Sjaastad Christmas Cowgirls and In-Law! (F/fFF)

[AlexUSA3]

I changed my mind on deleting this one.

Sjaastad Christmas Cowgirls and In-Law! (F/fFF)

Hazing is evil. Sjaastad hazing is the lone exception to the rule. Their hazing is the good kind, and it was hazing for a special purpose. Two special things had happened to the Sjaastad family. In 2020, in June, Bridget, child number three, had married her boyfriend of 2+ years, Roberto Randaccio. Then, on Christmas Day that year, Mike had proposed to his girlfriend, Joy, who was also Bridget’s former college roommate. In June the following year, Mike and Joy had gotten married.

Christmas 2021 saw Kristina, the baby of the family, in her final year of high school and approaching adulthood. It was going to be special because their new sister-in-law was going to spend this Christmas with her husband's family. Erin loved both of the new family members, but Kristina seemed bothered.

“Bridge, good to see you!” Joy hugged Bridget tightly.
“Looking forward to joining the family traditions?” the strong girl smiled.
“Of course! I love gingerbread!”

Joy remembered when Bridget would just stand there with her arms together in front of herself and would only begrudgingly mutter a greeting. That first year as college roommates had seen Bridget grow from reclusive and somewhat afraid of playing TUGs with Joy to giving Joy the permission to be the lone person, among their circle of TUG buddies, who was allowed to kidnap her.

Now, 7 years on, Joy was a Sjaastad, and as such it seemed right, in Bridget’s eyes, to allow Joy to partake in the Sjaastad traditions such as wearing themed outfits, making gingerbread houses, and playing the family games. The last one had happened, but now it was time to introduce Joy to the Sjaastad ways of Christmas. Erin had eagerly bought Joy an outfit to join the Christmas theme, but gingerbread had, since the death of Elizabeth “Beth” Sjaastad, also known as Mom, been Kristina’s realm.

Kristina felt a burning sensation inside her face and chest. Her fists were clenched. Of all the nerve, how could Erin buy Joy an outfit to join their Christmas theme when they went to Grandpa’s? Driving Kristina to the verge of either tears or fisticuffs was Bridget inviting Joy to build a gingerbread house. That was their–that is the Sjaastad children's–tradition; Joy was still an outsider, a Fredericks, in her mind, and nobody could convince her of anything beyond that.

Turning to the left revealed that Michael didn't notice her facial expressions, but Erin did; turning to the right showed that both Bridget and her husband, Roberto, also saw it. She was trapped and tried to obfuscate a little by ironing a wrinkle out of her skirt by using her fingers. Escape was impossible.

“And how are you Kristina?” Joy turned to the youngest sister.
“Good,” Kristina crossed her arms and didn't return the hug, “I’m busy.”
“Kris, what kind of greeting is that?” Erin asked her.
“She's a little perturbed right now,” Joy was understanding, “Give her space.”
“Now, come on, at least smile.”
“You're not my freaking mother! Get off me!” and the teen stomped up the stairs.

Joy had been a regular fixture in Kristina’s life for several years now, going back to when Joy had moved to Madison in 2018. Kristina had spent many days, nights even, in the apartment when it was shared by Bridget and Joy, and Joy likewise spent much time in the Sjaastad house. Why was there such sudden animosity?

Joy let out a deep sigh and looked to Bridget, who had crossed her arms in frustration, and she turned to Erin and saw that she, too, had crossed her arms. Joy’s blue skirt was loosely floating along her legs, and she casually adjusted the matching bandana headband she wore with it. A bright blue long-sleeve t-shirt coordinated and also accented the outfit.

The shortish girl walked up the stairs slowly and gracefully. Her skirt gently swished about her, and she was confident. Even in the past, when a young Bridget had a fiery temper, Joy never backed down. In fact, Joy took control like an irate school mistress with her demeanor. Being the shortest girl in the building and 10 pounds overweight didn't affect her at all. She had grabbed her bag and now followed behind Kristina.

Kristina was a tall girl and had always been receptive to Joy before. At 5’8”, she was the tallest of her sisters and also the strongest. From a young age, she escaped all of her fears by using the weight machine down in the basement. There was distinctive femininity in her appearance as she, like her sister-in-law, had a skirt, but this one was a Christmas red with green holly leaves. With it she wore red and white diagonally striped candy cane knee socks, a green t-shirt, and her beloved cowboy boots. A red scrunchie at the back of her held her hair away from her face. With it she wore a black Christmas bandana with lights on it. From the nape of her neck came an odd streak of brown hair while the rest was platinum blonde like her sister's.

Kristina stared out the window at what this winter had been the second snowfall. Her arms were tightly crossed together in front of her, a familiar sight to Joy, who silently entered the room without knocking. Like a ghost, Joy appeared alongside the girl she considered to be like a new little sister.

“Go away,” Kristina’s eyes were watery.
“I’ve been around long enough that I remember when your mom died. Bridget and I spent many nights with her bawling her eyes out and me listening to her.”
“I was 11,” Kristina tersely replied, “It's not the same as a college student.”
“I’m sorry, Kristina, I really am. I can only say I understand what it’s like to lose someone near to your heart.”
“Sjaastad traditions are for Sjaastad’s. Period.”
“I’m going to tell you a story, and I’ll make you a deal,” Joy was playing chess now.

Kristina froze in place and continued to stand as though she were facing out the window; her eyes looked sideways at the shorter girl. Was she going to play mind games with her frumpy sister-in-law? Her eyes turned back to the snow, and she knew inside that she had immense respect for Joy and loved her as a sister-in-law. But familial traditions stay in the family.

“All right,” Kristina turned to Joy, “Speak.”
“If I can kidnap all three of you Sjaastad girls, you’ll let me make a gingerbread house.”
“You! Ha ha ha!” Kristina burst into laughter, “Grab all three of us!”
“What’s so funny?!” Joy felt herself burning with a bit of anger and saw a roll of duct tape within reach.
“Just the thought of you,” she doubled over from laughing so hard and pointed at Joy, “pouncing one of us without getting the tables turned on you is one thing. But all three of us?!”
“Six years of me successfully doing it to all three of you, but now I get to do it all in one day.”

While Kristina continued her arrogant laughter, Joy casually grabbed a pair of handcuffs from her bag and slew-footed her youngest Sjaastad in-law. Kristina didn’t even realize it was Joy that had done it until her wrists were bound together behind her back. By then, it was too late. A blue rubber ball, a big 2.5 inch version, was stuffed into her mouth, and the purple bandana was knotted behind her head.

Joy knew how to control a situation by nature and immediately bound the cowgirl’s ankles with a piece of rope, making sure that the rope went around her feet deep into the heel of the boot so as to strongly hold her legs together. Now, Kristina began grunting because she realized that she had severely underestimated the smaller girl.

Joy moved to Kristina’s elbows next, then to her thighs and knees, and then to a breast harness and waist rope. Each bond was tied tightly and securely, and Kristina offered no resistance at this point. She struggled a little without making much noise once the binding was finished, and she was pulled off the floor and seated in the corner facing her sister-in-law.

“I came here this year to escape.”

Joy explained how it all happened… the three Joy’s of family Christmas parties. Joy Suzanne, the present Joy, was born in June… that August, her mother's cousin had a daughter and also named her Joy, Joy Alexandra… then that Christmas her mother's brother and his wife had a daughter, and they also named her Joy, Joy Samantha. It seemed cute back in 1996, at least, but it was special. Each year, the three Joys, despite being so different, had a love of being in the kitchen, and they always worked together to make cookies and desserts at Christmas. But Joy Samantha, shortly after Joy’s wedding in June, was found dead in her room from a heart attack caused by undiagnosed rheumatoid arthritis.

“I just can't do Christmas this year without her. Kristina, I was there for your sister, and now she wants to be here for me. If you don't want me here, I’m OK with it and will go to Minneapolis without a fight. Regardless, I made you a promise, and I am finishing what I started.”
“Mmmm!” Kristina was dragged away by Joy and into the closet.
“Think about it. No rush to decide. You will be there a while anyway,” Joy said while now hogtying the girl.
“Mmmmm,” the captive complained little.
“I’ll be back,” the door shut, “Just because I don't whine about it doesn't mean I’m not devastated. Dwelling on it will only hurt me.”

Things were never how they seemed. Kristina never knew about Joy’s loss, especially so soon after what had been such a happy day. She remembered the wedding well and her happiness to see her brother getting married. Never had word gone around despite it all happening so soon that it had certainly ruined Joy’s honeymoon.

Kristina hadn't considered how she had been what most would call a “sniveling snot” for most of the last 6 years. Hardly a day went by where she didn't at least pause and let out a long sigh of sadness, and most days she at least made a remark to one of her older siblings. To go so far as to attempt to put her family in a bubble only served to cut herself deeper if what Joy said were true.

Joy shook her head as she shut the door to the closet and sighed from her own sadness from her cousin’s sudden death. She was married and felt that her in-laws deserved time with the man she loved, and he felt the same about her and her family. As the door made its clicking sound, Joy smiled a little. Her cousin had suffered so much pain and never complained, much like Erin with her Sjögren’s disease. The pain of her loss led her here to Madison this Christmas to witness a remarkable similarity to her new sister-in-law, and she had confidence about where cousin Joy was in her life after death. Now, it was time to complete her mission.

With that same calm, steely cold schoolmistress solemnity, Joy strode out of the room and down the stairs towards the living room. Halfway down the steps, Joy carefully rubbed a wrinkle out of her skirt and adjusted her headband a little and said a prayer. After enough time, she now had adjusted to her new church's beliefs about the dead and asked for mercy on the souls of her cousin and the mother-in-law she never met.

Kristina jerked her bonds with violence to test their limits and knew that she would be going nowhere anytime soon without being freed. The only quick escape required her to find a knife, and she still had the cold problem of the shiny steel on her wrists. A big blob of drool came off the gag and onto the carpet, and she writhed onto her side to make herself a little more comfortable.

“Is Kristina all right?” Bridget asked when Joy came into view.
“She's just in need of a little time alone. We’ve all lost loved ones.”
“All right… I’ll go check on her,” Erin stood up.
“You do that, you walking tree. Bridge and I will go down in the basement and bring up some gingerbread dough.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Bridget was blissfully unaware of what Joy had done.
“Perfect,” Erin winked at Joy, “I won’t cause trouble.”

Joy couldn’t believe her three sisters-in-law. How could all three be so attached to the concept of cowboy boots? Yet, there were Bridget and Erin wearing them. If it was coordinated, so be it, but if it wasn’t, then these sisters were more alike than she had ever realized. Each had their own cute touch though.

Bridget had simple Christmas colors with her boots. Green leggings were under a red skirt with green holly leaves over it, and her shirt was a white cotton turtleneck sweater. It was a quiet but seasonal outfit for a girl who was careful and quiet with her words. Bridget had said the least so far, and her outfit agreed with that spirit. There wasn’t usually a smile on her face, but typically you could see a bright spirit in her face. Then there was Erin.

Erin might have been equally careful and quiet with her words, but her clothes could speak a ton. Her red bandana had white dotted snowflakes and trees and adorned her head as a kerchief. With it, her skirt was a solid dark brown color and matched by red leggings below and a green long-sleeve t-shirt with small multi-colored Christmas ball ornaments all over it.

The middle of the girls, Bridget, was 5 years younger than one sister and eight years older than the other. She was also the shortest but the one with the sturdiest build; in fact, she was about the same height as Joy. Erin stood about two inches above that, and Kristina was yet another two inches taller. Baby sister growing up to be such a strong and upright girl was a source of pride for Bridget, and the oddly protective behavior of the family traditions was reminiscent of herself at that age.

It was easy to believe that Bridget was married because she would only give her heart to someone as genuine as herself. It was hard to believe that Roberto was two years her junior and harder to imagine them playing bedroom TUGs as Bridget was the only one of her siblings who was into that kind of play; the rest played the games almost the same way they had for the past twenty-something years.

The two girls walked down the stairs at a comfortable pace and made their way to the fridge. Of course, neither girl knew that Kristina had already moved the dough to the upstairs refrigerator; it was just the opportunity Joy needed. Bridget opened the door and saw that the dough blobs were missing, and she turned to lead Joy back up the stairs with only a roll of her eyes. As she took the fourth step, Bridget went down to the ground and felt duct tape wrapping about her wrists.

“Joy Suzanne! How dare you!” Bridget wasn’t surprised at all and immediately kicked out.
“I’m keeping alive a great Sjaastad tradition… kidnapping the three sisters!” Joy declared.
“That’s what you were doing upstairs with Kristina?!” Bridget stood and stood her ground with bound wrists.
“And you’re going down upwards by age!” Joy grabbed Bridget’s legs.
“Yipes! I’m not going to be an easy captive then!” the captive watched her ankles get taped too.

Joy wrapped the tape around Bridget’s ankles and, with the same strip, deep into the heels of her boots. The leggings were perfect for Joy to securely bind her friend turned sister-in-law without ripping any leg hairs. In this fashion, Joy bound Bridget’s knees and thighs with more grey duct tape before taking off her shoes and socks.

Bridget clamped her mouth shut when she saw the cotton approach her face. The strong girl rolled toward the stairs and buried her face against the carpet. Joy tried to pinch her friend's nose, but even Bridget’s neck muscles were strong enough for her to pull herself away. Joy paused to resume binding her friend.

Continuing the taping around Bridget’s torso above and below her boobs and around her waist only elicited more angry grunts from the rower. The stubborn young woman would not back down though and kept her mouth shut. In a moment of inspiration, Joy utilized that evil headmistress side of herself and decided to give Bridget a sudden and hard spank.

“Owwmmmppphhh!” the socks filled her mouth now, “Ugh!”
“I knew I would get you eventually.”
“Nice work,” Roberto called from above them.
“Thanks. I’m doing this all for you as well. We're part of the family now, right?”
“Thank you, Joy,” her husband's brother-in-law nodded.

Joy effortlessly wrapped 8 layers of grey tape around Bridget’s head, and the victim groaned a little as her sister-in-law’s socks leached onto her tongue. It seemed so unfair that Joy could do this to her, but she couldn't do it back because Joy could die because dirty laundry gags made her vomit every single time. The rower maintained an admirable poise while this all happened to her, and she did not submit for even one moment.

Joy had to sit on Bridget’s legs for any of this to work, and as soon as she was done she loosed Bridget so that the slick duct tape made her slide down the stairs with an angry yowl. Joy took her bag and went to find the third and final Sjaastad sister with her calm headmistress demeanor still in control. Up the stairs she quietly tip-toed to abandon her friend and find her final victim.

Bridget let out a grunt and tried to test her bonds. A knife would make this so much easier, but she'd escaped duct tape before. Joy had employed that strength effectively, the strength associated with those old housewives who are remarkably strong and who usually don't look so strong, but there those old ladies are kneading bread by hand at 80+ years old! The captive sat up and made her first truly angry grunt of frustration at being captive.

“Erin Sjaastad, it's time,” Joy declared as she entered the bedroom.
“So that's it. You're taking all three of us?” Erin was equally calm.
“Mmmm!” Kristina, no longer hogtied, kicked her legs with sweat glistening all over her body.
“I am, and you cannot fight me. If you want, you may lead your sister to the lair.”
“Too bad,” Erin looked at her wooden spoon, “I was going to give Kristie her debut.”
“Bring it and her, and I will let you do that,” Joy smiled at the mischievous sister.

Kristina grunted a bit angrily when she was picked up by the two who worked together. Now she had to do whatever they wished because she couldn't wrestle Joy while tied and cuffed like this. If they wanted her to hop, then she would have to hop, and Erin even gave her a quick swat with the spoon in order to move her along!

The rope through the heels made it difficult for Kristina to hop along like these two wanted. The big rubber ball was an interesting gag, and it worked to keep her speech unintelligible. Each hop was a small chore for her at the moment, and as they moved along together she could tell that her sister was playing with the brown streak of hair. Even as a high school senior it was awkward to feel Erin doing that. The young girl paused for a moment, but she didn’t expect Joy to punish her by pulling on her hair for a moment. For certain, Joy did not tolerate disobedience from her captives, but more impressive, to Erin, was Kristina’s lack of fear or reaction to the hair pulling.

Not wanting further delays, Joy took the hogtie rope that loosely hung from the ankle bonds and pulled Kristina’s legs out from under her. Erin caught her sister in her fall, and Joy began to pull her down the stairs by the rope. Kristina grunted and tried to be as difficult as possible, but her present position made her efforts go to waste. As long as she was being dragged, she had to take whatever was given to her.

“Bridget, where are you?” Erin gingerly walked down the stairs.
“Mmmmm!” called back the rower.
“There’s my dear Idget!” the oldest sister rounded the corner and saw her sister in the far corner.
“Why’s she over there?!” Joy noticed the distance Bridget had traveled.
“Oh, there’s a row of hooks that Dad uses to hang some tools and stuff.”
“MMMMM!” wailed Kristina, “Mmmmm!”
“That sister of yours is in for a whale of a time!”

Erin and Kristina looked at each other quizzically while Joy charged over to Bridget. Despair was easily conveyed from Bridget’s groan, and it was only now that Erin and Kristina realized that Joy was bare foot. Bare feet on Joy and on no one else meant that her socks could only be in one place. Kristina shuddered a little, and Erin grimaced.

Joy checked all of Bridget’s bonds before blindfolding her with a white handkerchief and dragging her to the center column in the room. She seated Bridget against the pole and began to tape her to it, securing her a second time above and below her breasts and at her waist and also crushing her arms between her torso and the pole. Bridget groaned and kicked with her feet quite a bit, but she couldn’t see her target.

Joy took Kristina and made her lay down upon the carpet since there was no sofa. The hogtie returned, this time being reworked to start at her hair, go around her ankle bonds, and then go to her elbows. While Joy normally did all she could to avoid such concepts when playing with minors, she felt strangely confident that she could safely do this with Kristina and not cause any problems.

“You’re a cruel mistress, you know that?” Erin observed realizing she was next.
“Of course I do, and I’m proud of it,” Joy grabbed different kinds of zips from her bag.
“You know my limits,” the walking Christmas tree, now 31 years old, grounded herself.
“And I know when a girl is looking for adventure.”

Unlike the other two, Joy took Erin Sjaastad head-on knowing she had an unfair advantage. Erin tried to fight back to be the kidnapper of her sister-in-law, but Joy effortlessly pushed her against the wall, turned her around, and easily used a wide red zip tie, almost as if purchased just for the occasion, to bind her wrists together behind her back. Another red one bound her elbows just as tightly, and it wasn’t clear just who Joy had intended to have bound in a Christmas-themed TUG.

“All right, princess, where are the spare Christmas lights, if there are any?” Joy asked calmly.
“Princess?” Erin posed in an exaggerated regal manner, “In the red boxes over there.”
“Thank you very much,” Joy took the wooden spoon and whacked Erin on the butt.
“YOW! I just answered your question without any lip!” she watched Joy reach into the bag.
“But you beamed with pride when I called you a princess, you Christmas Gangsta!” the school mistress retorted.
“Christmas Gangsta? That’s you! I’m a sweetheart,” insisted the captive.
“Look, just be quiet now,” Joy pushed a purple ball gag into her mouth, “We’ll talk after.”

Erin was always surprised by how comfortable this gag was no matter how many times Joy used it on her. The strap was secured behind her head and over her hair. Then Erin felt it: the hair of death. There was a hair stuck in her mouth, and she didn’t know if it would bring suffering or be innocuous.

Joy continued to bind her body with the red zip ties, securing them above and below her breasts and at her waist; this pinned her arms down with tight security. Green zip ties bound her thighs in four places and her lower legs in five places. Joy also secured her feet by making sure a zip dug deep into the heel of her boot. Erin Sjaastad was a girl in trouble.

“Let this be a lesson to you girls: don’t underestimate me,” Joy said as she started a video.
“Mmm hmm!” Erin nodded in agreement while uncertain what would come now.
“Kristina, am I still a joke to you?” the captor asked her, “Am I still unworthy of gingerbread?”
“Mmmmm,” Kristina hung her head sadly.
“Bridge, I’ve still got it! I’m still a sneaky little dumpling! Do de feet taste good?”
“Ha ha!” Erin laughed at it, and Bridget nodded in frustrated understanding.

The frustration Bridget felt wasn’t at being kidnapped or even being kidnapped by Joy; it was that she had let her guard down and as a result had been so easily kidnapped. In fact, she liked being tied up as she was and wished she could thank Joy for choosing a tape bondage for her. The pole made her captivity rigid, the blindfold removed her one remaining line of defense; and the dirty socks thoroughly humiliated her.

Kristina heard the handcuffs click behind her and wondered what type of sorceress did such things. Moving her arms was strangely uncomfortable, and lowering her legs caused her to pull on her own hair. She wasn't too fond of the drool from her gag, but she didn't mind the gag itself. Most importantly, she was genuinely impressed by Joy and her kidnapping skills.

Happy Erin squirmed about in her tight zip tie prison. It was an effective tie and done with class and easy to appreciate. Themed binding made TUGs even more fun than they ordinarily were. The ball gag didn't match, but that was minor. Comfort and efficacy were to be found in the cruel mistress's work. For sure, her favorite part was that Joy had so perfectly made use of the cowboy boots.

“A different torture for each sister,” Joy announced as she grabbed two bandanas.
“Mmm!” Erin saw a green scarf coming towards her.
“This will just keep you under control,” the captor blindfolded her captive.
“Ugh!” the victim appreciated that it matched the theme.
“And you, too, Kristie,” Joy did the same with a white bandana.
“Mmmm!” she couldn't resist too much without jerking on her head.

Joy turned her phone on to record before she took the wooden spoon and solemnly smacked it off her hand as a warning to all of sisters-in-law. Each was eventually getting her turn, but none of them knew if there was a specific trigger or not. The oldest sister struggled in silence, the middle sister groaned a little, and baby sister kept still. Joy calmly lifted Bridget’s legs and swatted her butt cheeks with the wooden spoon.

SMACK! SMACK!
“OWWWW!” Bridget got a big taste of Joy’s socks.
“You are a glutton for punishment! Be quiet you naughty!”
SMACK! SMACK!
“OWWWWWW!”
“I said be quiet!” the mistress was demanding something Bridget couldn't give.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
“AGH AGH AGGGHHH OWWWWWWW!”
“Maybe this will make you be quiet!”

Joy pinched Bridget’s nose shut with a swimmer's nose clip and loudly spanked her four more times, twice on each cheek while Bridget quietly wriggled about uselessly. It was the kind of aggressive behavior she liked from her captors, and she relaxed a bit in submission.

As a warning, Joy gave each of the others four solid whacks on their butt cheeks, but she did no more while Bridget shrieked in her suffocating captivity. Joy removed the clip and watched her friend collapse in a heap. The sharp smacks of the spoon had forced Bridget to surrender much sooner than a regular spanking would.

Now, Joy turned to Erin, the oldest of them all, and made sure each zip was secure. She took a black zip, pulled Erin’s knees to her chest, and wrapped the zip around her thighs and neck, making sure to pull it securely but not dangerously tight. She laid the captive on her side and ran another zip from her ankles to her wrists before sitting her up. Joy put Erin in her own lap.

“Now, I hear that you have a thing for fingers in your ribs.”
“Mmm hmm,” Erin calmly nodded.
“It's a shame that I am going to take advantage of that,” Joy walked her fingers along Erin’s body.
“Mmmmm.”
“You wanna know a secret?” her voice became a whisper, “I’m doing a Cool Girls’ Club live stream so everyone can enjoy you two Christmas gangstas and your rowing sister suffering at my hands.”
“Ooooohh!”
“That's not the right reaction! Suffer!” Joy dug her fingers into the rib cages.

Erin, if forced to answer honestly, would have ranked this tickling session among the all-time worst and most painful. Joy was a very effective tickler, but she liked tickling for tickling’s sake and not about being left out of breath. There were excellent skills on display, but they didn't satisfy the oldest Sjaastad. Erin would rather have a little of a variety of harmless tortures rather than get smothered and walloped like Bridget so seemingly enjoyed.

Kristina whimpered at the thought of being punished like her sisters. The hair tie, to her surprise, was actually a fun little addition, but she didn't want to be spanked for anything but warning. Those quick, sharp smacks, usually 2 or 4, were perfect, and she liked tickling more like Erin as well. She'd rather the position itself provide all of the strain, like her present position did.

Joy crouched down by Kristina and undid the hair tie and lowered the girl’s legs. Joy kept in mind that Kristina was still a couple of weeks from 18 in her punishment and helped the youngster to stand up before she untied the blindfold. Joy had a friendly smile on her face, and the captive realized she truly had a sister-in-law. Joy had been a good friend to Bridget for many years and had quickly grown to be friends with Erin as well; both now saw her as family. Now it was her turn to let Joy graduate from just a friend to a part of her family.

“Kristina, may I please make a gingerbread house? Roberto would appreciate it as well, as he is also family.”
“Mmm,” Kristina paused for a moment and then nodded carefully, “Mmm hmm.”
“Thank you. You're so cute in that Christmas outfit and with that corny bandana,” Joy unknotted the gag.
“You think so? It was a Wal-Mart special.”
“I think so even if black isn't a good color on me,” Joy chuckled a little.
“Is this my freedom?”
“This,” Joy unlocked the handcuffs, “is your freedom in multiple ways.”

Joy unknotted each and every one of the ropes that had bound Kristina, and the young girl felt a combination of happiness and embarrassment. She had been soundly defeated, a victim of her own words, and humbled. She had laughed at Joy and paid the price. From her end, Joy had correctly predicted the behavior of each sister and taken appropriate advantage of them.

Kristina looked at her two older sisters and their respective tight bindings. Bridget looked to be absolutely crushed against the big square column, but she wasn't quitting either. Of all of them, Bridget fought the most. Erin was quiet in her zip tie ball tie, and Kristina cut the two zips that made the actual ball tie part of things. A huge sigh of relief came from the captive, and Kristina sat and hugged her for a moment.

“I'm sorry I laughed at you,” the girl finally admitted, “I'm a little punk sometimes.”
“It's natural to be defensive about family matters, but the attitude needs help.”
“But I,” Kristina forced a smile, “I caused a lot of trouble for them as well.”
“Well, you should cut them out then,” Joy stood with that headmistress confidence.
“I should, shouldn't I? What if I don't?” a slight challenge came.
“Then I slew foot you again but this time only to roughly spank you! I promise that I am going to string you up again before I leave, but that'll be so late you’ll be sleeping as Erin’s cuddle toy.”
“Better sleeping as my sister's plaything then the kinds of gross stuff Bridget does!”

Joy laughed heartily at that and gave Kristina the threatened slew foot and spanks; at that, Kristina laughed as well, took the knife, and began carefully cutting her sister's bonds. Each had to come off, and tape was a little bit trickier. Before Bridget was off the column, Erin was standing and curtsying to one of her imaginary audiences with a flair that betrayed she'd done theater in high school.

Grunting loudly gave Kristina the urge to leave her sister to suck on Joy’s socks, and she even teased the still bound girl about it. Blindfolds didn't mean she couldn't understand what was being said! Indeed, she was done with the tastes of the season, but she looked forward to the next time she ate a friend or siblings sock just as much as she looked forward to the end of this round. Both sisters took a turn spanking their bound sister, two sharp spanks with the wooden spoon.

“Mmmmm!” Bridget thrashed about violently now.
“Calm down!” Joy ordered, “You're getting out!”
“No kidding,” Kristina cut her legs free while Erin took the torso.
“Many hands will make quick work, for each of us has a quirk!” Erin rhymed.
“Ughhhh!” that was cheesier than Joy’s socks.
“She's terrible. Just think, I share a bedroom with her.”

Then Bridget was free, the TUG mess was cleaned up, and the foursome went back up the stairs. Kristina had gingerbread to bake up into sheets, and the others sat to talk the time away. Grudge matches were fulfilled via games, and soon it was time to make the houses. At that point, Erin, usually the strong one, took Joy aside for a moment.

“You're the best thing that's happened to us since Mom died; don't ever take advantage of it; don't ever forget how much of an impact you make to me and Kristie.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“C’mon! Let's make some houses!” Kristina called as she turned on the stereo.
“And don't forget your Christmas outfit, sis,” Erin said with a smile.
“Sis is a nice word,” Joy’s eyes brightened, “Let's go add a new page to that fascinating book of traditions.”

No traditions ended that day. Instead, the Sjaastad siblings found a fourth sister to join them in enjoying Christmas the way they'd always enjoyed it: matching outfits, Christmas songs playing in the background, gingerbread houses, and TUGs.

THE END

[Mineira1986]

Gotta say, usually I don't love stories with a tragic, dark background (-ish at least) that depict playful situations, as most of the time the backstory doesn't come to play in the main story. And could be completely omitted most of the time.

But I think this tale does it very well. Said backstory (Kristina's and Erin's) works as the trigger for the whole plot. Characters have distinct motivations and reactions to what's happening. Would've love to see more of Erin disciplining the Sjaastad sisters, but I understand it's a short story. Maybe one where Kristina comes up on top?

Great story!