THAT DAY

I'm reading Gail Carriger's Etiquette and Espionage--in a steampunk England, four proper Victorian girls enroll in a finishing school teaching espionage to young ladies. I was startled to find their school has a werewolf, a vampire, and is located in a coal-fired dirigible... but lacks a sex education class. A class in seduction for espionage purposes, yes; but safety, contraception, FUN? No.

This seem unwise. Authentically Victorian, but unwise. My dreams decided to remedy this oversight...

THAT NIGHT

I swing above our sunny back porch--on a simple rope swing--while the girls of "Etiquette and Espionage" surround me.

• Sophronia, tall slender graceful and clever, she's been flirting with me for weeks.
• Sidheag, Gold-eyed, wolfish, the wild one, standing a bit apart as always, and
• Dimity the delicate elfin blonde look on. Then...
• Agatha, short, round-faced, with liquid eyes--their shy fourth friend--comes to the back door, sits, quietly strips, and reclines across the threshold, sunbathing nude.

I get turned on too. Don't want to hurt Sophronia's feelings, though. Or Sidheag's.

Really, I have to stop swinging. But what to do? I'm attracted to all four of my friends. Yet I fear that if I single out any one, I'll hurt the others' feelings, and lose them as friends.

Their school for spies covers a lot--but it's still Victorian, and does NOT offer sex education. So I decide the right thing to do is to conduct an elementary sex workshop here and now, including them all. Try it--get everyone kissing, stroking nipples, licking clits and dicks... while I explain what's safe and likely to please.

And it works! Wake up before I come, but they all seem to be enjoying those kisses caresses and licks as much as I am.

NOTES IN THE MORNING

• Sophronia, Sidheag, Dimity, Agatha: the four roommates in Gail Carriger's Etiquette and Espionage.
• Don't want to play favorites or rouse jealousy: nothing like my life right now--struggling with chronic illness, I haven't even been dating. But... my sister Miriel is in a complex open relationship with Sean, who has prior commitments to Carly and Sondra too. They struggle with a jealousy Miriel lacks. I don't know the details--just met Sean--but I think the dream is showing me how Sean feels--rather than sexual greed, indecision or hedging his bets, he genuinely loves them all and wants them all happy. But they're all fighting Victorianism, both in society and in their own upbringing.
• The swing: a pun. Time to quit swinging, Sean!
• Poke Agatha with my toe: Freudian of course, but not just a sexual euphemism--a second pun. I'm scared to dive into sex, might hurt my friends; so I just dip my toe in!
• Does the dream apply to me? Well, I am like Miriel and Sean; a group of friends/lovers feels righter to me than a couple. I can easily picture myself doing as Sean does, not out of sexual greed but unwilling to lose friends or reject those he loves, rather baffled that they're jealous or want couplehood.
• ACTION, LONG-TERM: when I start dating again, watch out for couple-ism. Don't demand fidelity, and don't give up my friends for anyone! That was clearly my priority in the dream and I think it reflected my real feelings. Sex is silver, friends are gold? Yet the dream also warned that my loyalty, my refusal to drop anyone I truly like, can look indecisive or passive to others. Be clear with them! But that's all in future. Deal with illness now.
• ACTION NOW: Uh... tell Miriel the dream. If I dare.

I dare. As I tell Miriel the dream, she screams with laughter. The dream picked up just what's been going on with their awkward quartet. The advice is perfect--just not for me. "Time to quit swinging..." I know she'll repeat it to Sean...

A YEAR LATER

Carly felt jealous and tried to restrict what the others could do; eventually she left their four-person conundrum. Sondra and Miriel seem to be sharing Sean amicably. They like each other.

Sometimes, steampunk sex workshops do work...

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