by Robin Roseau
“Of course,” Nissault said. She gestured to the table, and three of us sat down. Nissault stepped away but was back immediately. She sat down, directly opposite me, and said quite formally, “Allium Cuprite of Flarvor, I am Nissault, once of Ressaline City, and now of southern Charth. I offer challenge. Our term is until morning. If I win, you will wear red.”
“If I win, you will wear red,” I told her.
She smiled at that. “Do you know anything about the nature of the challenges?”
“Only what I was told. I’d prefer something simple.”
“Do you care for combat?”
“You want to fight me?”
“Some of us enjoy wrestling someone into submission,” Fodorie said.
“Well, I don’t think that’s my style.”
“You should pick one of the simplest, standard events,” Trellen said. “And I think you should let me choose.”
We both turned to look at her. “I’d let you make a recommendation,” Nissault said.
“Sure,” I agreed. “A recommendation.”
Trellen looked directly at me. “Your first time with the resin is going to be intense. You’re going to become entirely lost in it. In a good way.”
“Okay.”
“So simple is good.”
“I get that.”
“And one where you’re least likely to hurt yourself.”
“Right. Hurting myself is bad. Why would I hurt myself?”
“Falling, something like that.”
“Oh. Sure. And?”
“We’re not set up for anything fancy. We have an ample supply of the resin, but we can’t waste it.”
“And?”
“So we have a large, low tub, and there’s a soft mat at the bottom, so you can lie down or kneel in it.”
“And?”
“All that is really required is that you have a body part in the resin for it to be allowed to work.”
“There’s a bush you’re beating around,” I suggested.
She smiled. “I propose we start with you lying down and tied.” She explained the rest.
“Interesting,” I said. “So not only are you not giving me a handicap, you’re giving one to Nissault? I’m sure she doesn’t need it.”
“I’ll start tied,” Nissault said immediately.
I snapped my gaze to her. “I thought you didn’t give handicaps.” She didn’t say anything but instead smiled sweetly. I studied her. “Did you just agree to Trellen’s challenge, but I get to tie you down first?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Three
We did paperwork. Then I watched as Trellen and Fodorie readied the tub. Nissault disappeared for a minute, but when she came back, she was wearing a simple, white shift. The shoulders were strings of material, tied in a bow, and there were laces holding the sides together. She offered one to me. “You can change in the next room, or you can do it here and let me watch.”
“I’ll go in the next room.”
“If you stay here, you won’t miss watching how they prepare.”
I ignored that suggestion. It took a few minutes to change. I was barely started undressing when Nissault called to me. “Allium, the shift is the only thing you should wear. Nothing else.”
“I understand.”
It took a few minutes. When I returned, Trellen and Fodorie were done. “Do you want us to tie her, or do you want to do it, Allium?”
I smiled. “I don’t want to lose because she gets loose.”
“She won’t get loose,” Fodorie assured me. “Would you like us to help you?”
“Sure,” I said with a grin. I began stalking Nissault. She grinned at me, and when I reached her, she let me push her backwards towards the tub. She climbed in willingly. I paused, looking down at the resin.
“It’s clear.”
“It is,” she said. “The color is part of the magic.”
“I don’t know any magic.”
“You don’t need to,” she said. “Step in after me.” She held out her hands. I paused, then gave her mine. She steaded me as I stepped over the rim, and then she knelt down. I followed after her, setting my hands on her shoulders and pressing backwards.
She didn’t fight me but sat in the resin. I knelt, straddling her, my legs from my knees down covered in the liquid. It was thick, far thicker than water. I looked down at it.
My heart was pounding, absolutely pounding. Then I saw red begin to form around my legs.
“We haven’t even started!” I complained.
“Shh,” Nissault said, her hands now on my waist. She held me there. I could feel her strength as she held me there.
“I’m already losing. There’s none on you.”
“I’m about to be lying in it,” she replied.
“It’s not turning red.”
“It will,” she said. “I don’t care how bad you are at this, I’m going to be at least half coated before we’re done.”
“Half red? Not just wet?”
“Half red, at least.”
I looked at my legs. “I don’t know if I believe you.”
“I can’t promise half. You could basically surrender before we barely begin. But if you put up any real struggle, any at all, then I promise I’ll be half red, or at least close to it. It might not be toes to waist. It might be other places. My hands. Anywhere you decide to paint me.”
“Paint you?”
“Do you want to see?”
I thought about it then nodded. She reached a hand down and swirled it in the resin, then cupped, lifting some. “Give me your arm.”
I paused, then held my arm out. And she tipped the resin over my arm, brushing downwards towards my wrist. And behind, it was red. It wasn’t coated evenly, but what she painted stayed. I stared at it. “Am I already letting you win?”
“Allium, you knew you were going to lose when we crossed the bridge.”
I looked from my arm to her eyes. “I still don’t understand.”
“It’s tied to your emotional state. You’re excited. I’m calmer. But I’m going to start to get worked up once you do the things to me you’re going to do. I’ll catch up, but I’ll still win.”
I looked back down at my arm. Then I felt my resolve grow. “The next time I do this, I want the same event, but without restraints. We’re free to paint each other.”
“I’d do that,” Trellen said immediately. “That would be fun.”
I looked at her. “I get to straddle you like this.”
“Sure.”
I nodded and turned back to Nissault. I smiled, set my hands back on her shoulders, and pushed. She didn’t resist as I pushed her fully onto her back, lying in the resin. She smiled up at me. I sat on her hips, and then Fodorie handed me rope.
They helped me to tie Nissault. When we were done, she could squirm all she wanted, but her hands were pulled away from her sides. Her knees were up, her legs spread, her feet in the resin. “Comfy?” I asked.
“Divine,” she replied with a lazy smile.
I looked her over, and that was when I realized her feet were turning red. I was about to freak out when I realized it wasn’t a circulation problem, but resin. I smiled at that. But then I looked at my own legs, and I was solid red from my feet to my knees.
And it felt really, really good.
Trellen handed me a device. I looked at it. It was curved, with two ends, and I understood what it was for. Still, I stared at it. “Do you know what to do?” she asked gently.
“I… Um. God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“I imagine it’s very strange,” she said.
“And I’m doing it with an audience!” I added.
“A jealous audience,” Trellen clarified. “Allium, do you know what to do?”
I nodded. “This goes… inside her. And then I… The other end. Um. Me. Then…”
“I think she understands the basics,” Fodorie said. “Allium, even if that’s as
much as you do, eventually one of you loses.”
“Really?”
“The magic demands it,” she explained. “One of you will become lost to the magic. The other may as well, but someone is always first.”
“Another reason it’s good to have witnesses,” Trellen said. “In case you get too lost, and she’s tied.”
“Safety first,” I said. “Oh, I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I looked down. “I just… do it?”
“You can tease her for a while first,” Fodorie said. “But the magic will only go so far without that being used, and if we think you aren’t following the agreement, we’ll enforce it.”
“Which means?”
“We help. Let’s just put it that way.”
“You won’t need to help.” I shifted my position then turned my gaze. Nissault was watching me, smiling. It felt predatory, which was odd, as she was the one who was tied.
“Allium,” she said to me. “Will you let me guide you?”
“All right.”
“Set that down,” she said. She wriggled fingers. “Give it to me for now.”
I considered then set the device in her hand. She clasped it then said, “Kiss me. Touch me. Give me your attention. Ignore everything outside of you and me. Paint me, anything you like below my neck.”
“Really?”
“All you want,” she said. “Some people paint faces, too, but I don’t want you to do that until you’ve had more experience.”
“All right.” I lowered myself. The resin was cool, but it felt nice. I managed to keep most of myself out of it, but I had to support my weight somehow, and so I set my hands beside her head, inside the resin. I leaned down, and then we were kissing.
That was nice, and when I lifted, she smiled at me. “Kiss me,” she whispered. “Paint me. Touch me.”
And so, I did. I kissed her again. And then I shifted my weight, still kissing, and I swirled my hand in the resin. It felt nice. I opened my eyes then wondered where I could paint. I had limited choices, so I brushed it across her knee. It remained behind, coating her in red. I smiled at that.
“That feels nice,” she whispered to me. “There are no rules how long we wear the shifts. You can take mine off.”
“That’s why they’re tied like this.”
“Yes.”
I worked at it for a minute. I untied both shoulders then did the laces at the side, finally shoving it away. Then I took more resin and I painted across her stomach. We both giggled at that.
And then I stared at her breasts before I began painting with a single finger. I watched one nipple grow engorged as I covered it in red resin. I stared at that for a while. “Nissault?” I whispered.
“Allium, do something for me.”
I looked up into her eyes. “Anything.”
“Let me see all of you. Take your own shift off, too. Please.”
“All right,” I whispered. I struggled for a moment, but I peeled it off, over my head. The lowest hem was wet in resin, but if it left any behind, I couldn’t tell. I set it aside, draped over the edge of the tub we were in.
Nissault smiled at me. “Do your own now.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do just one,” she said. “Trust me. You’re going to love it. Then you can go back to painting me.”
“All right,” I said. “Just one side.” I dipped my hand and lifted it to my own breast. I poured resin over the top, and then I painted it on with my palm. That felt nice, but as I brushed over my nipples… “Oh!” I said. “Oh. Oh. Oh.” I reached down for more, and then more. And then I had to do the other side, too.
I painted myself with the resin, and I painted. And I vaguely heard someone calling my name. Slowly, I focused. Below me, Nissault was smiling.
“I’m already losing,” I whispered.
“Look at me,” she said. “Are you with me enough to look at me?”
I did. She was red. Oh, not everywhere, but there was a lot of red. I had a lot of red, too, including my right hand all the way to my elbow. I stared at that, and I was on the edge of being lost to it when Nissault said, “Allium.”
She caught my attention, and I looked into her eyes.
“It’s time for this.” I heard splashing, and I saw her waving the device. “If you can’t do it, they’ll help.”
“I can do it,” I said. I reached, taking it from her with one red resin covered hand. I lifted it, staring at it. “There’s resin all over it.”
“That will feel really good,” she said. “It’s safe. Me first, then you. Take your time with this part. Make it feel really good, Allium. It’s okay to tease me. It’s okay if you tease yourself, too.”
I looked at the device, not really sure I didn’t need help, but Nissault said, “Please, Allium. I want that inside me now. Please. For me. It’s okay. Just go slowly, all right?”
I nodded then shifted. I actually stepped over her knees and sat down in the resin, not caring I was helping it to more completely cover me. I looked down, smiling at what I could see.
“There’s resin,” I whispered.
“I know,” she said. “It won’t interfere.”
I wasn’t really sure what to do. Oh, I had the basic idea. I wasn’t a complete idiot. But I couldn’t actually see where it was supposed to go.
“Touch me,” she whispered. “Stroke me.”
I smiled at that. “If you insist.” I set my hand on her, my resin-coated fingers, and I traced them down her stomach, leaving a little red behind. I slipped it further, and further. And it felt like there was nothing between us.
I found her. I leaned closer, and my fingers found her, they found what I wanted. I curled them and slipped inside.
She gave a gasp. I looked up, and her eyes were closed, her lips open, and she was panting. “Yes,” she whispered. “Do that, Allium, but only a minute or they’re going to have to help you.”
“Okay,” I whispered back.
I stroked her like that. It felt so good, just to touch her like that. It felt so good on my fngers, and I would have gotten lost, but Trellen set a hand on my shoulder. “Allium.”
“I can do it,” I whispered. I felt a loss as I withdrew my fingers, but finding her with the device wasn’t hard now. I entered, slowly, deeply. Nissault gasped few times and began panting more loudly.
I thought she was rather enjoying this.
“Now you,” Trellen said. “Allium, look at me.”
I turned my head slowly. “Do you want some help?”
I stared at her. I looked down at the device, my hand holding it in place. I looked back at Trellen and nodded.
They didn’t hesitate. They both climbed in, and then they helped me into position. At first, I thought I would climb back on her hips, but instead, they helped me move my feet between Nissault’s knees until they were flat on the floor of the tub beside her ribs. They moved me closer until I was bumping against the device.
Then Trellen reached underneath me, and together they helped me slide into place.
“Oh!” I yelled. “Oh. Yes. Oh!”
“There you are,” Nissault said.
I tried balancing upright with my hands on the tub, but Fodorie produced a sort of angled cushion. She set it down inside the tub, and then the two encouraged me to lie back. This left Nissault and I joined at our centers, but I could lay back and settle in.
I felt the device slide more deeply into both of us. We gave a gasp together, and then two long sighs.
It felt so good.
“Talk to her,” Nissault said. “Allium, close your eyes and relax.”
I did as she suggested, and then Trellen said, “You don’t have to do anything now, Allium, if you don’t want to. The magic will take over, and I don’t think it will take very long.”
“Who is winning?” I whispered.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “You can move if you want. You can flex your legs and move.” I tried that and gave a gasp. “Slowly,” she said. “The danger is th
at you’ll get carried away.”
“Isn’t that the idea?”
“Things can pop out.”
“Don’t want that,” I whispered. Very carefully, I lowered myself and smiled. Oh, that was nice. I did it again. Up, and then slowly down. That was very, very nice.
“Deeper,” Nissault whispered. “Press deeper.”
That sounded nice, so I pressed against her, as tightly as I could. That definitely was nice. I stayed like that, and got lost in what was happening.
I felt quivering. I didn’t know if I was doing it, or if Nissault was. I opened my eyes and rolled my head. Trellen was watching me.
“Ask them to help,” Nissault whispered. “Allium, I’d guide you, but I’m too gone myself. Trellen, help her make this perfect.”
“Do you understand, Allium?”
“I’m winning,” I said.
“Maybe,” she replied. “Ask me to tell you what to do.”
“Trying to trick me.”
“No,” she said. “You don’t have to do it, after all.”
I smiled lazily. “Tell me what to do.”
“Stay pressed to Nissault,” she ordered. “Just like that, but cup some of the resin. It feels so good, doesn’t it?”
I didn’t need more of a hint than that. I collected resin in my hand, and I bathed my chest. That felt nice, so I used both hands, spreading the resin further and further.
I moaned. I squirmed. Nissault moaned and squirmed right back. That felt really good, so I squirmed again, and she did.
I rolled my head again. “Make it perfect,” I whispered.
“Open your eyes,” Trellen said. I did and found myself looking at her. We smiled at each other. “Look at Nissault, Allium. Look at how covered she is.”
I adjusted my gaze. It was hard, but she was red, everywhere I could see. “I won?”
“Not yet,” she said. “But see how red she is? I love seeing how red my opponents become, even if I lose.”
“So pretty,” I said. “Feels so good.” I dipped my hand in the resin and reached out. Trellen let me cup her cheek, and when I did, the resin remained behind. I smiled more widely.
“Allium,” she said. “If you do nothing else, this will last a few more minutes. It will come, slow and easy. If you ask us to help, and you don’t fight us, it will take about the same amount of time, but it will come much harder. I like both, but I like harder more.”