Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >Culture Clash by barelin by Chessman, a revised version Based on the society created in the novel Danubia series 'Maragana Girl' https://www.literotica.com/s/maragana-girl-ch-01 A brief explanation of the culture of Danubia before we start our story, Danubia was formally a republic before changes in government. The area left of the republic now known as the Danubia is one of the smaller nation-states in Eastern Europe. The revolution that took over the government of Danubia closed down all detention facilities within the country. Complete overhaul of the criminal judge's system to detain no one, for more than twenty-four hours, at that time of the commission, of the discovery of the crime. Those accused of a crime have a speedy trial of the offense. The criminal justice has authorized two forms of punishment that are usually together and used. Collaring is done with an electronic monitoring neck collar, locked into place for the duration of the criminal sentence. The second aspect of criminal punishment is the corporal nature of switching or beating with a whip-like device. The criminal courts authorize the criminal to get collared around the neck; deprived of all clothing duration of the sentence. Switching, with a leather device much like a long riding crop, is done upon the bare buttocks and thighs of the criminal. The usual adult sentence consists of fifty lashes upon sentencing, issued throughout the sentence. The officer administering the blows must care to raise welts visible to the witnessing judge to ensure that no one breaks the skin and draws blood. To do so would cause the officer to lose their job. Lesser switching punishments are administered for children and certain infractions within schools and institutions, not of a criminal nature. To see a naked criminal collared and going about their life within Danubian society is not a rarity. Criminals must have work that keeps them in public view, so delivery men, wait staff, and store clerks. Unlike in other countries, the criminals would work within the grounds of the detention facility. As there are no prisons, criminals usually live with their families and under the supervision of the courts. Nudity practiced by the average citizen is also not uncommon in Danubian society. All physical education and health club activity is done nude by all citizens. Soon after the revolution, one of the first laws was passed, forbidding the wearing of all swimwear. Lastly, in the Danubian religion, there is a provision for a rite called Public Penance. A penitent goes before the priest confesses a sin in life that needs correction and then voluntarily surrenders the right to wear clothing for some time until the priest and penitent agree the penitent has atoned for the skin. It has become a family honor, will agree to serve penance with the family member bearing the guilt burden. ***** Prelude Marcia Shevat was fourteen years old when the event that would shake her life occurred. Born and raised on Army posts, she had lived in and moved to more military towns by age twelve than most civilians move in a lifetime. Marcia was living in Fort Riley, Kansas, with her parents at the time of events that would determine the course of the rest of her life. Marcia had learned to swim the summer before she started Kindergarten and had continued to take swim classes through fourth grade. Then, at age ten, Marcia was taught to swim competitively at Fort Leonard Wood. Marcia was a member of the YMCA swimming team under the twelve divisions and transferred to the YMCA all-swimming team. From age twelve to she was the age fourteen, Marcia would swim in every event she could. It looked as if she would compete in the Pan Am Games, then the Junior Worlds, and be ready for the Olympics during her college years. One day she returned home after a high school swim meet to find a chaplain, a Major from her father -(TM)s unit, and a Senior Master Sergeant sitting in the living room of the base house. Her mother was weeping her brothers were stone silent Marcia knew this was very bad. She dropped her swim duffle bag and an in to ask her mother what had happened. -Your father, - her mother sobbed, -He -(TM)s -- - and could go no further. The Chaplain said, -Marcia, your father has died in a field training exercise. Happened to the hummer your father was in, Trapped after rolling over after failing to climb a muddy grade bank. He died of crushing chest injuries, was nothing anyone could do. - Life was a blur after that, and although the Army was very sorry for their loss, the Shevat family still had to vacate the post housing within six months of the death. They settled into a smaller modular home in Lawrence, Kansas, and tried to get on with their lives as normal as possible. Modesty was not something swimmers and divers were known for, as ill-fitting team suits were notorious for dropping off a diver in an entry or a swimmer hoisting her body up a ladder from the pool. Indeed, Marcia herself had been a victim of such a -water stripping. - When she first transferred to the civilian high school and tried out for the swim team. She was issued a team swimsuit marked her size but felt loose. Gone off the starting blocks for a hundred meters freestyle event, had lost the straps on the top of the suit entering the water, and lost the rest of the bathing suit mid-pool on the return. A newspaper photo of Marcia, with one hand raised in victory while the other clutched a hastily grabbed towel barely covering her front, was clipped and pasted in many of the school -(TM)s lockers, both male and female. A fifth place in the Olympic trials, while not good enough to secure on the team higher than the second alternate, got the attention of several good Midwestern Universities. Marcia decided on the all-expenses scholarship to the University just outside Chicago. In exchange for her athletics, Marcia would receive room, board, books, fees, travel expenses, and a team uniform allowance. A mandatory grade point average of 3.0 was an expectation of the school. Her mother expected a 3.5. Practice, meets, classes, and starting over again became Marcia -(TM)s campus routine. Once again, most of her friends were teammates. Hanging out in the steam room, sauna, or hot tub provided in the athlete -(TM)s dorm became Marcia -(TM)s relaxation. Again, like-minded young women, and some of the guys from the other floors in the co-ed athlete -(TM)s dorm, would pad around the halls nude or nearly so. So familiar with each other -(TM)s bodies had they all become by the end of the first semester that no one seemed to date or hook up with each other. They were buds, pals, and almost brother and sister in relating to each other; however, sexual tensions were minimal. Then came the day, Sophomore year, late in the first semester, when in the mandatory class named Inter-Cultural Sociological Studies, taught by Professor Sarah Bushnell, Marcia asked a question. It was one little question that was to have a profound impact on her life. Doctor Bushnell had been a part of an exchange program, about the third year the program had been in existence. She explained how the program of exchanging students at the National University of Danubia had started. Mention the lack of competitive sports programs within the academic tier from grade school through University. Marcia shot up her hand and asked the question. -Young lady, - her professor announced to the class, -you are the first to ask that question. I believe it needs proper research. Please see me after class. - Marcia -(TM)s heart sank. Proper research usually meant a fifty-page paper on the topic, with a bibliography not drawn from Wikipedia. Sarah Bushnell, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., had recently risen from Adjunct Professor to a full professorship at the University. She is an alumna of the Danubian/University exchange program and a junior member of the University selection team for prospective students requesting participation in the -~year abroad program. The usual grouping of Social Sciences majors, with a smattering of Language, Earth Sciences, and Engineering, had filed applications earlier following the previous academic year. The selectees were already named Danubian Society and Culture and Danubian Language One. Sarah Bushnell saw in her non-major student a potential to add something to the exchange mix. As a Physical Education major, who hoped to become a Physical Education teacher and coach at the high school level, Marcia Shevat was not within the traditional disciplines for exchange. Perhaps she would be a small pebble to ripple the pond of sameness achieved in the nine years the program had been in effect. The idea in Dr. Bushnell -(TM)s mind was to create a start in widening the exchange and giving other majors a chance to be exposed to the Duchy and its culture. She had needed a curious-minded individual not afraid to ask questions that challenged traditional thought. Marcia had asked the question, and light had appeared in her professor -(TM)s mind Dr. Bushnell to have her candidate if the rest of the University committee and the representatives of the Danubian government, education department, and clergy agreed. Chapter 1 Arrival Year in Europe as an exchange student, I wondered who would not jump at that. All expenses paid by the college include books, room, board, tuition, transportation, and pocket money, from June first of one year to August thirty-first of the next. Marcia had been the only athlete scholar admitted to the Danubian exchange program. Most of the other young men and women leaving for Germany with her were engineering, political science majors, or economics majors. One girl was pre-med, another pre-law going to Danubia to do master -(TM)s level work in comparative studies of judiciaries. The ratio in this group of exchange students was about three to one male to female. Step off the airplane in Frankfurt, get on the Griffin Airlines flight to Danubia into her life as a college junior training to be a Physical Education Teacher. Danubia had no formal team sports in competition with other nations or at the university level with other schools. Marcia had asked one of her instructors, Sarah Bushnell, during a non-major required Sociology, how not having organized sports as part of the University of Danubia -(TM)s fundraising affected the school and its relationships. Stating that this was an excellent question and worthy of a student -(TM)s exploration, Doctor Bushnell had invited Marcia to participate in an informal student and faculty round table. Three representatives from Danubia were present at this round table, which surprised Marcia. Danubia priestess representing the Orthodox Church of Danubia, a department chairperson from the University of Danubia, and a consul general from the consular offices of the Danubian government in Chicago. The exchange program between the countries is now in its ninth year, and a narrow pool of students has gone out to the University departments. With interests in subjects other than engineering, forestry, political sciences, and economics should be encouraged to apply for the year-long cultural and educational exchange program. Marcia had no idea that she was there as a potential exchange candidate. Marcia had asked her question and received smiles and nods in response from it, the Danubian representatives, and the University faculty. When the official letterhead from the University came to her room in the athletes -(TM) dormitory, Marcia opened it fearfully. Usually, letters such as these tell a student the scholarship they are attending school is ending, the grades from the last semester make the athlete ineligible for competition, or some other negative connotation. Her letter read, -Congratulations, Marcia Shevat, you were selected by this University as an exchange representative to the University of Danubia - Marcia pulled out her cell phone and immediately called her mother. The Shevat family now lived in the development of modular homes in a quiet lower middle-class community three states distant from Marcia -(TM)s college campus. Marcia was the first in her family to attend college and had only been able to afford her schooling by maintaining her athletic scholarship. Marcia had been born to swim competitively. From her first doggie paddle in the post pool at age three through grade school competitions at the local community pool in the summer and the YMCA in the winter and her four years of high school, Marcia had set one local record after another by breaking one of her own in the relay, freestyle, and backstroke. As she discussed the possible exchange program with her mother, the family -(TM)s concerns for her future spilled out. How could she afford her senior year and graduate school if her scholarship was gone? What about her brothers? Mom, - Marcia pled, - I have assured that my scholarship will be there for senior year. I have promised a fellowship for graduate school if my paper on Physical Culture in Danubian Society meets University standards. Doctor Bushnell has already agreed to mentor me through the independent study so that this thesis will indeed meet the academic. Also, if you wish to visit me in Danubia at Christmas or whenever, the Duchy government has offered you round-trip tickets. - In the end, her mother was satisfied that this would not just be some extended spring break adventure but a real educational opportunity for Marcia to allow her daughter to participate. Twenty men and seven women stepped off the Griffin Airlines turboprop aircraft onto the tarmac of the National Airport. After a non-eventful transatlantic flight and the short hop from Germany to Danubia. Several host families were at the gate, just past the customs officials, waiting for their exchange students. Marcia looked at the hand-printed signs held by the Danubian hosts and saw none for her. The other students were greeted and taken away by their host families. Marcia waited for several hours, sitting outside customs clearance, without a sign of her host family. Finally, three people approached her. They were not the ones she had hoped to meet, as two male and female were uniformed police officers, and the third was a Spokeswoman for the Criminal. It was a Spokeswoman with halting yet accentless American English addressed Marcia, -There is a problem with your student visa Marcia Shevat, and we would like you to accompany us to the central courts building to straighten the matter. - -A problem? The Danubian Consulate approved my visa in Chicago. I don -(TM)t understand what the problem could be? - Marcia was worried, as she had taught in the classes dealing with customs and traditions for criminal suspects were usually stripped and possibly switched. She had no desire to have her clothing taken from her less than a day after she arrived in the country. -Yes, a problem, the Spokeswoman repeated, -perhaps a minor inconvenience to you, and perhaps more serious. These officers have a van outside and will drive us to the central judiciary so that we might resolve the issue quickly. - Marcia remembered that private automobiles, even taxicabs, weren -(TM)t permitted in Danubia. Only official vehicles existed, and this Spokeswoman had probably called the police to arrange a ride. Okay, let -(TM)s go downtown. A short while found herself in the Spokeswoman -(TM)s office. By observation, she learned that the Spokespersons for the Criminal were multi-faceted as defense counsel, parole officers, and job counselors for their criminal clientele. She also learned that Beth-Anne Takinva was a former U.S. citizen who had married a Danubian man while studying in Danubia and had stayed on to work in the judicial branch foreign criminal supervision section of the Spokesperson -(TM)s office. Before her marriage, her name had been Beth-Anne Hawkins. Beth-Anne had not been home to the United States in six years. An only child of only children, her roots in the United States were severed when her exchange year in Danubia. Her parents had died in a crash of the Piper Cub, in which her mother was flying her father home after a Rotary Club convention in St. Louis. Following the traditional two years, one of dating then one engaged, the couple stood before a priestess of the Danubian Church and was married. Then had two years of Danubian legal training, a short course at the national police academy, and a two-year spokesperson apprenticeship. For the last four years, she had worked in the Spokesperson -(TM)s office, now as a fully vetted Spokeswoman, dealing with long and short-term criminals from outside the Danubian populace. She had spent those years speaking as a Danubian and now found it difficult to revert to English when necessary. Now, she had the difficult task inform Ms. Marcia Shevat that her year in Danubia would not be the pleasantly uneventful stay she may have hoped. -Marcia, there is no easy way for me to tell you this shall relate the story and then allow you to ask questions after telling the following. Ask you not to interrupt and listen closely to what I say. - Marcia nodded and waited for the older woman to begin. -Your host family cannot abide by its agreement to house, feed, and maintain you for your school year. A criminal event arose a student you were to exchange with found cheating on her schoolwork and then lied about it to her professor. This country of Danubia is an insurrection of a public official in the performance of her official duties. Her parents were so distraught that following her first switching on the afternoon of her trial and her being led off to the recovery room here in the Spokesperson -(TM)s offices, her parents went before the priests at the Temple and began a year of public penance. -Here is the problem, the penance extends to the entire family passport was taken upon her conviction. -I -(TM)m sure you can see why we wished to avoid you, an unpleasant stay in our Danubia country, and are offering you a return, first class to the United States. - Beth-Anne finished and waited for Marcia -(TM)s questions yet to come. -Uh, okay, - I know you don -(TM)t have prisons and that your criminals. - Marcia looked up to see an attractive red-headed woman, nude save for a metal collar, being led to another office by two police officers, -well, they are fully nude for the period of their sentence. But, if I understand you, they live at home? - Beth-Anne responded, -Yes, they must have suitable housing, and if the family, though disgraced by their behavior. Will have them, then that is where they go to live. Additionally, they must have adequate employment within two days of their sentencing. As this crime involved the university, this criminal has lost the right to study there for one year. -So, the room I would have occupied is still being slept in by the girl criminal? - -Yes, Marcia, and as I said, the entire family is doing public penance in the shame to the honor of the family name which the student brought down upon it by her actions. - Beth-Anne paused, smiled, and continued, -Have room for you, Marcia, yet you may not like the conditions you would have to live in if you took that offer. Oh, what might I ask would those conditions be, - Marcia was thinking of some way to salvage her year abroad. Beth-Anne took a deep breath while smiling, -Since the family that was going to be your host family will still welcome you into their home as a member of their family. To be required to live by the same restrictions and rules, which includes all public penance. Require you to leave your suitcases, with your clothing, here with me. To inform you of the clothes that you are currently wearing would be cut off and burned on the temple grounds. The priests would collar you as a penitent. - Feeling completely trapped, what to say as she continued, -beyond that, no other changes would occur in your social, academic, or legal standing in Danubia. If you do not accept this as your option, the country will pay for a return flight will be booked for your to return to the United States without prejudice. - Marcia thought for more than a moment about this situation. She already knew about her physical education coursework, practice, and competition. Any team sport participated in while a student in Danubia would be in the nude. She also knew that honor was very high on the Danubian culture level, and she shared the dishonor and honor of redemption of her host family whatever choice she made. If she were to fly home, the family would face the dishonor of her leaving due to their daughter -(TM)s lack of judgment. If she stayed and agreed to the penance collar, she would be nude twenty-four and seven for a year, but, as most of her waking hours in school and practice would be more harm could it do to remain so at home with her hosts or elsewhere on the streets. If the Danubians did not care, neither did she. -Beth-Anne, could you help me find something suitable to wear to the temple? I -(TM)ll slip that on we can get this process started. I -(TM)d love to meet the girl who is the cause for my surrendering my clothing for a year. I -(TM)m sorry, Marcia, - Beth-Anne replied, - The American culture lacks the formality of our in Danubia. From now on, I expect you to refer to me as Spokeswoman Takinva whenever we speak. - Opening the college student cases, the two women rummaged through separating what a Danubian could use from what was not appropriate on Danubian soil. Marcia -(TM)s hygiene products received a good going over. Danubian women do not shave unless switched for an offense bottle of depilatory creams went in the -~hold until I go home -(TM) suitcase, along with perfume. Beth-Anne also told Marcia that Danubian culture viewed piercing as a moral affront to Danubian theology. Therefore, her earrings and belly ring were removed and placed in storage. The University class ring, her gold Chi necklace, and a belly chain were deemed not to meet the standards. -The university ring implies haughtiness regarding status, an attitude unacceptable to Danubians, - Beth-Anne explained, -The Chi is a symbolic representation of an outside faith system and could risk your being held as a foreign missionary, as evangelical outreach is illegal in Danubia. The belly chain is merely a vanity item, and Danubian women tend to downplay vanity. One may be nude and go unnoticed, have one piece of jewelry to draw the eye toward you vain woman, or man, as the case may be. - Beth-Anne kept to herself the matter that Marcia already had sufficient deviations upon her nude body to draw unwanted Danubian attention. Swimsuit tan lines, lack of body hair, plucked eyebrows, and hair cut too short to be braided on her head would cause murmuring. Among the Danubians, she would meet over the next several weeks. Best not to stress the girl out about that at this time was Beth-Anne -(TM)s thought. Found to be long enough for temple modesty and easily enough material-wise to be clipped off and burned following Marcia -(TM)s acceptance as a penitent. Beth-Anne spent the next forty-five minutes with her charge getting her to understand the questions that would be the priestess and priest who would meet them at the temple. For most of the questions, a simple yes yes was the answer the balance of their response would be for my honor and the honor of my host family. The priest and priestess met Marcia on the steps of the temple. Looking at her attire approvingly seemed to them that Beth-Anne had coached her charge well. Marcia prostrated herself at the appropriate point in the temple and asked, -Are you the American, Marcia Shevat? - She promptly replied -~yes yes -(TM) in Danubian. -Have you come here today freely and willingly, seeking the release of public penance? - Again the reason for your seeking penance? - Marcia responded, -for my honor and the honor of my host family. - A few questions later, a pair of very sharp scissors appeared beneath one of the religious robes. Marcia -(TM)s T-shirt dress was in two pieces in her arms and led to the fire pit and balled the fabric up, then tossed it underhand into the coals was consumed. She was then back into the temple, where a collar with what looked to be basket weave etching on its surface was placed around her neck and locked in place. Nude, collared, and quite bewildered at the events of the past several hours, Marcia knelt for the final benediction over her. Marcia rose to face the priest and priestess. Backed out of the temple sanctuary, low at the waist. Once in the public area of the temple grounds, Marcia finally met her host family. The adults were collared and nude as well, yet greeted and treated her like seeing her nude was the most natural thing in life for them. What Marcia had been allowed to keep, books, school supplies, hair brushes, and so fit into a backpack that Beth-Anne now handed her. Her two suitcases would remain in Beth-Anne -(TM)s locked closet at Spokesperson central until Marcia was ready to leave the country. Finally was able to meet the girl Ivanka that put me in this little naked mess. I had many questions to share among themselves, but the two girls were busy checking each other out. Marcia noticed the fifty welts on her thighs and derriere had not yet lost their color or inflammation. Ivanka, on the other hand, was shocked that Marcia -(TM)s hair on her head was shorter than most boys kept their hair in Danubia. She also was staring at Marcia -(TM)s legs, arms, and pubis, as there was not one hair anywhere on Marcia -(TM)s body. The white triangles of pale flesh on Marcia -(TM)s breasts, pelvis, and derriere also grabbed Ivanka -(TM)s attention. There were long hours of seemingly endless discussion about the cultural differences between the United States and the Danubian, which would wait until the family was home and inside its walls.