"Not yet, Morsel," the serene voice said firmly and with just the slightest hint of amusement, "you will know when".
Ariel lay still, her cheek flat, the muscles in her neck corded with strain, her hands pressed flat above her head, her small breasts crushed between her chest and the wooden tabletop. She made a strangled noise meant to indicate assent to her Mistress' admonition.
Her face squeezed tight, her eyes shut, her mouth a tiny O, small beads of exertion dotting her forehead, one would be hard pressed from reading her expression to know whether it was pleasure or pain. Anyone reading her mind, to the extent Ariel was still forming coherent thoughts, would be in no doubt.
A small portion of her mind was still capable of seeing clearly, still able to feel embarrassment at her own reactions, able to foresee tomorrow when she would blush and be unable to bear Mistress' teasing or to meet Miss Oh's eyes. In truth even that rational part of her mind was not always of great benefit to her - it knew that her Mistress and Miss Oh would do as they pleased no matter how she pleaded that they not tell anyone of today. If she begged them to keep her shame secret Mistress would smirk, Miss Oh would laugh, neither unkindly, neither wanting to hurt her, but neither swayed in the slightest by her pleading, she knew that would be so - yet she knew that tomorrow she would plead uselessly nonetheless.
But that rational portion of her mind, useful or not, held no sway over her now. The portion of her brain controlling her body was the animalistic, primal, rutting side, the instinct that flattened her breasts even more against the table as a way to thrust her backside further into the air, the longing, the unvocalizable need that forced her to present herself, lost, her back arched, her legs stretched to tiptoe, to expose her most private parts even more, begging with her body language to be taken, harder, again, to be used and used and used. The side that could barely hear - but could, still, just hear - the voice of her Mistress.
It was not long ago that Ariel's feet had been flat on the floor, literally and metaphorically. Miss Oh had very kindly taken her lingerie shopping - she had such good taste - and she and Ariel had returned to Mistress' club to show off what they had found. As Ariel was just straightening up, having changed into a panties and corset set, she saw Miss Oh whispering into Mistress' ear. "That's never good" Ariel thought to herself, not sure herself whether she was joking. Mistress smiled with that expression Ariel would have thought of as an evil grin if she did not love her so much, and as Ariel thought "definitely not good" she was even less certain whether she was joking.
"Um, so, um, we, we found this one too, Mistress, it's, I, I do like the colour on this one, but, but it's a bit, well, it's nearly transparent" Ariel stuttered, beginning to feel a little nervous as Miss Oh walked away from Lady Ecks, around the table, and past Ariel. Ariel was about to turn so that she would still be facing both of them, but she heard her Mistress say "I'm still right here, Morsel". With a start Ariel tried to continue what she had been saying.
"Oh, um, yes, Mistress, sorry, I, I just, um, this one, well, I do like it, Miss Oh suggested this one, and, well, I probably wouldn't - I mean, if I'd been on my own I wouldn't have had the nerve, but, but Miss Oh, she said..."
"Ariel, you really mustn't be so self-conscious" Lady Ecks said. "What if your pretty little nipples are quite apparent right through that gauze? You know how fond I am of those perky tits of yours. Perhaps I'll take you shopping with me dressed like that so I can show you off to some of my friends, you'd enjoy that, I know. Particularly as I believe those nipples are a little more visible than they were a few seconds ago, aren't they poking through a bit more firmly?"
Ariel blushed as her Mistress laughed at her discomfiture. It was true, she knew, her nipples were getting harder, but it wasn't fair of Mistress to do this to her, she knew Ariel couldn't resist her. She didn't - she really didn't - want to be leashed and taken out in public this way, she, she was sure she didn't.
Ariel was beginning to blush a little more as she realised that Mistress had said nothing about leashing, that her own mind had filled that detail in, when the skin on her shoulders and neck began to tingle. She became aware that someone - well, it must be Miss Oh, surely - was standing very close to her.
"The Morsel is being coy, Ecks", Miss Oh suddenly said "she hasn't told you the most delightful feature of this outfit." Miss Oh's hands floated above her shoulders, so close that Ariel could hardly believe she was not touching her, hands gliding so near the surface of her skin that it caused goosebumps to rise. She felt Miss Oh step closer, felt her warm breath on the back of her neck as Miss Oh's hands ran the length of her arms, still not touching her. Ariel froze, unable to move, as Miss Oh brought her arms up, and oh so delicately finally made contact, her hands resting very lightly on Ariel's breasts. Ariel stood rigid, determined not to gasp at Miss Oh's touch.
"The important thing, Ecks, is that these cups are removable" said Miss Oh, taking her hands away and peeling the cups from the corset as she did so. Ariel lost her struggle not to gasp. She wanted to cross her arms in front of her, unconsciously they began to move, but she saw the slightest hint of amusement on her Mistress' face as her eyes dropped to Ariel's arms for a moment, and she managed to restrain herself.
Lady Ecks smiled. "Quite right, Oh, you were wise to have her buy it. Straighten up, Morsel, be proud, shoulders back!". Ariel felt her cheeks redden, and thought not for the first time how unfair this was - she wasn't even actually naked, and it wasn't like Mistress hadn't seen her naked many times - or that Miss Oh hadn't, if it came to it - so she should be used to it! How was her Mistress still capable of making her feel so exposed and vulnerable! She struggled once again against the impulse to cover herself, knowing Mistress would mock her if she did. And she realised, as her attention turned away from her arms, that she had, automatically and without thought, thrust her shoulders back - and her small breasts forward - on her Mistress' command.
Ariel might have smiled in self-recognition at that, if she had not at that moment felt a small pressure between her shoulder blades - a finger, or a fingernail, really - more precisely, Miss Oh's fingernail - pressing into her. She would have turned to look, but Mistress' eyes were on her, and Ariel's eyes were caught in that gaze. She could not look away - knew, somehow, she was not supposed to - and so found herself pushed forward ever so slightly, till her hips were touching the edge of the table in front of her.
She expected the pushing to stop then, and slowed herself - till she realised the nail was now pressing more deeply into her, that Miss Oh was not yet done. Slowly, gradually, Ariel felt herself forced further forward, pivoting from her hips, bending, folding, afraid to put her hands forward, keeping her head up as long as she could, but eventually she gasped just a little as she felt her exposed flesh, first her nipples, then her breasts, then shoulders and face contact the cold wood surface. Can one hear a smile? Ariel would have sworn she heard her Mistress smile.
Ariel felt Miss Oh's finger trace an agonizingly slow line down her back, across the corset, the small of her back, eventually coming to rest at the waistband of her panties.
Ariel heard Miss Oh say "Why do you even let her wear panties, Ecks, such a needless hindrance" and heard her Mistress reply "Ah well, Oh, it's harmless enough, and it gives her a sense of security, you know how she hates to be naked".
Not fair, Ariel wanted to cry out to Miss Oh, not fair, YOU chose these panties for me! But even the most foolish mouse is too smart to enter into an argument between the cats who hold her captive.
Miss Oh laughed musically. "A sense of security, Ecks? pfft!" Ariel froze as she felt cold metal run along her hip. She daren't breathe - she knew Miss Oh's knife, she knew, her mind knew, she really was almost completely certain that Miss Oh would not harm her with it, but her body froze nonetheless. And as she knew - hoped, she had to say, given the alternatives - would happen, in a moment she left the blade slip into her waistband, one hip, the other, two quick pulls, and the panties fell from her.
"There" said Miss Oh "much better, and still not naked, she has the corset to hide behind. But", said Miss Oh with a sly smile "shouldn't you tie her, Ecks? Probably better if she doesn't move."
Ariel heard a touch of amusement in her Mistress' voice as she replied "I think I can manage to secure her without too much difficulty, Oh. Little One - put your arms out in front of you there, that's a good girl." Ariel's voice nearly broke from apprehension as she said "ye-es, Mistress" and stretched her arms along the table top, reaching toward her Mistress still seated at the far side, feeling the cold of the wood along her arms.
"Comfortable now. Little One? Good - then stretch your arms a little closer to me - yes, good girl." Ariel strained to reach out further, fingers splayed, her hips pressing into the edge of the table. "Now Morsel, feel your palms, your fingers, feel them resting on the table? Good girl, now press them down, feel them gripping the table top, feel them forced against it. Morsel, your Mistress wants your hands to stay right there, do you understand?" Ariel managed to squeak out "yes Mistress". She found that if she craned her neck she could turn just enough to see Mistress where she sat.
"Good girl" Lady Ecks replied "and that should serve, Oh, she won't move now. Mmm, that added stretch does make her ass curve nicely though, doesn't it". Ariel began to blush a little, expecting Miss Oh to make some equally embarrassing reply - but then suddenly cried out in pain and shock. Miss Oh had said nothing - but had without warning spanked her, once, very hard.
Ariel tried to suppress a whimper. "Pretend to yourself if you wish, Morsel, but you fool no-one" she heard Mistress' voice say. Ariel nearly jumped, would have if she were not bound, as she felt Miss Oh's fingernail press into her again, into her stinging cheek, and begin to trace the outline of a small circle.
"That's the red area", Miss Oh said as she held up her fingers and thumb in a small circle to Lady Ecks "not so large, is it?" Ariel swallowed but did not reply.
