one Sabrina sat in, and it was raised higher. Kinsley's hands were elegant and adorned with thin silver rings, fairies and butterflies seemingly dancing on her fingers. "Of course." That warm smile never faltered, and unexpectedly, that pastel-tipped hand was resting on Sabrina's camo-covered leg. "You look like you've had a tough day. We do help people, why don't you tell me the kind of help you need?" The gentle touch, the soft voice, took Sabrina by surprise. As did the tears. "I... I just need a place to sleep for a week or so, just until I can get another job." "What happened?" To her shock, the whole story began tumbling from Sabrina's lips. Mark and Bethany. The betrayal of her friends. The problem with her landlord. Her job, her back rent, losing her connection with her parents when she came out. She poured her pain all over the floor at Kinsley's feet until she was sobbing, her head in her hands. It was all too much. It was too much to deal with, and she had no one to talk to lately. She had no one to tell just how alone and hopeless she felt. Jules wasn't so good with feelings. When she was done, when there were no words left to break the sobs, she felt arms wrap around her, felt herself being pulled into the bigger woman's lap. "That's quite a story, and quite a lot of pain. Of course you can stay for a week, or however long it takes you to get another job and a place." Embarrassed and overwhelmed, Sabrina relented and wrapped her arms around Kinsley, her sobs slowing as the woman hugged her. It seemed impossible, that this oasis existed, that there were people who were just ready to help with no questions asked, just because she needed it. It seemed too good to be true. She expected to wake up any moment, laying on her back in an alley somewhere. The fate that would have been awaiting her without this woman's help. "I'm so ashamed, Kinsley. I'm so ashamed to ask for help." "Now now, sugar. Everyone needs help sometimes. You think I never needed any help? Let us help you. You just need a place to rest your bones and recover, and you found it. We've got a spare room at the moment, since Emmie moved out. It's ready to sleep in, honestly. Let's go introduce you to the dolls and get that glass of tea, hmm?" Kinsley rose, setting Sabrina gently on her feet and taking her hand. She towered over the smaller woman, close to six feet tall. Sabrina found herself eye-level with Kinsley's chest, which brought yet another blush. "Thanks. I don't deserve your help, but I'm happy you're offering it." "Think nothing of it. And welcome to the Dollhouse."

Well... like... the intro is kiiiinda scripted? In that I've done the basic intro in text like 10 times. So 0.5% scripted?

Nope! We're not recording. We don't have an agreement with CAP to do so and personally, I think it would discourage shy Littles from asking questions. Given the fact that every single one of the panelists WRITE PORN, it's going to be a raunchy good time, and people would feel embarrassed about that if they were being recorded. It's a one-time live performance

I could see Sophie doing this.

The thing to remember is... EVERYONE is part of the scene there. Everyone has the same fears you do. Fear of their friends and family finding out, fear of their interests affecting their job. No cameras are allowed anywhere in the con except by the Con staff and only in specific areas that are clearly marked. Everyone has to have their phone cameras covered with stickers and the penalty for violating that rule is a permanent ban. Nobody wants to lose the ability to go to CAP. Everyone who gets a ticket is vetted to make sure they're actually part of the scene. If you've never been to a munch, if you've never been to an event, if you've never met another Little in person... you should. I know it's scary. But go to your local meetup. Meet your local Littles. They're scared people just like you. You can do it. You'll be happy you did. And I'm super glad you've come out of your shell! I can't wait to meet you in person!! You owe me a biiiiiiig hug! Sophie-chan, I'm the host. You're the talent. I'll take the heat off of you, I'll be the person dancing around (verbally and probably literally) to entertain the crowd and keep things on track. I'll take care of you, hun ❤️

Someday, my dear! Hee hee. Oh dear? What "oh dear"? I am a good hugger! I give good hugs! My pageant title even said, "Kimmy gives great hugs"!!!

It is possible to get special permission to record a session - Love in Brief does a live recording of their podcast at CAP. But no, writers are a shy lot, and even if we could get permission, we probably wouldn't! Completely unrelated: EVERYONE WHO ENJOYS MY STORIES CAN COME GET A HUG FROM ME AT CAPCON!

We have no plans to record it at all. It's a CAPCon only thing - Littles tend to get real shy if you're recording and they're not used to it. Awwww ❤️ We can't wait to see you again Kerry! You have no idea how tickled it makes me that you are looking forward to our silliness so much!

It should be some lighthearted fun. There will no doubt be teasing amongst the panelists - we're all friends, after all. But questions about tropes, specific stories, writing techniques, ideas, plans - as long as we're on the general topic of writing and creating fiction (I do short stories and blogging as well as novels, Personalias writes the Perpetual Change video game, Sophie && Pudding run a successful Patreon and do captions as well as stories, WB writes music and runs another story forum). Anything you want to know about stuff we've written/created, ideas we've had, things we want to write/create - these sorts of things. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I believe Personalias had the idea first? I don't remember. It fell into my lap and I did what I could to help make it happen! Yay! I look forward to meeting you!

Aww, I'm sorry I made you sad! I hope you find your happy again ❤️ Are you gonna join us? I'm really excited! Yay! I'll be asking for audience questions, so if there's anything you want to know, have a question ready! Otherwise I'll just be picking on the other panelists