Sonera hardly felt a thing the night she lost her limbs. But as time stretched on, her body had begun to reclaim a fragment of its senses. The pinch in her joints from Lunae's binds was as good a proof as any.
"Are you alright?" Ivy shifted her weight, staring across at Sonera with growing concern.
"I'm fine," Sonera huffed.
"You don't look fine. I can hear all your little grunts. We're inches away, remember?"
She had just managed to contort her leg, resulting in a rather gruesome pop that forced Ivy to grimace.
The heiress pursed her lips with a sigh. "Are you always so accustomed to pain?"
"You know the answer to that."
The assassin had freed her legs by then, kneeling over the sand as she attempted to wiggle her arms loose. Brute strength was enough for a steady escape, and yet Ivy was convinced there was more to Sonera's success. It was not the first time she had peered into that dreadful story.
Her perspective differed from Lunae's, however. Sonera was seen in many ways as an icon of resistance. And for that, Ivy admired her more than she felt pity.
"And your binds?"
Sonera's stoic expression faltered. "I've been through worse."
"Then why would-." Ivy cut herself short. "Oh."
Lunae wanted them closer. She would do anything to stage the growth she believed her family needed. Ivy felt almost baroque having to remind herself of that fact, always one step behind the princess.
"Just get over here," the heiress groaned, rolling onto her back. "I'm not quite as attuned as you."
"Nor as patient," Sonera huffed before tearing apart her last restraint.
Ivy felt a wave of sarcasm creep into her tongue, fueled by her weariness. "Oh really? I never would have guessed. You, who somehow resists kissing that girl at every occasion."
Sonera froze in her tracks. She was rather insulted, to be sure, though curiously unable to respond. Ivy took that as confirmation of her hunch.
They hadn't kissed.
"Let me help you." The assassin exhaled before resuming her course. She'd rather scorn herself than push the matter.
Ivy shrank, feeling ashamed of herself. "Listen, Sonera, I-Ow!"
She felt a sharp pang in her right leg as Sonera began unraveling the knot connecting Ivy's feet to her wrists. The assassin was many things, but slow and steady was not one of them.
"There." Sonera dusted herself off.
Ivy unfolded like a ball of yarn, gritting her teeth as the soreness finally caught up to her. She wasn't usually so weary after a quick scuffle. But perhaps that was the nature of things when her life finally wasn't hanging by a thread.
"Listen." The heiress crawled slowly on all fours. "I know it's not easy."
"You were right." Sonera knelt in front of her. "There is a struggle. One I cannot overcome."
The way Ivy stared up at her was rather enchanting, as though pleading for mercy. Sonera made sure to return the same vulnerability with a dour expression. Neither of them could shy away any longer.
"It's not my business." Ivy looked away.
Sonera caressed Ivy's neck, using the tip of her sharp index finger to reel the heiress in.
"You're looking out for us, I understand," she whispered before circling her prey.
Ivy crooked her neck with a reluctant huff. It couldn't be helped; that position of hers.
"Ugh," the heiress quivered. "S-someone has to."
Her composure had been failing under Sonera's grip. Before long, Ivy was bracing herself with gritted teeth, overpowered in every measure that counted.
"Bottom," Sonera quipped in a low voice, pushing against Ivy's lower back as her pretty figure arched into the perfect position.
"Mmph!" Ivy felt her spine bend, struggling to brace herself against the sand as Sonera tugged at her neck from behind. "Shut up!"
The assassin wasn't quite done. She finally had the chance to express her fears, lost in the warm comfort of the snow angel she called Ivy.
"You want to know why I can't kiss her?"
"We're all afraid. But that's where we jump. It's the only thing we can do," Ivy groaned. "Lila would call it a yolo, or something archaic like that."
"A leap of faith," Sonera muttered. "But I...what if our bond doesn't work?"
Ivy rolled her eyes, avoiding eye contact with the stubborn girl looming over her. "Then work on it. You don't have to go the whole nine yards. Just let her know how you feel."
"Was it Lila who made the first move?"
Sonera's voice carried genuine curiosity.
"Of course. And she had no idea what she was doing," Ivy frowned. "Nonetheless, she made her move. It...saved me."
"Hmm," the assassin pondered, staring deep into Ivy's soul.
Her blue iris was the perfect place to lose oneself in thought. Whereas Lunae's eyes were the ocean, Ivy's were like a smooth pond of ice.
"Maybe you have a point."
"Don't I always?!" Ivy taunted. "Nngh!"
Sonera cupped her hips, pulling the heiress in closer as she began to stretch beyond her limit. That was her way of getting closer to the truth.
Unbridled honesty.
"But if what you say is true. What have I done?"
"It's never too late." Ivy's voice softened with a blush. "She's yours. Claim her."
"But I..." Sonera blushed in return. "I don't know how to kiss."
The heiress raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Then practice on me, you oaf; don't let Lunae receive some sloppy amateur work."
Sonera pondered again for a moment. "Very well. I promise I'll give it back to Lila."
She leaned in closer, using her grip on Ivy's chin to connect their mouths from a vertical angle. It was a brief kiss, rough and unpassionate compared to what she wanted with Lunae. But Ivy was right about the practice.
"You need to work on that," Ivy chuckled. "More lips, less tongue."
"But I like tongue." Sonera sounded almost offended.
"Leave all that to the girl with the nine-incher."
"I love it when you talk like Lila."
"Oh, be quiet."
She wasn't sure if a flirty Sonera was charming or petulant.
Maybe a bit of both.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hallo?" Lila searched the hallways. "I know you're around here somewhere, Ivy! Yrix has munchies if you guys are done!"
She had been wandering for quite a while, relying on nothing but the radar in her mind. Fortunately, there was no Alia to jam her, rendering Lila's efforts slow but effective. Ivy was near.
"Aha!" Lila sniffed the air. "Gotcha!"
The Earthling had just recently been chatting about how fragrant and obvious Lunae's scent could be. Rounding the corner, she was relieved to find the princess leaning against a small metallic doorway, a wide grin plastered across her face.
"Sssh," Lunae put a finger to her own lips. "They're having a moment."
The arena was sealed, with nothing but the occasional shudder making it through.
"What they talking about?"
"I want a surprise," Lunae shrugged playfully. "Just keeping watch over them."
"Ya didn't train?"
"I won," the princess giggled. "Tied them all up into a cute ball."
"Damn," Lila's eyes widened. "That's impressive. Those two are sweaty as all heck, and you won?"
"I'm full of surprises." Lunae leaned back with her legs still in front, pushing out her chest proudly towards the Earthling. "Don't you remember?"
Lila did her best not to stare. "Y-yeah. Can I get Ivy now?"
"Awww," the princess frowned with a joking puff. "Bored of me?"
"Come on Lunae," Lila exhaled with a toothy grin. "Everybody's too horny to be bored of you. I just wanna see my girlfriend."
"Of course. I'm playing with you."
Lunae flicked her wrist towards the heavy door, opening it with ease. She had planned on discovering Sonera in the middle of something embarrassing. It was rather awkward then to encounter her partner standing inches away from the other end.
"Hello." Sonera waved with a nervous smile.
Ivy was close behind, visibly pleased to spot her Lila at long last. She wasted no time flinging herself into the Earthling's embrace.
"Missed you too," Lila giggled as they rubbed their foreheads together.
They silently exchanged some information, each reacting in their own way to what had transpired.
"Ya'll did kinky training without me?"
"Yrix is doing what now?"
Both Lunae and Sonera stifled a laugh.
"Lead the way, Lila." They spoke in unison. "We trust you."
They soon broke into conversation as they traveled, enjoying what little time remained for leisure and bonding.
"Wah!" Lila stumbled back a few steps. "What was that for?"
Sonera had pecked her on the lips.
"From Ivy," the assassin exhaled, nodding as if she had accomplished some great mission. "Now it's settled."
"You're going to explain to me what that was, right?" Ivy was probing Lunae for an explanation. "I doubt shoving your tits in people's faces will work in a real fight."
"And I doubt missing every attack will work in a real fight either," Lunae teased with a wink. "Right?"
"You're getting obnoxiously bold!"
Lila shrugged. "I think we're all just losing it."