Tau Upsilon Gamma [M+/M+] [update - 2/6/25]

[gag1195]

The disparity between votes and active comments is interesting. I'd encourage the 'YES' camp, of which I am a part of, to voice their opinions in the comments too!

@wataru14, maybe you should write a chapter where the TUG Brothers and the advisor debate this very topic. It'd be interesting to see where the various characters would stand on this.

There are times when breaking with tradition would be the appropriate thing to do, and I believe this is one of those cases. Travis needs help from TUG to escape DIX, but also needs a new family where he can feel truly welcome and included.

Finally, I don't think we should be thinking in terms of what benefits Travis brings to the table versus the cons. TUG proves that through tight bonds of brotherhood the sum can be greater than its parts. Extending a helping hand to those that require it is what matters here. Thinking transactionally is what DIX and Clay would be doing, our rope loving frat should be better than that

This is exactly my point. If they turn their back on Travis it would be very very out of character for them! Think of when ray joined.. he was somewhat violent. They accepted him.

Turning Travis away now when he needs someone would be very very out of character. Not to mention he saved them when the fire happened.

MAYBE have Travis turn into a vigilante- a heroic character? Maybe he’s the one that turns tugs away?

I guess I just don't conflate denying Travis a spot in TUG as turning him away. They can absolutely support and encourage Travis, welcome him as a friend and hang out with him, all without making him a new frat brother. The TUG brothers/pledges can easily be his support system without messing up the rules, traditions, and expectations of their fraternity.

Mason has a support system with the ROTC guys, and none of them are in the frat. Ray and Travis are seeing a support system develop amongst their acting situation, and none of those people are in the frat.

"We are going to help you. You have a temporary place to stay here. You saved us from the fire and we want to help/save you in return. You are good for Ray and he is good for you." All of these statements are true, and can exist alongside "We cannot offer you a place in TUG this year". Invite Travis to different events, help him get back on his feet, let him get to know everyone outside of the DIX/TUG rivalry, but he doesn't need to be a brother. Let Travis figure out who he is outside of his family's frat and legacy. Does he even want to be a frat member going forward?

[CowboyStud]

A interesting storyline would be Travis - turning the frat away. But becoming like an anti hero for other frats.

Think of what he’s gone through… with dix.

He could easily say no to tugs and become his own person. A hero to others who were in his position.

I could def. See a vigilante on campus protecting the innocent and bullied… maybe this is revenge against dix if he goes this route.

I also think if Travis joins tugs he’s hiding behind them. I see more to the character.

I’ll take anything regards to Travis as long as he’s not exiled.

[Volobond]

@gag1195 precisely my thoughts! They can help him and support him, without opening up their brotherhood to him!

Lest we not forget, DIX is complicit in what could be termed attempted murder of a lot of TUG. Next to that, Travis' actions seem more like what any moral person would be obliged to do, not something exceptional. But in addition, taking in Travis, not only for support, but as part of the brotherhood would not only cause more strife between the two groups when things have just calmed down, but also involve having all the wronged parties forgive his involvement in either their potential deaths or the potential deaths of their friends. Any way you slice it, that's a big ask.

[_zin_]

Travis is in a bad situation with no easy solutions. Staying with DIX will not be good. His brother is treating him abismally and none of the other DIX brothers seem to be offering support. Leaving DIX will not change his brother's attitude. It will likely make it worse. And his father will likely express his disappointment with Travis as well. Staying in DIX and being friendly with any TUG brothers will not be advantageous to the way he is being treated. He will need some support to keep him sane as he determines what he really needs to do.

I am not really understanding why offering Travis the opportunity to become a TUG brother would be an issue with TUG frat. The TUG brothers have shown they are very adept at uniting together to deal with adverse situations.

Not offering Travis a chance to join TUG because it would cause more strife with DIX seems cowardly. Not something I have noticed yet from the TUG frat.

Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

[wataru14]

PART TWO: The Wheels on the Bus

It wasn’t allowed for someone to be admitted to visit the Freshman dorms before 6 am, but when that person is Hoss, most desk attendants suddenly find that the rules are more flexible than most people think. The overnight clerk was barely awake anyway, so when a 6’3” 220 pound man in size 16 work boots tromped in with a baseball-sized dip in his lip said he was there to collect five Freshmen, he didn’t feel the need to question it. Hoss nodded and headed down the hall. As he made his way to the stairs, he passed his old room from three years ago on the first floor.

Most of the Freshmen had taken down the decorations the Welcome Committee had put on their doors the day before move-in, but Braxton and Jaisyn had left the bright yellow Mario stars with their names on them up on the door. Hoss had torn his down before he even opened the door. He didn’t want his roommate to know his real first name. It was so embarrassing he never used it. He had been going by “Hoss” since kindergarten. He grew up watching Bonanza reruns and the name just seemed to fit him. And it’s a good thing he did that. His roommate was a Class-A prick, and that kind of ammunition would have been very bad in his hands. He still was a Class-A prick now. Even more so, actually. Bryan had put it in video game terms and said “His Jerkass Stat is Double-S-Rank.” Whatever that meant.

Hoss wasn’t exactly quiet as he traveled the corridor. It was hard for a man his size to tread lightly, after all. So all five of the TUG Freshmen heard him coming before he approached the common room. They were all in a semi-hiddle, sitting on the couches. Exactly where they had been since last evening when Ray had summoned them all for an “emergency meeting.” None had slept. They had managed to reach a consensus decision on a course of action, but as for how to move forward with implementing it… that was another story.

All five perked up when Hoss clomped into the room. He walked behind Nate and starting rubbing the young man’s shoulders with his gigantic hands from behind. “You boys all ready?” he asked, seeing their duffel bags piled up in the corner. “Y’all look like shit on a shoe.”

“Top o’ the marnin’ to ye, as well, me boyo,” Leo crowed. “We were so excited for this rousing week of bonding and debauchery that that none of us could sleep. We were actually planning our next D&D session if you’re interested in specifics. Brett said we could have a session at the retreat.”

Hoss’ face lit up. Growing up, he never thought in a million years he’d be sitting around a table rolling dice unless he was in Vegas or something. And the thought of playing a game involving math would have made him bust out laughing a mere six months ago. But when he saw just how into it Nate was, just had to give it a try. For his sake, at the very least. And no one was more surprised than he that he actually really enjoyed it.

“Awesome,” he said, continuing to rub Nate’s shoulders until he purred. “I can’t wait to hack that Roper into pieces.”

“Aw,” Leo cooed. “You make mama proud. And it looks like you’re gonna make Nate shoot off a fireball of his own if you don’t stop with the magic fingers, big guy.” Hoss never liked being called ‘Big Guy.’ He always felt like it was a thinly veiled insult to large men disguised as a complement. But from Leo was different. It wasn’t thinly veiled. He had seen many assholes in his time, but the fact that one could be endearing while doing it was something alien to him. But with Leo, it just worked somehow. Hoss gave Nate a pat on both shoulders after he stopped the massage.

“OK, Frosh, grab your bags,” Hoss rumbled, getting into character and using his ‘cop voice,’ as Shane called it. “We got a long ride ahead of us to the cabin. So get those candy asses in gear and get moving.” Ray smiled. Hoss sounded like the Major wrangling the teeming Flannery family together before a family vacation. He was the first one up. “Good hustle, blondie,” Hoss chuckled. “The rest of you should follow his example. Move it move it move it!” The other four groggy freshmen laboriously lifted themselves from the couches and collected their things. They fell into line behind Hoss and headed out to the porch of the dorms.

The sun had just started to rise and the orange rays from over the horizon made the party bus glow with its own corona. It was like a scene from a movie. “All we need is a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream,” Leo quipped. The other four Seniors stood on the sidewalk, next to the open luggage hold. Each held a small wrapped box. Scott handed Hoss his as the four Freshmen stowed their luggage.

“Aw, you got us presents?” Cody grinned. “You shouldn’t have. But thanks, that’s real nice of you.”

Nate picked up the joke. “Hannukah’s not for three more weeks, guys.”

Danny closed the luggage hatch. “This is just the first. There are three packages for you to open. It’s part of a road trip tradition of ours. Like a game to play during the drive.”

Brett nodded. “Each of you will take one box,” he said. “And it can’t be from your Big Bro. So choose wisely. And you’ll be stuck with your choice the whole trip. Remember, it’s a few hours’ drive.”

The initial laughter subsided quickly. “’Stuck with our choice of gift?’” Mason said. “There’s probably something horrible in there.”

“Of course there is,” Leo smirked. “If you thought it would be candy or something, you clearly haven’t been paying attention.” He made a fist and rubbed his knuckles up and down Mason’s mohawk. What was first just a teaching exercise had really grown on the little guy. It seemed to fit him now and felt like a natural part of him. “Well, I’m guessing each one was hand-picked by the Brother holding it, so…” Like a flash, Leo zipped over to Shane and snatched the box from his hands. It was light and made no noise as he jostled it around. “I’m going to take the Pageant Queen’s ‘gift.’ He seems to be the least sadistic out of this lot.”

Shane’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile, but he said nothing.

And with that the other four boys were off, jostling for position and grabbing at boxes. When everyone was done, Nate had Brett’s, Cody had Danny’s, Mason had Hoss’, and Ray had Scott’s.

“Now don’t open them,” Danny said. “That comes later. Now let’s all get on the bus.” The seniors began to herd the Freshmen up the stairs.

The inside of the bus was swank, to say the least. It had ten seats, five on each side of a center aisle, and each was wide and comfortable. A TV screen took up the front, right behind the drivers’ seat, and there was a fridge in the back by the bathroom with several cabinets along the rear walls. Between the seats and the bathroom was a table with bench seats. Everything looked new and perfect. Cody marveled. He had never seen anything this nice in his life. “Woo ee!” he whistled. “This looks like the kind of thing rock stars take on tour!” As the group walked in, Nate noticed a gold envelope taped to the back of the TV. Hoss saw that Nate had noticed it and shook his head ‘No’ ever so slightly.

Five of the ten seats were clearly claimed. Various personal items, snacks, books, and handheld video game systems were laying on them. There was one occupied seat in each row, half on the left, half on the right. Each of the other five scattered seats had one thing on it: a sealed red envelope.

“Choose your seat,” Shane said. “There’s no restrictions on this, so knock yourselves out. But there’s no switching once we’re underway. So choose wisely. Pick one and put your box on it, but don’t sit just yet.” Brett nodded and the five Freshmen took that as their signal to go. At this point, it wasn’t a political or strategic choice. Back in high school, who you sat near on bus trips was a major choice with long-lasting ramifications. But by now, the group had grown in a way that it didn’t much matter who they sat near. They had bonded enough across grade lines that they felt comfortable by whoever. Nate and Mason, especially, who always had to tread carefully in these situations before, greatly appreciated not having to deal with the fallout of choosing the wrong seat.

Leo immediately strutted down the aisle and chose the seat in the back row. “Ha!” Cody chuckled. “The delinquents always sit in the back,” he said as he chose a seat in the middle.

“Old habits die hard,” Leo said as he put his box down, claiming his seat. “And it’s the closest to the can. But you’re one to talk. The middle, eh? Mommy needs to have a good view of everyone from where he’s sitting? To make sure we’re all OK?” He grinned.

“Partially,” Cody said. “But it also lets me keep an eye on everyone to make sure they’re not getting into trouble.” The seat across the aisle from Leo’s was clearly Scott’s. “Who knows what mischief you two would get into if no one was watching y’all.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Scott smirked. “I’m driving the first leg, so Leo kinda chose the isolation seat for the first hour. Besides, who wants to waste debauchery on the bus trip when we have a whole week to get wasted in privacy?”

Cody chuckled, appreciating Scott’s logic. Nate and Mason had both unconsciously moved to the front row. Force of habit from school bus trips. The front row was always closest to the teacher and you’d be safer from bullying there. It was still hard for the two of them to grasp they were in an environment where it wasn’t necessary to think that way. But both realized what they were doing and stopped. Nate ended up choosing the second row, and Mason took the fourth.

“Looks like I’m in the front,” Ray shrugged, putting his box down. He looked at Scott. “I gotta warn you, I’m a terrible backseat driver.”

“Yeah, well,” Scott smirked, clearly hiding some secret knowledge. “Somehow I don’t think that’s going to be much of an issue… OK. Everyone picked their seats? Now, it’s time for a little game. Like a scavenger hunt. Hidden around the bus are five gold envelopes. And they could be anywhere. I mean ANYWHERE. When I say go, go out and find one. And only one! Leo, I don’t want you snatching them all up and trying to extort favors from the others to hand them over.”

Danny whacked Scott upside the head “Hey, just because you tried that and got kitchen duty for a month doesn’t mean they’re all degenerates like you,” he said. “But… yeah, like he said Leo, one each.” Leo just shrugged and laughed, but he was secretly a little miffed they saw his plan right off. Maybe he was getting too predictable? Anyway, he was an expert at finding hidden things, so he expected to be done with this task in a jiff.

“OK, go,” Scott said.

Leo immediately went to the fridge and opened it to reveal an envelope on the shelf between the cases of soda. He said “Ho hum, guys. It’s like you’re not even trying,” without even looking inside. The others chuckled and got to searching. Nate spied an envelope hidden behind the sun shade by the driver’s seat and snatched it, a hair ahead of Cody. Cody patted Nate on the back in congratulations for his quickness and saw the envelope behind the TV as they walked back to the aisle. He grabbed it on the way. Nate wondered why Hoss told him not to take that one, but he didn’t let on that he had been given a clue. He surmised that was probably against the rules. Mason was looking under the seats up and down the aisles while Ray headed into the bathroom, emerging with an envelope in his hands. But Mason found nothing under any of them. He checked the cabinets, under the table, the glove compartment, even inside the light fixtures. Nothing.

As he searched, something caught his eye. Brett had been uncharacteristically quiet during this and it looked like he was hiding something behind his back. Mason’s eyes twinkled. “Anywhere, huh?” he muttered. He walked over to Brett and said “Can I have that envelope you’re hiding, please?” Brett smiled and handed it to him.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Leo called out. “You didn’t even hide that one!”

“Sure I did,” Brett said. “I just hid it in my pocket. You’re just pissed you took the easy route and Mason noticed something you didn’t.” Leo had no response to that. Brett was 100% right.

“Another point for you,” Leo thought.

“OK everyone,” Brett said. “Now that you’ve found everything, take your seats and pick up your boxes.”

Each of the pledges was excited to open the gifts, but also more than a little nervous as to what was inside. None really expected anything pleasant, but they still held onto some hope. They all waited, stewing in tension, until Brett gave the OK to open them before they started digging into the wrappings. Ray got his open first. Inside were three folded TUG-logo bandanas, red and gold. He looked slightly puzzled. Leo was next. The smell hit him before he fully opened the box. Inside was a soggy pair of balled-up socks that could only have belonged to Hoss. He blanched and closed it as quickly as he could.

Nate began to suspect what these “presents” were actually for, and his suspicion was practically confirmed when Cody, confused, took a fresh roll of duct tape from his box and held it up, looking through the center hole with a cheeky grin. Nate hesitated to open his and backed off for a moment. Mason produced a thick ring gag from his box and looked at it with trepidation. Seeing how he was the only one with an unopened box, and that everyone was staring at him, Nate finally grudgingly opened his, revealing a leather bit gag.

“Gentlemen,” Danny said with a smirk. “I bet you all know what those are for. What? You thought Freshmen would be free for the trip to the cabin? Nah-ah. This game is called Bondage Roulette. We let you pick for yourselves.” The other seniors guffawed. Danny continued. “Now everyone open your red envelopes, the ones that were on your seats, and look at the card inside.”

Each of the Freshmen was concerned, but then again, they should have expected something like this. It was TUG, after all. Nate was still apprehensive, but Cody seemed nonplussed. Excited, even. “Ha!” he laughed. “That’s pretty clever. I like this idea.” He tore into his envelope and took out a card that read ‘Handcuffs.’ “So I guess this is the meat and potatoes part, huh?”

“Sort of,” Shane said with a smirk. “That’s what you’ll be restrained with, yes, but the piece de resistance is in the gold envelope. But one thing at a time. We’ll get to that.”

“Hurry up,” Scott said. “I want to get on the road soon. We’re losing drinking time.”

The other Freshmen, now accepting of the game’s rules, opened their own respective envelopes. This was the kind of playful tomfoolery that TUG was known for. Mason, especially, was disappointed he wasn’t expecting it. But this was TUG, not DIX. There couldn’t be anything too horrible inside, could there? Each Freshman took out the card, held it up, and announced what was on it.

“Gorilla tape,” said Nate grimly.

“Good ole trusty rope,” Leo said, slightly relieved.

“Cable ties,” Mason said, wondering if it meant thin zipties from the hardware store or thick police-grade ones. It’s not like TUG didn’t have both in abundance.

“What the fuck?” said Ray, staring at his card. “Slave harness????”

Hoss belly-laughed. “You picked it, blondie. Haha!” he snorted.

“As you might have noticed,” Brett said. “One of each set is far worse than the others. For example, Leo definitely got the short end of the stick in the gag department. It looks like Ray was unlucky in the restraint round.”

“Oh, but we’re not done!” Danny chimed in. “We still have the gold envelopes!”

“That we do, good sir,” Brett said with a Cheshire Cat grin. “You’re all now going to open those and look at the cards inside. Mason… you wait.”

That last statement got everyone’s attention. “Wait?” Mason asked. “Why?”

“You’ll see,” was all Brett answered.

Now Nate was concerned for Cody. There was a reason Hoss warned him not to take the envelope behind the TV. Whatever was inside, Cody would most likely have drawn the “Bad Choice.” His mind raced with all sorts of nasty possibilities. If Hoss broke the rules to save him from that, it must be bad.

At Danny’s urging, the four slowly opened their envelopes, dreading what was inside.

“Nipple clamps?!?!?” Nate gasped. Wondering how that could be better than what was in Cody’s envelope.

“Tickling? Come on!!!” Leo protested.

“Underwear?” Ray sighed. “Really?”

“Ah, you love it, Captain Muscles,” Scott chuckled. Ray couldn’t argue with that.

“Don’t any of y’all complain,” Cody said. “Cuz I don’t wanna hear it.” He said nothing else, but held up a card that read “Icy Hot.”

At that, the Seniors all lost it and started laughing uproariously.

“As you’ve no doubt guessed,” Brett said. “The gold envelopes are the torment you will be subjected to on the ride. Looks like Cody got the unlucky draw this time.

“Maybe not,” Scott said. “Dude’s more than a little kinky. Maybe he’ll like it.” Hoss whacked him upside the head.

“And Now for the grand finale,” Brett said. “Open it, Mason.”

Mason, his hands shaking, opened the envelope. If he was told to wait for last, whatever was on the card must have been worse than what Cody had. He shivered as he opened the envelope…

Inside was a gold-embossed card reading “PARDON.”

“You got the Golden Ticket!” Scott cheered.

“Yes,” Brett said. “Mason, what you hold in your hand is a respite. A negation of the other two items and a chance to take the ride to the cabin free and unfettered. But… you have a choice to make. You can either use it on yourself or use it to spare one of your Brothers. In that case, you will take all of his burdens on yourself.” Brett seemed to be leading somewhere with that statement. Nate picked up on it immediately and nodded sagely, unseen by anyone but Brett and Shane.

Mason, not noticing Brett’s undertones, looked hard at the golden card in his hand. As much as he relished the idea of a peaceful and unbound journey, he did notice that several of his friends were very displeased with their fates. He considered his options.

“Well, Mason,” Brett said. “What is your decision?”

Coming Soon: Part 3 – Mason’s Choice

Well, readers, it’s time for another poll. Who should Mason save?

[blackbound]

Does he suffer theirs AND his, or just theirs?

[wataru14]

Does he suffer theirs AND his, or just theirs?

Theirs instead of his.

[Volobond]

I picked Cody. It's not that I don't wanna see him squirming and helpless, it's that I think Mason might take the chance to show his willingness to help out his brothers, and show his own toughness by weathering the harshest punishment.

[Wedgieboy69]

I love the complexity of the whole ordeal. Most writers would have just bound and gaged them in a single paragraph. You went above and beyond to build a whole series of lotteries and a moral dilemma, which will probably have even more reprocussions down the road.

That being said, I hope mason gets greedy, which backfires and lands him with all the worst possibilities for his selfishness.

[gag1195]

That being said, I hope mason gets greedy, which backfires and lands him with all the worst possibilities for his selfishness.

That's what I'm thinking, the golden ticket is another test. Will Mason be the selfless brother, taking on the burdens of his fellow bros, or will he be selfish and leave his brothers to their fates? Also need to consider what burdens Mason might be taking on. Like Ray's. I know they are best friends, and the harnesses might be annoying and slightly humiliating, but simply being in his underwear and being bandana gagged is far from terrible at this point in their TUGs career.

My vote goes to Nate. Those nipple clamps are the worst, in my opinion, especially after a few hours on this trip. Similarly, Mason's own ring gag would be quite painful after hours of use. Trading for Nate's more comfortable leather bit gag is a nice compromise for taking on the pain of the nipple clamps. Besides, like the Seniors joked, Cody's punishment might not be so bad for him.

[Guardianbound]

Well thought out scenario here! I voted Cody, icy hot is nasty when used to torture. If the name of the game is sharing burdens, saving Cody from that should earn him a lot of points.

[blackbound]

Theirs instead of his.

Seems too nice Ray appears to me to have it the easiest and Leo the hardest - hours of tickle torture?

If he's really selfish he takes on Ray's burden, appearing nice but not actually being it. To really suffer, Leo.

Hnm. I need time to decide.

[KidnappedCowboy]

What a ride into the woods!

I really like how all the freshman have bonded, and how they have grown in themselves and as a family of sorts -- those are the real ties that bind.

Mason chose wisely...putting his brothers before himself. My vote went to Cody...much as I love tapegags, "icy hot" is too much for the lad.

[_zin_]

Road trip!

[wataru14]

CHAPTER 3 – Mason’s Choice

The bus was silent as Mason turned the gold envelope over in his hand. “Zip ties and ring gag…” he thought. “Pretty light. Nothing really. Easy. Well, except for the drool… Wait, never mind that. No matter what happens, I won’t be wearing those. Either I’m completely free or I have someone else’s selections. Hmmm…”

He scanned his friends, each standing by their seats, holding their envelopes like they were about to explode. His eyes took in each one, trying to gauge their reactions. Leo was white as a ghost. Nate looked slightly flustered. But Ray and (strangely) Cody seemed far less worried.

“How long is the trip?” he asked, turning to the Seniors, who stood in a conspiratorial huddle behind him.

“About four hours,” Scott said. “Less the way I drive, more the way Shane drives, but it evens out in the end.”

Four of the five were looking at him with expectant curiosity. Especially Danny. Mason noticed his Big Bro’s hands were clenched in tight fists. Like he was nervous. But it was Brett’s look that unsettled him. The chapter president stood at the side of the group, not in his characteristic place in the center. That was off-putting enough, but it was his expression that made Mason pause. His gaze was fixed on Mason like a proctor in an exam. Like he was evaluating and observing every move he made.

“I’m being tested,” Mason thought. “That’s obvious. No one can spot a test faster than me. And there isn’t a test made that I can’t ace. But the question is: what am I being tested for?”

Mason’s mind began to churn into computation mode. “Mentat trance,” Leo called it. “This whole trip is a test. We’re being observed. We’re being… graded. No. We’re being… groomed. That’s why we’re supposed to hang out with Seniors other than our own Big Bros. They said it’s for bonding and relationship building, and that’s part of it, but there’s a more important reason. And if Brett is watching me like that, then… Of course!”

That was it. It had to be. There was no other possible conclusion that made sense. And if that was the case, Mason really had no choice. He had to save someone. He couldn’t choose himself. If he had pulled more severe objects in the first two rounds, a case could have been made for saving himself. But seeing how easy he had gotten off, he couldn’t do that. But the question remained. Who should he save?

Ray? While the slave harness would be uncomfortable for a long trip, Ray had absolutely no issues with the underwear. Hell, last summer he went three weeks without putting a shirt on even once. Exhibitionism was nothing to him. And his gag was the easiest of the five. By far. “Sorry, man,” he though. “I love you like a brother, but that’s another problem. If I choose you, then it looks like I’m falling into comfortable patterns. Playing favorites. Brett would pick right up on that.”

Nate? While he clearly wasn’t keen on the nipple clamps, his bondage material was pretty tame. No tight cords cutting into his flesh. No chafing. No, rubbing his skin raw. And while the plug gag would be annoying, it was preferable to some of the others. Mason’s own ring gag was worse. But the clamps are something else. Nate isn’t the hardiest of the squad and he would have a rather bad time with those. Possible…

Cody? His bonds and gag were the easiest of the lot. Nothing at all for any of them at this point. Barely worth mentioning. It was his “torture” that was key here. But was it really torture…? Scott had said something they all were thinking. Cody, the most innocent of them when they first arrived, had really taken to the kink scene. Maybe it was Wade’s influence? Maybe not. Maybe it was something that was always there waiting to get out. But Mason got the feeling that Cody wouldn’t mind his “torture” too much. Besides, he was the toughest of them after Ray. He could take it.

Then Mason’s eyes fell on Leo. He looked like he was in a panic. His normal ultra-cool demeanor was cracking like a Roman fresco and he was almost pleading with his eyes. The box containing Hoss’ socks was on the seat, the top closed like it contained something radioactive. And Mason didn’t need Nate’s empathy to know Leo was dreading the tickling. He wasn’t known for his stamina, after all, and would really have a rough time of it. But there was something else, something deeper, going on. Leo was all about confidence. His smarmy bravado. His “too cool for school” attitude. But all that was rapidly fading. Leo was showing… vulnerability. He was letting his wall down and Mason could see behind it. If Leo was letting him in like that, the situation must have been serious. VERY serious. Unless it was all a cunning trick to finagle the pardon out of Mason’s hands… you never knew with Leo…

No. That wasn’t it. Mason wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was 100% certain Leo was being genuine. Perhaps for the first time any of them had ever seen. At that moment, Mason knew what he had to do.

He took slow and measured steps down the aisle toward the scattered Freshmen. The gold envelope held in front of him in a place of reverence. Mason stopped in front of Leo, grabbed his friend’s wrist, and placed the gold envelope in his hand.

“Don’t worry, man,” Mason whispered. Low enough so that no one heard but the two of them. “I got you.”

Mason turned to the Seniors. “I choose to save Leo,” he said. For an instant, a smile flashed across Brett’s face. But it was quickly gone. Danny, however, was beaming. His fists unclenched and he turned to Scott and Shane with a look of triumph on his face. The other two were clearly pleased by the decision, but Mason could see there was something else behind their smiles. Like each had just lost something. Danny quickly realized they were still in “performance mode” and stilled his happiness, going back to business mode.

“Very well,” Brett said. “Mason has made his choice. Leo, you have been given the pardon and will be free for the trip up to the cabin. Normally I wouldn’t have to say this, but with you I think I do. Mason has done a grand thing for you. Taking your burden upon himself. And it is a heavy… and stinky… one. There is a significance to it that you would be wise to remember.”

Leo was too relieved to come up with a cheeky remark. He just nodded, his eyes fixed on Mason. His little buddy was looking at Brett, not at him, but even from behind Leo noticed his bearing and posture. “Little Man’s got stones,” he thought. “And confidence. Wouldja look at that.”

“He must care about you a whole lot,” Leo’s mind piped in, unbidden. “Those socks should be classified as a WMD and he’s jumping in front of the bullet for you. That shows he really cares, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe,” Leo mentally replied. “Or maybe he knows Brett and the crew are testing him. His stock rose quite a lot from this little stunt and maybe he knew that would happen. What’s a few hours’ discomfort compared to major brownie points with the chief?”

“Still cynical, eh?” his mind retorted. “And all those times you’ve hung out together haven’t convinced you that his affection is genuine? Mason is a lot of things, but a manipulator isn’t one of them.”

“Says you,” Leo thought. “He knows how to spot the angles and play them. He’s no dummy. And hanging out with me has scored him a nice piece of tail and a pipeline for cheap weed from the skate crew. Who says he’s hanging out with me because he likes me and not because I’m his ‘in’ to all that?”

“You’re the boss, unfortunately,” Leo’s mind said. “But I think you’re wrong. You’ll probably ignore my advice, like always, but I think he’s the real deal. You can let him in. It would be OK.”

“Duly noted,” Leo thought. “Now shut up for a while. Things are about to happen.”

And they were. The four seniors had picked up a duffel bag from the floor behind the driver’s seat and were rifling through it, searching for their assigned materials. Scott held the bag and would not be participating in this next part. He was eager to get on the road. They seemed to choose at random, just grabbing whatever was on the top at the time. Scott said “Imma go have a smoke and do one last checkup on the bus before we head out.” He put his arm around Leo’s shoulder and half-pulled him toward the door. “You come with me, Lucky. It’s crowded enough in here.”

When they were gone, Brett said “Let’s get started. If we don’t get on the road soon, Scott will have a stroke.” Danny nodded and strutted over to Cody with a devilish glint in his eye, turning the roll of duct tape over in his hands as he walked.

“OK, cowboy,” he said. “Let’s start this rodeo. Ditch the shirt, pardner.” Cody gave a smirk and removed the beat-up Ariat-logo ball cap he wore, tossing it on the empty seat by the window. Putting both hands on the hemline of his sleeveless Diesel T-shirt, he pulled it up and over his head in a fluid motion before tossing it aside also. Nate remembered it was the same shirt he wore on the day they first met. And how quickly he shed it then, too. Cody gave a quick and not-so-subtle pec flex and laughed.

“Look at him hot-dogging,” Hoss chortled. “Danny, have you been giving him lessons in how to be a cocky asshole?”

“That’s all him, brah,” Danny laughed. “I would have done a full double bicep flex. But that’s just me.” Everyone in the bus chuckled as Danny slid around behind Cody. Nate and Mason were both grateful for the break in the tension. Brett’s devotion to formality and ritual made things pretty heavy at times. Danny’s bravado was a nice foil to that. They work together well, Nate thought. It’s a pity they’re always fighting.

“Assume the position, maggot!” Danny joked. Cody laughed and brought his hands behind his back.

“I don’t have any drugs or weapons, officer,” he joked.

“Sounds like it will be a pretty boring weekend, then,” Danny said as he arranged Cody’s hands in proper arrest position. Lord knows Hoss had practiced his law enforcement techniques on them all enough for him to know that. He ratcheted the cuffs closed, tightly enough for Cody to not chafe, but not so loose as to give him room to slip them. From behind him, Cody heard the familiar squelch of duct tape being pulled off a roll. He had just enough time to blink before Danny clapped one end across his lips and patted it down. Danny wasted no time in beginning the wrapping. And he didn’t skimp on the coverage. Seven, eight, nine times around, making the band wider each time. Fifteen, sixteen… by now the entire lower half of Cody’s face was enveloped in the tape, from just under his nose to beneath his chin. Almost like a snow muffler made of shiny silvery adhesive.

“Since there’s no stuffing, I have to go for total coverage for it to be effective,” Danny said, patting Cody on the shoulder. “OK, buckaroo, you’re good for now. The fun part starts when we hit the road.” Cody nodded and sat down in his seat.

Shane flipped his hair just so and locked eyes with Nate. “Your turn, Mr. Artist,” he said with a warm smile. “Let’s see how much of an artist I can be, shall we? Now, like your roommate, I’ll need you to remove your shirt, if you’d be so kind.” Nate was dreading this.

As much as TUG had helped him overcome his inhibitions, his scrawny frame made him quite self-conscious about showing skin. Cody was barechested half the time in their dorm room, and Nate couldn’t complain about the scenery, but he was always too sheepish to join in. Ray had no problems with it, and even Mason seemed to be less apprehensive than he was. Shane could sense his tension and gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. Nate suddenly felt a whole lot better and haltingly removed his shirt.

He wasn’t actually expecting a reaction. Not from this group anyway. No one was going to laugh at his lack of brawn or pale skin tone. Well, maybe Leo would, but not seriously. But still… perhaps that’s why they brought him outside. Leo didn’t smoke and Scott didn’t need help checking the luggage. It made sense. But it wasn’t a good sign that they didn’t trust him enough to have him present. Nate made a note of that.

He was so busy contemplating that he didn’t even notice Shane gently and fluidly bringing his hands behind his back and crossing his wrists. But he was jarred from his musings as soon as he felt the durable, sticky film making contact with his skin. Shane, perhaps sensing Nate’s tension, was gentle as he began to wind the industrial-grade tape around his wrists. Making sure to avoid trapping as many hairs under the adhesive as possible. But that gentleness didn’t take away from the thoroughness of the binding in any way. In fact, Shane was methodical in his technique, smoothing and reinforcing each pass of the tape. This would be no slaphazard job. Like everything Shane did, it would be a thing of beauty to see. A tie job fit for a textbook on the subject. He made the tape several layers thick, and airtight. He didn’t need to make the bands wide for more security, the precision of his application was enough. In the end, it was just a single black band that secured Nate’s wrists. An outside observer would think it easy to escape from, but the durable material was applied to perfection. Nate was surprised to feel no tension or strain on his shoulders. He thought spending several hours like this would cause uncomfortable cramping, but it now seemed like that would not be the case.

“That should do it,” Shane said, dropping the tape roll on an empty seat across from Nate’s. “Now for the fun part.” Nate was expecting to see Shane produce the familiar black panel gag that they had all seen in the house display cases, but what Shane actually pulled out was something else altogether. “I figured I’d do something special for this trip. This is from my private collection.”

Brett gave an almost imperceptible smirk as Shane revealed what he had brought. It was a plug gag, all right. Nate could see the bulbous black knob that would soon be filling his mouth, but it went far beyond that. Instead of just a wide black panel, the gag had a cup that would cover his entire lower face! Instead of a single strap on each side that would buckle together behind his head, the contraption had an array radiating in all directions that would all join together when fastened. From the middle of the face-plate, a single band went up. It had a triangle-shaped cutout just above it (presumably to create a place for his nose to rest free and unencumbered, Nate thought), with the band continuing up. Nate surmised that would go between his eyes and then up and over his head. He realized he was right when Shane carefully removed his glasses.

“Hey, does that count as a plug?” Danny asked. “It’s a little heavy-duty.”

“Oh yes,” Shane smirked. “The plug part is right here.” He held the head-harness up to show Danny and tapped the knob with his fingers. “It fits the description. Nothing in the rules says it can’t have extra embellishments, does it?”

“Guess not,” Danny chuckled. “I guess it fits. Sorry, Nate dude, looks like yours wasn’t as easy as I thought.”

Nate couldn’t help but chuckle, and Shane took advantage of the break in Nate’s tension to gently insert the plug. He felt the wide bulb pushing past his lips and snapped back into focus. Shane arranged the mouth plate just so, adjusting the size controls to make the jaw-covering cup fit Nate’s slender face. “Your face is thinner than the last guy I used this on,” Shane said, shooting a quick look at Brett, who rolled his eyes. “So I need to make some adjustments.” At first the cup left a lot of wiggle room, but as Shane cinched the buckles to a smaller setting, he felt that space shrinking, until his jaw was snugly encased in the leather muzzle. His cheeks and chin disappeared completely behind the leather face plate. Nate stood still as Shane began to arrange the straps around his head, bringing them together behind, and securing them through each other behind his occipital bun. When the straps were buckled, Nate’s face was almost completely hidden behind a web of leather straps.

“There’s an attachment for a blindfold,” Shane said, “but we won’t be using that.” He put Nate’s glasses back on him. Strangely, they seemed to fit perfectly over the leather straps. Shane guided Nate into his seat.

Brett took a step toward Ray. “I know you know what comes next,” he smirked. “OK, frosh, strip.”

With his usual gusto, Ray began to disrobe, stripping off his high-school wrestling T-shirt and kicking off his sneakers and white ankle socks. Unlike Nate, Ray had no issues with showing off his body. Last summer he had a challenge with one of his wrestling buddies to see who could go the longest without putting on a shirt. Ray was up to three weeks before he had to cover up when they went to see his grandma in the nursing home. And it was nothing to him. He didn’t even alter his routine, going out into town and even into stores barechested. And he didn’t get any complaints, not by a longshot.

When he slipped out of his basketball shorts, Brett frowned. “Boxer briefs?” he scoffed. “No no, my friend, that will not do. Luckily, I have something more suitable for you.” Brett reached into the supply bag and pulled out a pair of tighty-whiteys. “This is much more appropriate.” He aloofly tossed the briefs to Ray.

Ray caught them effortlessly and then smirked. He knew that everyone was expecting him to head for the bathroom to change, or to ask them to turn around and give him privacy. But that wasn’t his style. If they want a show, they’d get one. Ray put the briefs on the seat next to him, then reached down and slid his jockey shorts off in a fluid motion, tossing them aside. Never one to turn away from a little hotdogging, Ray stood, almost posing for the guys. No way he was going to let them embarrass him. If they thought being buck naked in front of a group of dudes was going to give him the sweats, they had a lot to learn. He even put his hands on his hips and yawned for emphasis.

Hoss guffawed. “Scott’s gonna be real mad he missed THAT!”

Danny laughed with him, “That’s for sure. OK, stud, you made your point. Now put that thing away and get those drawers on. We’re burning daylight.”

Ray smirked as he slipped on the briefs. They were at least two sizes too small for him. Of course that was by design. The white fabric clung tautly to his hips and glutes, giving the guys in back quite a show. Cody couldn’t help but peek out from behind his seat to catch a glimpse.

The harness Brett pulled out was complex in its design, and well-made. Top quality gear. Without any further rigamarole, Brett put leather collar around Ray’s throat and buckled it closed behind him. The collar was wide, forcing his head slightly up. Leather straps and accoutrements hung over his shoulders, both in front and behind. Brett arranged the silver ring in the front so it was directly over Ray’s solar plexus, making the necessary adjustments to make the harness conform to Ray’s fit frame. Ray’s arms hung limply at his sides as Brett brought the straps into place around his body. When fastened, they framed his shoulders and pecs in a shiny black leather webbing. He had to widen his stance and spread his legs slightly as Brett brought straps down past his junk and under the butt, cinching them behind him above his beltline. This framed his white-clad package quite well.

The whole time, Ray felt there was a thick, wide strap hanging behind him and running down the length of his back. It was heavier than the others. He wondered what it was for when Brett attached the straps running under his carriage to it. This connection made the strap taught down his back. But his question was answered when Brett took his right hand and inserted it into a thick, sturdy cuff that was protruding from the strap. His left hand soon joined it in a second cuff, just below it. When the buckles were fastened, Ray’s arms were held behind him, parallel to each other and the floor in an “=” position. This caused his chest to bulge out. Ray was actually pleased that the harness accentuated his assets like that. He gave a cocky grin and said “Feels pretty good.”

“Oh, I’m sure it does,” Brett said. “But no one wants to hear your grandstanding. So open up, frosh.” Ray smirked as he opened his mouth wide. Brett took a balled-up red-and-gold TUG bandana and stuffed it into Ray’s open maw, pushing it fully inside with his fingers so that none of the red fabric could be seen. Then he knotted up a second one in the middle and cleaved Ray’s mouth, pulling it tight behind Ray’s head before knotting it off. Ray gave a slight muffled grunt at the tautness of the gag, but Brett just tapped him on the shoulder in response. Then Brett folded a third into a wide band, in such a way that the TUG logo was fully readable, and placed it across the cleave as a covering band. After he tied the knots over and on top of the ones from the cleaving bandana, Ray’s mouth was fully and completely muffled.

“Three down, one to go,” Hoss said as Brett guided Ray into his seat.

“Yeah, you get Hoss, little bro,” Danny said. “Sorry, but there’s no way any of us are going to touch that soggy stinkbomb in the box there.”

Mason figured as much and just shrugged in response. “Can’t say I blame you,” he joked, wincing at the smell that was subtly wafting toward him from the box on the seat.

Hoss rolled his eyes as he approached, preparing bales of rope that he held in his hand. “Now we know all about ropes on the farm,” Hoss said. “And we know all about how to rope up little piggies.”

Mason felt Hoss’ titanic hands grabbing his wrists and clumsily bringing them behind his back, crossing them over each other. Since his captor was Hoss, Mason was expecting power over finesse, but he was dealt a big surprise at the big man’s technique. The rope snaked around his wrists, threading over and around with a skill Mason would have expected from Brett or Shane. Hoss even took the time to position the bands of rope in an aesthetically pleasing formation as they wound around. That was DEFINITELY Nate’s influence, Mason thought. When Hoss cinched off the final knots, Mason’s wrists were snugly secured behind him with the skill of a master.

Without giving him a moment’s rest, Hoss looped a rope crosswise across Mason’s chest, just under his pecline. He got to experience Hoss’ legendary strength when the rope was pulled tightly around. Mason gasped at the tightness, which caused Hoss to pull back on the tension a little. It seems he didn’t quite know his own strength at times. But Hoss’ surprising skill wasn’t just for his wrists. The rope began to encircle his chest and was arranged in a row of tight bands that rested on top of each other seamlessly. No haphazard crossing. After eight or ten revolutions around his torso, the finished binding was a perfectly crafted column. But Hoss wasn’t finished. He took smaller separate lengths of rope and threaded them between Mason’s bicep and ribcage, perpendicular to the bands across his chest. Each of these were threaded around the bands vertically multiple times, in and out, pinching them together. A little trick to keep the band from slipping.

The ropes now sufficiently applied, Mason shuddered at what was inevitably going to happen next. He could almost see distortion in the air from the fumes as Hoss grabbed the balled-up sweat-soaked sock from the box. The suppressed his gag reflex, eager to get his overwith as quickly as possible. Hoss must have felt a twinge of pity and felt the same way, because he inserted the sodden ball into Mason’s mouth as soon as he opened it.

The taste was overwhelming. Salty and stale. And Mason could feel the juices dripping from the fabric as it sat in his maw. His eyes began to water. Hoss pauses as it appeared Mason was going to hurl. And he wanted to. But he couldn’t. Mason knew he had to man up and endure this. The others were watching him, but it wasn’t even about them. It was about him. He had to toughen up. He had to prove to himself that he could endure this. If he was right about what Brett was planning, it was even more critical. Mason looked up at Hoss’s concerned face and stoically nodded.

Hoss grinned and clapped him on the back. “That’s my fucking boy!” he said with a smile that made Mason feel proud. Hoss took the second sock, knotted it in the middle, and cleaved Mason’s mouth with it. The rancid smell wafted up into Mason’s nostrils. He again fought back his gag reflex, but it was all good. He had this. When Hoss was sure he was OK, he turned and said “OK, get those two in here so we can finish up and go.” Shane headed down the stairs and out, returning with Scott and Leo.

“Now that we’re all here, we can start the ‘torture,’” Brett grinned. “Nate and Cody, stand up.” The two freshmen did as they were instructed. “Leo, you’re going to watch this. I want you to appreciate what Mason has done for you.” Leo shot a quick look at Mason, who had a slight green tinge to him.

“That could have been me,” he thought. “I really do owe M-Dawg for that. I don’t think I could have handled that stink.” He pushed that passing thought aside as he watched Shane walking over to the thoroughly muzzled Nate. The complexity of the leather contraption on Nate’s face gave Leo slight pause. “Man, Shane doesn’t mess around.” Leo’s assessment was confirmed as Shane held up an ice cube and started to rub it over Nate’s exposed nipples. Nate let out a quivering yelp as the cold jolted through him, but the ice got its intended effect. Nate’s nipples instantly hardened from the shock of the temperature change.

Shane passed the ice over a second time, and then felt them to make sure they were in a suitably hardened state. Then he took a chain out of his pocket. On each end of the chain was a tiny alligator clamp. He took one clamp in hand, pinching it open and closed a few times before affixing it to Nate’s left nipple.

Nate let out another surprised shout, muffled into a “mmmpppghhh!” by the severe leather muzzle, as the clamp closed over his nipple. A quick jolt of pain rippled through him, but Nate realized it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. He curiously looked down at the metal clamp hanging from his chest, feeling himself swelling up inside his underwear. Shane have him a conspiratorial wink, seen only by the two of them, as he affixed the second clamp. Nate felt another jolt and gave a slight pleasured moan.

“Easy there,” Shane whispered. “Don’t get too excited too soon. We have a long drive ahead.” Shane turned Nate to face the others, and then gave a slight tug on the chain connecting the nipple clamps. Nate let out an “mmmppggghh!” grunt, that was equal parts pain and pleasure. “All set!” Shane said, guiding Nate down into his seat.

“Yee haw, cowboy!” Danny said. “Your turn.” He grabbed a vat of sports cream from the supply bag and advanced on Cody like a predator. He ominously unscrewed the cap, filling the bus with the menthol smell. It was so strong even Mason could smell it over the stink of his gag. Cody rolled his eyes at Danny’s overdramatic approach and smiled under the wall of tape overing his mouth. When Danny was in front of him, he stuck his fingers into the vat and pulled them out, a gigantic glob of translucent blue gel clinging to them.

At first, Cody didn’t feel anything as Danny started smearing the gel across his pecs. Other than the initial cool clamminess, that is. But after Danny had gone back for his second and third helpings, and his upper body was well-covered in the goop, he felt a tingle.

Dull and weak at first, the burning began as a low spark and then exploded. The heat started to well up all over him in waves. Tingles, then fire. The heat increased in bursts, flaring up all over his body. Danny followed no pattern as he applied the gel, so Cody had no idea where the next explosion would come from. The anticipation of the next burst was tantalizing.

Cody was so engrossed in the heat dancing through his skin that he didn’t notice Danny undoing the buckle of his jeans. He was only alerted to the shenanigans going on below his belt when he felt a glob of goop being applied to his shaft and balls. He let out a pleasured whimper as he knew what would be coming in a few moments. Danny took his time applying the gel to Cody’s nether regions. Maneuvering his hand around was proving difficult as Cody had become fully erect by now. After complete coverage had been achieved, Danny removed his hand and refastened Cody’s belt.

The young cowboy was afire with heat flaring up from all sides at once. He squirmed and fidgeted as each burst of heat popped, receded, and popped again. From through his gag, Cody was emitting a series of pleasured moans, mixed with whimpers. Danny capped the container and seated Cody down. “We’ll do touchups periodically,” he winked. Cody wanted to smile, but was so overwhelmed by pleasured heat that he couldn’t.

“Mason,” Brett said, “Yours will come as we drive. And you will never know when. That’s part of the fun.” Hoss ran his thick calloused fingers slowly and gently down the side of Mason’s neck as Brett said this, sending shudders through him. He didn’t think the big man could have such a soft touch. Was that Nate’s doing? But Mason couldn’t contemplate further as a wave of laughter erupted through him. He sat down, wondering when the first assault would come.

“Great! We’re ready!” Scott said, hopping into the driver’s seat. He closed the bus door and started the ignition. A blast of diesel came from the exhaust and the bus began to rumble away as the seniors took their seats. Shane sat just behind Mason, and the young freshman occasionally felt the frond of a large feather rubbing against his skin from over the seat. Danny was hovering around the TV.

“For your viewing pleasure,” he announced. “I present an absolute gem of American cinema. One of the all-time classics.” The screen blared to life, revealing an image of black Converse sneakers hanging from a telephone wire as a funky song played in the background. “Gentlemen, I present ‘Friday!’”

A cheer erupted from the seniors as Danny sat down to watch the movie. Scott blasted the bus’s horn twice to signal their departure, and then they were off.

Coming Soon: Chapter 4 – The Arrival

[gag1195]

A triumphant return @wataru14! I hadn't realized how much I missed this story until I read through this update! The descriptions, the characters, the bondage, all so well done! I love Shane cheekily "enhancing" the game with his more intense gag. Here's hoping he has more enhancements to add to this weekend!

I fully expected Leo to be brought back onto the bus in some form of restraint! A light bondage and gagging, still in the spirit of the golden ticket pardon and no punishments, but still something to remind him of Mason's sacrifice!

Speaking of, as pleased as I am that Mason passed the test and showed his loyalty to his friends, and taking on burdens, there is also a lesson to be learned about taking on too much, turning a loyal sacrifice into self-destruction. Hopefully Mason doesn't come to regret his decision after 4 hours of stink, funk, poking, and jabbing...

[Volobond]

I'm so glad to see this story back and it really does feel like coming back to see old friends!

I have to say, I love how clearly all of the characters, freshmen and seniors alike, are growing and learning from each other and their surroundings. I love that Cody is enjoying the actual kink the most; I love that Leo is starting to let his walls down; I love that Hoss is refining and improving himself.

I think this trip is really going to create stronger bonds and new dynamics!

[_zin_]

It is great the road trip is underway! Thoroughly enjoyed this chapter.

[blackbound]

I must shamefully admit I completely forgot about this story, but I'm so glad it's back!

A wise, shrewd and kind decision from Mason all at once. Still, no mercy is being spared for him...

[KidnappedCowboy]

Omigod, @wataru14! I eagerly await each update, and you always deliver the best. Your character development is your greatest strength (well, maybe second...your imaginative ways of tying these young men up may be your greatest strength ).

The character development is highlighted in this chapter with Mason and Leo. Mason is building character. That's on display when he chooses Leo to ride free to the cabin. And we know his choice is from the heart and not merely for self-interest when he whispers to Leo that he's got his back. Mason's willing to take a bullet -- or restraints, gags, and ice -- or go the distance for Leo, who will be his brother in TUGs.

We still see Leo struggling with that. He still has doubts about Mason's motives. He does not understand yet that roping, getting tied up, gagged, and everything that comes with it actually will set him free. He has a way to go before he bonds with his brothers in TUGs.

And finally...the heat cream! I LOVE it! Cody in heat...Lordy, Lordy! That's not muscle pain RELIEF! It's agonizing JOY!

[wataru14]

Thanks for the compliments. I didn't realize the last chapter was so long ago!

Coming up will be some one-one-one bonding time between one Frosh and one Senior, and it will be some nontraditional pairings. I took suggestions a while back and will be using them (with some tweaks), The first one will feature Brett (as the title hints)... but who will he be with???

We also might have an interlude in Bora Bora, but you didn't hear that from me.

[Bootmark]

Grateful for the update. I've missed these guys.

[wataru14]

Chapter 4: The Arrival

It wasn’t a pleasant ride for the Freshmen. Well… not for four of them, at least. Cody actually seemed to be enjoying his “torment” so much that the seniors didn’t want to reapply when the heat from the current batch died down.

“Is he asking me for MORE?” Hoss asked about two hours in, after Shane took over driving duties. He had just finished applying a coat of goop to Cody’s chest and was standing dumbfounded at Cody’s pleading gagged grunts.

“Aw, Daddy Wade would be so proud,” Scott chortled from his seat, where he had been lightly brushing Mason’s ribcage with a long feather on a stick for the past 10 minutes. Cody nodded feverishly and looked down at his crotch as Mason writhed in discomfort. “But if he’s enjoying it, it kinda defeats the purpose of torture, doesn’t it. I mean, look at Mason here. He’s DEFINITELY not enjoying this.” Scott moved the feather up to Mason’s chest, softly rubbing it over his left nipple a few times for emphasis. Mason howled with laughter through his gag.

“Fuck that!” Hoss said with a grunt. “Look, I’m glad you’re embracing your kink side. Let it all out. But I’m not Danny. I’m not shoving my hand down your pants like that. Sorry, buckaroo.” He smeared some more goop over Cody’s chest and tromped back to his seat.

And that’s how things went for the rest of the drive. Nate and Mason enduring their situations as best they could. Ray blasé and neutral about the whole affair, and Cody in hog heaven. But regardless of what everyone else was going through, it was far worse for Leo.

He barely spoke throughout the ride and couldn’t even look in Mason’s direction. He was feeling an emotion he had never really experienced before: guilt. And regret. “Look at him,” his brain said. “Whew! Glad we lucked out and dodged that bullet. Scott is a demon with that feather.”

“Hey!” Leo thought in response. “Lay off. What’s wrong with you? Why are you gloating over that? These guys are like family to me and I have to sit here while they suffer? Do you know how shitty that makes me feel? What kind of asshole do you think we are?”

If a brain could smile, Leo’s would have.

The bus made one brief stop at a highway rest area for snacks at around 8:00. The Freshmen, all being gagged, were in no position to partake, of course. Leo, as part of his Golden Ticket, was offered some, but he refused. Of course he tried to play it off like he wasn’t hungry. But was he fooling anyone? Not hardly. Danny and Scott flashed each other a pleased look that said “Solidarity,” in the secret language all twins share with each other. Almost like a bridge had been crossed. They grinned as they chowed down on their overstuffed breakfast burritos.

---

At around 10:30 a.m., the bus turned off the highway onto a two-lane country road. The sprawling Metropolis of Metro City had long since given way to the endless empty fields of the Midwest, but now the group could see a rise in land elevation and the regular emergence of trees. Everything ablaze in fall colors.

“Welcome to Appalachia!” Shane said as they passed a sign saying ‘Welcome to North Carolina.’ “Shouldn’t be far now. Hoss, you’re from around here, aren’t you?”

“My family’s farm is back in Tennessee,” Hoss said. “But we have land out here.” He turned to the Freshmen, who were squirming in their seats, hoping that their bondage would end when they arrived. “This cabin and the land around it belongs to my family,” Hoss grunted, getting into ‘cop mode.’ “So you will all treat it with respect and care. I don’t want to see a single rock out of place when we leave. Y’all got that?” The freshmen all nodded furiously as Brett turned off the road and onto an unpaved dirt path that wound through the thickening forest.

“I forgot how creepy this place is,” Danny said. “Looks like Jason Vorhees lives here.” Scott made the “ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah” sound for emphasis as he and his brother both dodged a halfhearted backhand swing from Hoss. Even the Freshmen smiled at the break in the tension. Soon after, the bus came to a stop and Brett turned off the ignition.

“OK, Frosh,” he said. “We’re here. You’re all going to be untied and then you can get to work unloading the luggage. We’re going to meet back up on the porch in 15.” Each of the Freshmen felt a surge of relief as their respective Big Bros came over and began undoing their bonds and gags. Everything was being carefully stored once removed from them, and not just tossed aside. Each Freshman wondered if they would have a second date with their restraints on the way back in a few days’ time. Once they were freed and stretched to get their circulation flowing normally again, Mason and Nate immediately reached for their shirts.

“Hold up,” Brett said. “None of that. I didn’t say any of you could get dressed. For this whole trip, none of us will be wearing shirts. Consider it a bit of primal male bonding.” He nodded to the other seniors, who all stripped off their own shirts with him as one in response.

Nate had just begun to get comfortable with himself, but seeing Hoss’ bulk and Danny’s cuts on full display began to make him feel self-conscious again. Of course he had seen all of this many times before (none of the seniors were shy about showing skin), but something about the ceremonial manner in which Brett framed it made this feel different. “I have to get out of my comfort zone,” he thought. “This is important.” From across the aisle, Cody reached out and squeezed Nate’s hand in a show of support. He, more than anyone else, knew how big a step this was for Nate.

“I said everyone,” Brett said, looking at Leo, who was the only Freshman who had his shirt on for the drive. He still felt ashamed by that, and at the moment he just wanted to disappear. But he knew he couldn’t. So he got up and removed his shirt, just like everyone else. “Good,” Brett said. “Now get to work. Leo, you come with me.” Leo scrunched his brow in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Brett was sparing him from the unpacking duties, too? “Great! It’s not like THAT’s going to make the others resent me even more,” he thought. But he just shrugged and followed Brett out of the bus.

As soon as the group got outside, they were rocked by the morning chill in the air. Everyone seemed to forget that it was November and they were in the mountains. “Jesus,” Leo said. “You’re making us go shirtless in this? You trying to get all us sick?”

Brett just smiled. “Don’t worry about that,” he said. “You’ll get used to it. Before you know it, it’ll feel like summer.” Leo wasn’t convinced, but just shrugged and followed Brett up to the porch. The cabin was larger than Leo expected, and the outside was beautifully maintained. As the seniors gathered to crack open beers and the other Freshmen got to work unloading the luggage from under the bus, Brett approached the door and unlocked it, hurrying Leo inside. The interior was all varnished wood. A massive stone fireplace took up half of the far wall and mounted animal heads decorated the walls. Several smaller hallways led this way and that and a wooden staircase led up to a second floor.

The hunting trophies made Leo a little uneasy, but then he remembered that this was Hoss’ family’s place. “Right,” he said. “Hillbilly chic.”

“Don’t let Hoss hear you say that with such distaste,” Brett warned, frowning. “You know how he gets. This is his family’s place, you know.” Leo gave his usual grumbling “I know I know” retort as Brett ushered him up the stairs.

“So why do I get to skip the unpacking?” Leo asked. “More fodder to make the others hate me?”

“Hey, don’t put that on me,” Brett said. “If you were so worried about that, you could have protested when Mason saved you. You could have offered to keep the burden on yourself, but I noticed you didn’t. When I chose to save Shane three years ago we argued for 15 minutes.” Leo had no answer for that. “But that’s not why I brought you here. Although I am cruel enough to do something like that, I’m in a good mood right now.”

Leo chuckled. “You sound like…” but Brett cut him off.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “And that’s actually why you are here.” Brett opened a door in the hallway that revealed a set of stairs to the attic. Without another word, Brett went up, and Leo followed close behind. The attic was just full of old boxes and broken furniture, but… wait. Leo had seen something like this before. In the attic of the TUG house. As soon as the realization hit him, the glamer faded and the futuristic machinery along the far wall was revealed. “It had to be you because you’re the only one who knows.”

“What’s all this?” Leo asked, walking up to the machinery.

“You’ll see,” Brett grinned. “Now, this requires precise control. When I tell you, and only when I tell you, set the dials over there to the settings I say.” Brett and Leo got to work adjusting the machinery to Brett’s specifications, and when they were done, Brett flipped a switch.

“BEHOLD!” he said with a campy melodramatic flourish that sounded practiced. “The Weather Dominator!!!!” Leo was taken aback, but Brett just said “What? You thought this only existed in 80’s cartoons? Grandpa whipped this baby up 50 years ago.” It took a second, but then Leo began to feel the temperature rising slowly. “In about two hours, right when solar noon hits, it’ll reach 90 degrees and stay there all week. But we had to make it gradual or else the others would suspect.”

“An unseasonably warm week for our retreat, huh?” Leo smirked.

“Yup, you got it,” Brett smiled. “Now let’s go meet the others. We have a big week ahead.”

---

The other Freshmen got to their task immediately. They were eager to get done with the drudge work and get started on the fun and relaxation. After bringing the seniors’ bags to their rooms on the second floor, the Freshmen brought their own luggage to their communal lodging on the main level.

“Three sets of two bunk beds,” Cody said. “Well, this should be easy. We got two sets of roommates, so I guess we got bunk pairs already assigned, huh?”

“Which means Leo gets his own bed,” Nate said. “Man, you’re really lucking out this trip.”

He didn’t mean anything by it, but Nate’s words hit Leo like a punch in the face.

“Yeah, about that…” Leo said. “Mason, I… really owe you one. It’s not easy for me to say stuff like this, but… You can have the solo bed if you want. Really, it’s cool.”

“Don’t,” Mason said. “We’re family and we do things like that for each other. I don’t have a single doubt that any of you wouldn’t have done the same for me if I was in your position.”

Everyone murmured ascent. Leo, too, even though he wasn’t completely sure that was true in his case.

After the unpacking, the ten regrouped in the yard, right on time. Hoss fired up the grill and they had an amazing afternoon swimming in the lake, talking, drinking, and just enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t until later in the evening that Brett formally addressed the group.

“Now I’m sure this isn’t a surprise to anyone, but this retreat isn’t just about having fun,” he said. “You five have bonded incredibly well, and that’s what we want to see. But TUG isn’t just four separate groups living in the same house. This weekend is about cross-class relationships. Each of you has become close with his Big Bro…”

“Some more than others…” Scott hooted as he grabbed Hoss’ trucker hat and tossed it at Nate. With a grace he didn’t know he had, Nate caught the hat with one hand and put it on his own head, backwards, in a fluid motion. It was far too big for him, but he didn’t care. Hoss was blushing too much to even take a swing at Scott. Nate found that absolutely adorable.

“Yes, yes,” Brett chuckled. “But besides that. Tomorrow, each of you will be spending the day with one of us. Just one-on-one. We’ve already decided the pairings, but we’re not telling you who they are yet. You’ll find out tomorrow. All I’ll say is that it won’t be your Big Bro. But don’t fret it too much. It’s all supposed to be a chill way to connect with each other. And one more thing. Each of us has a ‘secret’ of sorts. About ourselves. A piece of personal information that none of you know. If you impress your partner enough, he may tell it to you as a show of trust. Then again, he may not. But it’s all supposed to be light, so don’t let it stress you out. And don’t get offended if he decides not to share. There’s no prize. It’s not a competition.” He looked right at Ray when he said that.

But it was too late to tell the Freshmen not to stress. The wheels were already turning in Nate, Leo, and especially Mason’s heads. Secret confessions? This was far heavier than they had originally thought. After making his announcement, Brett sat back down by the fire and let the casual conversations resume, although it took a bit for the Freshmen to settle back down. It was well after midnight before people started peeling off and going to bed.

---

The following morning, Mason awoke with the dawn. He knew that with five guys sharing one bathroom, shower time would be at a premium and that he didn’t dare skip bathing. Not today. He had an odd feeling. Something was telling him he needed to put his best foot forward, and he dare not disappoint. He finished in record time and headed out to the kitchen. His original idea was to start cooking breakfast. A shameless and obvious attempt at kissing ass, he knew, but he figured it couldn’t hurt, right? But someone else also had that plan. Scott was already up and grilling sausages like a maniac.

“Morning, dude!” Scott said, lifting his puffy toque and putting it back on his head. Besides the hat, he was wearing a ridiculous Mario-style fake moustache, a “Fuck the Cook” apron, and… nothing else? Mason was taken aback slightly but calmed down when Scott turned away and revealed the black “Wade’s Pleasure Emporium” speedo he wore.

“Didn’t think you were a morning person,” Mason said, grabbing himself an apple from a basket on the table.

“Oh, I’m definitely not,” Scott said. “But I have a full day planned for my Freshie partner and I wanted to get a head start. But I knew you’d be up first. Just had a feeling.”

“So knowing that, you woke up early to meet your partner?” Mason asked. “Does that mean I’m paired with you?”

“No,” Brett said, walking into the room. “You’re paired with me.”

Coming Soon: Chapter 5 – Presidential Aspirations

[gag1195]

I'm loving this Leo Character Growth Arc! Genuine trust and letting down walls is something that can be extremely difficult to work on, even with this accepting group of brothers. I suspect that Leo might be a bit self sacrificing towards his brothers' predicaments when he gets the chance, at least for a bit.

Also, I cannot wait to see all the pairings and what is planned, and of course, these potentially juicy secrets the seniors are hiding!

[Wedgieboy69]

I love how Leo is suffering as much from the psychological torture as the others from the physical, Well except for Cody

This sounds like an interesting trip already