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Sayuri The Outlandish Exorcist (Story 1) /FF, F/F (Feet)

sageoftruth

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Sorry for taking so long to post another story. After the positive reception from the last one I really did not want to disappoint. I'm still working on editing my stories from The Bounty Huntress Chronicles, but a new idea hit me and I got sidetracked into writing this. I hope you enjoy.

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Sayuri The Outlandish Exorcist
Story 1: The Cure for Possession
(Sayuri)
Sayuri’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. There it was! The border crossing! Up ahead she saw a towering stone wall. The only way past it was through an open archway, hanging over a small square stone floor. It felt great to see something man-made after all this time alone in the wilderness. Two young men in chainmail and pointy silver helmets sat at the passageway, playing cards on a small table. After a full week of traveling on foot through no-man’s land, she was finally about to enter the west for the first time.

The swords hanging at their waists did little to discourage her. They were here to serve the public after all. Neither of them looked up from their game as she approached. Her wooden sandals clacked noisily against the stone floor and their heads immediately snapped up as if they’d both been sleeping. They looked up at the smiling woman standing before them and collectively sighed before setting down their cards.

“I apologize, am I bothering you?” Sayuri asked.

The larger of the two looked at her indignantly, then realized she was being serious. “Oh! No miss. We just weren’t expecting anyone. You’re the first visitor we’ve had from the east in months.”

“No kidding,” the other guard nodded. He looked her up and down as if she had grown an extra pair of arms. “What an odd outfit. Are you some kind of priestess?”

“A priestess? Hah!” the other laughed. “What kind of priestess wears a cloak with exposed shoulders? The church would eat her alive.”

“Well, maybe her church isn’t like our church!” the first guard shot back, with a hurt look. “How else do you explain an outfit like that? Those hanging detached sleeves, that tall black dome of a hat… Don’t tell me everyone in the east dresses like that.” His scrutinizing gaze returned to her face but ignored her eyes. “Come to think of it do they have skin like that as well? She looks like she’s made of snow. I heard it’s much colder over there. Do you think she’ll melt if we let her cross over?”

Sayuri watched in respectful silence as the two of them continued to chatter. Eventually they both remembered that she was still there, listening to everything they were saying. The two looked back and her and paused. “Um… we meant no disrespect, miss…” the smaller of the two said with his eyes barely meeting her gaze. “So, what brings you to our borders?”

Sayuri smiled. “I heard that the kingdoms over here have been having a problem with spirits and other creatures.”

The eyes of both guards lit up. One quickly turned to the other. “See? What did I tell you? She’s an exorcist, not a priestess.”

The other guard playfully shoved him away. “Oh, come off it! They’re practically the same thing.” Suddenly he gasped. “Wait! You mean she’s one of those ones who doesn’t serve the church? Aren’t they supposed to be wicked?”

Sayuri tilted her head. “Wicked? How so?”

The two guards exchanged glances and shrugged. “We dunno. It’s just something the church has been saying. Something about exorcists being as bad as they come, unless they do it in the name of the church.”

Sayuri stared blankly and scratched her head. “I… got some of that. My Finian’s a bit rusty. Is everything going to be all right?”

Again, they shrugged. “Can’t say, miss. Our job’s to stop criminals, invaders, and troublemakers, not sinners. You can go through. Just be careful who you talk to over here.”

Sayuri thanked them with a deep smile and bowed to them. They politely nodded back and parted so she could step through. “Welcome to the west, miss.” Nodding, she passed by. Just a few more steps and she would set foot in the west for the first time.

She came to the edge of the stone floor. Just ahead lay a thick, expansive bed of dark green grass. The view was breathtaking. A long winding dirt road meandered through trees unlike anything she’d seen back in the east. Purple-hued mountains loomed in the distance. Bushes and small lakes dotted the landscape and a warm gentle breeze ruffled her long dark hair.

The lush green grass looked very inviting. She slipped her feet out of her wooden sandals and set them on the ground. The stone floor felt warm beneath her fair soles. “Um, if your feet hurt from all the walking, you’re free to sit on a bench, miss,” one of the guards said.

Sayuri laughed warmly. “Thank you, but that is not the case. I just want to make the most of my first steps on western soil.” That was not entirely true. After a full day of walking in her wooden sandals, her feet ached tremendously, but she could not bear to postpone this new chapter in her life a moment longer. She set her bare foot down on a soft patch of grass, then followed up with the other and sighed.
The guards watched her with mildly amused looks. “So, how does the west feel miss?” one of the guards asked.

The grass felt damp with dew, but the ground beneath it was just as warm as the stone floor had been, giving her feet the perfect blend of warmth and coolness. “It feels like a new home,” she replied with a deeply serene smile. She reached back and scooped up her sandals before beginning her new adventure in the west.

* * *



(Emily)
In a tavern not far from the border, a slender young red-haired woman in a habit sat by the counter. A tall, lanky man with a bald head and stubble approached her from across the counter. “Welcome, back, Emily. May the Holy Father watch over you.”

Emily turned and acknowledged him with a nod. “And Holy Father’s Blessing be…” she paused. It had come out so suddenly, without any thought, but that was a phrase reserved for anointed members of the church, a title she no longer bore. “…um… thanks,” she replied instead, shifting her gaze back to the counter.

The barkeep paused and looked at her, then shrugged and went back to business. “So, what can I get you today, sister? I’m guessing you’re here for some Father’s Bourbon? A blessing and a drink in one.”
Emily eyed the bottle. On the front was a picture of an open hand held out as if it were welcoming a handshake. Idly, she reached into her satchel and fished out a necklace she used to wear. A brass carving of the exact same hand dangled from the thin golden chain. Hastily, she slipped it back into her satchel. “Please put that away for now, she said, waving dismissively at the bottle. What do the people here normally drink?”

Slowly, he returned the bottle to its spot on the shelf while eyeing her warily. “I suppose an Iron Dragon will do.” He poured the drink from a gray bottle, never taking his eyes away from her. “You seem different, Emily. Has something happened?” His eyes then fell on her neckline, noting the absence of her order’s pendant. His eyes expanded, and a weak gasp escaped his lips. “Holy Father’s mercy! Don’t tell me they’ve…” His words cut off and he struggled to hammer the point home with gestures and nods.

Emily was about to nod, when a young man in a brown robe approached her. Calmly, he seated himself next to her. As he leaned forward, a gold chain tumbled out of his collar, bearing the open palm of the Holy Father. “A Father’s Bourbon for me please,” he said to the barkeep.

Nodding, the barkeep hurried back to the shelf and poured his drink, while avoiding the gazes of both his patrons. “I found you, Sister Emily,” the visitor said. “Or, I guess it’s just Emily now. I see you’re still wearing you habit.”

Emily turned her head slightly to acknowledge him “It’s been less than a day since my excommunication. Do think I’ve had the time or money to shop for new clothes?”

The man looked at her with pity in his eyes. “Emily, what you did today was reckless. I know your father was an exorcist, and it must hurt to hear the high priest denounce exorcism in front of you.”

Emily sighed. As she sat up on the bar stool, she let one of her leather sandals dangle from her lightly freckled foot and toyed with it idly. “To be precise, Brother Eric, he was not denouncing ALL exorcism, so no, I did not feel like my father was under attack.” She grinned sardonically. “He was only speaking against exorcism that does not serve to line the pockets of the church.”

Eric winced and gripped the open hand on his chain. “You should watch your words, Emily. The Holy Father is listening. Despite your misgivings, did you have to announce them in front of the high priest himself? To criticize him is to criticize the words of the Father.”

Emily shifted in her barstool and turned to face him directly. “I have no qualms with the Holy Father. However, the high priest was not echoing the words of the Father. They were the words of greed. All he was trying to do was give the church a monopoly on exorcism.”

Brother Eric slammed his hand on the counter. “You heard him just as well as I did! Exorcism involves dabbling in the spirits of darkness. Without the Holy Father’s guidance, all exorcists will be led astray down the path of sin. This is no attempt to sweep away our competition. The Father was merely trying to protect his children.” Eric leaned in towards her. “Emily, Sister Emily, many in the church still respect you. Your father - Holy Father watch over him - was a great servant of the Holy Father’s will, and since his passing, your dedication in his stead has inspired hundreds.” His hand clamped over her wrist. Startled, her sandal fell from her big toe and clattered on the floor. “It’s not too late to repent. Take back what you said and I and many others will do what we can to see that you are welcomed back with open arms.”

Emily rubbed her bare foot against her other leg as she considered his offer. Even though everything had happened only a day ago, it had taken her weeks to reach this decision. The idea of returning to the safety and security of the church’s good graces tempted her. However, she could not forget what she had seen, hidden away in her own father’s study. The Holy Father himself would frown upon such self-delusion. She knew she was doing the right thing.

“I appreciate your offer, but my mind is made up.” She jerked her wrist free, slipped down from the bar stool and slipped her foot back into its sandal. “Give me time, and soon you too will see that I was right, Brother Eric. So long.” She laid a handful of coins on the counter and briskly walked out of the tavern.

The barkeep watched her leave with concern in his eyes. “How reckless. I can’t believe this happened to her of all people. I imagine losing her will be a great loss. Is she going to be okay?”
Brother Eric shrugged. “That’s all up to her I’m afraid. I’ll be praying for her.”

* * *

Beyond the village borders, Emily trudged through the grass, feeling far less confident than she had let on back at the bar. The high priest’s written letter that she’d found in her father’s study may have been proof enough to her that the church was corrupt, but she knew she would need something more solid than that if she was to challenge the high priests. She needed more than just written proof. She needed supporters. People who would lend credibility to her claim.

Just then up ahead, something or someone caught her eye. A woman. Too big to be a child, but smaller than any adult woman Emily had ever met. Straight black hair cascaded down her head like smooth black skirt, ending just below her shoulders, and where her hair ended, her outfit seemed to continue as an odd white cloth dress, flowing down her slender body and ending at a baggy red skirt where two bare feet, white enough to put Emily’s fair complexion to shame, poked out at the bottom and gracefully strode down the pathway with tremendous spring in their step.

Emily could not bring herself to look away. Every time she considered it, she was struck with the sense that if she did, she’d never see anyone like this again. Everything from the woman’s outlandish appearance to the sheer wonder every mundane thing around her elicited from her oddly-slanted black eyes, made her come across as someone from another world.

Emily was still staring, when she noticed the woman had stopped and was standing right in front of her. Emily then realized she was standing in the woman’s way. Her feet moved to step aside, but the woman merely smiled up at her. If she was waiting for Emily to do something her face hid that desire well.

“Can… I help you?” Emily asked.

The woman startled her by bowing. “Greetings, westerner. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am lost. Can you help me?”

“Of course,” Emily replied. “The Holy Father always extends a hand to those who are lost.”

The woman eyed her curiously. “I’m sorry. The Holy who?”

Emily cursed under her breath. It appeared her old habits as a nun would take some time to ease out of. “Oh no one. Well, our lord and protector, if you really need to know,” she explained as she returned to her old sardonic self. “Anyway, I said I’d help you, so where are you hoping to travel?”

The woman tilted her head and rubbed her chin, slowly repeating Emily’s words in her head. “Ho-ping to tra-vel.”

Emily stared at her with her hands on her hips. What was this woman doing? “You understood me right?” The woman smiled sheepishly and shook her head.

“Oh really? Your Finian was perfect up until now.”

Sayuri nodded. “Oh, yes. I studied it at my academy. I can speak it just fine, but I have trouble understanding it when other people use it.”

“Oh.” Emily went through the sentence in her head again. “Ok. Where do you want to go?”

The woman beamed. It was the warmest smile Emily ever could have expected from a face the color of snow. “Thank you very much, kind westerner. I am looking for a lake.”

“A lake?” Emily scratched her head, ruffling the dark blue cloth from her habit. “Well, I know of one nearby. It’s this way.” Again, the woman stared blankly at Emily, so she motioned for the woman to follow and led the way along a trail of moss. “So, you’re from the east?”

She heard a startled gasp behind her. “How did you know? Is it that obvious?”

Emily grinned deeply, barely stifling a rude giggle. “Well, no one from here would ever call me ‘westerner’. What brings you beyond our borders – er, I mean, why are you here?” Emily heard an excited intake of breath before the woman drowned her in every little detail regarding what brought her name, her profession, and where she came from.

“…and so, after I left the exorcism academy, I was told that my talents would be of much greater use in the west. I was given lessons in Finian, provided with supplies and sent on my way.”

“And you didn’t bother to ask why, um… Sayumi?”

“Sayuri,” she corrected. “And, the thought never crossed my mind. My master looked so encouraging, and everyone seemed so happy about his decision, that I just nodded and headed west.”
Emily eyed her with concern. Maybe she was some special exorcist, sent here to spread the good will of the academy. Of course, if the people in the east were as indifferent to the west as the west was to the east, odds were they just wanted to send her to a place where she could not cause trouble. She shrugged and continued forward. Once her good deed was finished, she’d be on her way and she would not have to worry about this woman ever again.

“There it is,” Emily said, pointing ahead towards a clear body of water, decorated with lily pads and surrounded by ferns and foliage. “What do you need a lake for?”

“Oh, nothing special. I just need to give my feet a quick wash,” Sayuri explained as she seated herself by the edge of the lake.

Emily nodded, but then her head snapped up. “Wait, did you just say…?”

“The soft ground here has been heaven for my feet…” she continued. She pulled back her red skirt slightly, extended a leg and held out her foot, revealing a black and brown coating on her toes, heel, and the ball of her relatively small foot. “…but as you can see, a pleasant barefoot walk outdoors has its price.”

A trickle of disappointment washed over Emily. “So that’s why you wanted a lake. I should have known. We’ll have to go somewhere else then. You don’t want to bathe in this lake.”
In a flash, Sayuri was on her feet again. “I cannot bathe in this lake? Is it haunted?”

“No, it’s just…” Before Emily could finish, Sayuri was already wading into the lake. The clear shallow water swallowed her feet and tugged at her skirt, but she was not bothered by it.
“Stand back! I’m a trained exorcist. This is not a matter for innocents!” Sayuri warned. Emily tried to dissuade her, but Sayuri either did not hear her, or did not understand her. Eventually Emily gave up and watched. If the woman wouldn’t listen, she could find out the truth herself.

Up to her knees in water, Sayuri slowly walked through the lake, eyes darting everywhere. “Where are you evil spirit? I can sense you.” Suddenly, she blinked and stared down at the water beneath her.”
Emily craned her neck and tried to look below the clear water. As expected, a spattering of small red dots could be seen. “Looks like the minnows are nibbling again,” she murmured.
Right on cue, Sayuri came to an abrupt stop, put her hand to her mouth and giggled. A small, harmless giggle, but the harmless nibbling on her feet continued and so did the giggling. “Hehehehehee whahahahat is thihihihihissss?” she asked between giggles. She placed one foot on top of the other, attempting to protect herself.
“Don’t do that,” Emily warned her from the shore. “It just gives them easier access to your soles.”

Aahaahhahahahahaa!” Sayuri responded, confirming Emily’s warning. The red dots by her feet increased in quantity as more minnows flocked to her, until it looked like her feet were completely concealed inside a thick red cloud.

Emily shuddered as the watched. That had to tickle. She recalled when she and her childhood friends used to see who could hold their feet in the lake the longest. Once the red cloud formed, it was over for most of them. However, Sayuri still had not moved from her spot. She merely stood there, hugging her sides and laughing herself senseless.

“Come ashore!” Emily shouted. “They can’t get you here!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Sayuri replied, shaking her head as a tear ran down her cheek, and her snow white complexion began to turn a very light shade of red.
“Come ashore!” Emily repeated, louder this time. Nothing. Was her foot caught? The thought of being trapped barefoot among those fish sent a brief shudder through her body. “Are you stuck?” she asked. No reply, aside from more laughter. She cautiously approached the water. It had been years since the last time she’d dipped her toes in there. She reached into her satchel, pulled out her golden chain and gripped the golden Open Hand tightly. “Holy Father protect me,” she murmured. It felt ironic, since willfully submitting herself to tickling was denounced as debauchery by the church. Then again, the church no longer represented the Holy Father’s will as far as she was concerned. Besides, she was doing this to help someone in need.

She rolled her skirt up past her knees, slipped her feet out of her sandals and waded in barefoot. She hated leaving her soles unprotected for this ordeal, but it was better than risking walking out of the lake with a sandal or two resting at the bottom. She gasped as the cool water’s touch sent a chill up her fair toes and all the way to her knees. “Protect me… protect me…” she repeated as she entered the lake.
Eventually her feet were completely submerged. There, I did it, she thought, as she ceased her prayers and focused on the task ahead. The sight of the red cloud made her grip her golden pendant even tighter.

Debauchery is a grave sin in the eyes of the Holy Father, the high priest’s words echoed in her head. She came to a halt, then shook her head in defiance. After the incendiary things she’d said to the high priest in front of the entire church assembly, what harm was a little accidental “debauchery”? She felt her feet move again, but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing something terribly wrong.
It was not long before she felt the first nibble, somewhere on the top of her left foot. Just a minor tingle, then another joined in on the side of her right foot, and another on her ankle. She inhaled sharply through her teeth, pinched her eyes shut and shook her head.“No…no… no…” she murmured as she forced herself to continue.

Then two more swam in between her feet and started nibbling the side of her right foot. “Eeeeee! Whyheeeehehehehe!” she giggled. Thanks to her high arch, they may as well have been nibbling the bottom of her sparsely freckled foot. She gripped her pendant tighter, but it felt less like she was being protected and more like she was the target of some divine practical joke.

More and more small red dots broke away from the cloud around Sayuri’s feet to take a nibble at Emily. Her toes were the next victim. First she felt a nibble just below the front of her big toe, which made her gasp. Then, another came in on the side of her pinkie. “Ohohoho Father! Oh Fahahahahahather! Hahahaa!” she laughed. More and more came, bringing more tingles and more laughter. She could not keep her feet still any longer. She stood on her toes, balanced on her heels, walked on the outer-sides of her feet… Each time, it proved to be a huge mistake as she opened up new areas for fresh nibbling.
Soon, she was no longer merely walking. She kicked one foot, then the other, hopped on her toes, and flailed her arms, all the while laughing nonstop. Impatient to get this over with, she attempted to leap forward in the water, but her skirt unrolled itself in the commotion and joined with the water, tugging at her legs, and turning her desperate leap into a clumsy face-plant into the water with a huge splash.
On her knees and completely drenched, she pulled hear head free of the water, resisting the tug against the fabric of her hood. She just got breath of air when she felt a plethora of nibbles run up the soles of both her feet and howled laughter to the sky. She wanted to kick herself for choosing not to bring her sandals, even though they most likely would have been resting at the bottom of the deepest part of the lake by now.

Strands of wet red hair hung over her face, and her habit felt as heavy as a suit of armor with all the water it had absorbed, but she forced herself to her feet and savored the lessening of her suffering once the soles of her feet were once again resting safely against the ground beneath the lake. Once her unladylike howling had returned to a frustrated giggle, she forced herself to continue forward.
Just a few feet ahead stood Sayuri, completely doubled over, with her ink black hair hanging over her now beet red face. More than half of her foreign dress clung damply to her body. Her eyes were pinched tightly shut as she stood there and endured the ticklish attention from an entire school of fish.

As Emily approached Sayuri, she saw the red cloud just a few steps in front of her. She was laughing too hard to say a final prayer, so she grabbed her pendant and brought it to her lips as a final encouragement before she took the plunge. She took a final step and her foot was engulfed in a cloud of red. The red cloud was just as unbearable as it had been when she was a girl. Countless tiny nibbles completely engulfed her feet, reaching absolutely everywhere that could be reached. “FATHER! FAAHAHAHAHATHEHEHEHEHEHERRRR!” she shrieked. She stumbled forward, nearly bowling Sayuri over.
She immediately found herself in a new quandary. How was she going to get Sayuri free? A problem easily solved by a calm and collected mind, but right then, she felt about as calm and collected as a live pig hanging over an open fire. She stamped her feet, wildly sloshing the water around her, but the fish could not be shaken off. “AHAHAHAHA SOHOHOMEBODY HEHEHEHELP MEEEEE! HAHAHAHA!” she laughed.
Thankfully someone did. To her surprise, Sayuri took the initiative and grabbed her wrist. “Thihihis wahahahay!” she choked, dragging Emily with her. Together, they moved from the lake. Unfortunately, the red cloud followed them every inch of the way, tickling their heels, toes, ankles and arches nonstop.

As they neared the shore, Emily’s foot found a particularly mossy rock and she slipped onto her knees. Once again, the fish wasted no time exploring the full area of both her upturned soles. She tried to move, but her body refused, as if the weight of her damp habit had suddenly become too heavy to stand in. “EEEEEEAAAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHO! STAAPIT! HAHAHAHAHA!” she laughed. The hood of her habit fell back, and her curly red hair completely covered her face like a damp red rag. “PLEHEHEHEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING!!” she begged to anyone who could possibly be listening.

Suddenly, the fish dispersed and the heaviness that weighed her down had vanished. Sayuri pulled her to her feet. Practically supporting each other, they stumbled onto dry land and as soon as they felt the soft welcome tickle of grass, they fell onto their backs. “Father… forgive me…” Emily panted.

“Why are you apologizing?” Sayuri asked.

“I’ll explain later. All I know is, after everything I just went through, I know I must have done something to upset Him at some point today.”

The two of them gratefully slipped their thoroughly tickled feet back into their sandals and found a nearby tree to recline against. “Phew! That was exhilarating,” Sayuri commented.
Wrinkled her nose in response. “Not the word I would use. So, what happened? Did your foot get stuck?”

Sayuri shook her head. “Oh, no. I suppose I just got… carried away?”

Emily raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You what!?”

“Oh! Did I say it wrong? That’s how you Finians say it right?” Sayuri asked.

“So, you were standing there, and enduring that by choice?” Emily asked. Sayuri did not respond. “ON PURPOSE!?” Emily repeated.

“Oooh! Yes, that’s right,” Sayuri nodded. “It was such a rush. That’s why you came too right?”

Emily did not respond. She looked down at her habit. It clung to her tightly as water dripped from it. Her chest looked firmer than usual. Abruptly, she turned away and focused on wringing out her skirt. Anything to forget about what had just happened.

She turned to the ‘sinner’ sitting next to her and shook her head in disbelief. Perhaps the church had been right about freelance exorcists. Sayuri certainly made a good case for it after her stunt. Emily knew that if she was wrong to defend unsanctioned exorcism, she would need to return to the church and repent soon.

“I’m exhausted,” Sayuri commented. “Do you know of a place where we could rest?”

Emily looked down at Sayuri. Her first thought was to leave without a word and return home, but as soon as she stood, her legs began to wobble. Carefully, she steadied herself against a tree. On tired legs like these, walking across town to get home was out of the question. She turned to Sayuri. “I know of an inn that’s close by. If you’ll help me walk there, I’ll show you the way.”

* * *

The two of them were greeted by a large wooden sign with a bed on it, followed by a cheap-looking inn. Emily had spent the last of her coins at the bar, so Sayuri used the money she’d been lent to buy a cheap room for both of them to share.

They ate a modest dinner at a large wooden table shared by many travelers. Sayuri shocked Emily as she rudely slurped down a bowl of porridge, all while continuing to chat about her life at the academy. Emily merely stared at her plate and ate in silence.

As the two of them turned in for the night, she contemplated going back to the church. After all, she’d shown Sayuri the hospitality commonly owed to an outsider. Once dawn broke, she would leave on her own. Sayuri would have to find, a new guide.

The two of them looked around as they entered their room for two. It had little in the way of decoration, aside from some curtains for the window, and red blankets for the bed. The two of them left their damp clothes hanging by the window, changed into their nightgowns and lay down.

Emily heard the light slap of Sayuri’s feet on the wooden floor and turned to see the exorcist standing over her. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Sayuri bowed deeply. “I would like to thank you for your hospitality today. I felt very welcome and hope that we may continue to foster a good relationship. I can sleep comfortably knowing you are by my side.”

Emily felt taken aback by the sudden formality. “Oh! Thanks. Goodnight, Sayuri.”

“Goodnight,” she whispered back.

Emily sighed, rolled over and closed her eyes when she heard Sayuri leave her side. “Easterners,” she mumbled to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Late that night, Emily’s eyes snapped open. She pulled away the blanket on her bed and stood up. Was this a dream? She felt wide awake, but her body was moving on its own. She tried to move, but it felt like trying to operate a puppet without its strings. She watched helplessly as she rose from her bed and tip-toed over to Sayuri’s bed. The wooden floorboards barely made a sound under her bare feet. Whoever was in control of her was far more light-footed than she could ever be.

Sayuri lay asleep in her blanket. Emily’s hand gave the blanket a quick poke to see if it would wake her. Sayuri did not move, and whoever was in control of Emily’s face grinned. Abruptly, she grabbed both ends of the blanket and tore it off the bed. Sayuri lay face-down in her nightgown, sleeping peacefully.

Emily watched as her body climbed atop Sayuri and straddled her between her legs. This is not me. I am not doing this. she told herself. She reached down and tickled both feet at once using her nails. Despite having no control of her body, she felt the warmth from Sayuri’s feet, and heard the surprised squeal her nails drew from her captive exorcist.

Suddenly, she felt a soft tickle on the back of her neck. She wanted to giggle, but her mouth did it for her. She wheeled around and saw Sayuri stranding in front of her. “Oh, Sayuri!” her mouth exclaimed. “It’s you!” She looked down at the bed and saw Sayuri still lying face-down. H…how did you do that?”

“Oh, it’s just a trick of mine,” she replied. “An astral projection, created from my own spiritual essence. It’s a great decoy for trapping spirits.”

“I… I see,” Emily’s mouth replied. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. “That was an impressive trick. It looks like you got me. I was just pulling a prank.”

Sayuri continued her usual smile, but her eyes turned fierce. “I’m sure you were. There is one little thing that bothers me, though. An astral projection, much like a ghost, is incorporeal. A normal person’s hand would pass right through it.” Sayuri reached into a pocket in her nightgown. “…So, there are two possibilities. Either you’re a ghost disguised as Emily, or you’re a spirit that has possessed her body, much like the spirit I found at the lake.” She withdrew her hand and held out a long thin paintbrush with black ink. “It’s time to seal you away.”

Emily’s eyes glowered at her. “You cunning little devil!”

“You’re an old spirit, I take it? Possessing an entire school of fish is not something any spirit can do.” Sayuri waggled her brush as if she was chastising the spirit. “Thanks to the spiritual aura I project, I was able to lure you to me in the lake, but exorcising an entire school of fish was difficult with my methods. It should be far easier now that you’re in one body.”
The spirit slowly backed away, using Emily’s legs, but smirked suddenly. “You said your astral projection came from your essence, correct?” Reaching back, Emily’s hands returned to the projection of Sayuri’s feet and resumed tickling them.

The real Sayuri gasped and held out her hand in protest as her entire body appeared to curl up on itself. “No wait! Nohohohohoho!” She stood on her toes and randomly kicked her feet as if she were shaking off an invisible assailant, but the astral projection’s feet remained motionless as the spirit continued to tickle them.

“I was unable to break your spirit before, but I’ll give you another chance. Submit to me. Lend me your body,” the spirit beckoned. “Think of the spiritual power we could wield together.”
Forcing herself to her feet, Sayuri rushed the spirit, brush extended in a clumsy attempt to retaliate, but Emily’s body dodged the attack, batted away the brush, and pinned the real Sayuri to the ground. Where did I get this strength from? Emily wondered to herself.

With one hand, she pulled down Sayuri’s collar and used her nails to tickle Sayuri’s pure white neck. “Eeeeeee! Nohohohoho!” Sayuri laughed as she banged her fist on the floor and tried to curl into a ball.
“I know you have a limit somewhere. Surrender your body now, before I find it, you…” All of a sudden, an intense shock seized Emily’s body. She toppled off of Sayuri and fell to the floor.

* * *

Emily awoke in a daze. She blinked and tried to rub her eyes. She was able to blink, but something kept her wrists tied down. Still, it beat having someone else at the helm of her body. As her vision cleared, she saw that she was seated in a wooden chair in the corner of the bedroom they’d rented. Her wrists had been tied to the chair’s arms, while her ankles were bound to the front legs.

“Ah, you’re awake!” Sayuri said, in her cheery tone. “I take it you’re the real Emily, now?”

“I guess so,” Emily replied. “Is that spirit thing gone?”

Sayuri shook her head. “It’s still inside you. It’s just hiding now that I have it at a disadvantage.”

Emily tried to recall everything she’d seen. “How did you beat it? It looked like you were losing when I last watched.”

Sayuri laughed. “Oh, I’d already won before it even saw the real me. While it was distracted with my projection, I painted a symbol of sealing on the back of your neck. I just needed to wait for it to take effect.”

Emily recalled the stroke she’d felt while her hands had been tickling fake Sayuri. “Impressive. But, why provoke the spirit, if you needed to buy time?” Sayuri blushed in response, and Emily rolled her eyes. “I suppose you got ‘carried away’ again?” Just then a new realization hit her. “Wait! Am I going to be okay? Will I have to spend the rest of my life like this?”

Again, Sayuri shook her head. “No need to worry. I’ll have you free of that spirit really soon.” She gestured towards the floor, where an odd circular symbol had been drawn in chalk. “I just finished creating a portal to the spirit world. Now, it’s just a matter of coaxing the spirit to enter.”

Emily breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the Father.” She tried to recall everything her father had mentioned about exorcism when she was young. “What must be done? Is it some sort of ritual, or must you help the spirit find peace so it can depart free of regrets?”

Sayuri scratched her head. “Is that how you westerners do it? That sounds like a lot of unnecessary work.”

Emily tilted her head. “So, how do you do it?”

Sayuri’s expression turned serious. “I’ll need your cooperation. Are you ready to assist me in your exorcism?”

Emily had never been more certain of anything in her life. “Of course! What can I do?”

Sayuri leaned forward. “Where are you most ticklish?”

Emily balked. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious,” Sayuri insisted. “Be honest with me. Where can I tickle you that would drive you absolutely crazy?”

“This isn’t funny,” Emily argued. A mild mix of fear and anger stirred within her. “Don’t joke around! This is serious!”

“The more honest you are, the faster I’ll have you free of the spirit,” Sayuri stated tersely. “Will you tell me or not?” To Emily’s surprise, she looked dead serious.

Emily eyed her sternly. “You’d better not be lying about this.” She sorely wished her hands were free so she could grasp her pendant for comfort. “It’s… my feet. Don’t you dare make a show of this, okay?”
Sayuri nodded. Slowly she tipped over the chair until Emily lay on her back and her fair, shapely feet hung in the air, already twitching as they anticipated the ‘exorcism’. “Please get this over with quickly!” she begged.

“That depends on how ticklish your feet are,” Sayuri said matter-of-factly. She held aloft her left hand, and a hairbrush in her right hand. “Myooooooooooooo!” she chanted in a steady drone. Emily felt a heat radiating from Sayuri as she finished her ritual. “Now, everything you feel, the spirit shall feel as well, even when it is not in control of you.”

Unceremoniously, she walked up to Emily, grabbed her right foot with one hand and furiously scrubbed it with the hairbrush she’d empowered. Emily was not ready for this, and fear quickly gave way to panic. “NGRAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WAIT WAHAHAHAHAIT! NOOHOHOHO! STAHAHAHAP YOU CURSED EASTERNER! HAHAHAHAHAHA!” She whipped her red locks against the floor repeatedly as she shook her head back and forth.

Ignoring Emily’s furious protesting, Sayuri released her grip on Emily’s ankle and used her nails to tickle the other foot. Rhythmically, she stroked, thumb, pointer, middle, ring, and then pinkie, and then back to thumb again, following the pointing and flexing of her foot with startling precision. “Come out, spirit. I know you want to come out,” she chanted.

“PLEHEHEHEHEASE! I’LL KILL YOOHOHOHOHOHOU! YOU DAMN HARLOT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHORE!” The Holy Father Himself, church notwithstanding, would have been disgusted with her ungraceful display, but she did not care. If she wasted any effort on restraint, she was certain she would go mad.

“And we are finished,” Sayuri smiled, looking like she had just finished a routine checkup. “The spirit has departed to the realm of spirits and you are a free woman.” She leaned forward and looked Emily in the eye. “How do you feel?”

The soles of Emily’s feet were both bright red, her hair needed to be brushed again, her gown smelled of sweat, her vision had gone blurry from all the tears she’d shed, and she felt utterly exhausted. “I’ll manage,” she replied.

She tilted her head downward and looked at her neckline. Her breasts had gone perky again. “Father help me,” she groaned to herself.

* * *

The next morning, the two of them bathed, ate breakfast and left at the firm insistence of the innkeeper who had received many noise complaints. Emily looked at Sayuri with uncertainty. Last night had been miserable for her, but also incredible. Witnessing an exorcism first-hand was something she’d wanted ever since she was a child.

Doing her best to calm the excitement within her she turned to Sayuri as they walked out of the inn together. “So that was not just a hunch when you wandered into the lake? You could actually sense a spirit?” she asked.

Sayuri nodded. “Spirits are dangerous, so it’s often best to avoid being too direct with them. I feigned ignorance and pretended not to know you’d been possessed at the lake, just so the spirit would think it had the element of surprise on its side.” Emily nodded approvingly.

“To think that my friends and I spent our entire childhood playing with a lake spirit…” she mumbled.

“What’s that?” Sayuri asked.

“Nothing.” Emily looked down at her habit. It was dry again, but it had lost much of its bagginess. She felt a pressure in her chest, and her midriff now peeked out from beneath her tunic, while her long blue skirt had gone from covering her ankles to barely reaching her knees. “I’m going to need a new outfit. Do spirits curse habits by any chance?”

Sayuri laughed. “No, it looks like yours just shrank overnight.”

Emily sighed. “Well, I can’t afford another one. The church used to cover all my expenses.”

“Used to what?”

“Buy me things!”

“Oh.” Sayuri stared at the cobblestone road in front of her as they walked in silence. “Well, if I can get hired to perform an exorcism, I could buy you a new outfit.”
Emily looked ahead and spotted the familiar stone archway, stained glass windows and giant stone hand of the local church. “Thanks, but I have another idea. Wait here.” Emily turned away from the bewildered Sayuri and headed inside.

The giant wooden double doors swung shut behind her, blocking out the busy chatter and animals bleating from outside. Her leather sandals created a dull echo as she walked along the stone floor. Up ahead stood a line of townspeople dressed in their finest outfits. At the doorway to the chapel, Brother Eric greeted each of them as they filed in. He looked up from them and his eyes lit up as he spotted Emily.
They then widened as he saw the rest of her.

“Emily. I’m glad to see you today, although you certainly are not dressed for church today are you?”

Emily regarded him with a wry grin. “It’s a long story.”

“I… see,” Eric nodded, trying his best not to stare. “Well, what brings you here today?”

Emily smiled up at him. “I was looking to see if I could get a new habit, and perhaps an altar for repentance.”

Eric could hardly keep himself from jumping for joy. “Wonderful! I knew you would finally see reason. The church will be thrilled to have you back.” His eyes darkened suddenly as an old man in a robe stepped into the room.

“Brother Eric, step away from that apostate immediately,” he ordered. His eyes narrowed as he approached Emily and his nose wrinkled as he saw the state of her outfit. “Hmph! An apostate and a harlot. Do you truly expect forgiveness for what you said two days ago?”

Emily met his gaze, but she could not summon the words to respond. Thankfully, Eric came forward. “Please, High Father. She has seen the error of her ways and wishes to repent. She harbored you no ill will, she was merely misled.” Emily did not exactly agree, but she knew it was in her best interest to keep quiet, so she nodded silently.

The High Priest placed a wrinkly hand on Eric’s shoulder. “I appreciate your enthusiasm for redemption, Brother Eric, but this woman harbors a dark and rebellious soul. Her soul cannot handle the purity required to be a sister of our church.”

Eric opened his mouth, but this time he had no words. However, Emily could stay silent no longer. “‘Purity’ you say? That’s rich coming from you.”

* * *

Sayuri sat outside on a stone bench, doing her best to ignore the stares she was drawing from everyone. Unless she managed to find a change of clothes and a mask, she figured she would have to get used to being stared at. Easterners were not common here at all.

Up ahead, the double doors of the church swung open, and Emily approached her. Her hair had gone a bit frizzy and her hood hung loosely on her back. In her hand she held a bag filled with blank parchments and a quill. Her face had darkened slightly, but her expression softened as she saw Sayuri. “Is everything all right?” Sayuri asked.
Emily shrugged. “Well, I’ve lost any chance of being welcomed back to the church. I’m now officially and permanently a heretic.”
Sayuri hung her head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

However, beneath her bitterness, Emily still hid her wry smile. “Well, it wasn’t all for nothing. I managed to talk an old friend into giving me some parchment.”
Sayuri stared at her blankly. “Parchment? What for?”

Emily giggled. “Starting today, I’m your new chronicler. Together, we’re going to solve people’s problems, win them over, and once everyone sees that exorcists aren't bad people, I'll use that to help expose the church for the corrupt institution it really is.”

Sayuri smiled uncertainly. “Oh, that’s great… Isn’t it?”

“I’m going to depend on you now.” Emily looked down at her with a hint of mild criticism in her eye. “You’re a bit offbeat, and have some quirks and methods that the church would frown upon, but I have faith that you’re ultimately a force for good. Don’t disappoint me, okay?”

Not knowing what else to say, Sayuri merely nodded.

“Excellent,” Emily replied, patting Sayuri firmly on the back. “Let’s be off then. Let us begin the journey of Sayuri, the Outlandish Exorcist.”
 
Hey hey. Truth be told, as soon as I saw the title, I had a feeling I was in for a story better than the norm :)

Happy to see you writing again! I'll be glad to chip in a few tickle story tips mixed with a few more general comments about writing. General comment 1: adverbs are something best avoided almost all the time. Generally speaking, adverbs are the tool of a lazy writer. They tell the reader how to think: he spoke 'indignantly', she smiled 'uncertainly', she looked at her 'sternly'. What you could be doing instead is actually describing said event to help the reader visualise what is happening. He spoke in a tight, low voice, frowning. Her smile was shaky, and it did not quite reach her eyes. She crossed her arms and fixed her with a piercing, stern gaze (notice I still used the word stern, but just added a bit more detail. It links into the whole show not tell things we talked about last time, which speaking of which, I really like how you talked about the exorcist's clothing, too.

In terms of fetish stuff, I rather like the detail of Emily's feet being freckled, which isn't something you see all that often. The world building stuff is fun, and I wonder why you chose Finian for a name alongside such Japaneseness (Sayuri and the fact she seems to be wearing getas and a kimono). The foot tickling scene in the lake was nice, but the subsequent two were a bit lacking, imo. Give us more detail! Not just Evil Emily Spirit tickled Sayuri's feet projection! Where! How? Us readers love such details.

The bit about Emily because an evil spirit was a nice touch, and it was quite the head-fake. What a shame it turned out to be a temporary thing, frankly, but I like budding sismance going on between the two protagonists. One final note about writer's craft: don't go overboard with the similes. I'm very guilty of this in my own writing as well, but you should only use similes/metaphors when they really fit perfectly and when they are original (not cliche). The puppet one didn't really seem to work for me, and I was dubious about a few others.

But I really enjoyed the story! Hope you keep on writing and we see more of Sayuri's quest. Sayuri seems to enjoy being tickled, which is certainly a rather fun thing. I wrote a little Pokemon series called 'Sapphire the Ticklee (and occasional Tickler)' about a girl who purposefully got herself in all kinds of ticklish situations. It's on my deviantart, so you might want to check it out :D
 
Thanks. It's good to hear from you too. Such a prompt response too.
It could be fun to see if I can cut out some of the adverbs as you mentioned. I was actually starting to worry that I wasn't using enough adverbs, but I guess if they can be avoided, then they should be.
As for the use of "Finian", I was trying to make up a fantasy western counterpart to Sayuri's obvious eastern roots. She's supposed to be a fish out of water in a new land, although I really didn't delve too deeply into that aspect in this story, aside from Sayuri's occasional struggle to understand what others were saying. A bit more culture shock in my next story would be fitting.
As usual, thanks for the tips.
I was also wondering, I've finished revising Bad Luck with Lizards. I've dispensed with a number of the adverbs, spiced up the fight scene, and made a number of other changes. Do you think I should post my revised version, or was once enough?
 
Thanks. It's good to hear from you too. Such a prompt response too.
It could be fun to see if I can cut out some of the adverbs as you mentioned. I was actually starting to worry that I wasn't using enough adverbs, but I guess if they can be avoided, then they should be.
As for the use of "Finian", I was trying to make up a fantasy western counterpart to Sayuri's obvious eastern roots. She's supposed to be a fish out of water in a new land, although I really didn't delve too deeply into that aspect in this story, aside from Sayuri's occasional struggle to understand what others were saying. A bit more culture shock in my next story would be fitting.
As usual, thanks for the tips.
I was also wondering, I've finished revising Bad Luck with Lizards. I've dispensed with a number of the adverbs, spiced up the fight scene, and made a number of other changes. Do you think I should post my revised version, or was once enough?

Hey. Posting revised versions strikes me as a bit spammy, but I've never known the exact forum rules on that. Upload if you want to, I guess? I'd also suggest uploading it elsewhere if you can--tickletheater, deviantart, etc. Might reach a different audience.
 
really great story. i can assure you i wouldn't mind if you posted a revised version
 
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