by Van © 2020
			Chapter 12

Elke and Donna returned to Abby's Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion around mid-afternoon.  They were sweaty and tired but far from spent.  Elke had really enjoyed the hike.  Donna disengaged the bear-proof latch and opened the gate in the ten-foot iron fence protecting the pool area.  They passed through, resecured the gate, climbed the steps to the main deck, and found Abby, Mikki, and Lilly waiting.

Abby was back in the denim cutoffs she'd worn yesterday.  Either that or she owned multiple pairs of Daisy Dukes.  Her top was a white tank-top (with pokies), her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her feet were bare.  She looked hot (as always).

Mikki was dressed in what Elke recognized as her own ratty old pair of Daisy Duke cut-offs and a white tank-top (also with pokies).  Her feet were bare and her hair was also pulled back in a ponytail.  Consciously or otherwise, Mikki was a younger version of her 40-something cousin.  Elke couldn't help but smile.  It was very cute.

Oh-by-the-way, the serving-chains (collar, manacles, shackles, and connecting chains) Mikki had been wearing when Elke and Donna departed on their hike were conspicuous by their absence.  Apparently, Abby and/or Lilly had decided The Dweeb had been sufficiently punished for her transgressions.

 As for Lilly... Elke's eyes had popped wide as soon as she got a good look at what Donna's little sister was "wearing."  She also swallowed, nervously.

Lilly was naked!  Nude!  She wasn't wearing any clothing!  However, based on Elke's admittedly non-detailed knowledge of medieval barbarity, Lilly's neck and wrists were locked in what she believed was called a "fiddle," meaning the metal restraining device, not the musical instrument.

It was a thick, wide, shining metal collar with a hefty horizontal extension that terminated in a pair of side-by-side cuffs.  They held her hands at the level of her face and palm-to-palm, and thanks to a locking pin and a dangling brass padlock, she had no choice in the matter!  Elke strongly suspected the device was made of aluminum, which was probably a good thing, as surely a steel fiddle would have been much heavier.

And speaking of heavy, Lilly's ankles were locked in steel shackles with swivel-rings connected by a single steel link!  Any steps Lilly tried to take would be severely hobbled!

And making things even worse, spring-loaded steel clamps pinched Lilly's nipples!  Mikki had mentioned Lilly using similar horrible devices to pinch her nipples yesterday.  The clamps had a thin connecting chain of nested links, and a second, similar chain was clipped to the center of the clamp-chain with its other end captured by the hasp of the padlock dangling from the underside of fiddle.

The chains formed a "Y" that linked Lilly's nipples to the padlock!  And dangling from the center of the "Y" was a very pretty jingle-bell about an inch and a half in diameter.  It didn't appear to be particularly heavy, but (as designed) it did jingle in a musical manner whenever Lilly made any significant movements.  Obviously, Elke realized, it was there to humiliate the naked prisoner when it jangled, and, like a bell on a cat's collar, alerted the neighborhood that a naked captive damsel was out and about.

Also obviously, the Bondage Games at the Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion hadn't been put on hold just because Elke and Donna were off someplace taking a hike.  Lilly was being punished, Mikki was no longer being punished, and Elke needed an update.

Anyway, hugs, kisses, and other greetings were exchanged (with the exception of Lilly, who did voice her greetings but only received a gingerly hug from her big sister, which she was unable to return).

"I turned on the sauna a few minutes ago," Abby announced, so why don't you two,"—she pointed to Elke and Mikki—"enjoy the heat.  Lilly and I will start working on dinner"—she smiled at Donna—"while you soak in the tub.  The girls have important matters to discuss."

"They do, indeed," Donna agreed, planted a kiss on Elke's cheek, then made a shooing motion at the youngsters.  "Go!"

Elke and Mikki smiled, then tromped and padded (respectively) across the deck towards the mansion and their bedrooms, leaning close in a conspiratorial manner as they departed.

"I have big news!" they said simultaneously.  This was followed by, "Jinx!" which was followed by "Reverse jinx!" which was followed by a disgustingly cute bout of girlish giggling, poking, elbow-nudging, and general tomfoolery.

Abby, Donna, Lilly smiled and watched the BFFs enter the mansion.  They'd heard the full exchange.

"Delightful," Abby sighed.

"Adorable," Donna added.

"Disgusting," Lilly huffed, but she was still smiling and Abby and Donna knew she was kidding.

"Okay," Donna muttered, nodding at her naked, captive little sister.  "What did she do this time?"

"The usual," Abby purred.  "I'll fill you in later, if you care for the details."

"Not important," Donna shrugged.  "Bath," she announced, then clomped away, following the girls into the mansion.

Lilly turned to Abby (which caused her bell to jingle).  "How am I gonna help you fix dinner like this?" she demanded.

Abby's lips curled in a wicked smile.  "With great difficulty."

Elke and Mikki chatted as they tramped and padded (respectively) to Elke's guest bedroom.  The chatting continued as Elke undressed and shrugged into her robe... then they padded to Mikki's guest bedroom so she could disrobe... then they padded to the sauna, robed and nude (respectively), as Mikki hadn't packed a robe.  They showered, entered the sauna, and settled in to bake in the dry heat.

Finally, Elke broke her Big News, that Abby and Donna had offered her a full scholarship to the graduate school of her choice!  Squeals of delight and tight, naked hugs ensued.  Mikki told her BFF she would be crazy not to accept the kind offer, but as it turns out, the admonishment wasn't necessary.  Elke had already decided to let Abby and Donna make her dreams come true.

Elke's news disposed of, Mikki retaliated by explaining that her dream, a place where she could write (while not starving), had also been fulfilled!  More squeals of delight and naked hugs ensued; however, while Elke approved of Mikki taking up residence at the Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion, there was a condition: Mikki had to promise to keep in touch and let her know if the bondage shenanigans were getting out of hand.  Regular letters and e-mail messages would be mandatory, and Elke promised to come to her aid if required.

Elke proposed the code word "paraclete" as Mikki's signal that all was not well and she required rescue.  Mikki countered that if she was freaking out from excessive bondage, working "paraclete" into a letter or e-mail might be too much of a challenge.  Elke conceded that her BFF had raised a valid point.  They agreed to table the issue of code words until a later date.

Needless to say, the BFFs were all smiles and very happy.  After several minutes of basking and sweating, Elke's semi-sore muscles were soothed and both BFFs were more than ready for supper.

They emerged from the sauna, showered, toweled themselves dry... and it was only then that the naked blonde and ginger realized Elke's robe was missing, and hanging in its place was a white string bikini!  And hanging on the next peg was a red string bikini!

"I guess dinner will be poolside," Mikki observed dryly.

"So it would seem," Elke agreed.

There was nothing they could do about it.  Of course, the BFFs could return to their bedrooms and change into something else, but that would be contrary to the mansion's dress code and not the actions of polite house guests.  Mikki grinned, Elke pouted, and they donned the skimpy swimwear.

Bikini-clad (and nearly naked), their hair damp but brushed and rapidly drying, Mikki and Elke padded to the kitchen, out onto the main deck, then down to the pool deck.

As expected, Abby, Donna, and Lilly were waiting.  Abby was wearing her sexy, skimpy, jade-blue string-bikini and Donna her sexy, skimpy, Prussian-blue string-bikini.  Lilly was also wearing a bikini, however...

Lilly's aluminum fiddle was missing, as were the steel shackles formerly severely hobbling her steps.  Her neck was collar-free, her wrists cuffs-free, and her bare feet completely unimpeded.  And while she was bikini-clad, it was steel bikini, not a string-bikini.  Also, the bikini bottom was... accessorized.

In point of fact, Lilly was wearing a steel bra, a steel chastity belt, and steel thigh-cuffs!  Chain-mail-like ribbons of nested steel links served as bra-straps and connected the bra to the belt and the belt to the thigh cuffs!  And all the metal edges were lined with black something-or-other, possibly latex.

Elke was staring at Lilly with wide blue eyes, her lips pursed in an amazed pout.

Mikki's brown eyes were also wide, but a wicked grin curled her gorgeous, bee-stung lips.  She leaned close and whispered in Elke's ear.  "See how everything is padlocked?  The thigh-cuffs are so she can't spread her legs, reach under the crotch panel, and play with herself."

Elke's blue eyes were still wide, and now they were blinking as well, behind her glasses.  She was also blushing.  Elke frowned and turned to her BFF.  "Shut up!  Also, who made you such an expert in steel bikini outfits."

Still smiling, Mikki shrugged.  "I read.  I browse."

Abby and Donna had heard the whispered exchange, and were smiling, but they had the good grace not to make annoying comments like "Adorable!" and/or "Delightful!"

Lilly had also overheard the girls' discussion of her ensemble, and her smile was considerably less jubilant.  She focused on Mikki, then indicated her steel costume with a sweeping gesture.  "Don't worry.  It will fit you."

Now Mikki was the one doing the blinking.  "Who said anything about—"

"It's only a matter of time," Lilly interrupted, still smiling, then turned and padded towards the outdoor kitchen.  Apparently, she was the cook, like the first time Mikki and Elke had dined at poolside.

Abby and Donna beamed at Elke and Mikki.

Elke and Mikki smiled back.

"Well?" Abby demanded.

Elke and Mikki exchanged a blushing look, then answered "Yes!" in unison.

What followed might be described as an explosion of gleeful shouts and enthusiastic hugs.

Lilly watched the celebration with resigned disgust (and a carefully hidden smile).  Obviously, Elke would get her scholarship, Abby and Donna would get their tax break, Mikki would get her writer's sanctuary, and she (Lilly) would get a new playmate: Mikki.  It was a win-win-win-win-win!  She watched the bikini-clad hugs and kisses for a few seconds, then...  "What the hell."  ...surrendered her stoic facade, padded back to the group, and engaged in a few hugs and kisses of her own.

Hamburgers and potato salad.  It was a very enjoyable outdoor feast.  The only kinky aspect was Lilly's costume, but at this point neither Mikki nor Elke considered Lilly being padlocked in a metal bikini all that remarkable.  The Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion ran by its own rules, and Elke had finally found an opportunity to share her pet name for Abby, Donna, and Lilly's abode with her BFF.  Mikki thought "MMMM" or "4M" was very cute and resolved to start using some variant of the mansion's new moniker from now on.

After everyone had eaten their fill, the girls pitched in to help Lilly with the cleanup.  The group continued chatting out on the deck while the sun set, not bothering to change out of their bikinis.  Eventually, however, the dropping temperature drove them indoors.  More conversation followed in one of the MMMM's many comfortable sitting-rooms.

Elke announced that tomorrow she would spend the day on the internet, browsing graduate school details and composing e-mail messages to her favorite Lewis & Clark professors asking for advice and letters of recommendation.  Admission deadlines loomed, so she had to get cracking if she was going to start graduate school in the fall, but was willing to concede that that might not be possible.

Mikki's ambitions for the next day were less ambitious.  She planned to sneak away and explore the subterranean levels.  She knew there were at least two sub-levels, as the stairs to the level where she'd been entertained by Lilly had continued downwards.  She suspected all or most of the steel doors down below would be locked, but at least she could learn the floor plan... or plans... meaning the floor plans of each of the two-or-more subterranean levels.  She kept her snooping plans to herself, of course, not even telling Elke.  Abby, Donna, and Elke might disapprove, and if so, Lilly might be delegated to tie her up and/or lock her in a cage in order to frustrate her healthy, natural, and entirely understandable curiosity.

Eventually... goodnight kisses and hugs were exchanged and everybody retired for the night.

Mikki padded to the guest bathroom and prepared for bed, then padded on to her assigned guest bedroom, removed her red bikini, and (now totally nude) climbed between the sheets and snuggled against her pillow.

Mikki was very happy.  She'd found a wonderful place to live and write!  Abby was wonderful (and hot), Donna was also wonderful (and hot), and Lilly was... not just a bondage aficionado, but a bona fide bondage professional (and hot)!  She makes bondage stuff for a living!  Mikki had no idea why her mother had considered Abby to be a little odd.  Maybe her mom knew about her cousin's penchant for restrained entertainment.  She decided that when she knew her 40-something fellow ginger a little better, she'd ask.  Anyway... smiling and content, Mikki closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ zzzzzzz ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Mrrrmf?"  Someone had pulled back the covers, hopped onto Mikki's bed, and was straddling her naked body!  Also, they'd popped a rubber ball in Mikki's mouth and were buckling its attached strap at the nape of her neck, under her tousled mass of gorgeous ginger curls!  It was a ball-gag!  "Mrrrmf!"  And now, Mikki's mysterious attacker was binding her crossed wrists behind her back with thin cord!  Mikki was being kidnapped!  Abducted!  Seized!  And if it wasn't her imagination, her abductor was naked, except for a few bits of hard metal that were jabbing her here and there!

"Mrrrf!"  (Lilly!)

"Quiet, you," Lilly hissed as she climbed off her prisoner, dragged Mikki to her feet, took a firm grip on her hair, and dragged her from her bedroom.

Mikki blinked and cooperated (as if she had any choice) as they padded down the MMMM's dark hallways.  Lilly set a brisk pace... and soon they arrived at what she realized was the room that was going to be her permanent bedroom/writing-room once she moved in.

Lilly released Mikki's hair, then closed and locked the bedroom door behind them.  Click!

Mikki blinked and looked around.  The reading lamps on the bedside tables emitted a feeble glow.  She surmised the lamps had low and high settings (meaning nightlight and reading settings), and Lilly had set them on low (nightlight).  The drapes were open and a full moon was adding its pale illumination to the general ambiance.

Actually, not counting the nocturnal lighting, there was one minuscule but rather significant change to the bedroom decor: four lengths of shiny steel chain rested on bedspread!  They were attached to the four corners of the platform-style bed, somewhere down near the floor—terminated in gleaming steel manacles for the pair near the headboard—and shackles for the pair near the foot.  Mikki could see that the wide, heavy cuffs was appropriately sized and shaped to fit attractive feminine wrists (like Mikki's) or lovely female ankles (also like Mikki's).

"MRRRF!"  Mikki didn't want to be spreadeagled on her new bed with her wrists and ankles locked in smooth, rounded, heavy steel cuffs!  Not tonight, anyway.  Some other night?  Well, maybe, but not tonight!  "MRRR!"

"Hush," Lilly chuckled, then "encouraged" Mikki to flop down onto the mattress and secured her ankles in the shackle-cuffs.  This didn't take very long, nor was it particularly difficult.  Mikki offered only token resistance and the shackles locked by means of pushing on their protruding locks until they clicked and became flush with the wall of the cuff.  No muss, no fuss, no escape.  Securing Mikki's wrists in the manacle-cuffs was similarly simple.  It did require the untying of the ginger captive's wrists, but once that was accomplished, locking Mikki's reluctant wrists in the waiting cuffs was no challenge for an experienced damsel-wrangler like Lilly.

So...  when the proverbial dust settled, Mikki found herself spreadeagled on her back on the bed—naked, ball-gagged, indignant, and/or maybe just a teensie-weensie bit scared—and her predicament was stringent.  She squirmed and kicked and tugged on her steel bonds and bravely glared at her smiling, gloating, metal bikini-clad captor.  It seemed like the proper thing to do, given the circumstances, but Mikki was willing to concede that she might be wrong.

Lilly returned Mikki's glower with a gloating smile, then cocked her head to the side.  "Hmm...  A little loose, don't ya think?  I think I'll remove a link from all four chains... maybe two links."

Mikki continued squirming and glaring.  Her steel spreadeagled predicament was not loose, thank you very much.  She assumed (hoped) that Lilly was kidding.

Still smiling, Lilly reached for the ceiling and stretched full-length—"Eeeyah!"—climbed onto the bed, lay full length against the left side of Mikki's helpless body, and snuggled close.

Mikki could do nothing to prevent Lilly's semi-naked display of affection.  Not only was the ball-gag plugging her mouth making it impossible for to express her feelings in an articulate manner, but more importantly, she was having a difficult time sorting out said feelings.  Mikki was... conflicted... and helpless.  The steel bra-cups and belt of Lilly's ensemble were hard against her skin, but at least they were smooth.  As for Lilly's skin... it was also smooth... and warm... and firm but not hard.

Lilly kissed Mikki's right cheek where it bulged above the tight strap of the ball-gag, then squeezed her left breast.  "I'm really glad you're agreed to live with us, Little Red."  She continued gently squeezing and releasing Mikki's left breast... then used her thumb and forefinger to toy with Mikki's nipple.  "Big Red and Donna play together all the time, and I confess there are times I feel a little left out.  With you here, however, I'll always have someone to play with, and won't have to resort to doing naughty things to trick Abby into punishing me."

Mikki shivered in her bonds.  "Mrrrf?"

"I know, I know," Lilly purred, "I'll grant you plenty of time to do your writing."  She shifted her attention to Mikki's right breast.  "I will."  She kissed Mikki's ball-gagged mouth.  "I promise."

Mikki continued shivering.  Lilly was now caressing her taut tummy.

"Now," Lilly continued, "if I'm going to put all this time and effort into making your deepest, darkest damsel fantasies come true... it's only fair that you should show your appreciation in the proper manner.  I suppose I'll have to teach you how."  Her hands continued sliding, squeezing, and teasing.  Mikki continued shivering and squirming.  "Consider this your first lesson.  Pay close attention and take good mental notes.  Until Abby lets me out of all this steel hardware, you won't be able to demonstrate what I'm about to teach you."

And with that, Lilly ceased her tit and tummy teasing, released her embrace, slithered down the bed, climbed over Mikki's leg, and settled onto her stomach with her smiling face very close to Mikki's lewdly (and involuntarily) splayed crotch—close enough that Mikki could feel Lilly's breath on her flushed labia and it stirred the curls of her ginger pubic bush.

"Here we go," Lilly announced, leaned close, and slid her tongue the full length of Mikki's labia with a slow, wet, warm lick.

Mikki tugged on her bonds and shivered with renewed enthusiasm.  "Mmmrrrrr..."

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Lilly quoted, then began licking, probing, and sucking Mikki's lady-bits in earnest.  She wanted Little Red's first lesson to be very memorable.

The next day Elke rose with the sun, padded to the bathroom and conducted her morning ablutions, then returned to the bedroom and changed from her pajamas into a pair of navy-blue cotton shorts and a white T-shirt.  She considered adding anklets and sneakers to her ensemble, but since the wearing of shoes didn't seem to be all that prevalent at the Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion, she decided to remain barefoot.

Elke padded her way to the kitchen and found Abby and Donna already present.  Abby was wearing Daisy Dukes and a white T-shirt.  Donna was in gray cotton hiking shorts and a powder-blue T-shirt.  Apparently, it was a shorts and T-shirt kind of day.  Morning greetings (with polite kisses) were exchanged, then Elke poured herself a cup of coffee.

It was Donna's turn to cook breakfast, various bowls and utensils were in the sink, and a delicious aroma wafted through the kitchen.  Donna was selecting apples and peaches (possibly nectarines) from a wooden bowl.  "Frittata," she announced, for Elke's benefit.  "Eggs, chopped peppers and shallots, shredded cheese, diced ham, and hash brown potatoes."

"Baked like a casserole," Abby added.

Elke nodded.  She already knew what a frittata was, but that wasn't important.

Just then, Lilly and Mikki arrived and kicked off another round of greeting and kisses.  Mikki was wearing an ensemble Elke recognized: a pair of army-green hiking shorts and a heather-gray, French-cut t-shirt with a cartoon sketch of some mountains and the message "TAKE IT OUTSIDE" printed on the front.  Lilly, however, was still dressed in her padlocked steel bikini.

After the the niceties were exchanged, Lilly stood before Abby and pouted, hands on hips.

Abby grinned, then reached into the pocket, produced a brass key, and handed it to Lilly.  "Quick like a bunny," she chuckled.  "The frittata will be ready in..."  She glanced at her spouse.

"Fifteen minutes," Donna smiled.

Lilly turned and stomped (padded) from the Kitchen.

Coffee was sipped and enjoyed, small talk exchanged, and the landscape admired through the kitchen's window-wall.  Then, Donna took the iron skillet full of steaming, aromatic, crusty-topped goodness from the oven and placed it on a trivet, allowing it to cool.  Five minutes later, Donna extracted slices from the skillet and plated them up, together with apple and peach slices, and Lilly returned.

Lilly's brown pageboy was damp but neatly combed and she was wearing Daisy Dukes and a white tank-top.

Elke smiled as she sipped her coffee.  Close enough, she decided.  Shorts-and-T-shirts are, in fact, the uniform of the day.

The frittata was as delicious as they all expected, and the fruit was crisp, sweet and an excellent complement to the yummy casserole.

After the meal, and after Elke's kind and polite offer to help with the cleanup was refused, she padded back to her bedroom, opened her laptop, and set to work.

Soon, she had a generic message to her professors composed and ready to act as a template.  It explained her changed circumstances (excluding the bondage aspects, of course), asked for advice concerning her choice of schools (and she did add Oxford and Cambridge to her wish list), and politely begged for a letter of recommendation.  Next, she cloned her template, added personal details to tailor each message, and sent them off.

It was ridiculous to sit and wait for responses, so Elke began browsing to keep herself busy.  She searched Princeton, Harvard, M.I.T., Stanford, UC-Berkley, Chicago, Cambridge, and Oxford, checking out possible living arrangements, and in the case of Oxford and Cambridge, the added complication of applying for a student visa.  By the time midday rolled around, Elke was ready to take a break.

Lunch at the MMMM was totally casual, with no set time or organized menu.  Elke perused the possibilities in the pantry, settled on a packet of ramen noodles (roast chicken), and set to work.  In only a few minutes she had a steaming bowl of yummy, slurpy noodles ready, had brewed herself a mug of tea, and was sitting out on the main deck and enjoying the view.  It was a magnificent day... like yesterday and the day before.

Elke was halfway through her modest repast when the kitchen door opened and Abby appeared.

"There you are, darling," Abby purred.  "When you've finished your lunch, meet me in the Yoga Studio."

"Uh, okay," Elke responded, "but first I'll have to clean up my mess."

"Just leave your bowl, mug, and chopsticks in the sink," Abby answered.

"Thank you," Elke said as Abby waved and returned to the kitchen.  "Well..." she muttered to herself, her blue eyes blinking behind her glasses, "what now?"

As she made her way to the Yoga Studio—the space with the bamboo paneling and thick, plush carpet where Abby had given her her first rigging lesson—Elke was nervous.  Not scared, mind you, but definitely nervous.  She'd sorta assumed the bondage nonsense that had started happening soon after they'd arrived at the mansion was over, at least with respect to poor, innocent Elke.  At least this time she wasn't already tied up and/or gagged and would have a chance to argue her case if Abby did want to tie her up, lock her in handcuffs, strap her into a leather or canvas straitjacket, etc.

No, Elke decided, I'm just being silly.  Everything will be just fine.  And then, she arrived at the studio... and everything was not fine.

Abby was waiting, smiling broadly and still rockin' her Daisy Dukes and white T-shirt.  The mistress of the mansion was gorgeous, as always.

Mikki was also waiting, but she was not rockin' her army-green shorts and heather-gray T-shirt.  In point of fact, Elke's BFF was naked.  Given recent events, this wasn't what Elke could call shocking or even unusual, but it was unexpected.  Mikki's long, ginger curls were pulled back in a tight ponytail, or possibly braided.  It all was behind her head so Elke couldn't be sure.  And speaking of Mikki's head, a two-inch ball-gag with a lime-green sphere and black leather strap was plugging her mouth, tight enough to make her cheeks bulge.  She was standing with her bare feet about eighteen-inches apart, her everything else also bare, and her hands resting atop her head with her fingers interlaced.

One final detail: resting on the carpet to Mikki's right was a neat row of five bundled coils of conditioned hemp rope.

Elke's heart was pounding and her breathing rate elevated, but she didn't flee in alarm.  Instead, she padded forward, her blue eyes on her BFF (who was gorgeous, by the way, like Abby).  "What's happening?" she demanded.

"I thought I'd give you a chance to demonstrate the skills I've taught you," Abby purred.

Elke's eyes popped wide (wider, actually) and she shifted her gaze from Mikki to Abby.  "What?"

"You need to satisfy yourself that you can, indeed, tie up Mikki without her wiggling free as soon as you turn your back," Abby clarified.  (Not that clarification was actually needed.)

"You want me to tie her up?" Elke inquired quietly.

Abby grinned.  "I believe you would benefit from the resulting... closure."

"Closure," Elke huffed.

"Closure," Abby reiterated.

Elke gazed at her BFF, who gazed back... naked, submissive, ball-gagged, gorgeous.

"Would you like a few suggestions?" Abby inquired.

Elke continued staring at Mikki... then her face set in a determined pout.  "No.  I got this."

Mikki and Abby watched as Elke stooped, selected a coil of rope, released its retaining hitch, and began the process of preparing it for use, as she'd been taught.

"On your knees," Elke ordered, and Mikki complied.  Elke could now see that her BFF's hair was, indeed, plaited in a single braid, the end of which was secured by three or four inches of tightly wrapped hemp cord.  Also, the tongue of the ball-gag's steel buckle was secured by a tiny, dangling steel padlock.  Wow, Elke thought, then set to work.

When the proverbial dust settled, Mikki was hogtied.  Specifically...

●  Mikki was box-tied with her wrists crossed and lashed against spine.  Bands of rope pinned her upper-arms against her sides and yoked her shoulders.

●  Mikki's ankles were crossed and lashed together.

●  Taught, tightly wrapped strands of rope linked her ankle bonds to her box-tie bonds, tied through the nexus of rope above Mikki's crossed wrists.

●  Mikki was balanced on her taut tummy with most of her boobs and thighs lifted off the carpet.

●  There were no knots anywhere close to Mikki's fluttering, questing fingers.

Elke took a couple of steps back and watched as Mikki continued what Abby explained was known as a "courtesy struggle."  The preliminary results were promising, in that there were no results.  Mikki squirmed, twisted, tugged on the ropes, and obviously did her very best to escape from Elke's handiwork, but Elke's knots were holding!  The box-tie and hogtie ropes were efficiently and effectively limiting her struggles!

Elke'd finally done it!  And it felt surprisingly good to have achieved the goal that had previously proved so elusive: tying up her best friend!

"Excellent," Abby purred, then stepped close and gave Elke a sideways hug and kissed her blushing cheek.  "A little sloppy," she whispered in Elke's closest ear.

Elke frowned.  "Sloppy?"

"Not to worry," Abby chuckled.  "I'm talkin' about Kinbaku style-points, which aren't important.  An excellent effort.  You make me proud."

Elke continued blushing and gazing at her naked, ball-gagged, and hogtied BFF, the notorious ginger-haired dweeb.  "This is nuts," she muttered.

Abby chuckled and kissed Elke's cheek, again.  This did not help her blushing problem.

"Congratulations," Abby whispered, her lips close to Elke's ear.  "You're a rigger and a Top.  Mikki's Top."

Elke blinked and stared at her alleged Bottom's continuing (but futile) escape efforts.  Nuts, she thought.  Totally nuts.

"You know," Abby purred, "you could add her braid and big toes to the hogtie.  That would make her truly helpless."

Elke's lips settled into a fierce pout.  "No!"  She then shrugged out from under Abby's arm, spun on her bare feet, and padded towards the door that ultimately led to her guest bedroom.  "I have to check my e-mail," she announced, and was gone.

"Farewell, Mistress Elke," Abby chuckled, then focused on Mikki.  "One hour," she announced.  "No, make that two hours."  She padded to the doorway, paused in the threshold, turned back, and smiled.  "Or... feel free to squirm your way to either Donna or Lilly and hope they take pity and untie you.  I have no idea where either of them might be located at the moment, so you might be in for a long, arduous search.  Ciao!"

And with that, Mikki was alone in the studio, naked, ball-gagged, and stringently hogtied.  'Mistress Elke,' she mused as she settled in to languish until rescued.  Who woulda thunk it.

Epilogue

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There was no more bondage nonsense for Elke the rest of her visit to the Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion—not with Elke as Top or Bottom, anyway.  She did stumble across her BFF in naked bondage now and again, but not every day.  Lilly seemed to be the one responsible for Mikki's occasional run-ins with rope, leather, steel, and lack of clothing, and Elke was beginning to suspect there might be a relationship developing between her BFF and Donna's little sister.  She decided she was okay with that.  In fact, Elke was glad her BFF might be finding someone else to take care of her (and tie her up, so Elke didn't have to).

Hiking, shopping trips into town, dinner, lunch, or High Tea at various area restaurants, yoga sessions, swimming, and lounging happened... and finally... the visit was over.

Tearful goodbyes with Abby and Donna complete, Lilly drove them home in her white van.  Mikki's car remained behind in the MMMM's garage.  Elke was dropped off at her parents' home, then Lilly and Mikki continued on to Mikki's "crappy apartment."  Lilly stayed a few days to help Mikki pack her things (most of which Mikki donated to Goodwill), settle her lease, and execute a change of address.

Did bondage shenanigans happen during Lilly's visit?  Why do you even ask?

Elke continued her efforts to enter the graduate school of her dreams.  She was accepted at several universities, but after careful consideration decided on Stanford, and she just squeaked past the admissions deadline!  Elke started work on her Masters degree and eventually began developing plans to earn her Ph.D. at Cambridge.  And Abby and Donna continued paying for everything!  It was wonderful!  They were wonderful!

As for Mikki, she began writing, and eighteen months after taking up residence at the MMMM, her first novel was accepted for publication and she was already hard at work on her second!

As for Bondage Shenanigans, Lilly gave Mikki a complete, detailed, and highly interactive tour of the lower levels.  This took quite a few months as Lilly had to allow Mikki plenty of time for her writing, like she'd promised.

The tour included a return to the chamber with the ominous steel milk can!  And this time, Lilly thought Mikki was ready, so she "allowed" Little Red to experience the cylinder's claustrophobic and pitch black interior (once the lid was tightly in place and the chains and padlocks deployed and snapped shut).  It was everything Mikki thought it would be, meaning incredibly cramped, uncomfortable, stuffy, unpleasant, and thrilling!

Also, Mikki and Lilly did develop a relationship.  That is, they were not only Bottom and Top, respectively, but openly acknowledged girlfriends and lovers, and Abby and Donna were more than okay with the "youngsters'" burgeoning romance.

Elke rotated her academic vacations from Stanford between her parents and the Magnificent Modern Mountainside Mansion, and when the time finally came for her to travel to the UK to start attending Cambridge, Abby decreed that it would be a group trip.  Elke, Mikki, Abby, Donna, and Abby flew into Heathrow, took a few days to see the sights of London, then stayed a week at the castle of Abby's dear friend, Lady Jane Tydwell!

A real medieval castle!  With all the modern conveniences!  Also, as it turned out, Her Ladyship was also into bondage shenanigans!  The castle had real dungeons!  The castle had real torture chambers!  The castle and its inhabitants were kinky as all get out!

"This is nuts!" Elke muttered to her BFF as Lady Jane's maids pounced and the fun began—but that's another story.

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Chapter 11

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