Halia has a Thirst

Halia had been busy. Arena fights, paid work, proper adventures, and miscellaneous burglary had really taken it out of her, so to speak. So, it was in her typical attire that she sat in the Ripped Bodice, feet up, in one of the booths. Her over-sized tankard of ale rested on her belly, and her feet swayed from side to side on the seat across her from. It was about half-empty, Halia figured, as she regarded it sadly and downed another swig.

The things she'd gotten into...

Her face felt flushed a moment, and she sunk lower into her seat. How many of these people here have seen my naked body? she wondered. She'd gotten quite a bit of spotlight, recently, and as much as Halia expected it to get better over time, the idea of people seeing her naked, it was quite the opposite.

By the time I finish this giant mug of ale, maybe someone I can actually look in the eye will have shown up, she thought with a sigh, her eyes scanning passers by from under the hook of her cloak.

Annie had had her hands full, as well. It had been months since she'd had a chance to stop by the Ripped Bodice, and she did so with the intention of drowning her frustration. Her golem arms had long since been adjusted so as to avoid future...incidents, like the one she'd endured in the arena. Annie hadn't dared show her face there again after what had happened, even though she had technically come out on top. Although, given exactly how it had ended, "on top" was more fitting than she'd have preferred.

Even walking through the city had been a nerve-wracking ordeal, at first. Her match with Halia had been highly-publicized, as all matches were, so while the majority of the Enferian citizens likely had no idea who she was nor what she looked like underneath her modest clothes, being recognized was a risk Annie had been reluctant to take. Unfortunately, her potential employers had seen her match, so further negotiations had been extremely embarrassing ordeals for her.

The good news was that Annie now made a modest living developing her inventions and testing them herself on her various archaeological expeditions across the countryside. There were all sorts of forgotten ruins across Enferia, all of which were sure to house secret treasures the likes of which most could only dream. For a reasonable price - which her employers now covered, and then some - she would explore said ruins and retrieve said valuables. It was difficult work, but it was everything she'd hoped to make of herself since she left home, and it paid well enough.

...Most of the time.

A dry spell of clients had hit, and while her employers insisted that things would turn around any day now, Annie was finding herself both nervous about her immediate future and very, very bored from her lack of work.

And so, with a heavy sigh, Annie sat down at one of the tables next to a booth, the latter of which housed a smallish figure in a cloak, but she paid them no immediate mind. She'd convinced herself that she would have a good time tonight to take her mind off her troubles, and so she'd even gotten dressed up a bit: Instead of her usual adventurer's getup, Annie was wearing a lacy white blouse, a knee-length black skirt and matching black corset, with her usual leather boots, since she didn't actually own fancy shoes. Despite having very modest assets, the corset did a nice job of lifting and drawing attention to her petite chest, and the skirt hugged her flared hips nicely. Annie was looking lovely, sipping her own tankard of ale, and wishing she had something to actually celebrate. It had been a frustrating few weeks, to be certain.

Oh, shit, was Halia's first thought when, several gulps of ale later, she noticed Annie the damned Arcanopath sitting in the Bodice! Maybe 10 feet away! Her heart jumped in her chest. Just... play it cool, she told herself. She's not here to gloat, that... incident in the arena... was a while ago. She's just drowning her troubles, like you.

Halia quietly took her feet off the seat across from her, turned in her seat such that she was looking directly in Annie's direction, and sipped her drink as she sized her up.

She's a little oblivious, isn't she? I'm like, ten feet away. Then again, I guess I can actually be innocuous if I wanna be, she sighed. And she's all dressed up, too, she noticed, biting her lower lip. And me, in just my drab old tunic...

"Just go already," said a barmaid who approached the booth where Halia was. She was holding two mugs, which she promptly stuffed into the hal elf's hands.

"Wha?" Halia said, eyes going a bit wide at the sudden interaction. The tall barmaid yanked the slightly drunk Halia to her feet and smacked her on the bum. The frothing, icy mugs of ale sloshed dangerously in front of her; Halia stumbled to avoid splashing them on anyone and ended up teetering to a stop promptly in front of Annie. Regaining her balance and straightening up, Halia shot the barmaid the briefest of dirty looks before grinning sheepishly at Annie.

"Fresh drink?" she said with a nervous chuckle, holding the mugs up for emphasis.

"Hmm?" Annie hummed, snapped out of her introspection by the pleasantly light voice offering her a free drink. Once she looked up at the voice, however, her cheeks flushed softly as recognition hit her immediately.

"Halia? What are-" she stammered, obviously caught off guard by the appearance of her former opponent; former opponent, and the occasional subject of some lingering memories, not all of which were bad.

"What I mean is, I didn't think I'd run into you, of all people. Have you...been well?" Annie corrected herself, gesturing for Halia to join her and accepting the wobbly half elf's drink graciously.

Once Halia took her seat, she'd find Annie sitting a tad more modestly than before, knees pressed together beneath the table and small feet fidgeting nervously as she listened.

Halia nodded, grinned, and sat quickly.

"Uhm, yeah," she said, her voice rising in a fashion that made her immediate unconvincing. "Things have been going," she cleared her throat, "...well. Really well." Her cheeks were already tinged red from the drunk-blush. Now they darkened a bit, gradually, as she took a gulp or two from her tankard to soften the long pause.

"Just, some... acquisitions work?" she said at length, somewhat quickly. "How bout you? Is the uhm..." she gestured briefly, then regretted it immediately. She'd gestured towards Annie's shoulder, or over it more specifically -- where her backpack full of golem arms would have been.

She lowered her hands and cupped her drink, trying to keep her knee from shaking under the table.

"How's the research been?" Halia said, doing her best to look Annie in the eye. Definitely do not look at her cleavage. I mean, you've seen it all really close up before, so don't be distracted. Just... stare into those deep, lustrous eyes... She shook her head a touch, trying to focus.

Somewhere, the barmaid, Halia's friend, had been watching with a twinge of sympathy on her face for the ordinarily carefree and outgoing half elf.

"Good! It's, um...it's been good." Annie answered, just a bit too quickly. "I got the kinks out of the arms, so they're, um...working better now..." she trailed off, attempting to hide her faint blush behind another gulp of ale. Just move on...don't talk about last time...

"I'm working for the curators' guild now, as a freelancer. So, well, technically I don't work for them, but they pay me to take on jobs in place of other guild mates. I excavate ruins and retrieve items of historical significance, then bring them back for study, and in exchange, they fund my inventions." Annie explained, her large, curious brown eyes meeting Halia's as she spoke. Her good manners were making things a little awkward, however, as she suddenly realized how [b]conscious[/b[ she was of how many seconds she and Halia had locked eyes.

In reality, it had been a few seconds, at most; hardly unusual for two people having a conversation. Given their history, however, Annie found herself worried that every second might be one second too long, so she broke it off first. Ale suds were quite interesting, right? Surely it wouldn't be strange for her to stare at them for a bit, right? Right?

"S-So, um...what brings you here tonight? Besides the, um...the ale. It's good ale, of course, but usually there's more than one reason for someone to go to a bar, so I just wondered..." Annie rambled gracelessly, punctuating it with a nervous giggle. Another gulp of ale. She would have felt pleasantly buzzed had things not been so awkward. As it stood, she was just buzzed.

Her feet fidgeted under the table, accidentally brushing the top of Halia's boot with her own, before hastily retreating. "Wh-Whoops! Sorry about that." Annie apologized, again just a bit to quickly to be natural. Was that weird? Oh god, I hope she doesn't think that was weird. It was just an accident, and this is already so awkward, and I just made it more awkward...

"Hmm... Good question." Halia punctuated with a swig of her liquid courage, finally looking down at her hands shyly. "Let off some steam perhaps. All of this... Success... It's stressful, right?" she said with a fot of nervous giggles.

Suddenly, a jig came on and Halia perked up. Her short attention span alit her eyes and before Annie realized what was going on Halia took her hand and went bouncing out towards the open area where people were already dancing.

"I love this one, don't you?" Halia said in the din, smiling as if the awkward moments had never happened. She was already kicking her feet gracefully in rhythm with the music.

"W-Wait, what are you-" Annie stammered as she was pulled to her feet and into the middle of the tavern. The rest of the bar was busy enjoying the rhythm and tune of the music to pay any mind to the two girls, standing hand-in-hand. The mousy girl's stomach did a little flutter as she processed what was happening, but ultimately it seemed like Halia wasn't too concerned about how they looked, so why should she? Maybe this was exactly what she needed to take her mind off her troubles.

"I-I do, yeah." Annie smiled graciously, following Halia's lead. She wasn't as graceful on her feet as the petite half elf was, but she could follow the rhythm well enough, even if she was a bit clumsy. While it was hardly a couple's song - and they were hardly a couple, Annie quickly told herself - she didn't immediately let go of Halia's hand as they danced. In fact, she decided maybe she'd let Halia let go, if she wanted to.

Annie grinned cheerily at Halia as the music wound the room into a joyous fervor, her cheeks noticeably rosy now.

The crowd was thick, and the booze was going to both of their heads a bit, it seemed. Halia had thrown off her cloak somewhere along the way, and was already sweating ever so faintly as she moved her body. It all began as playful, bouncing, jig dancing. At the Ripped Bodice, the sight of the two of them together wasn't drawing too much attention, beyond what two pretty girls might get.

There was a lot of percussion in the music, and quickly strummed string instruments. It had turned into quite a lively night at the Bodice. At some point Halia twirled Annie by her arm, reeled her in, slid an arm around her waist and did everything short of dipping her. Every now and then she'd catch the inventor's eye and give her a little wink or a grin.

Stopping after a while to scoop up her mug between songs and swig it, Halia turned to Annie and wiped some of the hair that had matted to her forehead with sweat. Her eyes looked her up and down once, fully.

"You look great!" she said amid the din of chatter and mugs clanking and music. "I must look a mess," she laughed, placing a delicate hand on the swell of Annie's hip as she took her back out into the middle of the crowd. Her fingertips splayed out a little, giving a caress as her hand moved to the small of her back. The rogue was dancing close up on her, now. Her limber, athletic little body rubbed up against the inventor beneath her scant little tunic as she swayed and moved. Every now and then, Annie thought, Halia was copping a feel! Her breasts would press against her chest, which seemed normal enough on a crowded dance floor. Then, her hand would happen to glide over one of her ass cheeks...? Eventually, she was even taking Annie's hand as if to place it on her body in the proper spot ("no, the dance is done like this, see?") on the small of her back. Effectively she was forcing Annie to feel her up, positioning her hand right on her round little bottom. Halia's melodic laughter and genuinely inebriated demeanor seemed to take any edge out of the situation.

"Don't get out much, do you?" Halia giggled, looking down at her feet as if referring to her dance moves, her face all playfulness.

Annie twirled and danced to the contagious melody, having settled rather naturally into the role of following Halia's lead; it was hardly a surprise, really. The mousy inventor really didn't get out much, for more reasons besides a shortage of free time, and she was just a naturally shy person. Leading just didn't come easily to her, so if someone else wanted to take on that burden, she was happy to oblige.

There was, of course, also the fact that she was not exactly the most graceful dancer. Still, Annie never tripped or stumbled, and any time she thought she might, Halia was right there to quickly correct her posture and turn it into something that looked intentional. She wasn't even sure the redheaded half elf was doing it consciously. She just seemed to have a natural grace about her movements and posture, even if it seemed to usually be spent on bouncing and twirling and showing off. Annie didn't know how much was Halia's elven lineage and how much was just...Halia being Halia.

"No, no, you look great, too! I'm the one who's a mess." Annie laughed modestly as Halia looked her up and down. The thin glistening of sweat on Halia's body was quite a sight to see, and it was taking Annie's thoughts places she felt embarrassed to be going, even with the pleasant buzz of ale bubbling in her brain.

"I have to dress up to look decent. You're just in your regular outfit, and you still look fine." Annie added, opting for "fine", rather than what she was really thinking: Sexy, intoxicating, and positively adorable. This was obviously just a gesture of friendship Halia was extending to her; an olive branch after the...less than appropriate way they had met. It was obvious both of them would rather forget about what they'd done to each other in front of so many people, and that Halia was willing to start fresh, and-

Annie's stomach did a little flip as she felt Halia's small, soft fingertips splay out against the small of her back, rubbing gently as her tight, athletic little body moved up and down against Annie's. This song was far slower and more "romantic" melody than before; the sort couples were meant to dance to. Halia's hand was wandering more than Annie had expected a casual partner's to move, however, but each time Halia's hand would rub and glide over her round little bottom, the half elven girl would move it away like nothing had happened.

This was a game, Annie realized, her cheeks rosy and shy, still saying nothing as Halia actually began forcing her to touch Halia's ass. This was a game Halia was playing with her. The thin, skimpy little tunic Halia wore was doing little to shield either girl from the feel of each other's small breasts rubbing up against each other, and Annie found herself laughing nervously along with the petite little half elf.

Halia didn't seem particularly nervous, however. She was in control of the situation, whether or not she knew it. Was this payback for the arena? Was this her way of humiliating her in secret? Was she...was she making a genuine pass at her? Or was this all just for fun? Part of the game she was playing? Maybe she didn't really care. Annie didn't really know what she wanted out of this little dance; this little game. What she not-so-secretly did want, was her round little bottom played with.

The mousy inventor girl smiled shyly, her face the picture of demure embarrassment as Halia's fingertips secretly obliged her.

"I-I don't, no..." Annie admitted, giggling softly. "Do you, um, dance often?" she asked, lowering her voice so that Halia, with her sensitive elven ears, might just barely pick it up over the din of the bar.

"A-And where do you think you're touching? Pervert..." Annie playfully accused, her stomach doing another little flip as she vocalized her thoughts. That had been what Halia had called her back in the arena, in the same shy, breathy voice, when she'd assumed she was responsible for her golem arms' ministrations.

Oh how the tables had turned. Her shyness aside, however - or perhaps in part because of it - Annie was having a great time. Even if this really did turn out to just be a prank Halia was playing on her, the mousy little inventor girl was already looking forward to thinking back to this later tonight, when she was all alone in her room.

((::squeal:: looking forward to adding to this later when I'm off work!))

(Hehe glad you like it. I'm going to be going to bed soon, but I'm looking forward to reading your addition in the morning.)

As much as the half elf was weaving a sort of spell over Annie, she had become quite entranced as well. The music and the drink and the dance had set in deeply in Halia, causing her round little hips to sway with each music note, her quiet hum barely audible. If Annie though Halia was being handsy before, well.

"Oh, I love to dance," she purred, pulling Annie close and letting her quiet words vibrate right into her ear. "In one form or another, I find myself dancing more often than not!" she chirped, gripping both of the inventor's ass cheeks as if for emphasis. With a giggle, she held Annie against her hips when she did so, as if anticipating she might pull away for a second in shock.

All the same, she blushed a little harder when Annie called her a 'pervert'; she'd immediately caught the reference and could only giggle nervously. "Nuh-uh," she protested, lamely, before spinning the girl around such that she was facing away from her while they danced.

It wasn't too uncommon to see a couple dancing this way either, depending on the nature of the establishment. Halia's hands were on Annie's hips as she ground her own pelvis into the girl's ass. Annie felt Halia's hard little nipples brushing against her back through all of the clothing, dragging there teasingly sometimes as the half elf swayed gently to the music. Her snout found the nape of Annie's neck, taking in her scent briefly before nuzzling the soft skin there, and finally, allowing her to plant a soft but lingering kiss. The trickster's nimble fingers dug ever-so-gently into the inventor's hips, dragging slightly upward, then back down, as they danced there.

"Hey, uhm," Halia said, her chin sort of resting on Annie's shoulder. "When you tire of dancing..." she began, smoothing her palms along the girl's smooth abdomen, savoring the sensation. With her hands just above her pelvis, Halia sighed softly into her ear, "I have some excellent elven wine stashed in my room upstairs. It's way better than what they're passing off as drink here. And did I mention it's nice and quiet up there?"

She giggled suggestively, finally taking Annie's earlobe between her lips for a brief moment to suckle, then nibble on it. Her warm breath wafted against the inventor's neck, causing Halia to grin at the goosebumps that rose on her soft flesh.

Annie squirmed against Halia's pelvis, gasping softly as the tiny half-elf whispered into her ear, then again as she gently suckled her earlobe. Halia would immediately feel the effect her teasing was having on the mousy inventor. Goosebumps rose on her soft skin, and her little ear was beginning to grow quite warm against Halia's fiery lips. Before long, Annie was sporting a healthy, shy blush.

"D-Do you, now?" Annie squeaked out, stumbling for just a moment as she felt Halia's pert little nipples brushing against her back. Her partner corrected her footing immediately, and went on like nothing had happened. The other girl's hands were all over Annie's body, and despite being fully clothed, she was beginning to feel a little...vulnerable; well, a lot vulnerable, to be honest.

More than anything, however, Annie was trying her best not to give away her arousal to the rest of the room. Halia obviously realized the effect she was having on her, and Annie knew she did. With every playful tug of her petite partner's fingers against her hips, however, Annie worried someone else might grow wise to what was really going on.

Every brush of Halia's fingers tugged her blouse and corset up just a little bit, revealing just a tiny hint of soft, faintly-tanned skin between blouse and skirt. It never rose nearly high enough to be indecent, and Halia seemed more interested in playing with her hips and butt, so Annie wasn't worried about becoming outright exposed. What she was worried about, however, was how much she was enjoying this.

And who was Annie kidding, really? It wasn't as if her attraction to Halia wasn't glaringly obvious by now; it must have been. And Halia had outright propositioned her back in the arena. But all she could think about was how public this all was, and how good it felt to be felt up by her former opponent in the middle of the bar, where everyone could see her. Annie's cheeks were rosy and warm with embarrassment, but gods, if she hadn't fantasized about this very thing before...

"Whenever, um...wh-whenever you're ready, then, I- gue-sssss..." Annie stammered, letting out a soft "Oh..." as Halia's slim fingers brushed at her nipples, all stiff and sensitive, the smooth fabric of her blouse rubbing against them so tantalizingly. The mousy inventor gulped nervously as she realized Halia wasn't likely to stop teasing her like this if she could keep getting this sort of a reaction out of her. She had to take matters into her own hands. Twisting slowly, so as not to draw too much attention to herself, and so as not to jerk Halia's arm, Annie spun herself around until she was facing the small half-elf girl, then wrapped her arms around her waist.

She was no longer being felt up - although Halia's hands could easily return to her round bottom from this position - but now Annie had a different problem: Hers and Halia's pert little breasts were now pressing softly against each other, stiff little nipples rubbing teasingly as they swayed back and forth. Annie bit her lower lip shyly, her nipples feeling tight and sensitive as she danced. Despite her obvious embarrassment, she stayed like this for a bit, her dark brown eyes meeting Halia's, searching for some sort of reaction. Whenever Halia wanted to take her back to the room, however, she was obviously not going to argue.

((Sorry for the delay. Christmas craziness is over. I'm ready to get stuff done. ))

((yaaay! glad to have you back. Holiday craziness is ALMOST over for me -- i'm actually about to go to work. I hope to link up with ya for a bit of back-and-forth RP with you sometime in the next few days ^_^
before that, I'll try and get a post in, hopefully soon.))

((No problem. If you're available tonight, around 12 - 1 central, I should be available for a bit around that time for some back and forth.))

Halia played the game as long as she could. When Annie's shirt rose up, she found herself unable to resist the opportunity; Halia's impulsive hands glided across that expanse of bare tummy, as if savoring the truly exposed, tender skin. Keeping her face by the nape of Annie's neck as if to maintain this little trap, Halia's warm breath continued to tease against the inventor's ear as she gave a seductive little giggle.

Annie had the self control to turn around, to Halia's fleeting irritation. She found she rather liked the closeness and the face-to-faceness, grinning uncontrollably and blinking as she met Annie's gaze with more searching curiosity than trepidation. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she sucked in a sharp, short breath when she felt their breasts rubbing together at the nipple. It brought back... very vivid memories.

Of course, in the arena, she'd didn't have the freedom of movement, to, say, smooth her hands back down over Annie's round little bottom, gripping it openly this time. Halia slowly squeezed her buttocks together, then pulled them apart and let them fall back into place. When the mousy inventor's mouth opened with a gasp, the trickster was quick to plant a kiss upon it, immediately slipping her sweet tongue in. She sloppily massaged Annie's tongue with her own, panting slightly and keeping her nipples perfectly rubbing back and forth across the girl's chest.

Gods, am I going to shag this girl right here? Halia thought, taking a breath and breaking the kiss to gaze into Annie's eyes. Her mischievous, bright orbs twinkled in the dim light as she rested her forehead against the inventor's.

Annie's eyes fluttered shut as Halia kissed her full-on, no longer just teasing and probing her little earlobe. She could feel Halia's blushing cheeks against her own, and as the kiss became more intimate, she snaked an arm around the petite little half-elf's small waist.

One hand rested on the small of Halia's back, and her other gently touched the back of her neck. Halia's tongue was so warm and slippery, it was all Annie could do to distract herself from imagining other uses for it.

The mousy inventor let out a little muffled noise as Halia played with her round little bottom, gently squeezing and separating her buttocks, then letting them fall back into place.

Like the rest of her, Annie's bottom was nice and small, but her hips and butt were a bit wider than the rest of her, and Halia would be able to feel how soft it was, even compared to the rest of her; it was almost like puppy fat, compared to the tight, lithe body Annie otherwise had.

As the kiss continued, and even once it had ended, Annie let the hand around Halia's waist dip lower, until it had found a small bottom of its own. It didn't stop there, however. Halia's short skirt left much of her thighs exposed, and Annie, ever the explorer, wandered until she found that little bit of bare skin just below the hem of her partner's skirt.

She didn't lift it, but gods, did she want to. Not that she'd want to be exposed to the room, either, of course, but the room's temperature did seem to have risen considerably for Annie. All the while , their small breasts rubbed together at the nipples, and by now Annie's were so, so stiff and sensitive, just feeling them gingerly rubbing was enough to make her pant.

Both girls now stared at each other, foreheads pressed together as they exchanged sheepish smiles.

This really had gotten out of control. Maybe they both liked it that way, though. Annie hadn't imagined anything like this happening, but gods did she want that adorable little half-elf now. Nervous and flustered and swept-up in all of this as she was, Annie had no doubt how their night was going to end.

"So, um..." Annie panted, her mousy brown hair falling in front of her face, adding yet another layer of adorable shyness to her sheepish grin.

"What happens now...p-pervert..?" She murmured, lifting Halia's skirt juuuust enough for her to feel it, but not enough to actually show her underwear. Yet.

Halia bit her lower lip, that playfulness creeping back onto her features -- Annie seemed to have been of a like mind with her on more than one thing. Her hands were resting just down by the hem of Annie's skirt, as if grabbing her butt above the cloth wasn't cutting it anymore, when she felt the inventor's deft hands on the back of her thighs. Her breathing was slow but intense as she brought her mouth back up to the other girl's, placing soft wet kisses on her lips.

When she was done her small little barrage of surface kisses, Annie felt Halia's hands tugging her skirt up too, as if saying "I can play that game." Her cheeks were flushed red, and through her chest Annie could feel Halia's heart thumping.

Annie felt a brief gust of air over her bottom. Halia had just flipped her skirt up for a second! Halia giggled quietly in momentary exhilaration -- surely she was about to get the same treatment, only she gulped quietly. She knew she was wearing something a little different from the usual satiny green bikini-cut panties that seemed to stock her wardrobe. While the light green color was the same, Annie may have noticed when grabbing her bottom there didn't feel like there was any material covering her ass cheeks except for her skirt. In truth she had a lacy, delicate green thong covering her nethers, riding deep between her bubbly ass cheeks.

She leaned in to bite Annie's ear playfully and whisper: "Now? We go back to my room and play, methinks."

If there were any retaliation, she waited, grinning, with her eyes closed. Moments later, she had Annie by the hand and was leading her upstairs, trying to not outright run out of anticipation.

Annie puckered her soft lips adorably as Halia began to pepper them with wet little kisses, her palm coming to a rest again on Halia's tight bottom. There wasn't any tongue this time, but the soft pressure of the petite half-elf pressing her lips against hers over and over again felt absolutely heavenly. Annie could feel her stomach flip as she realized how affectionate this all was. It was...well, really, really nice, for stsrters.

Annie didn't have time to savor that warm rush she was getting, however, as Halia suddenly tugged her skirt up above her waist in front of the whole room! There was a short chorus of whistles as Annie's underwear was revealed to everyone: Delicate white panties with a lacy black trim, and covered in tiny pictures of treasure chests.

The mousy inventor had the good sense not to shriek, so as not to draw further attention, but she did tug her skirt back down and blush bright red. Even her ears and the tip of her little nose were all rosy with embarrassment. On impulse, Annie immediately retaliated, tugging Halia's skirt up just as high, giving everyone a good look at the petite little half-elf's light green thong. Even Annie felt a little embarrassed for her, although Halia just closed her eyes and endured it, smiling all the while.

Before Annie could respond or even taunt about her retaliation, Halia leaned in and gently nibbled her earlobe, her playful, breathy whisper giving her pleasant goosebumps. The room was now much more aware of them now, and she could even hear a few scattered comments on their choices of underwear. Annie felt her ears still burning with embarrassment as Halia took her by the hand to lead her upstairs.

"O-Okay..." Annie murmured, grinning shyly as she met Halia's eyes once more. This was it, wasn't it?

Halia's heart positively felt like it was going to burst through her chest as she led Annie up the stairs. Holding her by the hand still, she fumbled with the keys to her inn room, hastily opening it up and giggling a bit with a playful, narrow-eyed little wicked look of anticipation at the inventor.

Bursting into the room, Halia turned swiftly and pressed her body right up against Annie's, pinning her to the door. Breathing warm, rapid breaths, her hands eagerly explored the girl's body, sliding palms up to grope and squeeze breasts, caress her neck, and slide down her arms to her wrists.

A little glint in her eye, she placed several small pecking kisses along her neck and face, surprisingly gripping the inventor's wrists. Pulling them up above her head, with an uncharacteristic firmness, Halia pinned them to the door and continued her sloppy assault of kisses.

Keeping her held by her wrists and body against the wooden door to her room, she moaned gently and mashed her mouth over Annie's. Tongues wrestled again and their bodies ground together.

"I bet you're sooo wet right now," she giggled mischievously, holding her wrists in place with one hand and smoothing a free hand down her abdomen and under her skirt. She locked eyes with the inventor as her cool hand slipped under Annie's adorable panties, fingertips teasing over her pubic mound right down to her silken little treasure. The soft tip of her digit probed ever so gently for her clit, remembering where it was, tapping lightly on it before she smoothly hooked her finger and slid it right up inside her.

"Oh wow," she whispered, her finger wiggling inside of Annie with the intent of making her squirm.

"Halia..." Annie murmured, closing her eyes and matching the tiny half-elf's fevered kisses. The door was to her back, steady and thick. Halia's petite body was pressed against hers, warm and soft and by now familiar. Annie raised a hand to the side of Halia's face, small fingertips brushing along her pointed ear so, so gently.

She had always thought elven ears were attractive; pretty and angular and, as she imagined them, sensitive to the touch. Brushing a little stand of Halia's red hair behind her ear, Annie decided to test her assumption.

Gods, was Halia a good kisser. Annie knew she was relatively inexperienced in the ways of properly pleasing a partner, but she certainly intended to try her best. Halia, however, clearly knew what she was doing. Her hot breath was on Annie's face and against her lips and her tongue wrapped around hers oh so sweetly.

Meanwhile, both girls began to openly grope each other through their clothes, with tender squeezing and knowing massages. Halia would clearly feel Annie's stiff little nipples through her dress, and Annie w a s wasting no time in trying to replicate her previous "techniques". They had, after all, done this before.

This was different, though. This wasn't a contest to see who could best humiliate the other. This wasn't a race to bring the other to a mortifying orgasm in front of a crowd. This was tender, affectionate. If nothing else, both girls were obviously infatuated with one another.

"Mmm..." Annie cooed as Halia gently peppered her soft lips with tiny kisses. "That's really nice..."

She didn't have long to enjoy it however, as Halia suddenly held her wrists above her head, restraining the mousy little inventor with ease. It was only then that the kisses continued, sloppy and wet and so, so soft. Annie panted against Halia's lips, making no attempt to get away from her grip. Being gently restrained like this was obviously getting her nice and riled up.

Annie's eyes widened as Halia guessed at her arousal, grinning shyly and casting her eyes downward. Had she really been so obvious? "M-Maybe I am..." Annie blushed adorably, doing her best to sound coy.

Halia's hand was cool against Annie's warm skin, and her fingertip against the hood of her clitoris elicited a tiny, shy moan from the mousy inventor. Halia's hand was in her panties, palm against her thin, wispy patch of pubic hair, gently poking and teasing at her sensitive little button, before slipping a thin digit inside her.

Annie squirmed and shivered shyly as Halia curled her finger inside her, the smooth in and out motion feeling soooo good as she pressed herself against her petite partner. She was still held fast at her wrists, but Annie could still gingerly grind herself into Halia's palm, causing their breasts to once again rub together at the nipples through their clothes. Halia's prediction has turned out to be quite right, as it turned out.

Annie timidly spread her legs just a bit further, giving Halia easier access to her little silken treasure. It was obvious that when it came to private playtime, Annie Everest was adorably submissive. Her performance in the arena had been an act to try and save herself further embarrassment, but now that it was just the two of them, Halia clearly had the upper hand, and judging by how wet she was, Annie was loving every second of it.

The half elf shivered, almost as if shocked, and took in a sharp breath when Annie stroked a bit of hair over her ear. The pointed tip seemed to twitch, and her eyes almost rolled up behind their lids for the briefest of moments. When she got her composure, she sort of chuckled, taking a breath and looking at Annie with a hint of amazement in her eyes. Even teasing her ear briefly seemed to trigger something inside of her. A little wicked streak that had only begun to show.

Halia's eyes twinkled with that ever present mischief as she gazed into her lover's. Her left hand, the one holding Annie's wrists, was rubbing them in some strange fashion... It was hard to pay attention to that hand, though, given where her other one was...

That one was moving in a much more noticeable, exciting fashion. The trickster was breathily egging Annie on, savoring her little shy mannerisms and her general submissiveness.

"Oh yeah..? I think you're very wet and very turned on right now," she giggled, wiggling her finger and plunging it a little deeper on this particular thrust, for emphasis. Suddenly, though, she'd stop, keeping her digit inside her slick folds but keeping it unmoving until the inventor was forced to move her hips against it.

"Oh yeah. Tell me how much you love it," she whispered, playfully, as she bit Annie's lip rather gently, sucking on it and eventually going in for another passionate, wet kiss. Her moans were muffled by Annie's mouth as she gave in to her own desires and slipped a second finger inside of her. That hand was still stuck beneath her dress, the feeling of being totally clothed and yet so close was somehow making Halia even more excited.

Her left hand stopped moving, and when Annie instinctively tried to move her hands, she found, to her amazement, that she could not. Her wrists had become suddenly bound by several thin, but not uncomfortable, little gold threads. Glancing up and behind herself, Annie saw the little web entangling her to the door by the hands, leaving her rather vulnerable before the voracious little half elf.

"I want you sooo bad," Halia began, tilting her head and placing her ear within each of Annie's lips. "Tell me... tell me you want me... tell me you trust me..." she moaned quietly, her hand coming out of Annie's panties until she answered. As her waited with her delicately pointed ear listening to Annie's breath, she slowly brought a single fingertip to her own mouth and suckled on the tip of it seductively.

Annie gasped shakily as Halia's finger plunged even deeper inside her, punctuating the half-elf's teasing accusations. Each time she was forced to grind herself against Halia's finger, the mousy little inventor would whimper and mumble unintelligably out of submissive embarrassment at effectively being made to pleasure herself.  She didn't put up any sort of real resistance, however.

"I...m-maybe I am w-wet..." Annie murmured coyly, her voice breathy and her eyes half-lidded as she ground against Halia's small hand. She savored the way their breasts were still rubbing against each other at the nipples, as if each little tight, rosy bud was trying to be noticed. Even beneath her clothes, feeling her nipples getting teased like that was absolutely intoxicating.

The mousy inventor let out a little muffled noise as Halia began to kiss her again, much more passionately than before. Halia would find it returned with equal passion and affection, and the shy hum of Annie's moans against her lips was unmistakable. When she was finally able to speak, Annie did so, a tiny trail of saliva briefly connecting her mouth and Halia's.

"I... I do love it...I do..." Annie breathed, her panting getting more ragged as Halia continued to gently finger her. "Gods, Halia, it feels so good..."

It was then that Annie realized she was trapped; trapped in the sturdy, gentle web Halia had secretly woven for her. The mousy little inventor swallowed hard, her breath still ragged and desperate as she made a token effort to struggle. Her true feelings were obvious, however: She loved this.

In truth, Annie was probably more surprised than Halia was to learn how much she loved being restrained. She felt so vulnerable like this, and so helpless. It was like she was swept up in the heat of the moment, and now she just had to let all her fantasies play out while she just squirmed and whimpered.

Halia would even catch Annie's thoroughly embarrassed little grin at very moment that the mousy inventor realized how much she'd wanted Halia to tie her up and play with her. Gods, did she want to be played with. She wanted to be on display for Halia, she wanted to be teased and touched and made to be vulnerable. It was all happening so fast, and she loved it.

"I want you..." Annie panted helplessly, pausing to gently suckle on the tip of Halia's ear, her warm, slippery tongue running over all it could. "Halia, I want you so, so badly...I..."

Annie paused, her face shy and hesitant. She and Halia locked eyes again, and without even thinking, Annie just spilled everything.

"I-I like being teased a-and played with...l-like this...I love what you're doing to me. I'm...s-so wet right now..." Annie admitted, looking so utterly humiliated at having admitted that to Halia.

In her own way, she had put quite a lot of trust in Halia just then, and the little half-elf would be able to tell just how embarrassed and, well, vulnerable Annie was right then. She'd never admitted to how much she loved being made to submit like this, and now that Halia knew...what would she do?