Kaleidoscope: No Proscenium (M/F, FFFF+/M, MM/MF, F/M. F/F, etc.)

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Fandango
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Kaleidoscope: No Proscenium (M/F, FFFF+/M, MM/MF, F/M. F/F, etc.)

Post by Fandango »

Kaleidoscope: No Proscenium


[Author's Note: I'll try my best not to bloviate but I want to introduce the story a bit.
  • Kaleidoscope is not really part of the title. It's an umbrella term for a series of stories that I'll be posting. These stories will be 12 chapters in length and each chapter will be told from the point of view of a different character. Once a chapter is done, you'll probably see that character again but it'll be through somebody else's eyes.
  • No Proscenium is the actual title of this story. The Proscenium Line is the name for the invisible line on a stage that separates the performers from the audience. It's the stage equivalent of the "fourth wall". So a performance that has no proscenium is one where the performers and audience are not separated. The audience might actually be an active part of the show.
  • This story will be very different from my other story on this board. There will be certain chapters in which characters will be maliciously disregarding another character's physical, mental, and emotional well being. It won't be anything that you haven't read on here before, but I would never want to normalize or glorify anything that I consider to be antithetical to my BDSM ethos. So I'll probably have disclaimers before chapters like 4 and 6.
  • While there will only be 12 chapters, most chapters will have multiple parts. Some chapters might be one or two parts. Chapters like 6 and 11 will have significantly more.

Thanks. I hope you enjoy the story.]




Chapter 1 - Lunatic's Lair (Drew Bannon's POV) M/F [Part 1 of 4]

March 24, 2022

Drew: Are you out of your God damn mind?

Lexi: Come on. What’s the worst that could happen?

Drew: You could get assaulted by the three frat bros that are going in the room with you.

Lexi: That could happen regardless of my proposal.

Drew: But if you’re tied up, you’re less able to defend yourself.

Lexi: Do you really think that three guys who have just signed a whole bunch of legal waivers and provided picture identification are going to assault me when they know that there are a half a dozen cameras recording their every move?

Drew: No. You said what’s the worst that could happen though? I answered.

Lexi: OK. What’s the worst that could REALISTICALLY happen?

Drew: I could get fired.

Lexi: Why would you get fired for my idea? I’m more likely to get fired.

Drew: Do I really have to answer this question with a straight face?

He looked at his co-worker incredulously and she gave him a wry smile in return.

Lexi: Because I’m the boss’ daughter? You think that matters to him? I’m very expendable.

Drew: Bullshit. Somebody will go down for this and it will be ME. I’ve known your dad a long time. And he is a fair man. He is a generous man. But he is not going to fire his own daughter. He’s going to fire the weak-willed idiot who let her implement her reckless idea.

Drew Bannon was a down on his luck 24 year-old. He’d graduated college almost two years ago at this point and was having a lot of trouble breaking into the workforce. He was sitting on an English major with a theater minor. He was trying to get his teaching credentials and it was not going as swimmingly as he’d hoped. He’d applied for numerous jobs in copywriting and editing and had only gotten to the interview stage a handful of times. He’d taken jobs as a server at local restaurants but the pay had put him on a brutally strict budget. Finally, about nine months ago his childhood friend Lexi (Alexa) had gotten him a job working at an escape room.

Lexi’s dad was a successful software engineer and entrepreneur. Lexi had graduated college at the same time as Drew. Her younger sister was attending college locally. Her father had already paid off his mortgage. And while he still worked in software, he was very financially secure and was looking to spend more time indulging his passions. Her father loved puzzles. He loved solving them. He loved making them. He loved a mental challenge. Crosswords, riddles, word games, all of it. So Lexi’s father, Greg Huff, and his best friend and partner Dean had opened an escape room. Greg had designed all of the puzzles and the tech for the room and Dean had created the story and the game flow. They were a great pair. They had room in their current space for a second room, but Dean’s recent move to Savannah, Georgia had slowed their expansion. So right now their company, CryptIQ Escapes, operated only one room. That room was called Lunatic’s Lair.

Lunatic’s Lair was not unlike many other escape games that one might play. The concept was not too out there. A group of people are locked in a room for 90 minutes. They have to complete a series of puzzles and challenges to escape from the clutch’s of a sadistic serial killer. If they do, they escape with their lives. If they don’t, they die and are never seen or heard from again. Breaking the immersion, what actually happens is that the room fills with smoke from a fog machine and ominous music plays over the speakers before Drew opens the doors and lets them out. Knowing that they have been defeated by the game. Escapes rooms are a bit of a niche market, and not the most profitable endeavor. But what CryptIQ Escapes had going for it was that their room was easily the top room in the San Diego, California metro area. It was top notch. People loved it and the enthusiasts could not wait for Greg and Dean to open their second room. The puzzles and technology were up there with some of the top rooms in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami. And the storytelling and immersion were next level also. The room featured an actor in the room with the players that added to the immersive feel.

That’s where Lexi came in. She and Drew normally worked the room together. Drew did the introduction and worked the mechanical board that operated many of the room’s puzzles. He had an array of six monitors that showed him all angles of the room and he could hear everything that was happening inside. Lexi usually was the in-room actress. There were other employees, but Drew and Lexi were on shift together 90% of the time. Lexi played “Parker”, the lover of the titular lunatic’s son. She was held hostage by the lunatic to keep his son in line as an unwilling assistant and apprentice. She’d seen many unfortunate groups of captives fail to their doom and guided the current unfortunate batch in their quest. People liked the inclusion of an in-room actor. It really helped with the immersion. She was locked in a cage to start the room, but at about the 25% point of the semi-linear narrative the players would get a key that would open the cage. After that she could come out and walk amongst them. The room was actually four rooms in total. The opening room had very cool mechanics and secret passages that led to other areas as the lair expanded beyond what the players initially imagined that it was.

Lexi: Come on, Drew. I really think that this idea could take the game to the next level. I think it gives it an extra kick in the pants.

Drew: Fine. Run it by your dad first. If he OKs it, then I’ll get on board.

Lexi: We both know that that isn’t going to happen.

Drew: I agree. We do both know that. Because he would think that this is a ludicrous and reckless idea.

Lexi: That’s why he’s the puzzle guy. And Dean is…was…is…the story guy. This is about shock value. It’s about immersive feel. It’s about giving the players something that they’ve never witnessed in a game before. It’ll make it feel more real. It’ll instill more fear. It’ll make them feel like a lunatic is really keeping them prisoner and could be there with them at any moment.

Drew: A lunatic will be with them. It’ll be you. You’re the lunatic. I don’t think that tying you up inside the cage to start the game is a good idea.

Lexi: It’s the perfect opening shocker. Finding a young woman bound and gagged.

Drew: It is a shocker. I’ll agree with you there.

Lexi: So what’s the problem? Let’s give it a try.

Drew: It’ll effect game flow.

Lexi: How? Literally none of the puzzles change. The game flow is entirely the same whether I’m bound and gagged or not.

Drew: Lexi, what is your role in the game? I don’t mean “Parker”. I mean…what is your purpose?

Lexi: I get it. I’m the hint system.

Drew: Exactly. We don’t have a cutesy little TV monitor that players can turn to and get hints. They can’t just wave their hands at a camera and clap three times and have some hint slid under the door for them. If you have a gag in your mouth…then I have to come on over the speaker and tell them things. And a disembodied voice saying that maybe spending 20 minutes alphabetizing the killer’s books and waving his coasters over every surface hoping that magnetic locks magically open something for them isn’t the best use of their time…ruins the immersion.

Lexi: I have thought about this.

Drew: Good. I was worried you’d forgotten why you were in the room.

Lexi: This group is the perfect guinea pig group.

Drew: Why? You said they’re from a college fraternity.

Lexi: They are. But the guy that booked the room is an expert. He’s done almost 200 rooms.

Drew: How do you know that?

Lexi: I may have stalked him online a little bit.

Drew: What?

Lexi: I wanted to find the right group to workshop this idea with. And it’s good to know your clientele. He’s a big escape room enthusiast. He’s posted on message boards that he doesn’t like when rooms give unprompted hints. This group isn’t going to want hints.

Drew: What if they NEED hints. What if they don’t notice the pattern over the side door. What if they never find the key to get into your cage?

Lexi: Well, on the plus side, they won’t be able to assault me if they can’t even get into the cage.

Drew: Ha Ha. Very funny. You’ll be stuck like that for 90 minutes.

Lexi (sarcastically): Oh no. 90 whole minutes.

Drew: And they’ll want a refund.

Lexi: Then I’ll give them one. But I promise you that I’ll be able to talk them back into the room again. And don’t think that I can’t provide hints just because I’m gagged.

Drew: Oh really?

Lexi: I’m a queen at non-verbal communication. I’m crafty. This group will pass the test. Their power user leader will write us a stellar review. And then business will be even better.

Drew: Word of mouth will spread and we’ll attract a clientele that likes looking at bound and gagged girls.

Lexi: Do those people have money?

Drew: Yes.

Lexi: Money to pay to play our escape game?

Drew: Yes.

Lexi: Good. Then they’re welcome to the show.

Drew: I still think that your dad won’t like this.

Lexi: Oh. I KNOW he won’t like it. Which is why I’m not even going to let him find out about it, until the reason he finds out is that his pockets are overflowing with money. I love that old geezer, but his daughter is going to have to drag him kicking and screaming into the modern immersive entertainment landscape.

Drew: This is going to be a disaster.

Lexi: I just want a chance to make a splash, Drew. I want to innovate. And I need your support on this. Please, Drew. Please please please please please.

She hit him with a full on display of sad puppy dog eyes. She puffed her bottom lip out in a pout and just really stared at him pleadingly. Begging him to side with her.

Drew: You can cut that out. You already know I’m going to do it. God help me.

Lexi immediately broke into a mischievous smile and started rubbing her hands together.

Lexi: You’re the absolute best, Drew. And don’t let anybody tell you differently.

Drew realized that they were technically the same position within the company. But Lexi was ostensibly his boss. She had vouched for him. She had brought him on. And the fact that he was her good friend was likely the reason why her dad paid him what he had to imagine was well above the standard hourly wage for a position like this. He wasn’t living large. This wasn’t going to be his career. But he was paid a livable wage.

Lexi was also one of his best friends. Definitely his oldest friend. They’d known each other since they were five. He’d known her father Greg for a long time. He still wasn’t sure what her dad thought of him. Lexi always said that her dad was such a sweetheart and a big softie, but Drew usually saw him as a very stern man. Possibly because he was very protective of his daughters. And most people often assumed that Drew and Lexi were in a sort of “will they or won’t they” type thing. They were currently perfectly happy just being good friends. Drew didn’t know whether Lexi would consider him one of her best friends. She had Jessica and Katie and Elizabeth and Nina. But he definitely considered her one of his best friends. And easily his best female friend.

She was great. She was smart. She was funny. She was outgoing. She was empathetic. And, yes, he did definitely think that she was easy on the eyes. Even if that attribute of her was overlooked. Lexi’s sister was the popular beauty queen of the family. Lexi, though the older sister, was kind of the odd duck. She had been a bit of a geek and a theater kid. She loved to play complicated table top board games. She and Drew had done musicals and improv comedy all throughout high school. She wasn’t a traditional showstopper. But she was definitely attractive. And her fun, goofy energy threw that attraction into hyperdrive for a lot of guys. She stood about 5’5”. Her build was fairly normal. She was limber and slight of frame, but had some curves that would draw the eye. She wasn’t Scarlett Johansson by any stretch, but he’d seen her rock a swimsuit and had to try not to look too closely.

But she dressed pretty conservatively. Jeans, T-Shirts, the occasional sundress. She was not a mini skirt or halter top girl. It’s not that she NEVER wore them. It’s just that they were rare enough that when she did…he took notice. She had a pleasant, winsome face with adorable little dimples when she smiled. She had bright blue eyes that were the hallmark of her entire family. Her father had them. Her mother had them. Her sister had them. Her hair was a sandy blonde that was a little darker than the rest of her family’s. She never wore it in any sort of consistent style. Today it was presently pulled back into a ponytail, but he imagined that this was just for ease of keeping it out of her face. When she went in as “Parker”, she’d let it fall naturally.

Lexi: The group is going to be here in like 15 minutes, so let’s get me ready.

Drew: You’re already in costume. Your makeup is done. Just ditch the ponytail and you’re “Parker”. I’ve already reset all of the puzzles. I went by Greg and Dean’s chart. I double checked them. Everything is set.

Lexi: No. I mean let’s get ME set up.

Lexi rummaged through a bookbag that she had behind the main reception counter and pulled some items out and set them on the counter. One roll of standard grey duct tape and a couple of lengths of jute rope. Drew’s heart began to race as she took up the items in her hand and began the walk down the hall to the starting room. This was happening. He had been playing devil’s advocate to her argument because he thought that they could get in trouble. She WAS being reckless. But in the absence of consequences, this was something that excited him greatly. He was into it. And maybe a good deal of the resistance that he had put up was that he didn’t want her to know just HOW into it he was. Bondage was something that he enjoyed. It was something that he very much enjoyed. And his insides were absolutely aflutter right now.

Lexi opened the door to the room and they walked in. Against the back right wall of the room was a sizeable cage. A full grown adult could not stand up in it without crouching, but Drew could easily kneel down inside of it without his head touching the roof. The cage was about 6’ x 4’. Lexi would be able to lie down in the cage without issue. She walked into the cage, crouching as she did so. He followed her in. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed underneath her. She set the items in her hands down on the floor of the cage and placed her wrists behind her back expectantly.

Drew: Am I using the rope or the tape?

Lexi: Tape first. And tape my wrists tightly. I’m going to be thrashing around on the floor. I’m really going to be playing it up with the acting. I don’t want anything to come loose. And I don’t want to be able to escape on my own.

Drew: You have to be able to escape on my own. How else would you get out?

Lexi: The players are going to have to release me.

Drew: The players CAN’T release you! They’re not allowed to touch you. That’s stated very clearly in the rules spiel that I give. It’s on ALL of the forms that they sign. Do. Not. Touch. The. Actors.

Lexi: Oh yeah. Oops. I’m going to need you to amend that rule with them. Let them know that they’ll OBVIOUSLY have to touch the actor at some point, but to be careful and use proper manners.

Drew: Really?

Lexi: Yeah. Let’s give them a treat. Let’s let them feel like real heroes today.

Drew could hardly believe what he was hearing. But he picked up the roll of duct tape and began to tape Lexi’s wrists behind her back. He crossed her slender wrists and began to wrap duct tape tightly around them. After five rotations of the tape her wrists were tightly pinned, but he pulled the tape up and started wrapping between them in a vertical cinch pattern to really make sure that she couldn’t get out. Finally he ripped the tape off the roll.

Drew: Damn it. I don’t think they can free you, even once they’ve gotten in the cage. I mean…they can. But it’s going to burn like 10 minutes of their time.

Lexi: I’ve got a plan. Just keep going. My elbows next.

Drew was being thrust down this rabbit hole now with the clock ticking until their clients arrived. What was her plan? Where was she going with this?
Last edited by Fandango 11 months ago, edited 3 times in total.
GreyLord
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Post by GreyLord »

[mention]Fandango[/mention], you have given the escape room and decidedly new twist. The dialog between Drew and Lexi draws the reader on and sets the stage. I am looking forward to the next installments in this series.
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Post by Rtj65 »

A very intriguing start, I really like the premise of having each chapter from a different character's perspective. I like a good escape room as well, so I like the fact that one is being used as the backdrop for this story. Based on what you've told us so far, it sounds like things will soon get out of hand for Lexi and Drew, but I guess time will tell!
Male switch from the UK here, always up for a chat about anything TUGs related!

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Post by Fandango »

Chapter 1 - Lunatic's Lair (Drew Bannon's POV) M/F [Part 2 of 4]


Lexi was beckoning Drew to continue tying her up. Drew looked over his captive. She was dressed in her “Parker” costume. It was a tattered collection of rags befitting somebody who has been held captive for an indeterminate amount of time on a lunatic’s compound. Her clothes were haphazard and shredded. But not in a sexy way. Her dad’s best friend Dean had designed the costume knowing that his buddy’s daughter would be wearing it at the start. She looked like an extra in a Charles Dickens movie. The tattered garments she wore were more of a robe and made of thick cotton canvas material. It was one piece and when she was standing the garment extended down past her knees and the sleeves extended to her elbows. The dress had a high neckline and multiple layers to it. It made her character look distressed and disheveled. But there was almost no sex appeal to it. He guessed there was some sex appeal. Her character WAS barefoot. And Lexi had very alluring feet. There was no makeup on her legs, however, she “got into character” by walking around the shop barefoot before they officially opened to get a little dirt on them to look the part. Drew grabbed her arms and pushed her elbows together. They came together easily. Lexi wasn’t an athlete (aside from a short track and field stint in junior high), but she was certainly quite limber and flexible. Her elbows were able to touch without issue. Drew wasn’t sure if he should tape them that tightly, but she appeared to be pressing them together and she certainly wasn’t doing any complaining. He began to wind the tape around her elbows a couple times and then ripped the tape off again.

Drew: Anything else?

Lexi: We’ll keep it simple. We don’t have much time. Wrap the tape around my torso a couple times. Pin my arms to my back.

Drew did as he was instructed. He didn’t want it to take the guys too long to get her undone so he didn’t go overboard. Just a few tight rotations to make sure that her arms were pinned.

Lexi: Great. Now my legs.

Lexi gently lowered herself down onto the floor by leaning on the side of the cage and sliding to the ground. She lay on her stomach and lifted her feet into the air. Drew went to grab them, but right before he did Lexi reflexively crossed her ankles for him. He took hold of her feet and began to wind the tape tightly around her svelte ankles. Five rotations of the tape and he ripped it off again.

Drew: OK. There we go.

Lexi: Ummm…excuse me. Knees.

Drew: I need to get back out front.

Lexi: You’ll hear the chime when they arrive. Let’s do this right.

Drew took the tape. He didn’t know whether he should tape her knees over or under the dress but the dress had slid up a little bit to her lower thigh and her bare knees were exposed. He just decided to keep things consistent and slid the tape directly under her legs and started taping her bare upper shins. He wrapped the tape three times around her legs just below the knees and then pulled the tape upwards without breaking it and wound the tape three more times around her lower thigh just above her patella.

Lexi: OK, Drew. I understand that you need to get back up front in about five minutes or so. So I’ll make this quick and direct you. Take the rope. I want you to hogtie me.

A shockwave ran through Drew. Was she serious?

Drew: A hogtie!?!?

Lexi: Yep. No time for questions. Just do it.

She was clearly putting him in a position knowing that they were pressed for time. He grabbed the rope and knew that he was falling into a trap. He’d put up solid resistance to the idea of tying her up. Ten minutes ago nobody could have ever assumed that he was a kinkster, though he was starting to suspect that SHE might be. But he’d done a little too good at tying her up. He’d bound her wrists beyond the intuitive wrap job that some rube might have done. And while anybody can simply tape a girl up, tying a hogtie rope required more skill. A total novice would probably just triple square knot a rope around her ankles pull it up to her arms and repeat the process. Or they’d pull her limbs around to the front of her body and wrap them together like they were roping a young calf at a rodeo. But Drew knew exactly how to tie a proper hogtie because he’d seen it done over a thousand times on the internet. And now he was about to let Lexi know that he knew exactly how to tie a hogtie. Oh boy. He was about to cross the Rubicon.

He put a bight in the rope and pulled the ends through. He looped it around her ankles and pulled it tight. He then proceeded to wrap the rope around her bare ankles several times, pulling out the slack each time. He then took the rope and started to cinch it through the gap that he had created between her ankles. Doing this compressed the duct tape underneath even tighter. When he was satisfied that the leg restraint was going to hold firmly he knotted it off and was left with several feet of additional rope to pull her legs up into a hogtie. She wiggled her dainty bare feet merrily as he worked and he found this distracting. He didn’t really know where he wanted to secure her legs to her upper body. He decided to tie it off near her elbow restraints. He folded her legs back and pressed her feet down towards her buttocks, pulling them forward as he went. He was stretching her taut as he began to take the other end of the rope and wrap it just above her taped elbows. He was a little worried that he’d pulled it too tight. But she wasn’t complaining. He wrapped the rope around her elbows in something resembling a clove hitch, but didn’t pin the rope yet because he wanted to pull it tight before he knotted it off. He did so carefully, pulling the rope with one hand and pressing her down for leverage with his other hand as her feet slid even further up towards her body.

Lexi: Mmmmmmmmmmm eeek.

She had just given a long, muted moan. The moan had sounded almost pleasurable, but then she’d given a short little yelp at the end. It had scared him. He looked down. The hand that he was using to brace her with was pressed firmly into the back of her thigh. Her upper thigh. A mere inch or two from the hem of the black compression shorts that she was wearing for underwear. He jerked it back reflexively. The faintest imprint of his hand remained on her creamy white thigh where he had been pressing down.

Drew: Oh God. I’m so sorry, Lex.

She took a second, as though coming out of a trance.

Lexi: Wait…oh…no….you’re fine. That’s good. Right there.

It was like she hadn’t even noticed that his hand had been in a place that it wasn’t supposed to be. Her dress/cloak had ridden up. He was embarrassed. She appeared to be somewhere else entirely though. He quickly knotted the rope and she immediately began testing it.

Lexi: Wow. This is good. I thought I was going to have to help you more. How did you know how to do this?

Drew blushed. She couldn’t see him blush from the way she was facin,g but he reflexively lied to cover himself.

Drew: I don’t know. It just seemed intuitive.

Lexi: Really? This is some professional grade ropework. You and I have very different definitions of intuitive. You don’t moonlight as a dominatrix do you?

Drew: Ha Ha. Yuck it up.

Lexi: Now I need you to gag me.

Drew: OK. I’m guessing you want some tape over you mouth.

Lexi: Actually…I want to pull a little audible.

Drew perked up. The players were going to be here any minute. She clearly had some plan that she hadn’t discussed with him and was taking advantage of the fact that they were rushed for time.

Drew: How big of an audible?

Lexi: Can you stuff Eric’s Notes in my mouth first?

Drew: What?!?!?!

Lexi: Come on. Go get them and stuff them inside my mouth. So when the players ungag me...they find them.

Eric’s Notes was the name of a prop. At a certain point in the game the players find a cloth rag with seemingly nonsensical markings on them. They find out that they were written by a former captive who died months earlier named Eric. The pattern of markings that he wrote down tells the players which switches need to be flipped in the room behind the bookcase to activate a special lighting grid. The puzzle works even better when the player that gets stuck in the room behind the bookcase doesn’t have the notes with him or her and has to communicate with partners through the wall. It becomes a solid teamwork and communication puzzle at that point. The actual prop is a rag that is not particularly small. It seemed too big to shove in Lexi’s mouth.

Drew: Lexi. Come on. It won’t even fit in your mouth.

Lexi: It’ll fit.

Drew: How do you know?

Lexi: It’ll fit. Just trust me, Drew.

Fuck. She’d tried it. She knew it would fit because she’d been planning this for a while.

Drew: Now you’re disrupting game play. The players free you from the cage in Stage 2, but they’re not supposed to have Eric’s Notes until the end of Stage 3.

Lexi: It BARELY effects game play. They won’t know what they’re doing with the notes yet.

Drew: But then what’s the value of even opening that hatch. Just getting the two crime scene photos.

Lexi: Sure. It’s a basic fucking puzzle, Drew. They don’t need three clues as a reward. They still get the crime scene photos. And they get Eric’s Notes when they release ME. You have to admit. How fucking baller is it to ungag a captive and get a major clue? This is the immersive punch that this game needs. For a clue to come out of MY MOUTH.

Drew could not possibly argue with her there. He thought of himself as a potential customer. This would easily be the coolest and most surreal twist he’d ever have seen in a game.

Drew: Ugh. Fine.

Lexi: Thank you. Now go get it.

Drew: My mother was right. You’re a bad influence on me.

Lexi: As if. Connie loves me. And you know it. I’m a great influence on you. Pushing you to be your best self.

She was right again. Connie, his mother, was a big fan of Lexi. Everybody loved Lexi. Drew crawled out of the cage and fetched the candlestick from the top drawer of the desk. He knew this room well enough that everything was second nature. He took the candlestick and placed it on the appropriate spot on the bookcase’s third shelf. The magnetic lock popped open a secret compartment on the side of the bookcase. Eric looked inside and pulled out a rag. These were Eric’s Notes. He saw that two crime scene photos for a different puzzle were still in there. Those would have to serve as enough of a reward for placing the candlestick correctly. He retrieved the candlestick and closed the secret compartment again. He then returned to the desk and put the candlestick back in the top drawer. Now with the rag in hand he returned to the cage and climbed back inside. He rolled Lexi over and saw that she was smiling eagerly at him. He picked up the roll of duct tape that was lying next to her.

Drew: You really want to do this?

Lexi: Yes. I think I’ve made it clear I really want to do this.

Drew: OK.

Lexi: Stuff the clue inside my mouth and then wrap the tape around my head a couple of times.

Drew: What?!?! No!!! That’s insane.

Lexi: Drew, we don’t have a lot of time. Just listen to me. Do it .

Now Drew was a little bit angry. She was pushing him around. She was using him to play out some weird BDSM fantasy and he felt that he HAD to push back. Would Lexi look GREAT with tape wrapped around her head? Of course. Was he comfortable doing that? No. She was pushing things too far too fast.

Drew: I’m not doing that.

Lexi: Drew, listen. I’m not some little china doll that-

Drew: No! Lexi! You listen.

He took her chin in his hands. He didn’t grab her face. He wasn’t too forceful. But he took her chin and firmly moved it so that she was staring DIRECTLY into his eyes. He saw her eyes flare with a startled look as he made sure that he had firm eye contact. He wanted her full, undivided attention.

Drew: You’ve pushed this far enough. I don’t feel that it’s safe to wrap tape all the way around your head. I don’t know how it’s going to come off. The boys might be too rough and rip out your hair. What if something goes wrong and you need to be ungagged quickly? I’m not comfortable with your request. It’s not just about you. If you want to push this further…we can discuss it, like adults, later. You’re pushing this on me now because I don’t have time to properly argue. My word here is FINAL. You’re tied up. You can’t do anything about it. You’re not in charge anymore. You’ll get a few strips of tape over your mouth…or you’ll get nothing at all. Do I make myself clear?

He'd never talked to her like that before. But she was going full reckless and dragging him along with her. He needed to assert some sense of authority. And in doing so, he’d felt really good and powerful. So he had decided to really lean into it and assert A LOT of authority. It was not a natural state for him. It had felt invigorating, but he’d seen her eyes go from startled to starry. She looked at him with a mischievous smile.

Lexi: Well hello there, Mr. Assertive. Where the fuck did that come from?

Drew: I don’t know. I’m sorry. You’re just being inconsiderate with all of this and I think that you’re pushing me to be reckless. I’m not comfortable with going from 0 to 100 as fast as you’re proceeding.

Lexi: Of course. I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right. Tape around the head is a bad idea. I’ve never done it before. That’s something I should test first. It could be dangerous. Strips over the mouth will be fine. Could I have several though?

Drew: Four. Non-negotiable.

Lexi: That’ll work.

Drew: I’ll make sure that they’re pressed on so they won’t just come off when you struggle.

Lexi: Thank you.

Drew: Now open up.

She obediently opened her mouth and he balled up Eric’s notes and slotted them into her mouth. He stuffed the center of the ball of cloth back first so that she wouldn’t choke on any of the loose wisps. He pressed the unruly wad into her mouth with his fingers. He hadn’t thought that it was going to fit. It did fit. Like a glove. When it was all the way in she closed her lips around it and he pulled some duct tape off the roll. He ripped off a sizeable piece and pressed it firmly over her closed lips and bulging cheeks. He ran his hands firmly along his helpless friend’s face and smoothed the tape down so that it was stuck firmly to her skin. He proceeded this process three more times. For the entirely of the endeavor she stared up at him enraptured. It was unnerving. This was a level of physical intimacy that they were not accustomed to.

He’d hate for this to ruin things between them…even as he could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. His cock had been hard since she’d put her hands behind her back. And he’d been fully erect since she’d first said the word “hogtie”. They were surrounded by cameras. He dared not touch it or adjust it. He was going to have to make sure that today’s activities were firmly wiped from the camera logs before they closed up. The sight in front of him was heavenly and part of him was loathe to leave. However, the part of him that badly wanted to adjust his aching member was ready to be out in the hallway where there weren’t any cameras pointing at him. He looked down at his tightly trussed captive who had finally ceased staring at him and was starting to wriggle and squirm around in her predicament.

Drew: So how does it feel?

Lexi: Mmmmpppphhhhhh hhhhmmmpppphhhhhhrrmmmmppppphhhhh mmmmppphhhhhhhhhh.

God. Her muffled nonsense talk was so sexy. Music to his ears. Almost no sooner had he finished than Drew heard the chime on his tablet device. The group had arrived. He exited the cage as Lexi rolled around and grunted on the floor. He then closed the door to the cage and fastened the padlock. The key to the padlock was in a hidden lockbox on the far wall, but that wouldn’t be opened until the players had solved the appropriate puzzle. And they’d have to solve at least three other puzzles before they could even get to that puzzle.

Drew: Gotta go. Good luck, Lexi.

Lexi: Hhhhmmmppppphhhhh mmmmmppppphhhhhrrrmmmmppphhh mmmmppphhh mmmppphhhhh.

He quickly left the room and made his way towards the main lobby. He felt weird. He had the sensation of floating. He’d always been into bondage, but something weird had been awakened in him within the last twenty minutes. He was buzzing all over with weird sensations and nervous energy. He had to shake it off. He had clients to deal with. It was going to feel weird talking to normal people while he was still this aroused. He was going to be interacting with the players in a few seconds, but he was sure that part of his mind was going to be in that room with Lexi the whole time. But he was a professional and he had a job to do. He took a deep breath, pulled himself together, and stepped back into the main lobby.
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Post by GreyLord »

Drew is one lucky SOB. Lexi is hot, hot, hot! Now, what will the reaction of the escape room customers be?
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Post by Rtj65 »

Things are definitely hotting up between these two! I get the feeling that things aren't going to go according to plan when the game begins however. Awesome work as always, I especially enjoyed how Drew put his foot down and asserted himself more towards the end, that was wonderfully described
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Post by Canuck100 »

What a fun and exciting plot. You think I can open a franchise? 😁
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Post by Fandango »

Chapter 1 - Lunatic's Lair (Drew Bannon's POV) M/F [Part 3 of 4]



When Drew entered the main lobby, three college-aged males were standing there.

Drew: Howdy, ya’ll.

Drew winced slightly. He was still nervous. Who says “Howdy”? Or “ya’ll” for that matter. He was from San Diego, not Texas. It was unnatural. He’d shake it off. The three young men didn’t even notice his discomfort.

Brendan: Hey, man. How’s it going?

Drew: Great. Is one of you Brendan Drummond?

Brendan: I am.

The tallest of the three boys responded. He was also the one who had just asked Drew how he was doing. Drew looked the three young men over. Brendan was the tallest of the three by a substantial margin. Drew himself stood 6’0” tall and Brendan had to have two inches on him. Whereas Drew thought that he probably had two inches on the other two boys. Brendan looked exceedingly fit, as his sleeves clung to his muscular arms. He was imposing without appearing overly stocky or burly. His dark green T-Shirt and surfer shorts also allowed Drew to see that he had extremely muscular calves. Lexi had said that this guy had done approximately 200 escape rooms. Clearly he wasn’t spending all of his time solving puzzles in cramped rooms. He must run or rock climb or do some sort of impressive exercise regimen on a daily basis. He had a handsome face and shaggy, feathered black hair.

The other two guys were far less striking than Brendan. The one standing closest to Brendan was dressed the nicest. Whereas the other two were casual, this guy had on a pair of charcoal slacks and short sleeve button down shirt. The shirt was tucked in and he had on a nice belt. It wasn’t overly formal, but probably he’d be more comfortable running around in an escape room in slightly less dressy attire. He was probably 5’10” and of an average build. His hair was a wild mess of curls that stacked up and ran down on his face on both sides.

The third gentleman wore jeans and a hoodie with three Greek letters printed on it. At first Drew thought that it might be Epsilon Alpha Epsilon. But it couldn’t be. The Es were different. The first one was jagged like a weird sideways W. It was something else. Drew wasn’t sure of the Greek alphabet. He knew the triangle was Delta. He knew the horseshoe was Omega. He thought this might be Sigma but he couldn’t be sure. Sigma Alpha Epsilon? Was that right? Yeah. That sounded like a thing. The gentleman with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon sweatshirt looked like a fairly squirrelly guy Drew thought. He had brown hair that was cut short. He sported a thick mustache and a soul patch on his chin. He just had a smug look on his face that Drew was distasteful of. But the guy hadn’t even said a word yet. Here Drew was judging a book by it’s cover.

Drew: Did you fill out the waivers online?

Brendan: Yes.

Matt: Yes.

Wes: No.

The guy in the hoodie had not filled them out in advance. That was fine. Lots of customers don’t. It just meant that they’d have to wait five minutes for him to do it here before getting started. And that was five more minutes that Lexi would have to wait in restraints before her rescuers were allowed to enter the room. Her dad’s room had several unique effects that could potentially be dangerous and therefore extensive waivers were required.

Brendan: I sent you the link to fill them out.

Wes: Meh. I didn’t. I’ll do it now.

Drew: No problem. You can fill them out on that tablet on the counter.

Wes picked up the tablet and started filling out the release form while Brendan and Matt peppered Drew with questions. They were BIG escape room aficionados. Brendan had done over 180. Matt had done around 130. This was Wes’ first one. Matt and Brendan were best friends. Matt was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. So it was Sigma. He’d rushed at the end of his freshman year. Brendan was rushing this year at Matt’s suggestion. Both of them were sophomores. Wes was a junior and was Brendan’s mentor of sorts for the fraternity.

They wanted to know all sorts of things about escape rooms from somebody who worked for one. They wanted to know his favorite room. Drew got this question a lot. He enjoyed the concept of an escape room. But he wasn’t a hobbyist or a lifer like Lexi was. He’d done eight in total. He did not have an impressive wealth of experience to share. He’d done one ELITE room while he was attending college up at UCLA. It was called Lab Rat and it was pretty well respected among room enthusiasts. He normally gave that as his stock answer and he did so here. They both nodded in approval. They had enjoyed that room. It was Top 20%. But apparently Drew really needed to make it up to The Netherlands to try The Dome or to Greece to do Chapel and Catacombs. Drew thought that if he ever made it out to Europe he probably had other things he’d rather do than escape rooms.

But their enthusiasm was infectious. Wes on the other hand seemed like he didn’t give a damn. He referred to their interests twice derisively as “nerd shit”. Drew had decided…he didn’t like Wes. He was no longer judging the book by it’s cover. The first chapter also sucked. When Wes was done filling out the form Drew walked them over towards the hallway and gave his spiel. It was a pretty basic safety and informational talk. It included some things that Drew thought he didn’t really need to say. He felt idiotic telling three grown adults that they shouldn’t stick objects into the light sockets…but apparently a room a in Sylmar, California used that as a mechanism to short the circuits in one of their puzzles. And now Lexi’s dad wanted them to tell patrons specifically not to do that. The only thing that he changed from his normal spiel was his directions regarding what to do if you encounter an actor in the room. Normally he told guests not to touch the actors. The actors will not touch you. Today he stated that obviously they would see that they’d NEED to touch the actor but that they were not to assault or molest and actor in any way. When he was done he led them down the hallway to the door for Lunatic’s Lair. He opened it for them and escorted them inside. With a cryptic goodbye he closed the door behind them and rushed over to the control room.

The guys he just let into the room wouldn’t be able to find Lexi immediately. They technically started the room in their own “cage”. The room opened up into a small chain link cage that was separated from the main room. It was not terribly complex to get out of. A forboding message written in “Blood” on the opposite wall gave them a pretty substantial hint on how to find the key. It was just a stall tactic to allow the gamemaster to get back into the control room and get settled before they started messing with things in the room. Most groups were out of the initial cage in five minutes or less. Drew did remember one group that had taken over 25 minutes. That had been a frustrating experience for him…but funny in retrospect. God, they were so high.

Drew entered the control room and sat down to the computer monitors and the switchboard which ran the room. He could see that Matt was already adjusting the thermostat in the cage. Once he had set it to 74 degrees per the instruction a laser light would come on that would point to the false brick that contained the key. This group would be out of the cage in under 90 seconds. And then they’d presumably explore the room with vigor and as soon as they turned the one blind corner in the room…they’d see Lexi. They’d find Lexi helplessly bound and gagged. And there would only be her cage between the thoroughly trussed damsel and three strange men that he didn’t know if they could trust. Drew definitely had his concerns.

He thought uneasily about what his raging hormones today meant for his relationship with Lexi. Clearly he had gotten VERY aroused while he was tying her up. However, this didn’t take him by surprise. He’d had a crush on Lexi for a while. They’d known each other since they were five. But the butterflies in his stomach had probably started about the time that they were 16. He could see that she was an absolute catch who was probably too desirable to be hanging out with an ordinary geek like him. Even if other people didn’t see her that way. Even if she didn’t see herself that way. He was reminded of one of her many nicknames. She had several.

Lexi’s whole family called her “Daughter”. Drew had never gotten an explanation on that. Sure, Lexi was her parent’s daughter. But her sister called her “Daughter”. And neither of her parents ever called Lexi’s sister “daughter”. It was some inside family joke. He and his friends sometimes called her “TurboTrap”, or “Turbo” for short. This came from her habit of speaking a mile a minute when she got excited. Lexi never “played it cool”. She wore her heart on her sleeve and when there was something that she was excited or passionate about her speech ramped up to a fever pitch. And voice went up an octave to match. It was so cute. Then there was “Triple L”. This was a nickname that only her closest circle called her. It was short for “Lucky Lexi ‘Levens”. She had once lost an insurmountable lead in a game of Settlers of Catan by rolling 11 six times in a row. She had been furious. She’d almost flipped the table. They’d laughed and laughed at her frustration. But then they’d done the math. The odds of rolling 11 six times in a row on a pair of dice is 1: 34,012,224. Those are astronomically terrible odds. She fumed even more once they’d done the calculation. But their friend Brad had collected all of the wheat and ore that he needed to beat her. And a new nickname had been born.

But the nickname that Drew was thinking of was one that NONE of her friends dared called her. It was a nickname that nobody ever said to her face. But it floated around their high school in offhand comments when she wasn’t around. Drew had wondered if she even knew that this was her moniker. He’d never heard somebody say it to her. But she knew. And she didn’t seem to care. She was fine with it. But Drew still thought it was mean. Their high school was not some Hollywood Americanized high school with cliques and bullies and mean girls. Everybody was actually pretty nice and not malicious. But there were groups and circles and popular kids. And sometime around their junior year, Lexi got the moniker “NPHC”. It stood for “Non Popular Hot Chick”. Guys in the school recognized that Lexi had developed into a very attractive girl. But she hung out with a bunch of nerds and theater kids. She did improv comedy. She played dungeons and dragons. She photographed for the yearbook. And filled in for their school's quiz bowl and speech and debate teams occasionally. She did not have many other attractive friends. She did not get invited to the school’s more exclusive house parties. She was happy being Lexi even though her noticeable attractiveness probably opened up another life for her that Drew and his other friends would never be privy to. But for some reason she liked what she liked. And she chose to hang out with him and their other “non popular” friends.

Matt: What. The. Fuck!?!?

Brendan: What is it, man?

Matt had just turned the corner and seen Lexi’s cage.

Matt: There’s a woman over here.

Brendan: A woman?

Matt: A live woman. Like an actual woman. She’s in a cage. And she’s tied up. And gagged.

Wes: Woah!! Let me see.

Brendan and Wes had been exploring opposite corners of the room from Matt. But given this revelation they both rushed over.

Wes: Boys. You didn’t tell me that escape rooms were like this. Maybe I’d have been a little more excited.

Brendan: I’ve done 180 rooms and I’ve NEVER seen this before.

The three guys were clearly trying to figure out what to do. Drew didn’t think that Lexi had considered that this would be a bit of a time suck for teams. Usually teams were exploring the rooms. There was a woman in a cage. But she’d be telling them that they needed to get a key and they’d be running around. Now there were three guys staring at a bound and gagged woman who couldn’t tell them anything. Her mouth was taped shut. And it had been stuffed with a clue.

Brendan: Are you OK, miss?

Lexi: Mmmmpppphhhhh!!!!! Mmmmppphhrhhhhh mmmmmmppphhhh hhhmmmpppphhhhhrrmmmmmmm mmmmpppphhhhh!!!!

Lexi hadn’t been particularly active because she had probably wanted to be discovered. But now with her discovery her character had awoken from a haze and sprung to life. She was thrashing about and grunting into the gag for all that she was worth. Drew actually had a great view of it. He had six screens. There were more cameras than that, but he’d toggle to other views once the players entered other rooms. One of the six cameras in the main room was attached to the corner of the cage and was pointed directly at Lexi. He could see her wiggling her bound body frantically. He could see the exasperated huffing of her cheeks as she tried to articulate herself with her mouth firmly gagged. And he saw the pleading look in her eyes as she tried to convey to her three would-be rescuers that she needed to be released.

Brendan: Can you get over to the edge of this cage so I can take the tape off your mouth?

Brendan reached his hand into the cage. The cage caught midway up his burly forearm. Matt probably stood the best chance of getting his arm deepest into the cage. But even he wouldn’t’ be in a good position to get to Lexi’s gag. The slots were narrow enough that none of them was getting their arm in past the elbow.

Lexi: Mmmpppphhhh hhhhmmmpppphhhh mmmmmpppppphhhhhh!!!!!

Lexi bucked and struggled like she was trying to make her way to the side of the cage for him to ungag her. But the struggling and effort was all for show. Drew was pretty sure that she could actually do it. He’d tied her tightly, but not so tight that she shouldn’t be able to squirm her way to the edge of the cage. But she was going nowhere. She was just rocking and bucking in place and grunting loudly into her gag. Eventually she looked sadly at Brendan and shook her head to imply that it was futile.

Lexi: Nnnnnmmmpppphhhh!! Mmmppphhhhhh nnnnnmmmmpppppphhhh hhhhhmmmmmpppphhhhh nnnnmmmmppppphhhhhhhh.

Brendan: OK. Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll find some way to get you out. Is there a key to the cage we need to find?

Lexi: Mmmmpppppphhhhh!!!! Mmmmpppphhhh!!!!!

Lexi started nodding vigorously.

Brendan: OK. We’re on it.

Wes: Dude. She’s pretty hot in a grungy kind of way. I mean I don’t know if she’s a 6 or 7. But chicks always look better when they’re bound and gagged.

Brendan: Hey. Dipshit. You know that the gag doesn’t render her deaf, right? She can hear everything that you’re saying. Show some respect.

Wes: I’m just saying, bro. She looks super bangin’ like that.

Brendan: She’s a person who needs our help. Maybe she can forget you said that if you find the damn key.

Drew’s initial feelings were correct. He hated Wes. It wasn’t what he was saying. Well…it WAS what he was saying. But it was more the fact that he was saying it out loud. In such a cavalier and disrespectful way. Drew did find bound women very attractive. But he didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable. Or at least more uncomfortable than they already were…seeing as they were bound and gagged. Wes didn’t know Lexi. He didn’t know how she’d feel about those comments. Drew didn’t know how Lexi would feel about those comments. And they’d been friends for almost two decades. And Lexi was not hot in a “grungy kind of way”. She was a little dirty because of the role she was playing. Lexi was hot in an “every kind of way”. 6 or 7?!?! Get the fuck out of here, douchebag. Lexi was out of this kid’s league.

Drew knew that he was very defensive of Lexi. He was protective of her. She was a good friend of his. And he acknowledged that he’d like her to be more. Today wasn’t the first time that he’d gotten significantly aroused in her presence. Because of her presence. She was a very alluring girl. And she was an available, single girl. He definitely considered her to be out of his league. And he would fully acknowledge that cowardice was the reason that he’d never made a move or asked her out. He wasn’t a particularly confident or assertive guy. But this wasn’t normal fear of rejection that was stopping him. It’s that the risk of failure was far too great. He had learned the price of failure from his friend Seth.

Seth had been a high school friend of both Drew and Lexi. They’d been in the same solid circle of 8-10 friends that ate lunch together and hung out after school. Seth was a guy that wasn’t too different from Drew. Seth was probably a little more attractive. He was definitely more socially confident. But they had similar interests and worldviews. And Seth had also noticed in the latter years of high school that Lexi had developed into a desirable young woman. So Seth had asked her out senior year. And Lexi had said Yes. And they’d dated for three months. And the crew had treated them as boyfriend and girlfriend. And then they broke up. That was March of their senior year of high school. The relationship had ended.

Neither of them openly blamed the other. There wasn’t any trash talking or dirt spilling on their ex. But neither of them felt comfortable hanging out with the other one anymore. They didn’t make their friends pick sides. Lexi didn’t care that Drew still hung out with Seth. Seth didn’t care the Drew still went around with Lexi. But they wouldn’t be in each other’s presence. And that caused problems. The group could really only invite one of them to events. Of course everybody still invited them both…but they’d always ask if the other was attending. If they were…that probably meant a No. Drew had just gone to their friend Danica’s wedding. Both of them had attended. And they did say Hello. They were civil. But Lexi and Seth were still frosty with each other. And Drew couldn’t bear that. That was the cost of a failed relationship with Lexi…having her removed from his life.

That was not something that he could cope with. He enjoyed her as a person too much. He valued her friendship so highly. He felt that she was the perfect girl for him. But the reward still might not be worth the risk. He was fine with the way things were and he made exceptional effort to make her feel comfortable around him and not objectified. Though today….that had been difficult. He was clearly shook by tying her up. He knew that he was into bondage. But today seemed to have awakened something special in him.

Drew watched the screens enraptured. He did his job and monitored the progress of the three college students as they ran around the room trying to figure things out. But his eyes always shot back to the cage camera. He watched Lexi squirm and thrash in her bonds. He could hear her moan and grunt anxiously. It was the ultimate aphrodisiac. As for the three players…Brendan was a natural. He was in his element. Matt was quite crafty. He made some logical connections quite quickly that even some experienced puzzlers took a while to crack. Wes was a buffoon. A total buffoon. He wasn’t solving anything. This had essentially become a two person team. Even though HypnotIQ told teams that three players were necessary. Wes also stayed close to Lexi’s cage while he tried to “solve” puzzles. Eventually Matt went over to Lexi to try and apologize. They were almost 25 minutes into the room and she still wasn’t free.

Matt: I’m sorry, miss. We’re trying our hardest to get you out of there. Are you sure you can’t make it over to the cage. I can get that gag off of you.

Lexi: Nnnnnnmmmppppphhhhhhh!!!! Mmmmmpppphhhhh!!!!! Mmmmmppppphhhh!!!!!!

Lexi bucked against her bonds but motioned her head in an almost pointing pattern to the doorway to the left of the cage. Matt kept his eyes locked on the thrashing girl as though hypnotized. Join the club, Matt. Drew was hypnotized also. But Drew also recognized what Lexi was trying to do. She made direct eye contact with Matt and grunted emphatically into her gag. And then she jerked her head up and to the left (her right) several times.

Lexi: Hhhmmmmmmppppphhhh!!!! Mmmmppppphhhh!!!!! Mmmmppppphhhhh!!!! Mmmmpppphhhhh!!!!!

Matt pulled his gaze away from the squirming, grunting girl and looked through the doorway. Then he seemed to remember that her head had almost bounced and bobbed upwards as she had gesticulated with it. His eyes climbed the wall and came to a stop at the top door frame. Drew had always thought that this puzzle was a little too subtle for some less observant groups to notice. But Matt saw it. Bingo! Etched on the top door frame were seven symbols. Technically there were five different symbols. Two of them: A vortex looking swirl and an icon that looked like a tidal wave were repeated twice in the sequence.

Matt: Oh shit! Brendan! I got something!

Brendan: Sweet! What?!?

Matt: I need you to back in the closet with that light puzzle that we were playing with earlier.

They’d already found the puzzle in question. Most teams need some sort of hint to actually have a player enclose themselves in the closet. Entering the closet does very little. You need to shut the door with a player inside before the black light will come on. Brendan went inside the closet and closed the door behind him.

Matt: OK. Now I need you to hit each of the six colored buttons one by one and tell me which color you’re hitting as you do it!

Brendan: OK! Red!....Yellow!....Blue!....Green!....Orange!....Purple!

He paused a couple seconds between each button and every time he hit a button a new light projection showed on the ceiling in the room outside the closet. The light projections matched the iconography that was engraved on the door that Matt was looking at.

Matt: OK! I got it! Seven button sequence! Tell me when you’re ready!!

Brendan: Ready!!

The two were shouting at each other because they weren’t sure how thick the closet door was. Wes was just watching them like a bum.

Matt: Green! Yellow! Blue! Green! Blue! Purple! Red!

Brendan hit the buttons in succession inside the closet. All of the sudden there was a loud pop. Drew was ready for it. He had triggered it when he saw Brendan hit the proper sequence. A secret compartment on the bookcase popped open.

Matt: It worked!! Come on out!!

Brendan emerged from the closet and went over to his friend. They looked in the secret compartment and pulled out a key.

Matt: Do you think this is the key to the cage?

Brendan: Only one way to find out.
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Post by Drew29 »

Wow, there is a lot of intrigue and the story is really exciting. Bravo !!!
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Post by GreyLord »

Very impressive. I have to wonder if Lexi has discovered Drew's fascination with bondage and is staging this to get him to make a move. Or, is she developing an interest in getting tied up. Or, it could be exactly like she says, she is just trying to make their escape room more popular.

Will Wes have any redeeming characteristics?

This is a well done and unique story. Thanks!
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Post by Rtj65 »

I really liked how the unique setting came to life in the latest part, it's nice to see the escape room aspect of it be involved in the narrative, rather than just being a backdrop. Also really interesting to see it play out from Drew's perspective, where he is able to see everything that is going on but can't really get involved himself. It's going to be interesting to see how things play out once the cage is presumably unlocked!
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Post by Fandango »

Chapter 1 - Lunatic's Lair (Drew Bannon's POV) M/F [Part 4 of 4]


Matt handed the key to Brendan, who excitedly jogged over to Lexi’s cage and put the key in the padlock. The lock clicked open and he removed the lock and opened the cage.

Brendan: Hallelujah!! Sorry about that, miss. We’re normally a little more efficient.

Lexi: Mmmmmppppphhhhhh!!!!!!! Hhhmmmmpppphhhhhhh!!!!! Mmmmpppphhhhhhh!!!!!!

Brendan: Calm down, ma’am. Let me get that tape off your mouth.

Lexi: Mmmmmpppphhhh hhhhmmmmpppphhhh!!!

Lexi flexed forward and pushed her gagged face in Brendan’s direction. Brendan reached out and carefully peeled the tape off of her mouth.

Brendan: Are you OK, miss?

Lexi: Mmmmpppphhhhh hhhmmmmpppphhhh nnnnmmmmpppphhh mmmmppphhhhhh!!!!

Brendan: Sweet lord, there is something stuffed in her mouth!

Wes: What?!?!

Brendan gingerly pulled the cloth out of Lexi’s mouth and stared at her.

Lexi: Blech! Ugh!! Thank you!! Oh God!! Thank you so much!! Please get me out of here!!!

Brendan: Sure. Let me try and get the tape off.

Lexi: I think he keeps a scissors in the top desk drawer.

Matt: Yeah. I saw a scissors.

Drew’s blood ran cold for a second. What?!?! There’s not a scissors in the room. That’s a liability nightmare. Now these guys have a sharp object that they could do damage with. Lexi had placed that there herself and hadn’t told him because she KNEW that he’d have objected. That wicked little minx. At least now he knew what the “plan” she was talking about was. He watched the boys hawkishly as Matt retrieved the scissors and they began to cut the tape securing her body. Brendan undid the hogtie and within a couple minutes Lexi was free.

Brendan: There’s markings all over this cloth.

Lexi: Yeah. It says it was made by some guy named Eric. I think he was a former captive down here. I was trying to figure it out when he caught me. He told me that he was going to punish me for snooping where I shouldn’t.

Brendan: What kind of sadist would shove a clue in your mouth?

Drew had to chuckle to himself. You’re looking at the sadist, Brendan. Well…masochist, I guess. She’s right in front of you.

The detour and distraction of Lexi’s rescue had put the group a good deal behind schedule, but they managed to catch up pretty quickly. By the one hour mark they were only a minute or two behind the pace needed to beat the room. The rest of the room went fairly uneventfully. Wes still wasn’t contributing much. But the team seemed to be humming along. With 20 minutes left they got to the room’s main showstopper. It’s a transition that one player gets to take to the room’s final stage. The HypnotIQ employees called it the Drop Out. And it’s what everybody always raves about when they complete the room. Brendan got to do it. And he audibly said in the room that it was “cool as fuck”. But it still seemed to take a back seat to the adventure of rescuing a bound and gagged girl. Lexi was right. If they included that in the room…that was the new showstopper. The girl knew how to grab attention and focus. The high that these guys were feeling by getting to be the hero was sensational. They ended up beating the room with almost four minutes to spare. Drew scooted back out into the main lobby to prepare for their re-entry to the real world. About ten seconds after he got back to the lobby Lexi rounded the corner followed by the three boys. Drew started clapping for them and Lexi followed suit.

Drew: Woot!!! Woot!!! Congratulations. You did it! You escaped the lunatic.

Matt: That was FUCKING insane.

Brendan: Yeah. This is easily Top 3 rooms I’ve ever done.

Lexi: Wonderful. If I heard correctly, you’ve done a lot of rooms.

Brendan: I have. But this room is ELITE. It’s up there in conversation with The Dome.

Lexi: The Dome!?!? In Bunschoten, Netherlands?

Drew saw that clearly Lexi was familiar with the room.

Brendan: Yeah. Have you done it?

Lexi: I wish. I’ve never left the country. But I follow the TERPECA rankings. So I know what high praise that is.

Brendan: I vote in the TERPECA rankings. You just need to do 100 rooms to become a voter. I’ll certainly be putting in a push for Lunatic’s Lair.

Lexi: Thank you very much. That means a lot.

The boys proceeded to rave about the room for the next little while before departing for wherever they were headed next. Drew didn’t stick around to hear all of the comments. They had another group coming in less than half an hour and he needed to reset the room, which took about 15 minutes. So he went to get it ready. But the reviews he had heard were clear. Brendan had loved the Drop Out. They’d all loved the transitions, the non-linear structure, and the unique puzzles. But they’d all been especially enthusiastic about Lexi’s role in the room and how it had added to the experience. Drew couldn’t help but admit that Lexi had been correct. Having a bound and gagged actress in the room made the room infinitesimally more enjoyable. For this group at least. He was sure that he’d get an “I Told You So” later. When he emerged from resetting the room he saw Lexi standing by the reception desk smiling at him.

Lexi: Well…what did you think?

Drew: I know. I know. They loved it. It worked perfectly. It was a huge hit. You can say “I Told You So”.

Lexi: No time for “I Told You So”s. Even though I did tell you so. We’ve got another group coming in about 15 minutes and you need to get me taped back up.

She smiled brightly at him and tapped the roll of duct tape that she was holding against the desk a couple times invitingly. Drew couldn’t help but smile back at her.

Drew: You’re going again? Geez. What a sucker for punishment you are. I thought it was going to be a little much for you.

Lexi: It actually was a little much. Let’s go no hogtie this time. I wasn’t expecting you to be that good at it.

Drew blushed a little bit. Maybe she was on to him. His hogtie had been pretty good. She almost had to suspect something.

Drew: Sorry.

Lexi: Don’t apologize. I thought it was great. But I don’t know that I want to do six shows a day like that. We’ll definitely do it again. But maybe only one lucky group per day will get "hogtied Parker".

Drew: That sounds more reasonable.

Lexi: I also wanted to thank you for talking me out of wrapping the tape all the way around my head. I can see now that that might be a little bit of a logistical nightmare. I was a bit shocked when you got all assertive with me, but I see that you were just watching out for me.

Drew: No problem. You were just excited. You were going TurboTrap on me so I felt I needed to put my foot down. I didn’t mean to be rude. Are you really going to be gagged with a cloth in your mouth for six games a day though?

Lexi gave him a devious smile. Her eyes gleamed with a hidden revelation that she was dying to spill.

Lexi: I may have misspoken earlier. It won’t be six games per day. It’ll only be three.

Drew: Three? So half of the groups aren’t going to get your full experience.

Lexi’s smile grew more intense knowing that Drew wasn’t quite on her page yet.

Lexi: Oh. They will. I just won’t be playing Parker half the time. I think we’re going to be switching off in the role from here on out.

Now Drew caught what she was getting at. And he blushed deeply. He didn’t know how he felt about this. He’d often had fantasies about tying up girls. He’d never really indulged any fantasies of being tied up himself. This was not something that he thought interested him. And if he was tied up, he didn’t want it to be for the entertainment of strangers that he didn’t know. He was sure that that could get pretty embarrassing. What if the players taunted him or ridiculed him? He was more than a little anxious at this possibility. But he didn’t think it would work anyway.

Drew: That won’t work for the storyline though, Lex.

Lexi gave him a little frown.

Lexi: Why not? Because Parker is the killer’s son’s lover? That’s not very progressive of you. His son could totally be gay or bisexual or any number of things.

Drew blushed a little bit. He didn’t think that that was quite the direction that the story was intended for but she was absolutely right. There was nothing wrong with him playing the MALE lover of the killer’s son. But there were several physical clues and props in the room that alluded to Parker.

Drew: That’s not it. And you know it. The character’s name is Parker. That’s a girl’s name.

Lexi: It is not. I talked it over with Dean when he was writing the story. He specifically chose Parker because it’s a VERY gender neutral name. He also considered Blake, Quinn, and Tracy. There are going to be shifts at some point where we have all males working here. A guy can 100% play Parker.

Drew: I see. I’ve just never heard it as a guy’s name. I mean I know Parker Posey and that’s about it. Do you know any male Parkers?

Lexi: I mean…I don’t KNOW any. And you are right in that it’s a cute girl’s name. But any boy I met named Parker I would immediately assume was a tool. Luckily, you’ve been method acting as a tool for years. So it shouldn’t be any problem for you to play the role.

Drew: This was you plan all along, wasn’t it?

Lexi’s trademark mischievous, cheeky grin made another appearance.

Lexi: Maybe. I mean. It was fun to be a captive, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t totally looking forward to taping up that squirmy little butt of yours. I’ve been meaning to seal up that chatty little mouth of yours for a while now.

Drew blushed. He felt it and he knew that Lexi could see it.

Drew: So much for all those guys that are coming to the room just to see a bound and gagged girl. Tough scene for them.

Lexi: They’ll be back. This might be a better way to get repeat business. They’ll know that there is a possibility that the actor could be a female. They’ll rebook until they get what they want.

Drew: I see. So this is business savvy?

Lexi: This also opens up a whole new market of fans for us. I promise you that there will be a number of people just as excited to see you tied up as me tied up.

Drew: I doubt that.

Lexi: We’ll see. We’ve got a bachelorette party coming in this weekend.

Drew: Are you serious?

Lexi: Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see on Saturday.

Drew: Oh brother. What did I sign myself up for?

Lexi: I promise you that you’ll learn to love it.

Drew: Fine. But you’re still playing Parker for the last three games today. I need a night to get myself ready for the role.

Lexi: Fine by me. But it’s all improv and you know the room as well as I do at this point. Now quit yapping. We’ve got ten minutes until the next group arrives and time is wasting away.

Lexi clutched the tape tightly as she made her way back down the hallway with Drew following closely behind her. He knew that he’d certainly be anxious about being taped up three times per day going forward. But he was beginning to see how it could be thrilling. He thought maybe Lexi was right that he would learn to love it. He was sure that certain groups probably would piss him off while he was tied up. And the number of variables involved with being tied up around strangers was a concern. But he figured that as long as it was Lexi who was doing the taping and the watching over him…he’d have a good time. He knew that he was going to have a phenomenal time taping her and watching her squirm and moan on the monitors. So sporadic periods of captivity seemed like a very small price to pay. It might even give him a new edge. But right now he had a willing girl to tape up and he could feel his heart beginning to race again as he walked through the door to the room.

END OF CHAPTER 1
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Post by charliesmith »

This is a very promising story. I am enjoying it. Can’t wait to see Lexi bind Drew for the part.
Please feel free to read and comment your thoughts.
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Roadtrip of Dreams (M/F) Chapter 14 Added.
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Post by GreyLord »

And now we get to see the same scene through different eyes. Fantastic concept, [mention]Fandango[/mention]. I am eager to read the next installment. Good work.
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Post by Rtj65 »

Nice conclusion to the first chapter! Lexi's plan clearly went about as well as it could have done, and it was very enjoyable to read. Seeing the roles reverse will be interesting too, though I imagine things won't always run as smoothly. Also, knowing that each chapter is going to be from a different perspective, I'm looking forward to seeing who we'll get next (I'm guessing Lexi will be a POV at some point) and seeing how this story continues to evolve. Keep up the great work.
Male switch from the UK here, always up for a chat about anything TUGs related!

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Post by Fandango »

Canuck100 wrote: 1 year ago What a fun and exciting plot. You think I can open a franchise? 😁
If you open a franchise, let me know. I'll be the first one in line.
GreyLord wrote: 1 year ago Very impressive. I have to wonder if Lexi has discovered Drew's fascination with bondage and is staging this to get him to make a move. Or, is she developing an interest in getting tied up. Or, it could be exactly like she says, she is just trying to make their escape room more popular.

Will Wes have any redeeming characteristics?

This is a well done and unique story. Thanks!
Thank you very much. Great questions. Lexi will get a POV chapter at some point (it won't be next chapter), so we'll definitely get a better read on her motivations when we're getting the story from her perspective. I'm sure Wes has some redeeming qualities. No human is totally devoid of value. Will this story show those qualities to you? Probably not.
Drew29 wrote: 1 year ago Wow, there is a lot of intrigue and the story is really exciting. Bravo !!!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I'm glad you like it.
Rtj65 wrote: 1 year ago I really liked how the unique setting came to life in the latest part, it's nice to see the escape room aspect of it be involved in the narrative, rather than just being a backdrop.
I LOVE escape rooms. In this sense, I'm a lot like Brendan. I've done well over 100 and am always looking to do them when I travel to new cities. So I wanted to indulge another of my passions in this narrative, other than tie up games. And the setting isn't a stranger to restraint. I've been chained up in multiple escape rooms and I've been in escape rooms where paid actors have been tied up before. Maybe not to Lexi's extent...but these things do exist.
charliesmith wrote: 1 year ago This is a very promising story. I am enjoying it. Can’t wait to see Lexi bind Drew for the part.
Thank you for the enthusiasm. I promise you that we'll see roles reversed at some point.



Thank you to everybody for reading. I really appreciate the questions and comments. I'll be traveling this week so Chapter 2 will be a little delayed. I'm going to start Chapter 2 on Sunday (3/5). Also, to clarify how the story works, you won't see this scene again from another perspective. You'll see future scenes in this story from other perspectives. And everything will connect in Chapters 11 and 12. You'll almost certainly see Drew, Lexi, Brendan, and Matt again. But Drew won't be the POV character when you do. He's had his chapter.
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Post by Rdo4y8 »

Just stumbled upon your works, but I love how natural the conversations are and just how much detail you put into this. Great work.
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Post by Fandango »

Rdo4y8 wrote: 1 year ago Just stumbled upon your works, but I love how natural the conversations are and just how much detail you put into this. Great work.
Thanks. There is a ton of set-up and a lot of moving pieces with this story and the way that it's going to intertwine. I hope it delivers. I appreciate the kind words.
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Post by Fandango »

Chapter 2 - Red Letter Night (Brendan Drummond's POV) FFFF+/M [Part 1 of 4]

April 15, 2022


Robin: On your knees, maggot!

Brendan Drummond wasn’t entirely sure of the name of the very aggressive girl who was shoving him to his knees, but based on context clues he was pretty sure that her name was Robin. He’d never met her before tonight. He’d later learn that she was senior enjoying a last hurrah with some of her Delta Gamma sisters and that she had been the captain of his school’s club rugby team. She was a solid, imposing, muscular girl who appeared to be of Pacific Islander descent. Probably Samoan. She wasn’t nearly as big as Brendan. He stood 6’2” and weighed a very muscular, fit 215 pounds. But what she lacked on him in size she made up for in aggression.

Brendan felt her firm hand on his shoulder pressing down and gingerly made his way to his knees. This was difficult to do for two reasons. The first reason was that there was a black canvas bag on his head, so he couldn’t see anything. The second reason was that his arms were firmly box tied behind his back. He carefully lowered himself down and felt his kneecap make contact with soft carpet. This wasn't a surprise for him. He couldn’t see, but he had felt the shift under his shoes once they’d descended the stairs from hard tile to a soft, more forgiving surface. He kneeled as the gruff, angry girl instructed him.

There had been four of them. Four girls had jumped him and restrained him into his current predicament. He liked to think that if this had been a real emergency he’d have been able to fight them off. But he knew the shakes. He was rushing Sigma Alpha Epsilon and this was Pledge Hell Week. He had not been where he was by accident and these four girls had not elected to accost him at random. This was a set up. This was a ritual of the American college Greek system. He was being hazed. He didn’t love the concept of hazing. But he’d be lying if he said that he was surprised by it. He knew it was part of the way things worked at his school.

He'd been told to report to a remote corner of campus at 11:00pm for a “special top secret mission” by three of his elder fraternity brothers. Frank, Corey, and his frat “big” mentor Wes had all instructed him where to be and told him what to wear. He was currently wearing black sweatpants and a black T-Shirt. He had a pair of black sneakers on his feet. He didn’t have a ski mask or gloves, but he probably looked like he was almost ready for a high society jewel heist. He had been waiting at a picnic table, dressed all in black, in a deserted corner of campus.

He'd then been approached by four girls. They’d jumped him and after putting up a token struggle, he’d allowed them to subdue him. He was 6’2” and very muscular, but he didn’t want to be that asshole that gives some girl a black eye during what was just supposed to be a fun, stupid hazing ritual. How bad could it be? He’d let them pin him to the ground. And then they’d tied him up. OK. This seemed like a little much. But he was game for it so far. He imagined that he’d be hazed with his other pledge brothers. Stories he’d heard from friends involved group hazing, to build camaraderie. But he was by himself. He had heard from his best friend Matt, who had convinced him to rush at the end of his sophomore year, that some of the fraternities and sororities did things a little differently. They preferred solo hazing to really screw with a pledge.

So that’s how he came to find himself as he was now. His arms were box tied behind his back and a black canvas bag was over his head. He was now kneeling on the floor of what appeared to be a basement. Once the girls had restrained him, they’d driven him somewhere. His best guess was that this was the basement of the Delta Gamma sorority house. He didn’t know any of the girls, but he thought he recognized one of them as a DG. The bag was unceremoniously yanked off of his head and he tried to gather his bearings in what was a strange setting. He was definitely in a basement. It was dimly lit. There were candles scattered around the room lending an eerie glow to the proceedings. There was more than just candle light. A few lamps were turned on. But the room was still fairly dim. His captors stood behind him. He tried to turn his head to get a better look around but Robin pushed his head forward. Apparently his attention was warranted directly in front of him.

He stared forward at a lineup of five girls. Four of them were wearing some variation of a little black dress and stood several feet away from him near a wall. All of them were smiling at the confused, anxious young man kneeling before them. The fifth girl stood out from the others. She was wearing a white dress. And she stood a few feet in front of them, quite close to Brendan. Brendan’s eyes quickly scanned the four girls. He didn’t recognize any of the four girls in black. But he did recognize the girl wearing white. Her name was Mia Blair. Brendan did not go to a small school. There were 30,000 undergraduate students enrolled at his college. So knowing any one specific person was a crapshoot. But Mia Blair was probably known by a decent percentage of the campus. He’d seen her around campus several times. She was easy to spot. She was kind of a big deal. She was an IT girl. She was a high ranking member of the Greek Council and the Outreach chair for the Delta Gamma sorority. She was a big deal and she liked being a big deal. Brendan certainly didn’t know her well and he questioned if she even knew who he was. He guessed that she did now. Mia was very attractive. She was an absolute smoke show. And she was looking great tonight. Her dark brown, almost black, hair hung down straight and framed her captivating face. She had soft brown eyes, full lips, and delicate features. Her long white dress hung modestly over her impossibly sculpted body. But Brendan knew what one could find beneath it. A toned, flat stomach. Long, smooth, sensuous legs. An enviable pair of breasts that were more often than not pushing forcefully against the fabric of whatever top she was wearing. And one of the cutest butts ever to squeeze into a pair of Daisy Dukes that were probably at least a size too small.

Mia: Hello, maggot. Do you know where you are?

Brendan: I’m guessing this is the basement of Delta Gamma.

Mia: Correct. You’re as clever as your file indicates.

Brendan: My file?

Mia: Silence! You may talk…when you are answering one of my questions. Understood?

Brendan decided that his best course of action was probably to play along with the subservient, submissive part that was being thrust upon him.

Brendan: Yes ma’am.

Mia: Good. Some of your future brothers have given me a little scouting report on you. We do Pledge Hell Week a little different here. You’re going to have to undergo your main ordeal alone. Without any other pledges. And to freshen things up, many of the houses on campus outsource their ordeals to other houses.

Ordeals? Is that what we were calling this.

Mia: You happen to be BLESSED enough to have drawn the GLORIOUS Delta Gamma sorority as the house that will be handling this stage of your initiation. We’ve asked your brothers for some information on you. They have provided it. And we have tailored a trial by fire to who you are as a person.

Interesting. Brendan was intrigued by this process. He just hoped that it was relatively harmless and in somewhat good taste.

Mia: Would you like to know what your brothers shared with us about you?

Brendan: Yes ma’am.

Mia: Enough of that. I’m not a "ma’am". Please address me as “Yes, Domina.”

Weird. But OK.

Brendan: Yes, Domina.

Mia: Good. First. They shared with us that you’re a big fan of games, puzzles, escape rooms, and challenges. You’re competitive. You like a challenge. You like a thrill.

Brendan thought that this was fair. That was all true. He was an escape room junkie. He loved thrills. He was competitive. He liked to push himself and conquer challenges.

Brendan: That’s all spot on.

Mia: Good. Second. You enjoy bondage.

This took Brendan be surprise. It wasn’t entirely untrue, but there was no way that any of his brothers could reasonably known that. Had they hacked his laptop. Seen his search history. He doubted it. This had to be some sort of misunderstanding. And while not a complete fabrication it was not something that he wanted associated with his person. It also might explain why he was tied up. And that was a problem. He didn’t like BEING tied up. He imagined himself as the dominant one. He liked seeing WOMEN tied up.

Brendan: That’s not true. That’s a bum report you have there, Domina.

Mia smiled wickedly at him.

Mia: Oh really? I was told that you attended an escape room where a young lady was tied up recently. I was told that you were quite smitten with the experience.

Brendan: Smitten with the experience?

Mia: Yes. I was told that you loved the room. That it was one of your favorites. Easily in your Top 5.

Brendan: That’s true. It was a great room.

Mia: I was also told that you specifically stated that the actress who was a hostage in the group was a great touch.

Brendan: It was very cool. It was something I’d never seen before. It really helped with the immersion.

Mia: Some people seem to think that you enjoyed it for a different reason.

Brendan: Domina, this isn’t too difficult to figure out where your intel is coming from. That is Wes Marshall’s opinion. Do you really trust him to know what does and doesn’t float my boat?

Mia: Are you besmirching your soon to be fraternity brother?

Brendan: I wouldn’t say that I’m besmirching him.

Mia: You’re questioning his judgement and analysis though, correct?

Brendan: Yes. Yes I am. And I’m fine with besmirching him…if that’s what we’re calling it.

Mia: Naughty boy. That is NO way to talk about your future brother.

Brendan: Apologies, Domina. I’m just trying to put my input on the record. I think he’s incorrect.

Brendan knew in his heart that Wes HAD been correct. But it seemed like kind of a dick move to report this to a bunch of sorority sisters that Brendan hoped to have positive interactions with. Wes didn’t know anything for sure and he had very little right to speak for Brendan in this matter without his permission.

Mia: Third. You enjoy being publicly humiliated.

Brendan was now startled.

Brendan: What?!?! Now that’s just absolutely wrong. A complete fabrication. I can see how one might assume that I enjoyed bondage. Public humiliation is absolutely something that I do NOT enjoy.

Mia: It says here in a report from your future fraternity brothers that you regularly wear Cleveland Browns apparel. No hazing. No lost bets. No pranks. You just wear it openly and often of your free will.

Brendan gave her a smirk now. She was having a go at him.

Brendan: There’s no correlation there. That’s just called being a ride or die fan. Believeland, Baby!!

Mia: Firstly, I am not your baby. Second of all, wearing apparel for the Cleveland Browns is definitely a sign of desire for public shame and ridicule. There can be no other explanation. I find this report to hold up. Now. Based on this information. We’ve designed a very special game just for you. A challenge.

Brendan was intrigued. He didn’t want bondage and humiliation to be part of this challenge. But he always enjoyed a good game.

Mia: Somewhere on this campus tonight, you will find one of our sisters. She is dressed as an angel. Wings, white robe, halo…the full shebang. You can’t miss her. Your goal is to find her before too many of our hunters find you.

Brendan: Hunters?

Mia: We will release you onto the campus and you are to locate the Angel. She is your salvation. She is your only hope at avoiding punishments beyond your wildest imagination. We will give you a ten minute head start. Once you have departed, we will send more of our sisters after you. If they catch you…you will receive a red letter. Too many red letters…and you will meet your doom. Think of it like a high stakes game of Hangman.

Brendan: So I have to find this Angel? And evade hunters who are coming after me? Like The Most Dangerous Game?

Mia: I don’t know what that is.

Brendan had assumed she’d be familiar with it. He thought it was a pretty well known book. But he was a bit of a literature nerd. Maybe it was more niche than he thought.

Mia: Now. Before we get to that. I will need you to make a choice. You will need some assistance tonight. We Delta Gamma girls are way too crafty, competent, and capable for a foolhardy, pathetic worm like yourself. You wouldn’t last twenty minutes out there without assistance. It’s a huge campus. So you’ll need some help. One of these fine ladies behind me will be assisting you. Choose one.

Brendan looked at the girls standing near the wall. He had been focused on Mia and hadn’t really given them a good look. To the left stood a very alluring girl with auburn red hair. She looked at him hopefully as if hoping that he’d pick her. She was very cute. She had a killer smile and soft friendly eyes. And she filled out the mid-length black dress that she was wearing quite nicely. Next to her was a very fetching black girl. Her long hair was in braids that had been swept to the left side of her face and ran down past her shoulders. She was quite busty and also smiled invitingly at him. Her smile seemed a little more mischievous than the girl to her right (Brendan’s left)…but her eyes beckoned him to pick her.

Then Brendan scanned over to Girl #3 and he had to do a bit of a double take. The first two girls were attractive. Very attractive. He’d consider himself extremely lucky to be on a date with either one of them. But the third girl from the left was on another level. She was stunning. She was absolutely breath taking. Mia Blair was known to be one of the best looking girls on campus. This girl was better looking. She was a total show stopper. She had to have at least 4” in height on the other girls. Brendan guessed that the median height of the four women was about 5’7”. This girl had to be 5’11”. Maybe even 6’0”. She had long, shapely, smooth legs that seemed perfectly toned. The hem of her black dress stopped mid thigh giving him a full look at her glorious calves and thighs. The dress hugged her curves temptingly shifting from a delicate waist and flat stomach to a substantial bust.

She had a gorgeous model’s face and her impossibly bright blue eyes were a combination of mischievous and playful. Her luscious lips were spread into a beguiling smile and her shiny, flaxen blonde hair fell naturally down in impossibly uniform waves. How had he never seen this girl on campus before? He knew that it was a large campus, but this was a girl that demanded to be noticed. He was decidedly smitten. He needed to keep his cool and scanned over to the girl on the far right. The fourth girl was also quite fetching. But now he could only see the ways in which she wasn’t the third girl. Sure she looked great. She was definitely cute. A brunette. Quite fit. A girl that he was sure that he’d be excited to flirt with at a party. But standing next to Girl #3 only accentuated her flaws. She maybe had two much eye shadow on. Her smile wasn’t as bright. Her eyes weren't as deep. As aura wasn’t as magical. If stealing his breath and increasing his pulse was the metric for his decision, then Girl #3 had this one hands down.

Mia: Have you made your decision?

Brendan: I haven’t even interviewed any of them yet.

Mia: Interviewed them?!?! What do you think this is? Just pick one of them, dickhead.

Brendan: I don’t get to ask any questions?

Mia: No.

Brendan: Then how am I supposed to make an informed decision?

Mia: Just pick with your dick like all of your other stupid Sigma Alpha Epsilson troglodytes.

Brendan: I thought we weren’t supposed to be besmirching my future brothers.

Mia: No. YOU’RE not supposed to be besmirching them. I’ll besmirch as I please. They’re not my brothers. They’re a shoddy collection of two bit rapscallions. But you should really get on with them.

Brendan was a little incredulous that he was just supposed to pick based on looks. He had a clear favorite. But it felt shallow. And it felt like a trap. What if Girl #3 was the wrong decision? He thought perhaps he could charm Mia into letting him get a little more information out of them.

Brendan: Domina, this doesn’t seem prescient. We’ve established that I am a weak, feelble-minded pledge, correct?

Mia: Yes. Where are you going with this?

Brendan: I’m about to be hunted by members of the best, brightest, classiest, craftiest, most beautiful, most resourceful, and most formidable sorority on campus. My only chance hinges on having the best possible ally. And in order to make sure that I’m working with the best…I think I need to ask some questions.

Mia smiled at him. All four of the girls in front of him also smiled. The girls on the ends even giggled a little bit. Brendan was thinking that flattery might just have gotten him somewhere.

Mia: You silver-tongued little devil, you! Fine. One question. Make it a good one. You may ask one question and all four girls will answer it. Then you have ten seconds to make your decision. Do you understand?

Brendan: Yes, Domina.

It wasn’t much. But it was something. He appreciated that they appeared to be somewhat willing to negotiate. He didn’t really know what to ask. But he thought back to the fact that Mia appeared not to be familiar with The Most Dangerous Game. He wanted a girl that was smart. And he wanted a girl that he could vibe with. And he always thought that a person’s favorite book told you a lot about them. So he’d go with that?

Brendan: What’s your favorite book that you’ve ever read?

The girls appeared to consider this and then Mia pointed to the girl on the left. Apparently she was going left to right just like he had.

Girl #1 (Monica): Ummm…I don’t know. Maybe The Great Gatsby.

This was a disappointing answer. The Great Gatsby was a fine book. Clearly it was a classic. But her hesitant answer and the way that she delivered it told him that she didn’t really have a favorite book. And that this was likely one of the few that she’d read. It was taught across the country in American high schools. She probably didn’t do a lot of leisure reading. Mia pointed at the next girl.

Girl #2 (Rachel): Vernon Subutex. It’s a trilogy of books, technically. By Virginie Despentes.

Alright. Here we go. Girl #2 had heard The Great Gatsby and decided that she needed to show out a little bit. Brendan had not read Vernon Subutex, but he was marginally familiar with it. He knew the author. He’d tried to read Baise-moi, but he’d had to put it down. It was so edgy. And overly violent and gratuitously sexual. The author was overtly libertine for his tastes. And while he’d heard good things about the trilogy it seemed like something that wasn’t quite aligned with his ethos. But Girl #2 was different. And smart. She was the leader in the clubhouse. Mia then pointed to the bombshell. The utter smoke show that was Girl #3.

Girl #3 (Julie): Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

Interesting! Bingo! We almost certainly had a winner. Brendan had read Piranesi over winter break. And he’d LOVED it. He found it enthralling. It was a book that started down one strange path and deftly evolved into something else wild and unpredictable. He couldn’t put it down. It wasn’t his favorite book. But it was in his Top 10. He imagined that he’d be going with Girl #3 no matter what Girl #4 said. But he was about to find out.

Girl #4 (Angie): Fifty Shades of Grey.

She said it with pizzazz and a cheeky grin. But it was not a winning answer. Brendan was not a book snob. Any book that you enjoyed was a good book. But it was not the answer he wanted. He had never read the Fifty Shades books. But he hadn’t heard great things about them. And he thought the answer might just have been to telegraph a licentious nature and lean into the fact that his scouting report said that he liked bondage. Sorry, Girl #4. That’s not going to cut it.

Mia: You have ten seconds. Make a decision.

Brendan: I don’t need 10 seconds. I choose Piranesi. I hope you can be my Sarah Raphael, girl.

Brendan made the remark to highlight that he had in fact read the book and that he wasn’t SOLELY picking her because she was desirably gorgeous. Sarah Raphael was a character in Piranesi who served a similar role to what he hoped this girl could provide for him. Girl #3 gave him a slight smile and beamed as the other girls looked marginally disappointed that they had not been selected.

Mia: Alright, Julie. You’re up. He’s all yours.

Julie smiled gleefully as she took in the situation. Apparently she was now going to help Brendan in this trial that he was to complete. He desperately hoped that he had chosen correctly. Was she was cunning as she was gorgeous? He saw Julie look to Mia and give her a wry smile. He prayed that he had made the correct decision for a partner.
Last edited by Fandango 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Caesar73 »

Just discovered the story! I like it! Keep up the good work!
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Post by Rtj65 »

This is a very interesting turn of events! I guess time will tell if Brendan has made the right choice or not, but it doesn't sound like things are going to be easy for him. I feel like there's more than meets the eye with a lot of your characters, and I think that definitely applies to the girls you've introduced here. And of course, I'm looking forward to seeing how everything connects as the story progresses!
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Post by GreyLord »

I was expecting to read about the escape room from another POV. That might have been good but what you wrote is great! Excellent insight into Brendan's thinking.

One question: Should this be the first part of Chapter 2?
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Post by Fandango »

GreyLord wrote: 1 year ago I was expecting to read about the escape room from another POV. That might have been good but what you wrote is great! Excellent insight into Brendan's thinking.

One question: Should this be the first part of Chapter 2?
Thanks. You’re correct. This is Chapter 2. I’ve fixed the numbering. We will return to the escape room in a later chapter, from another POV…but it won’t be the events of March 24, 2022. That you just get from Drew’s POV. The narrative will continually move forward. But everything will connect.
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Post by charliesmith »

That’s a great start in chapter2. Looking forward for the next parts.
Please feel free to read and comment your thoughts.
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Post by Fandango »

Chapter 2 - Red Letter Night (Brendan Drummond's POV) FFFF+/M [Part 2 of 4]


Julie smiled gleefully as she took in the situation. Apparently she was now going to help Brendan in this trial that he was to complete. He desperately hoped that he had chosen correctly. Was she as cunning as she was gorgeous? He saw Julie look to Mia and give her a wry smile. Julie then began to lift the hem of her little black dress up her thigh. She slid it temptingly along her skin until she was baring the entirety of her hip and left leg to the room. Brendan could see her black lace and silk panties. What was she doing? Was she going to undress here in front of him and everybody? She hooked her fingers into the waistband of her underwear and began to slide the panties down her legs. As she did so, she released the hem of her dress and let it fall back to it’s position at her mid thigh. She wiggled her hips a little and Brendan saw the black panties slide down her legs. She carefully lifted her left leg and maneuvered the black, open toed kitten heel that adorned her dainty foot out of the underwear. Then she lifted her right foot up and snatched the panties off of her heel. Brendan was mesmerized. He then watched as she picked up a roll of duct tape that he’d hardly noticed sitting on a small table near the girls and approached him. He dared not say anything. He simply watched as she walked right up to him and stared into his eyes with a confidence that both aroused him and terrified him.

Julie: Alright, hon. I’m going to need you to open up for me.

She held the pair of balled up worn panties at mouth level. Brendan was familiar with bondage but the surreal nature of this moment made him take a tick to realize what she was asking. And then he recoiled. Absolutely no. He would not be doing that. He didn’t know this girl. If she were his girlfriend…sure. But this was a bridge too far and too forward for some stranger to demand. He was going to shut this depraved shit down right now.

Brendan: Absolutely not. This is going way too far. Don’t you dare think that you can….Ooowwwwwwww!!!!! What the fuck was tha—mmmmmmmmpppppphhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It happened really fast. He felt a strong, hard fist bolo punch him in the side of the rib cage. He was pretty sure it had been Robin, the rugby girl who was standing behind him. It had caught him by surprise and really smarted. And then as he had been distracted by the pain and anger of the punch, Julie had seamlessly stuffed her worn panties into his open mouth. He grunted and ranted in protest.

Brendan: Mmmmmmpppppphhhhhh!!!!!!! Mmmmmpppphhhhhhh hhhhhhmmmmmmmpppphhhh nnnnmmmmmmpppphhhhhh mmmmmppppphhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

He was furious. He was mortified. What made either of them think that this was OK? This was going too far. This was spiraling out of control and he didn’t know how he was going to regain any purchase on the situation. Julie looked momentarily shaken, but then her menacing smile returned and she pull started to peel at the duct tape with her right hand while her left hand pressed against his mouth holding the panties inside. She finally peeled some of the tape off the roll and then began to tightly wrap the tape around Brendan’s mouth while two other girls held him still as he thrashed back and forth and angrily protested into the panties.

Brendan: Mmmmmmmmpppppphhhhhhhh!!!!!! Hhhhhmmmmmmppppphhhhhhh!!!!!!! Nnnnnmmmmppppppphhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Julie: I’m not sure that was necessary, Robin. I’m sure we could have gotten him to accept them peacefully. I like to think I’m a good negotiator and he looks like a reasonable, obedient boy.

Robin: Sorry, Julie. I’m just a little excited and time’s wasting away.

Julie looked at Brendan.

Julie: I apologize for my colleague. She means well.

Brendan just huffed furiously as Julie continued to wrap the tape firmly around his mouth sealing her panties inside. After eight rotations she finally tore off the roll. She gave Brendan a sweet, satisfied smile and he could feel the condescension and mockery in it. Brendan felt the lump of panties that had invaded his mouth and noticed that their was a familiar taste to them. It was a taste he knew well. He had no problem whatsoever servicing his partners orally…but he preferred that it be his choice. This was decidedly not that and made the taste bitter and unwelcome. Julie stroked his chin softly before heading to the side of the room to collect a small corrugated cardboard box. She brought it back to him and set it gently on the floor. Brendan looked down into it and just saw various electronics. He tried to examine the contents, but Julie simply fished out a contraption that had straps and lifted his gaze back up eye level.

Julie: These are the tools that we’re going to use to get you to safety.

Brendan: Hhhmmmmpppphhhhhh????? Mmmmmpppphhhhhh mmmmmmmm mmmmmrrrpppphhhhmmmmmmm.

Julie took the item which Brendan could now see was a wireless camera with a head strap and began to pull it over his head. It was like a Go Pro but rounded. The strap affixed itself to the top of his head like a skull cap. Julie reached back down and pulled out a couple more items. She took a small contraption that he couldn’t quite place and clipped it to the elastic band that was holding the camera to his head. It hung down into his face and rested against his nose. She tore off a very small strip of duct tape and taped it down at the bridge of his nose. He realized what it was right at about the same time that she told him.

Julie: This is a microphone.

Brendan: Hhhhmmmmpppphhhhh?????

Julie: It’s so I can hear you, silly.

Julie then took an earpiece attached to it’s own microphone and inserted it into her right ear.

Julie: See? Once I switch everything on…I’ll be able to hear you through this.

Brendan: Mmmmmmmppppppphhhhh hhhhhmmmmmppppphhhh mmmmmpppphhhhh mmmmmmmm!!!

Julie: Yeah. I mean. You won’t be able to talk, but we’ll work out a system of communication. We’re both crafty problem solvers, aren’t we Brendan?

Shit. They were going to have him running around campus still bound and gagged. This was going to be humiliating. This was going too far. A pit started to form in his stomach. Surely they had to be able to listen to reason. This was not OK.

Brendan: Mmmmmpphhhhrrrmmmmpppphhhh hhhhmmmpppphhhhh!!!!!

Julie: Don’t worry. We’ll beat these savages. We got this, B. You and me versus the world. Stick with me and you can’t lose.

She picked up another earpiece out of the bag and attached an over the ear clip to it. This one she clipped over his ear so that the receiver was implanted into his ear and wouldn’t fall out. For extra assurance she tore off a small square of duct tape and taped it down into his ear.

Julie: There we go. We’re almost ready. Only one more thing.

She knelt down next to the box and pulled out what he saw was an Apple Air Tag. She then rolled up the sleeve of his sweatpants and stretched the elastic on his sock and dropped the Air Tag into his sock. Then she stood up and gave him a playful wink and a friendly smile as he found himself getting lost in her impossibly deep blue eyes.

Julie: There we go. Now I’ll be able to track you. I know where the Angel is. And we’ll be able to get you to her safely while avoiding this barbarous chase pack that Mia is going to be sending after you. And then that’s it. You’ll have passed the test and will be fit to join your fraternity brothers in Sigma Alpha Epsilon. How does that sound?

Brendan: Nnnnmmmmmmppppphhhhhh hhhhmmmmmppphhhh mmmmpppphhrrrmmmmmmm!!!!!

Brendan was still none too happy about this plan. He disliked the idea of hazing in general. He thought it was juvenile and barbaric and had no desire to be paraded around campus bound and gagged as he was. What if people he knew saw him? He’d be humiliated. It was a large campus and it was around midnight. But it was midnight on a Friday. Surely there were going to be plenty of students going to and from parties. He was about to be made a spectacle and he did not appreciate that.

Mia: But you’re not going to want to get caught, Pledge. Every time you’re captured by one of my girls, you’ll be getting a progressive punishment. Five captures and I’m afraid that it’s GAME OVER for you. Your night will have just gone from bad to worse. But find the Angel and you’re in the clear.

Julie: Don’t worry, sweetie. You’ve got me. Nothing to worry about.

Julie gave him a condescending little “boop” on the nose as he grumbled into his gag. Brendan was still more than a little indignant about this whole situation. This whole thing seemed beyond the pale. It was outside what he considered to acceptable and in good taste. But it didn’t seem like he was going to have much say in the matter. Mia’s dominant Game Master act was getting tired. And he was confused as to how he felt about Julie’s playful condescension. He’d had bondage sessions before with his high school girlfriend. He knew that teasing and humiliation was a part of the equation. But there had always been a baseline of trust and respect running beneath the surface of it. He didn’t have that here. She didn’t know him. She didn’t respect him. And he didn’t know how he felt about that. He didn’t think that he liked it. His rapidly hardening cock was seeming to disagree with him though. There was definitely something hot about it. If this continued for any longer, his sweatpants weren’t going to be able to hide his excitement. Julie pulled out a tablet and showed him that she could see his location on the tablet via the Air Tag that she had placed in his sock. She then tested to make sure that both of their microphones and ear pieces were working before giving a nod to Mia.

Mia: Alright, ladies. Let’s get our boy ready for tonight’s game. As I alluded to before, tonight’s game will be called Red Letter Night.

Brendan didn’t know exactly what to expect. They certainly had given him enough to get the gist of it. He had to covertly sneak around his campus at night while bound and gagged. Trying to find a Delta Gamma sister dressed as an angel while avoiding other Delta Gamma girls who were hunting for him. Julie would be helping to guide him via an earpiece that he was wearing. He had several questions but he was in absolutely no position to ask them. His heart began to race as two of the girls (Monica and Rachel), Girls #1 and #2 in the lineup he had picked from earlier took him by the arms. Girl #4 Angie picked up the hood that he had been wearing earlier and gave him a wicked smile as she slid it back over his head.

Monica: Let’s get moving, fellow. Back out the way you came.

The girls perp walked him back to the staircase that he had come down and they carefully guided him back up the stairs and turned him to the left when they reached the top of the stairs. They guided him through the house and he heard one of them open a door and felt a blast of fresh air. They were going outside. He felt his sneakers hitting a gravel surface as he was walked down a path and heard a beeping sound and the sound of car doors opening. He struggled and tested the box tie. It was holding quite well. The girl who had tied it was clearly a pro.

Rachel: Watch your head, Brendan.

He felt his head being lowered down so that it wouldn’t bump on the car as he was hustled into the back seat of a car. He was unceremoniously deposited in what appeared to be the bucket seat in the second row of a minivan. His tightly box tied arms were still secured tightly behind him. One of the girls reached over him and buckled him into his seat. They then proceeded to get themselves situated within the vehicle and he heard the engine start. The vehicle pulled backwards momentarily and then he felt it lurch forwards. The girls drove for approximately ten minutes and he didn’t even have marginally enough directional awareness to figure out where they were driving. But eventually he felt the vehicle pull to a stop and park. He heard a couple doors open and he felt the girl that was next to him in the middle row unbuckle his seat belt.

Angie: OK, Sport. We’re here.

The hood was pulled off of his head and he looked around as Rachel slid the door to the minivan open. He was looking out into a dark parking lot. As he got a better view he saw that it was a parking lot on the Southeast corner of campus that was outside of a residence hall for freshman students. The girls giggled to themselves and each other as they yanked him out of the van and set him up on his feet. Brendan looked around anxiously. There wasn’t much action in the parking lot and there were no other students directly in his line of sight. But he could hear activity closer to the residence hall.

Rachel: Let’s just do a little check for Julie.

Rachel leaned in very close, tantalizingly close, to Brendan’s nose and spoke into his microphone.

Rachel: Mama Bird, do you read us?

Brendan heard a clear seductive voice coming in through his ear piece.

Julie: Loud and clear, Sparrow Two.

Rachel: Did she respond, Pledge?

Brendan nodded that she had.

Brendan: Mmmmmppphhhhh hhhmmmmmpppphhhh.

Rachel leaned back into the microphone. She probably didn’t need to get that close. It probably was more sensitive than she thought but Brendan doubted his ability to effectively communicate the she didn’t need to invade his personal space. He further doubted that if he did communicate this fact that she’d even give a shit.

Rachel: Alright, Mama Bird. Everything is Aces. We’re a Go for Red Letter Night.

Brendan heard Julie’s saccharine sweet voice in his ear.

Julie: Splendid. Let’s get started. On to the Angel.

The other girls had already started to load themselves back into the van and he heard the van door slide shut behind him. Brendan realized that this was really happening. He had effectively been forced into the game. Here he was bound with his arms into a tight box tie and gagged with a strange girl’s panties in his mouth. He was about to be alone in a parking lot on the edge of campus at midnight. He didn’t have to play their stupid game but there was literally no incentive not to at this point. He was going to be in this humiliating predicament whether he was a player or not. He may as well try and find this stupid angel and save himself.

The van began to pull out of the parking spot next to him while Brendan considered his next move. Ideally he wanted to avoid humiliation and be seen by as few people as possible on this quest. He was dressed in all black. And if he didn’t walk within close proximity to people they might not even notice how he was trussed or gagged. He was smart enough to know that the Angel probably wasn’t close to his current position. They wouldn’t drop him off in the Southeast corner of campus and have the Angel be within a five minute jaunt of him. The Angel was probably near the Northwest corner of campus. She was probably hanging out by one of the sports fields. The Lacrosse Field, the Aquaplex, the Baseball stadium, and tennis center were all over there. The Angel was probably outside of one of those. He thought about the best way to get there. He didn’t want to have to cut right through campus and risk becoming a spectacle. He was already on the edge of campus. It made sense just to stick the perimeter of campus. He was currently in the Southeast corner. If he went West along the Southern border he’d be on a major thoroughfare and risked being seen by a lot of people. It seemed much more discreet to head North along the Eastern border and then cut West when he got up to the Facilities Services building. So he started running in that direction. He was careful not to go too fast, because he had absolutely no way to protect himself or brace his landing if he fell. But he was in good shape and wanted to get this over with. So he kept a solid pace. He’d probably been running for less than two minutes when he heard Julie pipe in through his earpiece.

Julie: OK, Brendan. When you get past Parking Structure 3, I want you to turn left and head towards the Business College.

Brendan: Nnnnnmmmmppphhhhh!!!! Mmmmppphhhhh nnnnmmmppppphhhh hhhmmppphhhh mmmmppppphhhmmmmm!!!

That was not part of his plan. There would surely be people walking between the Business College and the dorms at this time. He was going to continue with his plan. He didn’t heed her directions in the slightest. He just continued heading up the road on the Eastern border of campus. A couple minutes later he heard her speak into his ear again.

Julie: You didn’t turn, Brendan. You’re still going the wrong way.

Brendan: Mmmmmmppppphhhhhh nnnnnnmmmmppppphhhhh hhhhhhmmmmpppphhhh mmmmmmpppphhhhhhhh.

Julie: You don’t trust me?

Brendan: Nnnnnmmmmmpppppphhhhh mmmmmppppphhhhhhh.

Julie: I know what you’re trying to do. Do you think that Mia is an idiot?

Brendan: Nnnnnnmmmmpppppphhhhhhhh.

Julie: You were dropped off at one end of campus. Did you think she was going to put the Angel on the direct opposite side of campus? She knows that’s what you’re going to think. Were you just going to head to the lacrosse field and hope she’d be there?

Brendan: Nnnnmmmmppppphhhhh mmmmmppppphhhhhhh.

Julie: Listen, you can’t keep heading the way that you’re heading. You’re going to run right into one of the hunters in a couple minutes.

Brendan: Mmmmmmppppppphhhhh nnnnnnmmmpppphhhh hhhrrmmmpppphhhhh mmmmmmmm mmmmppphhhhhh!?!?!?

Brendan wanted Julie to just TELL him where the Angel was. Was that against the rules? She was supposed to be helping him find her. Give him all the information and then they could work from there. But he knew that she was NOT going to be doing that. She needed him to NEED her. And this was going to be a very frustrating endeavor. He decided to continue with his plan. He just continued running up the road until he reached Parking Structure 1. He was going to need to cut across College Ave at this point and head towards the mathematics and computer sciences building. He hid near a tree on the East side of the street to avoid detection. And then as soon as he saw that there were no cars coming from either direction he darted across the road. East Campus Drive had now become Canyon Crest Drive. He’d follow that up to the Facilities Services building. He'd made his plan and he was sticking to it. He hoped it would work.
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