by Van ©2022
		Chapter 12

The aftermath of The Great Storeroom #5 Adventure was quite tense... in a festive and amicable sort of way.

Sybil returned from her day of self-exile with the promised take-and-bake pizza.  It was a "Family" size pie with various meat and vegetable toppings and was quite delicious, meaning entirely edible.  Scotti wasn't paying much attention.  She was too busy worrying about Sybil learning the details of what she (and Iris) had done to Poor Amy during her absence to focus on pizza (and beer).

Meanwhile, Iris was her usual bubbly and amicable semi-Goth self.  If she was worried about the prospect of her big sister taking some sort of Spectacular Revenge for her technical assistance and material support of Scotti's execution of her Penalty Kick, she was hiding it well.

And as for Amy (who Scotti was watching very closely), Sybil's firstborn was a little more subdued than normal (not that Amy was ever all that ebullient and/or buoyant).  Amy helped with the minimal preparations required for the pizza-and-beer fest, consumed her fair share of the pie, then helped with the cleanup afterwards; however, now and then, she also favored Scotti with a rather enigmatic expression whenever her mother wasn't looking.  Scotti couldn't tell if Amy's attitude was actually hostile... or even resentful.  It was... puzzling.

Anyway, once the meal was over, Scotti turned down an offer of a bondage lesson from Iris, retired to The Cottage, and retired early.  She lay in bed pouring over the events of the day in her mind... and finally decided she'd done a solidly adequate job executing her Penalty Kick and probably had nothing to worry about... other than Amy ignoring the No Retaliation for Penalty Kicks rule and doing something horrible to her in direct reprisal.

The next day dawned (as expected) and a normal workday began.  Amy was busy in the shop, as usual—Sybil split her time between paperwork, furniture design, and the shop—Iris did her gardening—and Scotti spent her morning writing at her desk in The Cottage and that afternoon helped Iris with her wall project.

Gingerella was fully resigned to the DuPont family's freckle-farming project, so she helped increase Iris' pile of rocks wearing only boots and socks; however, Scotti pointed out that regular use of the pony-harness might lead to noticeable (and peculiar) tan-lines (meaning a web of linear freckle-free-zones), so she put her booted foot down and insisted they forego the harness and hitching her to the cart and use the cart's regular hand-handle instead.

"I was wondering when you'd mention the harness tan-lines dilemma," Iris chuckled, earning her a seriously rotten look from her 95% naked Assistant Gardener.  "Not to worry.  There's an alternative."  The alternative turned out to be a T-shaped extension of the cart's shaft that replaced the single-hand-handle with a stout horizontal pole suitable for dual use.  Now Iris and Scotti could pull the cart in tandem, hauling more than twice the number of rocks with each trip.  The rock pile grew exponentially... or maybe linearly but with a steeper slope.  Scotti was no math major.

There was a side effect.  Iris had no choice but to solemnly impose a strict regime of barefoot and glove-less sunbathing on her ginger friend.  That is, Scotti was ordered to make sure her hands and feet got sufficient exposure to increase their freckle density at the same rate as her boobs, butt, and the rest of her.  She suggested Scotti could either use sunscreen to protect her non-extremities or find shady spots where she could stick her hands and feet out into the full sun.

"I can tie you up if that makes it easier," Iris offered.

"You're too kind," Scotti answered coolly, "but no bondage will be necessary."

Anyway, over the course of the next several days the gardeners (one booted but otherwise naked and the other fully clothed) gathered sufficient geological specimens for Iris to start laying out the actual outline of the proposed ruined wall so they could start grubbing the foundation into the soil.

And speaking of bondage, as the days ticked by Scotti's rigging education continued, but the student and teacher (or pair of Research Fellows) confined their rope activities to The Cottage and Iris' bedroom, and always after dinner.  Scotti continued making steady progress.

As for Amy, she continued skulking around like a hungry she-wolf, waiting for an opportunity to pounce on her little sister and/or Scotti.  Okay, the Prowling Predator thing was entirely in Scotti's head, and she knew it.  There was no sign Iris was in any real danger, but Scotti remained worried on her friend's behalf... and stood ready to watch and take notes when or if Amy pounced.

Iris seemed to sense Scotti's apprehension and reminded her that the DuPont sisters had been playing The Game forever, ever since they discovered that jump-ropes could be used for more than rhythmic exercise.  And more importantly, both sisters had accumulated and squirreled away sufficient outstanding revenge-points to bind and gag a small army of hapless siblings.  Scotti found this... reassuring?  Anyway, as day followed day with nothing stringent happening to Iris (nothing that Scotti didn't do herself, that is), Scotti finally found herself relaxing... sort of.

And then, one day at supper and totally out of the blue, Sybil announced that next week they were would be playing host to a pair of house guests!  (She reassured Scotti in an aside that while she might technically also be a house guest, she was virtual family and therefore didn't count.)  Anyway, the new guests would be arriving the day after tomorrow and they were... Cody Archer and Jillian Foxwood!

"Cody!" Amy shouted.

"Auntie Jillian!" Iris squealed.

Scotti blinked her green eyes.  Cody Archer she'd heard of, of course.  Archer Metals was the company that supplied all of the custom-made and standard steel fittings for the DuPonts' furniture line (and Special Catalog items); however, she'd never heard of any "Auntie Jillian" Foxwood.

Sybil took pity on Scotti's semi-dazed expression and reassured her that she'd like both Cody and Jillian, then explained that Jillian Foxwood was the owner and operator of a unique bed and breakfast that was a cross between a destination resort and a health spa.

Scotti:  (Blink-blink.)  Huh?

"Medieval LARPing!" Iris explained (sort of).

Scotti directed her blinks to her ex-roommate.

"Live action roleplaying," Amy clarified.  "Visitors dress up in medieval costumes and pretend they're guests of 'Lady Foxwood" in her medieval castle.  It's like a year-round Renaissance Fair."

"I know what 'LARPing' is," Scotti huffed, "only... a year-round RenFaire?"

"We go to Auntie Foxwood's Yule Festival almost every year," Iris beamed, "and have for as long as I can remember.  Holiday decorations, carol singing, and nightly feasts!"  She turned to her mother.  "We're going again this year, right?  Did you remember to book a place for Scotti?"  She turned back to her ginger friend.  "We can share my bed if she forgot."

"Don't be silly," Amy purred, smiling at her kid sister.  "I'll tie you to a chair at night so Scotti can have your bed to herself."

Iris rudely stuck out her tongue at her big sister, but her big brown eyes remained smiling.

"Yes, I booked a place for Scotti," Sybil chuckled.  "DuPont, party of four."

"At the very least you'll need two costumes, of course," Iris told Scotti, "one suitable for hiking in the woods and picnicking next to the moat, and a gown for the feasts.  We can start on that tomorrow.  I know some excellent websites with reasonable prices."

"The 'Foxwood Keep' really is like a great big castle," Amy said, "only with modern plumbing and central heating."

"Anyway," Iris gushed, "you'll love Cody and Auntie Foxwood.  They're old, like Mother, but they're still a lot of fun."

Sybil ignored the "old" dig and directed her serene smile to Amy.  "I'm putting you in charge of cleaning the house and preparing Cody and Jillian's rooms."  She nodded at Iris and Scotti.  "The youngsters will help."

Amy smiled.  "Can I tie them up if they goof off?"

Sybil smiled back.  "Only if you want to do all the work yourself."

Amy's smile faded and she heaved a sigh.  "There is that."  Her smile returned and she directed it to her kid sister and Gingerella.  "I can always confiscate their clothes if they give me lip and tie them up once the rooms are ready."

"Whatever works, dear," Sybil purred.

Scotti and Iris exchanged smiles and heaved the appropriate and expected simultaneous Tragic Sighs.  They knew Amy and Mother were kidding, of course... probably... maybe.

Even though it wasn't even remotely needed, the entire house was cleaned from top to bottom.  The rooms were also spruced up with flowers from Iris' gardens.  Scotti and Iris worked hard, gave Amy (their Dreaded Overseer) minimal grief (or at least insufficient grief to give Amy a legitimate excuse to expropriate their clothing and/or tie them up), Sybil made a special shopping trip to stock up on yummy victuals, and all was made ready for the guests' imminent arrival.

The big day dawned.  Scotti and the DuPonts ate a light breakfast, then dispersed to their usual tasks of furniture making, bookkeeping, gardening, and writing; however, they all kept careful track of the time and gathered in front of the Main House at the expected hour... and they didn't have long to wait before a sage-green SUV with "Foxwood Bed & Breakfast" signs/logos on its front doors rolled up the driveway and parked in the garage area.

Two women in their 40's (in Scotti's estimate) emerged... and the usual squealed greetings and hugs and kisses expected when good friends meet after too long an absence ensued.  Scotti was included in the celebration, receiving her share of enthusiastic hugs and wet smacks on her freckled (and blushing) cheeks as she was introduced!  And to Scotti's surprise she found she really didn't mind.  They were treating her like a DuPont, which Scotti took as a great compliment.

Stacy Haiduk as... Cody Archer

Jamie Rose as... Jillian Foxwood

And oh-by-the-way, Scotti found she had no excuse but to characterize the newcomers as World Class Hotties, even if they were elderly... like Sybil... who was also a World Class Hottie.

Cody Archer was in amazing shape, with a slim waist, defined muscles, and sensuous curves, just as Scotti had been warned.  Iris had also mentioned the Master (Mistress?) Metalworker's gleaming brown curls and beautiful, even features with high cheekbones and stunningly pale blue eyes.  They were possibly Cody's most striking feature... meaning the eyes.  Scotti found them... mesmerizing.

Jillian Foxwood was a fellow ginger, as Scotti had also been warned.  Her copper-red curls were long(ish), falling to her shoulders and framing her beautiful face.  Her physique was on a par with Cody's, but whereas Cody sported a healthy tan, Jillian's complexion was peachy-pink with an abundance of freckles, as was to be expected of an Authentic Ginger.  In fact, in terms of freckle quantity and density the two gingers were very nearly equally dappled.

I wonder if 'Auntie Jillian' indulges in naked gardening, Scotti wondered, or maybe skinny-dipping.  Both of the arriving guests were wearing sandals and light dresses appropriate for the season, so a generous amount of tan and freckled skin was on tasteful display; but, of course, insufficient for Scotti to resolve the issue of tan or freckle lines.

As expected, Sybil and Amy led Jillian and Cody into the house to their designated bedrooms.

Also as expected, Scotti and Iris were relegated to luggage-hauling duty.  Luckily, both visitors had traveled light, so the various suitcases and bags could be sorted out and carried to their destination bedrooms in only one overburdened trip each.  Then, the luggage-lackeys were free to join the post-arrival tea-party/coffee-klatch already in progress out on the main deck off the kitchen.

Tea and coffee was slurped, cookies nibbled, and sliced fruit, savory cheeses, and tiny sandwiches delicately consumed.  It was either a somewhat late lunch or a very early High Tea.  And while it was happening, Sybil invited Cody and Jillian to join her for a refreshing and hopefully rejuvenating skinny-dip down in the pond, once they had all finished nibbling.  Everyone agreed that would be a fabulous idea, and Scotti found herself looking forward to getting a chance to surreptitiously inventory and map the distribution of Jillian's freckles, and maybe at some point to casually compare notes with her fellow redhead on the topic of sunbathing-for-gingers.

Alas, it was not to be.

As the meal/party was moving into the cleanup phase, Sybil snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right!" she said, then turned to her daughters.  "Amy, Iris, be dears and help Scotti with that thing we talked about earlier.  Would you please?"

Scotti blinked in surprise.  Huh?  She opened her mouth to inquire after the nature of the totally unknown "thing" in question, but was overtaken by events.  That is, Amy and Iris grabbed her (casually) by the arms and led (hustled) her towards the kitchen.  "Hey!"

"No problem, Mother," Amy called back over her shoulder.

"Just go along," Iris whispered in Scotti's ear as they entered the house.  "We'll explain in a second."

"What the hell is this about?" Scotti demanded after they crossed the threshold and she was led through the kitchen.  They paused at a sideboard in the hallway and Amy stepped behind Scotti and seized her by both arms.  "Hey!"  Meanwhile, Iris had slid open the sideboard's drawer and was reaching inside.  "Tell me what's happening," Scotti huffed, "or I swear I'll—MRRRMPFH!"  Amy had shifted her grip to pull both of Scotti's arms behind her back, pressing her elbows together with her left arm, and at the same time she reached around Scotti's wide-eyed head with her right and pressed her right hand firmly over Scotti's mouth and lips in a classic hand-gag!

Simultaneously, Iris pulled a roll of Microfoam medical tape and a pair of bandage scissors from the drawer.

Scotti's green eyes were already wide, but now they popped even wider.  She watched as Iris snipped a generous strip of Microfoam from the roll, held it taut between her two hands, then expertly swapped Amy's hand-gag for a tight tape-gag!  "Mrmfh!"  The tape was pressed home—"Mrrr!"—and smoothed by Iris' strong, pale fingers.

"Excellent," Iris purred, gazing into Scotti's wide, blinking green eyes and continuing to smooth the tape.  "Three dimensional lips.  I love Microfoam."

"Get on with it," Amy hissed, her mouth inches from Scotti's left ear.  "We need to clear the hallway so Mother and her buddies can get to their bedrooms and change into their birthday suits."

"Point taken," Iris chuckled as she closed the sideboard drawer, took custody of Scotti's left arm, and helped her big sister lead (drag) Scotti down the hallway and towards the bedroom area.

"Mrrfhm!" Scotti complained, but was ignored.  She also squirmed and tried her best to break free as they entered Amy's bedroom.  She was unsuccessful and the bedroom door closed behind her with a solid thud of doom.  The tape-gagged ginger continued struggling as the DuPont sisters peeled her out of her clothes... all of her clothes.  Amy and Iris deftly coordinated their efforts and Scotti never even came close to wiggling free or effectively impeding the stripping process.  "Nrrrm!"  Soon, Scotti was buck naked, Amy was holding her by her upper-arms in front, and Iris (the Dirty Rotten Traitor!) was behind her back and binding her crossed wrists together with a length of brown cord!  And then... the deed was done.  Scotti was tape-gagged, naked, and wrist-bound!

Tugging on her bound wrists, Scotti turned and glowered at her ex-roomie and supposed friend, the semi-Goth back-stabber, then suddenly—"Mrrrk?"—Iris disappeared as a burlap hood just like the one they'd dropped over Amy's head prior to her visit to Storeroom #5!  Obviously, the elder DuPont sister had done the deed!  Next, both sisters dragged Scotti to the bed and shoved her down onto the soft, bouncy mattress—"MRRRF!"—one of them held her feet, and the other tied her ankles, feet, and big-toes together with more cord!  Scotti squirmed, continued tugging on her bound wrists, tried to kick her newly bound feet, and generally wiggled and squirmed on the bed.  She was naked, bound hand and foot (and toes), tape-gagged, hooded, and helpless!

"I'll go check on Mother and the other old crones," Amy's voice announced.  "By now they should be naked and safely on their way to the pond.  If so, we can get on with dragging this one to her horrible fate."  Then, Scotti heard the bedroom door quietly open... then close.

"Mrrrm?" Scotti whimpered, or whined, or something.  Whatever she'd tried to say had been muffled by the tape sealing her lips and the hood shrouding her head.  Someone (obviously Iris) sat down on the bed and squirmed next to her.  Then, a warm hand settled onto her tummy, between her ginger bush and bellybutton.

"Don't worry," Iris' voice intoned.  "Amy was taking dramatic license.  Nothing horrible is gonna happen to you."

Scotti shivered as Iris' hand slowly started moving... tracing a circular orbit atop her tummy.

"Sorry," Iris purred.  "I should have said Spoiler Alert.  Anyway... nothing horrible is gonna happen, I promise."

Very funny, Scotti fumed, and waited for Amy to return so whatever was going to happen could happen.  At least it won't be horrible, she mused, not in Wednesday's opinion, anyway.

Iris continued her slow... gentle... and possibly reassuring mini-massage.

Amy returned in only a little more than a minute to announce the coast was clear.  Scotti's ankles, feet, and toes  were untied, she was lifted from the bed and onto her bare feet, then the sisters dragged her from the bedroom and (she assumed) to her as yet unrevealed not horrible fate.

Every now and then as Scotti involuntarily padded through the house and out into the compound the DuPont sisters paused to spin her around a few times before continuing their journey.  This did not improve Scotti's overall mood.  The repeated rapid rotation was never enough to make her dizzy, but it was the same tactic Scotti and Iris had used to disorient Amy when they'd dragged her to her horrible fate in Storeroom #5!  And it was a reverse-double-whammy!  The DuPont sisters had to know that Scotti knew that they knew that she wasn't in any way fooled!  Her wicked handlers might as well simply announce aloud that they were taking her to The Storage Building!

And then, they arrived... (probably).

Scotti heard what sounded suspiciously like the padlock of a Storeroom door being unlocked—Click!—then she was hustled across a threshold and into... a room.  There was a pause, accompanied by a few mysterious creaking and scraping noises... and then—"Mrrrf?"—Scotti was lifted off her feet and plunked down onto a smooth (and probably wooden) surface.  Her ankles were placed in a pair of deep semi-circular cavities (probably also wooden), then something equally confining closed over her ankles with an authoritative thud and a metallic click!

Scotti realized she was now sitting with her feet about two feet apart and locked in a set of very hefty stocks with unusually deep ankle-openings that were smooth and tight (without being too tight).  They fit her ankles with anatomical precision, had rounded edges, and while the arrangement was snug, it was also arguably comfortable.  It was the sort of expert design and craftsmanship Scotti had come to expect from DuPont Special Catalog items.

Next, the hood was snatched from Scotti's head and her wrists untied.  She blinked and tried to look around—"Mrrrf!"—but before she could process her surroundings (or reach for her tape-gag) the DuPont Sisters "encouraged" her to lie flat and forced her wrists into a pair of deep, semi-circular openings similar to the stock's ankle-openings!  Then, they closed a hinged wooden timber with matching half-openings, pinning her wrists in place.  Again, there was an accompanying thud and loud click!

And thus, Scotti was naked and lying on her back on a somewhat narrow wooden table with her arms raised above her tape-gagged head, her legs fully extended, and her ankles and wrists locked in matching stocks and pillory, respectively!  Amy was on her right... and Iris on her left.  Both DuPont sisters had their arms crossed across their tits and were gazing down at Scotti with the expected (and required) Gloating Smirks.

"This is one of Mother's brainchildren," Iris stated.  "At first it looks like a clever and well executed bondage table with heavy-duty stocks and pillory instead of lashing points for rope, but actually... it's a rack.  There's a system of worm-gears under the table for making adjustments."

"Allow me to demonstrate," Amy purred, then stepped to the head of the table (and alleged rack) and mostly out of Scotti's sight.  The pillory section was blocking most of her view.

There was a quiet clattering noise and the alleged rack vibrated (just a little)... and the stocks and pillory pulled apart, stretching Scotti's body between them!  Click, click, click... click!  Thankfully, Amy almost immediately stopped turning the unseen wheel or using whatever mechanism she'd used to adjust the rack and the involuntary stretching stopped.  Now, of course, Scotti's body was even more stretched, but she still wasn't in any pain.  No doubt her muscles were more defined and her boobs a little more flattened (she assumed), but that was it.

Amy returned to her former station on Scotti's right and the gloating resumed.

Scotti blinked her green eyes, tugged on her wrists and ankles, and squirmed on the smooth (but not polished) tabletop... as best she could.  She then turned her head to gaze at her Wicked Captors.  Scotti tried her best to muster the Righteous Outrage appropriate to the occasion, but found herself unable to do anything other than simply stare.  Her heart was thumping and she was trying to pant... with limited success.  The DuPont sisters continued gloating.

"Well," Amy said after about a minute, "I have work waiting in the shop."

"And I have things to do in the garden," Iris added, then waved at Scotti (wiggling her fingers in an irritating manner).  "Ciao!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Amy added, strolled towards the door, then turned to smile at her little sister.  "Maybe I ought to tie you up in your bedroom so you can't sneak back here and free your ginger amigo."

"First of all," Iris said primly, "it's 'amig-a, not amig-o.  And second of all... ruin Mother's plan?  Don't be ridiculous."

Scotti's green eyes were blinking again.  Sybil has a plan?

"I should tie you up anyway," Amy said, still addressing her little sister, "just on general principles.  Due diligence."

By this time the sisters were across the threshold and the storeroom's door was closing.

"The garden isn't going to tend itself," Iris drawled, "and more importantly—"

The door closed with a thud... followed by the click of the padlock being locked.  Scotti never heard the second of Iris' arguments for why she shouldn't be tied up.

Scotti was alone... nude... stretched on Sybil's stylish heavy-duty rack... and alone.  She squirmed and tugged her wrists and ankles against the rock-solid, immovable stocks and pillory... then heaved a tape-gagged sigh.  The openings continued to be inescapable (but arguably comfortable), and the stretch the rack was imposing on her body was significant while not being punishing.  Scotti had to admit that, just as Iris had promised, her present predicament wasn't horrible... at the moment.

Over the course of the next several minutes... that eventually accumulated into most of an hour... Scotti had plenty of time to examine her surroundings.  She was, indeed, in what was either a Storage Building Storeroom—with unfinished barn-wood walls and exposed studs and rafters—or a space constructed to the same general specifications.  There was also the usual wooden cabinet mounted on the wall she assumed contained the usual Evil Torture Accessories and/or Cruel Bondage Supplies.  There was also a folded café table and a pair of folded chairs stacked against a wall, similar to the Storeroom #5 furnishings Scotti and Iris had used to stage their tea party while Amy languished (rather actively) on the Sybian Saddle in Storeroom #5.  There might have been other notable details in the chamber, but Scotti's prone position on the rack had a pair of significant blind-spots, thanks to the pillory and stocks.

Not so for the ceiling.  Scotti had a totally unobstructed view of the rafters all the way to the underside of the under-roof.  There was a circular track with a dozen mini-spotlights, all focused on the rack (and therefore Scotti).  Also—ominously—Scotti noted several eye-bolts with dangling pulleys and long, thin, braided steel cables!  The bolts and pulleys were directly above various parts of her anatomy—like her thighs, torso, and tape-gagged head—and the drooping cables were all pulled to the side and somehow secured.  And oh-by-the-way, the far end of each of the cables led to a hand cranked winch!  The conclusion was inescapable: unknown things in the cabinet could be clipped to the ends of the various cables and cunningly arranged as a system that would do... something!

Oh, the drama!

Time passed.  ...  Languishing happened.  ...  And finally...  Click!   The door opened and Sybil, Jillian, and Cody entered the storeroom!  That's right—not Iris and Amy!—but The Old Ladies!

Scotti's green eyes popped wide, her heart started pounding, and her semi-flattened breasts did their best to rise and fall as she attempted to pant for breath.  She'd been expecting (hoping) for the DuPont sisters to return and release her from the rack (her best case scenario), not the arrival of the gorgeous oldsters!

Out on the deck and before her incarceration on the insidious stocks/pillory/rack in Storeroom #Whatever, Scotti had taken note of Sybil's remark to Amy about "that thing we talked about earlier," but she assumed that meant Mother had vetted whatever not-horrible plans her daughters had planned for Poor Scotti—but now she suspected Sybil and her elderly guests might be directly involved!  So... what was going on?  Was the Referee arriving to end the current session and award points and penalties?  If so, why were Iris and Amy absent but Jillian and Cody present?

And speaking of Sybil and her physically fit and curvaceous 40-something companions, they'd all changed into sandals and sundresses and were showing even more skin than when they'd been in their travel clothes... in a stylish and tasteful manner, of course.  Also, their long tresses were all neatly brushed but visibly damp, suggesting that after their skinny-dipping expedition they'd used towels only to dry their hair.

Scotti's visitors gathered around the rack and smiled down at her nude, stretched, and tape-gagged form.  This did not help her elevated heart rate or rapid breathing.  Cody and Jillian were on Scotti's left and Sybil on her right.

"She's absolutely adorable," Jillian purred, then shifted her warm smile (and gorgeous green eyes) to Sybil.  "May I?"

"Of course," Sybil responded.  Her gorgeous brown eyes remained on Scotti.

Scotti's worried (see also apprehensive) gaze darted from smiling, 40-something, gorgeous face to smiling, 40-something, gorgeous face—"Mrrrk!"—then locked on Jillian.  Her fellow ginger had placed her right palm on Scotti's taut, stretched tummy, midway between her semi-flattened boobs and bellybutton!

"You remind me of my young cousin Alice," Jillian said, then her hand started gliding in a smooth, gentle, circular massage.  "She also has a healthy freckle collection."

"Like you," Cody chuckled, then rested her right palm on Scotti's tummy, between Jillian's orbiting hand and the upper margin of her ginger pubic bush!  Cody winked at Scotti, then focused on Sybil.  "You say she's a writer?"

"She is," Sybil confirmed.

Cody's remarkable blue eyes refocused on Scotti.  Her hand remained resting on Scotti's lower stomach, but it didn't move.  "That makes her a red-haired version of Connie," she said to Jillian.

Jillian nodded.  "Connie is my resident writer," she explained for Scotti's benefit, then shifted her smile at Sybil.  "I believe you're right about this one.  Your adorable little resident writer is definitely a player."

"The credit goes to Iris," Sybil purred.  "She's the one who talked me into inviting Scotti out here to stay.  She's the one that recognized Scotti as a nascent, uh, hobbyist."  Sybil then turned and strolled towards the cabinet Scotti had noticed earlier.

Here it comes! Scotti thought, then forced a pitiful whine through her tape-gag.  "Mrrrrf!"

Needless to say, Scotti was in turmoil... naked, stretched, and tape-gagged turmoil!  The Old Ladies all thought she was adorable?  And apparently they were okay with taking liberties and petting her nude, helpless body like she was a ginger kitten curled up on their laps?  Iris had seduced, lured, and tempted her to the DuPont Compound with the promise of a quiet place to write?  When really it was a ploy to evaluate her suitability for The Game?  That was...  Outrageous!  Atrocious!  Insufferable!  Or was it the break of a lifetime?

Scotti's heart was still pounding and she was still panting (with her boobs rising and falling in matching rhythm), but now she realized that at some point her nipples had grown rigid!  It had happened sometime after Jillian and Cody had started messing with her tummy... and now they were pointing up at the rafters (and the dangling eye-bolts, pulleys, and drooping cables).

Meanwhile, Sybil had returned from the cabinet with a small plastic bottle.  Scotti, Jillian, and Cody watched as she flipped open the cap, dribbled a dollop of some sort of clear fluid into her left palm, handed the bottle across Scotti's stretched body to Jillian, then rubbed her hands together.

Scotti started blinking again.  Massage oil!  It's massage oil!

Jillian anointed her hands, Cody did as well, and then... it happened!

Scotti squeezed her green eyes tightly closed, squirmed, shivered, and once again whined through her tape-gag—"Mrrrrr!"—as three sets of hands started gliding over her arms, legs, armpits, thighs, tummy, and boobs!  As it turned out, Scotti reflected, Iris had been right.  Her fate had, indeed, been not horrible... not horrible at all!

"Yes," Cody said quietly as she slid her hands down the length of Scotti's left leg... then back to her upper-thigh.  "This one is definitely a keeper."

"She wants this," Jillian agreed as she massaged both of Scotti's breasts (which her pokey nipples especially appreciated).

"I couldn't agree more," Sybil sighed, then leaned close and kissed Scotti squarely on her Microfoam gag.  "Do you want to be here, little one?  Do you want us to continue?  I know how much you value your 'research program'... and we have so very much to teach you."

"Mrrrm!" Scotti moaned through her gag.

Incredibly, in the back of her mind, Scotti found herself thinking about how Sybil's tastefully applied lipstick had probably imparted a faint pink impression of Sybil's lips atop the three-dimensional bas-relief of her own lips.  I wish I had a mirror.

But mostly, Scotti wanted the strip of tape to go away!  She wanted Sybil to strip it away, even if her lips paid a stinging price!  And it was not so she could beg for release or for the seductive, gliding, oily hands to stop.  It was so she could scream—"YES!  YES!  YES!  I WANT TO LEARN!"

~ Epilogue ~

---

And they all lived happily ever after.  That is...

The remainder of Jillian and Cody's visit to the DuPont Compound went swimmingly, meaning that on more than one occasion in the course of the week Scotti was fortunate enough to accompany Jillian down to the pond for a relaxing skinny-dip!  As the two gingers swam or relaxed on their respective towels, Scotti was not only able to surreptitiously inventory Jillian's freckle collection, but also pump her (so to speak) for advice and guidance with respect to safe and sane freckle-farming practices.  (Jillian Foxwood had zero freckle-lines, by the way, which now was much the case with Scotti herself).

Also—as Scotti, Iris and Amy noted but did not comment on for the duration of the visit—Sybil, Cody and Jillian discretely (but not discretely enough) indulged in an Elders Only version of The Game!  It happened nightly in the privacy of one or the other of their bedrooms.  However, at one point Sybil rounded up her daughters and Scotti and sternly ordered them to mind their own business and stop spying on their elders, on pain of the awarding of multiple Penalty Kicks!  Obviously, Mother had noticed the youngsters noticing.  Scotti, Iris, and Amy found it very frustrating (albeit highly amusing), and indulged in a secret youngsters only version of The Game in secret retaliation.

That December, the DuPonts and Scotti attended the entire week-long Foxwood Yuletide Festival.  (And Scotti didn't feel guilty about neglecting her own family's Christmas celebration as in November she'd dragged Iris home with her for a Hunter Family Thanksgiving.  It was very Hallmark Channel.)  Anyway, at Foxwood a good time was had by all, and Scotti was, as the saying goes, gobsmacked by The Keep and its Medieval High Fantasy architecture, decor, and mandatory role-playing.

And the next Summer the Duponts (plus Scotti) booked a solid month at the Foxwood B&B, and this time it was under the Orange Banner, the flag that when hoisted above the tallest tower signaled that no "vanilla" guests were present and Lady Jillian's Damsel-in-Distress role-playing rules were in effect!  Scotti had even more fun.  As it turned out, there were dungeon cells, torture chambers, and a really wicked oubliette in and under "The Stone Tower!"  Scotti hadn't even suspected such ominous (and intriguing) venues were there during the Yuletide Festival visit.  She had noticed Iris acting cagey now and then, but Wednesday never spilled the proverbial beans and revealed The Secret of the Orange Banner to her best friend Gingerella... the rat!

Finally, about two months after their return from the second Foxwood B&B visit, Scotti finished her first novel!  Sybil and Jillian had hooked her up with one of their friends who just happened to be Connie's publishing agent, and knowing a good first novel when she read one, she took on Scotti as a client.  They shopped around the manuscript... and now The Outlaw Princess of Cysgod Forest had found a publisher and was on its way to the reading public!  Scotti was already making plans for a sequel.

Also, Scotti's "research" continued.  She learned a great deal, but came to realize she'd only scratched the surface (so to speak) of The Game... especially when Amy decided Scotti was finally ready and proved to her that her nipples and pussy were much more resilient than she'd ever suspected!

Also also, Iris (and Scotti) finished assembling the disassembled wall in one of compound's side gardens and even succeeded in encouraging moss to start colonizing the tumbled array of mini-boulders!  And best of all, at some point a female Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) moved into the labyrinth of passages and nesting chambers they'd built into the wall!  Obviously, she'd been pregnant, because every now and then (if they were very lucky) the resident humans were treated to the sight of two or three weasel kits exploring the adjacent lawn and flowerbeds—wrestling, cavorting, and teaching each other how to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

The kits were mega-cute and Scotti considered it well worth the many hours of hard work she'd put in as Iris' clothing-free ponygirl and/or landscaping assistant.

Yes, Scotti was happy... and very freckled.  There was never a dull moment at the DuPont Compound.  They even had baby weasels!

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Chapter 11

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