The Tickle Sprite, pt. 3: Talisman (f/f)

[UnderscoreEleven]

Links to previous stories:

• The Tickle Sprite
• The Tickle Sprite 2: Roomies

For those who haven't read the previous installments, I've included a story-so-far recap in the spoiler box below:

Spoiler

Bethany is an extremely ticklish young woman.

Alix is a tickle sprite.

That's all you need to know.

This one has a bit of a slow build to it, so I'm going to split it into three posts.

The first post is plot, the second is a striptease, and the third (and longest) post is where you'll find the f/f action you all came here for. (I won't be offended if you skip ahead.)

Enjoy.

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The Tickle Sprite, pt. 3: Talisman

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The little shop was stiflingly warm. Strange objects lined the shelves – dehydrated newts, jars of coloured powder, fantastic wooden carvings. The smell of unknown herbs and spices mingled with the hair-curling aroma of exotic incense. There were two other customers besides Bethany, each browsing the wares with a practiced eye. She, too, contrived to look as though she was no stranger to such places, and spent some minutes casually looking over stuffed ravens and dormouse skulls before plucking up the nerve to approach the counter.

The storekeeper was old and indolent – he looked up at Bethany through sleepy eyes, which nonetheless seemed to house a spark of hidden intelligence. Bethany nodded towards a handwritten sign on the counter which read: "Talismans Available. Please Inquire."

"What have you got?" she asked.

"Whatever you require," came the answer. The old man's voice was thin and musical.

"I need something to keep me safe against... against sprites."

The old man spread his hands wide. "Many different kinds of sprite. Each entails different charm. Kindly to be more specific."

Bethany groaned inwardly. Being specific was the one thing she had hoped to avoid. She almost turned around and walked away, but she couldn't give up that easily. Maybe she could talk her way through this.

"It's just one sprite I need protection from, but, er... I don't know what kind it is exactly. An all-purpose talisman would do just fine, I know it wouldn't be as powerful..."

"No necessity for second-best," the storekeeper interrupted. "Species easily ascertained. Sprites known by their fruits. This sprite, tell me, what does it do?"

Bethany could sense a queue forming behind her. "Well, she—"

"Ah." The old man raised a finger. "Not she. It. Sprite may take on human form, but is not human. Most important to remember."

"I know that," said Bethany, a little hotly. She didn't need the lecture. And yet, she found it hard to think of Alix as non-human, and even harder to think of her – it – as genderless. Quite aside from the sprite's physical appearance, there was something very definitely feminine about its personality. Not for the first time, she found herself thinking that Alix wasn't quite like any other sprite she'd ever heard of.

"Well then," the old man said complacently.

"Well, it's living in my home and it... plays tricks on me."

"In your home, you say? Very unusual for sprite to enter city. Only two such known to do so." The old man turned to a row of books behind him and pulled out a heavy leather-bound tome. Laying it flat upon the counter, he started flipping through the pages. It seemed to be an encyclopedia of some kind – the top corner of each page was marked with a letter of the alphabet. Bethany's flesh tingled as she watched the letters flick past. Somehow she knew where they were going to stop. P, Q, R, S... T.

"Ah, yes. Here." The old man ran his finger down the page. "Tickle sprite. Unique to our locality. Very little information known – victims possibly embarrassed to come forward. Often seen in forest, but sighted on occasion within city." He looked up at Bethany. "This sprite, it tickles you?"

"No!" spluttered Bethany, trying to laugh off the idea as absurd. "No, that's... that's not it." She couldn't do it. She couldn't stand there and announce to this old man, and to his customers, that she was being tickled silly on a daily basis. She could feel the person behind her peering over her shoulder, trying to get a better look at the encyclopedia.

The storekeeper shrugged. "Then must be this one." He turned over a few more pages. "Water-spurting sprite. Sometimes follows sewers back to source and finds itself in city limits. Your sprite hides in taps perhaps, and squirts you?"

"Yes," said Bethany with huge relief. "That's the one. Always... squirting me with water. Do you have any protection against that?"

The storekeeper bent low under the counter and emerged with a shiny silver pendant. "Water-repellent charm. Thirty-five credits."

Half a day's wages, Bethany thought glumly. Without a word, she held her payment card under the scanner. The sound of its soft beep – the sound of all that money leaving her account – made her realise how stupid she was being. Was she really about to walk out of this shop without the one thing she came in for? She had to give it one more try.

She shoved the useless charm into her jeans pocket and risked a glance behind her. There were three customers waiting now. Forcing herself to ignore the hot flush that rose to her cheeks, she tried to speak lightly, as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Sorry, just... That other sprite you mentioned. You said it lives in the forest?"

"Correct."

"Because... You see, I've got this cousin and she's really... She's really ticklish and she often goes walking in the forest to... to collect mushrooms, you know, so I thought maybe since I'm here I should get one of those other charms as well, just, you know... For my cousin."

"For your cousin," the old man echoed blandly, his face unreadable. He reached below the counter and pulled out another necklace, almost identical to the first. He set it down with a click. "Tickle sprite charm. Sixty credits."

Sixty? Bethany opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. The old man had her exactly where he wanted her. She wasn't about to start haggling now. She placed her card under the scanner and waited for the beep. Then, muttering an awkward thanks, she took the charm and walked out of the shop as calmly as she could manage. She thought she heard one of the customers snicker as she passed.

Well, that had been the most humiliating few minutes of her life. But the open air and sunshine soon revived her, and she reflected that at least it hadn't been a waste of time.

If, that is, the talisman really worked as advertised. She held it up to her face and inspected it. To all appearances, it was nothing but an amorphous silver shape strung on a chain, but she knew that silver objects could hold powerful enchantments. There was only one way of finding out if this thing was the real deal. She slipped the charm into her pocket and nervously set out for home.

CONTINUED BELOW

 

[UnderscoreEleven]

Bethany's life had become a lot more interesting since Alix had moved in. And in all honesty, she wouldn't wish things to go back the way they were. Alix's attentions responded to a craving deep inside her – a craving to surrender, to be helpless, to be dominated. But even though she enjoyed the games they played together, she needed a little control back in her life. She didn't plan on wearing her new talisman all the time, but it would be nice to be able to relax once in a while without the constant expectation of those twitching fingers creeping up on her.

She paused at the door of her apartment and fastened the chain around her neck, the silver pendant cold against her skin. She didn't feel any different. Was it working? Time to put it to the test. She kicked off her shoes in the hallway and went into the living room.

She didn't bother anymore trying to protect herself with clothing. Her last attempt in that direction had been a spectacular failure. It didn't seem to matter what she wore; nothing could diminish the sprite's unconquerable appetite, and no obstacle was a match for its determination. Anyway, it was still too warm for layers.

So today Bethany wore only a navy-blue T-shirt, emblazoned with the logo of her favourite band. It was even cropped a little short, exposing an inch or two of flesh above the waistline of her jeans. She knew for certain that the sprite would find her next move irresistible.

She forced a yawn – and as she felt it coming, she lifted her arms high above her head in a luxurious stretch. Her shirt rode up above her navel, and the short sleeves fell away to reveal her smooth underarms. Instantly, she spotted the familiar shimmer in the air, the sign of Alix's invisible presence – but even as she dropped her arms to her sides in sudden fear, the shimmer bounced away again as if deflected. A cry of frustration and astonishment redounded from the walls.

Suddenly the sprite made herself visible, standing before Bethany with arms folded and irritation lining her face. She took the same form as always – a beautiful, raven-haired, disarmingly naked young woman. "That charm," she said. "Get rid of it."

Bethany felt a thrill of power flowing through her. It worked! She smiled sweetly at Alix. "I don't think so. I think I'll have another nice loooong stretch, and then I'll put my feet up and watch some television."

"You're going to regret this," warned the sprite, and then it flickered out of sight.

Bethany hugged herself with glee and danced into the kitchen to make dinner. She was never going to regret this. The look on Alix's face alone was worth every credit she had paid. She was going to spend the evening tormenting her friend by every means within her power. The time had come to turn the tables.

***

It was long after the summer sunset when Bethany finally made her way into the bedroom. She threw herself down onto the duvet in her shirt and jeans, still revelling in her newfound freedom. Her socks had been discarded hours earlier, and now she rubbed her bare feet together in a way calculated to drive the sprite into a fury. From the corner of her eye, she could see Alix's shimmer on the far side of the room. The shimmer had been watching her all evening, waiting for an opportunity. Well, it wasn't going to get one.

And Bethany's fun wasn't over yet. She was going to get undressed for bed, and she was going to do it slowly.

With one touch of a button on the smart remote beside her bed, she dimmed the lights; with another, she switched on the stereo. Soft, melodic jazz filled the room – the perfect end to a relaxing evening.

She swung her legs over the bed and got to her feet. Then, letting the music flow through her, she began swaying sultrily from side to side – the smooth piano wrapping her in warmth while the high notes of the trumpet sent shivers down her spine.

Pretending to be unaware of Alix's presence, she placed her palms on her hips and brought them slowly upward, hooking her thumbs under her shirt so that it rose up a little way before falling back again. She flicked her hair back from her shoulders and then, eyes closed as though totally absorbed in the melody, she let one hand trail loosely over her chest while the other toyed with the chain around her neck.

As the trumpet broke off and the tinkling piano went into a solo, Bethany grasped the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, revealing the soft undulations of her breasts above the B-cups, the silver pendant nestling between them. She ran her hands seductively along her sides, letting her fingernails graze her skin and squirming at the touch.

"Somehow I feel so sensitive today," she murmured. "If anyone tickled me right now, I'd be absolutely helpless."

The shimmer agitated violently, and then, as if compelled by the force of its desire, took visible form. Where it had been, there stood Alix, leaning back against the wall with her arms folded, gazing at Bethany with an intensity that almost frightened her.

But Bethany wasn't about to be thrown off. She knew she was protected. She reached one hand behind her back and deftly unclipped her bra, then crossed her arms over her chest and slowly eased the straps over her shoulders. "What's the matter, Alix?" she teased. "You look a little... frustrated."

The soulful trumpet came back into play with a suddenness that gave Bethany goosebumps. She drew out the eroticism of the moment, keeping her bra pressed against her chest until both arms were disentangled – and then let it fall aside, exposing her firm breasts to the sultry air.

Alix's eyes travelled up and down her body, her fists clenching furiously. Bethany was having the time of her life. "Wishing you could get your hands on me?" she taunted. "Wishing you could torture me the way you do?" Alix made no answer, only glared at her more savagely than ever.

Still swaying to the music, Bethany unbuttoned her jeans and began easing them gently over her hips. Then she felt a sharp stab of alarm. The sprite's expression had changed. She was... smiling? Bethany's hand flew to the pendant at her chest. It was still in place. She was safe. Alix was just trying to unnerve her.

"Poor Alix," she crooned, determined to show that the sprite hadn't rattled her. "All that pent-up energy and nothing you can do about it." She stepped out of her jeans and flung herself onto the bed, naked except for her frilly black panties. "You know what?" she added, propping herself up on a cluster of pillows and stretching her legs out in front of her. "I'll bet you've never," she said, elongating every word, "wanted to tickle anyone... as badly as you do right now."

"You got that right," said Alix, stepping forward. "I just have one question." She picked Bethany's jeans up off the floor, turned them upside down, and shook them. Something small and silvery slid out of the pocket and landed on the carpet. Alix pointed to it. "Is that what you think you're wearing?"

Bethany turned pale. She had bought two pendants. Which one...

There was no time for reflection. Before she had a chance to move, Alix was on top of her, mercilessly clutching at her ribs and belly. Bethany screeched with laughter, pushing herself back into the pile of pillows, cursing her own stupidity. The talisman had been in her pocket the whole time. She had thrown aside her own protection – and worse, she had deliberately worked the sprite up into a tickling fervour.

Whatever happened now, she only had herself to blame.

CONTINUED BELOW

 

[UnderscoreEleven]

The first onslaught lasted only a few seconds – then Alix caught hold of Bethany's wrists and eyed her with a playful grin. "I don't think you realise I've been going easy on you up to now. But after that little performance of yours, maybe it's time you had a taste of my true powers."

"P-powers?" whimpered Bethany.

"Oh, yes. You think being a tickle sprite doesn't come with a few perks? How about I show you what I can do?"

She brought Bethany's arms together until her wrists were touching, and then let go – but to Bethany's astonishment, her wrists remained locked together as if bound by an invisible cord. Then she felt her arms tugged irresistibly upwards, and was powerless to stop them from being raised high above her head. Meanwhile, the same inexorable force gripped her ankles and forced her legs out to their fullest extent.

She struggled against the invisible restraints, but it was no use. She was trapped in a half-sitting position against the pillows, her arms suspended in the air. She had freedom of movement enough to wriggle her body from side to side, but try what she might, her wrists and ankles remained firmly fixed in place.

This was a nightmare. Her single greatest weakness, her hyper-sensitive underarms, were totally exposed. Alix loved targeting those smooth hollows – but up till now, she had always been able to pull her arms down and make some effort to defend herself. Not any more.

"Good, isn't it?" said Alix. "Wait, though, it gets better. Or worse, depending on your point of view."

Bethany didn't see how things could possibly get any worse. She was wrong.

Alix waved a hand, and the room took on a faintly blueish tinge. At the same time, Bethany became aware of a strange tingling sensation over her entire body, like the gentle fizzling of static electricity.

"You see, not all my victims are as sensitive as you. This is what I use to loosen up some of the rough-and-tough adventurers who come blundering into my glade. Can you feel it working? I call it the blue haze."

Bethany could feel it, and she knew exactly what it was doing to her. Smiling wickedly, Alix placed a hand on either side of the captive girl's midriff, thumbs resting on her belly. The mere touch set alarms off in Bethany's nerve endings. The smooth jazz had taken on a sinister note that was anything but relaxing.

"The blue haze," said Alix, "will turn even the most insensitive person in the world into an ultra-ticklish mess. And when it's used on someone who's already ultra-ticklish...."

She gave Bethany's midriff a squeeze. An ear-splitting scream rent the air.

"Nahahahahaho... nohohoho... hahahaha..." Alix had already disengaged, but Bethany was stilll lost in giggles. That single squeeze had been intensely ticklish – and her midriff was one of the least sensitive spots on her body. If that was the power of the blue haze...

"I know what you're thinking. If I went all-out on you now, you'd pass out in seconds. Unfortunately, you're right, and that wouldn't be any fun. So let's get creative. I saw something in the boiler closet that might help us." Without another word, the sprite vanished.

Left alone in the half-light, still tightly bound by her invisible shackles, Bethany tried desperately to remember what she kept in the boiler closet. There was nothing in there but cleaning supplies: a mop, a vacuum cleaner, some other bits and pieces... Oh no. No no no.

Her worst fears were confirmed when Alix reappeared – flourishing a bright pink feather duster. "This," she said, "is what I love about city life. Everyone has the most amazing tickle tools just lying about in their homes."

"Alix, please, not that!" The sight of all those bristling feathers made Bethany's heart race. She was already squirming in anticipation.

"No? Alright, I'll put it back again. Oh, but first – that chain you're wearing looks a little dusty. May I?" Alix sat down on the edge of the bed and extended the duster.

"Nuhahahaha noooohoho!" The first touch of the feathers against her collarbone set Bethany howling with laughter. What would normally be only a pleasantly ticklish sensation was amplified by the blue haze into a writhe-inducing torment. "Stahahaha stahp!" She scrunched her neck up helplessly as the feather duster trailed from one shoulder to the other and back again.

Things would be bad enough if the tickling of her collarbone were all she had to contend with. But in her state of heightened sensitivity, she could feel every fibre of the bedcovers beneath her. It felt as though a hundred thousand microscopic feathers were scratching at her back, her butt cheeks, her calves and the heels of her feet, every time she moved. It was intolerable.

"Silver jewelry requires lots of tender loving care," said Alix. "I saw that on the shopping channel. I think we've got the chain all cleaned up. Now what about that pedant?"

The pendant had been flying freely with all of Bethany's bouncing and writhing; but as the duster momentarily withdrew, it came to rest again inside her cleavage. Bethany was still too wide-eyed and giggly to guess what was about to happen next – and when the duster began sawing up and down between her breasts, she was startled into her loudest scream yet.

"Nyaaaaaahahahahaha!" She thrashed wildly against the pillows, but her frantic movements only gave Alix an excuse to ply the feathers over her entire chest, under the pretence of following the pendant.

"Keep still or we'll never get through this."

"I cahahahahn't!"

She really couldn't. The feather duster was in constant motion now – left to right, up and down – over, under and between her firm, round breasts. This would be torture at the best of times, but the blue haze made it all the more unbearable. The prickling of the bedsheets never let up for a second – and on top of everything else, Bethany's nipples were rock-hard, her uncontrollable arousal rendering them even more ticklish than usual.

"Well, if you won't behave..." Alix climbed onto the bed and took up her customary position, straddling Bethany's thighs. "Perhaps it's about time you were taught a little lesson." She gazed hungrily down at her captive, looking eerily demonic in the blue light. "Those underarms are calling out to me."

"Oh no! No, anything but that!"

"Sorry hun, but you've been a very naughty girl. You know you have." Alix rolled the duster over Bethany's lower ribs, sending her into fresh paroxysms of laughter. "You've been teasing me... provoking me..." The feather duster inched higher and higher. "You thought you'd got one over on me, didn't you?"

"Hahaha I'm sahahahahahorrry!" The duster was only a couple of inches from the hollow of her right underarm. She tried with all her strength to get her arms down to her sides, but the force that held her wrists in place was unassailable.

"You've been begging for this, sweetie. All evening. Well, here it comes at last. Tickle tickle tickle."

Bethany's eyes bulged as the gently twisting feathers swept into the soft recess. Her voice gave out, and her laughter became a barely audible cackle. The effect of those feathers against her underarm, ramped up to an incredible degree by the blue haze, was the most tormentingly ticklish experience she had ever known – until Alix lifted her free hand, and a single finger began wriggling into the center of her other armpit.

That was too much. No part of this was enjoyable now. Alix's attentions were crossing the line into sheer torture – but just at that moment, the tickling stopped, the blue haze subsided, and Bethany was free to gulp down lungfuls of grateful breath.

Alix leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "It's alright, sweetie. Punishment's over. You know I had to do that." For the space of a few minutes, she remained close, stroking a hand through Bethany's hair, while Bethany, still breathing deeply, closed her eyes and nuzzled against her. Then the sprite pushed herself upright and teasingly wriggled her fingers in the air. "Now it's playtime. You ready?"

"Oh, come on!" squeaked Bethany, but she couldn't help laughing at the sprite's mischievous grin. And then she couldn't help laughing because ten razor-sharp nails were racing mercilessly up and down her sides. "Oh shit no this isn't faihehehehehehair!"

In truth, she was starting to enjoy herself again. The blue haze had been too much to endure, but this... Well, it still tickled like crazy, but now it was the fun kind of ticklish – the kind that always left her panting for more.

She understood now that the blue haze had been more than just a punishment. It had been a game of trust. Alix had shown her how easily she could make her suffer if she wanted to – and had shown her that she never would make her suffer in that way. Knowing this made it easier for Bethany to relax into the tickles – though it didn't make the tickles tickle any less.

"You're right," said Alix, letting up again. "This isn't fair. Your upper body's having all the fun. Those poor little feet of yours must feel so neglected." She sprung over to the end of the bed and grabbed Bethany's feet in both hands. "Cootchie cootchie cootchie!"

"Nohohohoho fuhuhuckhahaha!" Bethany bounced helplessly against the mattress as Alix's delicately scratching fingertips explored her soles. With her ankles still locked in place as firmly as if gripped by unseen hands, the utmost she could do to protect herself was to try and shield one foot with the other – with predictable results.

"I bet these feet would love the feather duster treatment. Or maybe – I know!" She leapt across the room and snatched something up from the dresser. "What did I tell you? All kinds of tickle tools just lying around."

Bethany only realised what was happening when she felt the first contact of a multitude of bristles sweeping over the arch of her left foot. A hairbrush.

"Oh no nah haaaah," she screeched, before bursting into frantic laughter. She had never dreamt that a simple hairbrush could be so tickly; the rounded ends of the wire filaments felt like dozens of tiny fingernails gliding over her skin. Alix held Bethany's toes back with her other hand and stroked the brush up and down her sole, applying just enough pressure to maximise the ticklish sensation.

"Sheeheheheesh stahahahpp!" She tried to knock the brush away with the toes of her right foot, but this just prompted Alix to switch her grip and start torturing this foot instead. The fresh assault broke down Bethany's last defences, and sent her into throes of laughter even more helpless than before. And now her left foot was automatically trying to protect her right.

"Neither of these little feet want to wait their turn, huh? Both so impatient to be tickled. It's a shame we've only got one brush."

"Wardrahaha... Warhahahaha!" Alix realized Bethany was trying to say something, and eased off for a moment. "Wuh... Wardrobe!" she gasped through breathless laughter. "Top shelf! Another brush!"

"Really?" Alix jumped up and threw open the wardrobe. "How did I miss that one?" She took the second hairbrush and examined it. "Boar-bristle. This could be interesting."

Bethany wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut.

Three seconds later, she knew she definitely should have kept her mouth shut. Between the soft clumps of boar-bristle stroking her left foot, and the stiff wire prongs stroking her right, Bethany was in seriously ticklish trouble. The two sensations were so different that she couldn't acclimatize herself; every touch of the brushes felt just as insanely tickly as the last. The only upside to the situation was that Alix no longer had a hand free to grab her toes, so her feet could scrunch and wriggle unrestrainedly beneath the dual attack.

"These brushes sure are working wonders," giggled Alix, "but on the other hand, I do enjoy the personal touch. If only I had supernatural powers... Oh wait, I do."

She let go of the brushes – but instead of falling to the bed, they continued making brisk, remorseless passes over Bethany's soles. Alix grinned and held her palms up in a playful 'look-no-hands' gesture. "Ta-da! And that leaves me with two free hands to do... this!" She dove foward and dug her nails into Bethany's ribs.

"No not agaihehehehehenn!" squealed Bethany. Only this time it was ten times worse – because while Alix's fingers skipped along her ribs, her chest, her belly, the magically animated hairbrushes were still tormenting both her feet. This was almost as bad as the blue haze.

Almost. Alix was skirting the line without quite crossing it, keeping Bethany in a confused state of ticklish agony and wild desire. She needed the tickling to stop – she never wanted it to stop. No – what she really needed...

...was definitely not for eight fiendish fingers to crawl into the hollows of her underarms. "Fuhahahahaha nohohohoho!"

"Sorry babe, I just can't help it. I told you these underarms were calling out to me. They're just so temptingly ticklish."

"Pleheheheheese!" Bethany couldn't handle it much longer. The tickling, the teasing, the sprite's naked body so close to her own... A powerful orgasm was building up inside her. All she needed was one touch in the right spot...

"Hey, look," said Alix. "I think our other little toy wants to join in."

Other toy? Bethany's overstimulated mind struggled to comprehend what Alix meant. Then she saw, and understood all too well.

The feather duster soared into the air, circling over Bethany's wracked and twisting body like a plane coming in to land – then, zeroing in on its target, it swooped down and thrust itself into her crotch, where it began rotating rapidly.

"Shihihahahaaa!" The effect was instantaneous. The long-awaited orgasm pulsed through her with an intensity she had never known before. The brushes, the duster, and Alix's tickling fingers, all worked in combination to transport her to a whole new realm of pleasure. She squeezed her eyes tight shut and surrendered herself to the sensation.

***

Her next conscious awareness was a gentle touch against her cheek, and then a pleasant warmth as the soft weight of the duvet was draped over her. She let her eyes fall open a crack, but the room was steeped in darkness. Improvised bass notes wandered through the air – the music must have been playing the entire time, though Bethany had long since ceased to notice it.

Then the stereo shut itself off with a click.

"Alix?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I –" Bethany didn't know what she wanted to say. Only that...

"I know. It's okay." The mattress creaked, and Bethany's parted lips felt the impress of a tender kiss. She closed her eyes again, savouring the moment that was over all too soon.

"Now go to sleep," the sprite commanded.

Bethany was too weary to do otherwise; but as she did, her drowsy mind found the words that she'd been looking for. "I love you," she whispered, and drifted off into a blissful sleep.

THE END