Bright Lights

The countryside was a blur alongside the train as it sped Eastward, the carriages rocking gently as Emily fidgeted in her seat, listlessly watching as the whole of Hartia flew past. She couldn’t help but be reminded of sitting beside her father as he had driven her to Rattangrove Academy for the first time. Certainly the nervous anxiety and apprehension were familiar; her stomach sour, her palms damp, and no idea what to do with her hands. In the end she had shoved them in the pockets of her school blazer, out of the way.

Had it only been a year since she had first tried on the uniform? Carefully unwrapping it in the privacy of her bedroom and modelling it in the mirror? It had seemed so awkward them; the stiff, heavy blazer, the crisp white shirt, having to wear a tie every day... now it like a second skin. Not only did it represent the remarkable amount she had grown up in a single year at Rattangrove; people around her responded differently as well. Strict as it might be, the Academy was well-known and prestigious. When she wore the uniform she was finally treated as a mature young woman of nearly twenty one; rather than as an irresponsible girl scarcely out of her teens. Despite it being the tail end of summer break, she still wore the deep blue uniform nearly every day.

Finally, as the track curved around a lake, Emily glimpsed the capital for the first time: Vennel City. A city of art and progress, of relaxed rules and potentially far greater freedom; the city where Madison was waiting for her. Emily tried not to let her anxiety show but she could feel her pulse quicken every time she saw it; the tall gleaming towers, far in the distance but growing closer with each moment. Two weeks with her best friend, roommate, and more-than-occasional lover, far from her parents overbearing strictures or even the rules of Rattangrove Academy.

That was the rub, wasn’t it? This really was Rattangrove all over again in its own way. The key to her chastity cage mailed ahead; the long lecture from her father about listening and obeying; having to pack the heavy spanking strap along with her clothes; the long list of rules, expectations, and chores that Madison had emailed a full two weeks before she had left. She had heard for herself just how strict Madison’s mother was, laid across her own mother’s lap listening over the phone as Madison had gotten her bottom blistered; it wasn’t an experience Emily wanted to feel first-hand.

It had been Emily’s fault, and she had been punished too. Madison had given her the bright green vibrator as a parting gift when Rattangrove’s classes had broken for the summer. Emily had been careful to hide it away, but she had gotten caught with it anyway. She’d tried to hide Madison’s involvement, but there was only so much she could do already over her mother’s lap, the wooden hairbrush quickly sorting truth from lies. She’d been spanked until she confessed everything, then she’d listened to Madison’s spanking, and finally her parents had broadcast her own punishment live to anyone who wanted to tune in on DaddyIssuesCam. She had been spanked harder, dealt with more pain, but that had been unquestionably the worst punishment she had ever received.

Madison had forgiven her quickly enough; watching Emily be paddled live in high definition certainly helped foster forgiveness; but nonetheless Emily could feel things changing. Back at Rattangrove they had shared a tiny room and an intimate friendship; they were friends, lovers, roommates, perhaps even more. But over the past few weeks... Madison’s texts had become more infrequent and maybe Emily was reading too much into it but they seemed more distant as well. The closer that the train brought her to Vennel City the more apprehensive and fidgety she became. Her stomach twisted and gurgled, drawing a raised eyebrow from the woman sitting in the seat across from her. It was more than just the anxiety though... she was feeling a little ‘backed up’.

More than a little, honestly. It had been a long, deeply frustrating summer. After a few glorious weeks in her Motivator cage that allowed her the freedom to touch, at least a little, getting caught had meant not only a very public spanking, but a return to her familiar Rattangrove pink steel. The cages the school had developed were notoriously difficult to cheat; no gaps where a little skin showed, no extra ‘room to grow’ that would allow a determined girl to build up a little friction, and certainly no way of beating the lock. There was more than one way to skin that particular cat of course, and Emily was absolutely no stranger to prostate ‘relief’, but that held its own challenges.

It wasn’t that she had a lack of willing partners, but for her to orgasm... like that... it took someone who knew what they were doing, a great deal of lube, and even more stamina on their lover’s part. The young men she had dated over the summer had been cute, well hung, and all very enthusiastic but unfortunately all fell short of the stamina Emily needed to cream her cage just from being fucked. With each failed attempt, each night she went to bed with both her orbs and rectum filled to bursting with cum, the more urgently she had looked ahead to seeing Madison.

Madison was her best friend, gorgeous, funny, and an absolutely gigantic slut. But more than that, she was a genius when it came to defeating even Rattangrove’s ultra-secure designs. It had taken her some time to learn the ins and outs of Emily’s little prison, but it had quickly become clear that it was never that Madison couldn’t help with her denial, but purely that she wouldn’t. She had never said it out loud, but she clearly loved Emily denied, desperate, and eager to please, not that Emily had ever said no to one of Madison’s suggestions, but the denial removed any doubt. While Madison was strongly pro-denial Emily’s feelings on the matter had grown more complicated as the year went by. Madison might be a tease but surely after all these months she wouldn’t deny her the relief her clit was screaming for...

Just the thought... Emily could feel herself growing sensitive in the cage, her nipples hardened, and her skin grow warm. She shivered, and the movement made her clit slide against the interior of pink prison and she had to bite her tongue to stifle a moan. She wasn’t straining, but her skin ached to be touched, even for the briefest moment, and she knew she was making a wet spot in her panties. She needed to cum so badly... In the fitful darkness of her bedroom she had taken to grinding on a pillow, hips thrusting impotently against the softness, slowly building the tiniest bit of friction inside the tight metal tube... but the sensation only lasted until she started to get hard, and then the cage was too tight and she had to wait until she was flaccid again. The cage was too well-designed to for her to cheat without a toy, and off and her dates never had the stamina. Madison was her last, best hope.

Emily closed her eyes, picturing it in her mind as she had nearly every night for the last few weeks. In the dark she would hear the mattress creak quietly as Madison slipped out of bed, the near-silent tread of her bare feet on thick carpet as she crossed to Emily’s sleeping bag on the floor; the weight and warmth of her body pressed against Emily’s own as she silently slid into the snug warmth, the small sleeping bag holding their bodies together as they embraced once more, Madison’s hand tracing along the ring of Emily’s cage as their lips touched...

Emily coughed and crossed her legs. Now she was straining a little, and while she doubted it would show through the thick wool of her Rattangrove skirt the woman across from her was clearly watching her over the top of her book. She tried to focus on the scenery streaming past the window, on her phone, or on the motion of the train, but it was impossible; not after being mercilessly locked and denied this long. Closing her eyes she could picture Madison as she changed after field hockey practice, smell her sweat, her particular brand of soap, and her excitement as she bit into the pillow to stifle her moans as Emily’s fingers and tongue brought her over the edge. Her tiny smile as she snuck a classmate into their room long after the RA had gone to bed, and the moans coming from her bed only a few feet from where Emily lay, dripping and yearning. As the train finally slowed and pulled up to the station Emily was flushed and her panties were soaked.

If the porter noticed her flustered state he didn’t comment on it as he helped her with her bag, and gripping her suitcase in a slippery palm she made her way off of the train onto the platform. Heat shimmered off of the concrete of the station as passengers disembarked all around her; Emily had expected Vennel to be warmer than Ruswich but the heat was oppressive, and her uniform felt like a kiln. Emily shaded her eyes with the back of her free hand, blinking in the bright sunlight. Even in a large crowd Madison had a way of standing out...

“Emily!” She heard Madison’s voice before she spotted her and she whirled around. Madison was racing across the train station, and Emily’s heart nearly stopped. Even at a dead sprint Madison drew the eyes of everyone around her; dressed in a lime green crop top and a pair of pink running shorts, her feet, clad in bright yellow sandals slapped against the concrete as she pelted across the platform. She covered the distance in just a few seconds and Emily had to drop her suitcase to keep her balance as Madison nearly bowled her over; wrapping her arms around her in a fierce hug. Emily’s anxieties fled; she might be in a new city, far from home, hated spanking strap in her suitcase; but Madison was warm and immediately familiar. There were still so many unknowns, but Madison felt like home.

After a long, wonderful minute a middle-aged couple approached as Madison finally let go. The man, presumably Madison’s father, was tall and lean with small glasses and reddish brown hair greying at the temples. He smiled as he picked up Emily’s suitcase and extended his hand, which Emily shook, stiffly. Madison had warned her that her parents were strict; maybe not as strict as Emily’s own, but it was wise to be on her guard. His hand was larger than her own by quite a margin but soft, unlike her own father’s calloused hands.

“Ah. You made it safe, I see. Good to finally meet you...” his voice fell off, awkwardly; “...in the flesh.”

Emily winced inwardly but didn’t let it show on her face. She knew that Madison and her mother had, along with her friends and classmates and a few thousand strangers, watched her paddling live as it happened. She had hoped it was just the two of them but it appeared that watching Emily get spanked to tears for tips had been fun for the whole family. She hated that the video was still out there, though she couldn’t stop herself from checking the number of views and reading the new comments every few days. It was a little gratifying just how many times Madison herself had watched the video at least...

“Dad!” Madison snapped, scowling up at her father, who released Emily’s hand with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. It is lovely to meet you, Emily. Maddy has told us so much about you, and apart from the...” he caught Madison’s icy glare and his smile faltered; “...recent unpleasantness... I’m sure we’ll get along wonderfully.”

Madison’s mother was next, and she hugged Emily warmly, wrapping her up in a long, motherly hug. It was clear where Madison had gotten her looks; if anything her mother was even more attractive. Madison was certainly beautiful but at the same age her mother must have been absolutely stunning. She had the same honey-blonde hair and blue eyes, and similar bone structure. In the right light she could have passed as Madison’s older sister, though not in the brilliant sunshine of the train station. Emily felt an odd pang of jealousy towards Madison’s tall, socially awkward father. “It’s good to have you here, my dear. Glad you made it safe. Gerald will get your suitcase, let’s get you back to the house and out of this heat.”

It wasn’t a terribly long drive, but Emily found herself craning her neck to look up at the tall buildings as they drove through downtown. Ruswich was the largest city where she lived but they really didn’t have high-rise buildings of more than ten stories, and even then they only had a couple of apartment blocks that tall. Madison alternated between pointing out specific points of interest and needling Emily about her small-city upbringing. “Those are street lights; they run on electricity; and those are skyscrapers; they’re like cows, only bigger and they don’t moo.” Madison poked her in the side, making Emily squirm. It had started out funny but she was tired from the train and the idea of Madison’s parents watching her being paddled weighed on her mind.

“Shut up, Maddy. You aren’t funny!” Emily snapped and poked her right back, harder. Madison snickered at having gotten a reaction.

“No fighting back there girls.” Madison’s mother broke in; she hadn’t raised her voice but the temperature in the car dropped several degrees; “If I have to stop this car there will be tears before bedtime for you both.” That was a sobering thought and Emily folded her hands in her lap and tried not to think about it. She knew what having to pack her personal punishment strap had meant: she’d be treated no differently by Madison’s parents than they treated their own daughter, and she had heard first-hand just how sound a spanking Madison’s mother could deliver. She couldn’t imagine the humiliation of having to bend over for either of Madison’s parents for a dose of the hated strap.

She tried unsuccessfully to put it out of her mind. She was only here for ten days. She had gone ten days without needing spanked before plenty of times. At least school anyway... her parents had always had high standards, and the firm opinion that a ‘pink-bottomed girl isn't thinking about mischief’. It hadn’t been formal maintenance spankings like she had gotten from Angela the RA; more a sliding scale for what misbehaviour warranted a spanking, with the threshold being smaller and smaller the longer she went without having a sound, tearful ‘chat’ over a parental lap

Madison seemed far from worried, rolling her eyes, crossing her arms and staring out the window as the gleaming steel and glass towers of downtown slowly faded to outlet malls and fast food, and finally to the neatly-trimmed lawns of suburbia. With the windows down and the city flying by Emily managed to forget her worries and her ‘needs’ after a while, and just relax. She had made it, safe and sound.

The house was larger than the one Emily shared with her parents; two full stories rather than a small split-level, with a wide porch that ran along three sides of the building. A two-car garage was attached to the house on the only side without a porch, though Madison’s father stopped the car in the driveway rather than pulling inside. Emily went around to the trunk and hefted her suitcase out; Madison’s father would have done it for her but Emily needed to seem independent, responsible, trustworthy... far more mature than the red-faced girl whose long, drawn-out paddling Madison’s whole family had witnessed at the beginning of the summer break.

Madison took the lead and Emily trailed behind her. The house was older but the main level was bright and modern; white walls and pale wooden floors led through to a tiled kitchen with shining steel appliances at the rear of the house. In the corner of the kitchen a polished wooden door opened to a narrow flight of stairs down to the basement, and Emily set her suitcase down just outside the door and followed Madison down. Compared to the bright and modern main floor the basement showed the house’s age. Faux-wood panelling that was fooling no-one lined the walls and faded green carpeting, worn pale in the centre from years of wear led through a small rumpus room, past a bathroom, laundry room, and utility room to Madison’s bedroom itself at the end of the hall.

The room was dim, the only light streaming from a narrow window above the bed, casting a weak, pale light through the dusty pane. The tacky wooden panelling persisted here too, but that wasn’t what drew the eye; the room was covered by Madison’s life in pictures. A gap-toothed Madison, no older than eight, holding up a fish next to her father; a tween Madison at horse camp, Madison with an understandably excited-looking young man posing before a high school dance, and on and on. From knee height to nearly as high as Emily could reach the walls were covered with pictures, mementos, movie tickets, certificates, notes, wristbands, and more.

They were in no particular order, but had she the time Emily could have traced Madison’s whole life, from diapers through to Rattangrove. While the rest of the basement felt drab and little-used this room was a riot of colour and life. From the corner of her eye Emily caught a flash of familiar blue and her breath caught in her throat. Smiling back at her, dressed in their matching blue uniforms were Khin, Aurora, even Angela... but most prominently Emily herself.

Emily smiled and tears pricked the corners of her eyes as the memories flooded back. The four of them the night they had stolen the wine, glassy-eyed and apple-cheeked in varying states of undress. Emily and Madison the night they had tried the cheap facial masks from the campus convenience store that had given them mild chemical burns. Madison and Aurora in their field hockey uniforms, Madison and Khin in the Switchboard, Madison and Emily posing and mugging on Santa Headmaster’s lap at Christmas... It had only been a few months but suddenly Emily missed her friends deeply.

Madison sat down on the bed. “So... what do you think?”

Emily took a moment to answer. She spent a good long minute looking over the pictures. A whole year at Rattangrove Academy: adventures and misadventures, enemies who became friends, spray paint and spankings. She had changed so much in only a few months. “It’s incredible...” Emily whispered at last.

Madison laughed and she patted the bed next to her. “Oh those aren’t the fun pictures... I couldn’t really have these hanging on the wall, but I think you’ll like them.” She whispered as Emily sat down beside her.

She slid a small photo album out from under her pillow and opened it in her lap. The very first page was striking; it was Khin, black cage and all, spread out nude on Madison’s bed, cage dripping and eyes burning with need. A casual observer might have missed it but Emily could see from the way Khin’s tiny black prison pushed away from her body that she was straining with all she had. Madison was adept at making a girl’s cage ache like that and Khin was by no means immune to her charms. It was incredible to see Khin this way; always so confident and mysterious, but the picture had captured the pleading desperation in her eyes.

She turned the page. Now it was Aurora, shy and blushing; her breasts barely peeking out from under the dun grey comforters every bed in their dorm had. Aurora was usually so cocky and assertive; to see her so soft... so shy... The next page was Fae from their floor, clearly not ashamed; eyes closed and face flushed as Madison teased her cute yellow cage with her fingers. Another page and it was a girl Emily didn’t recognize; free and hard, Madison grinning up at the camera around a mouthful of cock...

A floorboard creaked overhead and the door at the top of the stairs opened. Madison snapped the album closed and thrust it back under the pillow.

“Madison? Emily? We need to see you upstairs.” Madison’s mother’s voice called down.

Emily followed Madison up the stairs and back into the brightness of the kitchen where Madison’s parents were seated around the kitchen table; the earnest awkwardness of ‘we need to have a talk’ writ large across their faces. Emily had expected something like this and groaned inwardly. She’d had these sorts of ‘chats’ before slumber parties for years and it never got any less painful.

It was Madison’s father who addressed them first. “Now before you get settled; Madison has suggested that you sleep on the air mattress in her room downstairs...” he twisted the wedding band on his finger, his eyes on his hands and the tablecloth, not on either of the girls. “But if you’d feel more comfortable, there is the guest room upstairs as well. You’d have your own bathroom and a real bed...” he tailed off as Emily shared a look with Madison.

“I’ll take the air mattress.” Emily replied, without hesitation. “I came all this way to see Madison, and it’s not like we haven’t shared a room before. We’ll be quiet, I promise.” She tried a smile she hoped looked wholesome rather than predatory. Emily knew what she planned the second she got Madison alone but they didn’t need to be privy to that.

“Yes... yes of course.” Gerald answered with a nod. “And your parents gave us their assurances about your... situation, and a copy of your key for emergencies of course... b-but...” he was stammering now. He looked to his wife for help.

“We need to check, dear. Just make sure you’re safely locked away if you’re going to be sharing a room with Maddy.” Madison’s mother’s voice was warm but firm. Emily recognized the body language and her tone. She was definitely the disciplinarian in the house then. Good to know.

“Mom!” Madison gasped, taking Emily’s hand protectively.

“It’s not optional, Madison.” Her mother’s tone changed only the tiniest bit, but Emily could clearly hear ‘Don’t you push me, young lady’ in every syllable. Her voice softened as she turned back to Emily. “It’ll just be you and I, dear. Just a quick check, nothing I haven’t seen before...” This time Emily couldn’t hide her wince and it was Madison’s mother’s turn to be embarrassed “I-I... I mean I went to Rattangrove myself... when I was your age...” She blushed slightly and looked out the window above the kitchen sink. “I’m sure it’s nothing I didn’t see in the locker room back then.” She finished lamely.

Emily was willing to pretend that was what she meant all along if she just changed the subject.

Time to get this over with. She gave Madison’s hand a quick squeeze. “Alright...” Emily said, turning and unzipping the suitcase. She drew out the hated punishment strap as well as a small box of hopefully-unmelted chocolates. “My parents wanted you to have this...” she hesitated. She really didn’t need to tell them what it was for, did she? She decided to just gloss over it. “...and these, as a gift for letting me stay here while I’m visiting, ma’am.”

Madison’s mother rose and graciously accepted both the candy and the strap, placing the box of chocolates in front of her husband but keeping the strap. “Sonya is fine, dear. Shall we get it over with?” Her voice was warm, as was her hand when she placed it gently between Emily’s shoulder blades and guided her up the stairs. It was friendly enough, but there was no turning back unless she wanted to get right back on a train.

Sonya led her up to the second floor and down the hall to the master bedroom. The room was bright and spacious; an overstuffed chair in one corner, a large vanity against the wall, and a beautiful four-poster bed in the middle of the room. Sonya closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed, setting the strap on the floral-print bedspread beside her. Emily swallowed hard. Sonya really was gorgeous, but seeing her with the strap, she was intimidating as well. Her eyes were kind, but she carried herself with an unmistakable authority that reminded Emily of the Headmaster. She didn’t look intimidating; a beautiful woman in her mid forties, soft and curvy through her hips with a lovely smile; but she clearly expected obedience.

“Alright, sweetie. Skirt and panties off please, this won’t take more than a minute.” It was a polite request rather than a command, but the presence of the strap brooked no argument. She knew that after seeing her paddling that Sonya would be intimately familiar with her appearance, clothed or not, but it was still unnerving to have to disrobe in front of a near-stranger to be inspected.

Emily’s fingers trembled slightly as she took off her skirt, folded it neatly, and laid it on the bed next to Madison’s mother. The shape of her cage was unmistakable through her panties, and she regretted her choice of a somewhat racy pair, designed more for Madison’s approval than they were for comfort. If Sonya had any thoughts on her fashion choices she kept them to herself as Emily hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and slid them down to her ankles. She took a step forward and tucked her hands behind her back; she wasn’t being punished but old habits died hard.

Sonya leaned forward but didn’t say anything for a long moment. Emily couldn’t smell any trace of her earlier ‘excitement’ on the train and she hoped Sonya couldn’t either. “This is the Rattangrove standard pattern cage?” Sonya asked, finally. Emily nodded. “They’ve changed since I was a student; they used to have a padlock.”

“I-it’s a locking pin now.” Emily answered, hating the tremble in her voice. “Carbon steel ring and cage, with a titanium internal locking pin.”

Sonya reached out with her right hand, cupping Emily’s testes. Her hand was warm and soft. She weighed the tender orbs and gently stroked Emily’s carefully shaved skin with her thumb. “I like the new design; so elegant, and so petite. It looks positively adorable on you.” She looked up and met Emily’s eyes. “I can see why Madison was so... taken with you.”

Emily froze; almost expecting Sonya’s grip to tighten, but she just smiled up at her from the bed, never breaking eye contact and stroking Emily’s heavy, cum-fattened plums. “I....” She began. Could she lie to someone who quite literally had her by the balls? What was she supposed to say? That the RA had all but given up trying to keep Emily (and the rest of the quad) out of Madison’s bed? That Madison had made real nearly every fantasy of Emily’s that the cage allowed? That Madison had, in a moment Emily often went to bed thinking about, promised to take her virginity when she finally managed to get out of the cage?

A strange look passed across Sonya’s face, raising Emily’s anxiety even higher until she realized that she was struggling to hold back laughter. Finally it broke and Sonya giggled to the point she was wiping away tears. “Sorry... that was mean... I... I don’t have any illusions about Madison. I know who my daughter is, and she told me all about your time at school together.” She winked at Emily. “Well maybe not everything, but enough...”

Her face grew more serious. “That doesn’t mean that you two won’t be punished if I catch you in bed together. I don’t really care, so long as you’re wearing this,” she tapped Emily’s cage with a single fingernail; “but I promised your parents I would do my best to keep you out of trouble, and my daughter can most certainly be trouble.”

Emily nodded. What else could she do? They both knew she was going to end up in bed with Madison at some point, and that she would be punished if she got caught. They were going to have to be very quiet... Sonya palmed Emily’s spheres thoughtfully, almost weighing them in her hand. “I’ll be checking before you leave, Emily. I know you two are going to get into trouble, but I expect these little dears to be just as full when you go home as when you arrived, understood?”

Emily nodded. She wasn’t sure if Sonya could really tell from just the feel of them, but it probably wasn’t worth the risk. She shivered as Sonya picked up the strap in her free hand. “Mmmm... heavy, but still supple, excellent stitching...” She looked back up at Emily again. “I’d rather not have to use this, but if I think you’ve cheated your cute little cage I won’t hesitate to give you both a good tanning. Understood?”

Emily swallowed hard and nodded again. This conversation hadn’t gone the way she expected at all.

“You can get dressed, sweetie.” Sonya told her, standing up and crossing her arms, waiting while Emily got dressed. “Maddy wants to take you shopping, and I’m sure you’re eager to be off. Gerald and I will be out this evening for the Homeowners Association BBQ, but there are pizzas in the freezer.” Emily finished tucking her shirt into her skirt and nodded. They rejoined a worried-looking Madison and her father in the kitchen briefly before Madison snatched the car keys off of the kitchen table, took Emily’s hand and lead the way back out to the car.

It was a twenty minute drive back into the downtown core of Vennel City. Madison laughed when Emily had told her about her mother’s warning. “It never stopped me before!” she smiled from the driver’s seat. “In fact I’ve been seeing a guy; he’s small enough to slip through the window into my room, but big enough where it counts.” She put her hand on Emily’s bare knee and slowly slid it up, not quite to the small bulge in her panties, but close enough for her clit to begin to stir in her cage. “I could introduce you, if you like? My mom didn’t say anything about not getting caught in bed with someone else.” She grinned and gave Emily a wink.

Emily laughed. She had missed Madison terribly. While their friendship certainly had a sexual aspect, it was by no means the all there was; they had been roommates first, then lovers, and finally very close friends. “Is he cute?” Emily coaxed, fishing for details.

“Oh he’s very cute. His name is Curtis, he’s funny and a total goofball and... and honestly he makes me a little sad I’m going back to school in a few weeks... He asked to stay, to maybe think about moving in... I never really thought about dating just one person, but he’s been really sweet to me. I’ll miss him.”

Emily was quiet for the rest of the drive. Was Madison actually dating someone? Emily had never aspired to anything close to monogamy from Madison, but what they shared had seemed... special. Madison had slept around wildly at Rattangrove, but only Emily had been in her inner circle. This revelation changed everything and nearly sent Emily spiralling. Everything had started so well; the pictures, the cute new panties she had bought special just for the trip, falling back into their usual jokes... She had never expected any kind of loyalty from Madison, that had been clear from the beginning, but when she had someone in her life with the freedom to give her what Emily couldn’t... had she just been... a convenient diversion? Emily sulked in the passenger seat, the bright and beautiful day spoiled.

Madison had chosen a walking mall nearly three blocks long as their destination. Vennel’s former Financial District was filled with beautiful old banks and brokerages now converted to boutiques. “First, we need to get you out of that uniform, Emmy.” Madison scolded her as they walked into the first store; “It’s summer, and you have to get out of that thing.” Emily tagged along quietly behind her, still pouting, but her black mood didn’t last long.

One store became two, then three, then a dozen; by the time they had finished one side of the street and gone back to the car to drop off their purchases Emily was having fun again. At the second store they stopped in Madison found an outfit she had pronounced to be perfect for Emily: a simple, short sundress in bright yellow with cute wedge sandals. A little flirty, but not so revealing that her own, famously prudish mother would have objected. Carefully, Emily packed away her Rattangrove uniform in crisp white paper bag in favour of the new dress. Catching a glimpse of herself in the reflection of a store window, she gave a quick twirl; the dress showed off her long legs, accented by the slight lift of the sandals. She wasn’t quite in Madison’s league, but she’d turn a few heads of her own.

It was late afternoon with the sun beginning to hang low in the sky; pinks and oranges on the horizon heralding the beginning of evening as they reached the final shop Madison wanted to visit. By now, the dark cloud of jealousy had been all but banished. The inside jokes, the sly little jabs at classmates and quad-mates both friend and foe; they had relaxed back into the routines and roles they had built over a school year as roommates and friends. Emily felt better than she had in weeks, and all thoughts of the heavy punishment strap, Madison’s new squeeze, or even the throbbing inside her cage were forgotten.

Their final stop was a fast fashion clothing chain that took up the first three stories of a former law firm. The two quickly separated; Madison wanted to shop for jeans and Emily went searching for a new pair of ankle boots. She made her way up to the top floor, which was nearly deserted now; the store was close to closing and most shoppers had departed. Most of the floor was devoted to shoes, and Emily walked through the section but nothing really caught her eye. She had spent most of the money she had brought with her already, and she...

She stopped. On the other side of this floor was a small ‘intimates’ section. A few bins of panties, a couple racks of bras, and a couple mannequins in lingerie plus a rather bored-looking clerk weren’t exactly inspiring, but... Emily stopped to look in the mirror. Dark hair, blue eyes, unfortunate braces... but also good skin, the sandals made her legs look great, not a lot of bust to speak of, and somewhat narrow hips, but she was willing to admit she had a pretty great butt... Maybe... Maybe she just needed a little something to remind Madison that she might be locked but she still had something to offer.

With a quick look to make sure that Madison hadn’t joined her on the top floor, Emily approached the cashier. Her parents would never have approved of her buying or wearing this sort of thing, but they were a very long way away and she was filled with the tentative courage of being both heart-sick and cum-drunk.

The clerk was in her mid-thirties, with short chestnut hair and brown eyes, she looked up from folding clothes as Emily cleared her throat. Her voice was barely above a whisper; not because she was afraid of Madison discovering her plan and spoiling the surprise so much as feeling terribly ill-prepared to buy herself lingerie. She knew how it all worked, but on herself? With her chest that had never really filled out and stubbornly boyish hips? Would any of it look good on her?

“Hi, I... I was hoping I could get a little help?” The clerk smiled and nodded, and a little louder Emily continued. “I’m here visiting my... friend. And I was hoping to surprise her with something... special?” Emily risked a long look back at the escalator. “But she’s shopping downstairs and I don’t really know what I’m doing so...”

The clerk’s smile widened. “Looking for something glamorous?” She looked Emily over appraisingly. “Some stockings for those long legs of yours? Maybe a bustier to give your chest a little more oomph?” Emily nodded, not sure what to say. That all sounded good... flattering even, but what did she know?

“Head on into the changing rooms, I’ll pick out some things and pass them over the door to you. If someone comes looking, I’ll say I haven’t seen you.” She didn’t seem bored now, and her enthusiasm made Emily feel a bit better. She was a professional; she would make sure Emily didn’t make a complete fool of herself... right? She still felt a skittish urge to abandon this fool plan and run, but the clerk’s confidence in her ability to make Emily at least presentable made her feel a little better.

She was the only person in the changing rooms; the quiet was comforting and private. If she was making a fool of herself at least there would be no witnesses. Emily slid off her clothes and waited. A couple of long minutes passed before the clerk passed a small bundle over the door. “I can’t wait to see this on you!” she gushed. “Garter belt, stockings, panties, and when you’re changed I want to measure your bra size.”

Emily slipped on the garter belt and carefully rolled on the stockings. She’d worn pantyhose before, but nothing like these; they accentuated every curve, every hard earned muscle from soccer, cycling, even just running to class. If nothing else, she was keeping these. The panties were another story. They were cute; a black satin bikini cut edged with lace, but they were clearly not designed with her in mind. They had a little room in front, the fabric elastic enough that they would work for both cis and reasonably-petite free trans women, but they could not accommodate a rigid steel cage, even one as small as hers. As good as the stockings made her feel, the panties did nothing but draw attention to her particular challenges. She felt ridiculous.

The clerk was waiting with a measuring tape as Emily awkwardly shuffled out, and looked her over approvingly. “The stockings are perfect!” She beamed, before her eyes paused on Emily’s small bulge and the unmistakable outline of her cage. “Oh!” Her smile turned to a cheeky grin and she winked at Emily. “I haven’t had a customer with... that particular accessory... for a little while. I think we have something that will fit you, but let me get you measured first. Emily flushed at the knowing wink, and stammered her thanks as the woman quickly measured her and sent her back into the room.

A moment later, she passed over a pair of panties and a bra, both in the same black as the garter belt. “I hope these fit, they were the only pair we had in this colour that are designed to accommodate... your situation.” The clerk said, apologetically. “We have a lot more options on the website, but we don’t really get a lot of walk-in customers for this cut.” She sounded a little embarrassed, and Emily knew the feeling.

The bra was beautiful; lacy and elegant, but not even immodest enough that her mother could take issue with it, lace trim along the top did what it could to give her small chest some definition; it was even better than the stockings. The clerk clearly knew what she was doing but what had that wink meant? Emily felt her face grow hot. She knew there weren’t a lot of locked girls in Vennel City, was she just trying to boost her confidence or was there something more there? She slid on the panties, checked the mirror, and gasped. They... they were perfect.

There wasn’t really a ‘bulge’ to speak of; the panties fit her perfectly; her cage and plums nestled snugly in the sheer fabric. Even her Rattangrove panties, very much tailored with locked girls in mind, didn’t fit her this well. Emily ran her fingers over the soft, lacy little pouch and shivered. She had never felt so... beautiful. She was delighted, and definitely didn’t need a second opinion, but she was going to get one anyway.

“How’s this look?” she typed a quick text to Khin, hesitated a moment, and then added Aurora to the text as well. What was the point of having something like this if she couldn’t show it off?

Emily took a one last long minute to admire herself in the mirror. Maybe they didn’t have a lot of locked girls in Vennel City, but this particular locked girl looked incredible.

“Holy shit Em! Bring that with you when you come back in fall! <3” Emily smiled as the text came back from Khin. “I guess it does something for your chest, at least.” Aurora sent back. Nothing could spoil her mood now. She quickly changed, thanked the clerk, and paid; stuffing the small bag deep down inside a larger one where Madison wouldn’t notice it. She found Madison waiting for her by the door, and they left the store just as they closed for the night.

Artwork by VoidNosferatu