SCENE 5

RESTITUTION, RETRIBUTION- THERE'S A DIFFERENCE?

With a size provided by the tag attached to the thong the royal seamstress was able to set about preparing the restitution. It was a rather odd request to fulfill. Regardless of the king's flashy style this item seemed over the tope even for him. The seamstress was quite relieved to see his majesty place the completed item in a gift box.

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Sarah stood in her room folding laundry and stacking them on her bed. The late morning sun warmed her room. Several days had passed since Mr. Spectacles had made off with her pink thong for Meep. The other goblin Dink had returned to help tidy up the kitchen even staying long enough to prepare a rather tasty salad for Sarah to enjoy. She glanced at her pile of underwear- her supply was meager, but holding.

Hearing her closet door squeak on its hinges she turned around mid-shirt-fold to find Mr. Spectacles leading a small group of goblins in to her room. He smiled warmly at her. "Greetings miss!" he waved a hand.

"Hi lady!" called Dink appearing.

"Hey guys!" she greeted them. She sat the shirt aside. "What brings you lot to this side of the looking glass?"

"A courtesy call," explained Mr. Spectacles approaching the bed. He surveyed the laundry his hands clenching and unclenching against the comforter. "Any, uh, any new pieces available?" he inquired hopefully.

She eyed him shrewdly.

At the same moment she realized that as the result of passing through her closet several of the goblins had found her shoe pile. "Be careful," she chided as one known as Blot became enthralled with a set of black pumps. She turned her attention back to Mr. Spectacles to find him fingering one of her precious pairs of underwear. "Not available!" she snapped knocking his hand away.

"Oohh!" he quipped.

"You know Mr Spectacles, I have to have some to wear."

"At least call me by my right name- it's Fash."

Something clunked. Not clanked, but clunked- it was an acutely different sound. It was a deeper vibration. Blot had managed to work his feet into her black high heels. He struck a dramatic pose, hands on hips, and stamping his heel he proclaimed, "Look- I am fancy just like the king is!" In truth he resembled more of an extra from The Rocky Horror Picture Show than the king.

Sarah shook her head in quiet amusement. "Speaking of underwear how did the pink thong-,"

Fash exclaimed a loud, "Ssshhh!" before she could finish speaking. "We mustn't talk about it miss."

"Did something happen?"

"Yes it was a most unfortunate event. Fashion faux pas you know." She nodded in understanding. "The king tried to consol her, but she just wouldn't have any of it."

Sarah looked back at the goblins: Meep was the only one not sporting a vest. She stopped folding the clothes as something dawned on her. "Wait- what king?"

"The king," was the reply.

"Which king?"

"Here we go again!" lamented the small horned goblin.

"Our king of course."

"Your king? Jareth the Goblin King?"

"May he reign forever!" they all chanted.

"Yes," answered Fash. "Which reminds me." He disappeared in to the closet with a few others.

Horror. Horror and embarrassment. The Goblin King had seen her pink thong? She gripped the edge of the laundry basket. Not good. Who knows what all sorts of randy, un-welcomed thoughts, ideas, or concepts it was giving him! 'Don't panic,' she told her self. 'Maybe he doesn't know that they came from you.' She took a deep breath trying to calm her self. She didn't allow just any man, whatever their breed, to become acquainted with her intimates. 'Calm down!'

The goblins were exiting the closet. Some how she managed to control her emotions that wanted to freak out. They carried a box between them. The wrapping was a soft grey and the ribbon tied around it shined silvery. They informed her that it was from his majesty, something to do with "retribution" which made little sense to her. Was he upset that she allowed them to wear her underwear? 'Maybe he should keep a closer eye on where his subjects go then, or who they spend time with,' she thought a bit erked. Cautiously she plucked the note away. The paper was textured as if it had been hand made and was pressed with a coat of arms. Intricate script graced the surface.

"Miss Williams," it read. "It has come to my attention that several of my subjects have seen fit to take an interest in a particular clothing item of yours. I am also aware that profits have been acquired that have not distributed to you. I apologize for this over sight in the matter.

"Please accept the following as restitution, a gift for what you have lost. Sincerely, Jareth the Goblin King of the Underground."

Standing there Sarah was confident that at any given moment she would wake up. Things were getting surreal. She was going to wake up, find her self still stuffed awkwardly on the couch, and realize that yes, after all her roommate had an underwear fetish. Her thumb moved across the paper feeling the texture. His hands had touched the same space. Her thumb tingled.

Clunk, clunk, clunk went the heels on Blot's feet.

The wrapping on the box was lovely. Carefully she removed it trying to avoid tearing any of the edges. Under the wrapping was a box- plain save for the same coat of arms pressed in the center. Taking a deep breath (for she realized with a degree of silliness that she had been holding it) she lifted the lid. Nestled amongst soft gray tissue paper was the most intricate, stunningly beautiful article of clothing she had ever seen. It was a bodice, a corset her very own retro sort of underwear. It was a very pale pink trimmed with a sheer blue gray. A few tiny bows decorated the edge of the bust. Removing it she also saw that it was a lace up bodice. "Wow," was all she could say. He had seen fit to give her this- this delicate, girly, intimate thing? He- her man who haunted her dreams, who had taken up residency in a dark, secure corner of her mind- he had! Part of her was a little too thrilled about it.

Several of the goblins "Oooed" and "Aahhed" at the corset. Sarah felt her cheeks blush a very deep red. Quickly she dropped it back inside the box. "Tell your king," she fumbled with the lid. "Tell your king- thank you. No, wait!" A simple, passed along voice of gratitude wasn't enough. She ran out into the hall towards the third room. This room served as an office. She rummaged for a package of stationary. The generic yellow rose printed on the card hardly seemed appropriate, but it would have to suffice. Her nerves were still ever so slightly aflutter. How does one properly thank the Goblin King? And do so without being misleading?

"Your majesty," she wrote. "Thank you for the thoughtful gift. Your subjects are welcomed guests in my home. Best wishes for you and your kingdom. Sincerely, Sarah Williams."

She handed the sealed envelope to Fash who disappeared in to the closet. She shooed the rest out as well. Alone in her room she once more retrieved the corset from the box. Holding it to her self she turned towards her full-length mirror in the corner of the room. The coloring complimented her skin tones. And it did look as if it would fit her like a glove.

Unable to attempt to put it on by her self she returned the corset to the box. Closing the lid she set it on her desk. Then she folded the beautiful wrapping paper and stowed it and the note in the desk's top drawer. She finished folding her laundry. As she moved to take the clothes' basket back to the laundry room her eyes rested on the box. She could see her self encased in its softness, her curves accentuated and lethal. With a nod she resolved to have her roommate help her try it on.