Awakening

by ariel emms (if you enjoy this story, please feel free to let me know or to distribute it to others)

...and she collapsed to the floor, nearly unconscious, unable to speak in more than moans and nearly unable to control her limbs  - and never to be the same again.

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“Do we have to go now?” asked Ariel, in a mock-whine.  She giggled. “I only just got my pillow fluffed the way I like!”  She was sitting next to Ayla, the taller woman’s arm around her shoulders, Ariel’s head resting on her breast. 

“Ariel, you will do what I say” Ayla replied sternly, the effect completely ruined by the grin on her face.  “But first, change your clothes - put this on”.  Ayla handed the small woman a blue bathing suit - a bikini, one she probably considered modest but which Ariel did not.

Ariel took the bikini and began to change into it where she stood, since she and Ayla were alone.  Ariel didn’t mind being naked in front of Ayla.  No, she had promised to be more honest with herself in her thoughts - she liked to be naked if it was just Ayla there. 

Actually, even more honestly, she thought to herself, she liked to be half-naked in front of Ayla.  It was like when your feet were sticking out from under warm covers, and you felt the cold even more than if you didn’t have a blanket at all.  If she wore some clothes, it made her that much more aware of the ones she lacked.

If she was being REALLY honest, she thought to herself with a slight tremble, she liked it even more when she was half-naked and Ayla secured her wrists behind her back.  That forced her chest out a little, and - honesty! - gave her an excuse to thrust her tits out even more than strictly necessary.  She had to admit she liked doing that around Ayla.  Ayla had boobs - those glorious mounds of hers needed a big, round name - but Ariel preferred to think of her own as tits.  She liked them - they’re perky, she thought to herself, like me...well, like me sometimes, anyway.  Compared to Ayla she was small, but she wasn’t flat-chested, and they were firm and nicely shaped tits.  Not that she could manage to make herself call them “tits” out loud - not easily, anyway.

“Ariel, stop grinning like an idiot and finish getting the suit on” Ayla said “we haven’t got all day!”  Ariel quickly finished changing and followed her friend.

Ariel had known they were going to a beach.  It being Ayla’s choice, she was not surprised to find that it was a clothing optional beach.  Nor was she surprised, after they found two vacant beach chairs, when Ayla immediately stripped naked and stretched out in the sun.  Ariel stayed as she was - just the small two piece suit, and a small choker that would not be obvious to anyone else as a collar - and enjoyed the warm beach sun from the next chair.

They chatted and joked and talked of unimportant things, having a fun time.  Ayla was mid-way through telling her latest exploit with Tiger when she suddenly paused and said “take your top off, Ariel”.  “Ayla!  Not so loud!” said Ariel, quite unfairly, since Ayla had spoken in a very conversational tone.  “Why not, Ariel” replied Ayla with a wicked grin “don’t you want everyone to know that you’re going to FLASH YOUR BOOBS?  That you’re going to let EVERYONE SEE YOUR TITS?”  Ayla laughed as Ariel, looking nervously around, replied “I mean it - stop that!”

Ariel looked around as Ayla chuckled again and went back to finishing her anecdote.  Ariel was torn.  Well, not torn - she knew she should do as Ayla said, and even that she would.  It was just that, actually, doing it...that was...tricky.  Looking around again, she told herself that no-one was looking any more - and anyway, if someone did look, they’d be more interested in Ayla.  She explained to herself that it was a clothing optional beach - virtually a nude beach, really, since she was one of the few still wearing anything.  Finally her fingers, half convinced, reached up to untie the string around her neck, then she lifted her back slightly to pull that knot loose, and then - deep breath, now! - she pulled her top away and dropped it beside her.

The world didn’t end.  Eyes were not suddenly fixed on her.  Even if they had been, she realised, they’d have seen nothing more than before, since she had unconsciously hugged her arms across her chest.  She would have to move those in a minute, she thought.

“...so that’s why she’s in the cage till Tuesday” Ayla said.  Ariel looked with surprise at her friend, realising she had not heard a word for some minutes.  Ayla smiled at her.

“All right, then, it’s your first time, I’ll make it easier for you - but don’t get spoiled!” Ayla said.  “Lie back - that’s it, rest your head, relax into the chair...close your eyes, relax...feel the warmth of the sun...good, good...unclench your leg muscles, you look ready to run a sprint....relax those shoulders, let them sink into the chair...now, you don’t have to move your arms yet, but relax them, don’t be so tense...ok, good...now, just let your arms...go...let them..that’s it...let them just... drop to your sides... and soak up some sun.”

Ariel, following the directions, found herself as Ayla had directed, relaxed, eyes shut, warm, happy - and lying topless for complete strangers to see.  She filled her mind with that thought, allowed it to possess her, not opening her eyes to challenge herself with actually seeing those strangers, but growing - resigned - no, that wasn’t it -  accustomed? - no - content, yes, content, that was it - that that should be so.

And at that moment she heard a small “snick” and felt a slight tug at her choker, and she could feel that Ayla had reached up surreptitiously through the slats of her chair to leash her.  She had not known Ayla had brought the leash, but she knew she was now on it.

She remembered the first time Ayla had leashed her - how she had felt her face flush and her heartbeat race, and how she had braced herself to remain still for the wave of panic she expected to sweep over her.  She smiled, remembering her recognition that what she had felt was not panic but excitement.  Now, once again, her pulse fluttered as a quick thrill ran through her body.  She could not even pretend to herself that being leashed by Ayla did not excite her. That was mixed with some anxiety - an anxiety she did not completely shun but could not quite accept - about being seen to be leashed.  She was happy that, even though she was owned in this way, her, her... possession, her pet...was not brazenly on display.  No one could see the delicate chain that slipped below her chair and to Ayla’s hand - it was a special secret between she and Ayla.  That they shared this secret, even though it was out in the open - that was heaven.

She would happily live on Ayla’s leash, she thought to herself - though she knew it wasn’t true.  It had to be a treat, not routine, if it was to remain special.  It would be like eating steak everyday, she thought to herself - though of course she wouldn’t do that, since she was a vegetarian, but still, that was the right analogy.

“Enjoying yourself?” she heard Ayla say with a wide grin, and she realised that she had been ignoring her once again.  Ariel looked over, smiled, and replied “mm-hmm”.  She was sorry when it became time to go.

A few days later they went to the beach again.  They found chairs, Ayla again stripped immediately, and once again in the middle of a story Ayla said “take your top off, Ariel”.  Ariel did so more readily this time, but looked at Ayla to find her staring back with eyebrows raised and a small smile on her lips as she slowly shook her head.  Looking down, Ariel realised she had drawn her arms up for cover once again.  Taking a deep breath, she lay back in the chair and repeated Ayla’s mantra for herself - “feel the warmth, relax, don’t be tense...”.  Closing her eyes, she let her arms fall to her sides, even arching her back a little to thrust her chest forward.  She enjoyed that. 

She found she rather liked the way her tits felt in the open.  There was no wind, really, but the - the air - was an unusual and intriguing feeling.  And the sun was warm, but not in a sticky way - just - nice.  Her nipples always tended to be firm - she smiled inwardly remembering an old boyfriend who used to joke about nibbling on pencil erasers, she hadn’t thought about him in a long time! - and she could feel them grow stiffer still.

She opened her eyes, looking around - and realised that no-one was passing by, no-one was looking.  She had worried needlessly, she told herself, she should just be happy.  At that moment she felt the “snick” of the leash once more - and she was happy. 

They spent several more days at the beach that followed much the same pattern.  Ariel took her top off as soon as she was told, lay back and was rewarded with her divine hidden submission.  She was able to lay there quite blissfully as they joked and laughed together, even though people often passed by.  And not everyone looked at Ayla, she thought to herself.  Well, no, that wasn’t true - EVERYONE looked at Ayla.  But some people didn’t look only at Ayla - she saw eyes directed her way as well.  In part she found that a little amusing.  She explained to Ayla at one point that she had been nervous about being topless and making eye contact with some passing man - that he might see it as an invitation and come over, which would leave her not knowing what to do.  Laughing, she explained that her fears had eased when she had realised that even if she looked directly at the men looking at her, there was no danger of eye contact - they were never looking at her face! 

But even trying to be honest with herself, she couldn’t quite decipher all the feelings involved in having strangers look at her body.  It wasn’t just amusement, that was for sure - there were other things there too, which she couldn’t entirely sort out.  She decided this was one of those times she was thinking too much, and that she should just enjoy things as they were.  “I could get used to this”, she thought dreamily, trying to be honest with herself but not seeing the greater truth in front of her eyes.

The next time they went to the beach it was much busier.  Ayla and Ariel found two chairs together, but there were people in all the chairs around them, and many passersby.  There was also a cluster of men in the vicinity trying to pretend they weren’t simply there to stare at Ayla’s boobs.  At least, they were pretending that until Ayla began a conversation about her piercings, explaining to the woman next to them how much she thought it had hurt to have the rings put in her nipples, until she later had her labial piercing (well, she didn’t call it that, of course) and learned what pain really meant.  The cluster of men quit pretending to be there for any other reason than to watch and listen to Ayla.

“I think Ariel should get her nipples pierced - what do you all think?” Ayla suddenly said to no-one in particular.  “Take your top off, Ariel” she said.

Ariel looked in wide-eyed amazement at her friend.  She couldn’t mean it, could she? Not - not right now!  There were hundreds of eyes - well, lots, anyway - looking right at her, waiting just for her to...to...Ayla couldn’t be serious!  She couldn’t do it now!

“Could I?” she thought to herself.  “I...I should...I suppose...I mean...it - it wouldn’t be...that different”.  Ariel’s thoughts whirled as she tried to persuade herself to do it - c’mon, she thought, it’ll be easy, just pull the knots loose and let everyone decide whether your nipples would look... oh god! - she just couldn’t! 

Suddenly she realised that no one was looking at her anymore, and that Ayla had carried on talking.  “Oh thank heavens” Ariel thought to herself.  She did her best to join back in the conversation, and to be amusing, even if she couldn’t put on the show Ayla had wanted.  And Ayla didn’t actually seem to mind at all - she still smiled and joked with Ariel, even after the crowd had gradually drifted away elsewhere and they had been left sitting more or less alone.  Ayla wasn’t mad - she was still as nice and as fun as ever.  Ariel lay back in her chair, waiting for that “snick”, waiting for that private joy they shared, waiting....waiting... waiting... and eventually it was time to go.

Ariel slept badly that night - hardly slept at all, really.  She kept replaying the day in her mind.  Not that there was anything complicated about it - she should have just taken her top off when she was asked, she knew that.  Mentally, she kept kicking herself over and over - how hard would it have been!  She vowed that no matter what, next time Ayla told her...told her to do anything...she would, without hesitation.

They did go to the beach a few days later, and Ariel was absolutely ready - no matter what!  They found chairs, they chatted, they joked, they teased, they had fun... but Ayla never told her to do anything.  She would have, but she was never told.  It was still a fun day, Ariel had a good time, but she felt a little - unsatisfied - when it was time to leave.  She had waited in vain for her beloved little “snick” once more.

She wanted to ask Ayla about it, but she couldn’t work out how to do so.  “Why aren’t you putting me on a leash anymore” just wasn’t something she could say.  In fact, she realised to her surprise that they had never actually spoken about the fact that Ayla had been doing it.  It happened, it was lovely, it was a shared secret - but it was also an unspoken secret, even between them.  So how could she ask about it?  She did try hinting around, as much as she could, by talking about Ayla sunbathing nude and her own tan lines, but the closest Ayla came to saying anything was to tell her “you must do what makes you happy”.

“Do what makes me happy?” thought Ariel after yet another beach day where she had remained both clothed and unleashed.  At least it was easy to be honest with herself about this.  “I don’t want choice - I want... direction”.  As much as Ayla remained as friendly and pleasant as ever, Ariel could feel an ache growing inside her.  She resolved to work out what to do about it: “I don’t want to be someone who’s anxious all the time, I want to be me”, she thought, with a surprising lack of self-knowledge.

Eventually she realised what she had to do.  It was so obvious - how could she not have seen it?  She had to - Ariel swallowed - she had to do it without being asked.  Surely that must have been what Ayla was hinting at?  Really, Ayla had told her - practically told her, anyway - to do that.  She’d said Ariel “must” do it, really Ayla had pretty much ordered her to do it, she told herself.

A few days later they went to the beach again.  As usual Ayla immediately stripped and lay down on a beach chair.  Ariel, trying to be obvious for Ayla’s sake, remained standing.  She spread her towel out across her chair, looked up and down the beach for a moment, and then, mentally taking a deep breath, reached up, pulled loose the knots, and let her bikini top fall loose.  Holding it in her hand, she looked over to see Ayla smiling back at her.

“Ariel hun?” said Ayla “I’m thirsty - since you’re still up, would you mind getting me a drink from the snack bar?”  Ariel smiled in return, happy to be able to do something else for Ayla, and replied brightly “of course!”.  She quickly re-tied her top and went to the snack bar.  It was only when she was halfway back that she realised her instinctive response had undermined her once again.  Now what, she wailed internally - should she take her top off again?  Was is too late?  Was it all spoiled because she hadn’t gone topless to the snack bar?  She gave Ayla her drink and sat down in her chair.  The thoughts roiled around in her head, warring over the right decision.  Eventually - but not quickly - she concluded the only chance was to try again, and she flung off her top and lay in the sun for all to see... but it must have been too late, for her “snick” never came. 

The next time she arrived to see Ayla, she was surprised to see her friend dressed in leather, her arms and legs bound behind her on a rather uncomfortable looking metal frame, and a gag in her mouth.  Well, “surprised” might not be the perfect word.  She hadn’t anticipated seeing Ayla like that today, but it could not be said to be out of the ordinary.  Especially as Miss Alt was there too, and Ariel dropped contentedly to a kneeling position as she approached the two of them.

“Ah, Ariel” said Miss Alt “your playmate is occupied at the moment.  But she and I have been chatting - you’ll come with me today.”

Ariel looked up in wide-eyed confusion.  “Ch-chatting? Do you mean that... that Ayla has... told you?”

Miss Alt smirked.  “Has she ‘told’ me?  No, little one, I wouldn’t say that Ayla has been the one doing the ‘telling’” Miss Alt replied.  “Oh, make no mistake” she continued, seeing Ariel’s shocked expression “this has been Ayla’s project - her pet project.  But she has not been entirely without advice.”

Ayla piped in: “Moo maw me emymy I mo”.  “Thank you dear” said Miss Alt.  Seeing the incomprehension on Ariel’s face she added “Ayla says I taught her everything she knows.”  “But”, she continued, with a wry smile “I didn’t teach her everything I know.  Now come along dear, it’s time to go.”

“To the beach?” asked Ariel in surprise.  It was difficult to picture Miss Alt at the beach.  Miss Alt looked at her with an expression just short of withering. 

“Really now, Ariel, what is the point asking” she said with words structured as a question, but her tone making clear no answer was expected or even permitted.  “You knew perfectly well before you spoke that I would tell you nothing more about our destination than I chose.  Ah well - I suppose you’ve managed to glean for yourself the thrill of an explicit denial - I know how you do enjoy that.  Now come along.”

Ariel got up and began to follow Miss Alt.  The possibility that she would not simply do as she was told - well, it’s not that it didn’t occur to her, it was just that it wasn’t a realistic option.  She had to do what Miss Alt said.  It was nothing to do with her opinion of Miss Alt - that she trusted her, or maybe feared her just a bit sometimes, or respected her, or was intimidated by her - aspects of all those things were true, but they were beside the point.  Miss Alt was like - like sunlight, or gravity, things that were just there, shaping reality.  Sometimes gravity meant you cuddled up on the lap of someone you liked - sometimes it meant you fell down a well.  You might like one and not the other, but your like or dislike was only directed at the result.  Either one might happen, but you couldn’t have an OPINION about gravity - it just was.  Miss Alt was like that.  

As they walked along in silence, Miss Alt suddenly said “The way you’re dressed will be fine for dancing”.  “For dan-” Ariel found herself starting to say, before she managed to cut herself off.  She had been rebuked once already, and she hated to disappoint Miss Alt by an obvious ploy.  But really, she thought to herself - for dancing!?  She looked down at her outfit.  She already had on the blue bikini Ayla had given her weeks ago, but over it she was wearing a sheer linen blouse and pants - nice and summery.  It was quite attractive, though maybe not what she would have worn clubbing.  But what did Miss Alt mean, dancing?  It was a little bit easier to imagine Miss Alt dancing than going to the beach - but only a very little bit easier.

And dancing!, thought Ariel to herself?  Why had Miss Alt told her that?  To worry her, of course, she knew that - to lead her into exactly the sort of agonized speculation her mind had now spontaneously commenced.  Dancing...she suspected - feared - she knew what was in store.  There was a dance pole in Miss Alt’s club - she had seen Ayla, and Tiger, and others dance on it at times, and admired them.  She even had to admit, since her ongoing experiment with being honest with herself had not ended, that she was sometimes a little jealous of them.  She had wondered what it would be like to dance up there, at least just for her friends.  She would never just do it, of course, but she had, sometimes, hoped someone would... tell her to do it, make her do it.

Ariel’s pulse started to race.  A secret fantasy of pole-dancing in Miss Alt’s club, with just her friends around - or, maybe a couple of other people?, she thought - but only a couple! - was very different from pole-dancing in a club.  She couldn’t do it!  And yet she knew in her heart that when Miss Alt told her to, she would have to - she would fall down that well.

Could she?  She felt herself breaking out into a cold sweat.  She just had to prepare herself, to talk herself into it, that was all - if she could be mentally ready by the time they got there, it would be fine.  This turmoil in her mind would be gone, and she would just - dance.  She’d just think of that part, the dancing, and it would be fine.  Maybe there wouldn’t be many people there - that would be ok, she could manage then, she could pretend it was just her friends.  And if there were lots of people...if there were lots... well, she’d been in clubs like this before, if there were lots of people the dancers were just kind of, background, just, just wallpaper, no one really looked, that was probably even better - yes, that was it!  She could do this!  After all, she had walked naked along the beach, hadn’t she?  Well, she hadn’t, not actually, of course, but mentally, since then, she’d done it in her head a hundred times.  She could!

Feeling calmer now, she was more relaxed as they arrived at a large club, music blaring through its open doors.  She followed Miss Alt inside, followed as Miss Alt sat at a table, and kneeled respectfully at her side, eyes down.  She was ready, she was prepared.

Miss Alt, however, was engaged in conversation with the others at the table - whether she knew them already or was making new acquaintances was not clear to Ariel.  She paid no attention at all to Ariel.  Ariel began to feel discomfort creeping back in, that dreadful uncertainty... being left with her thoughts was always dangerous for her.  She began to look around the room.  It was crowded, with many people on the dance floor.  She craned her neck to look around the edges of the room, trying to find the poles she would be told to dance on - she couldn’t see them anywhere.  They must be tucked away in some corner, or in another room, she thought to herself.

“There are no dance poles, Ariel”, she heard Miss Alt say, and it took her a moment to be surprised.  The reply had flowed perfectly naturally into her train of thought, but she had said nothing out loud.  Miss Alt sometimes seemed able to read her mind - she hated when she did that.  No, Ariel thought, that’s dishonest, it sometimes scared her a bit, but she didn’t hate it - in truth it was one of the things that kept her in orbit about Miss Alt.

Miss Alt spoke again.  “Why are you still here, Ariel” she asked, her tone and expression evincing neither surprise nor displeasure.  Ariel did not feel the same.  “Miss?  Why am I here still?  Miss, you...you haven’t told me what to do.”

Miss Alt looked at her with an enigmatic smile. After a moment, she said gently “You must do what makes you happy”.

“Oh lord!” thought Ariel.  She felt her stomach drop through the pit which opened in it, the scaffolding collapse from under her carefully constructed rationalizations.  No, that wasn’t right - gravity did those.  What she felt was herself spinning into space, nothing to control her, to keep her grounded - her gravity was gone! 

She wanted to ask “what do you mean?”, but she knew already.  There would be no direction, no guidance, nothing, nothing she could... hide behind, to pretend that, that what happened - what she did, honestly, it didn’t just happen - was not her.  Miss Alt was not going to tell her what to do   

Reading her mind again, Miss Alt said “I am going to tell you one thing NOT to do.  You are not allowed to cum - not unless I give you permission.”  Ariel’s mind reeled.  What on earth did Miss Alt think was going to happen!?  Not allowed to...to do that?  She couldn’t imagine wanting to - not now!

At a loss, but unable simply to stay kneeling at Miss Alt’s side after she had returned to her conversation, Ariel thought that she had better go to the dance floor and dance.  That must be what she was expected to do, she thought, and...and she did like dancing.  There were lots of people on the dance floor, some couples, some groups, some alone, so she wouldn’t be out of place.  And she like that Eurythmics song that was playing, “Sweet Dreams are Made of This”.

The music flowed through her, soothing her and smoothing her ruffled thoughts.  She sang along in her head  “...some of them want to use you, some them want to get used by you...”.  She drifted occasionally into groups of people dancing together, smiling at them and enjoying the interaction, but for the most part danced in solitude among the crowd.  It was relaxing, she thought, she felt much better, much less tense.  “...some of them want to abuse you, some of them want to be abused....”.  As much as she had mentally prepared herself for an ordeal at this club, and had felt she was ready, not having an ordeal at all was better.  She was allowed to just do what she wanted - so she didn’t have to do anything, really.  She smiled to herself as she looked over to Miss Alt’s table.   “...sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree...”  Miss Alt, perhaps sensing her glance, looked at her expressionlessly for a moment, then went back to her conversation. 

This would have worried Ariel more at other times, and the thought flickered through her head that perhaps she was disappointing Miss Alt, but the movement of her body - she threw her head back, her hair flying in a wide arc  - made it hard to be very nervous.  She danced on, wondering idly what would make Miss Alt happier, and then was pleased to hear the DJ start to play her new favourite song, the Katy Perry one.  She happily sang along out loud this time - “This was never the way I planned, Not my intention.  I got so brave, drink in hand, Lost my discretion...”.  This song always made her think of Ayla, especially the chorus.  Ariel’s voice happily sang out “...I kissed a girl, And I liked it, The taste of her cherry chapstick...”.

Ariel glanced back to Miss Alt to discover that, almost as if Ariel’s wish had summoned her, Ayla - still dressed in leather, but no longer gagged or bound - was kneeling at Miss Alt’s side.  Ayla smiled at her but, still smiling, shook her head slightly when Ariel began to walk over. Ariel was enjoying dancing, but she would like to go talk to Ayla.  At least her friend was watching her - well, sometimes, anyway.  Ayla was also talking with Miss Alt, who never looked over, and gradually Ayla became more involved in the conversation, and less involved in watching.

The thought did not come to Ariel from out of the blue.  Really, she knew, it had been in her head a long time, buzzing slightly even while she was relaxed, nudging her gently, knowing it would be acknowledged eventually.  She knew how to please Ayla, how to earn her attention.  And so as she danced, she reached behind and under her linen blouse, tugging gently on the knot, letting it come undone, and letting her bikini top dangle from her neck, still hidden.   “...I kissed a girl, Just to try it...”.  Dancing in Ayla’s direction, and waiting until her friend was looking, Ariel slowly pulled the knot at her neck loose, pulled the bathing suit top out, and tossed it to her with a grin.  Ayla smiled as Ariel danced teasingly away.  

That had actually been kind of fun, not difficult at all, Ariel thought as she sang along “...It felt so wrong, It felt so right...”.  Of course she was still essentially fully dressed, she thought, glancing down at herself.  She realised that her firm nipples, the shape of them, were quite obvious as her linen top moved with her dancing.  She shut her eyes for a moment - not from embarrassment, but to feel the soft sensual flow of the linen across her skin, teasing it, caressing it.  She arched her back with her movements, threw back her shoulders, even grabbed her own wrists behind her back as she swayed with the rhythm, knowing how this caused her nipples to jut out against, through, the thin layer covering them, to trace their obvious path under the fabric.  What had happened to her, she thought, not unhappily - this was quite thrilling!  It was not frightening at all.

Opening her eyes she realised that many people dancing around her were looking at her - some furtively, some more openly.  She realised as well, somewhat to her surprise, that she didn’t care - they didn’t matter.  She was dancing for Ayla now...but Ayla was talking to Miss Alt again.

Ariel smiled to herself.  She wasn’t fooled - she knew Ayla was tempting her, teasing her, trying to draw her further.  She understood perfectly the message in Ayla’s choosing to pay no attention - and why not do it, she thought to herself.  It all seemed so effortless now.  Moving a little closer to Ayla, Ariel reached for the drawstring at her waist, waiting until Ayla looked once again to slooowwwwlllly pull the knot undone...“...It's not what good girls do, Not how they should behave...”... her eyes fixed on Ayla’s as she let the loose pants fall, dancing out of them as she drifted back to the centre of the dance floor.  Her smile turned to a broad grin of disbelief at her own actions.  “Who is that!” she thought - it was like she was watching someone else completely!

Her nipples, she realised, were even stiffer now, and poking more impertinently through the thin linen of her blouse.  Looking down, she decided it was a very pleasing effect visually, not just for its feel on her skin.  Her tits didn’t really bounce very much when she danced slowly, though ...hmmmmnnn... what if, she thought, I undo these buttons?  That will let the linen loose, let it flow even more... that might be... nice.

Locking eyes with Ayla, who was looking back and smiling, Ariel let her hands rise across her chest, as though she was covering herself, her fingers delicately working as her hands roamed.  She let her hands slip away again to reveal the top two buttons undone, her blouse gapping open nearly to her waist as she danced.  From the corner of her eyes she noticed - noticed was too strong a word, a part of her subconscious took in the fact - that some of those around her had stopped dancing and were simply watching her.  With a smile she reached for a third button, the next-to-last, made a show of looking away from Ayla, down at her fingers poised over it, then glanced again at Ayla with the top of her eyes, her eyebrows raised in a question.  She could see Ayla struggle not to nod, but the wide smile she received was more than enough encouragement.  In a moment that button - and the next, the last! - was gone, her blouse hanging open in front of her, still barely capable of concealing her if she remained still.

The music had switched to some sultry jazz.  Ariel thought she might know who the singer was, if she tried to think, maybe Diana Krall, but she didn’t want to try to think.  She was nearly in a trance, a dream, she was watching her body move, do these extraordinary things, but it was as though she was just an observer.  It was not that she minded, not that this was happening against her will...it was just..happening.  This must be what weightlessness is like, she thought.

Looking back toward Ayla, she saw that even Miss Alt was paying occasional attention now.  Mmmm, Ariel thought, that’s nice, though she wasn’t really certain exactly what she was thinking of.  Simply letting her body go, letting it do things without her getting in the way, she found her left arm, as she moved with the music, sliding inside her blouse to stroke and then cup her right breast.  From there it was simple, just bending, just dancing, for her shoulder to drop and the blouse to slip down her right arm and hang from one shoulder behind her.  The person watching her - well, her, she supposed, this is me watching - thought what an exciting sight she was, a crowd of people most not even pretending to dance anymore, a vulnerable woman in the middle, so nearly exposed and yet so delicately modest still.  She watched in fascination as her right arm slid over her right breast and cupped her left breast, her nipple excitingly stiff in her palm.  A shuffle, a shrug, a shift, a wave - and her blouse slid from her, off her left arm, leaving her exposed but for her almost casually placed arm.

She looked like some woodland nymph surprised in a forest pool - near naked, yet perfectly natural.  Like some fragile china doll, her skin catching the light, she was a picture of coy sensuality as she continued to sway with the music, innocently teasing yet temptingly erotic.  She danced, but she was alone in that - everyone else on the floor was simply watching her.

Had Ariel been able to notice things, she might have noticed that.  Perhaps not, though, for if you had asked her later she would have said that something happened to the universe then.  Time stopped.  Nothing was happening anywhere in the world, except that Ariel was looking at Ayla, and Miss Alt was leaning down to whisper in Ayla’s ear.  In slow motion, moving in her dream through water, Ariel was aware of her free hand sliding down her own stomach, feeling with heightened senses each fingernail as it traced a path across her tummy to her opposite hip.  Eyes fixed on Ayla, the rest of the world gone, she felt her hand pull slowly on the string at her hip, felt the knot tug - catch - then come loose, one side of her bathing suit bottom drooping to expose a triangle of white, untanned skin, the strings falling to tickle her leg.  In what seemed to her a glorious eternity, her hand trailed across the flatness of her stomach, finding the string on the opposite side.  Not daring to think, not wishing to think, just wishing to be, Ariel felt Ayla’s eyes locked on hers as she pulled once more, felt again that tug, that release, felt the back of her suit drop so that the bikini bottom dangled in front of her, her last vestige of modesty literally hanging by a string...and then, as she flung both arms wide to dance joyously to the music - gone!

Ariel felt overjoyed, overcome, overwhelmed.  Had she been able to hear she would have recognized the sound of applause surrounding her, but she had little ability to sense the outside world, so enraptured was she in this feeling.  She smiled giddily at Ayla, who was walking toward her, beaming. 

Reaching her, Ayla leaned in close to her ear.  She heard her friend whisper “Miss Alt says you have permission, my pet”.  And in that same moment Ariel felt a small tug on the only thing she was still wearing, her small choker, and heard her beloved little “snick”.  Without thought, her hand flew between her legs, almost unnecessarily, as with a touch - another - ANOTHER - her body surrendered to the feeling which had been building in her, all her muscles tensed beyond endurance then released all at once, her skin tingled and danced and glowed, waves of pleasure, tsunamis of pleasure crashed over her, her body wracked with convulsions as orgasm after orgasm consumed her...

...and she collapsed to the floor, nearly unconscious, unable to speak in more than moans and nearly unable to control her limbs  - and never to be the same again.