Life in the Dollhouse - Chapter Twenty-Six (4/20)

[Baby_B_UK]

Oh this is getting better and better.

Loving the characters and I think I’m getting ideas of who is who, after talking to you guys in Discord I have picked up a thing or 2

[bbykimmy]

16 hours ago, Lyra Silver said:

I feel so anxious for Sabrina! She's in a very vulnerable spot right now and the other three are manipulating her! ?

Manipulating!?  They are sweethearts who welcomed her into their home!  The least she can do is be good.

16 hours ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

Oh this is getting better and better.

Loving the characters and I think I’m getting ideas of who is who, after talking to you guys in Discord I have picked up a thing or 2

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.

[Sophie ♥]

To be perfectly fair, Sabrina should have just sung the waffle song.  

[Lyra]

I think Bree is going to get a shiny eternity bracelet just like our dear Kimmy

[bbykimmy]

3 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

To be perfectly fair, Sabrina should have just sung the waffle song.  

It's true.  It's really hard to make up songs on the fly though!!

12 minutes ago, Lyra said:

I think Bree is going to get a shiny eternity bracelet just like our dear Kimmy

?

What makes you think that??

[Wannatripbaby]

This is not conducive to a harmonious living environment. The smart thing to do would be for Sabrina to talk to Kinsey privately and say that Lila is making her feel like she's walking in a mine field and ask for ways to make it better.

Of course that wouldn't make for an interesting story, now would it?

[Baby_B_UK]

Sabrina should have sang like Lila wanted. She’s beneath her so she has to. Can’t wait to see what Lila has in store for Sabrina.

This story is quickly turning into a masterpiece of writing!

[bbykimmy]

17 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

This is not conducive to a harmonious living environment. The smart thing to do would be for Sabrina to talk to Kinsey privately and say that Lila is making her feel like she's walking in a mine field and ask for ways to make it better.

Of course that wouldn't make for an interesting story, now would it?

Open and honest communication is just about always the right answer!  Especially in relationships!!

...but yeah, miscommunication and mishandling are the seeds of drama, and what's a good story without some drama?

11 minutes ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

Sabrina should have sang like Lila wanted. She’s beneath her so she has to. Can’t wait to see what Lila has in store for Sabrina.

This story is quickly turning into a masterpiece of writing!

:O

What makes you think Lila has something planned?  Lila is a sweet girl who never did anything wrong, ever.

[Lanthey]

4 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

To be perfectly fair, Sabrina should have just sung the waffle song.  

???

[Baby_B_UK]

1 hour ago, bbykimmy said:

Open and honest communication is just about always the right answer!  Especially in relationships!!

...but yeah, miscommunication and mishandling are the seeds of drama, and what's a good story without some drama?

?

What makes you think Lila has something planned?  Lila is a sweet girl who never did anything wrong, ever.

Just like Kimmy is a sweet girl who doesn’t do anything wrong?

[bbykimmy]

7 minutes ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

Just like Kimmy is a sweet girl who doesn’t do anything wrong?

Exactly like that!

[Wannatripbaby]

1 hour ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

Just like Kimmy is a sweet girl who doesn’t do anything wrong?

 

1 hour ago, bbykimmy said:

Exactly like that!

Press X to doubt.

 

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?

[Baby_B_UK]

 

1 hour ago, Wannatripbaby said:

 

Press X to doubt.

 

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?

 I think that Kimmy forgets that we know her well 

[thedman]

8 hours ago, bbykimmy said:

It's true.  It's really hard to make up songs on the fly though!!

Nonsense, I shall make the waffle song now.

It goes like this

Waffle, waffle, waffle....

Waffle, waffle, waffle....

 

And so on, all to the Super Mario tune

[Lizzy]

?

5 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

 

Press X to doubt.

 

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?

? Kimmy is a sweet and innocent princess *nods nods* 

 

[bbykimmy]

8 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Press X to doubt.

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?

;-;

...but I am sweet and kind!

7 hours ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

 I think that Kimmy forgets that we know her well 

;______;

3 hours ago, thedman said:

Nonsense, I shall make the waffle song now.

It goes like this

Waffle, waffle, waffle....

Waffle, waffle, waffle....

 

And so on, all to the Super Mario tune

Dang.  I wish I had thought of that last time someone (won't say who) demanded that I sing the waffle song.  I'm gonna use this.

3 hours ago, Lizzy said:

?

? Kimmy is a sweet and innocent princess *nods nods* 

 

THANK YOU!

I'm glad someone thinks so!

[Lyra Silver]

On 2/24/2020 at 6:32 AM, bbykimmy said:

Manipulating!?  They are sweethearts who welcomed her into their home!  The least she can do is be good.

You're not wrong, but I don't quite think that's right either ?

Now that we're a few chapters in, here's my impressions of the characters so far:

• Kinsley seems kind of cold and detached. The reminders that people need to "fight their own battles" seem to show that she doesn't really care what happens as long as no one challenges her authority. I wonder what she's getting out of this, and why she seems to be OK with some potentially bruised feelings as everybody fights for their place. Kind of makes me think of the Social Darwinist archetype.
• Faith we've seen less of since she's off doing her own thing, but by all accounts she's been doing a lot of caretaking for Lila. Part of me just thinks maybe the poor girl needs a break ?
• Lila is an interesting one, on the one hand sweet, and on the other, demanding. I wonder if part of it is because with Sabrina's arrival, she's no longer at the bottom, and now she's desperate to hold onto that position.
• And of course our poor Sabrina! Clearly what she needs to do is to have a frank discussion with everyone about these unspoken rules of the house, but instead they're dropped in seemingly at random so she can't relax. But of course if she stands up for herself too much she might get kicked out of the house...At least most of the time life seems to be pretty harmonious.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here! Obviously something is going to happen tomorrow...but what?

[bbykimmy]

Chapter Eight

The high alert had seemingly been for nothing, Lila had been perfectly sweet and nice for the following week or so, and Faith took back over the routine, leaving Sabrina free to do other things, like filling out another round of applications.  Faith agreed to turn them in for her once more.  The days had gone normally, with their own strange cadence of bizarre bedtimes, open affection, and random visits to one another's beds for the purposes of cuddling to sleep.

It was honestly the happiest she had ever felt.

Sabrina woke with a smile, slipping from the bed and heading for the shower.  Faith was going to be at Angie's again the following day, Sabrina had decided to be as lazy as possible in the meantime.  She reached for the doorknob to her room, unconsciously resting her left hand on the dresser... and was surprised to hear a loud "clunk".

There was a bracelet on her left wrist.  Shiny metal, simple.  She had never seen it before in her life, but there it was.  Reaching down, she tried to pull it off her wrist but it was too small to go over her hand.  She turned it around and around, but there was no clasp.  There was a hinge on one side of the smooth steel oval... and on the other was a tiny, recessed bolt.  With a frown, she stepped out of her room and looked around for the prankster responsible.

Lila was already on the couch, playing away.

"Hey Lila.  Do you know what this is all about?"  Sabrina held her hand up, showing the bracelet.

"Oh yeah."  Lila smiled and put the controller down, leaving the game paused.  Faith stood in the doorway of the kitchen.  "I got that for you, because you're so slippery."

"What?"

"I got you a present!  You should say 'thank you'."

"Thanks for the thought, but how do I take it off?"

"You don't." Lila beamed, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on her hands.  "Isn't it great?"

"What do you mean you don't.  Lila, how do I take the bracelet off?"  She tugged at it again, trying to force the clasp open, but it may as well have been solid.  "Who put this on me?"

"I did."  Faith's smile was nothing short of smug.

"Why!?"

"Because," Lila snapped as she stood up and grabbed the bracelet, "I'm tired of you slipping away from me."  She twisted and Sabrina's eyes went wide as she found herself being forced to the ground.

"Ow!"  She couldn't twist, she couldn't escape.  The bracelet gave Lila the perfect handhold.  "Let go!"

"Say you're beneath me."

Sabrina's eyes narrowed as it became clear what this was all about.  "I won't."  She winced as Lila twisted again, forcing her face to the floor.  Trying again to pull away, she only succeeded in bruising her wrist.  "Ow!  Okay, okay.  I'm beneath you."

"There!" Lila let go, sounding sweet and gentle as she sat back down.  "That wasn't so hard, was it?  You start at the bottom, I'm not ready for you to be anywhere else.  Now, grab a controller and let's play."

Sabrina sat up, rubbing her wrist.  "Look, this is not okay.  You locked this thing on me without asking and I want it off."

"We'll take it off when we're sure you're going to be good."  Faith turned, heading back to the kitchen and talking over her shoulder as she went.  "That won't take long, right?"

"You can't be serious.  You have locked a bracelet on my wrist.  You can't do this!"

Faith turned around, hands on her hips.  "Our house, our rules.  It doesn't hurt you, it's just to stop you from weaseling away when you're in trouble.  It's not worth leaving over, right?  Just a bracelet."

Sabrina sighed.  "No, you're right.  Just... promise me you'll take it off soon?  It's really heavy."

"Like I said, I'm sure it'll be real soon.  Because you're going to be good."

Showering with the bracelet was a pain, but even under the water she couldn't slip it off - though she tried.  She thought about texting Jules and asking for advice, but it seemed silly.  Jules would laugh at her over it, like it was some big funny prank.  Lila seemed mostly playful when she said things about being "beneath her", but Faith seemed entirely too serious.  But she was right.  It wasn't worth throwing her new family away over.  She decided to talk to Kinsley about it, she probably didn't know what was going on.

*       *       *

"Of course I know about it."  Kinsley reached over and grabbed the arm of Faith's chair, where Sabrina had sat down, and pulled her close.  "We bought that bracelet for Faith originally."

"Wait, what?"

"Faith was a bit of a troublemaker.  We needed a way to keep her hands out of the way sometimes - she wore one on each wrist.  Are you hoping for the other one?"

"No!" Sabrina's eyes shot wide as she reared back in the chair.  This wasn't how she had expected this conversation to go at all!  She had expected Kinsley to demand that Faith take the bracelet off of her, but that was seeming less and less likely.  It was still worth a shot, however.  "I want it off.  Please get Faith to give me the key."

"It doesn't work that way."  Kinsley shrugged, her mouth curled in a sardonic smile.  "You have to fight your own battles."

"What does that even mean!?"

"It means, you're on the bottom because you're on the bottom.  You could have made Lila submit to you, you could force Faith to submit to you.  If you can't, then you belong on the bottom."

"That's insane, you can't just treat people this way.  This is wrong, Kinsley!  Can't you see that it's wrong?"

"What's wrong about it?" Kinsley stood, towering over Sabrina and standing close to her, forcing her to look up.  "Society says that being queer is wrong, should we listen to that?  We watch out for each other, we take care of each other, but we have our own hierarchy within the Dollhouse.  That's just the way it is."

"Then I'm leaving."  Sabrina's heart was in her throat as she made the threat, hoping desperately that Kinsley wouldn't call her bluff.  She had nowhere to go, she had essentially no connections outside of the house at this point.

Kinsley just sat back down, spinning her chair slowly until Sabrina was staring at the back of her shoulder.  "Pack your stuff and go.  You can keep the clothes we got for you.  Good luck."

"I... "  Tears welled up in Sabrina's eyes.  Kinsley had called, and she was holding nothing.  "I need to stay for a few more days, until I have another place lined up."

"You didn't have another place when you came here."  Kinsley didn't even turn her head, eyes locked on the computer screens and her voice steely.  "No, Bree.  If you're out, you're out.  You're leaving before dinner tonight.  I'm sorry we couldn't help you after all."

"But I have nowhere else to go!  I thought we were friends!"

Finally, she turned back around.  There was pain in her eyes.  Sabrina's lip quivered as a tear ran down her cheek.

"You had nowhere else to go when you came to us.  We accepted you with open arms, we brought you into our family and we asked you to stay.  You think I don't know that we're different?  I do.  Not everyone can handle us, but that doesn't mean we're going to compromise ourselves for you or anyone else.  That's part of what it means to be a doll.  We'll stick up for you no matter what, we'll stand by you come Hell or high water.  But we'll expect you to do the same.  Faith was on the bottom once.  Now she's not.  That's just the way it goes."

"So I'm on the bottom until someone else comes!?  Who knows how long that could be, I can't take it!"

"Then fight.  Do you really think Faith was on the bottom before you showed up at the door?  Think about it.  Between the two of them, who leads who?"

She did think about it.  She pondered it for many long moments.  It didn't seem, honestly, like either of the two of them was beneath the other.  They teased each other, they taunted each other, they dared each other - Faith was gentle with Lila, but if the girl pushed, she stood up for herself... generally.  Sometimes she'd just go along with whatever Lila wanted, sometimes she wouldn't.

"Neither of them?"

"Exactly.  They're in a constant back-and-forth, sometimes it's Lila, sometimes it's Faith.  Maybe sometimes it'll be you."

"I don't know if I have it in me?"

"Does it matter?"  Kinsley leaned back, placing her fingers steepled on her chin.  "You're leaving today, after all."

"I want to stay."

"Do you now."  It wasn't a question.  There was a steel to Kinsley's blue eyes, a hard edge to her voice.  "Why should I let you?"

Fear rose in Sabrina.  Fear that she had thrown it all away.  "Because you're my friend?  Because I need you?"

"Do you belong here?"

"Because I belong here."  Sabrina said it with conviction.

"Kneel."

"What?"

Kinsley's eyes narrowed as she lowered her hands and leaned forward.  "On your knees.  Now."

Swallowing hard, Sabrina considered her options.  This was the moment of truth.  Go along with their weird leadership game or leave, possibly even that minute.

She slipped out of her chair and knelt on the floor, looking up at Kinsley with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Bree.  If you want to stay, you have to tell me your place."

Sabrina's chest felt incredibly tight as she allowed the words to pass her lips.  "On the bottom."

"Lean down and kiss my feet."

"What?"  Sabrina's eyes widened, her mouth a circle of surprise.

"Lean down.  And kiss my feet."  The edge was back.

With a grimace, Sabrina leaned forward and pressed her lips to the top of one of Kinsley's bare feet, and then the other.  She rose again, looking up.

"Good girl."  The words didn't come with that warm tingle of pleasure this time, they came with a feeling of shame, a black snake coiled in the pit of her stomach.  "Now go apologize to Faith and tell her that you tried to go around her."

Kinsley turned her chair around, leaving Sabrina staring at the leather of the back of the chair.

The conversation was over.  But a new fear bloomed.

What was Faith going to do when she told her?

Nothing seemed certain.

*       *       *

"So you tried to go around me, huh?  You thought you could get out of a punishment that way?"

"I'm being punished for being double-jointed!?  That's not my fault!"  Sabrina stared up at Faith from her place on the floor, on her knees.  Faith and Lila hadn't been around when she had come downstairs after talking to Kinsley.

She had had time to stew.

"You're being punished for always escaping punishment!  We might as well call you Ms. Eel, you get away so easily."  Faith reached down and grabbed the metal bracelet to drive the point home.  Her hand landed on Sabrina's forearm at first and she pulled away instinctively, but Faith grabbed the steel ring all the same.  She pulled, yanking the metal into Sabrina's wrist again, causing her to yelp and crawl behind Faith as quickly as she could.  "See?  That's much better."

"I don't like this, Faith... "

"All you have to do is be good, and we'll take it off."

"Yeah!"  Lila smirked from her spot on the couch, munching a burrito that she and Faith had gotten from the drive-thru.  She spoke around a mouth half-full of meat and cheese.  "Jus' be good!  Faith had to do it too."

"Lila!"  Faith glared at her, and Lila wilted.

"What?  You did... "

It didn't help Sabrina, however, who was still quite trapped by the unremovable bracelet.  There was no way she could twist, turn, or adjust to escape this.  She had a choice:  fight back and really put herself into it, or give in.

She wasn't ready to fight.

"Okay, I'll be good.  Please let go... "

"We brought you dinner."  Faith pulled on the bracelet again, swinging Sabrina's wrist to and fro, purposefully reminding her of her predicament.  "But now you have to eat it on the floor.  Because you tried to go around me."

"Like a pet!  You're like Mamoru now.  Maybe we should call you Usagi!"

The implication stung.  Sabrina winced, pulling her wrist close to her chest after Faith finally let go.

"Take Kinsley her food.  Then come back down and sit on the floor in front of the couch and we'll give you yours.  That's your spot for tonight."

"Okay... "  Sabrina hung her head.  If she was compliant, they'd take the bracelet off.  It was that or leave, and she wasn't ready.  She just wanted things to go back to the way they were.  All she had to do was behave and then they would...

"No.  Say, 'Yes, Faith'.  And thank me for the food."

"Yes Faith," Sabrina averted her eyes, she could feel Faith's on her skin.  "Thank you for the food."

She grabbed the smaller bag with the vegetarian food and half-ran for the stairs, her heart feeling tight.

[Sophie ♥]

Lila is so generous!  What a lovely gift for her friend!

[bbykimmy]

2 hours ago, Lyra Silver said:

You're not wrong, but I don't quite think that's right either ?

Now that we're a few chapters in, here's my impressions of the characters so far:

• Kinsley seems kind of cold and detached. The reminders that people need to "fight their own battles" seem to show that she doesn't really care what happens as long as no one challenges her authority. I wonder what she's getting out of this, and why she seems to be OK with some potentially bruised feelings as everybody fights for their place. Kind of makes me think of the Social Darwinist archetype.
• Faith we've seen less of since she's off doing her own thing, but by all accounts she's been doing a lot of caretaking for Lila. Part of me just thinks maybe the poor girl needs a break ?
• Lila is an interesting one, on the one hand sweet, and on the other, demanding. I wonder if part of it is because with Sabrina's arrival, she's no longer at the bottom, and now she's desperate to hold onto that position.
• And of course our poor Sabrina! Clearly what she needs to do is to have a frank discussion with everyone about these unspoken rules of the house, but instead they're dropped in seemingly at random so she can't relax. But of course if she stands up for herself too much she might get kicked out of the house...At least most of the time life seems to be pretty harmonious.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here! Obviously something is going to happen tomorrow...but what?

OMG I love this analysis!!

I'm surprised Kinsley came off as cold, she's generally very affectionate when she's not working... or being challenged.

I'm really curious how if your feelings change after this chapter!

15 minutes ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Lila is so generous!  What a lovely gift for her friend!

I know right!?  She's such a sweetie.

[Wannatripbaby]

I feel like telling Sabrina to "fight her own battles" without any further instructions is gonna cause big problems. Like, she's already been spanked and manhandled. What's to stop her from giving Lila a black eye next time she tries her shenanigans? And it would be Kinsey's fault for not explaining the "rules of engagement" as it were.

[Baby_B_UK]

Wow, she’s really trying to push her luck and getting no where....where have I heard that before...who could it possibly remind me of?

Great chapter, you should get an award for your writing, it’s so captivating and brings you into the story so well!

[Bonsai]

8 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

I feel like telling Sabrina to "fight her own battles" without any further instructions is gonna cause big problems. Like, she's already been spanked and manhandled. What's to stop her from giving Lila a black eye next time she tries her shenanigans? And it would be Kinsey's fault for not explaining the "rules of engagement" as it were.

Yeah, not all dolls are born equal and interpretation of rules seems to be a large slice of battle fighting itself. Better know where do boundary lay before getting into the jungle!

[bbykimmy]

17 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

I feel like telling Sabrina to "fight her own battles" without any further instructions is gonna cause big problems. Like, she's already been spanked and manhandled. What's to stop her from giving Lila a black eye next time she tries her shenanigans? And it would be Kinsey's fault for not explaining the "rules of engagement" as it were.

Fault is a funny thing in a power exchange world.  It's the fault of whoever's at the bottom.  You were walking and someone bumped into you and you spilled your drink everywhere?  It's your fault for inconveniencing everyone, better clean it up.

And yeah, it could lead to big problems!  ?

16 hours ago, Sarahbedwetter said:

Wow, she’s really trying to push her luck and getting no where....where have I heard that before...who could it possibly remind me of?

Great chapter, you should get an award for your writing, it’s so captivating and brings you into the story so well!

I have no idea!  An S&&P story maybe?

8 hours ago, Bonsai said:

Yeah, not all dolls are born equal and interpretation of rules seems to be a large slice of battle fighting itself. Better know where do boundary lay before getting into the jungle!

Ah but she woke up in the jungle, my dear.  Now the question is:  will she find a way to survive, or a way out... or neither?

====================================

Chapter Nine

Jewellee:  How are you today?
Jewellee:  It's been 3 days
Jewellee:  Are you still alive?
Jewellee:  Sabrina
Jewellee:  sabrina youre worrying me
Jewellee:  miss u

RoseAndThorns:  Sorry

Jewellee:  OMG!  I thought you were dead
Jewellee:  Where have you been????
Jewellee:  Sabrina, come on
Jewellee:  You're scaring me.  It's been 2 hours since you said sorry

Sabrina stared at the screen of her phone as she hid under the covers of her room.  Being good had been exhausting.  It had been days of fetching things, picking up things, and basically doing anything anyone wanted done.  She missed the lazy, carefree fun that her life had been just last week.  She just didn't have it in her today.

With a sniffle, she flipped back to the other message she had been staring at.

Dad:  Your cat died.  Thought you would want to know.  It was peaceful.  Hope you're doing well.  You're welcome home any time you decide to stop this lesbian stuff.

It hurt.

She stared at her pictures of Cleocatra, her kitty princess.  The cat who would sleep on her stomach every night, the cat that could always tell when she was crying.  She had rescued the furball from a garbage can more than 10 years ago... and now she was gone.

Dwelling on the thoughts brought the deepest part of her sadness up into her throat and she couldn't hold back any longer.  Sobs wracked her body as she hugged her pillow tightly.

It was all too much.

When the door to her room opened, her whole body tensed.  She wasn't ready to snap to attention and wait on her friends, she wasn't ready to be on the bottom.  She'd been hiding all day to avoid it.  Cleo's death was just too much on top of everything.  

It was Faith.  "Bree.  What do you- "

She stopped, mid-sentence.  Sabrina clenched her eyes shut, waiting for an order of one kind or another.

Instead, she felt Faith climb into the bed, slide under the covers and hold her tight.  She was whispering soft, soothing sounds.  No words, just a soft, gentle shushing.

"Shhhh... "

She didn't tell her not to cry, she didn't tell her to get up, she just held her.  And Sabrina sobbed.

"Faith?  What's taking so long?"  Lila's voice was getting louder as she talked.  "Faith?  Bree?  Oh no... "

Before she knew it, Lila was on the other side of her, hugging her into the center of a Sabrina sandwich.  She cried while they held her in silence, just a pile of hugs, sadness, and comfort.

*       *       *

"It's so sad!"  Lila blew her nose, wiping her tears away from her eyes with the back of a hand.  

Sabrina sipped the sweet tea, nodding, sunk deep into the upstairs couch between Lila and Faith.  Kinsley strode over, concern and caring writ plain on her face, and slipped an arm under Sabrina's knees.  She lifted her easily, the other girls moving aside so that Kinsley could sit in the place Sabrina had been occupying, settling the smaller girl into her lap.  Gentle arms wrapped around her waist, Faith and Lila sliding back in and cuddling her as well.

"She was my cat since I was a kid, you know?"

Lila reached over and grabbed Mamoru, hugging him tightly.  The cat seemed to be used to this sort of thing, it let out a soft "merff" of protest, but tolerated the hug before running off at the first opportunity.  He was frequently manhandled and cuddled and was used to it - when Lila wanted to cuddle basically anything, it was going to happen.

"We're so sorry that Cleo passed, and we're sorry your dad wasn't very kind about it."  Faith placed a gentle hand on Sabrina's leg, who was laying her head on Kinsley's shoulder, a fresh tear rolling down her cheek.

"Thanks."

"Let's go get some ice cream."  Faith stood, hooking her fingers into Sabrina's steel bracelet.  The motion had happened so many times in the past week it was fluid now, automatic.  Similarly, Sabrina slid off Kinsley's lap and to her feet, ready to follow without a thought.  Her cheeks burned red at the realization.

"Good girl."  Kinsley's hand rested on her shoulder.  

That only drove it home, how much her attitude had changed.  She had felt so strong only a year ago, even three weeks ago she had been shaken but firm in her resolve that things would work out, that things would get better.  Life seemed to be slipping away from her... and in some ways it was nice.  To not have an angry boss yelling at her, to not have to drag herself out of bed in the morning to force herself to go to a job that she only had to pay for her car, apartment, and food.  She was off the treadmill and in some new, strange territory.

"Ice cream sounds perfect!"  Lila hopped up off the couch, snapping Sabrina back to reality as Faith led her by the toward the door.  They stopped for a moment as Lila tackled her, wrapping her arms around Sabrina tightly.  "Ice cream will make you feel better, Bree.  I'll show you my favorite kind and we'll share and it'll be great."

"Thanks Lila."  The smile that came was genuine.  Lila could be a pain, but she was a sweetheart deep down.

The last week had been tough, but Sabrina was still happy with where she had landed, and she appreciated the tender caring of her fellow dolls.  After a quick stop to throw on jeans and a t-shirt, they were on their way.

*       *       *

RoseAndThorns:  My cat died today.  Dad was a dick about it.  I'm just having a bad day

Jewellee:  I'm so sorry, Sabrina
Jewellee:  Cleo was a good cat
Jewellee:  And you're dad's a dick
Jewellee:  Always

RoseAndThorns:  Yeah
RoseAndThorns:  The housemates are taking me out for ice cream
RoseAndThorns:  So maybe the day will turn around

Her thumbs tapped at the screen as the town blew past her window.  The world seemed strange, it had been a week since she had been out of the house, since the last grocery trip.  Kinsley was driving, as always.  Lila was in the passenger seat and Faith was with her in the back.  Pop music flowed from the car speakers, Kinsley was letting Lila choose the music and the bubble gum pop was a stark contrast to the heavy metal that Kinsley usually played.  This music seemed to suit her more, with her fairy earrings and her pastel nails, her shimmering lips, and her warm smile.  It had always seemed odd that she was into such dark music.

Taking a deep breath, Sabrina leaned over and rested her head on Faith's shoulder, who wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

"So tell me about Angie?"

"Oh she's the best."  Faith lit up like a Christmas Tree, like a child with their favorite toy.  "She's so perfect, Bree.  She's smart and funny and beautiful and she's so wonderful to me."

"What's she do?"

"She runs a clothing and costuming company, she's always doing some job or another for the local theater.  She's good at it."

Faith with a seamstress seemed odd.  Sabrina formed a mental picture of a soft brunette, smiling and warm, knitting a quilt or something.

"So she's an arts and crafts type?"

"Yes and no - she's very good at it but... well, you'll see.  She has her own style, she does her own thing.  We're here."

"Lila!" A joyous cry came up from two out of the three employees of the ice cream parlor.  Sabrina blinked her surprise.  The customer that was currently being served, a heavy set man, looked equally confused.  The dolls waited patiently for their turn.

"Is it going to be a Lila Special or a Lila Redux today, sweetie?"

"Lila Redux!"  Both of her arms went in the air as she cheered, before doing a spin around.  Sabrina had never seen anything quite like it... Lila had all of the energy and enthusiasm of a five year-old and the employees of Two Scoops seemed to be completely fine with treating her that way.  She had gotten used to Lila's oddball ways at home, but this was something entirely new.  "And my new friend Bree wants a Lila Special!"

"My favorite is mint chocolate chip... " Sabrina looked longingly at the tub of green ice cream, but her voice was quiet, her protest easily ignored.  She had gotten used to giving in with the dolls.

The Lila Special was a cotton candy flavored ice cream full of gummy worms and topped with chocolate sauce.  It was a very odd mix, and it made Sabrina want her usual all the more.  The Lila Redux was apparently chocolate ice cream with large hunks of chocolate cake and peanut M&Ms, and the workers never asked for information or clarification.  Apparently those names were enough, though they weren't on the menu anywhere.  Sabrina felt that would have somehow made it weirder.  Kinsley got a much more traditional flavor, vanilla with caramel and pretzels, and Faith got strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce... with a cherry on top.

Lila sat, swinging her feet as she ate, humming a little tune and bobbing her head left and right as though she hadn't a care in the world... which she really didn't, it seemed.

Between bites, Faith asked a question.  "What time do you need to be to work tomorrow, sweetie?"  She looked down at her treat, addressing no one in particular that Sabrina could see.

She blinked, wondering if she had landed a job she didn't know about.

"I- "

"Six o'clock!" Lila announced, running her tongue over her lips to clear away some chocolate cake.  A dark ring was nearly encircling her lips.

Sabrina's spoon clattered to the table, her mouth hanging open.  "Wait, you have a job?"

"Of course I have a job!  Only a child doesn't have a job at our age, Bree.  Don't be an idiot."

Heat rose in Sabrina's cheeks, and a tightness grew in her chest.  "What, do you work at a daycare or something?  You act like you're six years old."

The table fell dead silent, Kinsley's, Faith's, and Lila's eyes all boring into her suddenly.

Lila sneered, breaking the silence.  "You're being a bitch.  An ungrateful bitch.  You didn't even say thank you for the ice cream, so who's acting like a child?"

"Ungrateful!?  You didn't even ask me what kind I wanted, you foisted your ridiculous concoction on me!  And accusing someone else of being a child is pretty rich coming from someone who doesn't even know how to work the microwave and plays video games in her pajamas all day."

Kinsley's hand came down on the table, startling both of them.  "That's enough."

"Jesus, Bree... " Faith frowned, reaching over to Lila, who had tears forming in her eyes.  The smaller woman covered her face with her hair, hid behind her hands.  Even the staff behind the counter was giving her a dirty look.

"You don't like the Lila Special?"  Her voice was squeaky and sad, shattered and ragged.

Sabrina couldn't take it any more.  She stood, putting both palms on the table as she rose.  "That's what you're upset about?  You are a child."  Without another word, she stepped away from the table, leaving her half-eaten ice cream and her housemates behind.  She stormed out, ignoring the hushed tones from behind the counter as she headed for the car.

It was all just too much.  The abuses of the last week, the death of her cat, the snide comment from Lila had just been the straw that broke the camel's back... but still, she felt guilty as she raised herself up to sit on the trunk of the old sedan.  She had only caught a glimpse of Faith's eyes as she walked away, and she had looked pretty angry.  Sabrina tugged at the steel band on her wrist, her stomach sinking a bit.  She glanced at the road, wondering whether it was better to just walk away than face their ire...

She decided, after much deliberation, to go back in and apologize.  Just as she was sliding off the trunk, the door to the ice cream shop swung open and her roommates walked out, Faith's arm around Lila who appeared to still be crying.

"I'm sorry, Lila, I- "

"Get in the car."  Kinsley's voice was as icy as her eyes.  Sabrina shivered.  "We're going to have a talk when we get home."

[herezulo]

Sabrina might've been better off going homeless, depending on what kind of "talk" her and Kinsley are going to have.