The Pecking Order

[Crossedes]

The empress pondered if she might have found a cub with exceptional insight. She needed almost nothing spelled out to her, even her role in this chess game. Millicent narrowed her eyes at her and pieced together where Dizzy's shrewdness had been born. Angela Belti was no fool by the German's best assumptions, but based on the stories, she did not strike Millicent as a shrewd strategist. In her search for independence, Desdemona must have grown world-wise. That could be both a boon or a complication to Millicent's goals. Some people could be too smart.

"Whether you will have the taste for it, I couldn't say, but you do possess the mind for it," she said, skimming the surface of her own thoughts. "That is why you should be able to wrestle in whatever matches interest you most." While she had no plans to broach that issue at length during this meeting - she still wanted to be gentle with mentions of Angela - she liked to keep the seed planted. The more Desdemona could seek what she wanted in Millie's company, the more loyal she would become.

With Desdemona done eating, Millie took up her pencil again. "But, true, we will see. What days can you meet? My schedule is flexible, but you shouldn't be surprised if I give you a late notice that I must cancel plans." When one sought opportunities as readily as the empress, she could find herself occupied at any time. "Some days we will spar and some days we will sit and make conversation, like this. Make plans."

And that other thing she wanted to cover... The empress glanced up, studying the room to see if any eyes had been drawn their way. Short of a few glances, no one seemed to be too focused on either of them except for their waitress, who glanced away when she realized that Millie wasn't trying to get her attention. A spirit of mischief crossed her face as she looked back at Dizzy, but she awaited her answer, only shifting to face the Italian more directly in the meantime.

[BlackAkuma]

‘That is why you should be able to wrestle in whatever matches interest you most.’

It might have seemed like a small, trifling thing, but Dizzy loved hearing that. It was more confirmation that she was making the right decision here - the right decision for her. Her mother wouldn't like it. Hell, there was a real chance of this getting her disowned in the end. But she had no intention of living someone else’s life. She'd been brought into this world, she would navigate it her way.

Dizzy smacked her lips and settled in the seat, easing in as the food digested. It seemed like they were getting into the minutiae of things now. Plans, availability, limits, that sort of thing. Not as sexy, but necessary.

”I don’t have much going on. Most of my free time was spent training with Mom, and you make that not a thing, so I'm good. We’re Catholic, but we don't really worship, so Sunday is free.” She kicked her legs about in the seat and tried to think of more exceptions. Not much was coming to her.

“I can probably come up with a good excuse to head out at any time. My time is your time.” She gave a reassuring nod, as if silently signing a contract.”Texting is better than calling, but you already knew that.”

As jazzed as Dizzy was about all this, she wasn't so swept up that she failed to notice Millicent’s glance at the waitress. Come to think of it, she hasn't seen the Redhead order anything to eat. Just sipping on coffee that couldn't be that hot anymore. ”If you're not sure what to order, I’ll vouch for the croissant. A little flaky, but I’ve had way worse.”

[Crossedes]

Millie's pencil hovered, but when the answer proved "anytime," she wrote nothing and nodded. Yet another convenience Desdemona provided, cemented by her statement that her time belonged to Millicent. "As if I needed more incentives to work with you," she responded, coolly enough that Desdemona wouldn't take her words for jest. She wanted that sway over her mentees, especially after so many of Desdemona's age would find excuses to be late or absent when called. "That time will be well-used."

She did write a pair of notes to herself - reminders of Desdemona's exact words if the cub decided to renege on any of this discussion. The empress knew better than to put any of what they had discussed in binding writing. What fool in her position left a paper trail? But moral and emotional blackmail didn't require much documentation. Desdemona's comments as she closed the notebook told her that the Italian had noticed her sweep of the room. Stifling a smile at the unknowing and folding her hands atop the table, Millie gazed at her new mentee with wicked focus.

"I had already eaten before you came. But, I do have an order. For you." She paused. Anyone could claim they would listen, but Millicent wanted to know how far Dizzy might go to be a good soldier - especially with incentives on the line. "Consider this... a test. A little more proof that you can back up your words. You might find you get what it is you want if you succeed." Millicent paused once more, letting her words and authority settle.

"I want you to place both feet on the floor and both hands on the table. No matter what you feel or what you are compelled to do, mein liebchen, I want you to remain perfectly still and hold a conversation with me. Do you follow?"

Beneath the table, with the table skirt concealing all but their feet, Millie lowered her crossed leg and quietly slid one foot out of the strappy heel she wore. There were reasons she had chosen the small table.

[BlackAkuma]

Hm. The notebook was out again. The more she wrote in that thing, the more curious Dizzy grew about her writing, which might have been the whole point. Such an organized way to go about things, and now that she had a clearer picture of what Millicent wanted, the more it made sense. Taking notes, remembering details, and filing everything away for later, gave her advantages, and potential ammo she could use. A shrewd way to go through life, but Dizzy liked it. She’d never met anyone quite like the German, and she suspected she never would again.

The notepad disappeared soon enough, but that didn’t mean business was done. Dizzy perked up at the word ‘order’, already knowing to give Millicent more focus when she heard it and waited for where things were going. The German didn’t seem like the type to waste, so she wasn’t too surprised that she’d squeeze in something else with this interview, but she was intrigued to see where things were going.

As it turned out, she was right to be. A test. One that carried the faint promise of a reward. Made sense. Dizzy had talked a good game, which was part of her appeal, but she had to add some action to it, too. Now was that chance.

Dizzy ran her hand along her choker and answered without hesitation. ”I follow, padrona.” She placed her hands on the table, setting down one finger at a time, then the palms. Millicent hadn't told her to go barefoot, but she figured it best to take her literally and slipped out her sandals. She planted her soles on the linoleum floor hard enough to make a faint noise, and she shivered at the content.

Back straight. Shoulders sagged. Relaxed, except for her eyes - those, she kept locked with Millicent’s, magnetized. She didn’t say anything, awaiting instruction, but her anxious expression said enough. The game was on, she was ready.

[Crossedes]

Quick to snap to attention, quick to listen rather than retort, quick to obey. The empress did not need such a degree of obedience for Desdemona in all things, but knowing that she had her tied on a string pleased her. She tapped her fingers while Dizzy shifted into position, passed her "mistress" a confirmation, and stared back, refusing to give any hints away about what the test would entail. But to add temptation, she did pull her arms out of her jacket, revealing more of her chest, arms, and shoulders.

And she began. With her eyes boring holes through Desdemona, she lifted her bare foot. It was no issue with her long legs to reach beneath the table and locate Dizzy's legs. After one bump, she brushed the top of her foot against Desdemona's calf - softly, teasing - and traced higher until the toes brushed along the back of Dizzy's thigh. Back to the calf, then back to the thigh. Whether Desdemona cared for anything resembling footsie, she did not care. She knew what she touched and where she touched mattered. And Millicent did enjoy making people squirm.

She did so three times, the motions painfully slow, before she spoke. "Do you enjoy the beach?" There was a seductive tilt to her voice, adding to the challenge, but the question carried a mundane innocence. She continued rubbing. "I try to spend any other free time I have there. The sun can be almost... erotically rejuvinating."

[BlackAkuma]

While Dizzy didn’t know for sure what Millicent was playing at, she had a fairly good idea, just going off the tone and the look in her eyes and what she likely saw as a problem area. She had been quick to mention that she didn't do public lovemaking, wanting to keep that sort of thing in the shadows, and their spar had shown that those inhibitions were one thing they didn’t share - Dizzy was anywhere, anytime sort of person. So how could Millicent put that to the test in a place like this, with so many eyes on them?

Yup. There was the foot.

Dizzy jumped at the touch, a natural reflex before she settled down. It was heavenly contact, and Millicent worked her over with practiced ease, but it wasn’t anything she couldn't withstand just yet. This was just the first level, the warmup. She had a soft, pleasant hum, took a quick breath, then replied.

”You know, believe it or not, I’ve never cared for beaches. I don’t like the heat, the sand, the smell. The women are nice, but you can only do so much with so many people around.” She closed her eyes and cooed as Millicent’s toes found a particularly tender spot. ”Then again, maybe I’ve never been to the right beach with the right person. I’ve heard good things about Japan’s...”

[Crossedes]

Millicent watched the subtle reactions. The jump, the sharp breath, the eyes that lidded while she spoke. The empress continued to idly work along the soft skin, but Dizzy clearly adjusted to the contact. It was probably for the best for the cub that she was so addicted to feminine touch that even contact this tame drove her wild, but she was not entirely calm, either. Millie wanted to see her struggling with her composure, so while she listened, offering an occasional hm? or mmhmm and somewhat surprised that Desdemona was not as fond of the beach, she proceeded.

Everything above the belt remained motionless, but her leg stretched so her foot could reach higher. It at first nuzzled toes-first between Desdemona's thighs, probing, Millicent enjoying the warmth, before she turned and flexed it so it would push her thighs another few inches apart. She followed with a shove against her right thigh to force it further away from the other. It came to rest with the heel on top of Dizzy's thigh the rest pressed just below her stomach, waiting, teasing that more would come but Dizzy would have to wait for it. The other foot, still in its heel, brushed against Dizzy's ankle.

She loved seeing what she could produce from these little molds of clay. Dizzy was more experienced than most she had worked with, but that merely made her reactions more interesting.

[BlackAkuma]

Level 1 cleared. Now, level 2.

”What I really-” Oh, she was going higher, now. Dizzy let a half-moan out, before she bit her lip to stifle it. ” What I really like is the snow. Not just for penguin-related reasons. The mountains. I don’t think I have the legs for rock climbing…” She cast a knowing glance down, only an instant before they rose again. ”...but I love the look of it. The way the snow comes down and changes the whole world. The…the…”

Wow, she was good. Dizzy had figured with legs like hers, Millicent would be slow moving them around, kind of clumsy, but no, the woman used her like a painter’s brush. It was an artful touch, awe-inspiring, considering what she couldn't see. So close to what Dizzy wanted, but taking care to stay at a safe distance.

Millicent was fishing for reactions, and she’d find them. Dizzy started to lurch forward but caught herself at the last second and jerked back into position, ramrod straight and at attention. Her hands stayed flat, but her fingernails dug into the table, leaving half-moon imprints on the tablecloths. Muscles tensed, peeking through what little fat she had.

But she kept her chill. After a moment of closed eyes, she opened them again and managed a normal smile, though there was no denying the hints of lust out of her voice. ”...the feel of it. Have you ever been in a forest after a fresh snow?”

[Crossedes]

Quite composed. Not so much as Millicent would have been in the same situation, but few had her composure. The empress kept a tally - partial moan, a stifled attempt to hump her foot, tensing fingers - at the same time she listened. She debated writing down note Dizzy's interest in snow, but she would remember later and chose to spend her time idly checking her nails as if the mundane conversation was all there was to the conversation. She let the foot perched in Desdemona's lap bounce, but otherwise, she waited, answering the cub's question.

"Many times. We have beautiful forest snows in Germany." The foot still on the floor lifted, and the other one slipped away - though not without bumping into Dizzy's thigh several times as if telling it to "stay there." "But I grow very tired of it after so many winters there. It's pretty, but it does not manage to improve my mood in the same way the sun does."

Her heel propped on the front of Dizzy's chair, hovering, before she pressed the sole down where her crotch should have been. She did not apply much pressure, only making gentle contact, but it would be the prelude to far more. "Are you the type to take your trysts out to the forest, then? That does have a sense of romance."

[BlackAkuma]

Level 2 cleared. Now, level 3.

Ramping up the difficulty. Dizzy let herself relax a little as militants slipped down her leg, but it was short-lived, and it just so happened that one of her toes hit the exact wrong - or right - spot on the way down, causing a happy accident.

Dizzy giggled.Not much, but audible, and there was no ignoring the cause and effect. Millicent knew where she was ticklish now. Vital intel, given away.

She groaned, irritated, but kept it together for a few more seconds, forcing some calm into her mind as one leg retreated. However, there was still another one to worry about, and it was going back into action, moving down, somewhere between her legs. Getting into position, and…yes, there it was. Millicent’s foot tapped her crotch like a gas pedal and drew out a similar reaction, forcing a gasp, a moan, and a breathless. It took actual physical strain to keep her hips still and fight the natural urge to drive forward and seek out the most pleasure.

Think of something else. Think of anything else.

”Not…often, no.” Her eyes scanned the ceiling, only managing to escape for a few seconds before Millicent’s gaze drew her back in. The German had a haunting, powerful stare. ”There was this one girl, though. Constance. In Austria. Met her when I was hiking. Managed to strike up a little conversation after I’d ditched Mom for a while, played up the helpless-schoolgirl-in-the-forest routine, we took a pitstop on this knoll by the river, and we…”

Her voice trailed off as the memory came in fresh, only compounding the problem. This was a bad idea. Wasn’t helping at all.