Ronnie Anne Santiago and Sid Chang had become fast friends since the two had met on a fateful day in Great Lakes City. Ronnie Anne's ferocity and energy made her a perfect compliment to Sid's enthusiasm and curiosity, and their friendship had only grown in the weeks since, especially after Sid and her family moved to the apartment directly above the one occupied by Ronnie Anne and her family.
Most days, the two girls roamed the city, looking for fun and exciting things to do. And on the days when they stayed home, they still found plenty of things to do together: they played video games, they watched movies, they listened to the latest music, they ate the huge meals made by Ronnie Anne's grandmother... but on this particular day up in Sid's apartment, with the rest of Sid's family spending the day at the zoo, the two girls had the place all to themselves, and enjoyed a mostly quiet afternoon. Ronnie Anne was telling Sid all the fun things she'd done back in Royal Woods, especially after she'd become friends with Lincoln Loud, the boy she still talked to almost every day via online video chat. Sid eagerly listened, riveted by Ronnie Anne's many stories about her other best friend. She definitely wanted to meet this Lincoln the next time he came to the city, and Ronnie Anne's stories about him were giving her lots of ideas about things they could do together.
One of Ronnie Anne's stories particularly intrigued Sid... the time when Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were hanging out together in the Santiagos' old house, and Ronnie Anne had allowed Lincoln to bind her up with duct tape.
"Wait a minute, you just let him tape you up?" asked Sid, her hands on her knees as she rocked back and forth.
"Yep, nice and tight too," replied Ronnie Anne, putting her hands behind her back and her legs together to show how she had been bound. "I told him, 'you'd better not go easy on me or I'll bust out and kick your butt!'"
"You didn't really threaten to kick his butt, did you?" asked Sid, looking a bit worried.
"Nah," Ronnie replied, smirking. "but even after I was all taped up he was still scared of me."
Sid snickered, and Ronnie Anne continued her story, telling her about how Lincoln started tickling her and how she managed to get the upper hand by smothering him with her feet until he agreed to stop.
"Geez, you weren't nervous about being taped up at all?" asked Sid. Before Ronnie Anne had told her the story about Lincoln, she'd only seen people getting tied up on TV when they were captured by bad guys, or heard about it on the news from people getting kidnapped by criminals. She never imagined someone would want it to happen to them willingly!
"No way, I completely trusted Lincoln. It was actually pretty fun! And later on I got payback!"
"Like making him sniff your feet wasn't enough?" said Sid, playfully elbowing Ronnie Anne, who laughed in response.
"Oh, I got him back really good, taped him up twice as tight and tickled him three times as hard, and he didn't get his feet anywhere near my face, he just had to lay down and take it until I let him go," said Ronnie Anne. "Well, until he asked me to let him go, anyway. I mean, I would've let him go any time he wanted to be."
"He didn't ask to be let go right away?"
"I think he was trying to tough it out and prove something to me," said Ronnie Anne. "Or maybe he was really enjoying it, I dunno."
"Hmmm..."
Sid put her hand to her chin and started thinking. Before Ronnie Anne could ask her what she was thinking about, she had formulated an idea.
"Oooh, could you tape me up?" asked Sid, standing up excitedly. "We have some duct tape in the closet, it'll be fun!"
Ronnie Anne blinked. She knew Sid was the kind of girl who wanted to try lots of new things and have lots of fun new experiences, but hearing her express such an eager desire to be all taped up was a bit of a surprise even for her. She was also a bit hesitant... Sid was really sweet, and not used to the kind of energetic fun Ronnie Anne used to have with Lincoln. She knew Lincoln could endure being taped up, after all, his sisters had probably tied him up dozens of times before, but Sid was the kind of girl who wanted to do insane skateboard tricks before she'd even climbed on a board.
"Um, are you sure?" asked Ronnie Anne finally, clearly nervous about using duct tape on her new friend.
"Totally!" said Sid, running out of the room and returning with a fresh roll of tape. "And don't hold back, I want to be taped up as tightly as Lincoln was!"
Sid handed the roll to Ronnie Anne and then stepped back, waiting for her to start. Ronnie Anne held the tape, then looked at Sid.
"Are you sure?" asked Ronnie Anne again. "I mean, really sure?"
Sid just nodded eagerly, a wide smile on her face. Ronnie Anne sighed, but then smiled a bit, even if it was a slightly nervous smile. Her friend's happiness and enthusiasm were infectious, and she hoped that Sid would have lots of fun, even if she wasn't sure it would play out like Sid was thinking it would.
"Okay then, just lay down on the couch and put your hands behind your back... and remember, if you're uncomfortable at all, just let me know, okay? I mean, if anything hurts or if you don't want to be taped up anymore, I'll let you free right away."
"I trust you," said Sid, looking over at Ronnie Anne and smiling. "Besides, I've always been curious what it's like to be an action heroine... you know in those cool movies, the ones that get caught by the bad guys but even though they look helpless, they're still mad and ready to kick his butt? Like, they're all tied to a chair or taped up on the floor, and they're wriggling around trying to get out, and they're telling the bad guy something like 'when I get out of this, you're dead!'"
"Oh yeah, those are cool," said Ronnie Anne. She stretched out the tape roll and gently crossed Sid's wrists behind her back, then began wrapping the tape around them. She was careful not to tape her friend's wrists up too tightly, but still wanted to make it tight enough that Sid couldn't easily get loose. "Hey, tell me if this is too tight, okay? Keep wiggling your fingers around."
"Like this?"
Sid playfully wiggled her fingers as Ronnie Anne secured several more rolls of tape around her crossed wrists. She clenched her hands into fists and tugged at the tape, but it was soon apparent that she wouldn't be getting free any time soon.
"Wow, I'm really taped up!" said Sid, her eyes widening. "You're good at this..."
"Want to keep going?"
"Yeah!" Sid was smiling as she gave Ronnie Anne a thumbs up with one of her bound hands. "Tape me up more!"
"Okay then, let's get you turned around..."
Ronnie Anne started to turn Sid on her own, but Sid quite easily flipped onto her back, her eagerness still on display.
"Nevermind then," said Ronnie Anne, smiling herself as she started to realize that her friend could take whatever she could dish out. "Okay, here we go... remember, if it's too tight, let me know."
Ronnie Anne then wrapped tape all around Sid's chest and arms, until nearly her entire upper body from just below her shoulders to just below her bound wrists was encased. Sid could feel the stickiness of the tape all up and down her arms, which were covered just a few inches down by the t-shirt she was wearing.
"You know this is gonna hurt when it comes off, right?" asked Ronnie Anne, the concern returning to her face.
"Uh, duh, of course I do!" said Sid. "Like in 'Angel's Revenge', when Jessica gets the tape ripped off her mouth by the bad guy and spits that big loogie right in his face!"
"Heck yeah, she did NOT look happy about him taking it off all at once," replied Ronnie Anne. "And then she did that flip and smashed the chair she was tied to on his face?"
"That was AWESOME!"
Ronnie Anne stepped back to check on her handiwork, as Sid started to squirm around with the tape all around her arms and midsection. The tape flexed and bulged as Sid strained against it, but despite her energetic struggles, it didn't budge or break even a bit. Sid let out a deep breath, prompting Ronnie Anne to lean in and check on her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, this is really tight!" said Sid excitedly. "But I'm still having a really good time!"
"That's good to hear, ready for me to do your legs now?"
"Yep!"
Ronnie Anne leaned in and stretched out the tape, preparing to bind Sid's socked ankles together.
"Oh, wait a second!" Sid said suddenly, lifting up her legs a bit.
"What's wrong, did you change your mind? It's okay, I won't tape up your legs if you don't want me to-"
"No, no, I just need to..." Sid began pushing her socks off her feet, first the left one and then the right one. After both socks were off, Sid rested her legs back down on the couch and waited for Ronnie Anne to continue. "Okay, go ahead!"
Ronnie Anne smirked and bent down to wrap the tape around Sid's bare ankles next, already knowing that Sid wouldn't mind the tape being taken off them later.
"You're not planning to smother me with your feet, are you?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"Nah," replied Sid, relaxing as Ronnie Anne taped up her ankles as tightly as she'd taped up Sid's wrists. "Besides, it wouldn't work, I washed my feet today."
Ronnie Anne snickered, finishing up with Sid's ankles and then wrapping more tape around Sid's calves, then taking more wraps of tape around her thighs. By the time she was finished, Sid's legs were thoroughly taped together, and though she could bend them at the knees, that was pretty much all she could do with them.
"Wow..." Sid said, picking her legs up off the couch and looking at them before trying to move them apart. "That's some really nice work! I'm totally taped up now!"
"Yep, that's the idea," said Ronnie Anne, setting the tape roll down and sitting on the couch next to her friend. "So... you are enjoying this?"
"Well, let's see..."
Sid began to test her bonds, rolling around on the couch and then rolling off the couch and onto the floor with a light 'oof!' Ronnie Anne gave her a brief look of concern, but Sid just smiled up at her and kept rolling on the floor, squirming around and kicking her bound legs up and down. She jerked her shoulders around in the tape trying to see if it came loose, but nothing did, and then she flexed her arms and curled her fists, trying to see if her wrist bonds would break. She began scooting on the carpeted floor, moving around quite quickly despite her condition, using her feet to scoot herself along and letting out a cry of excitement as she did. Ronnie Anne watched her in slight bewilderment, but also amusement. Neither she nor Lincoln had squirmed around so comfortably after they'd taped each other up: their struggles had been fierce, determined, with a hint of anger to them, but Sid's struggles seemed to reflect her pure joy and excitement at the new experience, and the fun she was having despite having such restricted movements. With some effort, she scooted herself back up onto the couch and plopped herself down next to Ronnie Anne.
"Yep! I'm enjoying this a lot!" said Sid happily, wiggling her fingers behind her back to show that she could still feel them and that she wasn't in any way uncomfortable. "I thought being taped up might be scary, but I completely trust you and this is a lot of fun!"
"That's awesome, dude!" said Ronnie Anne. Her nervousness over how Sid might react once she was so tightly taped up had faded somewhat, and she was now quite amused to see just how much Sid really was enjoying this, more than she and Lincoln ever did. "Feel like an action heroine now?"
"Well, there's something missing..." Sid replied, leaning in toward Ronnie Anne with a bright smirk. "I can still screeeeeeeam..."
Ronnie Anne playfully rolled her eyes, realizing exactly what Sid meant but deciding to mess around with her a bit.
"Yep, you can scream all you want, I bet you're really excited, huh?"
Sid took in a deep breath, then held it like that, her mouth wide open, her eyes eager. Ronnie Anne just smirked at the ludicrous pose her friend had been holding for the last several seconds.
"Ahll do eh! Ahll screeeeeaaaam!" Sid 'threatened', still holding her mouth wide open.
"You can breathe through your nose okay, right?" asked Ronnie Anne. "No sniffles or allergies or anything like that?"
Sid looked perplexed for a moment, then realized what Ronnie Anne meant and shook her head quickly, still holding that ridiculous face.
"...you need to close your mouth before I can tape it shut," said Ronnie Anne. "...unless you want me to shove your socks in there first."
Sid thought for a second, then closed her mouth up.
"Tape's fine," said Sid. "At least this first time."
Ronnie Anne tore a strip of duct tape off the roll and lifted it up to Sid's mouth.
"You know, I shoved my socks in Lincoln's mouth when I taped him up," said Ronnie Anne, snickering.
"He let you?" Sid replied, raising her eyebrow and looking ever so slightly grossed out.
"Actually, yeah," said Ronnie Anne, blushing a bit. "Again, think he wanted to prove he was hardcore. Although, to be fair, I washed my feet that day too."
Sid giggled, then puckered her lips up for Ronnie Anne to seal them shut. The tape was pressed over them, and then smoothed several times, Sid smiling the whole time.
"I don't think I've ever seen someone smiling while having their mouth taped shut," said Ronnie Anne as she continued to smooth the tape over her friend's lips. "You must really be enjoying yourself, huh?"
"Mmhmm!" Sid replied, nodding happily. "Mmm cmnt tmmlk mt mll! Thms fmmls wmmrd!"
The two girls looked at each other, then burst out laughing, Sid's muffled laughter mixing with Ronnie Anne's boisterous chuckles to fill the whole room. The two girls laughed at each other for a surprisingly long time, before Sid started working her lips around under the tape in an effort to try and push it off. The single strip of tape was quite sticky, and though Sid gave her best effort, she couldn't get her lips parted even a tiny bit to push at it with her tongue.
"Yeah, this brand of tape sticks down really tight," said Ronnie Anne. Sid replied with some muffled musing about how it would probably hurt coming off her lips, then started to snicker again. "Geez, girl, you take everything so positively... for the longest time I had a lot of trouble doing that, at least until I met Lincoln."
"Mmmm... dmm ymm lmmmmmmmmke hmm?" asked Sid, leaning over toward her friend. "Mmms hmm yrrr bmmmmmmmmmyfrmmend?"
Ronnie Anne blushed and raised her eyebrow. She knew exactly what Sid meant, but rather than responding with her usual instinctive reply, she calmed herself down and once again decided to mess with her taped up friend.
"What was that?" asked Ronnie Anne, turning toward Sid and leaning in closer. "I couldn't understand anything you just said!"
"Mmms Lmmmcmln yrrr bmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyfrmmmmmend?" asked Sid, much more playfully this time. Sid knew exactly what she was doing, and was having a lot of fun seeing how Ronnie Anne would react. She didn't care if Ronnie Anne messed with her, or got annoyed, or even decided to playfully 'torture' her, she loved seeing her friend's emotions on display, and knew her friend got especially emotional about Lincoln, considering how fondly she spoke of him. "Ymmm wnmma KMMMSSS hmmm!"
Ronnie Anne blushed and blinked again, before turning toward Sid and placing a hand over her already taped mouth.
"I can't understand you, you're talking total gibberish!"
Sid began playfully singing a song about how much Ronnie Anne liked Lincoln. The tape and Ronnie Anne's hand made it totally unintelligible, which added to the silliness of the situation. This time, Ronnie Anne didn't blush, she just kept pushing against her friend's mouth until Sid was laying up against the side armrest and practically screaming in muffled sing-song while Ronnie Anne shouted I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!' at the top of her lungs. The two girls carried on like this until neither one of them could keep going without bursting into fits of laughter, and as Sid laughed on one side of the couch, Ronnie Anne pressed herself hard against the other, laughing just as hard.
"Dude..." said Ronnie Anne, trying to catch her breath. Finally, both of them stopped laughing, and Sid managed to sit back up, still looking over at her friend.
"...mmdmt mt," Sid said to her, her smirk clearly visible under the tape.
"Me and Lincoln are just friends," Ronnie Anne replied, though her blush had returned as well. "But... I mean... just good friends."
Sid giggled, scooting over slightly closer to Ronnie Anne. She no longer wanted to press that particular issue, and instead, she lifted her feet up and wiggled her toes. Ronnie Anne raised an eyebrow, and Sid wiggled her toes again, more rapidly this time.
"...you want me to tickle you, right?"
"Mmmhmm!" Sid muffled, eagerly nodding her head up and down. Ronnie Anne sighed and smiled, but had a look of slight concern.
"Are you ticklish?" she asked, moving her fingers tentatively toward Sid's feet.
"Mmmhmmmmmm!" Sid replied, nodding even faster this time.
"Let me know the second you want me to stop."
"Dmmnt stmmp!" Sid said, looking almost concerned that Ronnie Anne would stop. "Tmmckle mm mms hmmrd mms ymm cmmn!"
Ronnie Anne gawked at Sid, half-impressed and half-worried. She knew Sid was down for anything, but enduring a prolonged tickling session had even been tough for her, and she'd barely managed to squirm out of it to get the upper hand on Lincoln.
"All right, here goes then," said Ronnie Anne. She expected Sid to close her eyes and look away, but Sid just leaned forward, her eyes wide but excited. "You asked for it!"
Ronnie Anne lunged forward with both hands and attacked Sid's feet, her fingers moving swiftly across her friend's smooth soles. Sid let out a snicker, then a snort, and then a loud scream, and instinctively jerked her feet away. Ronnie Anne moved back a bit, wondering if she'd tickled Sid too hard, but Sid moved her legs forward again and wiggled her toes, indicating that she wanted to be tickled again.
"Mmm smmmrry, thmmt wmms mm rmmflmx!" said Sid, blushing a bit with embarrassment. "Mmm wmmnt mvve ammway thmms tmm, mm prmmse!"
"You sure?"
"Mmhmmm!"
Ronnie Anne moved forward and started to tickle Sid again, but again, Sid's feet reflexively jerked away just as she started laughing. Sid looked guilty, and Ronnie Anne looked both worried and frustrated, but her expression softened into one of understanding.
"You must be really ticklish, Sid," said Ronnie Anne. Sid nodded. "I'm not sure I want to tickle you very hard if you're THAT ticklish, it won't feel very good..."
"Pllmmmseee?" Sid pleaded, moving her feet toward Ronnie Anne again. Ronnie Anne sighed.
"You're absolutely sure?"
"Ymms, ymms, mm smmrre!" Sid insisted.
"Then.. roll onto your stomach again," said Ronnie Anne. Sid nodded and did as she was told, rolling onto her stomach with her soles facing upward. "Okay... now tell me if this makes you uncomfortable..."
Ronnie Anne scooted up on the couch and sat down on top of Sid's ankles. The couch was soft enough to support most of the girl's weight, keeping Sid's legs pinned down but not hurting them. Sid twisted around a bit, but was completely unable to move her feet away from Ronnie Anne, and once again gave her a thumbs up with one of her bound hands.
"Okay then, let's try this one more time..."
Ronnie Anne leaned forward, and Sid continued to look back, keeping her eyes on Ronnie Anne the whole time. Then, the tickling began anew. Ronnie Anne's fingers moved up and down Sid's soles, and Sid screamed with laughter, trying but failing to move her feet away even an inch. Her toes wiggled around like crazy, and she tried to cross her feet one over the other, but that didn't work, there was now no escape from Ronnie Anne's skilled fingernails as they raked Sid's bare soles repeatedly.
"Sounds like you're having fun back there...!"
"MMMMHMMMMM!" Sid screamed through bouts of delirious laughter. Ronnie Anne looked back to see just how much Sid was laughing, her face contorted with tears already starting to come down her face.
Whoa, I better let up a bit... thought Ronnie Anne. She paused for a moment, only for Sid to let out a squeal and shake her head. "You don't want me to stop?!"
"Dmn't stmmmp!" Sid screamed through the tape as best she could. "Kmmmp gmmmmmmmnnngggg!"
With some reluctance, Ronnie Anne resumed the tickling at full force. Sid screamed repeatedly at the top of her lungs, her loud muffled laughter filling the room. Ronnie Anne considered stopping, but remembering Sid's protests the last time, she kept at it, while asking numerous times if Sid was okay. Every single time, with tear-stained cheeks and screams of laughter, Sid would nod her head rapidly, eagerly enduring the most ferocious tickling Ronnie Anne could muster.
"You don't have to prove anything to me, you know!" Ronnie Anne reassured Sid as she continued the onslaught of fingers and scrapes. "You're already awesome, no matter how much tickling you can take...!"
"MMMM KMMMNNNMMMWWWW!" Sid screamed, trying to tell Ronnie Anne just how much fun she was having. "THMMMS FMMMLS GRRRRMMMMMMEEEATTTMMPHHH!"
"Being tickle tortured feels great?!" asked Ronnie Anne, prompting Sid to open her eyes, even through all the tears, and try to give Ronnie Anne her best possible look that might explain what was so great about it. Ronnie Anne didn't understand at all. "What?"
"TTTTRRRRMMMMST MMMMMMEEEEMMMPPHHH!" Sid finally yelled, before letting out one more loud scream as she thrashed involuntarily under her best friend's weight.
Trust you? Well... I mean... you trusted me to tie you up this tight... the least I can do is trust that you can take it and that you're enjoying it. I'll keep going as long as you want me to.
And Ronnie Anne kept going, tickling Sid for several more minutes, letting Sid laugh and scream and squirm as much as she wanted, letting her feet and toes wiggle as they futilely tried to evade Ronnie Anne's dancing fingers.
And the first moment that Sid looked even the slightest bit uncomfortable and called out 'STMMMP!' through the tape, Ronnie Anne's fingers immediately stopped moving, and she rolled off of her friend to let her catch her breath.
"You okay?"
Sid couldn't talk, but she nodded and gave another thumbs up, and Ronnie Anne could see Sid's nostrils flaring as she finally got to take a rest. She leaned over and gently peeled the tape off her friend's mouth, and Sid got the chance to gulp in some full breaths of air as she was helped to a sitting position.
"I went too hard on you, I'm sorry..."
"No, no, that was... that was awesome!" Sid replied as soon as she could clearly speak. "You have no idea, that felt great!"
Ronnie Anne wiped some of the sweat from Sid's reddened face and continued to let her friend breathe, still curious about just what it was that Sid found so 'great' about that.
"Sid, that was like twice as long as I lasted and three times longer than Lincoln did," said Ronnie Anne. "I mean, I would have passed out being tickled that hard! There were so many times I got super worried for you..."
"I'm sorry... maybe I shouldn't have made you tickle me so hard," replied Sid. "It's just... that was an incredible rush! I mean, yeah, my feet were tingling and my chest was burning, but then I would just scream as loud as I could and it felt great! I never get to scream that loud, if I did it at home my parents would run in all worried about me and if I did it outside everybody would think I was a weirdo! But with the tape on my mouth I could scream and scream and get all that energy out and it felt AWESOME! Like riding a roller coaster, but on my couch! ….I know that sounded super weird just now, was that super weird?"
"Kinda," replied Ronnie Anne. "But it was also super cool! Don't ever think being weird is bad, Sid, all the coolest people are weird! The thing I like about you is that you're always willing to try stuff out and you're down for whatever, even if it's really crazy or scary! I wish I had as much energy as you sometimes... I mean, like I said, there's no way I could take being tickled that hard."
"Hehehehe... as soon as I catch my breath maybe we could do it again?"
"Actually, I think I'm all tickled out," said Ronnie Anne, lifting up her hands and wiggling her fingers somewhat slowly. "You wore me out!"
"Oh, want to stop? It's okay, we can stop if you wanna."
"You're the one all taped up, and you're asking if I wanna stop? What about you?"
"Are you kidding? This is really fun!"
Sid started squirming around again, and sure enough, the tape had yet to budge even a tiny bit. She was still quite thoroughly taped up, but even though she'd just endured several minutes of tickle torture, she had enough energy to endure another round, or whatever she and Ronnie Anne could think up to do.
"Well, in that case I can keep going," said Ronnie Anne. "What do you wanna do? Besides tickling, one more round of that and I won't be able to play Overwatch for a week."
"Mm, you could start by taping my mouth shut again," said Sid, puckering her lips and leaning over toward Ronnie Anne.
"Not much for conversation today, huh?"
"Nmmt mmm fmmlt ymm cmmnt mmnderstnmnd memph wmmf mm mmth tmmpmd shmt," Sid muffled through her still-closed lips, curving them into a playful smirk.
"Guess I have no choice but to learn," Ronnie Anne replied, tearing off a fresh strip of duct tape and smoothing it over Sid's lips. "Okay girl, what's the plan?"
Sid said nothing, and instead began to wiggle and squirm in the tape again, rolling back onto the floor and putting on quite a show of worming and struggling around in her bindings, almost as if she wasn't bound at all. She scooted on the floor, she kicked her legs, she pushed herself around and rolled back and forth, grunting and giggling all the while as Ronnie Anne watched with fascination.
"Heh, how long you think you can keep that up?"
"Wmmtch mmm!" Sid said, before pushing herself up into a standing position. She wobbled a bit, but found her sea legs quickly, and took a couple of quick bunny hops forward, looking down at the floor to see where she was going.
"Careful," said Ronnie Anne, and as if on cue, Sid took another hop, wobbled, and started to fall over, letting out a scream. "I gotcha!"
Ronnie Anne lunged forward and caught Sid about halfway down. Sid looked up into Ronnie Anne's eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, be careful hopping around, that's how most people get hurt playing this game," said Ronnie Anne softly, helping Sid back to a standing position. "That's why I didn't let Lincoln hop around when I had him all taped up."
Ronnie Anne blushed slightly, starting to realize what she was saying.
Geez, I'm turning into my mom, she thought, surprised that out of Sid and herself, she seemed to be the more cautious one. To her credit, Sid hadn't moved since Ronnie Anne had helped her back to her feet, and seemed to be waiting for her friend to give the okay for her to start hopping again. "I think that's the most scared I've seen you all day!"
Sid blushed slightly as well, having gone from the action heroine to the damsel in distress in the blink of an eye. She could still feel her heart racing, even a full minute after Ronnie Anne had caught her, but instead of it being an unpleasant feeling, it felt surprisingly close to the rush she'd gotten from the tickling earlier. She couldn't express it, with words or with muffling or even with her eyes, but she wanted to feel it again, even if she didn't know how she could possibly convey the feeling.
"...so, want to keep hopping or do you want to go back to the couch? Or do you wanna stop completely?"
Sid shook her head. She didn't want to stop, she wanted to stay like this even longer... and she wanted to keep hopping too, but not like before. She still didn't know how to express herself, and she squirmed in the tape, while her expression was an enigma, a combination of longing, nervousness, and embarrassment. Her heart was still beating slightly faster than normal, and she bent her legs as if to hop, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Ronnie Anne looked at Sid during this whole time, staying close to her, barely a couple inches away, not wanting to let her fall again or even have a chance of falling.
Then, she remembered what Sid had screamed at her before, during the tickling. It was that word, the word at the core of all of this, the word that was the entire reason that Sid wanted to stay like this and why Ronnie Anne was okay with keeping Sid like this as long as she wanted to be.
"Sid, do you completely trust me?" asked Ronnie Anne, walking around in front of her and placing a hand on her cheek. "Do you trust that I'll never let you fall or get hurt while we're doing this?"
Without hesitation, Sid nodded. Even with that slightly nervous look on her face, the message was clear.
"Okay... close your eyes," said Ronnie Anne, picking the tape back up. "I'm going to put tape over them, is that okay?"
Sid looked at Ronnie Anne and blinked. She was thinking, and it took her a few seconds before she nodded.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
Sid nodded again.
"Okay."
Ronnie Anne tore off another strip of duct tape and pressed it down over Sid's closed eyes, sealing away her sight. Sid took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring slightly, and Ronnie Anne could see her trembling slightly.
"Are you okay?"
Sid nodded a third time.
"Jmst nnrrvmms," Sid said, much more quietly than before.
"That's okay, you can't see anything, I'd be nervous too. Now... here's what I want you to do. Just hop. As much as you want, as hard as you want, as many times as you want, just hop. I won't let you bump into anything and I won't let you fall, no matter how many times you hop. When you want to stop, just say you want to stop, I can understand you with the tape on. Okay?"
"Mmmhmm."
Sid bent her legs at the knees and took a single hop. Then, she took another. Her legs were wobbling, but she was steady. She let out a quiet little shriek every time she hopped, but the shrieks gradually died down. As Sid hopped, Ronnie Anne stayed right behind her, and she reassured Sid as such as well.
"I can see everything you'd be able to see if you could, well, see, okay? So just keep hopping, I'm right here behind you."
As Sid continued to hop, she gradually became less nervous, and the shrieks continued to get quieter, until she hopped almost completely in silence, letting out an occasional muffled 'whoa!' or 'this is fun!' As Sid hopped around the room, Ronnie Anne gently guided her, turning her away from walls and objects, letting her essentially hop in circles around the living room. Then, on the 27th hop, Sid felt herself losing her balance, and she fell forward. She let out a shriek, and was instantly grabbed and set upright by Ronnie Anne, who pulled her backward into a slight hug before releasing her to start hopping again.
"You're okay," said Ronnie Anne. "Keep going if you want to, okay?"
Sid stopped for a moment, and felt her heart beating rapidly again. She blushed between the two strips of tape covering her face, and let out another sigh. Her toes wiggled, her fingers fluttered, and then she started hopping again. Ten hops later, she started to fall back. She screamed, Ronnie Anne caught her and set her back upright, and all was right with the universe. Sid blushed, and sighed, and this time she thanked Ronnie Anne under the tape.
"No problem," said Ronnie Anne, smiling warmly. "I'll always catch you when you fall."
"Mm knmw," replied Sid, resuming her lap around the room and taking bolder and bolder hops. At first, this meant she was taking more and more frequent falls, but she soon grew accustomed to even these longer hops, and she learned to keep her balance without falling, taking an entire lap around the room without falling even once.
And Ronnie Anne, ever faithful, ever keeping her promise, was always right there waiting to break Sid's falls, just as she had done on the day they'd met. She finally realized what Sid had been trying to tell her after that very first fall, and upon realizing it, she'd blushed intensely, a blush Sid thankfully hadn't been able to see.
She's the damsel... and I'm the action heroine. That's what this is.
Ronnie Anne stayed behind Sid, watching her closely, not just to make sure she'd catch her when she fell, but to make sure Sid wasn't falling on purpose. Ronnie Anne wanted to be there to keep Sid safe, but didn't want her deliberately courting danger, at least not to an unreasonable degree.
But Sid wasn't falling on purpose... she was getting better and better at those hops, and to prove it, she even spun herself around to face Ronnie Anne, before hopping backwards a few times with perfect dexterity. Then, she stopped, almost as if expecting Ronnie Anne to scold her for taking such a risk. Ronnie Anne stopped as well, and despite the tape covering most of her friend's face, could pick up an almost apologetic look from the girl's gestures and the way her cheeks were moving.
"Hey... you ready to stop?" asked Ronnie Anne. Sid shook her head, and spun herself back around, facing away again.
"Jmmst wmmnted tmm shmm ymm hmm gmmd mmve gmmten!" said Sid excitedly, wiggling her bound body around a bit to show just how comfortable she'd gotten in all that tape.
"Dude, you look like a worm all taped up like that!" said Ronnie Anne, placing her hand on Sid's shoulder. "Well, I'm ready if you are then!"
Sid resumed her hopping, and though she still had the occasional fall, she'd gotten much better at it even in the hour since she'd started. Ronnie Anne never failed to catch her, and the two could probably have continued like that for quite some time... but Sid was starting to get bored and her legs were starting to tire, and she stopped again and made another hop to turn herself back around to face her friend.
"You finally ready to stop?" asked Ronnie Anne. This time, Sid nodded, and leaned her head in slightly. "Okay, just the eyes or just the mouth or both or everything?"
Sid leaned in even more, and after using her face to feel out Ronnie Anne's hand, she rubbed her taped eyes up against it repeatedly.
"All right, just don't open them too fast afterward, it'll probably be really bright..."
Ronnie Anne gingerly removed the tape from Sid's eyes, allowing her to open them and see once more. She blinked a few times to readjust herself to the light, then she smiled, her eyes once again able to express just how much fun she was having. The two girls stood there for a few moments, with Ronnie Anne unable to take her eyes off Sid's happy expression.
"You... really had a lot of fun today, didn't you?"
Sid just nodded, and Ronnie Anne smiled back. She'd had a lot of fun too, watching her friend enjoy herself in a truly strange situation.
"I'm glad," said Ronnie Anne. "I'm really glad..."
Before Ronnie Anne could notice just how much Sid was still blushing, Sid leaned in and pressed her taped mouth against Ronnie Anne's bare lips. It was only for half a second, but both girls reacted immediately to it, with Sid shrieking slightly and pulling back, and Ronnie Anne just jerking away in shock and then blushing intensely and putting her hand up to cover her mouth, where a smile was quickly working its way back.
"Well, guess that's what the damsel in distress does to the action heroine, isn't it?" remarked Ronnie Anne, smirking and putting her hand on her hip. Sid looked extremely sheepish, but upon realizing Ronnie Anne wasn't mad or all that surprised, she allowed herself a smile and took a small hop toward her. Caught up in the moment, she tripped and fell forward, but once again, Ronnie Anne caught her, and this time, instead of helping her to her feet, she gently dragged Sid over to the couch and sat her down.
"All right, I think I really am worn out this time," said Ronnie Anne, sitting down next to Sid. "Want me to untie you now?"
Sid shook her head. Ronnie Anne blinked, then burst out laughing, and Sid joined in.
"Dude, you really are awesome," said Ronnie Anne, placing her arm around her friend's shoulder. As she did, Sid began rubbing her taped mouth against her friend's hand. "Oh, sure!"
Ronnie Anne peeled off the tape.
"Next time, can I tape you up?" Sid asked, with just as much excitement as she had asked to be taped up by Ronnie Anne before. Ronnie Anne snickered, then nodded.
"Sure," she replied. "But you'd better tickle me even longer than I tickled you, got it?"
"You sure you can take it?" asked Sid.
"Trust me," Ronnie Anne replied. Sid nodded, and leaned her head against Ronnie Anne's shoulder. "Wanna watch a movie?"
"Sure!" Sid exclaimed. "Mmm, but you'd better tape my mouth back up, I always talk really loud during movies."
"Again?!" blurted Ronnie Anne. Sid nodded, and Ronnie Anne just sighed, but was happy to comply with her friend's request as she taped Sid's mouth shut a third time. "What if you get hungry for popcorn?"
Sid just shrugged, and began squirming in the tape before looking at Ronnie Anne and giving her a huge smile. Ronnie Anne pointed the remote at the TV and began looking for a good movie to watch, while Sid continued to squirm up against her, acting like it was just another normal day.
"You do know I'm gonna have to untie you before your parents get home, right?" asked Ronnie Anne, looking over at Sid who was still sitting next to her all taped up.
"Mmhmm... mmm wmmrd, bmmt mm nmt thmt crmmzy," Sid replied calmly, rolling her eyes and giving Ronnie Anne a smirk.
"Just checking," said Ronnie Anne, before pulling Sid close again as the two started laughing. They began watching the movie together, and Ronnie Anne couldn't help but smile as Sid continued to happily squirm against her, her playful struggles almost as entertaining as the movie was. No matter what new thing Sid wanted to try next, Ronnie Anne knew that their friendship was going to be an adventure.