"Moo - nuh," Hope responded, still pulling at Charity's arm. "Thorhina(click)."
"Ok, Ok! You want me to get up," Charity said. She realized that Hope had a liquid measuring cup and a rubber spatula. She had been using the base of the spatula as a pestle and mashed some spices into a thick green paste. Apparently, she was still hunting for something more.
Hope pulled Charity by her hand to the back door of the house. The backyard was fairly private. No neighbor would likely see a naked, decorated woman in the small clearing back there. Charity opened the door to the chilly night air. Hope pulled Charity out the door.
Hope pointed at the ground, "Sih!" And she pressed on Charity's shoulders.
Charity sat down on a soft bed of fallen evergreen needles. Hope pushed the measuring cup into Charity's hands, then began moving around the yard touching trees and occasionally bending to pick at things on the ground. Eventually she returned with a collection of fir, some moss, a handful of mushy peat. She sat down next to Charity and dumped everything into the measuring cup. She snatched the spatula up and began mixing and grinding everything together.
Charity sat, shivering a little in the cold, but mostly just amused. "I hope that you don't plan on eating that."
Hope grabbed Charity's hand and pulled her forefinger up to her lips.
"Ow!!" Charity said. Hope had impaled Charity's finger on one of the spikes in her lips. A small drop of blood beaded on the skin and Hope shook Charity's finger until it dripped down into the cup.
Hope mixed the cup some more as Charity sucked on her wounded finger. After a minute, Hope carried the cup into the center of the clearing where the light of the moon shone down through the Douglas firs. She set it on the ground and then returned to Charity, pulling her to her feet.
Hope tugged at Charity's sleeve and then made a motion that seemed to clearly indicate she wanted Charity to take it off.
"It's cold out here," Charity said, but Hope was insistent. Charity's sweatshirt fell to the ground and Hope began to point to Charity's bra. Charity held her upper body and gave an exaggerated shiver. "It's cold out here!"
Hope let out an impatient sigh and pointed between herself and Charity. "Thith-uhth. Moo. Moo-nuh." She made a circling motion and pointed to where the measuring cup sat. Then she set out moving around the clearing pounding her bare feet on the ground. The chains embedded in her flesh began rattling out a rhythm as Hope twisted and turned a couple of circles. All the lapis gems bounced around sparkling blue in the moonlight. It was an amazing site and Charity couldn't help but be mesmerized by Hope's beauty.
After a couple of turns around the clearing, Hope stopped in front of Charity and pointed to her bra again.
"Ok! Ok!" Charity said, unfastening the back. Hope was already gently tugging at Charity's pants by the time the bra hit the ground. A minute later, Charity was dancing around the clearing wearing only her chastity belt. Trying to follow Hope's steps, giggling and trying to move like Hope.
Hope started to sing a song in her language. The pops and clicks of the words helped Charity find the right rhythm to move her feet. After a few more passes around the clearing Hope stopped again. She pointed at Charity's mouth. "Mi-ah(tock)oo-nah! Mi-ah(tock)oo-nah!"
Charity tried to imitate Hope. She felt a little shy though. Hope rolled her blue eyes. "No!" She pointed to her ear and moved through the phrase more slowly emphasizing the notes for each syllable - making the (tock) sound distinct and loud. Charity picked it up again with a bit more enthusiasm. After all this time teaching Hope English there was something beautiful and fun to have Hope teach her something. "Mi-ah(tock)oo-nah! Mi-ah(tock)oo-nah," they sang together.
Hope stopped singing, but signaled for Charity to continue. After a couple more rounds, Hope started singing something different, but complementary creating a more complicated rhythm and a beautiful harmony. Hope took Charity's hands and they started dancing around through the moonlight again - Hope's chains ringing in time with their movements.
Charity let herself be swept along, directed by Hope. Emotion swelled in her chest. She was participating in some sort of ritual with Hope which was so beautiful and physical and exhilarating.
Charity had always thought that Hope was a victim of some deranged artist - tattooed and pierced non-consensually, like Tam had been. She thought that perhaps it had been something done to her recently. But, that could not be. The way Hope moved... The way the chains rang out precisely in the rhythm of their dance... The way the jewels sparkled all around Hope's body... She was not a victim of these modifications. These were her tools. Maybe she was some sort of shaman for her people. Maybe her decorations were a symbol of her status.
Charity realized that Hope had let go of her hands. She opened her eyes and saw Hope dancing around with her, singing. The entire clearing seemed to be awash in the blue glow. At one point Charity looked down at her own body. The chastity belt seemed to reflect the bluish glow. The upside down 'Y' design engraved on the faceplate even seemed to contribute its own gentle luminescence.
As Charity twisted and spun in the moonlight she thought she saw a brief flash behind her, then another. She turned and looked to the measuring cup set in the middle of the clearing. Another flash. A blue flame briefly burst from the mouth of the cup.
Charity's voice dropped off and she slowly stopped moving. She focused on the cup. It was just a plain measuring cup with a lump of detritus once again. Charity shook her head and looked up towards Hope. She was on the other side of the clearing. She had also stopped dancing and stood with her arms outstretched. The chains from her arms hung down and glowed blue in the moonlight - never more like wings than right now. Hope was looking up towards the moon. Her blue eyes seemed to glow. Blue light flashed all around her body.
The jewels hanging from her chin, the rings of metal embedded in her breasts, the chain hanging from her navel with its swinging thimble - all were glowing.
Charity walked across the clearing to where Hope stood. She placed one hand at Hope's waist and another on her cheek. She stared at Hope's lips, lit blue by the spikes growing from them. "How cruel is this world", Charity thought as she gazed at Hope's lips, so badly did she want to kiss them. Hope's lips bowed into a big smile and Charity turned her gaze to Hope's eyes. She pulled Hope's head towards her own and kissed her high on her cheek - a small chain bisecting her pursed lips.
"It's not fair," Charity said and she kissed the other side of Hope's face.
Suddenly, she felt dumb for having been swept up in so much emotion. She couldn't kiss Hope. She couldn't even properly hug Hope without being lacerated by spikes. "I'm sorry," Charity said.
