When Celtic cousins get together...

Have I mentioned that I love roleplay? Love the places it takes me, whether it be defiant and rebellious, meek and submissive, scared and miserable, giggly and girly.

Over the weekend I got to play two very different characters but both great in their own way. And I got to play with my Celtic cousin Jessica!

The first scene mostly involved just Jessica and me and it was the first roleplay scene I ever played with her (or any other woman) domming me one to one. She was Madame Rosie, of 'Your pleasure is our business' fame, and I was Kitty O'Brien. A young Irish girl just off the boat and looking for employment. She had found her way to Madame Rosie's and was being interviewed for a position in the house of ill repute.

Kitty was a very naive and unworldly country girl and couldn't understand half the fancy words Madame Rosie used. All she knew was this was a very fine house and she wanted to stay there. She was pathetically eager to please this grand woman who seemed so lovely and tried not to protest at the various things she did to her. Even though she was very embarrassed to be inspected so intimately and stammered at disclosing the things she had done with Tom from the village back home. (He had put his 'lad' in her, 5 or 6 times.)

I loved playing Kitty, getting really into the head of an unworldly country girl, overwhelmed by her surroundings and desperate to please this lovely lady who seemed so kind. A very sweet moment was when Madame Rosie dressed her in new underthings and Kitty giggled in delight at being given fancy lace stockings to wear!

But poor Kitty was soon to learn the real price of such finery when her first client appeared, swung her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs to have his wicked way with her.

A really lovely scene to start the weekend.

The other scene was darker but equally as much fun. Jessica and I were being forced through a witch trail and painfully interrogated by witch hunters, HWMBO and The Lover.

I was Cait, travelled over from Ireland some years previously to live with Ceridwen, my Celtic cousin on our Mothers' side. We were independent, educated women: a prime target for the witch hunters of the time.

In contrast to Kitty, Cait was a feisty character who wasn't going down without a fight. Together with Jessica's Ceridwen they made a formidable team!

The first 15 minutes of this scene were amazing as we verbally spared with Brother James and Brother Edmund. Without having prepared in advance we managed to seamlessly weave between our stories. Of how we were herbalists, that we were women of science, that we merely helped people. Remaining calm we defended ourselves and refuted their accusations.

But naturally they did not believe our protests and they insisted on taking us into custody to continue their investigations. This meant carrying out their witch tests.

We were stripped naked, strung up and then beaten mercilessly. At first Cait was serene, pleased that she gave no outward sign of distress no matter how hard they beat her. Alas the cries from her cousin they took as signs they were beating the devil from her and Cait ached for her pain.

But the tables were soon turned as they poured boiling fat over the girls and Cait screamed in agony. Then later marvelled at how her cousin bore the same torture in silence. They ended the ordeal searching for signs of the devil by pricking the girls all over. And then using ginger and nettles to inflame their delicate skin.

It almost broke the girls. But they held out, taking strength from each other and were finally released back to their cottage. Where they plotted evil and painful ways to avenge their treatment. They may not have been witches, but as women of science they had a few tricks up their sleeves.

So yes, I really love roleplay. You may beat me if I ever try to claim otherwise. (I did try once in a fit of petulance and I did indeed get beaten for it!)