[b]Rose[/b]

The first thing that Chen does when you're all done and you ask what to do with her is the wriggle and squirm. She lets out a muffled sigh and tests her bonds. Flex on the back and around the hands but oh gosh it's so tight! She can't move, she can barely manage to rock herself! "mmmph! rrrrrph!" she sighs and tries to press against her gags, but there's no space for her tongue to get anywhere near her teeth or anywhere that would let her make anything more intelligible than a grunt. 

She gives you the full opportunity to admire your handiwork, top to bottom. The amethyst in her navel catches the faint candle-light and blazes purple and orange as her stomach gyrates back and forth for you. She can't move it more than an inch, but that's enough for the light to flare across it and back and isn't it just so beautiful, knowing that you've made this? She tries to flex her legs, then clench them, knees together, tries to bend or straighten them, but there's barely any give because you've gotten the tension in the ropes just right. Her toes wiggle through the slippers but they're not going anywhere, no matter how hard she strains and squeaks through all the muffling you've provided. No matter how much she desperately looks like she wants you to kiss every bit of exposed skin so much she's covered with your lips for all to see. It's really a perfect job for your prize. 

You remember when you had bindle Chen, all tied up on a stick, squirming and wriggling, utterly bound and helpless in your old world magic-binding caution tape? It might feel like you've had a world between that time and now, and you can see the shape of that here too. But this, this has come so much further than that ever did. Do you know why? It's because after she's strained and tested and grunted and sighed and come to terms with her distress, your little Chen relaxes. 

And what she does next is a nuzzle. There's barely enough slack, but there you are so great and strong before her, and she so perfectly bound and trapped. She manages just the slightest little rub of her head, hair loose and soft as she relaxes into you. It's that moment that lets you know that she feels safe and loved. That she doesn't need to worry about anything or think about anything because she can't do anything. She's in the zone, Rose, in a state of blissful trance, all dressed and pretty and safe here for you. That's your doing, Chen's girlfriend, who understands her and she who understands you. And as she snuggles her little chin into your leg, with her purple silks rustling ever so softly, it must be the most perfect thing in the world. At least until you get the chance to switch spots.
[added a comfort and support roll, spending a string: it was a 12 and we each healed a condition.]

***

[b]Yue[/b]

What's Chen supposed to say to that, huh? How's she supposed to manage a thousand words all at once when you're crying and hugging and talking about how hard things are. She'd need at least an hour of telling you all her early sword training, the times she sat and cried and was all alone even when she kept swinging her blades. And the times she cried with both her moms. And the times she cried with the handmaidens. And all the times she smiled in between those times. At least an hour for that and that's if she could manage even half the words, which let's be completely clear here, she's got maybe a quarter of them and that's being entirely too generous, you know?

But then, sometimes the thing about friendship is that you don't need to say anything at all. That's one of the most beautiful things about it. When someone who knows both the pain of things being hard and the joy of things being hard all at once gives you that hug and knows exactly when to give your arms a little squeeze to say "I see you" and "I felt the same way" and "you're not alone" all at the same time. 

Did you know a little squeeze of the shoulders and a little press together could say all those things all at one time? Maybe you did, actually because you've had all that time with Hyra and before that with your sister and with Kat and with all the sheeps and foxes and the sunstones before that too. In fact, maybe you knew it so well that when you think about it later (even though you'll immediately dismiss the idea because you're a sillyhead) you'll think that maybe the reason people in your life know how to hug you like this is because of [i]you[/i] and how special you make them feel. 

Because you and Chen are really for real friends now. She's gonna be happy for every step you take, and sad when you're having a hard time, and she'll be there to share the joys and the burdens. Come what may. 

***

[b]Hyra[/b]

You really couldn't have asked for better chaos, could you? The second that sword leaves Elkibrant's hand, Chen is in motion. That serving tray she was struggling with? She's tossed the whole thing, nuts and grapes trailing in the air, to half the handmaids who have drawn swords to oppose you. And they're going to have to catch it because Keron would expect no less from them than to be able to preserve the fine silver dent free and not even a single grape spilled.

By the time the serving tray is out of her hands, she's snapped a foot down and is in motion to meet the sword in the air. She catches it like it's a feather and to the half of the guards streaming forward who aren't busy with a heavy serving tray, Chen is a whirlwind. You, Hyra, probably remember the fight at Qiu's pyramid better than most. Rose was off her game and Yue at that point wasn't trained, but you saw Chen at the time managing to hold off a handful of guards airborne, but also looking incredibly off her game herself. She had needed to retreat along with the car and it really had seemed like not just Qiu herself, but her army was too much for the plucky do-gooders to take on. 

Well, this is night and day to that. Chen's been training with a good partner, body and mind, and for once she's not holding back. She's giving the guards the honor of receiving everything she's got and what that means for them is that the first set trying to run towards you and the countess go flying away like bowling pins. 

There are more guards of course, but some of them are caught up fighting the incredible show that Rose from the River has become, wielding her sword in her hair and growing extra arms so that she can fight while bound all at once. And here too, Chen and her girlfriend are in sync beyond expectations. Chen is airborne, dancing her way in and out of Rose's braids like a snake charmer, confusing and dazzling the guards, never letting them get anywhere near you. Oh, did one try to break away from the pack and sprint for the throne? Well she can't do that when a vine is tripping her up and her sword has gone flying the wrong direction, forcing two more guards coming in the door to pull up short and put their own blades up in a sudden block to avoid having to catch that flying sword with their chests! 

Last of all, she's up around Jessic, where she takes the moment to give her friend an apologetic shrug before she zips over the top of her and uses her sword to cut the straps for Jessic's bags, sending the dragon princess in a curlicue in upon herself to keep all her things from spilling all over the throne room in a panic. 

So it goes, Yue sprinting around the room like a rocket wolf, Rose creating an entire field of impassible monk warrior, and Chen performing a dancing circuit like a dervish from one end of the room to the other tying up Jessic and all the cards as everyone goes flying about. All for you, Hyra, to stand with Keron in the eye of the hurricane, secure that nothing is going to interrupt you.