Culture Shock (Completed)

[FireBloom_FrostByte]

FireBloom says ... Last month, Jamie and I were working on a story that we really liked, but that just wasn't coming together. With only one week left until the June update on FNA, we decided to try writing something new, and this is what we came up with. Right now, we are working on the conclusion to the story, which we intend to submit for FNA's July 12 update. Hope you enjoy it!

FrostByte says ... Believe it or not, Kit and I sat down at a desk with absolutely nothing in mind, and in the space of thirty minutes, we made up the entire plotline of this story. Funny how inspiration works sometimes. Of course, it is taking us a lot longer than that to turn the plotline ideas into actual words. Please let us know if you like it!


Culture Shock (Part 1 of 2)

By FireBloom and FrostByte


(Part 2 of our story can be found here and here.)


The Morgan Family
Richard, 46
Bonnie, 42
Van, 18
Mary, 17
Jasper, 15
Gemma, 15
Amber, 14

The Guest
Shray, 18


DING!

"Yes, you heard right."

Bonnie Morgan cradled her phone between her ear and shoulder as she took the freshly baked bread out of the oven.

"We agreed to host that exchange student from ... uh ... "

She tilted her head slightly, wrinkling her eyebrows.

" ... Zylphia, I think they said was the name of his country ... No, I've never heard of it, either. From the way Richard described it, it sounds like a very ... exotic ... place."

Bonnie giggled.

"Yes, I agree, judging by what we've heard of Zylphia, 'exotic' is indeed the word ... Anyway, the boy's name is Shray ... Uh-huh ... And he'll be staying with us for the entire academic year, about ten months ... No, I haven't spoken to him myself, but Richard tells me he seems delightful. Very respectful young man, he was going on and on about how grateful he is to us for hosting him while he's attending university in the city."

Bonnie looked up from the okra she was chopping.

"He'll be arriving in three days," she said, looking at the calendar on the wall. "Right now, I'm doing a practice run ... I'm cooking a traditional Zylphian dinner. When Shray gets here, I want him to feel right at home."

She sighed as she poured the okra into the steaming pot on the stove.

"It's a very difficult meal to prepare," said Bonnie, gripping her phone tightly. "First of all, the recipe wasn't easy to get a hold of. Funnily enough, you don't find many cookbooks of Zylphian cuisine at the bookstore. And then, it requires a lot of unusual ingredients, and the directions are also oddly persnickety about cooking times and temperatures."

Bonnie folded her arm as she leaned back against the counter.

"Still, I know that I've got the easy job tonight ... Oh, you heard about that, huh? ... Well, Richard is in the living room right now and - "

Her thoughts were interrupted by the kitchen door swinging open, and her husband poking his head through.

"Well?" asked Bonnie.

Richard grimaced.

"The kids ... aren't taking it as well as I'd hoped they would." He shook his head. "Not that I was expecting them to be happy."

* * * * *

"Hey, Dad." Van poked his father's shoulder. "They're getting restless."

"Okay, son," sighed Richard.

"I'll have dinner ready in a couple of hours," said Bonnie, giving her husband a sympathetic gaze.

"Thanks."

Richard followed his son back into the living room.

Van's younger brother, Jasper, was looking out the window, pausing occasionally to glance at his three beautiful sisters, all sitting on the couch ... and sliding his eyes down the girls' bodies ...

Jasper's twin sister, Gemma, had her hands folded in her lap. Her face was rigid and expressionless, a striking contrast to her older sister, Mary, who was positively contorting herself in fury. On the far end of the couch was the youngest in the family, Amber, whose normally placid face was buried in her hands.

Richard's eyes scanned the room, searching for just a glimmer of hope, and finding none. He opened his mouth, but whatever words started to emerge were quickly lost in the cacophony of teenaged voices that suddenly erupted.

"Daddy, this is crazy!" cried Amber.

"I can't believe you're really going to make us do this!" burst out Mary.

"Dad, I really don't think this is a good idea." Van's tone was the most measured, but still higher than his usual even pitch.

Jasper walked over to the couch and sat on the edge of it. He glanced at Gemma, who looked back at him before fixing her eyes on her father.

"Kids, listen." Richard took a deep breath. "Shray is going to be our guest for the next ten months, and we should not make him feel uncomfortable. We have to respect his - "

"And that means we have to be NAKED?!" exclaimed Mary.

"We all agreed to be sensitive to the differences in culture and tradition - "

"We didn't agree to be NAKED!" shouted Mary and Amber in unison.

Before Richard could say any more, Jasper cleared his throat.

"I don't know," he said with a small shrug, glancing at his sisters. He chuckled as he added, "Something about it appeals to me."

A moment later, Jasper yelped "OW!" He grimaced as he rubbed his arm, where Mary and Amber had both slugged him. Gemma gave her twin a pitying look, but still said nothing.

"Jasper, please," Richard groaned, rubbing his head. "Look, kids, as I was saying before, you need to understand that where Shray comes from, they have a very ... "

While her father was talking, Gemma opened her backpack and began pulling out several printouts.

" ... They have a very different sense of personal modesty than we do," finished Richard.

"No kidding," muttered Mary.

"It is perfectly routine for teenagers, and even adults, to be naked at all times in Zylphia," said Gemma, quite matter-of-factly.

All eyes in the room turned to Gemma, who was flipping through the papers in her lap.

"Gemma, what are you doing?" asked Van, blinking rapidly.

"I've been researching Zylphian culture," said Gemma, not looking up. She adjusted her glasses before continuing, "It is really quite fascinating. For example, did you know that when a teenaged girl in Zylphia goes out in public, she is always expected to be accompanied by one of her brothers? It's sort of a signal to other teenaged boys."

"'This girl is my sister, so keep your hands to yourself' ... ?" guessed Jasper.

"Not precisely," said Gemma. "More like ... 'If you're interested in her, then I'm the one you need to negotiate with.'"

"Don't even think it!" snarled Mary, glaring at Jasper, who held up his hands innocently.

Richard cleared his throat, loudly enough to carry through the entire living room.

"Kids, please." Richard shook his head. "Gemma, where did you even find that stuff?"

"It wasn't easy. Zylphia is very obscure, even for a microstate. But my history teacher helped me locate a few data sources."

"They really go around naked in that place?" asked Jasper interestedly, leaning over Gemma's shoulders.

"Yes," said Gemma, pulling out a page from her notes. "Teenaged girls, and even adult women, are routinely naked in Zylphia. Also, teenaged boys and adult men are often naked as well."

Gemma paused.

"It looks like that's primarily because of the climate in Zylphia. It is perpetually summer there, very hot and humid."

"Well, it isn't summer here," Van observed.

"That's right." Mary seized on the point. "It's autumn now."

"And the weather is already turning cold, Daddy," added Amber.

"They have a point," even Jasper had to admit.

Richard was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well," he said.

"So we don't all have to be naked?" asked Van hopefully.

"No, you don't." Richard shook his head.

Van, Mary, and Amber all let out an audible sigh of relief. Jasper shrugged. Gemma looked downward, her face softening just slightly.

"You don't all have to be naked." Richard paused before adding, "Just the girls."

"WHAT?!" shrieked Mary and Amber in unison, their faces instantly twisting in shock, disbelief, and outrage.

Gemma's face was absolutely frozen.

Van was blinking rapidly again, his brain trying to process what he'd just heard.

Jasper's eyes were round as he ran his gaze over his sisters, and down their bodies, again. For the 15-year-old boy, this had just taken a most intriguing turn.

"Daddy, you just said ... " Mary's protest trailed off as her father held up his hand.

"Gemma," said Richard, "You seem to have done a lot of research on Zylphia. I'm sure you must know a bit about their traditions regarding girls."

Gemma nodded.

"What I said before," she clarified, "is that the summer climate in Zylphia is the reason why boys and men are often naked. For girls, and women, it's a different matter. It's a longstanding, deeply rooted cultural tradition in Zylphia that females, especially teenagers, must be naked at all times."

"I knew it!" exploded Mary. "It just figures, some stupid, patriarchal society that probably hasn't evolved in five or six centuries, if you think that ..."

Mary continued railing, not noticing that all five of the other people in the room had already tuned her out.

Richard sighed. Van, Jasper, and even Amber were exchanging looks that said Here we go again ...

"Zylphia is not really a patriarchal country, Mary," said Gemma, leafing through the pages of her printouts. "Actually, they have more women in positions of power than men."

"Then why ... ?" asked Van.

Gemma looked up, folding her hands in her lap.

"Protection," she said seriously. "Zylphian society regards women, and especially girls, as precious, beloved, delicate, vulnerable, and must be cherished and protected above all else in the world."

Gemma adjusted her glasses again.

"In Zylphia, protecting girls is considered to be of paramount importance. This drives many of their longstanding customs regarding girls."

"What exactly is being naked supposed to protect a girl from?" asked Amber, her eyebrows wrinkling.

"From being undressed against her will," explained Gemma.

There was a long pause in the room.

"You know," said Mary, breaking the silence at last, "I have a terrible fear that if I think about that for too long, it will actually start to make sense."

"Daddy," Amber's voice was cracking. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body as she asked, "You're not really going to make us be naked, are you?"

"We all agreed to try to make our guest feel comfortable," Richard reminded her. "We agreed to respect the traditions in his country."

"Yeah, well, it's ALSO a tradition in his country for girls to be gagged and bound," said Mary heatedly. "Do you intend to follow THAT, too?"

"Say what?" asked Van.

"Here," said Mary, holding up a paper that she had just snatched from Gemma. "In Zylphian culture, it is routine for females, especially teenaged girls, to not only be naked, but also have their hands bound and to be gagged."

Gemma glanced at the page her sister had taken from her. She then took a pencil out of her backpack and began scribbling in the margin of the page still in her lap.

"And what, may I ask, is the value in not letting girls talk?" demanded Amber.

"I would think that would be obvious - OW!"

Jasper scowled as he rubbed his arm again, where Mary and Amber had both slugged him again, in the exact same spot as before.

This time, Gemma did not give her twin her usual pitying look. Instead, she tore a corner off the page in her lap and folded it in her hand.

"I must have missed that part," said Richard, taking the paper Mary was holding. "You know, you're right, sweetheart, you girls should be gagged and bound while Shray is here. We should respect all Zylphian customs. Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Mary."

"Yeah, thanks, Mary," growled Amber.

"So, how is everything going?" asked Bonnie, walking in from the kitchen. She took one look around the living room, and said, "That bad, huh?"

"How's dinner, dear?" asked Richard.

"Good," said Bonnie. "It's simmering ... or ... whatever it is that Zylphian food does."

"Mom, thank God you're here." Mary got to her feet. "Would you please talk some sense into Dad? He wants all of us girls to walk around naked while - "

"Mary, please." Bonnie held up her hand to cut off her daughter's pleas. "I already know all about it, and girls, I agree with your father. We all accepted the responsibility of being a host family, and part of that responsibility is treating our guest like a member of our family. We need to make him feel at home, and your father and I decided at the beginning that we should all respect the traditions of his home country."

"But Mom - " whined Mary and Amber in unison.

"Girls, please, this is important," said Richard. "Honestly ... Look at your mother. She's going to have to be naked, too, and you don't see her complaining about it."

"That's right, I ... Wait, what?" Bonnie's eyes widened, now fixed on her husband.

Richard blinked.

"Uh, yes, dear, you have to be naked, too," he said slowly, and very hesitantly. "I ... I thought that was understood."

"Well, um, I," stammered Bonnie, "I just sort of assumed that was for the girls. I didn't realize that I was going to ... "

"Adult women are generally naked in Zylphia, too, Mom," piped up Gemma. "It says so right here."

Bonnie was frozen. Richard placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Honey," he said, lowering his voice, "I was kind of counting on you to set a good example for our daughters here."

For a long moment, there was a heavy silence in the room.

"We're in the clear now," Mary whispered to Amber. "There is no way Mom will agree to this, and besides - "

Amber never heard what her sister was about to say, because at that moment, to the utter disbelief of her children, Bonnie unzipped her dress and pulled it off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

Her bra and panties soon followed, and Bonnie was now standing, naked, and blushing intensely, before her husband and children.

"Thank you," whispered Richard.

Bonnie smiled weakly.

"Wow," breathed Jasper. "Mom, you've been working out - OW!"

Jasper rubbed his arm, wondering how it is that Mary and Amber always manage to hit the exact same spot.

"Okay," said Richard, turning to his children. "Mary. Gemma. Amber. Girls. I think you should all follow your mother's example."

"Yeah," said Jasper enthusiastically. "C'mon, girls, take it off - OW!"

Gemma got up from the couch and gently rubbed Jasper's arm. where their sisters had slugged him yet again. She gave her twin another pitying look as she did so, before placing her hand comfortingly in his.

"Well, c'mon, girls," continued Jasper. "I mean, if an old lady like Mom can do it - "

"Jasper, sweetheart, would you like me to slug you myself?" asked Bonnie.

"Girls," said Richard again. "I really think that you should - "

"Dad, maybe we should let the girls ease into this," said Van hesitantly.

"Yeah," said Jasper, putting his hands in his pockets. "What if we start by having the girls wear bikinis instead of being naked? Let the girls get used to that, and then we'll go from there."

"I can live with that," said Gemma at once.

Mary and Amber exchanged looks.

"Girls," urged their mother. "At least give it a try."

"Fine," said Amber exasperatedly, and Mary slowly nodded.

"Come on," said Gemma, heading for the stairs, with her sisters reluctantly following.

As soon as the girls had gone up the stairs, Jasper pulled a small scrap of paper from his pocket.

"Dad ... Mom ... I've got an idea ... "

* * * * *

"There it is, Zylphia," said Gemma, pointing to a tiny dot on the map on her wall.

"Huh, would you look at that." Mary squinted as she gazed at the dot. "Gee, I always thought a fly did that."

"I can't believe we're doing this," mumbled Amber as she slipped into her yellow bikini.

"Tell me about it," said Mary. "I was supposed to have a slumber party next Saturday night."

"Dad would probably insist that everyone in the house follow our new rules while Shray is here," observed Gemma. She regarded her older sister seriously. "Would your friends still come if they knew they had to be naked?"

Mary was quiet for a long minute.

"Believe it or not, they will," she said at last. "As soon as I got wind of what was going to happen, I told my friends about it. Most of the girls were surprised, and hesitated, but then they said, 'I'll do it if the other girls do.'"

Mary tapped her lips thoughtfully.

"All except for Irene and Melanie. They both said they'd have no problem being naked, and then they looked at their boyfriends, Kieran and Jay, and giggled."

She shook her head.

"Sometimes, I really wonder about them ... "

* * * * *

"Honey, please, not so tight," murmured Bonnie.

Jasper finished tying his mother's wrists together behind her back, all the while trying his best not to linger on the view too long. He picked up a long white cloth from the table.

"Try not to enjoy this too much, sweetheart," said Bonnie sardonically.

As soon as Bonnie turned her face away from Jasper, he smiled. Jasper figured that he had to be living every teenaged boy's dream, to make his mother stop talking.

Mary, Gemma, and Amber came down the stairs just as Jasper finished gagging Bonnie. All three girls froze in mid-step, gazing with round eyes and open mouths at their mother, now gagged and bound in addition to being naked.

Jasper let out a long whistle, making no effort to hide his ogling at how positively stunning Mary, Gemma, and Amber looked in their tiny bikinis. All three girls instantly turned bright red.

"Knock it off, Jasper," said Van sharply, although he, too, could not help sliding his eyes up and down his sisters' bodies.

Even Richard could not refrain from casting an admiring gaze at the visual spectacle.

"Wh-Why is Mom tied up?" asked Amber hesitantly. "Why is she gagged?"

"I think we know why," murmured Gemma.

"Girls," said Richard, picking up some cords from the living room table. "Turn around, and hands behind your backs."

"Oh, no," said Mary. Everybody in the room could practically see steam coming from her ears as she snarled, "Hell, no - "

"Daddy, please," squeaked Amber. "Daddy - "

"Shray will be here in three days," said Richard calmly. "I think we should use that time to prepare for his arrival. Girls, your mother has agreed to spend the next few days getting used to this arrangement, and I think you should follow her example."

Bonnie looked at her daughters and gave a small, helpless shrug.

Richard handed some of the cords to his sons. As they approached the girls, Gemma was the first to turn around and offer her wrists behind her back.

"Good girl," said Jasper, tying his twin sister's hands together, trying not to make them too tight.

Amber reluctantly followed her sister's lead, and let her father bind her hands. Mary let out a long sigh before offering her own wrists to Van.

Mary put her foot down, however, when she saw Jasper pick up the cloths from the table.

"No!" Mary jerked away from Van. "You are not going to gag us!"

"Princess," began Richard.

"Dad, wait," said Van. "Maybe we should take it slow, not to overwhelm the girls."

Richard paused, and then nodded.

"Very well. For now, we'll just tie you girls up, but we won't gag you."

Mary lowered her head, letting out a small grumble. It wasn't much of a concession, but she was starting to feel like she should take any victory she could get, no matter how small.

With her head down, however, Mary didn't notice her father and brothers giving each other a slight nod.

"HEY!" Gemma suddenly shrieked.

When Gemma had felt Jasper's fingers loosening the knot on her bikini top, she reflexively pulled away and turned to face him, which caused her bikini top to slide off her body completely. The already blushing girl turned even more crimson as her breasts were now exposed to the entire room.

Jasper grinned wickedly as he held up Gemma's bikini top in his hand. Normally, Mary and Amber would have slugged him in the arm again for this, but with their hands bound behind their backs, the girls could do nothing but watch helplessly as Jasper took a firm grip of Gemma's arm with one hand, and yanked her bikini bottoms down with the other, leaving her completely naked.

"Daddy!" Amber looked at her father with emotion-filled eyes as he took hold of her arm, and gently fingered her bikini.

"Now, Amber, baby, trust me, it'll be okay," said Richard soothingly as his youngest daughter's eyes filled with tears. As he unclasped Amber's bikini top, he nodded to his older son and said, "Van, you can relieve Mary of her bikini."

"You tricked us!" cried Mary, trying to wiggle out of Van's grip as her own bikini top was pulled off her body.

Van gazed at his sister with sympathy, but he could not keep a certain amount of excitement out of his eyes as he slid his gaze from her bare breasts down to her bikini bottoms. Tied as she was, Mary could do nothing to stop her brother from pulling her last shred of dignity down her long legs.

"We said that we would start with you girls in bikinis, and go from there," said Jasper coolly. "We never said how long it would be before we did."

Bonnie's heart ached for her daughters, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a slight relief that the male eyes in the room were no longer fixed on her.

The three girls all murmured futile protests as Richard, Van, and Jasper prodded them toward the center of the living room.

"Nice," breathed Jasper.

Mary, Gemma, and Amber blushed even harder, acutely aware that having their hands tied behind their backs meant that their chests were inevitably thrust outward, which Jasper was making no secret of his appreciation of.

Just like their mother, the bound girls could not cover up their nakedness. Mary, Gemma, and Amber all shivered as their brothers and even their father circled them, taking in the full, unobstructed view of their beautiful nudity.

"I bet Shray will really appreciate this when he gets here," commented Jasper.

"I don't know." Van shrugged. "He must be used to seeing naked girls, so ... "

"Oh, sure, pile insult on top of injury," muttered Gemma. "Not only do we have to be naked, you're saying we're not even worth a guy looking at us."

"Daddy, please," whined Amber, wishing for nothing so much as for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Mary's face was tensing up in a way that everybody who ever knew her recognized, the contortion before she unleashed a firestorm of rage. She just barely managed to part her lips, however, before her father clamped his hand over her mouth.

"We promised not to gag you girls tonight, don't make us break that promise," warned Richard.

After a moment, Mary let out a disgruntled mmpphh, but when Richard let go of her mouth, she simply looked down and sulked.

"We did promise no gags," continued Richard, "so ... "

Richard walked over to his wife, and untied Bonnie's gag, pulling it off.

"Thanks, dear," said Bonnie softly. She walked over to the center of the living room, gazing at her daughters with slight disapproval.

"Girls," she said. "All of that hair down there is quite unsightly. I want each of you to shave it all off. Completely."

"But, Mom - " Amber looked aghast.

"No buts," said Bonnie. "I want all of you girls to shave completely. Not a single hair anywhere below the neck. I want all of you to glisten."

The girls all stared at their mother, open-mouthed. Jasper and even Van were trying to smother a laugh. Richard cleared his throat.

"Now, as I said before," said Richard, his voice carrying throughout the room. "Shray will arrive in three days. I expect all of us, especially you girls, to spend this time getting used to how things will be while he is staying with us. Remember, he is from a very different culture, and we must show respect for his sensibilities."

Bonnie and Van nodded. Jasper waggled his eyebrows. Amber looked on the verge of tears. Mary was fuming with anger. Gemma's expression was strangely devoid of emotion.

* * * * *

"It's a very popular Zylphian meat," explained Bonnie as she ladled the steaming stew into bowls for her husband and children. "It seems to be some sort of combination of beef, pork, chicken, fish, and ... something else, I'm not quite sure ... served in a stew with a number of ... unique ... vegetables. Well, anyway, I think it smells wonderful, don't you?"

She passed out the bowls and sat down at the table.

"Eat up, everybody!" said Bonnie enthusiastically.

Bonnie and the girls had had their hands tied in front of them for dinner, so that they could eat, if a bit awkwardly. It made things slow, but then, Mary, Gemma, and Amber seemed to be in no hurry to consume the meal, anyway.

They weren't the only ones. Jasper took a big spoonful of the stew, and instantly froze.

"Well, what do you think?" asked his mother.

Jasper paused, the spoon still in his mouth, as he began to chew the meat.

"It's ... interesting ... Mom," he mumbled.

"Are we going to have to eat like this the whole ten months that he's here?" asked Amber. She poked at her stew with her spoon, half-wondering if it was going to poke back.

"Maybe we don't need to respect everything about Zylphian culture," said Richard with a slight cough, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

* * * * *

"And I really don't think we should put up with it, I mean I understand respecting other people's cultures, and I'm as much for that as the next person, but when something is so utterly misogynistic or disrespectful to one's own personal dignity, I think it is incumbent upon a person to take a stand for the sake of conscience ... "

Richard had had a feeling that his oldest daughter's silence was not going to last long. He was right.

Not long after dinner ... such as it was ... was served, Mary could no longer refrain from spinning out a lecture on how sexist and degrading it was for her, her sisters, and their mother to have to be naked, not to mention have their hands bound.

"Except for a few moments like these. I mean, it was very kind of you to untie our hands so we could wash the dishes, it's nice to know that we can expect to have our hands free when we're performing a service in this household ... "

As the Morgans were clearing the table and doing the dishes, Mary was still talking to her family ...

... Well, not so much talking to as talking at.

Richard, Bonnie, Van, Jasper, Gemma, and Amber were all listening to Mary with half an ear, nodding their heads whenever they heard her pause, on the assumption that it was during this time that they were expected to agree with her.

Mary was silent for a long moment, and her parents and siblings finally looked at her, a wave of nervousness spreading across the kitchen.

"You haven't been listening to a single word I've been saying," Mary accused.

"That's not true," said Van quickly.

"It is true! I just said I wanted to change my name to a semicolon, and you all nodded!"

"I thought it was metaphorical," tried Amber weakly.

"I don't know why I bother," said Mary in disgust. "You know, Dad, you might as well just go ahead and gag me. Nobody ever listens to me anyway."

"All right." Richard shrugged. "Jasper, gag your sister."

"With pleasure." Jasper practically leaped toward Mary, a dishtowel already in hand.

"Wha - Don't you know sarcasm when you - Mmmppphhh!"

"I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this." Jasper grinned as he tied the dishtowel in and around his scowling sister's mouth.

"You're not going to gag us, too, are you?" asked Amber nervously, glancing at Gemma.

"Jasper, shush," Bonnie chided her younger son as soon she saw his eyes lighting up. "And listen, both of you boys, stop gawking so much at the girls. I can understand wanting to appreciate the view, but they're your sisters, they're not zoo exhibits."

"Sorry, Mom," said Van, lowering his eyes, while Jasper simply shrugged.

"The boys and I will finish cleaning up," volunteered Richard. "Honey, you and the girls can go upstairs."

"Thank you, dear." Bonnie nodded before instructing her sons, "Boys, tie us up."

Bonnie ignored her daughters' groans as she offered her wrists behind her back to Van. Soon, all four of the female members of the family were tied up again, Mary the only one gagged in addition.

"Um, Mom, Dad," said Gemma nervously, "are we going to have to be gagged when Shray arrives?"

Mary immediately mmpphhed through her gag, shaking her head emphatically.

"Daddy, please, it's bad enough being tied up and naked," murmured Amber. "Being gagged will make it even worse."

"Girls, we've been through this," started Richard.

"Daddy, what if that guy, um ... tries something with us?" asked Amber, her eyes welling up.

Or what if THEY do? thought Mary sourly, glaring at her all-too-innocent-looking brothers.

"We're vulnerable enough already like this," continued Amber, glancing down at her naked body, her hands now bound behind her back. "We'll be ten times more helpless if we're gagged."

Bonnie looked at her husband, who seemed frozen. After a long moment, Richard held up his hands.

"It's up to you, dear," Richard told his wife. "I'm willing to let the girls off the hook for the gags if you are."

Bonnie bit her lip, her face tensing up. Finally, she looked up at her daughters.

* * * * *

To Be Continued ...


Note from the Authors :

Let us know what you think ... What should Bonnie say?

The second and final part of "Culture Shock" will feature one of two endings :

Ending 1 ... "No. You girls will have to be gagged while Shray is here."
Ending 2 ... "All right, girls, you don't have to be gagged when Shray arrives."

Whichever answer Bonnie Morgan gives her daughters will greatly influence what the coming year will be like in their household. So please let us know what you think she should say ... and let us know if you liked our story! :)

(The story has now been completed. You can find Part 2 here and here.)

[Jonjon2]

I like the story and think they should remain gagged

[EddieDavidson]

You are on a winning streak with the stories. I am confused though, the exchange student is not there?

I may be missing it. Did they just happen to have a gag lying around?

Lastly as somebody grew up in the south, it hurt me to think of somebody steaming okra. The only proper way to prepare it is to slice it into little bit and Fry the crap out of it until it's nice and crispy.

"If you can still taste the okra after you fry it, then you should fry it some more"is how it was explained to me.

I think it's a super cool setup. I thought about missionaries going abroad where they have different ceremonial dress, but had never thought of a exhange student enf

I love how well you developed this family. There is something cool though about your DoDi story that just keeps bringing me back to it. I hope you really will continue it.

[FireBloom_FrostByte]

You are on a winning streak with the stories.

Thanks! :)

the exchange student is not there?

No. They said he was going to arrive in three days. Richard and Bonnie want their family to start eating the food and practicing the customs of the exchange student's country now, so they'll get used to it before he arrives.

Did they just happen to have a gag lying around?

It was a dishtowel. They're using ordinary, everyday linens, like small towels.

Lastly as somebody grew up in the south, it hurt me to think of somebody steaming okra. The only proper way to prepare it is to slice it into little bit and Fry the crap out of it until it's nice and crispy. "If you can still taste the okra after you fry it, then you should fry it some more"is how it was explained to me.

Oops, sorry. We know very little about okra. We were told it was often used as a thickening agent in traditional soups and stews.

I thought about missionaries going abroad where they have different ceremonial dress, but had never thought of a exhange student enf

It all happened so fast, we're not really sure HOW we came up with this idea. Kit was thinking about something that was on television :

An American family is preparing for the arrival of a foreign exchange student they're hosting. The mother is cooking a dinner with food from the student's native country.

When the family meets the student at the airport, one of the kids says "Guess what we're having for dinner?"

The student guesses, "Hot dogs?" because she assumes they're cooking American food, not food from her country.

And somehow we went from that to this, we're not really sure what the thought process was.

There is something cool though about your DoDi story that just keeps bringing me back to it. I hope you really will continue it.

With most of our stories, what usually happens is that we write the story, and then try to brainstorm some ideas for a sequel. But we wind up bouncing around a number of ideas, none of which we actually like.

So it's not impossible that we'll continue one of our earlier stories, but we can't make any promises.

Thanks for all of your kind words! :)

- Kit & Jamie, "FireBloom and FrostByte"

[Booty]

I'd say don't keep them gagged. If they're gagged, they can't talk, they can't use their hands, and they're basically just pretty ornaments. If they're not gagged, then they can try to talk (ineffectually) out of situations or bargain for better treatment. "If you don't do X, I'll do Y for you," etc. Moreover, if one of them gets too mouthy, she can be gagged as punishment, and then will be the only one who can't talk.

[protonboy2024]

I second no gagging unless it's a punishment. And I'd personally prefer a ring gag at that point.

[Freesub]

I think the gagging should be entirely at the discretion of the brothers to dish out as a punishment.
So maybe gemma wouldn't be gagged, but Mary would for mounting off so much.

Excellent setup and looks to be a great story. Also would love to hear some more detailed descriptions of what each of the girls looks like (especially naked )

[Somebody]

Cultural stuff is always a great source of fun conflict in stories like this. Usually it's an American going to live in like the Netherlands or Scandinavia, but I do like the idea of them falling all over themselves to accept this foreigner's culture.

[FireBloom_FrostByte]

Culture Shock (Part 2 of 2)

By FireBloom and FrostByte


The Morgan Family
Richard, 46
Bonnie, 42
Van, 18
Mary, 17
Jasper, 15
Gemma, 15
Amber, 14

The Guest
Shray, 18


" ... Mom?"

Bonnie Morgan had never been so silent in her entire life.

"Mother?"

"Dear?"

"Mommy?"

Without looking up, Bonnie could feel six pairs of unwavering eyes fixed on her. She bit her lip, her face contorting with tension. Finally, her eyes rose to meet the gazes of her husband and children ...

... But when she spoke, her answer brought relief to no one's anxieties.

"I need to think about this."

The collective groan of five teenagers, one noticeably muffled, filled the kitchen, accompanied by an audible sigh from Bonnie's husband. But she held firm.

"I'm sorry, but this is not a decision I can make all at once. I will think about it carefully, and let you know once I've reached a conclusion."

"Shray will be here in three days," Richard reminded her.

"I am aware." Bonnie nodded. "In the meantime - "

"Mmmppphhh." Mary could not restrain herself any longer. She made another muffled sound through her gag, locking eyes with her mother.

This time, though, there was no hesitation.

"No." Bonnie shook her head resolutely, returning her eldest daughter's gaze. "I'm sorry, but you will have to remain gagged for now, Mary. I really think it would be good for you to learn to mind your place."

A grumble of frustration that was oddly both indistinct and perfectly clear came through Mary's gag.

"Jasper." Bonnie tilted her head toward her younger son. "Take Mary upstairs."

"Uh, Mom, I can do that," offered Van, to Mary's nearly hysterical nodding.

Van looked uneasily at the way his brother's eyes had lit up at their mother's command.

"No, I think Jasper should do it," said Bonnie. "Van, you take Gemma and Amber to their room, and I want you to stay with them. I'm counting on you to look after the girls, sweetheart."

"Sure thing," promised Van, giving his youngest sisters what he hoped was a reassuring look. Gemma smiled at him gratefully. Amber nodded, a bit nervously, but not nearly as much as Mary.

"Okay, go on, shoo." Bonnie motioned toward the stairs with her head, as her hands were bound behind her naked back.

"Mom," said Amber pleadingly, even as Van ushered her toward the stairs. "You're not really thinking of having us be gagged when Shray arrives, are you?"

"If we can't talk, can't use our hands," said Gemma thoughtfully. She shrugged and said, "So we just stand around and look pretty? Or, at least, Mary and Amber look pretty - "

"Girls," began Bonnie.

"Is that all we're going to be?" pressed Amber, her voice rising. "Just cute ornaments?"

"I said I will think about it, Amber." Bonnie's voice turned hard. "Now, be still, you and Gemma both, unless you girls want to be gagged like your sister."

"Come on, let's go," urged Van, placing a firm hand on Gemma's arm and Amber's shoulder.

With her older brother prodding her, Gemma walked past Jasper, determinedly not looking at him. Amber's head was lowered, on the verge of tears, as she headed for the stairs.

Jasper took a moment to admire the view as his naked sisters walked up the stairs ahead of him, before giving Mary a nudge toward them. He glanced at his mother before following his siblings, all the while fingering a scrap of paper that he still had in his pocket.

* * * * *

Why is he walking so slowly? wondered Mary. Is he rubbing it in, or does he just want to ogle me as long as possible?

Jasper walked up the stairs at a slow, deliberate pace, keeping a firm grip on Mary's arm the whole time. He made sure to hear the door to Gemma and Amber's bedroom closing before he reached the second floor landing.

Mary took a couple of steps toward her own bedroom door, only to let a out a small squeal when Jasper pulled her by her arm back toward him. She looked at him questioningly. Her eyebrows knitted, more out of confusion than anything else, when her brother reached out and began caressing a few strands of Mary's long, reddish-black hair.

Confusion quickly gave way to anger when Jasper began to casually slide his eyes down Mary's very naked body, taking in every curve, the ample ones and the tiny ones. The boy smiled, taking a sneaky pleasure in how his sister's face was reddening with embarrassment and rage - helpless, frustrated rage.

Jasper briefly cast an admiring glance at Mary's long, slender legs. They were a very appealing sight, but one he was already familiar with, since his sister frequently wore very short skirts. He was more interested in tilting his head to get a good look at Mary's tight, shapely rear, and then her firm breasts. They weren't especially big, but they seemed generous on the girl's small, slim frame.

By now, Mary was letting out a long stream of muffled noises through her gag. Jasper couldn't make out a word she was trying to say, but he guessed none of them were flattering. He just appreciated the fact that, with her hands tied behind her back, Mary couldn't slug him like she usually did. He also appreciated that having her hands bound also meant she couldn't cover herself up.

When Jasper detected the movement in Mary's body that he'd been anticipating, he quickly pressed his foot down on hers, making her wince slightly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned her, giving his sister a nudge. Mary groaned.

Mary tried to wiggle out of her brother's grip, moving toward her bedroom door again, but Jasper's hold on her arm only tightened.

"What's the hurry, Sis?" asked Jasper slyly. "I was kind of hoping for a little quality time now that we're alone."

Mary tried to pull away again, to no avail. Her muffled protests spiked sharply in volume when she felt Jasper's hand sliding down her bare back and over her bottom, squeezing it, lightly at first, and then harder and harder.

Jasper glanced around the hallway. Seeing nobody around, he smiled at his sister, keeping a firm grip on her arm with one hand, and her behind with the other.

"Look, Mary, the way I figure it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'd never forgive myself if I passed it up."

He kicked open the door to his own bedroom, and, over Mary's wide-eyed squeals, he pulled her inside. The door was quickly slammed shut behind them.

"Don't get me wrong, Mary," Jasper was saying. "You're my sister and I love you, really I do, but you're also gorgeous, naked, tied and gagged, and there is one thing that I have been wanting to do for a long, long, long time ... "

* * * * *

"There you go, Lil' Sis," said Van, tying Gemma's hands together in front of her.

"Thanks, Van," said Gemma gratefully as she booted up her laptop computer. It was still awkward, but at least now she could move the mouse around and type, if a bit slowly, on her keyboard.

"And here." Van handed Gemma a flash drive. "I took a look at what you wrote, like you asked me to."

"What's that?" asked Amber, sitting down on her bed. Unlike her sister, Amber's hands were still tied behind her back.

"'The Worst Laid Plans,'" answered Van.

Amber frowned.

"That's not very nice," she objected.

Gemma rolled her eyes.

"That's the title of the story I'm writing, Amber," she said.

"Oh."

"Your story needs a little work, Gemma," said Van.

"Don't I know it," murmured Gemma.

"What are you going to do with it if you get it right?" asked Van.

Gemma turned toward her brother, blinking rapidly.

"I mean when you get it right," said Van hastily.

Still blinking, though more slowly, Gemma turned back to her screen.

"I was thinking of posting it on this board," she said, pulling up a website on her browser. "I've gotten a lot of good feedback on it about my stories before."

Gemma paused, clicking her mouse idly.

"Oh, darn," she said. "I was hoping that they'd stop doing that."

"Who would stop doing what?" asked Amber.

Gemma sighed as she adjusted her glasses.

"Sometimes, an author on this forum will post a new story, and in it they'll have some small scenes or bits of dialogue referencing events from a previous, unrelated story. Or a character from an earlier story will make some brief cameo appearance in the new story."

"You mean a crossover?" asked Van.

"Or an inside joke?" suggested Amber.

"Well, if they actually did anything, it would be a crossover," said Gemma sourly. "Or it might be an inside joke if there was actually a joke. But most of the time, they just mention things from earlier stories just for the sake of mentioning them, or have a character from a previous story walk into a scene, do nothing, and walk out."

Gemma tapped her keyboard impatiently.

"When it doesn't have any real relevance, to the story or anything else, it seems like the writer is just plugging their own work. It's just a bit of shameless self-promotion, that's all."

"Oh." Amber paused thoughtfully. "Well, I can see how that would be annoying."

"So do I," said Van. He glanced at the calendar on the wall, and then asked, "By the way, are Irene and Melanie still coming to Mary's slumber party next week?"

"Oh, yeah," piped up Amber. "Mary was saying that they don't even have a problem with having to be naked while they're here. The girls just looked at their boyfriends, Kieran and Jay, and giggled."

"What was that about?" Van looked at his sisters quizzically.

"Beats the heck out of me." Amber shrugged.

"We just got an e-mail from Irene." Gemma clicked on her screen. "It looks like Candice is coming to the party, too, but Shauna has plans with her boyfriend, Tyler."

"Mary invited Kayley, too, but she said she couldn't come. She mentioned something about her brother, Mortimer, making plans for them." Amber was quiet for a moment. "She didn't seem too happy about it. Must be some boring geeky thing her brother wants her to come to."

"And Cassie and Emily are still at Cassie's family's cabin, with Cassie's cousin, Bobby," reported Gemma. She clicked on another e-mail and then said, "Rachel and Natalie are coming, though."

"Good thing," remarked Van. "I know Rachel's been feeling lonely since her best friend, Jeanie, moved away."

He glanced at Gemma's computer and then asked, "Anyway, what were you saying about writers mentioning characters from their previous stories just for the sake of mentioning them? As some kind of a plug?"

"Yeah, it really bugs me when they do that. You know, as a matter of fact - "

"Kids?" The bedroom door opened, and Bonnie poked her head through. She tilted her head approvingly at the sight of Gemma and Amber still naked, and Van watching over them.

"Yeah, Mom? What is it?" asked Van.

"Sweetheart, I think you can untie the girls. They'll have to get ready for bed soon."

"No problem, Mom."

Bonnie nodded and closed the door, as Van was already untying Amber's hands.

"That's a relief," sighed Amber, rubbing her wrists while Van untied Gemma's. She stood up and said, "I'll go untie Mary."

* * * * *

"Mary?"

Amber knocked on her sister's door for the third time, but still got no response.

"Mary, are you in there?"

Of course she's in there, Amber told herself in annoyance. Where else could she be? It's not like Mary could have decided to make a quick trip to the mall. She's not dressed for it.

"Mary, come on, I need to untie you."

Amber knocked for the fourth time. She was about to knock again when, finally, she heard a faint sob coming from inside Mary's bedroom.

"It's not locked," came Mary's tiny, broken voice. "Come on in."

What's going on? wondered Amber as she opened the door.

"Mary, what is up with ..." Amber's voice trailed off, her eyes turning round at the sight that greeted her.

Mary was sitting on her bed. As Amber had expected, she was still naked, and her hands were bound behind her back, although apparently Jasper had removed her gag for some reason. What Amber had not expected was how red Mary's eyes were, clearly from crying.

"Amber," whispered Mary. She looked at her sister for a second, perhaps two, and then broke down sobbing.

Amber stared at Mary for a moment, and then sighed and shook her head.

"Mary, aren't you being a little dramatic?" asked Amber. "I mean, yeah, I get it, it's humiliating and degrading to have to be naked and tied up, but it's not - "

"No." Mary shook her head, sniffling. "Amber, you don't understand ... Jasper ... "

"Yeah? What about Jasper?"

"Jasper ... He ... "

"He what?" Amber sat down next to Mary on her bed. "What did he do?"

"Amber ... Jasper ..."

Mary drew herself up and took a deep breath.

"When Jasper brought me upstairs, I tried to go to my room, but he wouldn't let me."

"What do you mean, he wouldn't let you?" Amber's face was now contorting in a mixture of confusion and worry.

"Jasper said that while I was naked, and tied and gagged, there was something that he'd been wanting to do to me for a long time ... "

"Mary ... "

"And then he ... he pulled me into his bedroom ... "

Amber instantly turned chalk-white.

"H-His bedroom?" she stammered.

"I was struggling, but with my hands tied, I couldn't do anything. I was gagged, I couldn't even call out for help."

Amber's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. She could feel her heart twisting into knots.

"Then he kicked the door closed and dragged me over to his bed ... and he ... he ... "

"He didn't!" whispered Amber in horror.

"He did!" sobbed Mary. "He spanked me!"

"Oh, My God, that is - I cannot believe that he wo ... "

Amber's voice trailed off.

"He ... He spanked you?" she repeated, blinking rapidly.

* * * * *

SMACK! - "MMMPPPHHH!!!"

"And this is for the time you told Mom and Dad about those magazines under my bed!"

SMACK! - "MMMPPPHHH!!!"

"And this is for the time you told that ditzy blond chick that I was the one who took a picture of her while she was running through the street naked ... "

Jasper winced at the memory.

"Man, that girl had one mean set of kicks. I could never look at her legs the same way again."

SMACK! - "MMMPPPHHH!!!"

"And THIS is for the time at summer camp, when you pulled down my pants and spanked me in front of your friends ... Just because I was peeping at those girls in the showers ... "

SMACK! - "MMMPPPHHH!!!"

Mary shook her head furiously. Jasper was grateful his sister was gagged, because he was sure he'd have a massive earache otherwise. The girl had been hurling a ceaseless stream of muffled verbal abuse through her gag from the moment she first realized his intentions, when he sat down on his bed and pulled her, face down, over his lap.

"Oh, and THIS is for the time you told those two stuck-up girls, Jennifer and Courtney, that I was the one who blew up those pictures of them tied up, gagged, and naked!"

SMACK! - " ... Mmmppphhh???"

Jasper blinked.

"You mean that wasn't you?"

"Mmm-mmm."

"Oh, well, sorry, I take that one back then." Jasper paused thoughtfully. "I did think that one was a little strange. You don't even like Jennifer and Courtney, do you?"

"Mmmm-mmmm." Mary shook her head emphatically.

"Well, this is for the time you wiped out all the adult videos on my hard drive!"

SMACK! - "MMMPPPHHH!!!"

"And this is for the time ... And then there was the time ... Oh, and I haven't forgotten about ..."

SMACK! - SMACK! - SMACK!

" ... and THIS - "

SMACK!!!

Jasper grinned.

" ... That one was just for having a really great butt, Mary."

Mary sobbed as she felt Jasper's hand fondling and squeezing her bottom for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Eventually, Jasper seemed satisfied, and sat his sister up in his lap. Mary cringed at the burning sensation in her reddened behind against the rough material of Jasper's pants. She also felt a sickening twisting in her stomach as she noticed a distinct ... hardening ... down there ...

"You know, Mary, you've needed a good spanking from me for a long time," said Jasper matter-of-factly.

He smiled as he pulled the gag down from Mary's mouth. Before she could unleash the vitriol that was undoubtedly pent up inside of her, Jasper quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Now, listen closely, Mary ... Unless you want to go back over my lap for ANOTHER long spanking, then the only thing you will do when I let go of your mouth is say 'Thank you for spanking me.'"

* * * * *

"Wow," said Amber softly.

She gazed at Mary's lowered, tear-streaked face for a long moment.

"Did you thank him?" asked Amber curiously.

Mary did not make a sound. She simply lowered her head even more, which told Amber all she needed to know.

"That ... That is just awful," said Amber slowly. "Jasper had ... He had absolutely no right to do that, Mary. Absolutely not. I mean, really ... It was so grossly out of line ... "

Amber bit her lip very hard.

" ... He really spanked you?"

"You can go now, Amber."

* * * * *

"Kids! Richard! Rise and shine! Breakfast is ready!"

Bonnie hummed to herself as she threw open the curtains on the windows, letting the bright early morning sunshine fill the kitchen. As she filled several breakfast plates with scrambled eggs and toast, Bonnie scarcely even cared that one of her neighbors might catch a glimpse of her wearing nothing but a small apron.

"I'll take those for you, Mom."

Jasper was normally the very last one to rise, but on this particular morning, he had bounded down the stairs before anyone else, eager to help his nearly-naked mother cook breakfast.

"Thank you, sweetie," said Bonnie, taking the apple juice out of the refrigerator.

"G'morning," said Richard as he came down the stairs, followed by Van. Both men were still in their bathrobes, and rubbing their eyes.

Close behind were Gemma and Amber, who would also have been rubbing their eyes, except that their hands were bound behind their backs. Also, unlike their father and brother, the girls were completely naked.

"I'm glad to see you girls followed my instructions." Bonnie smiled approvingly at her intensely blushing daughters as she casually inspected their bodies, which were completely shaved, not a single hair anywhere below their necks.

"I like it," said Jasper with a coy smile.

Gemma and Amber blushed even more at their brother now inspecting them, and more so still when Jasper knelt down in front of Gemma.

"It's so smooth," remarked Jasper. He reached out and gently caressed Gemma with his fingers, smiling as she shivered.

Gemma trembled even more when Jasper gently blew on it. It felt ten times more sensitive now that she had shaved it ...

"Son," said Richard in a tone that was half-warning, half-exasperated.

"Oh, the boy's just being affectionate," said Bonnie dismissively, taking off her apron and hanging it up. "Come on, dear, breakfast is on the table. All of you, c'mon, shoo, shoo ... "

"Well, where's Mary?" asked Richard as he sat down.

As if to answer her father's question, Mary came down the stairs. She took one look at her two naked sisters at the kitchen table, and her face fell.

"I thought we agreed to present a united front," said Mary sourly.

"Uh, no, you agreed to that, Mary," said Gemma.

"Sorry, Sis," said Amber quietly, "but I'm still thinking it's easier to just go along with it than fight it."

"Young lady, why aren't you naked?" demanded Bonnie.

Mary, dressed in a pretty white blouse and short, tight black skirt, was the only female in the kitchen who wasn't nude.

"Mary," said Van, "you were supposed to come to me this morning to get your hands tied, and - "

"I am not doing this anymore!" burst out Mary.

"Princess," said Richard, getting to his feet. "I understand that this is all very difficult for all of you, but - "

"That's not what this is about anymore," interrupted Mary, shooting an icy glare at her all-too-innocent-looking younger brother at the table.

Jasper returned his sister's gaze, and smirked as he said, "How's your backside, Mary? Still a little sore back there?"

Mary blinked. She could not believe what she just heard. Mary had been expecting Jasper to deny everything when she accused him. Instead, it seemed like he was openly admitting to it, even bragging about it.

"What is going on here?" asked Richard, looking back and forth between Mary and Jasper, both staring unwaveringly at each other.

Mary frowned. She had expected her mother to ask that question, not her father.

"What's going on?" repeated Richard.

"Mom, Jasper spanked me!" blurted out Mary, directing her half-angry, half-pleading cry of anguish to her mother anyway.

Mary's face was bright red, whether more from rage or humiliation, nobody was sure. She was rubbing her bottom, which, if it was uncovered like her mother's and sisters', everyone would have seen was still a brighter shade of red than her face.

Amber gulped, looking nervously around the kitchen at each of her siblings and parents.

"What the hell - " broke from Van.

Gemma simply leaned back in her chair, her face impassive.

"He spanked me!" Mary's voice was becoming shrill. "Last night, when Jasper took me upstairs, he pulled me into his room, and he - he took me over his knee - "

Mary's face was now the color of a very ripe strawberry.

"Jasper, honey, is this true?" asked Bonnie quietly.

"Uh-huh." Jasper nodded, which made his father, as well as Mary, Van, and Amber, all stare at him in disbelief. Only Bonnie and Gemma's faces were still stoic.

"Jasper." Richard shook his head. "Son, what on Earth has gotten into you? What makes you think you have the right to hit your sister?"

"Because I told him to," said Bonnie calmly.

* * * * *

" ... Maybe we should let the girls ease into this," Van was saying.

"Yeah." Jasper put his hands in his pockets. "What if we start by having the girls wear bikinis instead of being naked? Let the girls get used to that, and then we'll go from there."

Gemma agreed to the suggestion at once. Before Mary and Amber could protest, Bonnie had urged them to give it a try, and both girls reluctantly gave in.

As soon as his sisters had gone up the stairs, Jasper pulled a small scrap of paper from his pocket, keeping it tightly in his hand.

"Dad ... Mom ... I've got an idea ... "

Van groaned, certain that no good could come from one of his brother's ideas.

"Dad, Mom, we don't have time to take it slow," said Jasper, ignoring his older brother completely. "As it is, it would probably take more than the three days we have just for the girls to really get used to being naked."

"So what are you suggesting, son?" asked Richard warily.

"In Zylphia, it's traditional for females to be gagged and bound," Jasper reminded them. "When the girls come back down here, we get them to let us tie them up, and then ..."

Jasper hesitated.

"And then what?" pressed Van, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Once their hands are tied, we pull off their bikinis. They won't be able to stop us."

"Son." Richard looked appalled. "That is - "

"Dad, sometimes it's best to just rip off a bandage and be done with it," said Jasper resolutely.

For a long moment, there was only silence in the living room.

"I hate to say it," said Van slowly, "but what Jasper's saying kind of makes sense. The longer we wait for the girls to get naked, the harder it's going to be."

"How are we going to convince the girls to let us tie them up?" asked Bonnie.

Jasper took a deep breath as he turned to his mother.

"That's where you come in, Mom."

"Wh-What?"

"Mom." Jasper fixed his eyes on Bonnie's. "It'll be a lot easier to talk the girls into letting us tie their hands if you're already tied up when they come down here."

Bonnie looked stunned.

"We ... We could tell the girls they should follow your example, Mom," said Van hesitantly. "Just like Dad said."

"And the gag?" asked Bonnie in a small voice. "Do I really have to ... "

"Mom, I think you should be gagged when the girls come down," said Jasper. "But when Mary throws a fit about the gag, and you know she will - "

"Mary does love to talk," murmured Richard. "Most girls do, it's kind of their thing."

Richard lowered his eyes at the glare his wife was giving him.

"When she does," continued Jasper, "we give in, and say the girls don't have to be gagged for now. That way, the girls will feel like we're at least listening to them."

Richard, Bonnie, and Van all stared at Jasper.

"That's ... very thoughtful, Jasper," said Richard.

"Very insightful," said Bonnie.

"Yeah," agreed Van. He looked at Jasper askance. "Who are you, what have you done with my brother, and what is it going to take to make sure you never bring him back?"

"Ha, ha," said Jasper sourly.

"The girls will be coming back down soon," said Bonnie. "You boys better tie and gag me."

"Got it," said Richard. "I'll get some dishtowels from the kitchen. That should do."

As his father walked out of the living room, Jasper was saying, "We should start with Gemma, take her bikini off first. I think she'll take it the best. In fact, I bet that when we tell the girls we're going to tie them up, Gemma will probably volunteer her hands."

Once Richard was gone, Jasper gave a quick glance to make sure Van wasn't looking. Bonnie gave her younger son a puzzled but curious look when he took hold of her hand, and then her eyes turned round when she saw the slip of paper that Jasper was pressing into it.

It was clearly a fragment of Gemma's notes about Zylphia - just a scrap, but it was enough.

" ... the primary form of discipline for females, of any age, in Zylphia is a traditional spanking ... "

Bonnie looked up at Jasper, her lips parting slightly.

Jasper locked eyes with his mother and mouthed a single word - "Mary."

For what seemed like a very long minute, but in reality was only seconds, Bonnie seemed frozen. Finally, she returned Jasper's gaze and gave a small, but very clear, nod of her head.

* * * * *

There was a thick, heavy silence in the kitchen that seemed to last for hours.

"Mother, how could you?!" burst out Mary. "I - Of all the - "

"Jasper, gag Mary," said Bonnie curtly.

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. Mary's inevitable protest was cut off as Jasper firmly wrapped his hand around her mouth.

"Dear, I don't understand this," said Richard, shaking his head. "Why would you - "

"Because," said Bonnie firmly, "as you've said, we have to be respectful of our guest's customs when he arrives. And besides, I think ... "

Bonnie gazed at Mary, silenced and helpless in Jasper's grip.

" ... I think it's for the best."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Richard.

"For the same reason Jasper didn't, I think," replied Bonnie. "We both knew how you'd react to the idea, especially when it comes to the girls. You're a big softy ... "

Bonnie smiled at her husband.

" ... which, by the way, is one of the reasons I married you. But in this case, it meant we had to keep you out of the loop. Sorry, honey."

Richard sighed. Jasper smiled. Mary whimpered. Amber giggled. Van lowered his head, muttering to himself.

Gemma simply continued leaning back in her chair, her face still expressionless.

* * * * *

"I'll take those, Mary," said Bonnie, taking the breakfast dishes that her daughter was about to wash in the sink. "Jasper, take Mary upstairs and undress her."

"Mother," whined Mary, but her protest was cut off by her mother's glare.

"You're in enough trouble already, young lady," warned Bonnie. "Don't make it worse."

"I was wondering why you didn't make me take my clothes off before breakfast," mumbled Mary.

"Don't worry, Mary, I'll be gentle," grinned Jasper, relishing his sister's groan as he ran his eyes down her soon-to-be-unclothed body.

"And Jasper, once Mary is naked, I think you know what to do," added Bonnie.

"Sure thing, Mom."

Mary groaned again at the all-too-familiar feel of Jasper's hand cupping her buttocks.

"And while you're doing that ... " Bonnie's voice faltered. She could feel her husband and children gazing at her curiously.

"What now, Mom?" asked Amber.

"Van." Bonnie drew herself up and turned to face her elder son. "I want you to tie my hands, gag me, and ... I want you to spank me."

"What?" The question seemed to have been spoken by every member of the family simultaneously.

"Van, tie and gag me, and spank me," repeated Bonnie.

"Dear," Richard began, only to stop when his wife shook her head firmly.

"I am Mary's mother," said Bonnie, "and as such, it is my duty to set an example for her and be a proper role model. And I have clearly failed to do that, so I should be disciplined as well."

"Well," said Richard hesitantly, "if you really think so ... But there's no need to have Van - I could do it myself - "

"No." Bonnie shook her head again. She lowered her voice as she continued, "Richard, you're my husband. It's too ... expected ... for you to spank me. It should be done in a way that makes it clear how the genders rank in this family. It should be one of our sons."

Richard was silent for a moment.

"Dad?" asked Van uncertainly.

"Very well," said his father at last. "Son, take your mother upstairs and spank her."

"This is part of Zylphian culture, too," observed Gemma.

"I can't believe this," muttered Amber.

"Can I spank you, too, Mom?" asked Jasper eagerly. "Can I?"

This time, Richard didn't even bother to admonish his son. He just looked at Bonnie. She hesitated for a moment.

"Well, I suppose that's fair," said Bonnie finally. "As soon as Van is done with me, and you're finished with Mary, you can spank me ... but on two conditions."

"Anything you say," said Jasper immediately.

"First, you have to take my gag off before you spank me," said Bonnie, before adding in an extremely firm voice, "and you have to stop when I tell you to."

"Okay," Jasper nodded eagerly, his eyes shining just a little too much for his mother's comfort.

* * * * *

"Um ... Thanks, Mom," said Jasper quietly, as he walked out of his parents' bedroom, with Bonnie following.

Jasper hadn't been sure whether he should say that or not. It hadn't seemed quite right to say it, and also not quite right not to.

"You're welcome, I guess," said Bonnie with just as much uncertainty. She rubbed her bottom as she added, "Now I see why Mary was so worked up. You're very good at this, sweetheart."

"Ummm," murmured Jasper, lowering his head.

Bonnie gave her son a knowing smile as she asked, "Did you enjoy your revenge, honey?"

Jasper gulped.

"It's okay, Jasper, you can tell me."

"Well ... It would have been better if I could've spanked you for as long as I wanted."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I figured that after Van was finished with me, I wouldn't be able to take much more. Next time, it'll be different, I promise."

The only words Jasper heard his mother say were "next time." A rush of excitement filled his entire body. There was going to be a next time!

"I didn't really want to admit it at first," continued Bonnie, "but your father was right when he said we all have to respect Shray's customs when he arrives, including me. So from now on, at least while our guest is staying with us, I want you to spank me whenever you feel I need it."

"Sure thing, Mom." Jasper struggled to contain his enthusiasm, not an easy task. "I, uh, I'd better go check on Mary."

Bonnie smiled at her son as he headed off to his bedroom.

* * * * *

"And how are we doing?" asked Jasper, sitting down on his bed.

He took in the very enticing sight of his beautiful older sister, completely naked once again.

Not only were Mary's hands tied behind her back, but her legs were bound at the knees and ankles, and two long cords were binding her upper body, above and below her breasts, making them stand out even more than usual. A thick white cloth tied in and around her mouth completed her captivity.

Mary was glaring at Jasper with venom-filled eyes, her face nearly as red as the freshly-spanked bottom she was sitting on.

"Everything nice and tight?" asked Jasper, tugging at the cords under Mary's breasts before fingering her gag.

Tight, yes, thought Mary sourly. Nice, no.

"Speaking of tight," Jasper slid his hand down his sister's bare back, grinning at her groan when he cupped her butt once again.

Jasper picked Mary's blouse and skirt up from the floor, smoothing them out on the bed.

"Ah," he said happily as he picked up Mary's pink lace bra and panties, fingering them, relishing the outraged mmpphhs coming from his sister's mouth. "It was SO MUCH fun taking these off of you, you know."

He held up the panties, in particular, and remarked, "My, but don't you have a fancy little ass, Mary."

"This is like every fantasy come true," said Jasper, smiling at Mary, who glared back at him comically.

Mary's face contorted even more when Jasper picked up his phone and began scrolling through the pictures he had taken, of every step of her humiliation that morning.

"You know what this means, don't you?" asked Jasper, holding up one picture of Mary bound, gagged, and naked. "It means that even after Shray leaves ... Whenever you and I are alone, I'll be in charge and you'll be naked. Right?"

Mary froze, and then let out a muffled sob.

"Well?" asked Jasper.

"Mmm-hmmm," murmured Mary, nodding her head slightly.

* * * * *

"I've got it, Mom," said Van, taking the grocery bags from Bonnie as she and the girls came through the front door.

"Thank you, sweetie."

As usual, Bonnie hung up her coat while Richard and Jasper took the rest of the bags to the kitchen.

As less than usual, Bonnie did not stop with her coat.

"Come on, girls, time to strip off," she told her daughters as she unbuttoned her blouse.

Gemma began undressing immediately, but Mary and Amber hesitated.

"Can't we at least close the curtains on the windows first?" asked Amber, looking around the living room.

"You can close the curtains once you're naked," said her mother sharply. "Now come on, I want every stitch off right now."

Amber sighed and began stripping, with Mary reluctantly following. Soon, all three girls were naked and blushing as they picked up their dresses, tops, and skirts. Jasper, as always, tilted his head to admire the view.

"I see you got more of that Zylphian meat," commented Richard, looking into one of the grocery bags.

"I'll have another fresh batch of that Zylphian stew ready for dinner tonight," promised Bonnie.

"Not again," moaned Van.

"I honestly don't know what's worse, being naked or having to eat that stew," muttered Amber.

"We are all going to eat it," said Bonnie, her tone firm and unyielding. "We will get used to Zylphian cuisine, because it's our duty to make our guest feel at home."

"If anybody needs me, I'll be in my room," sighed Mary. She glanced at her phone and said, "I have a date tonight. He'll be here in just a couple of hours, and I need to get ready."

"What are you going to wear?" asked Jasper with a snort.

Mary whirled around and grabbed hold of Jasper's shirt by the collar, yanking his face very close to hers. In less time than he could process what was happening, Jasper found himself staring into his sister's stony, unamused eyes.

"Over the line?" squeaked Jasper.

"WAY over," said Mary icily.

"Sorry," said Jasper sincerely.

Mary let go of Jasper and began walking toward the stairs in a huff. Jasper put his hand on his chest, trying to steady his breathing. Gemma came over to her twin brother, her arms folded, shaking her head at him.

Jasper glanced up at Mary as she headed up the stairs. Knowing full well he was on thin ice, but never one to shy away from pushing his luck, Jasper called out, "You know, Mary, you look even cuter from this angle!"

"Jasper," groaned Gemma.

"Come on, little brother, ease up," said Van, walking over to them. "Remember what Dad told us this morning. It's our responsibility to take care of our sisters, especially when they're ... "

Van glanced at Gemma.

" ... vulnerable," he finished.

Gemma blushed.

"Fine," said Jasper. "I just think - "

Before Jasper could finish his thought, Bonnie came out of the kitchen, dragging Amber by her ear.

"Mom," Amber was whining.

"Van, do me a favor," said Bonnie. "Take Amber upstairs and roast her buns a little. She was making too much of a fuss again about the curtains on the windows being open."

"But, Mom," Amber's whining was reaching a fever pitch.

"No problem, Mom. Come on, Amber."

Over the young teen's increasingly howling protests, Van half-carried, half-dragged her up the stairs to his room.

When Van closed the door, Amber backed up, gazing at her brother.

"Van, you don't have to spank me," said Amber.

"Sorry, Sis, but you heard Mom. Orders are orders."

"What if I give you a good reason not to?"

"Like what?"

"Well ... " Amber took a deep breath, and then gave Van a coy smile. She put her hands on his chest as she blinked her eyes prettily, saying, "If you don't spank me, I could really make it worth your while ... "

Van stared at her.

A few moments later, everybody in the house could hear a long series of very hard smacks, accompanied by Amber's high-pitched squeals and sobs, coming from behind Van's door. It seemed to go on for a lot longer than anybody expected.

* * * * *

Ding-Dong!

Jasper opened the door.

"Hi," said the chipper-looking teenaged boy on the doorstep, very well-dressed in a dark, finely tailored suit and carrying a small bouquet of flowers.

"Hello," said Jasper.

"You must be Jasper," guessed the boy.

"Yes," said Jasper. "Who must you be?"

"I'm Scott," said the boy, his voice becoming a little neutral. "I'm here to see Mary."

"Give me five bucks and I'll go get her," said Jasper, folding his arms.

"Here, here's twenty," said Scott, holding out a folded bill. "Go buy yourself a new personality."

"Hey," growled Jasper.

"Sweetheart, go get your sister," said Bonnie, walking out from the kitchen. "Go on, shoo."

While Jasper headed up the stairs, grumbling, Bonnie ushered the boy into the living room.

"Have a seat, Scott. I'm sure Mary won't be long."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Scott shifted uncomfortably, wondering why Mrs. Morgan was answering the door wearing nothing but a light silk robe. He had no idea that the only reason she was even wearing that much was because her husband had refused to let her answer the door naked.

* * * * *

"Your date's here," said Jasper.

"Okay, how do I look?" asked Mary nervously, smoothing out her long, sapphire blue dress. It hugged her figure a little, but wasn't especially revealing. She didn't want to look too eager.

"Like it matters," remarked Gemma, walking past them in the hallway. "By the time you get to dessert, you'll have bored him so much with your lecture about how holding the door open for a girl is a condescending, sexist symbol of the patriarchy that he'll have already left."

Mary glared at her sister.

"Um, you look fine," said Jasper. "Just remember, at eleven o'clock, I want you in my room."

"But Jasper," protested Mary, her voice taking on a nasal whine.

Seeing the look on Jasper's face, Mary sighed.

"Fine, I'll be there."

Jasper smiled. He rather liked the idea that he was making his sister leave her date to come home and get naked for him.

* * * * *

Mary, however, was home even earlier than either Jasper or Gemma had expected.

"Let me guess," said Gemma, as an irate-looking Mary came through the door at about a quarter to ten. "When it was time for dessert, you had bored him so much with your lecture about how holding the door open for a girl is a condescending, sexist symbol of the patriarchy that he'd already left."

"Well, you couldn't be more wrong," retorted Mary, slamming the door shut. "For your information ... it was the salad, not the dessert, and it was pulling my chair out for me, not holding a door open."

"He went to make a phone call and never came back?" guessed Van.

Mary growled and headed up the stairs, with Jasper eagerly following.

* * * * *

The remaining days before Shray's arrival seemed to go by in a blur, mostly defined by the girls trying to close the curtains on the windows while their parents and brothers kept opening them.

On the day itself, Bonnie was once again cooking a fresh batch of Zylphian stew, to the groans of every member of her family. Richard and Van were fixing up the guest room where Shray would be staying. Gemma and Amber were finalizing the guest list for the following weekend's slumber party.

Mary, meanwhile, was helping Jasper with an ... unusual ... home improvement project.

"You know, it's bad enough I have to let you peep into my bedroom, do I really have to HELP you do it?"

Mary had been grumbling nonstop while she drilled a small opening in the wall separating her bedroom from Jasper's. After cleaning the wall, Mary covered the new opening up on both sides, with a poster on Jasper's side and a small decorative mirror (actually one-way glass) on hers.

"You know I'm not good with tools," said Jasper. "But like I said, I'll vacuum your carpet and do your laundry for the next month."

Mary rolled her eyes.

"Wow," she said. "You know, Jasper, you're going to make somebody a great girlfriend."

* * * * *

"We can expect Shray to direct all of his questions and comments to you," Bonnie was telling her husband, "since you're the head of the household. Even when he wants to know something about me, he'll ask you instead of asking me directly."

"Yes," said Richard. "Dear, I hope you won't be offended - "

"Oh, don't worry," said Bonnie, waving her hand. "I understand, it's just how things are in his culture."

She glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Shray will be arriving in a few hours." Bonnie lifted the lid on the pot, and took a deep sniff of the steaming stew inside. "I want everything to be just perfect. Speaking of which ... "

She turned to her husband and children.

"Richard, Van, Jasper ... I think you should take Mary, Gemma and Amber upstairs and prepare them for tonight. I don't want of the girls sitting comfortably at the dinner table."

While the girls were being taken up the stairs, over their protests, Bonnie called out, "And save a few smacks for my bottom, too!"

* * * * *

"Any sign of the car?" asked Bonnie.

"Not yet," answered Van, looking out the living room window.

"Bonnie, it's time," said Richard quietly.

"I know," sighed Bonnie.

The entire family had gathered in the living room. Richard, Van, and Jasper were dressed in their best suits, while Bonnie, Mary, Gemma, and Amber were, naturally, in their birthday suits. Mary and Amber were still griping about the spankings they'd received, while Gemma was somewhat more stoic. The girls' hands were all bound behind their backs.

"I hope Shray will understand why I'm not tied up," fretted Bonnie. "I need to have my hands free to finish dinner."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," said Richard.

"So ... Are we going to be gagged?" asked Amber nervously.

"Dear?" asked Richard.

Bonnie gazed at her daughters.

"I've made my decision," she said at last.

* * * * *

Note from the Authors :

When we posted the first part of "Culture Shock," we asked our readers which of two answers Bonnie Morgan should give her daughters, noting that it would greatly influence what the coming year would be like in their household.

Ending 1 ... "No. You girls will have to be gagged while Shray is here."
Ending 2 ... "All right, girls, you don't have to be gagged when Shray arrives."

We were curious to see how people would think the story should go ... and how many of our readers might realize that the most obvious choice may not necessarily be the right one. ;)

Over the past month, we received several e-mails, messages, and comments from readers on FNA and Girlspns. We are very grateful for all of your kind words and feedback.

The vote was close, but in the end, a 54% majority favored Ending 2, saying that the girls should not be gagged, or that it should only be done as a punishment.

Honestly, we were a little surprised by the readers' decision, but not unhappy. Ending 2 was actually our preference, too, although, to be fair, we had the advantage of knowing exactly how each ending would go.

On the advice of a close friend of ours, who is also a writer, we have decided to post both endings to the story, so you can see how exactly Bonnie Morgan's choice would dictate the course of the next year for their family.

* * * * *

[FireBloom_FrostByte]

Ending 1 ... "No. You girls will have to be gagged while Shray is here."

This is the ending that our readers did not pick, meaning that this is the "alternate" ending. Canonically, this ending does not happen, but if you happen to decide that you like it better than the other ending, there is nothing to say that you can't imagine that this is the one that actually takes place. :)

"Welcome to our home, Shray."

Richard shook the young visitor's hand as he brought him inside the house.

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan. I am very grateful to you and your family for hosting me while I am attending university in your state."

"We're happy to have you."

Richard led Shray into the living room.

"The family has been looking forward to meeting you ... Here they are. Shray, this is my wife, Bonnie."

"Pleasure to meet you, Shray," said Bonnie, smiling, trying to hide her nervousness. She hoped that the young man would not be offended by the fact that she wasn't gagged or bound like her daughters.

When Bonnie saw Shray's eyes widen at the sight of her, she felt a knot in her stomach.

"It is very nice to meet you, Mrs. Morgan," said Shray, giving her a nod as he shook her hand.

Bonnie bit her lip. At least he was polite enough not to make a fuss about her lack of bonds.

"And these are our children," said Richard. "Our sons, Van and Jasper."

"Welcome," said Van cheerfully.

"Nice to know you," said Jasper.

"It is a pleasure," said Shray, shaking hands with each of the boys.

"And our daughters, Mary, Gemma, and Amber."

The girls all nodded at Shray. They could not do anything else, with the gags in their mouths and their hands bound behind their backs.

"It is ... a pleasure to meet you as well," said Shray slowly.

He was knitting his eyebrows as he took in the sight of the girls, who all blushed intensely under his gaze, well aware that having their hands in this position meant their chests were thrust outward, not to mention that they could not cover themselves up in any way.

When Shray's gaze stopped on Gemma, she blushed even harder and lowered her eyes. Gemma realized that it didn't much matter that she was gagged. She didn't think she could do much more than stammer if she tried to talk to their handsome guest.

"You came just in time," said Bonnie. "Dinner is just about ready."

"It ... smells familiar," said Shray, sniffing the air.

"Well, it should," said Richard. "My wife prepared a traditional dinner from your home country, Zylphia."

Shray blinked. He looked taken aback.

"Y-You really did not need to do that," he said, fidgeting a little. "I, er, I would have been fine with eating whatever you folks normally eat."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all," said Richard, hoping that he sounded convincing. "We're happy to do what we can to make you feel at home."

"Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Morgan," Shray gave a slight bow to Bonnie. "I very much appreciate your hospitality."

Bonnie felt a little surprised, because she wasn't expecting Shray to address her directly, or at the very least not so casually, but she smiled at him in response.

* * * * *

"It is ... unfortunate ... that we cannot talk," said Shray, looking around the living room at Mary, Gemma, and Amber. "I am certain that we could have had some wonderful conversations."

Shray's eyes seemed to settle on Gemma, making her blush yet again.

Bonnie was in the kitchen, wearing only an apron, putting the finishing touches on the Zylphian stew. Richard was setting the table. Van and Jasper, the only two of the children who had the use of their hands, were helping to bring out the food.

Mary, Gemma, and Amber, who were unable to do much else, were keeping Shray company in the living room, at least as best they could being unable to talk.

"Soup's on!" declared Richard.

"Oh, good," said Shray cheerfully.

He and the girls got up and headed for the dining room table.

Mary made a slight mmpphh through her gag.

"Not now," whispered Bonnie. "Your gags will be removed when it's time to eat."

Mary sighed in frustration.

"Please, allow me," said Shray, pulling out a chair for Gemma. She wondered if he could see her lips curling into a smile as she sat down.

"Here we go, piping hot," said Bonnie, ladling the stew into everyone's bowls.

"It ... smells ... wonderful, Mrs. Morgan," said Shray quietly.

Bonnie tilted her head.

"Is something the matter, Shray?" she asked. "Is there something wrong with the stew?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Morgan, I am sure it is delicious - "

"Shray, please, tell me the truth." Bonnie felt a stab of worry that she had made a mistake with the recipe or cooked it wrong somehow. "I would like to know."

Shray hesitated, and then looked around the table.

"Do you all like this stew?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's great," lied Jasper.

"It's terrific," said Van.

The girls all nodded emphatically.

"I see," said Shray. "Well, it is just ... "

"Just what?" asked Richard. "You can tell us, Shray."

Shray paused, and then sighed.

"I actually do not like Zylphian stew," said Shray, sounding a bit sheepish. "I do not wish to offend you, or seem ungrateful, but the truth is, one of the reasons I was so looking forward to coming to your country was to experience a new culture ... and frankly, to get away from the food of my own country and try eating something new."

For a long moment, there was only silence around the table.

"We've been eating this stuff for the past three days for nothing?" whispered Jasper. A moment later, he let out a small yelp as Amber kicked him under the table.

"But, er, if you folks genuinely like this stew," said Shray hastily, "I will be happy to - "

"Well, actually," interrupted Richard, looking around the table.

"We hate it," admitted Van.

"It's awful," said Jasper.

The girls all nodded emphatically.

* * * * *

"That's right, four large pizzas, one plain, one with extra cheese, one with pepperoni, one with sausage and mushrooms ... Yes, with breadsticks and salads, and we'll need three 2-liter bottles of soda ... "

Richard looked up and asked, "Anybody want chicken wings?"

"So what am I supposed to do with all this stew?" complained Bonnie.

"Donate it to a homeless shelter," suggested Van.

"What have homeless people ever done to you?" muttered Jasper. A moment later, he let out another yelp as Mary kicked him.

"Hmmmph," grumbled Bonnie as she put the lid on the now lukewarm stew.

"I will be happy to help you with that, Mrs. Morgan." Shray lifted the heavy pot and placed it in the refrigerator.

"Thank you, Shray," Bonnie smiled.

"I really do appreciate your wish to make me feel comfortable here," Shray was saying as they walked out to the living room.

"You're very welcome."

"If I may, Mrs. Morgan, there is something I have been wondering about your family."

Bonnie tilted her head again, feeling puzzled that Shray would address a question about their family to her instead of her husband, as everyone had expected. But she nodded for him to continue.

"If you do not mind my asking, Mrs. Morgan, ma'am ... Why are you and your daughters naked? And why are your daughters tied and gagged?"

For the second time that night, the room fell completely silent.

Bonnie was frozen. She had expected that Shray, if anything, would ask the opposite question, why Bonnie wasn't tied and gagged.

"I mean, is it not rather cold?" asked Shray uncertainly. "We have no autumn in Zylphia, so I am not certain how you handle it ... "

"W-We thought that ... " stammered Richard.

"Isn't it an important custom in your country?" asked Bonnie, feeling bewildered. "What we learned about Zylphia is that this is how females are expected to be."

"Well, yes, it is," said Shray, looking as confused as Bonnie felt. "In my country, that is. But this is America. Surely, that is not a custom here, is it?"

"Uh, no, it's really not," said Van slowly. "But we all thought it would make you uncomfortable if - "

Shray shook his head.

"The entire purpose in my coming here was for me to learn about and experience your culture," he said, gesturing around the living room. "Before we left Zylphia, my classmates and I were given a seminar about how American culture differs from our own, and how we must be prepared to accept those differences."

"Wait," said Richard slowly. "Are you saying you don't mind if ... if my wife and the girls aren't naked? And they're not gagged and bound?"

"Certainly not," said Shray. "Actually, I was rather looking forward to experiencing a different way of life than I am used to back home."

There was a stunned silence, so thick the Morgans could swear they could feel it, now consuming the entire living room.

"And besides - " Shray started to say, but he was interrupted.

"MMMPPPHHH!" Mary couldn't take it anymore.

"Er, I think your daughter wishes to speak," Shray said to Bonnie.

Bonnie hurriedly removed Mary's gag, while Richard and Van took off Gemma and Amber's. While the younger girls gasped for air, Mary fixed a glare on her parents.

"Can we be untied now?" asked Mary in a low voice.

"And get dressed?" asked Amber.

* * * * *

Ending 2 ... "All right, girls, you don't have to be gagged when Shray arrives."

Here is the canonical ending, chosen by our readers. Now, you will see why it makes such a difference whether the girls are gagged when Shray arrives. Hope you like it! :)

"Welcome to our home, Shray."

Richard shook the young visitor's hand as he brought him inside the house.

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan. I am very grateful to you and your family for hosting me while I am attending university in your state."

"We're happy to have you."

Richard led Shray into the living room.

"The family has been looking forward to meeting you ... Here they are. Shray, this is my wife, Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled weakly at their guest, and then lowered her head. She did not dare speak. It was bad enough that she wasn't bound, but she felt a twinge of terror that the young man would feel offended by the fact that neither she nor her daughters were gagged.

When Bonnie saw Shray's eyes widening at the sight of her, and his body noticeably tensing up, she felt a very large knot in her stomach.

"Mrs. Morgan," said Shray hesitantly, giving her a small bow.

Bonnie swallowed hard. At least he was polite enough not to make a fuss about their lack of bonds.

"And these are our children - " Richard began, only to have Mary step in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm Mary," she said, in a slightly too cheerful voice. She tilted her head toward her siblings and added, in a rapid-fire tone, "And that's Van, Jasper, Gemma, and Amber. We're all very glad to know you."

"I ... " Shray looked taken aback. "It - It is a pleasure to - "

"I'm sure it is," said Mary, her voice rising in pitch. "Well, you must be hungry after your long trip, Shray. Personally, I'm starved. How's dinner, Mom?"

"It's - It's just about ready, I suppose," said Bonnie, blinking.

Shray sniffed the air.

"It ... It smells - "

"I'm sure it does," said Mary. "Well, come on, everybody, let's get dinner on the table!"

Mary began ushering everybody toward the dining room, at least as best she could with her hands bound. She seemed barely aware that everybody was staring at her as they walked toward the table.

"You know, Mom, you could get dinner on the table a lot faster if you had some help," Mary was chattering. She held out her hands awkwardly from behind her back. "Maybe you should tie our hands in front of us, so we can pitch in."

"Mary," began Bonnie.

"Er, maybe it would be a good idea to get dinner on the table quickly," said Richard, glancing around nervously.

Without waiting for his wife's response, Richard began untying each girl's hands and retying them in front. Bonnie tilted her had just enough to look at Shray out of the corner of her eye, feeling dismay to see him shifting uncomfortably.

The poor dear, she thought. It was obvious that the family's lack of respect for his Zylphian sensibilities was making him uneasy. She hoped that the stew would make him feel more at home.

With everybody pitching in, dinner was on the table in very short order.

"Okay, soup's on," said Richard quietly.

Shray was silent, looking around the room. When he approached the table, he hesitated for a moment, and then simply took his seat. Gemma, who had the chair next to him, awkwardly pulled it out with her bound hands before sitting down.

"Here we go, piping hot," said Bonnie, trying to sound cheerful as she ladled the stew into everybody's bowls.

"Oh, this is Zylphian stew," said Shray, wide-eyed. "I was not expecting - "

"Yeah, Mom's been practicing it for the past few days," interrupted Mary. "We all wanted to make sure you felt right at home, Shray."

"Well, that is very kind of you, but it really was not - "

"Okay, everybody, dig in!" said Mary. "Come on, pass around the vegetables."

Dinner was a quiet affair. A few times, Shray attempted to speak, only to have Mary show a sudden interest in passing more of the dishes.

"Mrs. Morgan, there is something I was wondering - "

"Here you go, Shray, want some peas and carrots?" Without waiting for an answer, Mary put a generous helping of the vegetables on his plate.

Before long, Shray's plate was filled with more food than he thought anyone could possibly eat, and he fell completely silent.

* * * * *

"Well, that was certainly filling, wasn't it?"

Mary was still chattering away as her parents and siblings cleared the table. Shray was helping to wash the dishes, not saying a word.

"Gemma, could you help me take out the garbage?" asked Van.

"Um, sure." Gemma was puzzled. Normally, Van would have asked their father or brother to help him with this chore.

As soon as they were out of the kitchen, Van fixed a gaze on Gemma.

"What do you think of him?" he asked.

Gemma instantly flushed.

"He seems nice," she murmured. "At least, I'm sure he would be if Mary would let him get a word in edgewise."

"Gemma." Van prodded his sister. "I've seen you looking at him when you thought nobody was paying attention."

"I ... "

"Gemma."

Gemma sighed.

"I think he's adorable," she said at last. Gemma shook her head. "I also think there isn't a snowball's chance that he'd be interested in me."

"Why wouldn't he be? Gemma, you're sweet, you're fun, you're pretty - "

"Pretty?" Gemma scoffed. "If it's about being pretty, why would he be interested in me when there's Mary and Amber for him to look at instead?"

She shook her head.

"If you've been watching," said Gemma sourly, "have you noticed that when he looks at me, he always looks at my eyes?"

"That sounds like he's a gentleman."

"Or maybe he just doesn't find the sight of me naked all that interesting," said Gemma hollowly. "And there's something else. When we were walking to the table, I thought he was going to pull out my chair for me, but he didn't."

"Well, maybe he's shy." Van paused thoughtfully. "Or maybe Mary is just making him nervous. Seriously, what is WITH her tonight?"

"I wish I knew," murmured Gemma.

"Gemma, why don't you talk to Shray?" urged Van.

"Van, he isn't going to - "

"How can you be sure, if you don't try?" Van nudged his sister. "Come on, Gemma, give him a chance ... Give yourself a chance, Lil' Sis."

Van picked up the garbage bags and carried them outside, leaving Gemma standing, silently pondering.

* * * * *

"Hi, Shray."

"Oh, hello." Shray seemed surprised, but smiled. "It is Gemma, correct?"

"Yes." Gemma smiled back at him, trying to contain her nervousness. "How are you? I hope you're comfortable."

"I ... I am not certain," said Shray slowly. He glanced at Mary and said, "Your older sister does not seem to like me. She will not allow me to speak."

"Mary can be a little strange sometimes," murmured Gemma. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"And your mother did not even greet me when I arrived," said Shray. "Did I do something to offend her?"

"Oh, no, not at all," said Gemma quickly. "Mom ... Mom was just a little nervous. She was afraid that you might not like it here."

"I see," said Shray. "Well, she need not have worried. This is a very nice home, and you all seem like wonderful people to me."

"I'll be sure to tell her," said Gemma. "That will make her feel a lot better."

"I am glad."

"It must be an amazing experience," said Gemma thoughtfully, "to travel so far, and visit another country, another culture."

"Yes, it is." Shray nodded. "I am very much grateful for the opportunity."

"I'm trying to become a writer," continued Gemma. "I was hoping that one day, I might be able to do some travelling myself, see a little of the world."

"Oh, really," said Shray. "Well, I was planning to return home to visit my family for a holiday. If you wish, I might be able to have you accompany me to Zylphia."

"Wow, that would be great," said Gemma, wide-eyed. "I'd love to see your country."

Gemma began talking very quickly.

"I was researching Zylphia before you arrived," she said. "I wanted to help my parents make you feel at home."

"That is very kind of you."

"It was so fascinating to learn about your country. I would like to learn about other cultures. It's part of why I convinced my parents to host an exchange student."

"Oh, that was your idea? I am very grateful to you, then, Gemma."

Gemma smiled.

"Well, while you're here, I'd be very happy to show you around our town," she said. "Not that there's very much to look at, it's kind of a small town. The city you'll be going to college in is much bigger."

Gemma was speaking so quickly, and gesturing with her head, that her glasses slipped down her nose. She sighed in frustration, and then suddenly became very still when Shray took hold of her glasses and gently pushed them back into place over her eyes. She blushed, smiling at him.

"I would very much like for you to show me around," said Shray. He smiled as he added, "From what I have seen, it is a charming town, and I would very much like your company."

Gemma blushed.

"You know, there's a really nice park not too far from here," she said. "It has a beautiful fountain, where I like to sit and read sometimes, especially in the evenings. It's so peaceful."

"That sounds very lovely."

"This one time," said Gemma, tilting her head upward, "I was at the fountain with my brother Van and his girlfriend. It was evening, there was a bright moon out, and it just started to rain, lightly."

Gemma sighed.

"And while we were there, by the fountain, in the evening, in the rain, my brother holds out his hand to his girlfriend and asks, 'May I have this dance?'"

She shook her head, laughing a little.

"My brother's girlfriend and I both thought it was so corny."

"It ... It sounds very romantic to me," said Shray quietly. "It would make me very happy to visit this fountain with you, Gemma."

He looked at Gemma for a long moment.

"What is it?" Gemma returned his gaze curiously.

"I am sorry." Shray dropped his gaze. "I was just ... I could not help noticing ... "

Shray looked up at Gemma again.

"You are very beautiful," he said.

Gemma froze. She felt like her heart had stopped beating.

"Th-Thank you." Gemma's voice was barely above a whisper. "That's very nice of you."

Gemma and Shray chatted for a few more minutes, making idle small talk, when Bonnie and Jasper came out to the living room.

"Shray," said Bonnie, "we were planning to have you stay in our guest room, but I'm afraid Richard and Van weren't able to finish fixing it up before you arrived. So for a few days, you'll be staying in Jasper's room."

"That will be fine," said Shray.

"Come on, I'll show you upstairs," said Jasper.

"Thank you," said Shray. He looked at Gemma and said, "Perhaps, tomorrow, we can take a walk to that park you mentioned, Gemma?"

"I'd like that," said Gemma eagerly.

Shray smiled at Gemma, and then lowered his head. As he turned away, he murmured, "I had all but given up hope that the salt might yet wash away."

Gemma's eyebrows knitted in confusion. What was he ... ?

She was so puzzled that she hardly noticed Jasper staring wide-eyed at both her and Shray, or his lips curling into a smile a moment later.

* * * * *

"Seriously, what's gotten into you, Mary?" demanded Amber. "You wouldn't let poor Shray get a word in during dinner - "

"You should thank me," retorted Mary. "He was probably going to ask why we weren't gagged, why Mom wasn't tied up, and then Mom and Dad would have - "

Mary paused.

"Or worse," she said, shuddering. "Listen, I've done some research of my own on Zylphia, and you would not believe some of their customs. That guy was probably going to start asking about things that ... trust me, you don't even want to know about."

"You didn't even give him a chance," said Gemma coldly.

"And believe me, we're better off that way," argued Mary.

Gemma shook her head and started toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" asked Mary.

"Jasper asked me to come upstairs," answered Gemma. She bit her lip as she said, "If you really want to know, I'm kind of hoping Shray wants to spend a little time with me - us - tonight."

"He probably just wants to ogle you," warned Mary.

"Come on, Mary, ease up," said Amber. She glanced at Gemma and mouthed the words "Good luck."

"Gemma, I'm warning you - " started Mary.

"I'm not listening to you anymore," said Gemma curtly, heading up the stairs.

* * * * *

"No, behind my back," insisted Gemma.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," muttered Jasper, tying Gemma's hands together behind her back. "Actually, I don't understand most of what you've been doing since this all began ... "

Jasper thought back to that very first night, when their father was explaining to them about Zylphian customs, and how important it was to make their guest feel at home ... by being naked ...

While Mary and Amber had been arguing heatedly with their father, Jasper had noticed Gemma scribbling something in the margin of her notes on Zylphia, and then tearing off the page and folding it in her hand. He hadn't thought anything of it ...

... At least, not until Mary and Amber slugged Jasper in the arm, as they had done so many times before, and Gemma came over to him and began rubbing his arm. At first, it seemed like Gemma was simply offering her twin brother some comfort, especially when she placed her hand in his.

The small folded paper that Gemma had slipped into Jasper's hand explained to him the entire plan that Gemma had devised, for Jasper to suggest that they have the girls wear bikinis instead of being naked, getting their mother to agree to being tied and gagged so that they could convince the girls to let them tie their hands, and then pulling off their bikinis while the girls were helpless ...

"Pull off my bikini first," Gemma's note had instructed Jasper, "so Mary and Amber will have a chance to process what's happening before you take off theirs."

Gemma's note had even provided the arguments that Jasper would use to convince their parents and siblings to go along with "his" scheme, such as "Sometimes, it's best to just rip off a bandage and be done with it."

And it went even further than that. Her note was written on the page of Gemma's research that had the information about spanking being the primary form of discipline for females in Zylphia, and Gemma had given Jasper her ideas about getting their mother to agree to let him spank Mary ...

As all of these memories of that night were swirling around in Jasper's mind, Gemma recalled him to the present by clearing her throat.

"Come on, finish tying my hands," said Gemma impatiently.

Jasper sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever understand you," he murmured.

"He seemed uncomfortable during dinner," said Gemma, apparently thinking her brother was asking why she wanted him to tie her up. "I don't want to make him feel any more uneasy. Now, gag me."

"Uncomfortable, huh?" Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Well, you two certainly seemed to be getting along just fine after dinner."

Gemma sighed.

"I don't know. It seemed like we were connecting, but it's so hard to tell, and then there was that..."

"What?"

"That thing Shray said at the end, about salt ... "

"Oh, that." Jasper's lips curled into a sly smile.

Gemma stared at her twin brother.

"Do you know something?" she demanded. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Do you know what Shray was talking about?"

"Sure," said Jasper with a grin.

Gemma was thunderstruck. In all their 15 years of life, it was absolutely unprecedented for Jasper to know anything that Gemma didn't.

"How could you ... "

"I did a little research on Zylphia myself," replied Jasper. "Mainly I was looking up stuff about girls ... My favorite subject, you might say ... "

"And?"

Gemma's voice was reaching a higher pitch than Jasper was sure he could hear.

"Come on, tell me!" pleaded Gemma.

"Okay, okay." Jasper placed a hand comfortingly on Gemma's shoulder. "Sis, it's like this ... In the part of the world where Shray comes from, they have an expression. They say 'salt' to mean 'bad luck.' Now, if a guy is really unlucky in dating, has bad girlfriends, keeps getting dumped, they say he has 'salt' in relationships, meaning bad luck in love."

"So ... "

"So," Jasper looked into Gemma's eyes. "Shray meets you, talks to you for a while, and he's decided that his salt days are over, the salt has washed away. No more bad luck in love."

Gemma's eyes turned round. She seemed speechless. A moment later, she became speechless for real, as Jasper tightly gagged her with a linen he had fetched from the hallway closet.

Jasper smiled at her.

"Shray has decided that you've taken away his bad luck in love, Gemma. He thinks you're beautiful, and sweet ... He likes you, Gemma."

* * * * *

"So you really don't like Zylphian stew?" said Jasper, sitting down on his bed.

Gemma let out a slight mmpphh through her gag.

"Frankly, I hate the taste of it," admitted Shray. "I have always avoided saying so, because I do not wish to offend ... Well, just about everybody I have ever known. Where I come from, everybody loves that stew."

"I wish we'd known that before we ate dinner." Jasper grimaced as he rubbed his stomach. "We could have ordered pizza instead."

"Well, I tried to say something, but your sister kept interrupting me."

Shray shook his head.

"As long as we are discussing that, there is something else I have been wondering, about your family. I tried to ask about it during dinner as well, but your sister would not allow me to speak."

"What's that?"

"Well ... I would like to know why your mother and sisters are all naked." Shray glanced, a bit self-consciously, at Gemma, before continuing, "And why have the girls been tied up? And gagged?"

Gemma's eyebrows knitted. Jasper looked befuddled.

"I mean, it seems a bit cold for this," said Shray uncertainly. "We have no autumn in Zylphia, perhaps I simply do not understand how you handle it."

"But we thought ... " Jasper frowned. "We thought it was a custom in your country, for girls to be naked, and tied and gagged. At least, that's what our parents, and Gemma here, told us."

"That is, indeed, the custom in Zylphia," confirmed Shray. "But surely that is not customary here in America, is it?"

"No, it isn't, but our parents thought you'd feel uncomfortable if Mom and the girls weren't - "

Shray shook his head.

"The reason I came here was to experience your culture, because it is so different from ours." Shray gave Gemma a meaningful look and said, "In fact, that is why I felt like I had found a ... I believe you say, 'kindred spirit' ... in Gemma here, that we both have the desire to travel and learn about other cultures."

Gemma blushed, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile around her gag, even more so when Shray reached out and adjusted her glasses again.

"So you really wouldn't mind if Mom and the girls ... weren't naked?" said Jasper in wonder. "And you don't care if they're not tied and gagged?"

"I was actually looking forward to experiencing a different way of life than what I am used to back home," explained Shray. He paused and then shrugged as he went on, "And besides ... I do not know if you know this, but we get a lot of American television in Zylphia. One of my neighbors has the entire DVD set of 'Friends.' We are quite used to seeing women clothed, at least on television."

For a moment, there was only silence in Jasper's bedroom.

"Mmmppphhh." Gemma suddenly broke the silence, tilting her head toward Jasper.

"I think Gemma wishes to speak," said Shray.

Jasper sighed and got up to remove Gemma's gag, fully expecting that she was going to want to be untied and get dressed, and tell their mother and sisters to as well.

"Gemma?" said Shray, looking concerned as Gemma gasped for breath. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine," said Gemma, gulping down some more air. "I just want to ask ... "

Gemma looked at Shray with the most endearing, pleading puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

"I want to ask a favor, Shray."

"Anything," said Shray eagerly, kneeling down in front of Gemma. "I will be happy to do anything you wish."

Gemma smiled.

"During the year, while you're living with us ... Could you please not tell anybody that you'd be okay with us girls not being naked?"

"Wha - "

"And not being gagged and tied?" added Gemma.

"Gemma, what are you - " Jasper looked flabbergasted. "Have you - "

"Jasper," said Gemma, "I didn't like the idea of all of us being naked ... But that moment when Dad decided instead that you boys would wear clothes and it would be just us girls who had to be naked ... "

Gemma gave her twin brother a sly smile.

"I don't know. Something about it appealed to me."

Jasper stared at his twin sister for a moment, and then sighed.

"I will never understand you, Gemma."

Gemma looked at Shray.

"Will you do it?' she pleaded.

"If ... If you want me to," said Shray uncertainly. He looked at Gemma, and then straightened up, smiling. "I will be happy to do whatever will make you happy, Gemma."

"I don't know, Gemma, this seems mean," said Jasper.

"Wait," said Gemma suddenly. She looked at the door. "What's that?"

Jasper put his finger to his lips, and all three of them listened to the voices coming from the hallway.

"Mary, you can have your slumber party," Bonnie was saying. "But the rules aren't going to change. All of the girls at your slumber party have to be naked as long as they're in the house. And they will have to be gagged and bound, too, at least part of the time. I am willing to allow some flexibility on that, though."

"But, Mother," whined Mary.

"And honestly, Mary," continued Bonnie, "I am getting a sense that I cannot count on you to follow the rules, so during your slumber party, you will keep your bedroom door open at all times. That way, we can be sure you're not trying to be sneaky and wear clothes when nobody is looking."

"Keep my bedroom door open?" exclaimed Mary. "But then anybody will be able to see right in and ... and see us all naked! Everybody will see us, including the boys! Including Shray!"

"That's right."

"Mom, my friends will never agree to this!" protested Mary. "They'll never agree to come!"

"Yes, they will," piped up Amber. "You were just saying this morning that the girls were all looking forward to the slumber party, and they all agreed to come, even if it means they have to be naked."

" ... Thanks, Amber," said Mary sourly.

"Yes, thank you, Amber," said Bonnie. "Mary, I do not appreciate being lied to, and also, considering the way you were behaving during dinner tonight, I am beginning to think it was a mistake to allow you not to be gagged. Come here, young lady."

"What? Mom, wha - Oh, no, not again - Mmmppphhh!!!"

"There, much better. Amber, go fetch Van for me. Mary here needs another good spanking."

Bonnie paused, and then sighed.

"And once you're done with that, Amber, go get Jasper. I should be spanked as well."

Gemma looked at Jasper, her eyes shining.

"You know me so well," sighed Jasper. "Okay, fine, I'm in ... Just one thing, though."

"What's that?"

"Can we at least tell Mom to stop cooking Zylphian stew?"