by Robin Roseau
"That is a possible outcome."
"For real marry?"
"For real marry, yes."
Audra looked around the room. "I don't think I want to marry my sister."
Everyone snickered. "Quite so," said Jasmine. "When we determine the nature of the larger challenge, we will determine the nature of what happens when someone wins. Let us say, for instance, that your mother wins. She may decide if she beats you, that she wants you to work in her kitchen for a month."
"No way!" said Audra.
"Everything is on the table," Jasmine said. "The number of points she has to make such a requirement might be significant. We shall see. If Bluebell wins, she may demand you work at the Testing Center for your next break. It may be that the nature of the game allows for all of you to lose, and I may require you to work for me for a month. Do you see?"
"Yes. What could I win? If I win?"
"Perhaps twenty hours in one of my chairs," Jasmine said. "I believe you are fond of baby elephants."
"Really?" Audra asked.
"Really," said Jasmine.
She cocked her head. "Mating candidates never win. What are my chances?"
"Mating candidates frequently win individual challenges," Jasmine replied. "This will be an honest competition, and I wouldn't say your chances of winning are as high as your chances of losing, I have no intention of stacking the deck against the humans."
"I'm playing," Audra said, grinning. "You're really going to treat me like a mating candidate until then?"
"Yes, I am," she said.
"You're not going to put us on television for all my classmates to see, are you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jasmine said. "Bluebell Beamer, are you playing?"
Bluebell and Azalea glanced at each other. "Azalea and I wish our daughters to decide for us."
"They're playing," Violet and Posey said together.
"I guess we're paying," Azalea said. "I can hardly wait to show the youngsters that their moms still can compete with them."
Jasmine turned towards mom. "Carmen Andrews, are you playing?"
Mom looked down at her bound hands. Then she appeared to slump. "I don't think I should."
"Will you explain why, Carmen?" Jasmine asked gently.
"Perhaps Bluebell and Azalea can keep up with the youngsters, but I know I cannot. If you make a team that includes me, I will be a handicap."
"Carmen," said Violet. "We won't make you play, but when we asked Jasmine to do this, we hoped it would be all seven of us. Jasmine is good at this. She assured us she can offer good games for any combination of us. If you don't want to play, of course, we won't force it. But if you are declining for the stated reason, I don't believe you should."
"Carmen," said Bluebell. "I would echo the words of my daughter and add this. We would like this to be one family, not two. We want you to be as much a part of our family as Skye is."
"Now I feel like a party pooper," Mom said. "I don't think I would enjoy this. I know I wouldn't enjoy being treated like a mating candidate, and I think I'm too old to be as resilient as my daughters will be."
I actually didn't blame Mom for that, and I wasn't pleased about the uneven nature of the games.
Jasmine glanced at the other Catseye and said, "We could make an exception for you."
"I still do not feel I would be a good addition to the game. Is there some other way I could stay involved?"
"Would you like to help me run the games?" Jasmine asked.
"Would I be able to?"
"I might give you a role within the game, but one that doesn't play against your weaknesses. Would you like that?"
"Yes, maybe I would."
"Then should we do that?"
"Yes. I think I'd like that."
"All right then." She cocked her head, and the table released mom. Jasmine then moved around the table and unlatched her arms. Mom rubbed her wrists. "You'll keep the visor now so you can see everything I show everyone else."
"All right."
Jasmine returned to her place at the center of the table. "Now then, teams. I will point out there are several obvious choices. The first choice is for everyone to play as individuals. The second choice is for sisters to form a team, and of course, Bluebell and Azalea as a team. Another choice is two teams of three. Or a human sister with a Catseye sister. Or, of course, other combinations."
She looked around the room. "I did not come to a final conclusion how we should determine teams. So we will vote. Do you wish to play as individuals or as teams?"
Everyone voted for teams.
"All right. Second, do you want me to assign teams or somehow you to collectively determine them?"
That was a mixed vote, three in favor of having us work it out, two against. I didn't vote. Everyone turned to me.
"I don't know what game we're going to play," I said. "I don't know what I prefer. Normally I'd vote for Jasmine to pick, but after this morning, I'm not sure I like the way she plays."
"I am hurt," she said. "Hurt. I am only giving you what you want."
"Uh huh," I said. "But if I vote that way, we have a split vote."
"I want to propose something," said Posey. "I want to propose Skye and I as team one. Violet and Audra as team two. And Moms as team three."
"Why that combination?" Bluebell asked.
"I know that Violet is hoping for some sort of capture game, and she wants to capture Skye. I want to play against my sister. And having the moms as a team offers a sort of spoiler to make it more complicated."
Audra looked a little unhappy with the suggestion, but Posey turned to her. "And I think capturing Audra might be fun. I'll get to tease Violet by being teamed with her mate. The two human sisters get to compete with each other." She offered a smile. "Everyone wins."
"Violet, what do you think?"
"My sister is right. I want the chance to capture Skye. Another time, I might want us as partners, but I think this way would be fun."
"Skye?"
"I'll do whatever everyone else wants."
"Audra?"
Audra looked around the room. She looked a little mutinous for a minute but then said, "If that's what everyone else wants, okay."
"Bluebell and Azalea?"
"We could put the Catseye sisters together and pair Azalea and me each with one of the human sisters."
"Do you like that suggestion better than Posey's?"
"I don't know," she said. "It would be interesting. I throw it out there in case it hasn't been considered."
Violet and Posey talked through it. I could tell Posey liked her suggestion more, and Violet wanted either Posey's suggestion or, if she were going to partner with Posey, she wanted Audra and me together. She finally said that flat out.
"Everyone would play any of the three suggestions?" Jasmine asked. We all agreed. "Then I will decide. We will follow Posey's suggestion. I believe Violet's would be too uneven for the humans. Catseye are stronger and faster than humans, so I would be forced to offer a significant handicap to them or the results are a foretold conclusion."
"And I'm really clumsy," Audra said.
"You'll be a great partner," Violet said. "Sis."
Audra smiled at that.
"All right. I need partners together," said Jasmine. "Shift."
Bluebell and Azalea didn't need to move, but Violet moved to sit next to Audra, and Posey moved next to me. While we were shifting, Jasmine stood up and walked to the far end of the room. She was carrying a small, plain box. She set it down, then returned with a second one, slightly larger.
She opened the first box, and there were four visors. She passed them out.
"We don't exactly need these," Posey said.
"Everyone will have the same visual handicaps," Jasmine said. "Put them on. They are under my control during these negotiations and any games."
And so they each pulled on a visor. Jasmine moved the box aside then pulled something from the other box. It was some sort
of material, perhaps leather, and bright red, but I wasn't sure what it was.
She turned to Bluebell and Azalea. "Hold hands," she ordered them. Bluebell reached out her left hand, and Azalea took it with her right. Jasmine moved behind them and wrapped the red leather around their hands and wrists. Then it activated, and it sort of sucked itself tightly.
She grinned.
She moved to Violet and Audra next. "Audra, I will release one hand. Which do you prefer?"
"Violet pick."
"I'll hold her left hand," Violet offered. She shifted sides. Audra's left arm was freed from the table, and soon Violet and Audra's clasped hands were contained by a piece of bright purple leather.
Posey didn't wait but moved to my left side, and soon our hands were wrapped.
The leather clung to us, and I couldn't release my hold. Posey and I were bound together by the hand.
"There is a great deal of flexibility," Jasmine said. "The material will stretch if necessary, and in an emergency, it will even release. It would take a great deal of poor luck for you to be hurt. However, it can happen. Please coordinate your movements. If you do become separated, you should deal with the temporary emergency and then clasp hands again. The bond will reassert itself automatically."
Posey looked over and grinned at me. "You can't get away now."
"We're partners," I said. "I'm not supposed to get away."
Jasmine then gave each team twenty points to use in determining the nature of the game. "Points do not carry to the next game, so use them up." I let Posey control ours. Violet coached Audra but let Audra determine how to spend theirs.
There was spirited use of the points. Posey used our cautiously to determine the nature of the game. Bluebell and Azalea tried to steer the game in directions that would play towards the combined strength of two Catseye, and the points we used were coupled with Audra to counteract them.
Posey was then aggressive in the handicapping section, although Audra went first. She tried to handicap Bluebell and Azalea, still focused on them after the competition to determine the nature of the game. They, in turn, spent all their remaining points to counteract Audra's attempt.
That may have been a mistake, as Posey then implemented a handicap that meant their would each wear a body harness that encumbered their tentacles. They could breathe, but they wouldn't be free to use them.
Audra then tried to apply the same handicap to Posey, using the last of her points. Posey counteracted it, using up the last of our points.
"I need an hour to ready the arena," Jasmine declared. "I will allow you to use the bathrooms but otherwise you will remain here. You may taunt each other, if you like."
"Sunblock," I said.
"Of course. Safety first. Carmen, I have proper clothing for you, then you can help me oversee the arena."
Capture the Baton
Posey and I stood at one edge of the arena. This would be our home base. The other two teams were also in their bases, forming an equilateral triangle.
In the center of the arena was a small stand, and sticking out of the stand was a baton. What we had to do was run to the center, grab the baton, and then return it to our base, dropping it into the top of a waiting obelisk. Easy, right? Of course, each team would be trying to do the same thing, and of course, there was a twist.
The arena was filled with obstacles. There were paths between the obstacles. We didn't need to actually navigate our way over them. But there was a clear path around the exterior of the arena, so you could run from one home base to another. There was a second clear circle halfway to the center of the arena. And there were two distinct paths from the center to each base.
In between were the obstacles, and if you encountered one, you would be hindered. Depending upon how completely you encountered them, you could be stopped dead in your tracks until your partner pulled you free or you worked your way loose.
You could push an opponent into an obstacle, and you could take the baton from a frozen opponent.
Upon a point being earned, everything reset. The obstacles would release anyone trapped, and the baton would reappear at the center.
We were playing until the second team earned ten points, although the winning team could continue to score points. Jasmine declared if it were terribly lopsided, she would limit the top team to thirty points. She also applied a four-hour time limit.
Mom and Jasmine weren't the only spectators. There were a few dozen in the stands, including a number of familiar faces.
"Go!" Jasmine declared.
Posey and I had discussed this. I told her flat out I wouldn't be able to run back and forth very many times, not at full speed. But we agreed we wanted early points.
I also asked her, "Can Violet run faster carrying my sister than if they run together?"
"Probably not, but of course, we can help you run faster. However, while we're stronger than a human, and perhaps we run faster, we don't run significantly faster."
And so, we formed at least a partial plan. As soon as Jasmine declared "Go," we took off at full speed, running for the center. We got there ahead of Violet and Audra, but only barely. But Azalea and Bluebell were fastest, and Bluebell had her hand on the baton by the time we arrived.
There was a delay while she tried to pull it free, so Posey and I moved to them and try to push them away. Bluebell held firmly to the baton, but we managed to push Azalea just far enough her foot encountered an obstacle. But then Violet stepped forward, picked me up, and threw me into the same obstacle, right beside Azalea. I got caught partially, and that only because Posey tried to counteract her sister. But Azalea turned and with one hand, pushed me firmly into the trap, and I was firmly stuck.
Violet tried to push her mother deeper into the trap, but Bluebell worked the baton loose and then, holding the stand itself, pulled hard on Azalea, dragging her from the trap. The two took off with Violet and Audra doing their best to hinder them.
Posey and I were stuck behind.
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," she said. "Can you move?"
"Not a muscle. Can you pull me out?"
She worked at it, finally dragging me free. We turned, and the other four were just reaching Bluebell and Azalea's base. Audra had her arms wrapped around Azalea's waist, and Violet was trying to hinder Bluebell, but Bluebell managed to drop the baton into their obelisk. The Moms got the first point.
Posey and I immediately moved to the stand.
We kept eyeing the stand, waiting for the baton, and the other four players, who were still struggling.
Then Azalea said, "We're giving those two an easy point!" She pointed, and all four turned to face us.
"No!" Screamed Violet. And with that, all four were running for us.
But the baton appeared. We'd already agreed that it was better for Posey to grab it. She had more limbs to do so. But the baton didn't come free immediately; we had seen that with Bluebell. Instead, she had to work it free. It popped into her hand when our competitors were halfway back to us.
"Go!"
We ran for our base, and all four turned the corner at the inner circle and tried to cut us off.
I kept turning my head, watching where I was going, but glancing at the competition. And so I got to see. We were clearly going to reach our base before they could catch us, and Bluebell figured that out. She reached out, grabbed my sister, and pushed her towards the nearest obstacle. Azalea finished the task by pushing Violet in after Audra, and so both were firmly stuck.
When they reached the intersection, instead of coming after us, they headed for the center.
"Don't drop it in!" I told Posey. "Listen."
We reached the center, and Posey held the baton in place, but then said, "What?"
"Look," I said. "They aren't following."
We both turned to watch the other four. Bluebell and Azalea reached the middle, and they were clearly hoping to catch the baton and score an easy point. Audra and Violet were trying to free themselves.
"If you drop it now, then it's going to be us trying to catch up to them. I don't know if the delay is long enough for us to win. I'm out of breath. If we wait, I can catch my breath, and maybe Violet and Audra will work loose."
"Violet!" Posey called.
Violet turned to look at us. She saw us waiting.
"What are you waiting for?"
"For you to work yourself free. You need to intercept the Mom's."
Violet looked around, saw Bluebell and Azalea, then turned back to us. "If we do that, you'll wait at the center again."
"No. If you stop them, then you'll get the baton and get to your base before we can stop you. If you don't stop them, the four of you can reach an agreement. We'll chase them. Promise."
"All right," she called back. Then she worked to free Audra.
Bluebell and Azalea consulted. Then they took off towards us.
"Wait until they're halfway and drop it," I said. "I'm ready to run."
The moment The Moms passed the halfway point, Posey dropped the baton and we were running for the center.
"Violet!" Posey cried. "New plan."
"I see!" And then the game released both of them, and all three teams were running to the middle. Violet and Audra got there first, The Mom's second, and we weren't back by the time the baton appeared.
"Audra into the obstacle," Posey said.
I didn't argue, although The Mom's were ahead of them.
The baton appeared. Violet and Bluebell both tried to grab it, and I thought Violet had an advantage. Audra struggled with Azalea, but they were both off position to force the other into one of the obstacles.
We arrived just as the baton popped free. Violet wrapped tentacles around her mom's wrists and struggled to pull it from her grasp. Posey and I waded in, picked up my sister, and pushed her into the obstacle. She tried to pull me in after her, but didn't quite succeed.
Posey then grabbed her sister and began pushing her in after Audra. The Moms saw what we were doing and began helping. Violet kept firm control of the baton but we got her feet into the obstacle, and then she fell backwards, fully tangled. But still she held the baton.
And Azalea gave me a good push. I got stuck.