Relaxation Therapy 13 | nympha bondage story

A couple of assistants were setting out several mats like the ones she'd seen the other night and Emily leant forwards. Her stupid goggles were misting over again after going up on the stage. If only she could take this rubber sauna suit off. Oh well. It wasn't all bad news – The sticky, sweaty rubber was a sure-fire way of keeping her weight down despite the abundance of food upon offer here. Staiputt clearly believed in spoiling their guests. A gilded cage, for sure. But most of all, Emily couldn't believe how much she was enjoying herself. Everybody was so friendly. There was no contrived smiles or false artifice here. Robert was certainly nothing like the urbane po-faced Larry Emdur on 'The Price is Right!' back home – smiling while he played with the emotions of his victims desperate to win the giant hundred-thousand dollar "Showcase". But best of all, the girls genuinely enjoyed what they were doing. Faking their almost obscene enthusiasm for the job (if one could call suiting up in rubber and being tied up 'work') was impossible – one or two, perhaps but fifty or sixty, no.

The MC was stepping forwards and Emily grinned. Nympha again. She was holding two short lengths of cord as well as a ballgag and Emily couldn't help wondering what was happening. Normally overkill was the order of day here. They must've used five hundred feet of rope on Jessica Alba. She was wriggling and squirming from one side to another with excitement while her boyfriend told a funny story. Jessica had been tied up since eight or so and she was still happily laughing and chatting away nineteen to the dozen as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Nympha's sweet voice echoed around the restaurant and the genteel hubbub surrounding Emily and Lourdes gradually slowed until only the sound of a light rain striking the roof could be heard. It'd begun raining although it was hardly much above a drizzle. However, the precipitation hadn't dissipated the steamy heat the slightest. Even the unflappable Nympha was delicately fanning her face with a small hand-fan she'd procured somewhere. Jolina's face was shiny with sweat while the rubber-clad waitresses looked hotter than ever while they rushed about taking and delivering drink orders. Just studying the way the tight rubber clung to their firm tushies was also making her hot again. The prodigious consumption of alcohol had slowed to a trickle and most of the guests were drinking out of huge lemon or lime flavoured jugs of water although Sir Walter was one of the few bucking the trend with yet another icy-cold gin and tonic. Gin huh? The drink of empires. Oh well. It was her favourite drink although she was sticking to cold water for the time being. Emily closed her eyes again before groaning. There was no point in fanning herself. She was boiling. Oh well. Although she'd been tied up again, at least she hadn't been gagged like Lourdes so it was a small mercy. Jolina had removed Lourde's gag straight after the fashion parade before allowing her to have a long drink. After she'd gratefully drunk her fill, it'd gone straight back in her mouth. Suddenly Emily remembered how she was going to spend the night and she sighed again before returning to Nympha who was insouciantly swinging the ball gag in her hand backwards and forwards as if it was a pendulum.

"As we all know, there is nothing like that feeling of real captivity but what about those times when you just want nothing more than a quickie?" Nympha's voice was light, teasing and everybody laughed. "I love those quickies!" She flashed a quick smile around the audience before happily continuing. "Tonight's rope-tying competition is not just about fun but helping maintain the essential skills we all need for successfully restraining our lovers or partners."

Emily nodded. Too right. Why hadn't she thought about that? She'd taken Lourde's and Jolina's skills for granted without realising that like anything else, successful, fun and enjoyable bondage didn't just happen. Anybody could use handcuffs but the art of ligotage was just that, an art. It was something which had to be learnt, after which constant practise was the key to maintaining these hard-won skills. No wonder Staiputt encouraged these competitions.

Nympha was speaking again and Emily hurriedly tore herself away from her thoughts before concentrating on what she was saying. Nympha was holding up each length of cord while she said, "If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, 'Oh, I like being hog-tied the most of all', I would be richer than Imelda Marcos. Imagine the size of my shoe collection then."

Emily shook her head before laughing again. Nympha was a natural.

After the laughter died away, Nympha continued, "Ever wondered how fast you could hog-tie someone? Well, you are about to find out." She separated each piece of cord before holding everything up for all to see. "However, there's more to it than just speed. Done properly, there is no escape and that's the whole point of the exercise. You tie 'em up, they stay tied, ha?" She paused to allow her words to sink in before continuing. "The rules are simple. Contestants will be paired off against each other and they will take turns to tie each other up. Each contestant will receive two identically cut pieces of rope and a harness ballgag which you must use to tie and gag the other as quickly as possible. Hands and feet only and tied together, that is, a hogtie." Her smile was a sun while she glanced around the rapt, attentive audience.

"However, as I have said, it is not about how fast you can tie up your partner. Points are also awarded for neatness, inescapability as well as comfort. By that, I mean there is no point in tying someone up if you've gotta untie them because they've lost circulation."

Emily smiled before nodding again. She remembered begging Darren to untie her because her hands hurt so much after losing circulation in the early days until they'd perfected their skills to the point they could tie each other up without worrying about hurting the other.

"The winner is the one who not only ties the other up as fast as possible but also as neatly and surely as possible without unduly cutting off circulation. Each winner will progress to the next round until there are only two people left," Nympha said. "That is, it is a knock-out competition."

Mmmm… I see. Emily had already decided she wouldn't bother about entering. Modelling was bad enough but there was no way she could go up on stage and try tie somebody up in front of hundreds of people.

"By the way, just to help everybody concentrate upon the job…" Nympha's smile was wolfish while she continued. "If your partner escapes after being tied up, it is you who will suffer the consequences. Apart from instant disqualification, we also impose another penalty. Anybody who allows their opponent to escape will be tied up on the spot and it will be tight, as in tight. Expect to be hogtied so tight you will wonder what hit you – and you will stay bound and gagged until tomorrow morning. No ifs, buts or maybes. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

Emily couldn't help laughing again after glancing around. Several people were already challenging each other amidst a great deal of hilarity. Some of the waitresses already off duty were also challenging each other as well and she knew that the intensely competitive Filipinos would go all out in tying up each other especially trying to escape after being bound. The lure of going one up on the other as well as the immense satisfaction of seeing their friends and opponents hogtied all night was too great to resist. Positively fiendish. In one fell swoop, Staiputt had ensured that there would be no holds barred. Like Thai kickboxing, they would go all out to win. The success of the competition was assured and she happily settled down to watch the entertainment. Nympha had just announced a first prize of a thousand dollars US, which could be taken as cash or redeemed against clothing – and this alone was also attracting more contestants.

Lourdes was grunting into her gag and pulling against her bonds. Puzzled. Emily forgot what was happening while she turned around to see what her friend wanted. What was that word? Agonized. Lourdes pleadingly stared into Emily's face before grunting again. The wide pad covering her plug gag prevented any intelligible speech. Suddenly alarmed, Emily hurriedly tried to attract Jolina's attention. She was deep in conversation with the Jessica-girl and Emily had to raise her voice so she would hear above the increasing hubbub. "Jolina!"

"What?" Jolina said.

"It's Lourdes. I think she wants you."

Jolina grinned although she didn't turn. "Lourdes does not like her gag. Gag stay," she said in that condescending tone of voice one might adopt when addressing a little child. Lourdes was rocking from one side to another in her increasingly violent attempts to attract Jolina's attention.

"Um… I really think she does want you," Emily said.

Jolina rolled her eyes before slowly facing Lourdes. "What do you want, ha?"

"Mmmggmm-hmmm!"

"I cannot understand what you are saying!" Jolina jeered while Lourdes angrily bucked and heaved against her bonds. "When will you learn to speak properly, ha? Really. Tsk tsk."

Emily bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. Jolina was mimicking Lourdes' frantic efforts to communicate in a high-sing-song voice, repeating every little nuance along the way with perfect, sarcastic mimicry. Poor Lourdes. Her frustration was obvious.

"Safe word. Use your safeword," Jolina sententiously said before holding up one slim hand. "But this better be good or…"

"Mmmggmmm!" Lourdes glared in Jolina's direction before delivering the signal (two long grunts, followed by 3 short ones).

"Salamat," Lourdes sighed after being untied. Her voice was croaky and Jolina solicitously poured a glass of water before holding it out below her lips.

"Maraming salamat," Lourdes smiled before facing Emily. "Double or nothing!" she suddenly said while her face creased in a sudden cheeky grin.

"Huh?" Emily was totally nonplussed. "I'm sorry, I… I'm… not quite with you."

"Double or nothing," Lourdes patiently repeated. "Enter competition. You beat me, I stay in rubber bondage sack for 48 hours. Tie me up, gag me, I stay bound for 2 days. I win, no sack, ha?"

"Are you sure?" Emily was doubtful. Two days was a very long time to stay bound and gagged. "What if you lose?"

"I not lose." Lourdes confidence was infectious. "Never lose," she boasted. Despite her misgivings, Emily couldn't help grinning.

"What about your tying up competition with… what's her name? Oh yes, Beauty?" Emily prodded. "The swimming race we had yesterday?"

"Beauty cheat," Lourdes giggled. "She cheat, I lose." Her reply was so artless Emily couldn't help laughing. "Maybe already I let you win," Lourdes continued. "Because you're my friend."

"Ok, ok, you're on!" Emily laughed. "If you win, no sack. But… if you lose, spend three days inside the sack. Deal?"

When in doubt, always up the ante. Put pressure on your opponent, Emily smugly thought while Lourdes uncomfortably squirmed. Her smile wasn't quite as bright now. Sir Walter and the others who'd heard their exchange were laughing. Miyu's beautiful eyes glowed with bright approval and barely concealed mirth.

"Ok, deal," Lourdes eventually replied before brightening. "But I win, walang problema."

"Yeah, yeah!" Emily giggled. How did Lourdes do it? She managed to make her feel like a schoolgirl again without any of the attendant cares and worries of the much more serious business of earning a crust in business. "We'll see, we'll see."

"Jolly good show," Sir Walter said. "Good luck to both of you. May the best girl ummm... I mean tier-upper win!"

Suddenly Nympha held up one hand as if she was directing traffic and silence descended upon the room like a curtain. "Before we begin, I will ask my assistant to help demonstrate. Thank you, Carlotta," Nympha said as her sister magically appeared from nowhere. "Carlotta will help me show you what to do."

Without prompting, Carlotta jumped downwards before lying flat on her stomach and obediently placing her arms by her sides and Emily smiled. They'd been through this routine before. "This is a test of skill, not wrestling," Nympha said as she leant down. "Pretend your arms or feet are pieces of wood, ha? Points will be deducted from your score for actively resisting so beware!" She untangled a piece of cord. "I begin with tying her hands together. Like this…" With a stunning speed, Nympha pulled Carlotta's wrists together before lashing them together palm to palm. "You can tie them any way you like," she smiled while Carlotta tentatively pulled against the ropes. "Parallel, square lashing, whatever you like. Walang problema." Nympha suddenly slapped Carlotta's fingers before giggling. "No Carlotta! Stop that! Don't bother try escaping, ha?" She glanced around before smiling again. "Do right, she will not escape. Stay tied, ha?"

Emily grinned. Nympha was a born entertainer. She had the crowd eating out the lap of her hand. "Okey… I tie Carlotta's feet now. Then hogtie her." Nympha 's hands were a blur as she tied Carlotta's feet together before wrenching her legs backwards and roping everything together until she lay in a writhing, squirming heap in front of her. "See, she will not escape now," Nympha beamed. "Now I gag her!"

Again, Emily could hardly follow the quicksilver progress of Nympha's fingers while she pulled each strap tight after pushing the ball in her mouth. Seemingly within seconds, she had Carlotta's ballgag buckled tight behind her head before standing. "Carlotta will not escape now. She stay tied, ha?" Her smile was huge while she fondly regarded her twin sister. "You do all that, just like I showed you but as fast as possible."

Emily instinctively nodded while her stomach churned. What if she made a fool of herself? What, God forbid, if she stuffed up tying Lourdes and she escaped? It wasn't so much the embarrassment she was worried about, it was the penalty for failure Staiputt exacted, never mind the fact that Jolina was going to give her the treatment tonight anyway. As if guessing her thoughts, Nympha said, "Do not forget, if your opponent escapes, you will be the one tied up – until tomorrow morning."

She didn't want to do this at all but… Emily couldn't bear to let Lourdes down. She had to give her friend a chance. It was only fair. Jolina was untying her now and she sighed with relief as her arms flopped free. They were somewhat stiff from being tied together for the last couple of hours and she gingerly massaged her aching wrists. For the first time, she was grateful for the protection the thick rubber offered against the thin, tight straps Jolina had used upon her. Lourdes also looked similarly relieved. Although Emily couldn't see her eyes clearly through the lenses obscuring everything, it was obvious her Personal Assistant wasn't exactly unhappy about being untied. She was draining the large frosted carafe now before standing, leaning over the fence and pouring the remainder over herself with a fluid grace she could only envy. The icy cold water glistened under the light as it trickled down the smooth sides of her rubber suit and a soft, contented sigh escaped Lourdes' lips before shaking with pleasure. Hot huh? Emily silent mused while a sardonic smile split Jolina's lovely face.

Everyone (well, it seemed that way) was signing up and she could even see one guy who'd already opened a book on the result. Filipinos were inveterate gamblers and Emily couldn't help grinning. They would bet on anything, especially in the bloody sport of cockfighting where millions changed hands every day. Most of the staff had already entered as well as many of the guests save for those destined to remain bound and gagged throughout. Jessica was still hogtied as tightly as ever and Emily tried not to think about how she'd be spending the night while she nervously waited for the contest to begin.

Some fifteen three-inch-thick mats had been laid out on the stage. A group of rubber-clad girls were fanning out with stopwatches before being assigned to each mat. Like the serving girls, they'd been clad from head to toe in thick, clinging latex and only their laughing faces were visible beneath the open-face hoods stretched tight around their heads. Given that some hundred and twenty odd people had entered that meant… Emily quickly did the math. Four heats. Sixty odd survivors left. Two lots of two… She glanced around the buzzing restaurant. It would be interesting to see who won. The whole scene reminded her of John Norman's 'Gor' books featuring another planet far, far away where men were mighty and women beautiful – and wholly subjugated as "Kajiras" or slaves. As literature, the books were crap but she liked them for the descriptions of bondage they contained. She remembered reading about one contest where the men had to capture and tie up a woman in the shortest possible time and in some ways, this contest was exactly similar – save for the fact a quarter of the entrants were guys.

She'd been drawn against Lourdes in the second heat and her nervousness increased with full force as one girl badly miscalculated the athleticism of her opponent who miraculously slipped free within seconds of being tied up. Amidst a chorus of loud, delighted jeers and a great deal of teasing, the unhappy contestant who Emily recognized as the girl who'd served them immediately after arriving, was immediately pounced upon and very tightly trussed up. Her triumphant Staiputt teammates didn't spare the rod either; tying the unfortunate girl's arms so securely together they could've been welded as one before lashing her legs together the same way. More tightly tied cords surrounded her breasts and body while an equally taut crotchrope ensured any wriggling would be kept to a minimum. After hog-tying and tightly re-gagging her, she was promptly carted away to serve her night of penance. "She stay tied until twelve tomorrow," Nympha said. "Twelve hours."

"If Lourdes escapes, I will tie you tight tonight and tomorrow, ha?" Jolina said and Emily sighed again. Thanks for really stacking on the pressure. You're all heart.

Suddenly Emily heard her name called out. "Emily versus Lourdes!" She reluctantly rose along with Lourdes who practically bounded over, so eager was she to get going.

"Good luck and God bless you!" Nympha smiled as after guiding Emily and Lourdes into position.

"Thanks…" Emily mumbled as Lourdes promptly laid down before drawing her arms alongside her body. Each light was a blazing sun and the force of their brilliant white-hot rays slammed into the unyielding latex with the force of a thermonuclear bomb and Emily groaned again while she carefully knelt down. She was being boiled alive but there was nothing she could do about the situation. Oh well. Lourdes was just as badly off anyway. Her corset wouldn't let her bend properly either. She could kneel OK but that was about it. This was going to be difficult. Suddenly winning no longer mattered. She would simply be glad to escape without penalty, never mind being knocked out in the first round. Why, like a fool, had she allowed Lourdes to sucker her yet again? She'd been lucky the first time around by virtue of a biological accident which allowed her to beat the girl with the power of her long legs. This time around, she had no such advantage. Lourdes was very much on home ground, probably with a hundred such competitions under her belt. Worse still, she was sadly out of practise when it came to tying someone else up. It'd been years since she last bound someone. Since arriving, she'd been very much on the receiving end. If only she'd paid more attention to how they went about binding her – but she'd been so lost in the sheer pleasure and euphoria of being tied up again, she hadn't stopped to analyze how they went about it.

Everybody was in position now and Emily couldn't help feeling horribly self-conscious while her hand hovered above the neatly coiled hanks of rope placed alongside Lourdes. The cords were alive beneath her shaking hands. Lourde's ballgag was also there as well and it made her feel stranger than ever while she waited for the starter's gun (so to speak). The last time she'd competed in any kind of organised games or sports was years ago at school or Girl's Guides. Now she was here dressed from head to toe in shiny clinging rubber while all around her other people wearing every manner of outlandish clothing were waiting for the 'Go!' signal to begin tying up their opponents.

Nympha and her plastic dress was there and Emily could not help receiving an in-your-face eyeful of the dark furry bush nestling beneath her matching see-through panties between her legs while she called out for silence.

"Everyone ready?" she asked before glancing around. "Oo? On your marks… Ready… get set... Gooo!"

Hurriedly Emily pulled Lourde's unresisting hands behind her back before holding everything together while she tried to wrap the first piece of rope around them. She was surprised how hard it was trying to tie someone's hands together. Lourdes wasn't resisting but neither was her friend cooperating in anywhere near the same manner when she'd so eagerly held them crossed over each other for binding seconds after passing through the tall gates and rolling to a halt.

Doing them palm to palm was the easiest way of going about it, and Emily carefully looped the first wrap around Lourdes' slim wrists before repeating with the second one. She was tying them much too tightly together, Emily knew but at least the thick rubber would shield Lourdes from the worst of her handiwork. The crowd noise was a roar in her ears while everybody shouted and yelled all manner of encouragement and she vainly tried to block everything out while she concentrated upon tying Lourdes' hands together. Emily was aware that several people had already almost finished but she didn't care. She just wanted to get out of this in one piece without spending two successive nights in super-strict bondage that Jolina had promised her if she stuffed up.

At last she was almost done. Only a foot and a half of cord remained and she fiercely concentrated on cinching everything nice and tight so Lourdes couldn't possibly wriggle out of anything. Thank God for the rubber anyway. Unlike skin, there was no friction and Emily knew Lourdes probably wouldn't get out while she pulled hard on the second cinch, eliciting a soft grunt as the ropes lashing everything together tightened. Knot… Emily remembered how hard it was getting out when they tied everything off between her wrists as far away from her wrists and she carefully repeated the procedure before tucking the ends out of sight.

Half her other contestants had finished and there was any number of squirming, wriggling bundles surrounding her. Several people were more or less lying still but many of them, especially the Staiputt girls, were practically flinging themselves about in a desperate attempt to escape and show up their immediate partners. The other girls who were not allowed to touch their opponents after finishing were nervously looking on. None of them wanted to be the one corralled and tied up overnight. It wasn't the temporary loss of their 'freedom', which worried them anywhere near as much as the immediate and massive loss of face they would suffer in the event of slipping up.

Lourdes' hands were done now. Halfway there. Deep breath… Emily picked up the second, slightly longer length of cord before creating a clove hitch and wrapping everything around Lourdes' finely formed ankles. Even the shiny, skin-tight rubber couldn't conceal the beauty of her long legs but she didn't have time to admire anything while she concentrated on tying her ankles together. Wrap… Another wrap. Cinch. Knot… A couple of feet of rope was left now and Emily suddenly realised that she was supposed to hogtie Lourdes. She groaned before hastily pulling Lourde's bound feet backwards until they were almost touching her shapely puwit (the Filipino word for 'bottom', she knew) and threading everything between her wrists.

Another soft grunt, this time one of pleasure, Emily was sure, escaped Lourdes' lips as Emily yanked on the rope attaching her hands to her feet before repeating the procedure and tying off the ends between her ankles, just above the arch of her feet. Gag now… Emily picked up Lourdes' gag before swiftly pushing the large, round ball between her lips and tightly buckling each strap. There… Bound, gagged and hogtied… She couldn't help triumphantly glancing around before shamefacedly realising that she was the last to finish. A pretty little Filipina in a shiny red rubber suit glanced downwards before smilingly informing her that she'd finished in the relatively slow time of four minutes and twenty seconds. It'd felt like forever.

"Well done, Emily," Nympha said in a low voice before leaning downwards and inspecting her work. "Ok, everybody, time's up!" she called out and the girls who'd been busily trying to escape reluctantly stopped.

Emily could see a small frown creasing Nympha's forehead and she couldn't help blushing as the chief judge made a note. She'd really tied up Lourdes too tight. Several wraps overlapped each other and Emily knew she would lose points for these as well. Oh well. At least she was more or less home and hosed. Lourdes was making little attempt to escape. The girl was going through the motions, experimentally testing the tightness and security of her bonds but otherwise she wasn't doing much. Emily glanced around while the judges did their rounds. In the event of a tie, the winner would be the one who'd lost the least points for neatness or tightness.

Apparently nobody had staged a successful escape. Not yet anyway and she exhaled before disbelievingly glancing around again. Everybody was lying hogtied and tightly gagged and her head spun. She'd never seen so many beautiful girls bound and gagged during the one time, never mind the spectators hanging above them or bound on the tables surrounding the stage. The moment was an epiphany. At long last, she was no longer alone. She was a fully-fledged member of a real, true community, every one of whom was here because they got off on rubber or bondage. They liked being tied up. Rubber… raincoats… She'd never realised that so many other people enjoyed the same kind of kinky sex she did. Of course she'd known about the existence of other, like-minded souls through the Internet but they somehow seemed so remote, so far away from it all. Detached from reality, even. But now she was here along with hundreds of other people who shared the same kind of love as her. It was such an incredible thought her momentarily overloaded brain struggled to cope with the immensity of the revelation. Perhaps it wasn't quite up there with the Second Coming of Christ but… it wasn't far off either.

Lourdes was squirming from one side to another and Emily realised that she was also enjoying her tight hogtie very much as well and her heart went out to her. Like most of the other Staiputt girls, Lourdes was here because she loved being tied up. She'd already made as much clear in spades – and how! Eventually the command to untie their opponents came and Emily carefully picked away on the tight little knots she'd tied.

"Wowww…" Lourdes sighed while she massaged her tingling hands. "You tie me real good ha? Very tight."

"Sorry…" Emily mumbled. Embarrassed, she glanced away.

"Is ayos," Lourdes smiled. "I not escape."

"Not this time," Emily giggled. There was no way Lourdes would lose.

It was Lourde's turn now and Emily sighed with pleasure and relief while she waited for her to begin. At least she hadn't made a complete fool of herself so that was something. Lourdes was carefully untangling everything and placing the strong, thin cords where she wanted them. Everybody else was lying down now and she obediently placed her hands alongside her body before drawing her legs together.

"Ready? Get set… Gooo!" Nympha lustily bawled out the by now almost familiar words but before she had a chance to react, Lourdes wrenched her hands behind her back and pulled everything together in seemingly one lighting swift movement. Within moments, her hands had been tightly bound together with several wraps before being firmly cinched and knotted. While Lourdes bound her ankles with the practiced ease of one who has been doing this for a long time, Emily instinctively realised that escape was already impossible. Lourdes was simply way too good for her. Her hands and feet were being tied together in a tight hogtie. Astonished with the speed she'd been bound, Emily hardly protested when Lourdes popped the ball in her mouth before pulling each strap painfully tight.

She could only pull against her bonds and Emily glanced around. Almost everybody was still going. Lourdes had been one of the first to finish and Emily couldn't help feeling a surge of pride that it'd been her Personal Assistant who'd done such a good job on her. Her bonds were not only tight; they'd also been expertly applied. Although Emily couldn't see how she'd been bound, she could tell that not a single wrap was out of place. Even the rubber-suited Filipina looked impressed. "One and a half minutes," she said, clicking her stopwatch for added emphasis.

One by one, the other contestants completed binding and gagging their opponents with varying degrees of skill. Suddenly a huge howl of laughter erupted and Emily quickly glanced around. Another girl had escaped to the loud cheers of her friends. She ripped off her gag before flinging it skywards while the cheering increased. Her disconsolate opponent buried her face in her hands before gazing heavenwards. The girl's expressive features were positively woebegone and Emily badly wanted to laugh but with the gag strapped so tightly in her mouth, all she could manage was a heavily muffled giggle while the unfortunate loser was hauled off the stage and duly tied up.

The fourth heat was beginning and Emily happily looked on while Jolina took her place. Jolina was up against some dark-skinned island girl with a cute little pug nose and the most amazing mop of frizzy hair she'd ever seen and Emily leant forwards to see what would happen. Now she was out of the show, she could enjoy watching the contest. After returning to their seats, she'd been tied up again although Jolina had to leave Lourdes unbound because she was still in the running after defeating Emily. The last round had passed without incident (nobody escaped) and Lourde's time was easily in the top five so far. Emily was torn between hoping that either Lourdes or Jolina would win. Apparently Jolina was one of the favourites, Lourdes had said. A true "switch", although she enjoyed being bound, Jolina specialised in tying up other people and it showed through the expertise she'd displayed in binding then before their swimming race earlier that evening.

Eventually the heat ended and Emily sighed with relief. Jolina had won but it'd been a close call. Her strong, wiry opponent had been totally uncooperative from the outset. Willing to sacrifice points in the hope of unsettling Jolina, she'd bound her wrists together as tightly as humanly possible. She'd almost succeeded as well. Jolina was visibly upset and annoyed after being untied only at the last minute – and the way she'd rubbed her deeply scarred rope-marked wrists told Emily how tight her bonds had been. When her turn came around, the belligerent, angry Sulu island girl retaliated by subtly resisting when Lourdes had tried to draw her wrists together for binding. Fortunately, her skill won out and Jolina went through with the slim margin of ten seconds reminding everybody how close it'd been.

After being untied, she'd flounced off stage with an angry shake of her head and Emily sighed. Oh well. Not everybody could be cheerful and friendly as the majority of people here. Nympha had been openly disapproving and Emily guessed the island girl's days here were numbered.

"That girl, she was mean," Lourdes said. "Don't know what for Robert hire her."

"Because she likes bondage?" Emily timidly suggested.

"Oo!" Lourdes exclaimed. Her voice was scornful. "She make fool of Robert. Pretend she like bondage. Want money."

"It takes all sorts," Emily smiled and Lourdes happily agreed.

"She gone tomorrow," she prophesied. "Always complain when we tie her up. Really bastos! Rude to other guests."

"Oh my word," Emily sighed. "I thought everyone here was really nice. Like you."

"Salamat." Lourdes giggled before preening. "We try to please!"

"How does Robert know if someone really likes being tied up, I mean, if she wants to be here and not just for the money?" Emily curiously asked while everybody adjourned for a short break before beginning Round Two. Sixty-four survivors, two heats. "I thought it was impossible to pretend you like something like this."

"You know already, I am from Cebu. I am Cebuano girl. Was promo girl at Shoemart. Is boring me, I not like. Then… I hear about Staiputt from friends. Apply for job, get interview. Robert asks lots of questions," Jolina quietly answered after re-joining them before Lourdes had a chance to reply. "I tell him how much I like being tied up. Used to play with my friends. He seems pleased, asks if I will let him tie me up. I agree, why not? He tie me very tight, stay tied three hours. Tie crotchrope naman. Come maybe five times. He see my pantes, really wet. Really embarrassing, ya… but he was very understanding. Says he only see that with those people who really like. Get job, walang problema," she shrugged.

"Oh I see…" Emily thoughtfully gulped down the water Lourdes was holding out for her. She was sweating like a pig underneath the thick layers of rubber covering her body but the frequent refills of liquid had kept her thoroughly refreshed and hydrated. The girls of Staiputt really were something weren't they? Each and every one of them personally handpicked by Robert himself, they were all here because of the common love for bondage they shared.

"One of my friends, she likes plastic. Wears shiny yellow raincoat every day in wet. Put on, wear even if it only looks like rain," Jolina said. Warming to her story, she continued: "Always button up to collar, do up hood. Only one to wear raincoat if it was not really raining. We tease her but she did not care. Hummm… Anyway, I never realise till I work here. I tell her about Staiputt naman. She not interested in bondage but gets job anyway. She now very happy here. Never wanna leave!" she giggled. "Says already, 'I can't believe I get paid for wearing my raincoat!'"

Emily laughed. "That's funny. Like me too."

Lourdes smiled again. "We have already several girls who like plastic, assign to people with plastic fetish but she the only one who wears plastic twenty-four-seven. Plastic everything in wardrobe, even pantes."

"Wowww…" Emily breathed. "That's unreal."

"Robert also ask other questions," Lourdes mused. "Is not enough to like bondage, he wants… how do you say it? people people naman. Know what I mean?"

"Oo," Emily replied. "Like customer service, that kind of thing?"

"Oo. Exactly." Lourdes smiled before continuing. "Sometimes people very unhappy when they come here. Lonely, isolated. We help them. Wanna make them happy."

"Some people, all they do is complain, no matter what," Jolina sighed. "Complain, complain. We learn how to deal with that also. Complain about air-con. Complain drinks are too warm."

"I get people like that back home at work as well," Emily said before wondering how everyone was coping back home. Work had never seemed so far away. If anything, she'd almost forgotten there was such a thing as work. Amazing. Oh well. She definitely did not miss the fussy, finicky clients she'd had to deal with on a daily basis. Bonzo's Doggy Bites are paw-liciously perfect! They came up with the corniest lines then got upset when they had to politely explain why their great lines really wouldn't do. "Honestly, some people are never happy, no matter what you do for them. But everybody I've met so far have been perfectly lovely."

"I have been very happy here," Jolina smiled. "This is my life now."

"Oo!" Lourdes happily exclaimed. "Me naman."

"You're so lucky," Emily sighed. "I wish I could work here too."

"You like your job?" Lourdes suddenly asked.

"Um… Yes, I like," Emily sighed. "Very interesting. I work for an advertising agency. I like the creative side of… everything, that's what I love about my job. Creating advertising campaigns, you know? Seeing them on TV or in the newspapers. It's a good feeling, a very good feeling when you do well. But sometimes… mmmm, it can get very stressful. Lots of customers, lots of deadlines. Demand, demand, you know? Just like that. They play us off against other agencies as well. And believe me, there's a lot of money involved so the pressure to perform is really on then." She bit her lip before glancing around the busy restaurant. "They're like sheep. Get one big account, the rest follows. Not much loyalty in this business." The tying up competition was about to resume. More than ever Emily felt she was in the wrong job. This was what she'd much rather be involved in. There was more to life than big bucks, BMW convertibles and all the Penfolds Grange one ever wanted. Nympha and the timekeepers were already approaching the stage and she hurriedly continued. "Anyway… you know, the reason I actually came here because I couldn't cope with everything. Just… stress, you know? Um…" Emily hung her head before looking upwards. " I had a fight with my best friend and I... ok I'm not proud of this, ok? But I think you deserve to know. I slapped her – and I almost got fired as well but… My boss was very understanding, said I should have a holiday so… here I am!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jolina quietly said.

"Me too," Lourdes said. "But you happy now?"

"Oo, very," Emily smiled.

"Staiputt therapy good for you," Lourdes giggled.

"You've got no idea how good it's been for me being here," Emily sighed. "You know, I've always really loved being tied up. No pain or humiliation or anything like that. Just being bound and gagged, you know? Anyway, I always used to feel so happy and relaxed when my old mate tied me up. That was something I didn't have at work either."

Lourdes was sympathetic. "Oo, I understand," she said before placing one hand on her arm. "Anything you want, just ask, ha?"

"Don't worry, we continue therapy tonight," Jolina said with a wicked grin. "Intensive therapy."

"Oh thanks!" You're all heart," Emily giggled while her heart contracted with excitement and fear. The ropes were waiting… Really waiting.

"Walang anuman." You're very welcome.

Round Two was beginning now and Lourdes rose. "Please excuse me, ha?" She apologised.

"It's OK, no need to apologise, you go ahead, ok?" Emily smiled. "Good luck. Hope you win!"

"Salamat. I win. Walang problema!"

Within five minutes, a downcast Lourdes was back. She'd lost in a close one to someone from America. The guy who'd won was a lifestyle player with years of experience and she'd been no match for his speed or skill. His girlfriend was cheering although, with her hands tied behind her back in the chair she was occupying, clapping was out of the question.

Another Staiputt girl and one of the guests were being tied up after allowing their opponents to escape amidst a great deal of hilarity. One of the unfortunate girls was being put in an identical rubber bondage sack to the one she'd spent the night in and Jolina chortled, "That's Maritess. She hates long-term rubber confinement so that's her punishment. Teach Tess to be more careful next time, ya."

Emily disbelievingly shook her head while Maritess' gloomy features disappeared beneath the shiny ebon chrysalis which was to be her home for the night. Someone was enthusiastically pumping up the inflatable gag, which would keep Tess quiet until tomorrow while another girl was happily buckling every strap as tight as they would go. She was using her leg and foot for extra leverage before hauling each as tight as it would go before popping the wide, silver buckles into place with the help of another girl. Emily couldn't help grinning while she thought about the most amazing performance she'd ever seen. After being securely hogtied, the pretty Japanese girl (her name was Shinobu Sannomiya) responsible for the demise of her Staiputt opponent had slipped, wriggled and squirmed out of her hogtie in less time than it'd taken to tie her up. Shinobu's limbs must've been made out of rubber. The experienced Staiputt girl was the second she'd disposed of in the same manner. The girl was a real wriggler and Emily hoped Jolina wouldn't run into her in the final or whenever. Now Emily knew why Shinobu whom she remembered seeing around a couple of times earlier, always went around with her elbows very tightly lashed together behind her back. She'd never seen the cords pulled as tight as those securing Shinobu's elbows. Apparently it was the only way anyone was capable of holding her.