<div class="floatleft">(http://orig05.deviantart.net/b1d8/f/2017/187/0/5/elisa01_by_ravagedgirl-dbf9vv9.jpg)</div>Elisa looked down at her glass.<em>When had she drunk so much of it?</em>It was rather good.<br/><br/>"Oh, I wouldn't- wouldn't<em>attack</em>you, I- oh,<em>ohh</em>," Elisa said, blushing again.  The warmth from her drink joined another in her belly, and she looked up through her eyelashes at Lyari, accidentally sending her bedroom eyes.  "I suppose I could... slip into something more comfortable."  The last part was almost breathed out, trying to keep from being overheard by anyone else.  She bit her lip, before leaning back and finishing her wine.<br/><br/>"Removing armor like mine is a bit complicated," she said as she stood.  "If you don't mind, I'd prefer to go."<br/><br/>Elisa went to the storage area, her stomach churning with a heady mixture of excitement, nervousness, and more wine than she was used to drinking on an empty stomach.  It had been so long since she'd really flirted with anyone, and longer since she'd done more than that.  She might never have imagined going to an establishment of this nature before, but she was now glad she'd been teased wth the flyer.  Next time she saw that rogue she'd be the one with a reason to smirk!<br/><br/>Removing plate mail isn't a simple process.  In order to be able to fight effectively while wearing many, many pounds of solid steel plates, they had to be worn like a second skin, attached with endless straps and buckles to distribute the weight as evenly as possible.  Long minutes passed as her hands went through the motions of the familiar activity, and unfortunately that was long enough for other thoughts to enter her mind.<br/><br/>Was she really going to do this?  Someone at an establishment so cheerfully lascivious, the<em>proprietor</em>no less, surely had their pick of patrons who were forward about what they wanted.  That didn't need a glass of wine and plenty of flirting just to privately remove their plate mail.  With distance from the excitement, she remembered just how many other patrons were slowly entering as well.<br/><br/>With a sigh of relief she removed the last of her armor, leaving her standing in leather breeches and a thick woolen gambeson.  She hesitated, glad that she'd brought a small pack with her to the bar, nervously pulling off the sweaty, slightly rusty padding to reveal a toned body with a modest but firm bust.  A quick glance to make sure that she was alone followed, before the breeches came off as well, leaving her naked but for practical smallclothes.<br/><br/>She paused to examine her body.  She was fit, in excellent shape in fact, and despite years of battle the few pale scars she had weren't too ugly and distracting.  Magical healing worked wonders, and she more access than most as a paladin, after all.  Despite that she couldn't help but compare herself to Lyari for a moment, particularly in the chest department.  Before she could find more reasons to hesitate she opened her small pack and pulled out a change of clothing.<br/><br/>Her only change of underclothes were still rather plain, but they were followed by long white stockings typically worn for more formal occasions, which were secured at the top with blue ribbons.  Following that came a long blue skirt, falling to mid calf, and she then hesitated.  She had brought a blouse that she owned to wear to the most formal of events, but she found herself nervously biting her lip at the memory of the slowly filling tavern.  Could she really go out into a crowded room wearing it and still have the confidence to keep flirting with Lyari?<br/><br/>With a sigh she pulled out a slightly thinner gambeson, one thankfully free of rust, pulling it on and grabbing a chain shirt to pull over it.  It was her nicest one, well polished to a silvery gleam despite the difficulty of doing that to the many, many chain links, but it allowed her to have the peace of mind of wearing armor in a settings that would frown on such.<br/><br/>She gave herself one more look, satisfied with the transformation.  After securing her armor and carefully folding her orange surcoat to cover it, she made her way back to the tavern.<em>You can do this,</em>she told herself.<em>You want to, so just go for it.  She certainly seems amenable.  Just... just enjoy yourself."</em><br/><br/>She made her way to her stool, sitting again and smiling at Lyari.  "Thank you.  I feel much more comfortable now."