The Fort Part 3- Looking Back
Chapter 25- Rules
© L 2025
Two hours later I wake up in the fort, you are awake and on your phone. While I fell asleep as we were discussing my contract you couldn't help but look back over our first proper contract, you tell me you still remember pulling the 'all nighter', how you put so much thought into this contract. You must have rewritten it four or fives times before you were happy and confident enough to present it to me. Despite the fact we never signed it, you never regretted putting the hard work into it. It made the transition to being your exclusive submissive that much easier. We just had no idea during that lunch date, just how close we already were...
The next section was rules. In all my previous contracts, because we only fell into our dynamic when we played, the 'rules' I followed were set essentially in the first section, we never felt the need for a separate rules section. However, you explained to me that as much as we could switch off our dynamic and keep it for play sessions. You had been wanting to extend my rules so that I followed some (not many), when we weren't playing. You added, they were for my benefit, and now I was becoming a tenant, and you were updating our contract, you thought this might offer a good opportunity to start introducing some of these. You hoped that you weren't sounding contradictory, and that I understood these being added were to ensure my own welfare, as well as support a healthy balance, and acknowledge that there were times between us, our dynamic shifts.
L's Core Rules
*Punishment for violating a Core rule will be severe.
1. Never put self intentionally in danger, or put self in a risky situation.
2. Look after self as much as possible, and share any concerns with J as soon as possible in or out of play.
3. Be respectful to J at all times during play, or as outlined in section 3 above, using correct title and text.
4. Do not enter J's bedroom or office without J's consent and supervision.
5. Be honest.
L’s general rules
• Upon waking up L must greet J good morning if he is at home and visible.
• L must wish J goodnight if he is at home and visible.
• L will not use any forms of technology after bedtime.
• Drink at least 1 litre of water a day.
• Eat at least 2 meals a day.
• Tell J right away if he's awake if not first thing in the morning and be completely honest if L has, or think she may have broken a rule.
You added that you hoped these rules would instil the right tone, to compliment our play sessions. However, you wanted to know my thoughts. Right now I wanted all these rules and more. But that wasn't our dynamic, you weren't my Dom, you weren't my boyfriend, and I was just getting carried away in my own head. So trying to be objective I said, 'I think the idea in theory is good, but we won't know until I move in. I know you want me to take better care of myself and for me, not you. But say I break a rule, would you punish me straight away'? 'I thought about that before I put these in', you say thoughtfully. 'I know the brat in you enjoys testing me, so we can decide between us what would work'. We go on to discuss the pros and cons of each punishment scenario. We both agree then and there wouldn't be our first choice. So we discuss the idea of having a set day that I would receive any punishment I had earned that week, maybe a Saturday morning, which could double as a discipline session if I hadn't been naughty. But that effectively meant us agreeing to 'play' in some form once a week. So, in the end, we agreed should I break a rule, you would deal with it during our next planned play session. At least for the moment moving forward until we found a rhythm that worked for us. You even added that these rules might be too much, and we could find ourselves revisiting this contract very quickly to remove them. Nothing was set in stone, if it didn't work, then we communicated, we talked, and we put our friendship and me living with you first.
'Does no technology after bedtime have to be in here'? I ask thinking at bedtime that I often get my laptop out for an hour or more to do uni stuff. 'No, it doesn't have to be', you say sincerely, but you explain why you have included it. You told me that you didn't always feel my time management was the best, and that you knew how exhausted I was. You added I wouldn't get the distinction I wanted if I carried on in this way. I needed structure, and if I was your full time submissive you would provide that, but I wasn’t. So, you felt adding no technology after bedtime was the only power you had to ensure that I at least got a decent night's sleep. I couldn't help but agree with you, it probably was better than nothing.
The next page contained an outline of your discipline. This did include punishments, but you didn't like to put punishment in the title, saying it felt too negative.
• L understands discipline is not the same as punishment.
• L accepts that J may use physical discipline to embed his authority, and remind L of her place during play sessions.
• Punishments will be given for breaking of any requirement of this contract including but not limited to L’s rules.
• Punishments will be given for defying orders, commands and requests not stated within the contract, that J may give at any time during play.
• Violation of a Core Rule will result in L receiving a severe punishment.
• Punishments will be set by J within L’s limits set out in appendix 1 and 2.
• Any attempt to argue, negotiate, or refusal to complete a punishment, will escalate punishment given.
• Any request given by J outside of a play session that is not followed, does not form part of this contract. As such while J may acknowledge his disappointment, ultimately it is outwith this contract and his power to punish L.
You added that you would put a new line in, stating punishments would only be given at an agreed play session, and not at any other time. I did suggest you put in a caveat to this that added unless we both agreed otherwise. However, you still felt that could be misinterpreted and could leave me vulnerable. We would be revisiting this in three months, and could always revise sooner if we both wanted.
The final page contained my safe words. These had been in place since our first play session, the traffic light system, and it worked for both of us. You also added;
•J reserves the right to safe word himself or on behalf of L.
•If L fails to safe word beyond her limit, this will be seen and taken as a violation of core rule 2. L will receive an appropriate punishment at the appropriate time.
It was comforting to see the safe words, to see just how much effort you had gone to. You asked if there was anything further I wanted to add, and I said no, you asked if there was anything I wanted to ask, and again I shook my head and said no. We finished off the bottle of wine with ease, lunch lasted well over two hours. But as we finished the second bottle, the alcohol having fully enveloped me, I asked 'so, what now'? 'Well, as much as I want to say head to your hotel, grab your things and get to mine as quickly as possible. We've both been drinking, I want you to take this away', you said tapping my contract, 'read through it sober, later or tomorrow. We can have another conversation about it, I will make the amendments we've discussed, and I will get a copy to you, as soon as I can. I'm not going to tell you when to move in. You've paid, the room is yours when you're ready'. Feeling, happy, content, and more than tipsy I thanked you, slipped my contract in my bag, and we stood leaving the restaurant together. I took out my phone, but you put your hand over it, as you nodded to the concierge who hailed you a taxi. As you opened the door for me, beckoning me to get in, you told me that the taxi would drop me off first. You wanted to make sure I got back to my hotel, and in safely.
Once you dropped me off you left, still not feeling great about where I was staying. I got up into my room, I did briefly open my laptop, but as I nearly missed the chair trying to sit down I closed it again. I went and laid on the mattress that was way too soft, and fell asleep.
I woke four hours later, my head fuzzy, lunch time drinking was not something I was used to. I checked my phone and smiled as I saw you had messaged me a new version of my contract hours ago. Thirsty, I got up, changed into the same ripped jeans and headed back out. It was almost 8pm, dark, and now I was beginning to regret not taking you up on the offer of a nicer hotel. Walking along the almost empty street someone ran past me making me jump. I pulled my phone out when I got to the same shop I went to this morning after I found it was shut. Trying to bring up the closest open shop or take away, unfortunately the closest one was almost a half mile away. I knew where it was, if I could walk to it, I'd get a taxi back. I knew it wasn't exactly safe, but as stubborn as ever, I pushed on, slightly thankful I hadn't signed our contract today. I was quite sure you wouldn't be happy with my decision, and had I signed the contract, I would almost definitely be breaking core rule 1- never put self intentionally in danger, or put self in a risky situation. Winding my way down dark deserted streets, my heart pounding, I finally reached the take away. An imposing group of young men were gathered around the entrance, yeah, I wasn't walking back to the hotel! I ordered pizza, chips, onion rings and 4 cans of diet coke. I was hungry, the salad I had eaten for lunch didn't fill me, and drinking alcohol hadn't helped. Once my food was ready I stayed in the takeaway restaurant and called an Uber. Trying to ignore the comments from the men that included, just open your legs, nice arse, and let me give you a ride, I was glad when the Uber driver arrived. Back in my hotel, after decimating more of my food than I thought I would manage, I opened my laptop again. But 10 minutes later I shut it. I was shattered, there was no point in trying to finish my assignment now. I would go to bed early, wake early and make a new plan from there.
In the fort you ask me what I want for dinner, to be honest I want pizza again. We both agree any kind of Indian or Chinese takeaway is going to be too difficult to eat in our fort, so we agree on burgers. We have a wonderful bespoke burger house that cooks the best steak burgers not that far away, and they deliver, so that's what we order. While we wait for our food to arrive we both remember the day I moved in with you.