No Shit There I Was

I looked at her smiling. I refilled the glass.

"You should know that mead has another name." She turned to face me after taking another long sip. "It's called panty remover."

She laughed, then fanned her face. "I can see why. What proof is that?"

I shook my head.

"I could test it, but I like it however it comes out the bottle. It's maybe about sixteen, seventeen percent. Like a strong wine, not as strong as champagne. Although, I have a champagne style I will be opening tomorrow night that's maybe twenty."

I lifted the bottle and tilted it towards her.

"More?"

"Why? Do you think my panties need removing?" she asked grinning. She held up her mug to me and I slow poured it halfway full.

"Well, if the mead won't do it ... I certainly volunteer to help."

Sipping mead, I sat there with her, minding the store. After a bit, she slipped her foot out her shoe and ran it up the side of my tall leather boots. I could feel her toes through the soft leather.

"Jak?"

"Yes, Dawn?"

"I can't help it. I'm curious about you and Kathrin."

I took a long deep breath.

"I have been enjoying your company Dawn and I hope you won't think worse of me when you hear the answer you're so curious about. Some people have gotten up, walked away and never spoken to her or me again. But I said I would tell you and I keep a promise. On-site Jak and Kathrin have been together for over ten years. We met at a party, had incredible sex. We got handfasted by a friend of ours and have lived together happily more or less ever since that time. But only on site. When we leave site we leave Jak and Kathrin behind."

"And you become Michel?" said Dawn more a statement than a question.

"That's correct I become Michel Shaw a certified welder who works as an independent contractor. I do welding on commercial and industrial jobs."

"That's good money. I know people who do that," she said nodding.

"It's very good money."

"And Kathrin?" asked Dawn looking me in the eye. I was hesitant to answer.

"I become Tina Shaw," said Kat from the dark. Dawn jumped. "I work at a gym and make fat ladies do laps around a track to burn off all the Haagen Dazs ice cream they eat." Kathrin stepped into the light of the lanterns.

"Tina Shaw? So you are his wife." Dawn looked to me and I was shaking my head.

"No. Tina is Michel's kid sister," I told her. I leaned over and filled back up her mug figuring she was going to need it.

Dawn sat with her eyes slowly about to pop out her head and her jaw sitting in her lap.

Kat stepped forward and lifted her jaw shut with a finger. She fished out a stool from under the table and sat down facing Dawn. I handed her my mug.

"YOUR..." she started loud then went to a whisper "... brother and sister?"

I shook my head.

"Not here. Not on site. Tina and Michel are brother and sister, Kathrin and I are husband and wife." I held up my hand the silver band catching the light. "Even have the rings to prove it."

She shook her head. Looking down, Dawn saw the full mug and drank half of it in a single gulp. She looked back up at us. From one to the other. "So off site you don't sleep together, but on site you do?"

I shook my head and started to speak, but Kathrin answered before I could.

"It might help if you think of us as each two different people sharing the same bodies."

"I showed you in the parking lot the other night the differences between Michel and Jak, yes?" I reached for her empty hand. She didn't quite jerk it out my fingers. "Well, the differences between Kathrin and Tina are far more extreme."

Dawn started to shake her head.

"That's ... that's. No, that's just all a bunch of crap. You're the same people no matter what you call yourselves."

"Are we?" Kathrin leaned forward her face right in Dawn's. I saw Dawn's eyes go wide. "That woman you're asking about. Tina? She is an overly preening, heath nut, with leg warmers, a pink tank top, and her hair teased up in a style that died in the eighties. She won't eat meat, loves tofu and bean sprouts. Drinks only water and lemon juice with no sweetener. Now I want you to take a long look at me and tell me you see that woman sitting here."

Even having seen her make the change I couldn't see Tina in Kathrin so I knew Dawn couldn't. She turned to look at me.

"Michel is so shy he wouldn't talk to a woman who doesn't speak to him first." Kathrin's voice held its normal edge of contempt for Tina's brother Michel. "She would have to make the first move to even get him to ask her out. He would date her five times before finding the courage to kiss her goodnight. People have seriously thought he is gay."

I nodded at the truth of that. Dawn looked me up and down and I could see a slow acceptance of what we were saying.

"You live together?"

"We have separate rooms," I said. "We inherited the house from our Aunt. The woman who raised us after our parents died. She passed years ago."

"Did she know?"

"I ..." I looked over at Kathrin.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. But then she was a part of the free love movement from the sixties. She could have and just never said anything."

Kat got to her feet.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She pointed to where the noise was steadily building. I could hear the party drums getting going. I knew the dancers would soon be starting.

"The party at the fort. Got bet I wouldn't drink from the war funnel."

I chuckled

"What was the bet?"

Kat smirked.

"Oral sex."

I laughed and shook my head.

"You haven't shaven since you got here that poor fellows going to be beard burned to death."

"I might let her win." She leaned in and kissed me roughly. "Expect me if I show up. Good night, Dawn."

She walked away for several feet before Dawn calls after her. "Goodnight...Kathrin."

Kat reached back and gave her white foxtail a flip.

I leaned back in my Viking chair. "Bit much to take in?" I asked her watching her face.

She swallowed and slowly shook her head. "I've heard of it of course; just never meet anyone in real life doing it."

I shrugged.

"I'll do anything for Kathrin. I'll endure Tina, and I'll live as Michel, for my times as Jak, with Kathrin." I took a sip of my mead. "Anyway, that's one of the reasons we don't talk about the mundane world on the site.

"Mundane world?" she asked taking a sip of her mead.

"Any place not SCA. Offsite."

"Oh ...Okay. War funnel?"

I laughed. "Over at the fort on one of the towers they have a funnel and hose set up. You funnel a whole beer from about fifteen feet up."

"And Kathrin's going to do that?"

"She can. I saw her one time at a place up in Tennessee. We both left the site in garb to go get something. This guy at a bar across the street from where we stopped, came stumbling across the street. He said she was the hottest piece of ass he had ever seen and that he was going to bend her across the hood of his car and fuck the hell out of her."

I saw Dawns eyes go wide.

"What happened?"

"Well, I came out the convenience store just in time to see the last of it. He was carrying an almost full bottle of Jack Daniel's. Kat reached out took it from him and turned it up. She killed the whole thing. As the last drop passed her lips she broke the bottle on the front bumper of his car. She looked up at him and said 'Fuck away stud, but I should tell you I like it real rough.' All the while holding that broken bottle by the neck."

"Did he leave?" asked Dawn.

"He lit out of there like is ass was on fire and his balls were catching," I said chuckling.

We sat there quietly for a bit. Slowly she reached out towards my hand. I smiled and took her fingers in mine.

"I'm sorry. I was just startled. I shouldn't have pulled away from you." She squeezed my hand once.

"Considering some of the reactions we have gotten yours was mild. I swear one guy looked like he was going to follow us around all weekend going 'the power of Christ compels you.' He was quoting us chapter and verse."

Dawn laughed. I saw a thought cross her mind then. It showed on her face. She sat up in the chair and pulled me towards her.

"Jak?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I'm more than a bit drunk. Would you like to kiss me again?"

"I more than a bit and I would love to do that." Leaning in, I touched my lips to hers. I could taste the vanilla on her tongue. The sweet breath of alcohol kissing me back.

She pulled back in a bit making yummy sounds

"Vanilla mead makes for good kisses," she said licking her lips.

"Primary reason I make it. Come on I haven't had a sale in over two hours. Everyone is at a party or headed to one. Help me close up for the night." I got up and started to close down the front of the tent. I tied down the flaps in case of a hurricane. You never know with this site.

I turned off the lanterns and led her out. Holding her hand we went down the road and out of merchants.

"So where are we going?" she asked leaning into my arm.

"Well, I figured party hopping. There are about three big ones going on plus dozens of smaller get-together,

"Oh," She grinned, "Would this be the frat party crowd you mentioned?"

"Somewhat. Generally, it depends on the makeup of the event. Gulf Wars is a very family like getting together. But on some sites when the kids are staying with grandma and grandpa for the weekend. Well, let's just say mom and dad cut loose."

"What's the wildest thing you've ever seen on site?" she asked grinning.

I answered without hesitation. "A gay man getting dragged across a field of Morning Glory flower by a parachute."

"WHAT?'

I nodded.

"How, why?"

"It was a summer event so it was going to be hot, and someone had brought a big old army style parachute to the site. They were going to hang it up in the trees as a giant shade pavilion. Well, the guy who brought the parachute went to the feast hall to recruit more people to help host the thing. While he was doing this our friend, of the blue feather persuasion, got the thing out the back of the truck and started to unroll it. He had a hold of the ropes and the wind came up. I looked up from setting up my tent to see him getting dragged across a field of blue Morning Glory flowers going 'Help me! OH god somebody help me!"

Dawn started to laugh as the visual of that came to her. It helps that I can do Elhale's voice to a perfect pitch.

"Well, did you help the poor man?"

"Are you kidding me, I couldn't breathe! I was lying on the ground in front of my tent about to die!"

"Well, what happen to him?" she asked giggling.

"He finally let go of the ropes." I dodged around a man in black armor. He nodded to me and did a creaky half bow to Dawn. She did a much better curtsy. Yep much better.

I saw her blushing scarlet.

"What?" I asked grinning.

"That little greeting almost spills my boobs out my top."

"Well, that would be a very nice way of saying hello wouldn't it?"

She swatted my arm. "You just want a look at my breast."

I stopped in the road tilted my head a bit considering.

"Yes."

** ** ** ** ** ** **

We went into the gate at the Middle Eastern encampment. There was lively music filling the whole camp and beyond. I saw a large group of dancers going round and round a group of drummers. One spun off and into my arms as we passed.

Miranda planted a quick kiss on me then spun and caught up Dawn. She kissed Dawn and then was back into the circle. Her coins just a shaking.

Dawn stood like she had been hit by a board.

"You okay?"

"I've never been kissed by a woman before."

I chuckled "Well, I've never been kissed by a man before but..."

I found myself in a strong grip and then warm lips tasting of mead were hot against mine. I saw a flash of red for a second then his face was by my ear.

"Now you have."

I watched Ralharous dance away into the party like a red kilted pinwheel I looked over at Dawn to see her laughing at me.

"Well, how was it?" she asked chuckling.

"He smokes and needs a shave, but other than that he's not a bad kisser."

Laughing we joined the party. I tried to show her how to do one of the dances. She got too tickled to do it well, but I could see she had the figure for a coin belt. A lord offered us a sample of a wine cordial he had way too much of on site. Blackberry I do believe. Giggling we finally made it to the door.

"Aha! Got out with our clothes still on. I think that's a record for me." I grabbed her hand. Crossing the crossroads we went into Rolling Thunder. There were, at least, thirty people with drums ranging from doombeks to a large kettledrum. There was a lady dancing with a sword on her head. She spun like a top. The sword staying perfectly in place.

Dawn tried to say something to me,

"What?"

"Can Men Belly dance?" she yelled by my ear.

"Yes! But It Really Looks Silly" I shrugged. "Still!"

Grinning, I jumped into the circle the camp had formed around the dancer. She saw me as she turned and I pulled a dagger from my belt. I put it between my teeth and started to spin with her. The crowd began to clap. Round and round we went. Her upping the pace. I caught a grin from her. Then she turned super quick trying to trip me up.

HA! She does not know Jak o'the Blade! Well ... actually she does, but that's a long story.

I saw her hand going higher and higher as she spun. I knew what was coming! As the music reached its peak I saw the sword come off her head as I turned, and on the last thunderous beat of the drums, I spun and caught her sword on my dagger. We were locked eye to eye, hilt to hilt, just inches from each other. She grinned at me as the crowd cheered.

Like I said, long story.

I accepted a drinking horn from a friend who clapped me on the shoulder. I drank it half-down and handed the rest to Dawn. She was bright-eyed and smiling. I watched her turn up the horn. She spilled a bit down her blouse.

Laughing, I handed back to the horn to my friend and led her out the camp.

"You were wonderful, and I just knew I was going to spill something on me." She was trying to wipe her open cleavage with a bit of cloth one of the ladies handed her. "I'm going to be all sticky."

"Sounds interesting."

She laughed at me and we headed back down towards merchants. I took us off towards the fort. The most noise hence the biggest party seemed to be coming from there.

"Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!"

As we stepped up I saw a man with a white belt step up to the side of the tower. He took the pipe and opened wide. Up top, I saw a girl pop open a can of beer and pour it down the funnel.

"Huzzah! Huzzah! HUZZAH!"

He barely kept it down. The crowd cheered. Another man stepped up.

"Can you do that?" Dawn asked me grinning.

"I can if I wanted to kiss half the camp." I pointed out the fact the guy didn't wipe the tube off before he started his chug.

"But I thought you did want to kiss half the camp," she said with a grin.

I shrugged "There are times that would be true, but at this moment, I think I would like to kiss you more."

She turned and looked me in the eyes. "With all these beautiful women who seem to be looking for someone to have fun with, you want to kiss me again?"

"You're a beautiful woman who seems to be having fun," I told her as I stepped up close to her. I looked down into her eyes. They were a deep brown almost black here in the torchlight. "And yes, I would like to kiss you again."

She leaned into me and I tasted her soft lips. She pressed up hard against me. I caught her around her back my fingers running across the embroidered stitches of her vest. I felt her fingers go into the inside of my leather vest touching the bare skin of my ribs and chest.

"Hey, Jak get a tent already," said a passer-by who knew me. Dawn broke away from my lips and hid her face in my chest.

"What?" I asked her looking down at her red face.

"I'm embarrassed," she said softly.

"Why?" I lifted her chin from my chest till she met my eyes. "Is there anyone on the site here you might know? Anyone, who could go running to tell on you for kissing a strange guy? So is there any reason you shouldn't be kissing?" I leaned down slowly. I brushed her lips on the way to her ear. "On site, you are not you. You can be who every you want to be. That person can do anything you want them too and it doesn't reflect on 'Dawn' at all."

She leaned back slowly and looked at my eyes. I saw her swallow. "And if this other me, who isn't me, wanted to take you to bed?"

"Then I would love to see if her breasts are as sticky as yours."

She blushed again. She leaned in and slowly kissed me again. She softly whispered to me.

"Would you make love to me Jak?"

I took her hand in mine and looking into her eyes, I led her off into merchant's row.

It was quieter here. Most of the people were elsewhere. Most of the tents closed up. Opening the flap of my tent, I reached inside and turned on the battery lantern. It was shockingly bright after the torchlight. I led her past my tables and into the back of the tent. The lantern outside cast only a dim light through the lacy top of the partition curtain.

She started to take off her top, but I stopped her.

"Let me."

Moving around her like a slow dance I began to remove her clothing. Item by item I bared her to my gaze. First the vest. Then the belt. The buttons of the blouse. I undid the buckle that cinches the waist of her skirt. Her bra and panties were a matching color of blush rose. It was hardly a different color than her own skin. I wrapped her up in my arms and kissed her softly. She was shivering like a trapped bird in my hands.

"Relax my dear. This is the easy part." I brushed her face with the back of my fingers.

"It's been awhile," she told me softly looking down.

"Then we'll go slow. Lay back on the bed."

As she crawled her way into our bed I saw herself consciously adjusting her last bits of clothes.

Smiling, I dropped my vest off my shoulders. The cool air sent goosebumps across my back. Or was it anticipation. I unhooked my belt and hung it from the side of the trailer. Sitting down facing away from her I used my heel to help slide off the tall boots. Still in my leather pants, I crawled back to where she was and lay on my back next to her looking up.

"I would like you to kiss me," I told her looking at her face. It was shadowed in the faint light.

Slowly hesitantly she leaned her body down. Her breast, still in its rose cloth covering, rested heavy on my side as she brought her lips to mine. I eased her down till she was half laying on me, our lips soft at first then meeting with a building aggression.

I moved my arm out from under her and around to that side. My hands began to caress her back. From nape of neck to lower back I gently massaged.

My fingers caught the hooks of her bra and I had it opened in a second with one hand.

Call it a gift.

A gentle rake of her spine moved it off her back.

She sat up enough to pull it off out the way. I saw large pink nipples then she was pressed bare skin to bare skin against my chest.

"I need you to undo the front of my pants," I told her in a near whisper. "It's getting a bit uncomfortable down there."

She sat up beside me looking at my face. Then down to the bulge on my leathers.

My eyes went to the round curves of her breast. Her nipples were larger than most I have seen and a deep pink color. I saw a light blue vein running near one nipple on her pale white skin.

With a bit of a tug, she opened the top of the leather pants. Her fingers hand to press against me for her to find the buttons. Slowly she opened the front flaps and out I came. Standing hard and a little to the left.

She gave a giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked her with a grin. I know I'm not huge, but I'm not small enough for it to be funny.