Each tug and each twist, with every twitch and every strain that Rikku would inflict on her ankle binds she can't help but clench her teeth on the knot between her lips. Sweat starts to drench her face, causing her crazy hair to stick to her flesh thanks to the desert heat, which in turn adds more discomfort with her already unforgiving situation. Rikku had been trying her best to keep her temper at bay seeing how she has every right to be angry.

"Gmun uhnuhnuhuu!"

Finally she lets out another vocal protest that pretty much mirrors her body's frustration and momentary defeat. Feeling fatigued for having been struggling for a while now, Rikku lays her head on the ground as she is now on her side and lying down as a result from the entire fervent struggling she has done. The pattern of struggling and rest has become a repetitive pattern and truth to be told, for as long as Rikku endures the discomfort of fighting against the bonds that Gippal had put on her, Rikku has gained a bit of slack. Her ankle binds may still hold the same tautness however she has found that her foot can perhaps slip out of her boot with enough effort put into it. While it has proved to be promising despite the slow progress, it has however been nothing but agony just to get where she is now. Her foot now halfway out of her foot wear, Rikku tries to remind her of her progress as she lays helpless while taking in as much air as she can through her nose.

"How's the prisoner doing?"

Rikku has heard very little from what is happening outside the tent aside from the norm raging wind of the desert, the sound of Machina operating, and a few steps here and there. Her guards have paid her very little attention; once in a while they would chuckle or what not as they heard her thrashing and screaming but other than that, no such real words like the question she heard just now. Lifting her head up and shooting her eyes towards the tent entrance's direction, she notices a slight movement and soon one of her guard's head pops in. Rikku gives the said guard a glare that didn't do much. He once again closes the tent before responding.

"She is as Gippal left her."

"Very good. Our honored guest will be arriving soon and she is more than happy to meet Cid's daughter in person."

The knowledge that she is here for a diabolical reason isn't new to Rikku, though whatever that reason is, she can't help but shiver. Combine that with the idea of an honored guest who is exuberant at meeting her in her current predicament, Rikku can't help but mewl through her gag as she once again even more incentive to try and get herself free. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Rikku once again starts to tug on her ankle binds with more effort put on her foot that is close to slipping off. She had long ago given her hands very little to no effort since she had discovered that they won't budge any time soon and Rikku needs her freedom sooner than later so with that, she continues to move her legs in a manner where it would force her bare legs to rub up on each other, pulling up, twisting, trying her hand in the idea of perhaps pulling them apart. The knots held firm and they won't break, however every nudge does give Rikku's foot an inch or two closer.

"Unmuff…!" She vocally reminds herself through her gag that the progress she has made is getting somewhere. Bending her right knee while keeping her left leg as straight as she can, Rikkus is almost performing an act of tug of war as she keeps pushing with her right to get the proper angle that she needs with her other leg to pull. "UW..! Uumn…! UWWW!"

Push and pull, her legs are working in unison despite the opposite direction as Rikku is feeling the slack starting to give in more. The strain of her binds is not only distorting the leather of her boots but are now biting quite fervently on her ankles. Letting out a frustrated scream, Rikku eases off for a moment, once again replenishing her breath, chest heaving up and down as she lays somewhat motionless for a few moments. When the said few moments are over, Rikku bites on her gag and continues the same process from earlier, both legs working in opposite motion. An inch closer to freedom and with her legs feeling the strain of the struggle, Rikku clenches her bound hands and reverses the role of her legs before abruptly switching back to the same routine; the result is even an inch closer. Rikku takes a quick breather again before going back to her struggling. Pull, push, pull, push… and with every energy she can muster, Rikku finally feels the wanted result within grasps as her heel is now out of the tautness of the rope and with one last pull, her foot slips off her boot completely leaving her shoeless on one foot. The effort caused her to let out a groan of both victory and fatigue as she takes that moment to lay down on the ground, breathing heavily, body glistening with sweat, and discomfort present in every inch of her body.

Though the discomfort proved fruitful as she at least has her legs free from each of her. For now she pays little attention to her left foot that is still roped with her right boot. This means that Rikku can at least get a better position on working on her hands. Managing to get herself on a sitting position, Rikku straightens her legs out as she works her bound hands to slip underneath her butt. This part would be the most grueling of the task as the ropes that holds her hands together bites even more as they are being pulled with her trying to pass her curvy behind through the little gap her bound arms allow. Ignoring the pain with a slight grunt, Rikku then contorts her body and continues to scoot her hands underneath her. With her legs free the way they are, Rikku is able to shift accordingly with each leg to adhere to what her bound hands need. Soon she finds her hands under her thighs, a little bit further… now they are under her knees, which at this point is another strenuous part. Bending her right leg to her chest, Rikku is now in the process of slipping her foot through the gap of her arms. If she didn't have the proper flexibility, this wouldn't be anywhere near possible but even having all of that, it's still not as easy as it seems. Pulling her arms more to her right, Rikku is able to create the opening that she needs to slip her foot through. Half the battle is done and she takes a few moments to catch her breath before working on her left leg.

"M'm… gumng… fu huuhf…. hmm!"

The curse came out instinctively as she starts her work to getting her left leg in proper position. The extra boot made it a bit more complicating but not by much. Thrashing about for a bit and falling on her side once again, Rikku manages to slip her left leg through and with that, her bound hands are now in front of her which of course would make escape a bit more feasible than having her hands behind. Rikku once again takes in a few moments to try and gather her bearings as the task had taken its toll. From the looks of things, she may not look like she has done a whole lot but the effort was indeed physically demanding. Though excruciating or not she had no luxury to stay still for too long for she isn't truly sure if the guards will be checking up on her again anytime soon. Suffice to say, she can't have them seeing her this far in her towards her freedom. Having gained enough of her breath and bearings, Rikku studies the her wrist bindings. Having it in front of her gives her all the visual she needs as she slightly gives a good tug while twisting her hands in different directions. They still have the proper tautness that would prevent the much-needed quick escape. Raising a brow at this, Rikku knows that she would need the aid of something to pick at the knot.

"Fhmf… mf… gumng fu huuhf…" Opening her mouth as wide as it can go, Rikku uses her bound hands to hook onto her gag, using the little space provided by her jaw. Pulling down on the cloth, the gag keeps its tight form that causes a few garbled grunts from Rikku as the tautness clamps on her skin while pushing down on her delicate flesh. Of course having been soaked from her saliva, it made the task a bit more of a hassle than she would prefer with the knot of the cloth tightening up, but eventually the said knot eases off between her teeth allowing fresh air to enter her mouth. "Bleehhhh!"

She lets out a disgruntled sound as Rikku finds herself letting out a pool of drool. Of course the gag is off which makes the black cloth hangs on her neck and adding a dark contrast with the scarf that already accessorizes that part of her body. After working her jaw out for a few moments while taking in some fresh air, Rikku brings the knot of her wrist binds close to her face and with that, she works fervently with her teeth to get the knot to undo. While the knot held firm it starts to loosen within a few moments of pulling, and eventually it comes undone and the vise like hold on her wrists gives. It takes just a few tugs until Rikku is able to slip her hands off its grip. With a smile on her face, Rikku tosses the rope aside and moves on to undoing the knot on her left leg that holds her right boot prisoner to her left.

"Gippal, I'm going to kill you."

The tone of whisper could entail that she means every word, but having endured that kind of treatment doesn't exactly deter her from doing the said action. Regardless, she knows that getting to that action requires some thinking now. The ropes that held her feet are thrown to the side and after slipping her right boot back on, Rikku stands up, stretching a bit before focusing her mind on the next hard part of the task of escaping. Getting out of her bondage is the first and important step however it would mean nothing if she can't find a way out of this fortress of a camp. Still broad day light and filled with Al Bhed that are armed to the teeth while she remains weaponless and pretty much clueless to her whereabouts. The odds meant that Rikku is to fail and perhaps this is a captivity that can only be altered by the help of others. Yuna will come and save her and perhaps she will do so without even pulling a trigger because she is the High Summoner. She is Spira's new beacon of hope and perhaps all she has to do is speak with reason and Gippal's faction of Al Bhed will listen and drop this asinine endeavor. And if worse comes to worse, Yuna will rally help from all corners of Spira and at the end of the day Rikku will be back to safety. The thought brought Rikku's stomach to turn and with a click of her tongue she realizes that she'd rather take the story towards a different turn. This predicament s her own mess that she herself has to absolve and doing that doesn't have to have her cousin rescue her; Yuna has done enough saving on her own accord and if Rikku can help it, she would rather her cousin just focus on things meant for her. After all, last time Yuna saved the world, this time she'll have to tend to her own personal endeavor. With that, Rikku starts to look around the tent for something useful. She has done so earlier while still in bondage however there really wasn't much she could see that would prove note worthy. That was of course when she was tightly bound and gagged perhaps this time something would be helpful?

Rikku's spiral green eyes veer left to right, looking around and scrutinizing every corner to find some sort of something. To her disdain nothing really would prove useful. If Gippal did prepare her room of captivity then he prepared well since there is nothing at all. Just an open tent with the loosened ropes on the ground thanks to Rikku's effort.

"She's been awfully quiet there."

Rikku's eyes dart towards the entrance of the tent where she can see the silhouette of the two guards somewhat moving.

"You heard what Gippal said. Don't bother the girl unless she is causing trouble."

"Yeah but she hasn't been as noisy."

"Probably got tired and fell asleep. We should be more worried if she is making too much noise."

Their tone was not meant for her to hear it. Throughout the whole time she was struggling, they only made small conversations such as this one once or twice and with the exception of that one time, they never did check on her. Stupidity on their part considering where she is now but that does spark an idea that elicits a small smirk in the corner of Rikku's lips. Looking down slightly, Rikku grabs the black scarf that was once between her lips and completely unties it. With a quick glance and a grimace, Rikku gently places the damp knot between her lips, holding it with clench teeth and starts tying it behind her relatively loose. She isn't entirely a big fan of having the saliva sodden cloth back in between her lips however it would be part of the faux visual she will try to portray. Grabbing the ropes, she loosely wraps the said rope around her right wrist and grabbing the extra pair that bound her legs, she goes back to the corner where she was and puts herself into a kneeling position before sitting back on her haunches. Putting her hands behind her grasping both rope, with her feet covered by her form and hands behind, in thought she looks like she is still tightly secured. Rikku can only hope that this gambit will pay off.

"Time to be noisy," Clearing her throat, Rikku prepares for a barrage of incoherent screaming. "HEU AFFHONEF! GEP IN HERE ANN UNPIE ME! HURRU UF!"

The initial response from her guards is quite apparent through the tent. A few murmurs and of course their silhouettes shifting with a mild sense of urgency as their captive is suddenly screaming an absolute storm.

"Hehu ahffhunehfh! Hurru upf ahnn gehfh ihn ehreh!"

"Hey be quiet in there little girl!"

"Fchrehw ufh ahffhuneh! I neehn ufh ihn HNUN NUW!"

"Shut up I said!"

"UNPIE MN NUWWW!"

The rebuttal of words and muffled protests continued for a bit longer than Rikku would want. Finally the guards didn't respond after her last demand and she waited a few moments before screaming more nonsense as she tries her best to listen to whatever her guards have to say.

"But Gippal said-!"

"She won't shut up and you know it!" Rikku stops for a few moments to catch her breath through her faux bondage plight. "One of us has to go check her out so that maybe she can shut up."

Those were the key words that Rikku was hoping she would hear. She grins through her cleave gag as the two guards continued to debate but every bit of their words insinuated that Rikku's gambit would pay off. To further accentuate one of their point about her not shutting up, Rikku screams a few more times as loud as she can, sprouting very little to no words anymore unlike before. Finally all of her vocal garbles are answered by a sigh from one of the guard who is now starting to enter the tent, which of course means that Rikku's chance is within her grasp. She can only hope that she can adhere to the one element that she has: surprise.

"What do you want little girl?" The lone guard closes the tent behind him and Rikku can't help but feel a bit of solace that the gambit seems to be paying off. Of course she had to use a bit of willpower not to smirk as the guard seems to be falling into her ruse. She squirms a bit, shifting her body in a way that makes it seem like she is desperate while still screaming nonsense through the cloth wedged between her teeth. "What's got you all riled up now? Need company?"

The tone almost made Rikku cease her ruse instantaneously. While she can't really see his expression past his goggled helmet, Rikku can only fathom what a sight she can be and how his expression reacts to that. She is well aware what her outfit could elicit provocativeness and perhaps perversion and with the amount of struggling she has done and the desert heat, her body is glistening with sweat making her look far more ... 'delighting'. With that visual and the fact that she looks VERY helpless to do anything, Rikku can almost read the perverted thoughts swirling within this al bhed as he walks towards her with a very insinuating posture. Another reason why getting out of here is MORE than a must.

"What's going on?" His comrade calls from outside which made him stop for a moment.

"Nothing! I'm going to check and make sure she is still nice and tight!"

While the statement has legitimacy behind it, the insinuation is far too apparent for Rikku. Narrowing her eyes, the Al Bhed merely chuckles as he eases himself closer which sends a cold shiver down Rikku's spine of what could happen if she is indeed still well tied. Though one thing she can say is that his gun is no longer in his grasp as he lays it beside him as he crouched down. This simple act of unarming himself would be the catalyst for a much easier escape attempt on her part. And of course the fact that he seems a bit distracted as he inches his form towards her, despite the creepiness oozing from him, Rikku could take a bit of solace in this.

"You look uncomfortable and hot," He states, as his face is now mere inches from Rikku's. "Here, let me help you."

The closer he got the more and more he is feeding to what Rikku needs and finally as he hovers over her, seemingly wanting to check on her bonds, the distance Rikku truly needs is now at hand and with that she moves with haste. Removing her hands from their false bondage position, Rikku takes quickly wraps the rope around the Al Bhed's neck and with a quick flourish and a firm grip with her other hand, Rikku pulls which constricts the coarse cord around the trachea. To further enhance her position, Rikku shifts so that she would be able to clamp her legs around the guard's torso, locking her ankles together, making sure that he would have no room to create distance between the two of them. The man writhed and thrashes about, trying to get his voice through the rope that is clamping on his neck, trying his best to call out to his comrade, as every moment seems to be against him. The more he struggled, the more Rikku reaffirms her grip on the rope that once kept her hostage. While one hand kept a firm grip, the other remained tied around her wrist that enforces her grip on the situation. Squeezing her legs together, pulling more on the rope, sooner than later the man lost all strength and his body crashes, his weight now on Rikku as she keeps her effort for a few more moments, making sure that he is indeed unconscious. Slowly easing off her legs' grip, Rikku then starts uncoiling the rope around the guard's neck and immediately pushing him off. With that done, she starts to reach for her gag, more than willing to get the saliva soaked cloth out of her mouth.

"Hey! Is everything okay in there?!"

Rikku's attention immediately shoots towards the entrance of the tent. Every move she makes is on the whim and what happens next she has to adjust and this is a testament of that case. Her eyes darting about the tent and towards the unconscious guard, looking for something that could help that won't be terribly noisy. His firearm would be noisy but his handgun that is on its holster could be a different story. Rikku could only hope that there would be a stealth option on the said gun. Pulling it out of the holster and checking, Rikku is more than relieved that the option is indeed present on the gun, which makes things easier for this process.

"Hey! Don't have too much fun with her! Get back out here!"

Rikku's eyes concentrate on the entrance as this guard is now making his way inside. Any normal tent would have a simple flap that would open the said tent that is usually held by a zipper or a latch or what not. Al Bhed tents are a bit more complicating than that as it is machina influenced which means that security and privacy is indeed part of the perk of having an Al Bhed tent; but that also means that it takes a bit more time to get in compared to a much more insipid tent. It's what Rikku needs in a moment like this: more time to be ready and figure out a plan.

"Hehu! GEP ihn HNUN!" The plan was almost close to the original: A simple case of incoherent luring and an even BIGGER gamble. "Cumeh un…. uhuffh… gehfh ihn ahnhrehahnu!"

"What's going on there?! Are you messing with the prisoner!?"

The final 'latch' of the tent finally comes undone and with that, the second Al bhed guard walks in completely unaware that Rikku is crouching down with the gun pointed straight to his head. His awareness kicks in and he prepares to shift himself in a safer position, but his speed isn't enough.

"Fuchkehr."

With one eye closed and the other locked on the target, Rikku pulls the trigger and the muffled sound of the shot echoes in the space of the tent. The result of her shot is the Al Bhed falling on the ground lifeless as the bullet hits him directly pass his head. Without any sort of time wasted, Rikku quickly gets to her feet and proceeds to pull the dead guard inside the tent. As soon as that is done, Rikku quickly closes the tent, making sure every latch connects. Pulling the gag off finally and throwing it to the side, Rikku keeps her ears open for any sort of sign that anyone else from the outside was aware of what had just happened. Luckily, the sound of the machinas kept on going which could mean that stealth is on her side for the moment. Sighing to herself, Rikku lowers the handgun slightly before observing her kill; the sight of his blood dripping into the tent ground and trickling towards her boots. The dead by her feet and not too far from her is the sound of the unconscious guard that she knocked out by choking him out… the contrast is quite prominent that Rikku looks at the gun for a moment. The reason she is here is because these men are following orders; There is something far more sinister behind the scenes. If this is how far Gippal's faction of Al Bhed are willing to take, then Rikku should have no qualms with what she has done. Sighing to herself as she walks over the unconscious Al Bhed, Rikku then aims the gun at his head; her finger at the trigger and her eyes showing full conviction.

"I'll make use of everything that you left behind."

Slightly looking away, Rikku pulls on the trigger. The muffled sound of the shot reverberates within the confines of this tent. Soon only Rikku's breathing can be heard.

To Be Continued….