(CAST LIST)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've noticed a certain growth in the number of characters connected to this story. That's typical for me when I write, but I thought it might help readers if they had a ready place to get up to speed or check on who various people are. There is a (very) long-term plan for the story; the final tally in the main "harem" is twelve men and women of various genders, sexual identities, and backgrounds. (I actually prefer the term poly-cluster for the main characters' relationships. It's not so much eleven people who all fall for Nick. It's actually bundles of twos and threes in committed relationships who love each other and overlap between the groups in a constantly flowing and evolving sexual experiment.) This is a living document, so I will make updates to it as we go, sporadically.

MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE CLUSTER

Nickolas "Nick" Aden, pansexual male, six feet tall, pale skin, dark eyes. Left side of his face badly scarred (although not as bad as he thinks it is.) Muscular still, because he works out every day, not because he wants to, but because it's what he does. His hands are roughened, long fingers and limbs whipcord tight, abdomen and chest lean where the scars don't conceal him. His cock is long and thick, about nine cut. He's been through Hell, born with some tendencies toward sociopathy. His family is notorious in his hometown for being pretty wicked and self-involved, their illegal businesses and total domination of the valley resulting in his being incredibly rich. A career in the Army, then with Special Forces and eventually with the CIA has trained him to a high pitch of readiness; he's solved most of the problems in his life with , but he's trying to get better.

Thomas James "Tommy" Ryder, pansexual male crossdresser, presenting as female. A petite just over five feet tall, short blonde hair usually in a pixie cut with a hairband to hold it back from her face. Long legs and arms which, combined with her thin frame, make her appear willowy and elfin, her cornflower blue eyes wide and face innocent. Still a bit self-conscious of her flat chest, she tends to wear clothes that conceal that while highlighting her long limbs and neck. Tommy's home life was horrible, and she was routinely physically and emotionally abused. She found a talent for gambling, but made a mistake with money she borrowed from a Ukrainian mobster and has his people looking for her. He doesn't want her dead, he just wants to own her for his own harem. Head over heels in love with pretty much everyone in the cluster; this is the first and only family she's ever had.

Bailey "Pet" Marx, bisexual female leaning toward girls. A little taller than Tommy, muscular with a healthy set of curves. Red hair which she lets grow long and sometimes braids. She keeps her body ready at all times in case one of the other members of the cluster decides to top her; she originally thought she was a masochist, and had trouble reaching orgasm. Once she was properly dominated by Nick, she realized she's actually extremely submissive, and uses the name Pet when she's in a scene. In a committed relationship with Sarah, the long-term love of her life. They grew up together, and Bailey is finally with the woman of her dreams, while enjoying the benefits of the cluster as well. An ER and pediatric nurse.

Dr. Sarah Miller, lesbian female with occasional bi-curious episodes. About five-ten for height, very athletic build, strong and naturally dominant. Long dark brown hair which she usually keeps in a bun while working as a neurosurgery resident. She was secretly in love with Bailey the whole time they were growing up. One of the only people in the cluster with a truly healthy family life, her family are absolutely accepting of her lifestyle choices, being a bunch of ultra-liberals from the Sixties. Sarah has discovered she really enjoys topping Bailey/Pet, and also has a real taste for both exhibitionism and voyeurism. She hates mean people, and has a very strong streak of protective mama-bear which can cause her trouble from time to time. Originally a little skeptical of Nick and Tommy, she has since warmed to them and trusts them. She also finds Tommy fascinating, and spends almost as much time with her as she does with Bailey.

NOT YET IN THE CLUSTER BUT ON THE WAY

Isabella "Izzy" Ramirez, lesbian female but flexible enough to be attracted to Tommy. A pretty young Hispanic girl, dark black hair pulled back in a braid; she usually dresses for activity, tattoos on her arms, a small black tear under her left eye. She has old scars on her elbows, tough callouses on her palms and knuckles. Connected as a youth to gangs, her story isn't yet told. She's in an open relationship with Baby.

Mariko "Baby" Yamashita, pansexual female. A tiny Oriental girl just about Tommy's height, she usually works as a dealer for illegal card games in the city. In public, she goes for the Japanese schoolgirl style. Two pig-tails, hair dyed blue, pink, and black, sexy clothes, bouncy and bubbly cute, in a manic pixie sort of way.In private, she's a Little, looking to give up all control over her life and spend her time playing and getting fucked as often as possible. Her actual background is not yet revealed.

Valentina "Val" Serafin, bisexual female. Five-ten, lithe and wiry, a ballerina's body and grace. Honey blonde hair, usually cut short enough to stay out of the way. She tends to dress in black leather, and her personality is almost as rough as Nick's. She worked with him in the past on various CIA missions, and has a grudging respect for him. Twin sister (and maybe more) to Ella.

Elzbieta "Ella" Serafin, bisexual female. Looks almost identical to her sister Val, but dyes her hair black and spikes it. A hacker and genius with a photographic memory. More to follow on her and her sister soon.

Daniel "Danny" Lane, gay male. Not yet introduced.

Alice Hayes, lesbian female. Not yet introduced.

Malika "Zoey" Barnes, pansexual transgender female. Not yet introduced.

Gillian Carlisle, bisexual female. Not yet introduced.

FRIENDS AND FLINGS

Andre, male with unknown interests. An enigma, this tall and muscular black man is apparently the world's best concierge. Nick hired him away from his old workplace by doubling his salary and promising Andre wouldn't be required to take part in any of the playtime activities at the Phoenix. There's nothing he can't get with enough time, no one he doesn't have access to with enough motivation, and nobody he would ever consider betraying the cluster for.

Malachi "Mal" Evans, straight male. An old friend of Nick's from their time doing dangerous things for the military. Married with kids, Mal is the closest thing to a normal friend Nick has, and often acts as Nick's lifeline to sanity when things get bad.

THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL OWNERS' ASSOCIATION

Kurt Steiner, 38, straight male. Owns a chain of businesses. Unmarried. Master Kurt inside the building. He's a dom, into domination more than causing pain. Considers himself a 'loving dominant.' In a committed long-term relationship with his submissive, Morgan.

Lazlo Gonzalez, 42, gay male. Has a high-placed job in the Mayor's office and is very careful about keeping his public life away from the lifestyle. In a committed relationship with his bottom, Freddy. Master Lazlo when he's at the Phoenix. Was being blackmailed by Rick Benning for a while, but that's solved now.

Mae-lin Chen, 44, pansexual female. The only full-time dominatrix in the original owners. She operates out of her home, and unwinds at the club. She's had a string of lovers, but no one special. Mistress May, of course. She likes to play mind-games some times, so don't necessarily trust what she says. She's taken Tommy under her wing as an apprentice Domme.

Graham Twoeagles, 56, straight male, widower. He's the club's rigger, the person who preps and designs all the heavy duty equipment. Ropes, chains, furniture. He's responsible for the safety and health of everyone in the building. Not actually into the scenes, beyond the design and production part. Absolutely dedicated to the new Phoenix, although he doesn't talk about why. He has prior military service, and appears to recognize something in Nick; they have a grudging respect for each other at the moment.

Michael Donnelly, 25, bisexual male, trust-fund baby. Single and dating furiously outside the lifestyle, and keeps his dates away from the place. Bought into ownership on a whim, but turned out to be a natural rope master. Master Michael in the club. Sensitive about his age, and defers to the older members of the Association whenever there's decisions. He has revealed to Nick that he wants to stay involved with the club because it's the only safe space for he and his lover to meet. He's also implied his relationship is with someone he's not supposed to be with, but hasn't filled that in yet.

Rebecca Naylor, 33, bisexual female, popular writer of erotic fiction. Divorced three times, currently single. Dominant and mild sadist. She likes to cause consensual pain. Mistress Anne, and she doesn't talk about her writing when she's here. Her ex-husband Rick Benning is the major bad guy of the first part of this tale. He almost ruins her life, but she's out from under him now and trying to heal.

ALLIES AND UNKNOWNS

Max, asexual, unknown gender. Kate's twin, Max is a highly functioning sociopath, probably farther gone than Nick is. The two of them have a history which is not yet revealed in the story; whatever it was, they did something very very bad together. Max is a homicide detective in the city ; a calculated thinker who rarely says or does anything not previously planned out. (Author's note: I have a child who is asexual, and genderfluid. I wanted to represent the changeable nature of that identity by never officially confirming whether Max is male or female genetically. So sometimes the writing may seem a little stilted when Max is around. I'm avoiding pronouns entirely.)

ENEMIES AND ANTAGONISTS

Richard Benning, 42, straight male, divorced. Elizabeth once called him "an absolute waste of human life." He calls himself King Rick, and expects everyone to acknowledge him as the main dom in the group. A self-important prick. Think of the worst cherry know-it-all junior officer you ever met, and make him a total sadist into humiliating women. To make matters worse, he's a homophobic narcissist as well. Has a string of poor girls he calls his Bitches, and makes them sign contracts giving him total control of their lives. Then he makes them up to look like his ex.