{ "submission_id": "2935782", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "21442", "keyword_name": "character development", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1348" }, { "keyword_id": "9101", "keyword_name": "d/s", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "382" }, { "keyword_id": "123", "keyword_name": "female", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1104325" }, { "keyword_id": "165", "keyword_name": "male", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1214560" }, { "keyword_id": "5717", "keyword_name": "mole", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1580" }, { "keyword_id": "473", "keyword_name": "otter", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "36596" }, { "keyword_id": "4530", "keyword_name": "slice of life", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1813" }, { "keyword_id": "10144", "keyword_name": "story progression", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "2053" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "5", "create_datetime": "2023-02-25 01:48:37.598363+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "25 Feb 2023 02:48 CET", "last_file_update_datetime": "2023-02-25 01:45:28.031415+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "25 Feb 2023 02:45 CET", "username": "TerraMGP", "user_id": "46355", "user_icon_file_name": "60251_TerraMGP_terramg.gif", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/60/60251_TerraMGP_terramg.gif", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/60/60251_TerraMGP_terramg.gif", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/60/60251_TerraMGP_terramg.gif", "file_name": "4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "194", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "129", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "78", "thumb_medium_y": "120", "files": [ { "file_id": "4377399", "file_name": "4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.doc", "mimetype": "application/msword", "submission_id": "2935782", "user_id": "46355", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": null, "full_size_y": null, "screen_size_x": null, "screen_size_y": null, "preview_size_x": null, "preview_size_y": null, "initial_file_md5": "07b073602b4e401e5a86dfbe9f75e6d1", "full_file_md5": "07b073602b4e401e5a86dfbe9f75e6d1", "large_file_md5": "", "small_file_md5": "", "thumbnail_md5": "7a68db7d89a8d81194f0499db9565115", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2023-02-25 01:45:28.031415+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "25 Feb 2023 02:45 CET", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4377/4377399_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_10_goin_to_michiana.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "194", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "129", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "78", "thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "82354", "name": "Collared", "description": "A young woman seeks to find her way during her first year of College.", "count": "52", "submission_left_submission_id": "2919306", "submission_left_file_name": "4349396_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_9_bento.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4349/4349396_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_9_bento.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4349/4349396_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_9_bento.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4349/4349396_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_9_bento.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "194", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "129", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "78", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "2946213", "submission_right_file_name": "4393749_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_11_pecking_order.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4393/4393749_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_11_pecking_order.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4393/4393749_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_11_pecking_order.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4393/4393749_TerraMGP_collared_chapter_11_pecking_order.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "194", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "129", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "78", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Sorry this one took a bit. RL has me feeling some burnout. Was going to do another story before it as well but that one has me stuck so it's gonna be a side story.\n\nHope you like this one, though! a nice setup for a few fun lil snippets to come", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Sorry this one took a bit. RL has me feeling some burnout. Was going to do another story before it as well but that one has me stuck so it's gonna be a side story.

Hope you like this one, though! a nice setup for a few fun lil snippets to come", "writing": "Collared Chapter 10: Goin' to Michiana\n\nBy TerraMGP\n\n\tAnyone who had spent more than an hour on I-94 in their life could tell you it was unsafe. Two lanes of rough unkempt road going each way with a patchy grass partition In the middle. It was typical of most highways, or at least so Gretchen assumed. But she also knew it was one of the worst. Every inch of it was shoddy and patchy no matter how many times road crews went over them. Semi trucks and unhinged kids darted around each other with little regard to the 90 MPH speed limit.\n\n\tIt was a harrowing experience even at the best of times. When her father would deign take his BMW off of the relatively safer back roads and brave the corridor of meth-runners, fur traffickers and just all around stupid drivers just waiting for cop sirens to start some high speed GTA style chase.\n\n\tThe fact that her Master seemed so calm on this patch of asphalt was unnerving. It was especially bad in his old corvette. She didn't know how old the car was. But she knew it was a sports car. Not like her father's M3 which had sports pedigree. This whole thing was little more than rust and old suspension covered by a thin shell of fiberglass. Every bump and thud inn the road sent her stomach lurching. In fact driving down the mostly straight road left it lurching too. So much so that now she was hanging her snoot out of the window taking deep gulps of cool wind while the switch she'd insisted on bringing rested unused in her lap.\n\n\t``How long is it?'' The curly haired mole moaned in pain as another bump hit the car.\n\n\tJustin chuckled that insufferable chuckle of his and leaned back into his seat. ``We'll be there soon.'' He murred. \n\n\t``You said it'd be half an hour.'' The girl whined.\n\n\tShe knew her Master was grinning even if she couldn't see it. Smug bastard that he was. Totally unphased by her utter discomfort.\n\n\tAn arm slipped around her. Gretchen was all too quick to duck under it. Her whole body lurched as she did so. A small whine of pain building in her perma-stuffy sinuses. ``Hands at ten and two.'' She whined ``Do you want us to crash?''\n\n\t``Little one. This is I-94. If we're gonna crash there's probably not much I can do about it.'' Dark as the joke was Justin did relent. His paw left her shoulder, stopping only long enough to shift the anachronistically modern satellite radio to another station.\n\n\tPart of Gretchen wanted to protest the choice of music station. Old rock from the 80s and 90s. The rest of her had no desire to risk them further. It was safer to resign herself to simplistic songs from people who were probably made entirely of hairspray and spandex. \n\n\t``So what are we going to tell your parents?'' The question finally slipped free of Gretchen's distracted mind.\n\n\t``About what?'' Justin's clear confusion at the question shattered his teasing joviality.\n\n\t``About me.'' The mole's words were heavy. Her body slumped. She looked down at her feet and kicked at the likely thin footwell of the car. Her laptop bag stuffed between her shins shifted this way and that as she fidgeted helplessly.\n\n\tIt took a while before Justin answered. Gretchen focusing on the music in order to ignore the shifts and aggressive micro turns needed to keep the old thing going straight. There was a moment of terror when she felt a particularly hard right pull. Thankfully that simply seemed to be him getting on to the off ramp.\n\n\t``For now, we just tell them you're a friend. I know Hui already told her folks some of the stuff about you. I mean we don't tell them about the D/s stuff anyways. It's not really something you discuss with parents and it'd be creepy. My parents would be a hard sell on any sort of thruple thing. But I think once I'm more stable and on my own too feet I can tell them. They might understand.''\n\n\t``And Mr. and Mrs. Sang?'' The mole muttered with a suddenly dry muzzle.\n\n\tJustin shook his head softly. ``In the end that's up to Hui. But that might be a harder sell. It's not like we need their approval, though. Not really. Be nice if people just accepted poly as a thing some people do. But for now I think you should just relax and enjoy the visit. Not too often our schedules all line up like this. Might not get another chance before snow hits.''\n\n\t``It's not even October yet.'' Gretchen's tone rising to a small edge. Even as she said it, she knew. That didn't mean shit in Michigan. \n\n\tThe small town was at least merciful for her compared to the highway. She looked out at the main street of the small town. So much less lively and refined than back home. Yet it was also a bit comforting. Something away from the bigger hellscape that was Kalamazoo. \n\n\tGretchen leaned back into her seat and hugged her laptop bag up into her lap. She just needed to calm down a bit before they arrived. Before she got to see `Her' again.\n\n--------------------\n\n\tEverything was as it'd always been. Justin's car slipped into the driveway and slotted itself into the pair of grooves its tires had made after years of parking there. The garage was open to the warm late morning air and inside could be seen an otter man in a black tee shirt with the sleeves cut off. His nape length dirty blonde hair pulled back behind him with a cheap bandanna and a pair of thick safety goggles over his eyes. \n\n\tThe young man who had arrived, a semi-mirror of his father, smirked to himself as he saw the old man hard at work. Not grinding or welding this time, but instead running lengths of hard oak though the seldom-used table saw. Justin's eye then turned to Gretchen. The poor mole who had been suffering though her Masters taste in music all but fled from it as she stumbled out of the car. Only now to be met by the dulcet tones of some grungy 90s alt rock played loud enough to mostly drown out the blare of whirring metal on wood.\n\n\tThere was a temptation to take the mole by her paw. To his own shock Justin realized he very much wanted to ease her anxiety at this meeting. He wanted to coax her out of her shell a bit and guide her up to his dad. But he couldn't, not yet. Instead he simply cast Gretchen an apologetic look and strode his way in to the bubble of sound where the noise turned from grating to physically painful.\n\n\tJohn Flannery looked up from his work eventually. The otter man smiled wide at the sight of his son and quickly flicked off the blaring second-hand power tool. He threw his arms around the boy in a warm embrace before stepping back and messing the mop of freshly cleaned blonde headfur Justin sported.\n\n\t``Glad you finally showed up, kiddo. Figured you might have just slept in.'' John laughed\n\n\tJustin offered his father a small smile of faux annoyance ``Things are actually slow with work for once. Which sucks when it comes to having money left over after rent and bills. But I have some free time at least. Mom home?''\n\n\t``Yeah. Seems like her feet are getting real bad so she got Melissa to swap out a couple of days with her. Honestly I will never understand how nurses `do' pregnancy. Pretty sure if I had those symptoms at work I'd just find a way to `forget' my steel toes and drop something on my feet so I wouldn't have to put up with em anymore.'' The older otter shifted his attention from the boy and back to the mole girl now half-hidden behind the garage wall. She ducked out of sight the moment he noticed her. \n\n\tJustin looked back as well and snickered to himself. ``It's ok, Gretchen. I promise my dad is no worse than I am.''\n\n\t``That's not helping!'' the mole whined.\n\n\t``Jeez, paint me with the worst brush you got, huh kid?'' John laughed\n\n\tThe young man slugged his father playfully \n\n\t``Um, h-hello Mr. Flannery, Sir.'' Gretchen muttered. She offered a bow, then blinked and quickly stood up rail straight again.\n\n\t``is, uh... Is she ok?'' The older otter glanced at his son for a moment before slumping back into an old folding chair.\n\n\t``She gets like that.'' Justin slipped past Gretchen to the table saw. He ran his paw over the rough surface for a few long moments. ``Got yourself a new project without me around to worry ya?'' He pulled the slab up and looked it over. It barely even registered when a very nervous Gretchen gripped hold of him by the shoulders and pulled him away from the currently immobile blade of spinning death.\n\n\tThe whole scene caused John to stifle a chuckle. He snatched the two foot square of old oak away from his son and flipped it over in his paw a few times. ``It`s for a crib! Considering your mom doesn`t want me stressing her out by doting on her it`s about all I can do. The barn at the Shelton`s place finally went down and they let me pick out some choice bits.''\n\n\tJustin`s smile turned a bit dour. He slipped the bit of wood back on the table and nodded to his dad. It was only then that he noticed the trembling digger claws on his shoulders and nudged them away.\n\n\t``Not upset you never got a fancy crib, are ya kid?'' John sighed.\n\n\t``What? No.'' the dour smile on Justin's` face hardened ``I just, you could have told me you were doing a new project.''\n\n\t``Because you could totally drive down from Kazoo to stand there while I lathe out the bars and figure out how the fuck to carve wood again.'' John stood up and gripped his boy`s shoulder tight giving it a reassuring rub. ``You know I really wanted to do this when you were little. I mean when your mom and I found out at any rate. But with how things were I just had to work. If you really wanna figure out some more projects for us to do when you get shit settled I have no problem with that, son. But I`m kinda on a time table here for my last chance to do it.''\n\n\t``Yeah, dad. I know.'' The reply was a half hearted sigh. Up until this point Justin had been sure he`d gotten over the worst of his homesickness. But the sight of a project he had no hand in...''\n\n\tJohn hugged his son tight for a few long moments, then turned to face Gretchen and give her another once over. ``Why don`t you go say hi to your mom real quick. Then you and your friend can go over and see Hui. Assuming she`s not still too scared of me to move that is.''\n\n\t``She`s fine.'' the otter scoffed ``Just a bit nervous around new people. Come on, Gretchen. Just one more pit stop and then I`ll walk you over to Hui`s house.''\n\n\tThere wasn`t any room for protest. The dutiful slave followed her Master along with head bowed and feet dragging. She did spare a few glances up and around when walking in. The home was smaller than the one they rented. It was, however, far cleaner. Not quite as nice as her own parents` house. But it was at least occupied by adults rather than overgrown college age children. Some small shred of Gretchen wondered if this was just how a house usually looked.\n\n\t``Hey mom!'' Justin's face beamed as he stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He almost ran up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her from behind, giving her a nice hard hug.\n\n\t``Well if it isn`t my one and only son.'' the otter Matron snickered.\n\n\t``You sure about that?`` Justin reached down to gently pat his mothers belly a moment.\n\n\t``Thank god yes. I have enough men in my life. Ultrasound was pretty conclusive.`` Meredith Flannery looked a bit more tired and worn than usual. Her footpaws were propped up on the coffee table and big rudder tail shoved into the couch gap. Her slightly graying golden headfur was damaged and frazzled as usual due to work and stress. She cast her eyes up to Gretchen as the mole instantly looked away. ``I think your friend is kind of nervous. And she hasn't even gotten to know me yet.''\n\n\tJustin snorted and reached down to take the switch controller from his mother. He then patted the back of the couch and gestured for Gretchen to take the available seat while he himself circled around and began working on moving Yoshi down the 2d world of cardboard and yarn. ``I don't know what has her so upset. I mean you haven't even gotten a chance to yell at her yet.''\n\n\t``He's teasing, dear. I only ever yell at him and his father.'' Meredith's grin grew wider. She leaned herself back into the seat and loosed a soft groan of frustration. ``This is Hui's friend from summer camp that you mentioned?''\n\n\t``Y-yesma'm`'' Gretchen blurted. She extended a paw, then pulled it back, before extending it again. The confusion about the proper protocol in this situation really seeming to get to her.\n\n\tMeredith snickered and gave her paw a little shake ``It's nice to meet you, dear. I hope my son wasn't too insufferable on the ride down.''\n\n\t``Yes ma'am. I, I mean no ma'am. Just the music.'' She laughed nervously, but Gretchen found herself wondering if she was being serious or not. Her eyes traced up and down the somewhat unkempt looking woman relaxing in hr own damn home. A woman she was now intruding on, and technically she couldn't even tell her why! \n\n\tMeredith shrugged and leaned back into her seat with a hand instinctively going over her tummy. ``My fault for letting him spend too much time around his father. Or was it that pirate metal his cousin got him hooked on?''\n\n\t``Folk metal, mom.'' Justin was quick to correct ``Pirate metal is just another thing. Alestorm. Though Ryan did introduce me to that, too. Besides, Hui met her at music camp. She should appreciate good music.''\n\n\t``I do.'' The mole girl muttered under her breath. This drew an unexpected chuckle from the otter Matron, which in turn caused Gretchen to shrink further into the couch.\n\n\tThe sound of heavy boots thudded from the kitchen as John circled his way around the door between it and the living room. ``Is it my fault the boy likes the music of our youth more than you ever did?'' he laughed ``God, I remember cruising around the neighborhood blasting `Black hole sun' during the first weeks of summer.''\n\n\t``Yeah.'' Meredith scoffed ``Cruising on your bike. Right before whipping a big ol water balloon full of melted mountain dew Slurpee at my head.''\n\n\t``Wait, what?'' Gretchen yelped as she looked between her Master's parents\n\n\t``Oh that was one time.'' John huffed.\n\n\t``Do you know how long it takes to clean dried, melted slush syrup out of your fur? My hair smelled like `Extreme' citrus for weeks!''\n\n\tThe patron of the house made his way up behind the couch and slumped down with his arms resting on the back of it. His chin rested on his crossed forearms as he looked up at her with big, puppy dog eyes. ``Oh come on now. It was the 90s. That was only gonna make you more popular. Besides, I seem to remember miss farm girl belting me for it at Sabbath school. So I'd say we're even, right?''\n\n\tMeredith's eyes grew cold for a moment. Hard steel reticules locked on to her husband's face. ``John, in a few months I'm going to be pushing a bowling ball out of my body. For a second time. And it's all your fault. I don't even know what will end up qualifying as `even' at this point.''\n\n\t``Sorry mom.'' Justin muttered in a sing-song. At some point during the two mock-fighting he'd slipped himself past his mother and was now sitting on the floor in front of the spot where Gretchen and his mother sat. His eyes glued to the screen as if this was all totally normal.\n\n\tIt wasn't normal, though. Not for Gretchen. She simply looked between the two trying to parse out the way they treated each other. They weren't fighting... at least probably not? Maybe? It was hard as hell to tell. She looked down at the floor and smiled awkwardly to herself. All she had to do was smile and nod, and soon she could be with Mistress again.\n\n--------------------\n\n\tA walk though the woods. Noon sun shot though the leaves and lit up the well worn dirt paths as Justin led Gretchen into the home turf he and Hui had grown up with. The barely cleared indentations on undergrowth foliage and leaves felt even more rustic than the spider webbed trails back at camp. These seemed even more wild though. For a split second Gretchen's mind went to the Letsplay's she'd watch of her favorite streamer doing Kingdom Hearts. Some magical starting area where close friends gathered and forged themselves by learning the basics before going out into a wider world.\n\n\tThe fact that they passed a tree fort on the way really solidified that. Justin looked up at it wistfully a moment and left Gretchen wondering just how often her owners and their friends had spent up in that little slice of eternal childhood.\n\n\tShe didn't ask, and he didn't seem inclined to talk about it. At least not yet. \n\n\tThe two finally emerged though a horrible mess of stickers and some thorns out to a well kept but rather plain back yard. It was a bit bigger than Justin's and probably newer. Otherwise it was just another unremarkable hunk of suburbia sitting alongside countless others.\n\n\tIt still made her anxious. Anxious as Justin slowly helped pull her though the last bit of brush surrounding the trail. Anxious as they walked around the house and up to the porch. She pawed and rustled at her snoot while Justin knocked. It felt like her heart was going to bet out of her chest.\n\n\tThe door opened. Her heart stopped. All Gretchen could do was stare at the amber eyed goddess who opened the door.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Collared Chapter 10: Goin' to Michiana

By TerraMGP

\tAnyone who had spent more than an hour on I-94 in their life could tell you it was unsafe. Two lanes of rough unkempt road going each way with a patchy grass partition In the middle. It was typical of most highways, or at least so Gretchen assumed. But she also knew it was one of the worst. Every inch of it was shoddy and patchy no matter how many times road crews went over them. Semi trucks and unhinged kids darted around each other with little regard to the 90 MPH speed limit.

\tIt was a harrowing experience even at the best of times. When her father would deign take his BMW off of the relatively safer back roads and brave the corridor of meth-runners, fur traffickers and just all around stupid drivers just waiting for cop sirens to start some high speed GTA style chase.

\tThe fact that her Master seemed so calm on this patch of asphalt was unnerving. It was especially bad in his old corvette. She didn't know how old the car was. But she knew it was a sports car. Not like her father's M3 which had sports pedigree. This whole thing was little more than rust and old suspension covered by a thin shell of fiberglass. Every bump and thud inn the road sent her stomach lurching. In fact driving down the mostly straight road left it lurching too. So much so that now she was hanging her snoot out of the window taking deep gulps of cool wind while the switch she'd insisted on bringing rested unused in her lap.

\t``How long is it?'' The curly haired mole moaned in pain as another bump hit the car.

\tJustin chuckled that insufferable chuckle of his and leaned back into his seat. ``We'll be there soon.'' He murred.

\t``You said it'd be half an hour.'' The girl whined.

\tShe knew her Master was grinning even if she couldn't see it. Smug bastard that he was. Totally unphased by her utter discomfort.

\tAn arm slipped around her. Gretchen was all too quick to duck under it. Her whole body lurched as she did so. A small whine of pain building in her perma-stuffy sinuses. ``Hands at ten and two.'' She whined ``Do you want us to crash?''

\t``Little one. This is I-94. If we're gonna crash there's probably not much I can do about it.'' Dark as the joke was Justin did relent. His paw left her shoulder, stopping only long enough to shift the anachronistically modern satellite radio to another station.

\tPart of Gretchen wanted to protest the choice of music station. Old rock from the 80s and 90s. The rest of her had no desire to risk them further. It was safer to resign herself to simplistic songs from people who were probably made entirely of hairspray and spandex.

\t``So what are we going to tell your parents?'' The question finally slipped free of Gretchen's distracted mind.

\t``About what?'' Justin's clear confusion at the question shattered his teasing joviality.

\t``About me.'' The mole's words were heavy. Her body slumped. She looked down at her feet and kicked at the likely thin footwell of the car. Her laptop bag stuffed between her shins shifted this way and that as she fidgeted helplessly.

\tIt took a while before Justin answered. Gretchen focusing on the music in order to ignore the shifts and aggressive micro turns needed to keep the old thing going straight. There was a moment of terror when she felt a particularly hard right pull. Thankfully that simply seemed to be him getting on to the off ramp.

\t``For now, we just tell them you're a friend. I know Hui already told her folks some of the stuff about you. I mean we don't tell them about the D/s stuff anyways. It's not really something you discuss with parents and it'd be creepy. My parents would be a hard sell on any sort of thruple thing. But I think once I'm more stable and on my own too feet I can tell them. They might understand.''

\t``And Mr. and Mrs. Sang?'' The mole muttered with a suddenly dry muzzle.

\tJustin shook his head softly. ``In the end that's up to Hui. But that might be a harder sell. It's not like we need their approval, though. Not really. Be nice if people just accepted poly as a thing some people do. But for now I think you should just relax and enjoy the visit. Not too often our schedules all line up like this. Might not get another chance before snow hits.''

\t``It's not even October yet.'' Gretchen's tone rising to a small edge. Even as she said it, she knew. That didn't mean shit in Michigan.

\tThe small town was at least merciful for her compared to the highway. She looked out at the main street of the small town. So much less lively and refined than back home. Yet it was also a bit comforting. Something away from the bigger hellscape that was Kalamazoo.

\tGretchen leaned back into her seat and hugged her laptop bag up into her lap. She just needed to calm down a bit before they arrived. Before she got to see `Her' again.

--------------------

\tEverything was as it'd always been. Justin's car slipped into the driveway and slotted itself into the pair of grooves its tires had made after years of parking there. The garage was open to the warm late morning air and inside could be seen an otter man in a black tee shirt with the sleeves cut off. His nape length dirty blonde hair pulled back behind him with a cheap bandanna and a pair of thick safety goggles over his eyes.

\tThe young man who had arrived, a semi-mirror of his father, smirked to himself as he saw the old man hard at work. Not grinding or welding this time, but instead running lengths of hard oak though the seldom-used table saw. Justin's eye then turned to Gretchen. The poor mole who had been suffering though her Masters taste in music all but fled from it as she stumbled out of the car. Only now to be met by the dulcet tones of some grungy 90s alt rock played loud enough to mostly drown out the blare of whirring metal on wood.

\tThere was a temptation to take the mole by her paw. To his own shock Justin realized he very much wanted to ease her anxiety at this meeting. He wanted to coax her out of her shell a bit and guide her up to his dad. But he couldn't, not yet. Instead he simply cast Gretchen an apologetic look and strode his way in to the bubble of sound where the noise turned from grating to physically painful.

\tJohn Flannery looked up from his work eventually. The otter man smiled wide at the sight of his son and quickly flicked off the blaring second-hand power tool. He threw his arms around the boy in a warm embrace before stepping back and messing the mop of freshly cleaned blonde headfur Justin sported.

\t``Glad you finally showed up, kiddo. Figured you might have just slept in.'' John laughed

\tJustin offered his father a small smile of faux annoyance ``Things are actually slow with work for once. Which sucks when it comes to having money left over after rent and bills. But I have some free time at least. Mom home?''

\t``Yeah. Seems like her feet are getting real bad so she got Melissa to swap out a couple of days with her. Honestly I will never understand how nurses `do' pregnancy. Pretty sure if I had those symptoms at work I'd just find a way to `forget' my steel toes and drop something on my feet so I wouldn't have to put up with em anymore.'' The older otter shifted his attention from the boy and back to the mole girl now half-hidden behind the garage wall. She ducked out of sight the moment he noticed her.

\tJustin looked back as well and snickered to himself. ``It's ok, Gretchen. I promise my dad is no worse than I am.''

\t``That's not helping!'' the mole whined.

\t``Jeez, paint me with the worst brush you got, huh kid?'' John laughed

\tThe young man slugged his father playfully

\t``Um, h-hello Mr. Flannery, Sir.'' Gretchen muttered. She offered a bow, then blinked and quickly stood up rail straight again.

\t``is, uh... Is she ok?'' The older otter glanced at his son for a moment before slumping back into an old folding chair.

\t``She gets like that.'' Justin slipped past Gretchen to the table saw. He ran his paw over the rough surface for a few long moments. ``Got yourself a new project without me around to worry ya?'' He pulled the slab up and looked it over. It barely even registered when a very nervous Gretchen gripped hold of him by the shoulders and pulled him away from the currently immobile blade of spinning death.

\tThe whole scene caused John to stifle a chuckle. He snatched the two foot square of old oak away from his son and flipped it over in his paw a few times. ``It`s for a crib! Considering your mom doesn`t want me stressing her out by doting on her it`s about all I can do. The barn at the Shelton`s place finally went down and they let me pick out some choice bits.''

\tJustin`s smile turned a bit dour. He slipped the bit of wood back on the table and nodded to his dad. It was only then that he noticed the trembling digger claws on his shoulders and nudged them away.

\t``Not upset you never got a fancy crib, are ya kid?'' John sighed.

\t``What? No.'' the dour smile on Justin's` face hardened ``I just, you could have told me you were doing a new project.''

\t``Because you could totally drive down from Kazoo to stand there while I lathe out the bars and figure out how the fuck to carve wood again.'' John stood up and gripped his boy`s shoulder tight giving it a reassuring rub. ``You know I really wanted to do this when you were little. I mean when your mom and I found out at any rate. But with how things were I just had to work. If you really wanna figure out some more projects for us to do when you get shit settled I have no problem with that, son. But I`m kinda on a time table here for my last chance to do it.''

\t``Yeah, dad. I know.'' The reply was a half hearted sigh. Up until this point Justin had been sure he`d gotten over the worst of his homesickness. But the sight of a project he had no hand in...''

\tJohn hugged his son tight for a few long moments, then turned to face Gretchen and give her another once over. ``Why don`t you go say hi to your mom real quick. Then you and your friend can go over and see Hui. Assuming she`s not still too scared of me to move that is.''

\t``She`s fine.'' the otter scoffed ``Just a bit nervous around new people. Come on, Gretchen. Just one more pit stop and then I`ll walk you over to Hui`s house.''

\tThere wasn`t any room for protest. The dutiful slave followed her Master along with head bowed and feet dragging. She did spare a few glances up and around when walking in. The home was smaller than the one they rented. It was, however, far cleaner. Not quite as nice as her own parents` house. But it was at least occupied by adults rather than overgrown college age children. Some small shred of Gretchen wondered if this was just how a house usually looked.

\t``Hey mom!'' Justin's face beamed as he stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He almost ran up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her from behind, giving her a nice hard hug.

\t``Well if it isn`t my one and only son.'' the otter Matron snickered.

\t``You sure about that?`` Justin reached down to gently pat his mothers belly a moment.

\t``Thank god yes. I have enough men in my life. Ultrasound was pretty conclusive.`` Meredith Flannery looked a bit more tired and worn than usual. Her footpaws were propped up on the coffee table and big rudder tail shoved into the couch gap. Her slightly graying golden headfur was damaged and frazzled as usual due to work and stress. She cast her eyes up to Gretchen as the mole instantly looked away. ``I think your friend is kind of nervous. And she hasn't even gotten to know me yet.''

\tJustin snorted and reached down to take the switch controller from his mother. He then patted the back of the couch and gestured for Gretchen to take the available seat while he himself circled around and began working on moving Yoshi down the 2d world of cardboard and yarn. ``I don't know what has her so upset. I mean you haven't even gotten a chance to yell at her yet.''

\t``He's teasing, dear. I only ever yell at him and his father.'' Meredith's grin grew wider. She leaned herself back into the seat and loosed a soft groan of frustration. ``This is Hui's friend from summer camp that you mentioned?''

\t``Y-yesma'm`'' Gretchen blurted. She extended a paw, then pulled it back, before extending it again. The confusion about the proper protocol in this situation really seeming to get to her.

\tMeredith snickered and gave her paw a little shake ``It's nice to meet you, dear. I hope my son wasn't too insufferable on the ride down.''

\t``Yes ma'am. I, I mean no ma'am. Just the music.'' She laughed nervously, but Gretchen found herself wondering if she was being serious or not. Her eyes traced up and down the somewhat unkempt looking woman relaxing in hr own damn home. A woman she was now intruding on, and technically she couldn't even tell her why!

\tMeredith shrugged and leaned back into her seat with a hand instinctively going over her tummy. ``My fault for letting him spend too much time around his father. Or was it that pirate metal his cousin got him hooked on?''

\t``Folk metal, mom.'' Justin was quick to correct ``Pirate metal is just another thing. Alestorm. Though Ryan did introduce me to that, too. Besides, Hui met her at music camp. She should appreciate good music.''

\t``I do.'' The mole girl muttered under her breath. This drew an unexpected chuckle from the otter Matron, which in turn caused Gretchen to shrink further into the couch.

\tThe sound of heavy boots thudded from the kitchen as John circled his way around the door between it and the living room. ``Is it my fault the boy likes the music of our youth more than you ever did?'' he laughed ``God, I remember cruising around the neighborhood blasting `Black hole sun' during the first weeks of summer.''

\t``Yeah.'' Meredith scoffed ``Cruising on your bike. Right before whipping a big ol water balloon full of melted mountain dew Slurpee at my head.''

\t``Wait, what?'' Gretchen yelped as she looked between her Master's parents

\t``Oh that was one time.'' John huffed.

\t``Do you know how long it takes to clean dried, melted slush syrup out of your fur? My hair smelled like `Extreme' citrus for weeks!''

\tThe patron of the house made his way up behind the couch and slumped down with his arms resting on the back of it. His chin rested on his crossed forearms as he looked up at her with big, puppy dog eyes. ``Oh come on now. It was the 90s. That was only gonna make you more popular. Besides, I seem to remember miss farm girl belting me for it at Sabbath school. So I'd say we're even, right?''

\tMeredith's eyes grew cold for a moment. Hard steel reticules locked on to her husband's face. ``John, in a few months I'm going to be pushing a bowling ball out of my body. For a second time. And it's all your fault. I don't even know what will end up qualifying as `even' at this point.''

\t``Sorry mom.'' Justin muttered in a sing-song. At some point during the two mock-fighting he'd slipped himself past his mother and was now sitting on the floor in front of the spot where Gretchen and his mother sat. His eyes glued to the screen as if this was all totally normal.

\tIt wasn't normal, though. Not for Gretchen. She simply looked between the two trying to parse out the way they treated each other. They weren't fighting... at least probably not? Maybe? It was hard as hell to tell. She looked down at the floor and smiled awkwardly to herself. All she had to do was smile and nod, and soon she could be with Mistress again.

--------------------

\tA walk though the woods. Noon sun shot though the leaves and lit up the well worn dirt paths as Justin led Gretchen into the home turf he and Hui had grown up with. The barely cleared indentations on undergrowth foliage and leaves felt even more rustic than the spider webbed trails back at camp. These seemed even more wild though. For a split second Gretchen's mind went to the Letsplay's she'd watch of her favorite streamer doing Kingdom Hearts. Some magical starting area where close friends gathered and forged themselves by learning the basics before going out into a wider world.

\tThe fact that they passed a tree fort on the way really solidified that. Justin looked up at it wistfully a moment and left Gretchen wondering just how often her owners and their friends had spent up in that little slice of eternal childhood.

\tShe didn't ask, and he didn't seem inclined to talk about it. At least not yet.

\tThe two finally emerged though a horrible mess of stickers and some thorns out to a well kept but rather plain back yard. It was a bit bigger than Justin's and probably newer. Otherwise it was just another unremarkable hunk of suburbia sitting alongside countless others.

\tIt still made her anxious. Anxious as Justin slowly helped pull her though the last bit of brush surrounding the trail. Anxious as they walked around the house and up to the porch. She pawed and rustled at her snoot while Justin knocked. It felt like her heart was going to bet out of her chest.

\tThe door opened. Her heart stopped. All Gretchen could do was stare at the amber eyed goddess who opened the door.

", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Collared Chapter 10: Goin' to Michiana", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "1", "views": "183" }