A post in which the Kindred have gathered!

Wow. What a great and amazing day.

We met in the lobby at 9:30 and went to breakfast. There was a little diner near the hotel that was family owned, and the food was actually really good. Lady Beth, Lynn, Geoff, Tori, Rhonda, and I were there. We had a nice meal and started the day together.

After breakfast there was a bit of a lull. Lady Beth had given me the task of getting reservations for everyone for dinner and finding out everyone’s ETA. But first, Geoff and Tori were going to Brushstrokes. Since no trip to Atlanta is complete for me without wasting a ton o money there, I was all about going too. I picked out Donnie’s Christmas present, and got myself a new bear shirt (which yeah, I really needed – not), a nekkid man magnet (which is pretty much something I can’t leave Atlanta without), another magnet with a cool quote from Oscar Wilde on it, and a couple o' lesbian romance novels. I just usually don’t like gay novels – all the people do is have sex in them, and I prefer more of a story.

When we got back to the hotel we went to Geoff and Tori’s room. Tori taught me a little about boot blacking, and helped me to black my boots for tonight. They were in pretty sorry shape, but when we got done they looked good.

Getting reservations for 12 on a Saturday night in Atlanta in someplace decent, with the constrictions we were under as to what everyone would eat, was quite an undertaking. Thank goodness Geoff had his super laptop with him. After I found out we couldn’t get in at the place Billy had suggested (and just as well, actually, I hadn’t realized it was like $50 a head), Geoff just pretty much took over the process. He made a list of acceptable places and called most of them. No dice. Eventually he was able to reach a deal with the local Longhorn steak house that if we called before we left the hotel, they would put us on the list.

By the time all this was in place it was lunch time. We just went back over to the diner and had lunch which Geoff and Tori. I love a good tuna melt, and this one was quite up to par.

After lunch, Rhonda and I ran to the CVS for emergency supplies (I had packed in a hurry, and had forgotten stuff I needed). We had planned on a bit of down time for a nap that afternoon, but when we came back, Miss Kat and dana were checking in, and then while we were talking to them Russ and Billy pulled up.

We ended up in Russ and Billy’s room for a while, just having a general rap session and visit with them and with Rob and Joanne. I really enjoyed it, but that meant no nap time. After a quick brush-up and a change of clothes, we went on to dinner. My food was OK. I had a good salad and some shrimp that I thought were going to be buffaloed, but were actually just cooked with a lot of jalapenos and other peppers. I picked the shrimp out, but they were pretty spicy. But I didn’t come for the food anyway. I was in an ideal position at the end of the table. The restaurant had to split us, so there was a 4-top across the aisle where Lady Beth, Lori, Lynn, and Rhonda sat. I was in a great position to pop over and talk to them, so I actually got to talk to everyone a lot more than I would have otherwise.

After supper, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the big event – we went to 1763. It’s a BDSM club, and of course I had never been there. It was a pretty cool place. Lady Beth and the members of the Kindred are well known and respected, so we were greeted personally by one of the staff there, who saw us through the signing in process (it cost $70 freakin dollars for Rhonda and I to get in!!) and gave us a brief tour of the changes since the last time the group had visited. That done, the staffer found Lady Beth and Lynn a place to play – no small feat, since Bound was in this weekend. It’s an event specifically for bondage and rope-work enthusiasts, so the place was packed.

I helped get Lady Beth’s things into the area, and then faded out as she and Lynn entered their own little world.

I had asked Miss Kat and dana if I could flag purple for Miss Kat tonight. Miss Kat said yes, and I have to say it was a very proud moment for me to walk in with the family, flagging Miss Kat’s color. Since I was officially her property tonight, I went to find her to see what I could do to help. Unfortunately there wasn’t a play space available immediately, but they found a place that would be open soon. We sat down to just kind of get into headspace and absorb some of the atmosphere. I have to say that there were an exceptional number of good-looking people there.

But we were in Atlanta, and it was an event weekend. I didn’t really feel tons of energy though, as I would have expected. It didn’t matter. Miss Kat was ON tonight. She was shooting sparks the way she does sometimes. Sitting near her was like feeling a big storm coming on - it was enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. In a really good way. Lori, Rhonda, and I were all her people tonight. She sat down with Lori in front of her, head in her lap. I sat down to her left and just leaned my head against her. Within minutes, the rest of the place had faded to insignificance. She had just pulled us all into her headspace, and that was pretty much all there was. Miss Kat said she was feeling predatory. She put her hand on my head, and ran it down my neck. I just leaned my head back and exposed my throat to her. Sitting there with her hand on my throat was all I needed.

After a bit, the play space they had reserved for her opened, and we all went over there. She was setting Lori up for a needle scene. She and dana were planning on playing tonight, but dana had gotten hurt at work on Friday, and was too hurt to play. I know she was very disappointed about it, but as typical unselfish dana, she sent us out to play without her. The fact that she would trust me to go out, flagging her Lady’s colors, to a play space yet, just floors me. The level of trust and love dana shows me makes me feel humble. She knew Miss Kat needed this, and wanted her to have what she needed.

Miss Kat was ready to get going, but of course there were things that needed to be done. We couldn’t get the light right, but Billy suggested I pull a rolling light up from the corner. When I turned it on, Miss Kat looked at me and just glowed “PERFECT!” she said with a predatory grin. I was fuzzy all over for a while.

She and Lori got into the scene, and after Lady Beth and Lynn finished, Lady Beth joined in for a bit as well. Lori really likes needle play. I’ve never done it, but watching it makes me hurt. But then of course lots of stuff made me hurt to look at it before I had done it. Rhonda and I ended up being needle expeditors, unwrapping and handing them to Miss Kat and minding the sharps container as they came out. It was a very intense scene, and although I wasn’t as involved in the energy as with some scenes I’ve witnessed, Miss Kat had plenty of energy to make the space, and I was glad to be involved and helping.

When that was over and all cleaned up, we went to smoke, and I got permission from Miss Kat to play. Rob was there and had played with Joanne earlier, but he still wanted to play with me. Rob is a very sweet guy, and completely straight. It took me a bit to understand what it was that I could give him, but with a little help from Billy I understand now. Joanne has health issues, and he really can’t play with her very roughly. With me, he knows he can give what he wants to and that I can take it. Joanne also doesn’t have a submissive bone in her body. When I go into play space, I go in to lay it down, and I do. I can give that true submissive energy back. That’s a powerful gift to someone who doesn’t experience it that often, and one it makes me proud to give.

I didn’t go as far or as high as I might have wished tonight, but I get to fly, and it was great! Rob was really there with me, and giving really good energy. We both had a great time, and it was really good to be able to play. I was so hungry! I went into headspace almost immediately (I had already been pumped full of energy from being around Miss Kat, so I was primed and ready to roll). Rob finished the scene by kissing me right on the mouth, which was quite a surprise to me; and he rode back to the hotel with his arm around my shoulders, which I thought was very sweet.

So all told it was a great evening. I got to spend it with my peeps. We got to commune and to indulge in this thing that makes us different, and draws us together. We got to spend family time together, which is what it’s all about right? Life is good.