Probation Period Pt. 01

"Don't embarrass me!" Victoria admonished her one last time before pulling her into the hustle and bustle of the exhibition spaces. From a distance, humming basses reached her ears, presumably accompanying a stage show. The general background noise made Penny suspect that they were moving in the midst of a larger crowd, but in her immediate neighbourhood the vociferous conversations seemed to die down and be replaced by hushed whispers. Presumably her appearance was causing quite a stir.

It felt strange to know that she was at the centre of attention, yet at the same time was quite inescapably trapped in her own small world. Likewise, she almost felt ashamed of being presented to strangers practically naked and in such a helpless condition, but simultaneously the notion excited her as well. Without a doubt, her well-proportioned body attracted a lot of covetous attention. She could not help wondering how prominently her stiff nipples showed through the thin latex.

Anyway, the steady pull on her collar prevented her from getting lost in her conflicted emotions. She had to concentrate hard on her steps, anxious not to stumble. If she fell and perhaps even dragged Victoria down with her in the process, stunned admiration would surely turn into raucous mockery. She did not even want to consider what Victoria would do to her then.

Hence, she followed along obediently behind Victoria, who, to her relief, now strolled through the exhibition hall at a much more leisurely pace than before. Victoria probably wanted to get an overview first, at any rate Penny suspected that, since it felt like she was forever led every which way along the aisles formed by the various booths. Within a very short time, she had lost all orientation and would not have been able to tell whether they were at the edge or in the middle of the hall. It was a thrilling experience to be led tightly bound, gagged and blindfolded through a crowd, completely dependent on her mistress.

Finally, the dragging on her leash disappeared.

"Stop!"

Penny obeyed and sighed into her gag with relief. Her forced strutting along on high heels had proved to be quite exhausting in the long run. Within her cat suit, she had become mighty warm and the thin latex adhered to her sweaty skin, adding to her sensations of complete confinement.

"A very compliant slave you have there!"

Suddenly, she was accosted by the dark voice of a man who had perhaps been standing next to her the whole time. Penny jerked involuntarily and almost jumped to the side. Not knowing what was going on around her definitely had its downsides.

"But only if you're woman enough to take her on," Victoria countered.

"It certainly looks as if you have everything under control."

"Thank you. But your companion can't complain about the lack of a hard hand either."

"Well, indeed, she can hardly complain." The amused sounding voice of the man was accompanied by a soft rattle of chain and what sounded like an outraged snort, which led Penny to suspect that the 'companion', just like herself, was severely gagged and bound.

"Actually, I had my eyes on her butt when I said that. These marks look like quite precise handiwork," Victoria said.

"Well observed. From time to time my slave requires a spanking; this morning it was necessary again. Unfortunately, my favourite flogger broke down recently and so I had to get a replacement. But you seem more interested in the whips here?"

Whips and floggers? Penny stopped breathing. Why on earth had Victoria stopped at a stand for whips and floggers?

"I've heard that these are of very good quality."

"I can confirm that. We've always been very satisfied, haven't we, Nina?"

Another outraged snort suggested that Nina begged to differ, but of course her helpless protest was only taken as further proof of the high quality of the torture instruments on offer. Apparently, Penny, if unlucky, would soon get to form her own impressions.

"By the way, my name is Robert."

"I am Victoria and the obedient young lady here is Penny." Victoria briefly tugged her leash, so she had to make some kind of involuntary bow.

"Pleased to meet you. Best manners, I see. My slave Nina could take a leaf out of her book."

Another snort and Penny could not help but notice a certain, probably unwise contradictory tendency in her counterpart. A peculiarity that Penny allegedly shared with her, at least if one believed Victoria's respective complaints.

"But Nina possesses other attractions, as you have already discovered. I have noticed your intrigued glances," Robert teased.

His amused words stung Penny. Why was Victoria interested in other subs? She pricked her ears so as not to miss any of the conversation, which was not an easy task given her leather helmet and the manifold ambient noises.

"Same as you stared at Penny," Victoria observed.

"Touché! But she really is an eye-catching sight," Robert admitted.

"Not quite as eye-catching as Nina! Hers is indeed a ... an unusual rig-out. Somewhat extreme, but wildly fascinating as well."

"Thank you very much! Would you like to have a closer look at her? Nina certainly can't object!"

"Of course," Victoria agreed.

"Come on, there's more room over here, and nobody will bother us."

Their voices became quieter when they turned and walked a few steps away. This was followed by a prolonged period, accompanied by a soft clinking, during which they apparently inspected Nina's outfit. Penny was annoyed to be the only one who missed out on the action, especially since she was almost bursting with curiosity. She would have loved to see with her own eyes what fascinated Victoria so much. As it was, she had no choice but to try eavesdropping, despite her helmet, on Robert's low-voiced explanations, which repeatedly sent shivers down her spine.

"Yes, everything is made to measure, that's why all of Nina's cuffs and her collar fit so perfectly. However, the special thing about them is their locking mechanism. Once closed, it's impossible for them to be opened again. In an extreme emergency, we'll just have to use heavy equipment to tackle the shackles ..."

"As you can see, Nina is delicately built and has always been very flexible. Nevertheless, it took several months of training before we could fix her arms in this position on a more or less permanent basis ..."

"This is her favourite gag. Behind the mouth shield of the head harness is a custom-formed silicone mouth filler. It's not too big and so she can wear it for days on end, and has actually worn it, now, for several weeks ..."

"Exactly! The piercing jewellery was custom designed and made especially for her. One cannot buy something like that off the shelf. By the way, the manufacturer has a booth here at the fair ..."

"The piercing for Nina's nose ring was done through the solid cartilage of the nasal septum - like for a Nasallang. Of course, that is way more painful, but Nina can take it. Besides, there's nothing better to tame an unruly slave ..."

"At first, I had to be very persuasive, but now she sometimes surprises even me with her fantasies ..."

This continued for quite a while, while Victoria apparently was shown over and over again the more interesting details of Nina's accoutrements and restraint ensemble. Before Penny's inner eye, the image of a young woman who had allowed her master to transform her into the ultimate fetish object for bondage and piercing enthusiasts, drew itself stroke by stroke.

To her dismay, Penny realized that she felt attracted to this vision as much as it put her off. Wasn't she following a similar path? After all, she had allowed herself be led on a leash through the exhibition hall of a BDSM convention, clad only in a revealing latex outfit, helplessly tied and gagged. Wasn't it natural for Robert to mistake her for a kindred spirit of his slave? But how much of Nina was really part of herself?

Engrossed in her disturbing thoughts, she only realized that Nina's demonstration was over when Robert said goodbye to Victoria.

"Here is my card. Please feel free to contact me directly, or I can email you more details about Nina's equipment. Perhaps next time you'll introduce us to your mysterious girlfriend? I would imagine that Nina and she have a lot to tell each other ..."

"If we allow them to talk, that is," Victoria pointed out sardonically. "But let's see, Penny is still very shy unfortunately. Anyway, thank you for the offer and I'll take you up on it for sure! Have fun at the fair!"

"The same to you. See you soon!"

"Yes, until then!"

Penny spontaneously breathed a sigh of relief when the retreating tinkling indicated that they were alone again. Victoria had obviously been fascinated by Nina's equipment. Who could say what ideas this encounter had given her? This Robert definitely represented a bad influence, which had to be avoided if possible. Unfortunately, Victoria saw it quite differently and grabbed Penny around her shoulders, then conspiratorially bent her head down to her ear level.

"That was a most instructive encounter. Too bad you couldn't see Nina, otherwise you wouldn't complain any more that I treat you too harshly. Perhaps I should ask Robert to help training you for a while?"

"Hohh!", Penny protested in horror.

"No? Rather not? Then you'd better behave yourself in the future!"

Victoria gave her a slap on the butt to reinforce her argument, then turned again to the displays of the fair stall. A little later she had made her choice and pulled Penny along behind her to the checkout.

"The Devil's Tail it is? Someone must have been very naughty then. A first-rate choice and one you'll certainly enjoy for a long time."

Penny couldn't really share the enthusiasm of the saleswoman, but unfortunately nobody seemed interested in her opinion. She waited patiently while Victoria completed the purchase, then obediently followed the pull on her collar again, trotting behind Victoria like a horse on a lead.

Wherever she went, astonished cries and muffled whispers seemed to follow. In the isolation of her leather helmet the round tour seemed almost endless to her. Either the hall was very spacious or Victoria had set herself the goal of traversing each corridor at least once in each direction. A few times they stopped at other stands and Victoria bought something, but Penny never knew which items had aroused her interest. However, she was sure that sooner or later - whether she wanted it or not - she would become acquainted with them.

When they stopped once more, Penny would have loved to sit down to relieve her aching feet; but instead, she felt a sudden, strong upward tension applied to her leash when it was apparently fastened somewhere above her head, forcing her to balance on her toes if she didn't want to dangle from her steel collar. Quickly, she shuffled forward to lessen the strain on her neck and hit a wall with her breasts first.

"I'll be right back."

What? Victoria couldn't seriously intend to leave me alone like this, could she?

"Hoh!"

"Don't be afraid, stay calm and nothing will happen to you!" Victoria patted her head reassuringly, then she hurried away.

"Koh hak!"

Penny instinctively tried to follow the retreating steps, but immediately her collar exerted a strangling pressure on her neck that held her back. She turned towards the wall and bent her knees slightly, but had to straighten up again at once, when her rigid steel collar clamped itself mercilessly into her throat. She had no chance of escaping her leash; helpless as a lamb tethered in the woods, around which a pack of wolves was gathering. Only that in her case instead of hungry wolves, ruthless sadists like Robert would pounce on her ...

She had barely formulated the thought when she began to struggle frantically against her bonds in a mix of fear and fury. With all her strength she fought against her armbinder, but unsurprisingly, the leather didn't yield a millimetre. No matter how much she twisted her shoulders or tried to push her elbows apart, her arms remained stuck uselessly on her back in their tight leather prison.

Her pent-up frustration erupted into an unarticulated scream which, thanks to her hood, resounded in her ears but was otherwise stifled by the huge gag in her mouth. The only thing she accomplished was to run out of breath and so she had to stop her fruitless efforts to somehow free herself. Exhausted, she leaned her forehead against the wall and desperately sucked air through the nostrils of the mask to regain her breath.

"Aihh!"

Without warning, a hand had grabbed the ring at the top of her gag harness and forced her head back.

"What kind of racket is this? As soon as I let you out of my sight for a second, you're creating a scene," an apparently furious Victoria hissed into her ear. "Just you wait! I've warned you ..."

Before Penny could recover from her surprise to protest against the rough treatment, Victoria let go of her head and stepped behind her. Immediately thereafter, a line of burning pain erupted across both of her chastity belt-separated buttocks when the Devil's Tail slashed across her butt with a loud whistling noise. Penny howled, dancing mindlessly from the pain against her short hobble chain, but Victoria in her righteous anger was unmoved by her frantic wailing. The next blow was directed at the backs of her thighs, then it was her bottom's turn again.

Penny thrashed madly at the limit of her leash like an eel on a fishing line and tried desperately to avoid the blows, but she had no chance. Victoria seemed to have a seventh sense for her hectic evasive movements and the bound-together arms swinging wildly in front of her butt and so guided the whip again and again with supernatural precision to its designated target. Unfortunately, the thin latex of her suit proved to be completely inadequate for the task of protecting her sensitive hindquarters from the painful bite of the pointed leather tongue.

Two more strikes raised the total to six, then Victoria's wrath was apparently spent. She embraced the sobbing Penny from behind and hugged her for long moments.

"Shh, calm down! Now it's all good again. It's all good!"

She spoke soothingly to Penny and gently stroked her head until the miserable sobbing eased and the tension left her body. Penny remained upset, but it was much more tempting to let herself fall into Victoria's comforting embrace than to cling doggedly to the ultimately useless anger she felt over her burning bottom. Especially since it was burning not only from the blows! In retrospect she had to admit that the whipping had also stoked her libido ...

"I do hope you've learned your lesson. You mustn't freak out like that, just think what impression that makes. If you don't want to draw unwanted attention to yourself, you shouldn't act like a fledgling slave who hasn't learned to trust and obey her mistress yet. Don't lose your countenance! I advise you keep quiet now, I've activated the shock function of your collar."

With this whispered admonition Victoria untied her leash from the wall ring and dragged Penny after her. Around them, applause suddenly surged. It was only at this moment that Penny realized her little drama had attracted an audience that had witnessed and enjoyed her punishment. In her mind's eye, a repetition of the scene played out in slow motion, as it must have looked like from a spectator's point of view: First, there was the awe-inspiring Victoria, who effortlessly radiated dominance even in her jeans, skilfully swinging the whip; then herself as her defenceless victim, virtually naked in her shiny black, skin-tight rubber outfit, but fortunately anonymous due to the hood, dancing dementedly on her high heels in a vain attempt to escape the blows of her strict mistress; the slapping of the whip when it hit her sensitive ass; her screams suffocated by the gag ...

It was so unbelievably humiliating to be first disciplined in front of strangers like a stubborn donkey, then placated into obedience again with a few, calculated cuddles. And yet it was so incredibly exciting. If she hadn't been so thoroughly bound, her hands would probably have found their way to her crotch without caring about any spectators. Or, she would have torn the mask off her head to reveal herself to the envious eyes of the voyeurs as the proud slave of her divine mistress.

The emotions that these thoughts unleashed were so overwhelming that Penny involuntarily stopped. For a moment, she wished for nothing more eagerly than for her fantasy to come true - only to be snatched out of her trance by a violent tugging on her leash which immediately brought her back to the here and now. She nearly lost her balance and only a few quick steps saved her from an ungentle crash. Composure! With an effort she suppressed a weary sigh and resumed strutting behind her mistress.

Penny was drawn along to another booth, where she was made to wait again trapped in her own dark world while Victoria inspected the goods on offer. Several times, muffled clinks penetrated to her ears, suggesting metal as the material of choice. Penny was confused; they were already well equipped with chains, handcuffs and all other sorts of bondage gear made of steel or sometimes titanium, most of these custom-made for her. Her extremely talented collar with its many functions was even a unique specimen, probably the only one of its kind worldwide. So what on earth was Victoria looking for now?

Penny came closer to solving the mystery when the stand owner spoke up courteously.

"Can I help you? Are you looking for something special?"

"Indeed I am. Our mutual acquaintance Robert told me that you've designed the piercing jewellery for his slave Nina."

"Oh indeed, her jewellery is something very special. I never imagined I'd sell more than one set of that."

"Not so fast. For now, we're only interested in the designs."

"No problem. The jewellery definitely requires a number of rather uncommon piercings that take some time to heal. I don't even know who did them for Nina, so you'll have to contact Robert for that."

"That's what we were planning to do."

No, we were not! Penny had to muster all of her self-control not to protest vociferously into the gag. Only fear of her shock collar's painful retaliation held her back. Instead, she stomped her foot angrily, knowing for sure that she didn't need, and certainly did not want any additional holes in her body! Admittedly, the play with her nipple rings was very intense, but that made any step-up from there completely unnecessary, and above all, undesirable.

There was an immediate reaction to her silent protest, in the form of a jerk on her leash that dragged her forward until she stumbled against Victoria, who shoved a leg between her limbs and stepped on the connecting chain between her ankle cuffs, pinning her down in place.

"You disagree? Shall we take the necessary measurements right away?" Victoria's voice hissed in her ear.

Penny froze for a moment before shaking her head as best as she could.

"That's what I figured." Victoria took a step back and turned back to the proprietor of the stand.

"Please excuse the small interruption. Do you have the designs here?"

"Yes, I have the files on my laptop, we can go through the specifications together, preferably in the back of the booth. If you want, you can lock your slave in the cage here, she seems to be a little, uh, nervous. My wife can take care of her while we're busy."

"Gladly, thank you very much!" Victoria jerked on the leash again. "Come!"

Penny followed her for a couple of steps, then she felt hands on her shoulders gently pushing her down.

"Squat!" Victoria ordered.

Penny hesitantly obeyed, then was immediately pushed forward by the hands.