by Robin Roseau
"Unless they were complicated," Peony said. "If they were filled with Bay's little tricks, then I might only do one or sometimes too."
"Andromeda knows all about Bay's tricks," Clover said. "She still hasn't forgiven him for her most recent challenge."
"That's right. You are also a mating candidate," Peony said. "I guess I knew that. I've watched a few of your challenges. Was the one with the spiders most recent?"
"Yes," I said. "I'm never forgiving that little shit."
She snuffle-laughed. "I don't blame you. Nasty little Loris."
* * * *
We had a lovely meal. Afterwards we played Boardwalk. Peony and Clover fought over making me their vassal. I dug in, holding out as long as I could. But I couldn't defend against all three of them, and it was Jasmine who captured me. The two wives refused to make an agreement, and so they both fell, one after another.
Afterwards, Clover told me I was getting better. "Not that you'll ever be as good as even a weak Catseye, but you play better than any human I've ever seen play."
"How many is that?" Jasmine asked, and I swear she was smirking.
"I'm sure there have been others," Clover said.
A short while later, Peony said she had things to do with her wife, and so they excused themselves. Jasmine invited me to stay for ice cream, which we enjoyed on the sofa, half her tentacles wrapped around me while we ate. Then she took the bowl from me and set both down on the coffee table.
"You wanted something, didn't you?"
"A few things. First, I'm under a little stress. Will you be offended if I hold you more completely?"
"No, Jasmine." I let her reel me in, soon sitting against her, well wrapped in tentacles. I knew she was tasting, but not heavily. "Does this help?"
"It does. Thank you."
"This is so strange. You know that, don't you?"
"I suppose it is. I want you to find a way to forgive Bay."
"Sure. Let me come up with dirty tricks and spend a couple of hours tormenting him."
"You wouldn't know how, and he's not afraid of the spiders. Is that really what it would take?"
"Every time he sees me, he laughs about it and then mutters vague threats about plans for future opportunities. There won't be any more opportunities."
"Sometimes we get a woman who makes me angry," Jasmine said. "Typically this involves actively trying to kill her challenger during one of the challenges."
"Put me in with a man and see what happens."
"They've been nice men," she said. "And the women in question haven't had your excuse."
"It doesn't matter. I'm sorry, Jasmine, but if you're about to tell me you abuse her for it, you can unwrap your tentacles first."
"I don't abuse her."
"What Bay did to me is abuse, as far as I'm concerned. I think I should go." I squirmed, but she didn't relax.
"Please don't, Andromeda."
"Jasmine-"
"I'm under a lot of stress."
"We're all under a lot of stress."
"I'm under a lot of pressure. No one was happy when I said we were switching to a longer cycle to process the candidates. Please let me hold you."
I closed my eyes, took several breaths, then relaxed. I nodded.
"I need you to find a way to forgive Bay. I need you to be able to work with him."
"You need me to do a lot for you," I said. "Did you tell him to shut the fuck up?"
"No. I didn't know he was taunting you. I'll talk to him."
"If he shuts up. If he tries to be sweet. If you promise I'll never be treated like that again. Then I'll try. But if anything remotely like that ever happens to me again, I'm not forgiving anyone involved. That includes you."
"So you're done accepting challenges?"
"It was supposed to be fun, Jasmine. I had two criteria. Fun and fair. Instead, you used it as an opportunity to make me grateful when she caught me. Everyone had fun but me." I tried pushing away from her again. "Every time I give you a little, you take more. Let me go."
"You two came to me asking for a challenge, Andromeda. It wasn't my idea."
"Fine. It wasn't fun. It was the opposite of fun. So I don't see why I'd ask you to do it again. And if you make me, you can expect an appropriate reaction."
"I understand. You'll try to forgive Bay. You'll agree to work with him."
"If he shuts up. Are you making the promise I asked for?"
"I will not force you into any challenges that have tricks like that. If you come to me and ask for a challenge that requires handicapping you, then it's your own fault."
"Fine," I said. I closed my eyes and turned my face away. We sat quietly for a while. Then I asked, "Am I part of your stress?"
"Some," she said. "Don't worry about that."
"Is the way I've asked you to work with the women a problem?"
"Yes, but we're not going to stop just because I'm getting pressure for it. But we can't implement any further changes for a while. We have to do this in stages."
"All right."
"I'm getting pressure from the Implacs."
"I can't believe you want to give any of our women to them."
"They don't get very many. I try to beat them in the arena, and I've had a lot of luck there. But it hasn't been perfect, as you saw."
She snuffled. "The thing is, their females don't operate independently. Yours was operating on orders. I don't know whose. So until they discover who did it, I can hold them off. But it won't be forever."
"I don't know how I'm going to feel if I have to work with any."
"I'll keep you away from them at first. For now, I just wanted you to know what was going on."
"Thank you."
"We get a new batch in two days."
"Yes. We're ready. This is the start of the slower cycle. I think that will help us make better matches."
"On average, we'll be pickier in selecting who we take, too," she said.
"That will be good, I suppose." Those poor women, but I didn't say anything about that.
"I'll need you to swim."
"I figured."
"And forgive me."
"Oh hell. Now what?"
"I'm going to leave you in the wall again."
"God damn it, Jasmine."
"I'll let you have your visor from the moment the last woman is freed, but you'll need to set up a proximity sensor."
"Why?"
"Someone special is coming."
I sighed. "Do I have to be charming?"
"I think you should give her a chance."
"She asked you to leave me like that for a while, but I'm supposed to give her a chance?"
"Charoite asked me to do that to you, and you seem to be getting along with her."
I thought about it. "Fine," I said. "As long as I'm warned, and you let me have the visor. Is there anything you can do so I don't get so stiff?"
"I can support you better, but you'd have to lean backwards into it."
"That can be tough on my feet, leaning back on my heels."
"Leave that to me."
"I bet there's a price."
"Let them touch you."
I sighed. "How."
"It won't be a sex show, but it will be very possessive."
"What. Them. Let THEM touch me? Is this an Octal family?"
"No. Humans call them Whiteblacks. It's not a very creative name."
"We haven't had any."
"Not once," she said. "They form complicated relationships. There is a pair coming."
"Jasmine."
"Give them a chance."
"Tell me it's two females."
"It is, and they want a third."
"A Third?"
"Oh, not a Tutor third. They want to be a triangle. They are fond of geometric relationships. Right now they are a segment."
"A segment?"
"A line segment. Two points connected by a line. A segment."
"I see. Why are they called Whiteblacks?"
"They come in two distinct colors. I think you're going to like them, although a conversation can be disconcerting."
"Why?"
"They develop what appears to be a telepathic connection with each other. While there are two voices, they talk as if they are one person. So you'll get a portion of a sentence from one, but it will likely be finished by the other."
"Why would they want a human?"
"You would be another experiment."
"They want to see if they can extend the link to me?"
"Yes. It takes time. It may be that you are too bound to Charo to accept. If so, I'll ask them to consider someone else. But they are, well... They are a little arrogant."
"I'm not fond of arrogance."
"Well, that might not be the right word. Would you be happier if I suggested they were picky and only want the best?"
"I'm not the best."
"You're currently the most famous, and with some cause. I might be able to convince them to look at someone else, if this doesn't work with you. But I would really, really appreciate it if you gave it a full chance."
"Does Charoite know about this?"
"Yes. Andromeda, they're going to be very possessive. You're not going to know what hit you."
"No means no, Jasmine."
"No means ask again."
"If I tell them to get their hands off me, what will they do?"
"They aren't going to rape you, Andromeda."
"If they do, our agreement is off. I go home. If I decide I want a relationship with Charoite, I'll pursue one. And you owe me the visor in reparations."
"Seeing as how they won't, I agree to your terms."
"They don't use the Octal approach, do they? Maybe with their psychic link?"
"Not that anyone knows."
"All right. I'll give them a chance."
"One more thing."
"With you, it's always one more thing, or a price, or another surprise, or can you please do this for me... What?"
"They want challenges. They aren't required for mating, but they want to hunt you."
"Please tell me they aren't the size of gerbils and Bay is going to handicap me."
"Oh, no. If I were going to apply a handicap, it will be to them. They want no handicaps. None. You get plopped down. They get plopped down. No tricks. No traps. And they're going to win. They're playing for the joy. What do you want to do your best, even knowing you're going to lose?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"I told you no more challenges, Jasmine."
She tightened her tentacles just a moment. "But you'll do your best, because that's what I need from you."
"No."
"They'll be simple challenges, Andromeda," she countered. "Running around in the jungle. They like jungles. I might give you a task, just to keep you from heading straight for the exit."
"And I don't suppose I could catch them."
"We've tried that in the past. It tends to get people hurt. So now we don't do that. I can't promise fun, but I can promise no nasty tricks. Please, Andromeda."
"All right," I said. "Fine. Dinner out with you."
"I can't."
"Why not?" I demanded.
"How am I supposed to eat? Yes, I'm letting some of the women see us like this now, but not the entire town."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't think of that." I paused. "I think you should stop hiding. I'd love to see you walking around with your tentacles free. If anyone can't handle it, screw them."
"It makes some of the guards nervous. If I hide them, they're okay. But the employees aren't screened as well as the mating candidates. We look for different attributes. Xenophobia is higher."
"They'll get over it."
"I don't think so."
"Ask them. That's what I want. You ask the guards that get most nervous. See what they say. Then decide."
She paused. "All right. There might be more than one challenge with them."
"Dinner out."
"I still can't, even if I start going more exposed here. The guards do not represent the entire town."
"Fine. They can take me out. Someplace nice. I want lobster."
She smiled. "This is between you and me. They'll probably take you out anyway. What do you want from me?"
"I wouldn't suppose you'd let me wear more clothing in my cell."
"No."
"How about more variety?"
"That's what you want?"
"You're not going to give me the things I really want, Jasmine. You're not going to let me go home. You're not going to give me any more freedom than I currently have. You're going to make me go shackled whenever I'm acting as a mating candidate, because it amuses you. I already have every privilege on the list. I don't know what to ask for. I'd love my own apartment, but if you aren't going to let me pick my own clothes, you're certainly not going to let me have my own apartment."
She didn't say anything. "Do you want your apartment for the privacy or the space?"
"I'd like a space that really felt like my own. I'd like the clothing you do let me have right there instead of somewhere else. I'd like my own shower. I'd like a refrigerator with food for when I get the munchies. Heck, I'd like a bigger bed. I have a queen size at home. I like to sprawl. And yes, I'd like sheets and blankets. And I wouldn't mind if I never felt eyes on me. Some of the aliens watch me while I sleep. I don't really like it."
"You're asleep."
"Why do they watch me sleep?"
"You're just that fascinating."
"Bullshit."
"What if I gave you most of that? Your own apartment, but it would be in the cell block."
I thought about it then nodded. "I'd love it, Jasmine. I bet you can give me transparent sheets that feel like real sheets."
"You give these women every chance, and you do your best in the challenges they ask. You be charming. You don't get mad if they are a little forward. Are we agreed?"
"We're agreed."
"Thank you."
* * * *
Peony was delightful to work for, and she seemed to enjoy being back in a control room. We only had a few challenges left before the new batch, but with her looking over my shoulder, they were the best I'd run yet.
She was surprised by the changes to the process. Clover had said there were changes, but they really hadn't talked about them. But she admitted, "It's about time."
And I could see she was popular with the other humans. Sal took a hug, although there were no tentacles involved. And that was when I realized the tentacles didn't appear if there were other humans in the control room.
Then the new batch arrived. Peony monitored my meetings with them. We all had lunch together, and she expressed amazement. "Is she always like this?" she asked everyone, gesturing to me.
"Yes," said Cedar. "She's amazing. Bay and I have begged Jasmine to put her on permanent staff instead of mating her away, but so far, we've made no progress."
"Perhaps she will lure someone to be her mate under the condition they both remain here," Peony said. "Then we would solve several staffing problems at once."
"I'd have let Dark Skies keep me," I said, feeling a moment of pain.
"Oh, Dark Skies," said Peony. "I hope she's happy." She tangled tentacles with Clover. "She gave us a gift one day."
I laughed. "I can imagine the nature of the gift."
"I have never been more insatiable," Peony said.
I did my interviews. I had my usual luck with willing candidates and a higher than average number of women who were willing only if it was another woman, even a few we were sure were straight. But then Jasmine told me we had to reverse the order of the two receptions. And so we held the reception for the women willing to be mated to a male the first night, and the ones who would accept a female the second night.
* * * *
I was nervous. Jasmine had traded out my usual "let's embarrass the crap out of the mating candidates" clothing for "Andromeda doesn't mind putting it all on di
splay" clothing. Except Andromeda certainly did mind putting it on display, and right about then, I wanted nothing more than a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.
I was nervous.
Dilly and Piper came for me. They'd told me their real names long ago, but they seemed amused to be called Dilly and Piper, so that's who they were to me. They stopped inside the cell. "Well. Let's just hang 'em out there, shall we?" Piper said.
"I didn't pick this outfit," I said. "Tell me, does this see-through kimono make my butt look fat?" I turned around and let them look.
"Honey," said Dilly. "Your butt will never look fat. Damn, you look good."
"Thanks, Dilly," I said. "Does Jasmine Brighteyes have any special treats for me tonight? Going to dangle me from the ceiling or something?"
They exchanged looks.
"I don't want to know, do I?"
"How did you know we had special directions?"
"Because it's Jasmine Brighteyes, and she put me in this outfit, and she already told me someone special is coming to fondle me in ways that will make me squeak."
"I thought you were leaving with the Kitsune."
"Yeah, well. Jasmine seems to want me to test drive a few more options. And the Kitsune hasn't committed yet."
"They usually pick so fast."
"I know. But they get a taste of me and get cold feet," I said. "Will you warn me what you're supposed to do?"
"Sorry," said Piper. "We weren't told not to."
"Right. I don't want you to get into trouble. I'll try not to hold it against you, but if you get stuck hauling all the bitchy women, it's an accident. I promise."
They both snorted. "Hands out, please, Andromeda."
* * * *
I could neither see nor hear. That was typical. But the walk was familiar by now. They led me into place, and that was when things became different. Normally the wall reached forward for me. But this time it locked my ankles in place. Then I could hear a voice in my ears. "Do not be startled."
I didn't recognize the voice. It wasn't Dilly, Piper, or any of the aliens I knew. I didn't bother asking.
A moment later, the wall grabbed my ankles. Normally it grabbed most of me at once. But it grabbed my ankles. Then Dilly and Piper pulled me backwards, off balance, and if they hadn't supported me, I would have fallen. The wall grabbed more of me: my legs, then my shoulders. It supported me at an angle, and then the floor adjusted under my feet, lifting my toes to match the angle I was leaning. Piper and Dilly released my hands, and the wall took control.