#earthrunes

A critical look, then she turns to Bachdion. "She looks alluring, doesn't she?"

"most fetching" Sir Bachdion says "I mean no insult, but motion suits her."

a light blush "Thank you"

"Shall we see how she does if we tighten it up more?" Coradel moves behind Siv and gives an experimental tug on the laces, even though there's not much give left.

A gasp, "I can't...baroness. I can't breathe like that"

"Can't?" Another tug.

"Clearly you can," Bachdion points out, "Or you couldn't speak"

"Come now, hold still..." TUG.

And Siv pulls loose, "Stop it. I know my own body, thank you BOTH very much" Her words maybe polite but her tone grows sharp and her volume rises, "I will not be choked to death for some strange court fashion. I hope to be a member of the House, but not as a trinket, a souviner, or your troll sized doll... I know my body... and I will not" She pulls to loosen the corset even if she risks hurting the dress "have it toyed with even if the high king himself demands"

a touch of that dark eyed warning that trolls when pressed can indulge in, but she is in control of her temper

"Ahhhh, there she is!" Coradel steps back, unconcerned by the darkening eyes. She looks pleased, in fact.

"There who is?" Siv says retaking her breath now that the damn corset is loosened enough to get BOTH lungs working at full, then she adds "Baroness"

"The Captain. Now...hold still." Her tone is firm and fearless, and she goes behind Siv again, but this time a quick tug results, not in a tightening, but in a release as the bow of the laces is undone.

Stiffening then, "I don't quite understand, but .." A sigh of relief "I was supposed to tell you to kiss off?"

"I'm wondering why you didn't do it sooner, if you were so unhappy with the clothing," Coradel points out as she continues to tug laces loose.

"I was okay with the dress, the corset was just too tnight is all... love the slippers, they look so fancy but don't add height." then "I thought this was some ridiculous fashion for your court "

"Ridiculous?" Bachdion says

"Any object that renders a woman so lacking oxygen that she almost pre roofies herself is both ridiuclous and dangerous, sir" Siv says

"Or it's a fun challenge." Coradel shrugs. The corset is completely loosened, and she carefully helps Siv out of it, though Siv might have to bend over for part of the process. "But if you don't like it...then why did you let it happen?" she presses the question.

"I..." She ponders "I didn't want to fail whatever test this was. Now I'm thinking I almost did" Siv does wiggle out of the corset entirely

"You were afraid to fail?"

A blush "Well, when you put it that way, I find myself wanting to plead the 5th"

"Mm. Fiona are fearless...which also means not being afraid to say no, thank you, I would rather not."

"Preference is not failure."

Siv ponders, then "A good lesson" She admits "I suppose battle doesn't scare me often, and here I let fear slide in another way. " A soft shake of her head "And Uncle Olgar gave me so many talks about feminist theory"

"It will be easier when you take oath with the House...but you should practice now. Test your limits, try new things, but if you've decided you don't like something and people keep pushing you to do it, push back."

"Oh god, my mother and father would laugh to find out I was needing to be TOLD to push back, I butted heads with them so..." She ponders "I see. Yes. Okay. So I need to tell Leo no I do not feel like going into a large party crowd with 'unh hunh' music blaring in my left ear after 8 hours of sparing and riding. And Vasthi that I'll pass on the corset, or at the least have a very loose one. And ... tell Shalmiar that his jokes are hilarious sure, but I've already heard all the 'how's the weather up there' ones."

Coradel raises her hands in a classic hallelujah gesture, and then she smiles at Bachdion. "Did you have those moments with me, Teacher Mine?"

"Oh so many times" He says "Not so much the speaking your mind, that's one you had little trouble with... but you did have trouble stepping out of your own shoes and seeing from another angle. FOrtunately, you have a kind heart and that helps develop empathy" A smile "Frustration abated can lead to pride"

"Is he saying you were stubborn as hell?" Siv asks

"Single-minded, I think, maybe," Coradel concedes. "Now...I want to see you dance again, without your straight-jacket."

She blushes "I am okay with that, baroness." And Bachdion and she resume.

It is elegant as before, but there's more joy coming from the girl, geniune delight at the motion

It's contagious, and Coradel smiles as she watches.

And she's really good, not as good as Davey, but she's be a fine addition to any court's ball.

Then they part, and finish, and Siv smiles as Bachdion takes her hand and kisses her knuckle. "You ,my dear, are well named Waveborne, for you move like the spirals that form in the tides"

Coradel applauds quietly, appreciatively.

Siv's eyes grow very large, "You, Sir Bachdion, have a silver tongue and I can see why young women such as myself succumb"

A nod and smile to Bachdion, and she slips away from the ballroom.

"Baroness? I..." Siv says "Why did she leave?" Then she calls out "I didn't mean I was getting seduced tonight, Baroness"

Bachdion sighs "We do still need to work on some parts of your etiquette."

A wince "Sorry" Siv says

"You don't know what you're missing!" comes back a somewhat distant voice, tinged with laughter.

Yup. PURPLE troll.

"You really don't," Bachdion smiles and winks "Good night, Captain." And he walks of with an easy stride that looks disturbingly sexy

Siv watches him go I Wonder just how MUCH he knows about how to... drat drat drat. Brain spiraling into groin. Mayday, Mayday! Pull up, get altitude!

Siv eyes the corset, and smiles... her mind going off the embarrassment. The jousting dummy has new clothing

(End Scene)