//------------------------------// // Time Out: And the Sand in the Glass is Right // Story: Dressed to Steal // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// While the plan was accepted as something we needed to do, Mom and - well, I guess I can call her this now - Aunt Penelope were surprisingly nervous about it. Well...surprisingly until I thought about it. Sure, they took the lessons, but Mom only expected Dad - and possibly me if she forgot to lock a door - to ever see her actually making use of them, and Aunt Penelope only expected to perform for Uncle Bentley. Performing for total strangers - especially total strangers who might decide to 'take liberties' - was something they weren't necessarily emotionally prepared for. While Mom was more adjusted given our time in Ancient Japan, the Geisha outfit did cover a great deal more than this one did. Ca was able to talk them through it, as well as give them a few special pointers, as well as planning the entire routine. Mom and Ca were going to pull a mirrored 'twin' routine at first, with Penelope coming in after. Not only would her stark difference catch attention, but - according to Ca - the larger men of this era found special appeal in smaller females. Uncle Razor had to rebuild the component Uncle Bentley had been holding when that was said. ...and another one after Uncle T-Bone asked Deik-Beck to record 'the show'. Once everything was prepared, we moved into position in the Lamp shop... The interior of the lamp shop was well lit, the light from the outside passing through multiple stained glass windows at various angles to shine down varicolored spotlights on the carpeted floor, almost like a modern dance club. It was almost picturesque...save for the completely modern sound-system installed near the entrance to the shop floor. The gang hid carefully in the long, shadowed passage down from the shop entrance to the floor. Across the floor from the stairs was the door in question, a massive green frame with three large wheels to turn to open, the wheels and carvings on the door itself in gold. In front of the door were nine massive black-furred gorillas dressed in green silks, hunched over as they waited patiently for something to happen. Salim sucked his lower lip as he caught sight of that. "There are so many..." he murmured worriedly. "And so big...each of them is easily double the size and weight of any of you, and they are pure muscle. If they decide they want more than a show..." He shuddered, turning back to Sly. "I am no longer certain this is the best plan." "Don't worry," Coco offered warmly, lifting up a hoof-ful of needles. "Each of these has a rather strong knock-out toxin laced into the metal. Each one should be enough to make one of them woozy, if not knock them out. I'll stay back here and throw if any of them start getting too forceful." "And we do not just do that why?" Salim demanded worriedly. "Duh!" Murray pointed out logically. "If the guards notice their number dropping or getting woozy without explanation, they call for backup." "Thus the distraction," Bentley murmured worriedly. "You sure you're up to this, Penelope?" Penelope nodded firmly, though she kept her arms wrapped around her small frame. While she'd filled out a bit more compared to when she'd first joined the gang, next to Carmelita and Ca li-Ta, she still felt rather flat and understated. "I'm sure," she confirmed. "I...I need to do everything I can. I..." Bentley rested his hand on hers. "You don't have to push yourself to make up for anything," he offered warmly. "None of us hold your mistakes against you-" "The forgiveness of others does little good if she has yet to forgive herself," Salim observed pointedly. "...what he said, Bentley," Penelope offered sadly before giving Bentley's hand a reassuring squeeze. "But thanks." "Enough talk," Carmelita stated firmly. "Let's go." Most of the group stayed back as Carmelita and Ca moved into the light. It shone down on their identical outfits, small purple tops that just barely held their breasts in check bedecked with tiny golden bells, partially transparent purple silk harem pants, pointed purple shoes, thin purple veils, and golden bangles on wrists and ankles. "Hello, boys," they purred seductively in unison as they went back to back, giving the gorillas matching 'come hither' gazes over their veils. As all nine gorillas could only stare, Deik-Beck moved swiftly to behind them, plotting the path for the rest of the Gang...and coincidentally placing himself at the perfect angle to record the show as requested. As the gorillas moved closer and began to hoot and holler, the two vixens began their dance. Acting as mirrors to each others movements, they swayed their bodies in snake like movements, stretching out one arm or leg and wriggling it enticingly to set the bangles to jingling, before turning and dancing towards each other and bringing their bodies tantalizingly close to touching, only to spin around each other as they sent a shake up their entire bodies for enticing jiggling. At this point Murray, Razor, and T-Bone had all made it to the door, and were slowly starting to turn the wheel to get it open. T-Bone and Murray were working on the lowest wheel, while Razor had climbed up Murray's back to get to the next wheel up. Much more jingling could be heard as the gorillas began tossing coins at the two vixens. Smirking at each other under their veils, the two spun apart...and Penelope slowly sauntered onto the stage. She wore an outfit similar to that of the other girls, but in red silk with green shoes and hairbands, her long pink tail whipping back and forth with her movements to set the tiny bells tied to the end jingling. She moved slower as she mimicked movements from the vixens' earlier dance, almost shyly presenting herself as she swayed and strutted. The gorillas continued to hoot and holler and throw money...and despite trying to see all of her, none of them noticed yet that her top was oddly bundled as compared to Ca and Carmelita's. By this point, Bentley and Salim had made their way over to the door, moving to get ahold of the highest wheel to try and get the door open. Bentley used the robotic arms of his wheelchair to help, though he found himself almost constantly glancing back over his shoulder at Penelope...though whether out of worry or enthralled fascination, it was impossible to tell through his fogged up glasses. Noticing his eyes on her, though, Penelope took her dance a bit further. Bringing her hands up to cross in front of her breasts, she hooked the bangles on her wrists into her top...then spun as she pulled her arms apart, revealing that her top was in fact a carefully folded red silk veil large enough to stretch from wrist to outstretched wrist, and now only a pair of tassles gave her any semblance of decency behind the almost see-through veil. At this, the animalistic hoots and howls of the gorilla guards reached a fever pitch, and one started to lunge towards her...only for another to grab hold of him in an attempt to get there first. This quickly devolved into an all out brawl as the nine gorillas tried to fight through their compatriots to be the first to reach the girls. To encourage this further, the three girls turned their backs to the guards before shaking their rears enticingly. Less than five minutes later, the hoots and howls were replaced by pained groans as the last gorilla slumped into unconsciousness. Carmelita turned her eyes to the rest of the Gang. "How come that door's not open yet?" Razor chuckled. "Guess that old song's right, huh T-Bone?" "Which song?" T-Bone asked, unable to tear his eyes off the girls. Chuckling, Razor sang the four lines he meant. Arabian Nights, like Arabian Days More often than not Are hotter than hot In a lot of good ways... Couldn't really argue Razor's point there. I don't even find the bipedal figure attractive, and I had to admit this job was one of our 'hottest'.