Changes

There has been a change in the household. Shayla will no longer be posting at this site. Any further postings by shayla will be found here.

She is still in good standing with her Master, still every bit as much of a kajira a she always has, simply that she will no longer be in the home.
shayla

Skydiving

One of Rick's hobbies is skydiving. He has well over 900 jumps to his credit, and has been doing it for years. And for the past three of them, shayla's been teasing him about it. Shayla was brought up with the mindset, 'there's never a good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane'. Couple that with a healthy, strong phobia of heights, and you've got a person who would never, ever, voluntarily jump out of a plane. Just like she'd never voluntarily set foot in California.

So, between Rick, who felt it was time to pay the piper; and Master, who's always been one to push shayla in what she's weak or phobic about so that she can improve in her weaknesses, it was set in stone that Rick'd be tossing shayla out of a plane while she was there. The very thought was nauseating. Only the fact that she trusts Rick as much as she does, and both his and Master's experience, made the possibility considerable.

The Sunday after she got there, Rick drove her to the drop zone. The drive there took about an hour. Can't go skydiving over L.A., you'd wind up landing somewhere you wouldn't want to be. The people at Elsinore are a very friendly, open group. A refreshing mixture of professional, thorough, and insanely fun. Extremely thorough in what they do. That day shayla essentially loitered, observed the divers re-packing their chutes, and absorbed everything she could. For some reason it was really enjoyable.

Rick had shayla go up on an 'observer' ride on one of his jumps that day. Basically, she sat in the cockpit with the pilot & watched. Though she did have to wear a chute (FAA reg). That thing was murder on shayla's balance. Getting up from a bench to walk to the plane, she almost fell on her ass. It weighed 30 pounds, a real eyeopener considering that shayla's shed that amount and more the past couple years. No wonder she was so tired all the time!!

Pack the plane with as many divers as you can, & then up. To 12,500 feet. It didn't take long to get there, & shayla's stomach was roiling half the time, plus some lightheadedness. The planes that they use aren't pressurized, and the higher one gets, the thinner the air is. It took a little getting used to. And it'd been a long time since shayla's been in a plane that small. Once at the right altitude they opened the door. It was absolutely insane, watching these men & women jump out. Rick was the last out, a tremendous grin & wave to shayla before he jumped.

The trip down was actually harder than the trip up. Shayla's stomach had to do a little catching up to her when the pilot took that plane down so fast. And there was a moment when shayla was thinking, 'I should have jumped, the way down would have been smoother' It is.

The next weekend it was the same, pack up the car, some lunch & drinks, & off to the drop zone. We got things organized, filled out the paperwork, sat through a short video, & then walked the short way to the packing area. Rick, as expected, went up & took a dive, as shayla's wasn't until that afternoon. So she spent time as she did before, loitering, observing, absorbing information.

About six plane loads later, shayla needed to get with her instructor. James was just as funny and thorough as the rest of his co-workers. Joked around even while he soothed shayla's nerves. We went through the short training about what we'd be doing, what shayla needed to do during the jump, how things would happen and when. Shayla got harnessed up (Rick & shayla had a private chuckle with that little getup), then one last review before we were on the plane. Rick made sure that he was jumping with shayla, who, it wound up, would be the last out of the plane. There were two other women who were doing their first jump on that load, as well. It helped to see them as nervy as shayla was.

And then we were at altitude and the door opened. Out everyone pours. Shayla was ok up 'til she got to the door & then she froze. She could remember precisely what she needed to do, only it was hard to move. And it was a long way down. So James actually placed shayla's hands on the harness where they needed to be.

OK, down on one knee like we'd trained. Rock forward, back, & then out. Out and down, yikes. Shayla's stomach lurched when we first started moving, but then it was over when we reache our top free-fall speed. 120 mph. No sense of motion, only the wind in your face. A hard, fast wind. It's impossible to talk, though breathing's not hard. There was a few seconds where shayla kept her eyes shut (reminding herself that she wasn't going to die), but then she opened them. Just incredible.

It's just gorgeous up there. You're not attached to anything (trainer & chute notwithstanding), just the air and you. And while shayla was overloaded with everything that was going on, it was just intoxicating. It actually does feel like you're flying.

At 5500 feet, you pull your chute. For some reason shayla wasn't able to reach behind her (trainer's body in the way) to grab the release, so James pulled it. There was a sudden jolt when the chute opened & then we were hanging. Wonderful. As much as shayla wanted, she let James manage the chute, she just enjoyed the ride down. He spun us around a couple times, then turned into the wind to the drop area. You'd think that the landing would be hard, or uncomfortable, but it wasn't. And while there are those types of landings, this one was absolutely smooth.

There was still the adrenaline that had been kicked into full gear, so shayla's legs were kinda wobbly, & there was some lingering nausea from the spinning. But it was still just incredible. There was about five minutes before shayla was asking when she could go up again. But Rick thought that one jump was enough for that day at shayla's stage.

We spent the rest of the day lingering, watching the skydivers. On one of the last loads a fellow went up in a wing suit. Layers of fabric between the arms & body, and between the legs. Looks awfully funny on the ground, but in the air, that's a different story. By then, the sky had darkened so we could easily see his white suit against the sky, and he was moving pretty fast. Just lovely.

Funny thing is, in those two weekends at the drop zone, there was only one hitch in the jumping, one injury. One of the fellows was walking to the plane, & somehow stumbled and fell. Broke his wrist, lots of scrapes on his face. How ironic. The interesting thing now is that shayla feels much more confident in herself. How much of it's the trip, how much of it's the dive, shayla doesn't know. Simply that things seem to be in far better perspective now. She's more aware of her strengths, more forgiving of her own weaknesses. Rick'd warned her that after the dive it'd likely change her attitude, looks like he was right. Again.

Can't wait for another chance to do that.

shayla

Loan

Shayla's always maintained that nothing would get her to voluntarily go to California. Just the other day shayla came back from two weeks in Los Angeles

One of our family friends has been needing some help with his household. The details aren't important, simply that shayla came to help get the house in order.

This has been in the works for a couple months, though it was just decided in August when the trip would be taking place. Shayla's known Rick for three years, though had never met him face-to-face before. The internet's good for that sort of thing, it seems. Meeting & getting close to people without actually being in the same room with them.

Rick's as Gorean as Master is. He's got a different style of managing things, perhaps a little more easy-going, but still just as firm when he decides the situation warrants. Shayla's got a great deal of respect for him. Actually, if anything were to happen to Master, Rick'd 'inherit' her.

Though flying into LAX isn't something shayla'd been looking forward to. Rick'd given her specific instructions: Get your baggage, & then give me a call and i'll leave work to come get you. Pretty simple. Shayla got off the plane, walked downstairs, and there's this man standing by a Starbuck's booth who turns to her and says, 'hi, Shayla'.

There was a moment when the man seemed familiar, but shayla couldn't place him. She just looked at him a couple seconds, then said, 'I know you from somewhere, but i've really got to go'. Then went off to baggage claim. Only to come to a halt about 20 feet away when her squeaky gears finally put things together and she realized that she'd just brushed off the Master she'd be serving, belonging to, for the next two weeks. It'd never entered her head that he'd get there & be waiting for her.

About-facing put her nose-to-chest with that same blonde man, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He'd followed her after she'd passed him by, just to 'see how things happened'. Rick said that shayla had a 'deer in the headlights' look. And that he could see when she finally realized just who he was, before she even turned around.

Master'd wanted shayla to 'give a good first impression'. And here she'd had no chance to fix her makeup, hair, or much of anything. And then compleatly blows off the man that she was here to serve. Talk about mortified. But Rick wasn't irritated, actually we're still chuckling about it. The whole thing was rather funny. Though it would have been better if shayla'd thought to realize who he was before brushing him off.

He had another chuckle when shayla told him Master's response to hearing the story, 'So, you failed the first intelligence quiz, did you?'

Rick commented about it earlier tonight while we were talking about it - "Cost to fly a kajira to the west coast: $300; cost to feed and board her for two weeks: $100; seeing the look on her face when she fails to recognise you at the airport: priceless"

Priceless. That's a good way to describe the whole trip.

shayla

Black Thumb

Remember this posting? Seems that shayla's black thumb has vanished.

That plant's now twice the size it was, and is growing off-shoots. The four that shayla'd removed and repotted are even growing well. Come to think of it, it's time to re-pot those, too. Anyone want some aloe starts?

And the aloe's now keeping company with a couple more plants. We'd gotten some ginger root at the store some weeks ago. Ginger's strong-tasting, and we don't use much in our cooking. So the remainder sat on the counter, keeping company with the onions and garlic until shayla noted the green sprout emerging from it. OK, we'll just toss that into a pot too & see what happens. That sprout's now about six inches tall, and leaves are beginning to emerge. There's even a second sprout next to the first. Apparently those root systems will get pretty big. Wikipedia's got a photo of a 20-pound one. Must keep that in mind when it's time to transplant.

Master's contribution is a pineapple start. He'd gotten a pineapple at the grocery store, and before he allowed shayla to cut into it he snooped a little on the web (he's a very good at that), and found a site with directions. This one has similar instructions, in case you're curious (can't find the exact site Master'd found). We didn't cut the top off, merely twisted it out & let it dry. Shayla was dubious about how well this would work. But, she kept quiet, and potted the top when it had dried. It's seemed to shayla all these weeks that it's not grown a bit. But Master was curious about it the other day and was surprised at how much it's grown. And it has gotten at least twice the size it was when shayla potted it.

This container gardening's actually fun, now that the fear of murdering the poor plants is gone. Shayla'll have to remember to save out some green pepper and jalapeno seeds next time she cuts into one. Start her own portable garden.

p.s. Jolynn, your kids would probably love the pineapple planting.

shayla

The Dungeon

Miranda's discovered a new (for her) hangout in New Orleans, The Dungeon. It's off Bourbon Street. Go snoop, it's very interesting. Even more so to be actually there.

The entry to the front part of the bar is easily missed if you don't know just what you're looking for. The Quarter has got a lot of narrow doorways leading to passageways (often no wider than a yard) in between buildings, the entrance to the Dungeon is one of those. Shayla's used to broad, open approaches to places, so walking into a doorway into a narrow passage like that was rather unsettling.

The place is very dark, and the rooms seem smaller than anticipated (to shayla, anyway). A whole variety of people spill in from Bourbon St. On one occasion, a girl started 'coming on' to shayla, feigning interest in the collar. She disappeared quickly when Master pointed out that it wasn't a necklace, but a collar. And it seems as though the more you look, the more you see there. And loud, very loud.

We wound up in the upstairs area, on the dance floor. Part of why miranda likes the place as well as she does is they let her go topless. Nobody objects at all. This particular night we brought a friend along. Sean, while he lives in the Quarter, had never been there. We danced for a little while upstairs while they talked. And observed. Though one man decided to get way too familiar with miranda. Master had a serious nose-to-nose talk with him. The guy listened very attentively, and didn't cause any further problem.

Sean's a divorcee, & has lived the typical American life (complete with 2 kids) for years. So the three of us, and our lifestyle seemed to be both a shock and very refreshing to him. The four of us wound up sitting in the Dungeon for a while, talking about it all. It's always fun, discussing our life with someone who knows little to nothing about it. Not for the shock value, but to see them realize, and often understand, how our life works.

shayla

S C R A B B L E

Moesha's discovered Scrabble, & loves to play it. Only problem is, we've not had the game, & hadn't gotten to picking one up at the store. So shayla made it into a learning opprotunity. After some Google-snooping, she found a site with the diagram, another with the letter count (including scores). We gathered up some construction paper, a ruler, some color pencils, and packing tape. There was some disagreement & firm talking before moesha understood that she really was capable of measuring lines on a piece of paper, but she proved herself to be up to the task.

So now we've got a home-made Scrabble game, perfect for travel. We were playing it yesterday while Master was on the computer, taking care of things and web-snooping. Shayla's invited him to play more than once, but he's consistently refused, saying we'd hate playing with him. With his vocabulary & competitiveness, he'd mop the floor with us. Though shayla believes that we'd enjoy the floor-mopping.

Seems that occasionally we wind up with really crappy letters. Yesterday was a perfect example. About midway through the game shayla came up with an awful combination..C, I, U, O, I, U, O. Just about that time Master emerged from the office, and stood observing for a minute while he looked over the board & letters. And actually settled down on the floor with us to put in his 2 cents' worth. So now it was Master vs. shayla and moesha.

As predicted, he waltzed all over us. We were down to the last letters, Master had three left, moesha and shayla had six. After some serious thinking Master came up with ajupi. Ajupi. He claimed that it was a mammal, lived in the Brazilian rain forest, with a prehensile tail, that ate insects and spiders. That had been discovered in the 50's (or did he say 60's?).

Mmmhmm, right. Master's said any number of times, 'Google is your friend'. And shayla's gotten very well acquainted with Wikipedia. So while he's further describing this mysterious primate to moesha, shayla'd already sat down on the computer to do some snooping. It's not in Dictionary.com; it's not in Wikipedia. It's not anything but a sly creation of Master's imagination. He just wanted to use that last letter.

Moesha didn't realize until the next day that it was a joke. She thought it was funny when she did find out, though. That girl's a character.

shayla

Extrovert

It used to be that shayla moved about the world isolating herself from those around her. Oh, she saw the people, noted what they were doing, but it was as if there were a barrier between them and her that she put up. Something to keep her separate from them.

In the past few months, though, she's noted a more marked change in herself. She's more able to interact with total strangers, let conversations develop with them.

For too long she's been in 'inviso-mode', as Master phrases it. Master and miranda have both been good examples for her, and she's been quietly absorbing what's been taking place. The routine trips to play poker help out a great deal. She's in an environment she's familiar with, with people she knows. So it's 'safe' ground, in a way.

But the interesting thing is what's been happening to her in her day to day activities. She's become more approachable, more able and likely to begin a converation with a complete stranger. It's more enjoyable all the time.

To many people this'd be no big deal. 'So you're talking to strangers, what's so special about that?' Though to an introvert, it's a different matter entirely.

shayla

Uh Oh

Shayla's mentioned before about how often people will ask miranda or her about the collars; where they came from, how unique they are, etc. Last night brought on a more interesting question, though.

Darren, one of the gentlemen that runs the poker tournaments, was talking to shayla about her collar (he's unaware of the actual significance of it).

D - 'Where'd you get the choker?'

s - 'Oh, it was ordered on-line'

D - 'What about the pendant, did you buy that somewhere?'

This was asked as Darren was looking at the pendant, eyeing the 's' on the front, then flipping it over to see the 'k' on the back before letting it fall.

s - 'No, it was special ordered from a jeweler in Houston, i'm afraid i can't recall the name off-hand'

That was the truth, just a very very convenient one.

D - 'Was the price reasonable? Are they something just between you and miranda, or do other people wear them? The reason I'm askin' is, I'd like to have one of those, I'd like to know how you got them.''

By now shayla's firmly placed her tongue in cheek, and falls back on some safe answers...

s - 'yes, the price was reasonable. And it's not something just between miranda and i, lots of people wear these. You can talk to Marcus if you want to find out more, he's got more details. He's the one that got them for both of us.'

More details, yes. And far more creativity in tactfully answering that type of question. At that point shayla politely nudged the subject onto safer ground. The image of this Big Black Man, more than twice Master's size, wearing a collar, was way too much. It was definitely time to let the subject lie. Master far prefers to deal with those types of questions himself anyhow. And shayla's happy to have it that way, even though it's not her choice. It'll be interesting to find out what Master'd tell Darren, if he happens to ask. Shayla's certain the topic will come up eventually.

shayla

Texas Hold 'Em

Not far from our home is a bar managed by one of Master's old friends. We go there regularly to watch the Astros win (though sometimes we're disappointed), play pool, & so forth. It's family-friendly, and Moesha's every bit as much at home there as she is in our living room. Most of the regulars know us by sight, if not by name. When we walk in, the barmaids have our drinks ready by the time we reach the counter. Moesha's getting better at pool and shuffle-board all the time (she's turning into a regular bar-fly). And the men, both regulars and non, enjoy the scenery when miranda and shayla are there. We've even helped them with fund raisers for families a time or two.

They've recently started weekly poker tournaments. No buy-in, just sign up, sit down at the table, & have fun. No money involved at all. Master'd taught shayla how to play, but it's only recently been that she's been able to put what she's learned into practice. We've all been getting better as time goes by. Though there's no money involved, it's still a great deal of fun.

There are a few things that shayla's learned about poker in the past weeks -

Drunk people don't play very well, or last long in tournaments. They have a hard time keeping track of which chip is worth what, make irrational bets, and can't deal.

Looking sexy accomplishes things: You wind up 'luring' men to your table. It's also a distraction, one they don't seem to object to.

It also distracts the women at your table, who are tempted to start talking about clothes, hair, etc.

Regardless of how infallible you consider your Owner (or in other women's cases, husband or boyfriend), his humanity is evident when he's playing poker with you. It's adorable, in any case. Even when you've just won the pot he went 'all in' on.

And it's a good way to get out and meet people you'd never come across in your normal, day-to-day routine.

Shayla's not known for her assertiveness, and this is no different. But it's always really enjoyable. She's cautious to the point of ridiculous when she's playing poker (ok, there are other times, too). It's likely that she places to score by sheer luck & the fact that she rarely bets on a hand. But occasionally she's more certain of herself, more likely to take a chance, & it's paid off a time or three. One tournament she even wound up placing 1st. And her judgement keeps improving.

Quite the learning experience.

shayla

New Orleans

Sunday morning, we got up about 7 or so, & the four of us went to Cafe du Monde for breakfast. They serve huge, monstrous beignets, with about a cup of powdered sugar on them. We all knocked off the majority of it onto our plates. Even at the Cafe, there was evidence of lack of staffing. A help wanted sign on the door, and the outside area, which was normally open much earlier, still had the chairs up on the tables, which gave Master enough pause to ask if the place was even open. We'd taken a cab there (Master wanted to get there in a hurry), but walked the few block back to the hotel. He pointed out the park across the street, which i've forgotten the name of. We took a peek into the House of Voodoo, and The Dungeon on the way back to the hotel. Master'd wanted to go to the Dungeon the previous night, but it didn't happen. There was a sign on one shop door that Master took a picture of...('Come Hell or High Water picture')

After catching a couple more hours of sleep, we checked out of the hotel. Master wanted to show us UNO to see the campus. We took a couple wrong turns, as it'd been so long since he'd been there. Even though it was raining heavily, you could tell it was a nice campus. Though the buildings didn't seem damaged, there were still cars in some of the parking lots, left since the storm, many of them with windows or trunks open.

When we were done at the University, we drove around the city for a while, looking at the different neighborhoods. It's been nine months and the whole city is still affected by Katrina. Everywhere, there were downed trees, still leaning into the houses or buildings they'd fallen into. Grass and weeds growing wild in the yards, often over-growing the sidewalks & driveways. Whole blocks of houses gutted, even a church and a couple strip malls gutted. Apartment buildings, as well. In many areas the water-line was still clearly visible on the buildings, leaving marks about nine feet up where it'd peaked. In one tree there were large pieces of roofing still hanging from the branches. Most of the street signs had been blown off, so we didn't even know what streets we were on. Any number of windows and doors broken. Whole neighborhoods with o signs of life, no pets, no cars, just empty.

On so many houses, the signs spray-painted onto them by the National Guard were still there, marking the day they'd gotten to the house, but we couldn't tell what the initials with them meant. MO seemed to mean dead, but there was SP, M, O. Shayla has no idea what they'd meant. Occasionally more details would be given; 'dead dog' painted on one garage, 'attic' on another home. EV seemed to be Evacuated. There were an awful lot of FEMA trailers, all plain white. They seemed lonely, parked in the lawns of houses that were still badly damaged. Many places still didn't have electricity.

Master said that the neighborhoods that we'd gone through hadn't been poor, but well-off. In some places we could see that people had really been working to get things back in order. A man mowing a lawn, piles of debris from the storm by curbs, waiting to be picked up, many houses with no more trace of the water-lines on them. One block, all the houses had been put back into reasonable order, with the exception of one. It hadn't been touched. And a piece of plywood had been set up against a tree in the yard. "This is the only house on the block that isn't cleaned up", and then something about the owner needing to get busy. And underneath it, another piece of wood with 'owner dead' painted upon it. The house itself had 'tear me down, rat-hole' painted upon the side.

We went through one of the major parks in the city. Same as so many other areas, it was over-grown. Brown grass and weeds growing tall and moving onto the pavement. Few signs. Master said that normally that park was kept immaculate. In it was a 'relief camp', full of trailers and tents, people whose homes had been damaged.

Even the areas under the freeway overpasses were full of cars, all of them had been covered by the water. They all had a thick, grayish film over them from the debris and sediments they had soaked in.

Going back to the downtown area we went through one of the older neighborhoods, one that was on higher ground. One of the richer neighborhoods, the houses were huge, many of them three stories. Most of them had little to no sign of damage, just as though nothing happened. On many of the trees along the road were Mardi Gras beads, some having been there for so long that moss and branches had grown around them.

Something that really struck shayla was the sense of age the whole city had. It's a beautiful city, even the parts that aren't all that pretty. We can deny it all we want, but people are always going to be a part of nature, subject to the same order and effects as anything else. It's really given shayla a new respect for nature and its forces.

shayla

Bourbon Street

Master has been planning on going to New Orleans with some of his family for the past couple weeks. But it turned out that only his daughter and a couple of her friends could go with us. We left early Saturday morning, and picked her up on the way there. Master went to UNO and lived there in New Orleans for 3 years, but this was the first chance that miranda or shayla had a chance to go. The drive there was half the fun, a chance to see different places & people, observe the changes in scene. Shayla's always been one to enjoy road trips. It never matters where she's going, she just likes to go. There's a large swamp on the way to New Orleans that we pass through. Miles of freeway on a bridge the whole way, straight, no exits for about 10 miles. It's lovely to just go through it, observe the cypress stumps and channels in the area.

Master picked a hotel right on Bourbon Street, so save on the headache of driving & parking. We got there about 11, had time to shower and change before heading out. Master'd warned us about the 'aroma' that Bourbon street had, but it still took a little to adjust to it. It was just part of the package. Years of partying baked into the cement with the heat.

It was very good to see all these places that Master'd talked about. We passed by the House of Blues, the House of Blues. Though even in the evening, it was closed. We went to one of the few bars that still had a live band. We sat and listened for a couple hours. Master actually knew the drummer from years ago at another bar. So he was able to get up & sit in for a song. Shayla was very proud to see him up on that stage & singing. While he was singing there two men came up & tried to pick miranda and shayla up. The one that asked shayla wanted to know if she was with someone. He wasn't quite certain how to react when shayla pointed Master out to him. Shayla'd been sitting in Master's stool, keeping it for him as he sang. The looks on the two men's faces when shayla moved to let Master take his stool back were priceless.

Miranda'd wanted to stop into one of the voodoo shops while we were there, so that was our next stop. The store was packed with all sorts of ingredients, charms, jewelry, books, cards, countless thingamajigs. An altar to Marie Laveaux was directly opposite the room to the counter, loaded down with offerings (including numerous quarters) and a sign strongly warning browsers to keep their hands off. Shayla wasn't able to stay in there for long, simply too crowded and chaotic.

We walked back to the hotel to nap and wash up before going back out, and passed through a group of men on the sidewalk. Not just past them, through them. There were about a dozen, and all of them were either saying something or whistling. One man hollered to Master as we walked away, 'what do i have to do to get invited to that party?' If only he knew.

Something very striking to shayla was the amount of places that were closed. Not just from the early hour, but closed. Signs in the door put there by the city, saying the place was approved for reopening, only no sign of it happening. And one sign after another saying 'for rent', or 'help wanted'. The friend that Master'd come across said that people that had been working 7 days a week were now only working 3. And only 4 places had live bands, where there used to be a great deal more.

We left Moesha with Master's daughter when we left the hotel at about 9. By then things had really picked up on the street. They'd blocked vehicle traffic off and everyone was on foot. Master said that it was about half as busy as what it normally is on a Saturday night. Miranda got her chance to flash the world when we stopped to talk to one pair of the mounted police that were there. Master and her had both wanted a photo of her topless there on the street. Neither one of the police had any problem when miranda asked. So we now have a photo of her standing between the two horses, scolding the one that had nuzzled her hand and spilled her drink onto her dress. One of them commented that miranda's breasts were marvelous. High praise coming from someone that works in such an element.

We did a lot of window-shopping throughout the day. An infinite number of mardi-gras beads in every one. Feather boas, ridiculous hats, t-shirts. Tons & tons of t-shirts, with any number of sayings on them. Many of them about Katrina, 'FEMA evacuation plan: Run, bitch, run', and 'I asked FEMA for help, and i got a trailer, plasma TV, and a Cadillac' are the two that stick out in shayla's mind.

It was close to 1:00 when we walked back to the hotel. When we were almost there we got another call from one of the balconies (we'd been getting hooted at, beads tossed to us, all night long). This particular gentleman wanted us to flash him, but Master vetoed the idea, saying his beads weren't big enough. A double-entendre there, shayla suspects. The hotel lobby and halls were still busy when we went inside, and we could still hear people talking in the hallway after we'd settled down to get some sleep.

shayla

2.5

There's only been mention of miranda's daughter once or twice. Moesha's 8, an exact duplicate of miranda in look and demeanor. Clearly a budding kajira to anyone that knows what to look for. Shortly after they'd joined the house Master dubbed her 2.5. Shayla's #1, miranda's #2, and moesha, since she's not full grown, is 2.5. She's the image of her mother, in personality as well as looks. And has melded into the family and the dynamic here in Master's home so seamlessly it's as if she was born to it.

It's still been an adjustment for her. Master expects miranda and shayla to give our best in things, and we're regularly challenged in our service to him. Moesha's no different in being challenged. She's bright, learns readily, yet hadn't learned how to really focus on things until she got here. It's something she's still learning how to do. But that's to be expected with someone her age.

In the meantime she's a typical kid, liking to watch tv too much, plays in the yard with the sprinkler, loves burnt (yes, burnt, to the point of blackened) grilled-cheese sandwiches, & volunteers to help shayla out in the kitchen. She's developed a fascination for baking breads, & is routinely right at shayla's elbow (if not closer) when something's going on in the kitchen. Often she'll help with whatever's taking place in the house.

This is the most stable, healthiest home she's ever been in, and is positively thriving in it. Shortly after she arrived she began calling Master 'Daddy', and it's stuck. We all love hearing her call him that. This afternoon she and shayla were outside, playing ball and then dousing each other with the sprinkler, then she volunteered to wash the car while shayla took care of a few things in the house. We've been home-schooling her for a month now, and in that time she's learned more than in the same period that she did while school was in session. Master plans what needs to be done, and shayla puts moesha through her studies at least 2 1/2 hours a day, though often more.

She's like another daughter to Master and shayla. And is having the time of her life with her 2 mommies & daddy. Master's more than once spoken of the positive aspects of extended families, and this is certainly a good case. Two adults working out of the house, the third taking care of the home front and child(ren). Stable, tight-knit.

shayla

Mail

No, not the USPS. Chain mail.

The first thing that Master did while we were at Scarborough was head to one of the shops, one that sold hand-made chain mail. We've often seen girls at Faires in varying styles of chain mail bikinis & so forth. Master's planned on getting one for miranda to wear for some time. After some looking and discussion they decided on an outfit. Master got a headpiece, earrings, and hand flowers to match it. The whole thing together is beyond words. Miranda spent some time that evening lining the bottom with cloth. The top she left unlined, and had a pair of stickers to place on her nipples while she wore it to make the whole thing just this side of legal. At this stage, shayla's not got a photo to post, you'll have to take her word that the whole ensemble is just gorgeous, & miranda looks astounding in it.

We got to the faire the next morning, & spent some time at the truck changing into our outfits. Miranda & shayla normally turn heads when we're out, and the previous day had been no exception. Men looking more than twice at us (or just one really long look), the occasional person wanting to have their photos taken with us. But when we went through the gates this time it was a little different. Shayla still drew as many looks as she always does, but the comments that miranda drew ranged from flattering to simply hilarious.

Many of the ladies that go to these faires dress up in traditional middle-age costume. Tight corsets, long sleeves, headpieces, skirts that reach the ground, and who knows how many layers of cloth between the skin & hot sun. All providing insulation more suitable to temperatures in the 40's than the 90's that we saw this weekend. One woman who was dressed that way saw us and waved to miranda, calling, 'Now that's the outfit i should have worn today!' No doubt.

And the mail comments. 'The mail lady, i didn't know you were working today!', Look, it's the mail lady!', and our personal favorite, 'The chick is in the mail!!' Laughable.

Even a couple of the performers commented on it. We'd gone to one show the previous day, and happened to walk by that stage while that same show was going on. The player actually stopped in the middle of his show to shout at miranda, complimenting her on the mail.

She's going to be dancing in that outfit where she works. It'll be interesting to see what the reactions are. It's likely the most unique outfit that's ever been on that stage.

shayla

Scarborough Faire

Shayla's mentioned once or twice about Master's liking of rennaisance faires. He's not SCA or anything like that, simply enjoys the history, the costumes, the chance to meet so many people. Of course, he also enjoys showing us off & the scenery (of the various sizes of bodices). So while Master & miranda were at work on Saturday, shayla saw to it that the packing & preparation of food was taken care of. There're distinct advantages to having an adult at home all the time. That person's able to take care of the home & such while the others are bringing in the $$$'s. And one person gets worn out trying to do both. This case was no different. By the time they'd gotten off work & home (at 3:45 a.m.), things were packed & ready to load into the truck. We stopped at the store for a couple more things & were on the road by 5:30.

Scarborough Faire is in Waxahatchie, about 3 or 4 hours from Houston (depending on route & how much one breaks the speed limit). Master's been there a few times but this was a first for miranda & shayla. Though, most faires are very similar. But they're all fun.

When we got there shayla'd had all of perhaps 2 hours of sleep in the previous 24; Master and miranda hadn't had any more. And trying to sleep on the way up in the truck didn't work at all for shayla. Just wasn't able to get comfortable enough. So she did the next best thing, and dozed as much as she could.

One of the fun things about Faire for shayla is the amount of people watching. A rennaisance faire is the perfect chance for people to express themselves. There are few limits to the creativity that people put into their outfits and demeanor. Miranda & shayla, as has become the norm, drew more than our share of looks & attention, but our wear was certainly not the most elaborate. As with the mail entry, shayla's not got any photos available. But the costumes worn ranged from the 'standard' midieval clothing to fauns, faeries, a centaur, leather armor of various colors and types. Chain mail such as what miranda wore the 2nd day, numerous Scots (with kilts, worn the traditional manner), even a nun (so the wearer was a man, so what?).

Of course, not going on much sleep as we were, by the time we left to go to the hotel, we were all worn out, too tired to even to go eat. We wound up ordering pizza instead. Pizza, it'd been a long time since shayla's had pizza. It was close to midnight before we all ate, showered, and got to bed. The next day was much like the first, though there were more looks directed to miranda, due to the chain mail that we'd gotten for her the day before.

The second day was actually beter than the first (no doubt because we were better-rested). One of the members of the jousting had noted miranda the day before, so she had a personal invite to watch the jousting. A while later we three girls took our turn at the archery. Shayla's aim is every bit as bad as her handwriting and houseplant care, so it was a little stunnig when she actually hit the target. Not a bull's-eye, but well within the outer border (there will be no mention of the target being no more than 25 feet away).

But by far the best part was one of the shows that we went to in the late afternoon. Iris & Rose have known Master for years, and they always appreciate having him in their audience. This time was no different. They've just recently put out a new CD & they had sold out, only to have one buyer give it back to them. So they auctioned it off at the last show of the Faire. Master, who'd already bought one CD, kept upping the bidding until it hit $70. And then after paying the money he gave the CD back for them to re-sell. The 2nd time it went for $65, bought by the man that'd just gotten out-bid by Master. Everybody in the audience loved it, and Iris & Rose were stunned. It set the mood for the remainder of the show. Normally they'll invite the audience to contribute four or five jokes or limericks to the show, but this time it developed into an impromptu competition, lasting a good 45 minutes past when the show was supposed to have stopped.

Another night in the hotel, & we headed hoje the next day. Master took us on some of the side highways on the way home. Beautiful scenery, even a hill or two. We'd been in miranda's old home territory so she was able to tell us a little about much of what we drove past. It rained on the way home. One of those downpours that start slow & end after pummelling everything with huge, fat drops. Shayla's not stopped loving the rain yet.

shayla

The Times

Shayla came across this article in the London Times while taking a peek at a message board she reads occasionally.

'Sex slavery' Shayla can understand how people who don't know any better could jump to that conclusion. At the same time, though, why is it that it happens so often? Dominance and surrender does not equal sex, & vice versa. One thing stands out to shayla.

"Lee Thompson, 31, lives at the address with the Essex teenager, and describes himself as a master who trains slaves. He has been banned from one shop in the town for turning up with a girl on a leash."

Shayla would not have any problem with it at all if he asked her opinion about it, but Master wouldn't allow shayla or miranda kneel at his feet in a restaurant, either. No doubt simply because it wouldn't be appropriate. We're Gorean, but we still live in this world. It doesn't mean that you toss your brain and good sense out the window once you take possession of a girl, or accept a man's collar. Actually, you've got to think more.

The three of us go out regularly. And we do not compromise what we are, or the dynamics of our relationship with each other when we're out of the home. We do, however act in a manner appropriate to where we are, one that still leaves no doubt as to who's in charge. Master still is the final decision-maker in things. However, we remain sensitive to the people around us. If someone asks miranda or shayla a question which we'd defer to Master, we simply tell the person that they'd have to ask him. Master gives his commands to us as he always does, as simply phrased requests. Being Gorean doesn't mean shoving our ways into other people's faces. Most of the time when we go out, it's obvious to the people around us who's in charge.

It brings to mind one day two months ago, when we all went to a nearby crawfish festival (only in the south would you find such a thing). Miranda and shayla always wear our collars, but that's the only "physical" sign of our status in relation to him. Of course, the fact that Master'd had us wear the same things, identical tops, short denim shorts, & heels, also was a give-away. Come to think of it, we also got stopped four separate occasions so that people could get photos with us. The rest is simply body language and manner. While we were there, one lady stopped Master and shayla to ask them some questions. She'd noted the dynamics between us, and surprisingly enough had the initiative to ask. This led to a conversation that lasted about 45 minutes. Master was tactful, but at the same time didn't hedge or beat around the bush. She and her friend were fascinated, enough so that shayla gave them the link to this blog.

Shayla's not certain if the women ever actually have stopped and peeked at this site. But they left the conversation informed, a little more educated than when they first approached. And like so many other times, we were able to show others that there can be more to servitude than what always seems to be expected.

And as fun as it might have been (as shayla's acquired a touch of exhibitionism from miranda), Master didn't have to command us to his feet to make any kind of point.

shayla