Chapter 3: Psychology in De Wallen

Turned out the twins sixth sense for making friends hit the jackpot once more. Jöel's skater friends were more than happy to meet them and the rest of the Tipton gang. Not only, they showed the twins a few new tricks for them to try when they had the chance, but they also treated them to a really cool bar there was nearby, which was the skaters' usual hangout spot, where they made the best cheese sandwiches in Amsterdam.

It was already 8 o'clock when they all made their way back to the ship. Zack and Cody had agreed to meet with Jöel and the rest of his skater friends the next day, as they had told them that they would not mind to be the gang's tour guides during their stay in Amsterdam.

"How cool is this? We finally find our kind of people and they even agree to hang out with us and show us the town. What are the odds?" -Zack asked out loud to his brother. –"And don't give me the odds, because I know you're calculating them in your head, right now."

"I am not!" -Cody protested.

"Oh, yes, you are! Remember, I know you better than you know yourself." -Zack insisted on the matter.

"As if!" -Cody replied.

"Boys, boys, enough, please." -Barbara said. –"Can't we just agree that we were lucky and leave it at that?"

"Fine…" -both of them sighed in chorus.

But not everything was fine. Or at least, not everyone. Mark was not feeling so good and you could see by just how white his face was looking. Leaning himself against Anastasia, he tried his best not to look like he was dying.

"I think… I shouldn't have… eaten that much cheese." -he said, as he burped.

"Told you not to eat it." -Anastasia said.

"What can I say… I love Gouda cheese sandwiches..."

"Maybe, but right now, your stomach doesn't agree with you." -Anastasia joked.

"You're probably just having a small indigestion." -Maddie said. –"Once you lie down for a bit, you'll feel better."

"You can stay in my suite until you're feeling better. I'll text your father to let him know we're back and that you're staying with me and my mom until a bit later."

"Thanks…" -Mark said. It was times like this when he realized just how lucky he was to have such a great girlfriend to look after him.

"Plus, tomorrow you may want to stay away from any cheese, just in case." -London giggled.

"Are you kidding? Tomorrow… I'm going to buy so much Gouda cheese… that I'll need a trolley to bring it back… to the ship." -he joked about it, trying not to throw up.

Already on their suite, London and Maddie were greeted by their A.I., FRAN, whom, like always, was in a great mood.

"Evening girls! So, how was your first day in Amsterdam? I want to know every little detail about it." -she said with her usual spiffy voice.

"Sometimes, I wonder why asked Arwin to give her such a joyful personality." -London asked herself. –"It was okay." -she sighed. Right then, all she wanted was to change into something a little more comfortable and cuddle with Maddie for the rest of the night.

"Just okay?" -FRAN asked her. –"Come on, London, is that the best you can say about one of the greatest cities in Europe?"

"No, but I'm not in the mood to say anything else." -London bluntly said.

"Well, someone is a little cranky tonight." -FRAN joked about. –"What about you, Maddie? Did you have a nice time?"

"It was okay." -she said, repeating London's answer. –"We had a nice time, and even found a treasure."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. What kind of treasure was it?"

"The kind that you read… look, here it is." -she took out the book from her messenger bag and showed it to FRAN.

"Ivanna Checks In… and it's got your names on it." -FRAN said, a little surprised.

"We wrote it, sort of." -Maddie said. –"And now, think we're going to read it together."

"I'm afraid you won't have the time to do that, tonight." –FRAN declared.

"What do you mean? Why not?" -Maddie asked, staggered.

"Oh, that's right, I still haven't told you. London, while you were out, I received a call for you from a certain doctor Ilse Schwarzenberg, telling you that your appointment for tomorrow night had to be rescheduled for tonight at 10 o'clock."

"What?! You should have told me that the minute we entered!" -London exclaimed, clearly upset with it.

Hearing the words doctor and appointment, Maddie's mind made her think about the worst-case scenario. Was London sick? And if so, why not tell her? It took her a couple of seconds to set her mind straight, before asking:

"London, are you sick?" -Maddie asked her, clearly worried.

"No, no, Maddie, I'm not sick. Doctor Schwarzenberg isn't just a doctor, she's something more." -London told her. –"And she's not expecting me, she's expecting us."

"Expecting us? Hold on, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me exactly what's going on, and I mean it, London." -Maddie demanded it.

"Look, Maddie, I promise I'll explain everything later when we get there, but right now, I need you to trust me, put on some different clothes and a wig, and come with me, please?"

"London…" -Maddie raised her eyebrow, in suspicion.

"Maddie, please, just trust me." -London begged her, by looking at her with sad puppy eyes. –"Please, please, please, pleeeeeeeease!"

Sighing, the blonde just waved her head and said:

"Alright, I trust you. But you've got to stop doing these things… I won't always say yes."

"But until that day comes, you will, and I'll be here to thank you for it, by doing this." -London said, as she gently wrapped her arms around Maddie's waist and kissed her.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Yay, me!" -London giggled., as she kissed her once more. –"Now, come on, I'm in the mood to be a blonde tonight.

"Okay, then I'll be the brunette tonight." -Maddie smiled, making London also smile.

Night was chilly, and as they walked down the streets, heading towards Dam Square, both the heiress and the candy-counter girl cursed their earlier decision of not bringing warmer jackets with them. It felt weird to them, because their bodies were freezing, the exception being their heads, which were extremely hot, thanks to the wigs they were wearing. Still, being this much cold was a good excuse to be seen one walking around, hugged by the person you most love in the world.

"We should have brought other jackets." -London said. –"Then again, if we had, I wouldn't be able to warm you, by putting my arm around you." -she giggled.

"Indeed… still, you haven't told me what we're doing here, and you promised me you would tell me." -Maddie warned her.

"I told you, when we get there, I will." -London smiled at her. –"Look, I know you and I said we weren't in the mood for fast food tonight, but those French fries over there look so delicious… let's go buy some and eat them while we walk, okay?"

"Okay, but you know all that fat is going straight to our hips, don't you?" -Maddie joked.

"Screw that!" -London laughed. –"Besides, we fuck so much that every extra calorie we eat gets burned while we're playing with each other." -she commented in a low whisper.

"Naughty girl!" -Maddie laughed.

"I know I am, but if I'm naughty, what does that make you?" -London shot back at her, laughing.

From where they were until the place London was taking them it was only a few streets apart. And that place was none other than De Wallen, the largest and most well-known red light district in Amsterdam. Still, most tourists ignored that De Wallen was in fact just one of three areas that together formed the Rosse Buurt, or Red Light District; the other two being Singelgebied and Ruysdaelkade. But there was no doubt that De Wallen was the most famous due to its status as a tourist attraction.

If one tried to describe it, then the best description of this place would be a network of alleys containing approximately three hundred room cabins, which were rented by prostitutes who offer their sexual services from behind a window or glass door, typically illuminated with red lights. But De Wallen was also known for its bars, sex-shops, peep shows, sex theatres and coffee shops, where they sold marijuana. As they walked up the canal, the girls both saw what Amsterdam's night life was like.

"Maddie… I know it feels wrong and all, but some of these prostitutes are making me feel tempted to do something really stupid." -London confessed, as she finished her French fries.

"Like banging them? That's their job, London." -Maddie giggled. –"And besides, there's no shame in feeling that. I mean, come on, I think everyone who passes by and looks at them has that kind of thoughts."

"And I thought you would be angry." -London said.

"Angry with you because you feel attracted by a prostitute? Please, London, I know you better. And besides, you're too young to be allowed to get into any kind of negotiations with them." -Maddie pointed out to a window glass, where you would see a prostitute negotiating with a possible costumer. –"That, and I'm prettier than all of them together."

"You certainly are." -London said, pulling her into a torrid kiss.

"L-London, not here." -Maddie said, a little embarrassed.

"Why not? Compared to what those women are doing behind the windows and glass doors, we're practically saints." -the heiress told her. –"Besides, like you said, you're way prettier than all of them together, and I want everyone to know that."

"You're impossible…"

"Already told me that this evening." -London joked.

"… and incredibly super sweet." -Maddie declared.

"So are you." -London kissed her once more.

Finally, they reached their destination. It was a building right in the middle of De Wallen. The 1st floor was a sex-shop with various sex toys and BDSM outfits on display in the shop window, but to its right, there was another door which granted access to the upper floors. London rang at the door, and the girls waited for someone to open it.

"Here we go. Come on." -London said, as she opened the door.

Going up the stairs to the 3rd floor, they stopped in front of an absolutely staggering white carved wooden door, where you could see a sign saying "Mistress Dark Raven's Dungeon". When she saw that, Maddie turned to London and said.

"I thought we were going to see a doctor, not a dominatrix."

"And we are."

"Really?" -Maddie raised her eyebrow.

"Maddie, would I lie to?"

"No, I guess not." -Maddie said. –"But you still haven't told me what we're doing here in the first place."

"And I'll explain it, when we're inside, okay?"

Maddie just shrugged and followed her, as she opened the door. Inside, there was a young woman in her late twenties behind a desk. She was dressed in a black business suit; very professional but at the same time, extremely sexy, given her shirt's cleavage.

"Good evening."

"Good evening. We have an appointment with Doctor Schwarzenberg." -London said.

"Name, please?"

"London Tipton and Madeline Fitzpatrick." -the heiress said.

"Of course, follow me, please." -the young woman said.

Following her, she led them through a corridor into an office. This was a rather larger office, being composed by two floors, the top one being a mansard roof, which made it look even larger than it was. The interior was decorated in a rather simple style. There was not many furniture in it, with the exception of a desk and matching chairs, two bookcases crammed with various books and a large black and white folding screen. You could also see on the walls some abstract paintings hanging on them. There were also a Berkley horse and an X-cross on opposite sides of the office.

"She will see you in a few minutes. Is there anything I can get you while you wait? Coffee, tea, sparkling water?"

"No, thank you, we're fine." -Maddie said.

"Very well then. Excuse me." -she said, as she exited the office, leaving them alone.

Not knowing what to do, they each took a seat on the chairs in front of the desk. Sighing, Maddie broke the awkward silence.

"Alright, London, spit it out. What are we doing here?"

"Okay, I know I should have told you this, and I was going to tell you everything tonight. But, I guess the doctor screwed up my plans by moving our appointment to tonight." -London said. –"It's just, that I think we need some help."

"What do you mean?" -Maddie asked her.

"Well, this happened when we were still in Dublin a few weeks ago. I couldn't sleep one night, and I went online looking for ideas for our kinkiness sessions. I was going by an online forum, when I read something about the couple who was in it not knowing what to do, as they had only started on the BDSM world… and that got me thinking, were we doing the right thing? As I read more and more comments about it, I started to feel unsure and all that, and then I read a comment referring to this woman and how she had helped that particular couple improving their relationship and even refining it into something more." -London explained it to her. –"So, I researched her and I found out that she not only is one of the best in her field, but that she also had an office here in Amsterdam… so I made an appointment."

"Without consulting me." -Maddie said. London could hear the displeasure in her voice. –"Why didn't you tell me about this, London?" -she asked, this time with a caring voice.

"I don't know… I mean, now I don't even know if I should have made this appointment. I just wanted… I just wanted to make sure that our relationship is in the right path, so that one day we don't wake up and both say that it was all a mistake or that our relationship in our secret playroom affected our love life, because we didn't do things as we should have." -London said, with a tearful voice.

"It's okay, London, it's okay… I'm not saying it was a bad idea." -Maddie comforted her, while holding her hands. –"In fact, I think this was a great idea. But next time, maybe you should consult with me first, so I don't come here looking like an idiot, who has no idea where she's getting in to." -she smiled. –"By the way, how did you manage to hide these fears from me?"

"I'm a good actress, I guess." -London sighed. –"Plus, I thought about you, and those fears just disappeared."

That last comment put a smile on Maddie's face, who did not a say a word. She just stood there, looking the heiress in the eyes. Right then, she felt pride on the kind of commitment London was really putting in their relationship. Plus, she felt that she was the one who was failing it, because she considered herself to be the most responsible of the two, and not even for a second she thought about how their BDSM sessions could one day affect their love life.

This was interrupted, when they heard a door opening. Turning around, they saw a woman entering the room. She was a redhead with fair white skin and deep-blue eyes, who looked like she was in her early twenties. She was wearing her hair in a bun, and for her outfit, she was wearing a dark leather corsage, matching elbow-length gloves, red stockings and knee-high boots. With a smile, she said:

"Evening, ladies. Sorry about the delay, but my last client took longer than I expected to cum." -she said. –"Allow me to introduce myself, Mistress Dark Raven, but you can call me Doctor Ilse Schwarzenberg." -she introduced herself. –"If you don't mind, I'll be changing into something more suitable for our appointment. And maybe you should also take off those wigs you're wearing, I'm sure they aren't as comfortable as one might think. You can talk while I change."

The girls were surprised to say the least. They never thought the woman would behave in such a manner, especially being a psychologist. Doing what she told them, they both took off the wigs, which were causing a little discomfort.

"As I recall, miss Tipton, you told me that you and your girlfriend are into BDSM, am I right?" -Doctor Schwarzenberg asked, from behind the folding screen.

"Yes." -London answered.

"And, as I recall, you said that you both came into contact with this world, out of curiosity, right?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Well, I have to say that I am a little surprised. You and your girlfriend entered a world where people usually only enter when they are older. How old are you?"

"We're both 16." -Maddie answered. London would be 17 in just a few weeks, while she would only turn 17 in six months.

"16, and let me guess, it started out with something else, and it progressed, right? You never had anyone to initiate you on the rituals of BDSM." - Doctor Schwarzenberg said, as she exited from behind the folding screen, wrapped in a black cetin robe. She sat behind the desk, opening one of the drawers and took out a pair of reading glasses, which she put on and a notebook and a pen. -"You better tell me everything, from the start, and miss Fitzpatrick, before you say anything, I may look like I'm in my twenties, but the fact is I am 34, and I have 2 PhDs, one of them in psychology and the other in sexual therapy, not to mention a MD in counselling."

"B-But I didn't say anything…"

"You didn't have to; I could see it in your eyes. The way you looked at me when I came in, not to mention your body language told me that you expected someone perhaps older, and with a more conservative look, probably because of the way you were raised."

"The years have been kind to her… I wouldn't give her the age she has. She looks like she's only a few years older than we are." -Maddie thought to herself. –"Well, I would be lying if I told you otherwise. And I'm sorry if I have offended you."

"Please, there's no need for that, miss Fitzpatrick. Believe me, I'm used to that kind of reaction from other people." -Doctor Schwarzenberg, as she took off a cigarette case and took one. –"Do you mind if I smoke?"

"No, not all." -Maddie said.

"It's okay by me." -London said.

"Thank you." - Doctor Schwarzenberg thanked them, as she lighted the cigarette and inhaled the smoke. -"It's my guilty pleasure. Many people say that it's best to drink, then to smoke, but I always felt that drinking is more of a ritual that should be shared in group, not alone. Smoking is too personal to be shared." -she puffed some smoke into the air. –"Now, like I said, tell me everything."

Throughout the next hour, London and Maddie told her everything. They became an open book for that woman, who sought to help and guide them. As they talked, she wrote everything she saw was worth mentioning in her notebook

"London Tipton, age 16. The subject reveals a low level emotional intelligence, which seems has seen a substantial increase due to the friendship with her best friend, which turned into a romantic relationship. This low level emotional intelligence was most likely due to the fact that she did not have a solid role model to accompany and follow her in her earlier years. The result was that the subject did not know how to interact with other people, sometimes hurting their feelings, without realizing it." – she wrote. –"Madeline Fitzpatrick, age 16. Unlike London Tipton, she reveals a high level emotional intelligence due to having been raised by her grandmother, and later on, by her parents. The fact that having an older sister and a younger brother, also enhanced her social interactions; something that London Tipton lacks. Still, her Irish catholic raising made her susceptible to change. According to her, she did have trouble in assuming she was in love with another girl (London also had some trouble, but her raising outside of a family with strong religious views made her accept the truth about herself easier). Both subjects reveal that they are in tune with their emotions, and rely on one another for moral and emotional support. This is most likely due to their combined experiences, which they have both call "Crazy Situations that only happen to us.". This should be more explored in future sessions."

When the conversation turned to their personalities, she found out almost everything she needed to know with what kind of young women she was dealing with.

"Subject Madeline is quite introvert, although when in the presence of certain people, she tends to show a more extrovert personality. Subject London on the other end is quite extrovert, and only shows her real personality when in the presence of certain people. The two subjects are complete opposites in this field. As for the levels of sympathy, both of them are on the same level, revealing healthy levels of compassion for others, valuing friendship as something very important in their lives. They also show a certain level of egocentrism, especially London, but nothing out of the ordinary." -she kept writing.

And finally, they came to their BDSM sessions, and that's when things spiced up in psychological terms.

"You girls alternate between dominant and submissive, is, that, right?" -she asked them, to which both waved their heads. –"Do you by any chance know what that means? It means that both of you are what it's called in BDSM as a "switch", someone who plays both parts."

"So?" -Maddie asked, puzzled.

"So, it means that your relationship is far more complex that you think."

"Complex? Complex as in a bad thing, or complex as in a good thing?" -London asked.

"Neither. In this case, complex is simply interesting. When it comes to BDSM, most people stick with one role, but there are those who alternate between roles, like you. I do believe that you are able to do that because of your relation. You are the polar opposite to one another, but you have certain aspects of your personalities that are the same, and that enables you to exchange the roles with very ease." -she explained to them. –"Now, I need you to tell me one thing… are you girls sexually active?"

"Huh, yes, but why do you ask us?" -London asked, confused.

"Because unlike what most people think, BDSM isn't about sex. It can include sex, but that's optional. God knows that that 50 Shades of Thrash hasn't helped the BDSM community by presenting what happens in the book as a BDSM relationship, when it clearly isn't… sorry, it's just that that book trilogy really disgusts me." -she sighed. –"Anyways, as I was saying, BDSM has 4 different facets, B&D which stands for Bondage and Discipline, D/S which stands for Dominant and Submissive, S&M which stands for Sadomasochism, and finally Femdom, which stands for female dominance. All four must be understood in order to perceive BDSM, because we are not just talking about pleasure, it's also about discipline, respect and of course, knowing the boundaries."

The girls heard what she was saying, trying to understand where she was going with that.

"Tell me, do you have a set of rules you follow when you get into character?"

"Yes, we do. We establish that we both must take pleasure from what we're doing, and that we must have boundaries which must not be broken." -Maddie said.

"I see that you at least have grasped some of the concept of what BDSM truly is. But that is not enough… people believe that all you have to do is buy some kinky underwear and some sex-toys and come up with a safe-word and that's that. Truth is, a BDSM relation is something much more powerful and deeper… like I said before, it's not about the sex, although it helps. I know that you are only 16, but let me ask you something. Do you two really wish to know what BDSM really is and how to take full advantage of a relationship that settles on its principles? Let me remind you that this might take years to achieve, and you will both have to commit to it… think of this as a marriage."

Hearing those words, London and Maddie looked into each other's eyes and silently agreed that that was something they truly wanted. They had given their first steps in that obscure world on the night they made love for the first time, and even though it felt like some sort of play at the time, they went on and tried other ways to feel the same rush they felt that night. It only felt natural to learn what they could about it, and Doctor Schwarzenberg, better known as Mistress Dark Raven was the perfect person to guide and help them

"Yes." -they answered in chorus. –"I mean, yes, mistress." -they both bowed their heads in deference.

"Very well, then. I accept you as my pupils." -she smiled, pleased that both London and Maddie were behaving as two subs should. –"Still, you only need to address to me as mistress, when I tell you to. Since you won't be able to come here whenever needed, I feel that we might be able to do our sessions by videoconference, but I suppose that won't be a problem, will it, Miss Tipton."

"Nope, it won't." -London said.

"Very well. But tonight, you're here with me. I will initiate you in the secrets of BDSM, and we will have ourselves a scene, where you will both play the roles I decide, understood?" -she asked, to which the blonde and the brunette waved their head. –"Good, but first things first. I want you two to remember what I'm about to tell you. First of all, your relationship as dominant-submissive should never transpire outside your play zone, and as such, it shouldn't interfere with your everyday life. On a physical level, BDSM is commonly ill-conceived to be "all about pain". Most often, though, BDSM practitioners are primarily concerned with power, humiliation, and pleasure. Of the three categories of BDSM, only sadomasochism specifically requires pain, but this is typically a means to an end, as a vehicle for feelings of humiliation, dominance, etc. The aspects of D/S and B&D may not include physical suffering at all, but include the sensations inherited by different emotions of the mind. From what you told me, you have explored B&D and D/S, but not the S&M very much, having mixed sex as something that you thought was needed in order to achieve pleasure. We will explore all of them, and believe me when I tell you that as you grow wiser in these areas, not only will you find new ways to excite one another, but also ways to pleasure one another." -she explained to them. –"By the way, do you know what this is?"

She pointed to a ring she was holding in her right hand. It was a cylindrical steel ring with an attached ball holding an even smaller toroidal ring.

"No." –London said.

"It looks like one of those collars you place around the submissive, but it's a lot smaller." -Maddie answered.

"You are half-right, Madeline. This is a Ring of O. It is commonly used by practitioners' or people that are interested in BDSM. The ring itself was first alluded to in a novel called Story of O, where it holds a different meaning. Since you are so passionate by literature, I advise you to read it when you have the chance." -Doctor Schwarzenberg told them. –"When you are more advanced in your studies, I will give you one, to symbolize your passage into the world of BDSM." -she clarified. –"And now, I think we are ready for our scene. Follow me, girls."