Fell Champions

“Well, well, well,” Otter said. “Isn’t that interesting? Not used to it, are you? Being pursued? Being on this end of the hunt?”

“I would’ve caught my prey by now.”

Otter pinched at Juala’s nipple through her top. Not too hard, but not exactly softly either. Juala made a surprised noise, which she then tried to pretend she didn’t make. 

“The only reason you would’ve caught anything would be because you paid for the woman to surrender,” Kir said.

Otter nearly barked at Kir to be quiet, but then realized if she did that, her Pact would literally force that on her. That whole thing was stupid. The plan to get rid of the Pact had better work, because Otter hadn’t even had this level of control for a day and already she was tired of having to be careful about her words. 

Sami must’ve caught Otter’s annoyance, because she pressed herself against Kir’s side and put a hand over her mouth. “Hush. Watch. You might learn something.”

Kir went stiff, but didn’t fight Sami off, or tried to remove her hand. If anything, she blushed a little, and seemed to actually enjoy being handled. 

“There’s just one order of business before we begin,” Otter said. “Well, two. Vex. Go keep Everett company.”

The girl, who’d been blushing even more fiercely than Kir, and yet still staring, looked disappointed, but then made a squeak noise and all but fled the passenger cabin and into the pilot box, closing the door behind her.

“Now for two.” Otter let Juala go, pushed her a little bit to the side, and then opened her game menu and called Rua.

A video window opened, Rua’s face filling it. She looked angry, but that anger lightened a little upon seeing Otter.

“Captured again?” Otter said with a small smile.

Rua rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started. This still only counts as the second time. It’s just been… extended.”

“Kir filled us in. She’s with us now. And for her sake, I’ll let her explain to you later what–”

“What’s going on?” Juala said. “Who’re you talking to?”

Right. Juala still had a very rudimentary understanding of the game rules Otter and others like were under, and didn’t have access to the menu system. She had no idea Otter could call other players, like Rua, and talk to them long distance.

Otter placed a finger on Juala’s lips. “Hush. Adults are talking. I’ll explain later.”

“Reyna still giving you trouble?” Rua asked.

“Actually, about that… Turns out, your dumbass sister is still alive, and has been pretending to be Reyna.”

Rua went very still. Her expression went neutral. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not kidding. Il-Su didn’t kill her. He killed Reyna, and Vex apparently used her Pact to keep Juala alive in Reyna’s body. Or something. I’m still a little unclear on the details, but yeah, she’s alive.”

“No.” Rua’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. 

“You’re talking to Rua, aren’t you?” Juala said. “And you’re … looking at her somehow. Is this part of your Pact, or… the other thing?”

Rua’s eyes flicked to the side. She could probably see Juala in Reyna’s body at the edge of her screen from her point of view. Could definitely hear her. Her face paled, and then started to flush in anger.

“She let me think she was dead.”

“What’s she saying?” Juala asked. “I bet she’s getting all upset at me over this as if it’s my fault. She’d probably run away if not for the fact she’s captured.”

Rua made a noise. It wasn’t a good one.

Otter winced. “You’re not helping.”

“I don’t even know why you needed to tell her. She was better off not knowing. She was happy when she thought I was dead.”

“I was not!”

“Is she denying it? I bet she’s denying it. Well, Rua…” Juala looked at where the screen would be, but slightly to the left. It made her look a little ridiculous, but she probably thought she was being suitably dramatic. “I was at the funeral. I heard all the huati shit you said about me. You said I was empathetic. A bleeding heart. I don’t need a special Pact to be able to know what a lie that was.”

Otter sighed. She was tempted to box one of Juala’s ears. Nothing too terrible, but enough to get her to shut up. Except… how many people had been using pain and abuse as a way of controlling Juala her entire life?

“Juala… please. Just let me talk to Rua. Without your commentary.”

Otter looked back to the screen, expecting to see Rua furious, but instead, she was laughing.

“She really is alive,” Rua said, shaking her head. She let out another small chuckle. “What a cunt.”

“That’s… putting it lightly. You’re not mad.”

“Mad? I’m furious. But also relieved. I hate her so much. But I also love the dumb bitch. So, you called to tell me that she’s alive?”

“That, and to also ask if I have permission to fuck her. I’m poly, but I don’t use that as an excuse to cheat.”

Rua cocked her head like a dog that’d just heard a new sound. “Why would you need my permission?”

“Fucking Silayans. Of course. Well, where I come from, being in a relationship means communication and trust. I’m not allowed to just fuck whoever I want just because we’ve previously agreed we’re allowed to bring others into the relationship.”

“I don’t own your cock,” Rua said. “I’m a little disappointed in your taste, though. I mean, yes, she’s apparently looks like Reyna now, which is a vast improvement from the flat-assed twig she was before, but really? Juala? I am beginning to think my original view of my self-worth was correct if you think she’s perfectly fine to take to bed.”

“What? You’ve never thought about it?”

“Fucking her?”

“No. Putting her in her place. Dominating her. Holding her down and spanking her until she promises to be good, and then giving her an orgasm when she behaves.”

Juala made a sharp intake of breath at that, her eyes going a little glassy at hearing all of that laid out. Rua paused, and then blushed faintly, and coughed into her hand. 

“I… huh. Now that you mention it… that doesn’t sound bad at all.”

“I thought you’d enjoy it. So, wanna watch as I tame her?”

“I do.” Rua paused. “But not through one of these chat windows. Since you think you need permission, you don’t have it. Not until you rescue me. You have to fuck her in front of me. I need to be in the room. I need to see it.”

Otter grinned. “Your wish is my command.”

“Careful. That’s a bold statement to make. I could do a lot with that kind of power.”

“We both know you wouldn’t abuse it. After all, you’re my good girl.”

It was Rua’s turn to look a little fogged over with lust. “Just hurry up and rescue me already. I’m already playing at what I think are loopholes in my instructions. But I’ll need your help to get off the island.”

They said their goodbyes, and then ended the call. Juala had her arms crossed. 

“She said no, didn’t she?”

“She said ‘not yet.’ Apparently she wants to see me taming you in person.”

“She’ll just withdraw this ludicrous permission out of spite later.”

“Maybe. So it seems you don’t need to just be a good, obedient girl for me. You also need to be one for Rua.”

Juala swore, but her cheeks flushed hotly, and she looked away. Kir made a small laugh, but Sami quickly silenced her again. 

Honestly, the conversation had gone better than Otter had expected. A lot better. She’d been so clouded by her own stupid pelanoa hormones and her need to get laid, she’d barely been able to control herself. She’d needed Rua to give her clear boundaries. But more, she’d needed Rua to know about Juala. Not just that she was alive, but that Otter was attracted to her. Enough to want to act on it.

Even if Juala was definitely kind of a bitch. 

“I can’t believe your taste is that bad,” Sami said. “I actually feel a little insulted.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk. You’ve fucked Il-Su.” Otter pointedly looked at Kir, who was struggling hard not to giggle. “So have you. Which, you were mind controlling him at the time, gross.”

“I… I didn’t order him to do it. He was… It’s complicated. He had killed a child when we arrested him. He was fragile. Lashing out. Denying reality. Fine one moment, a mess the next. Arrogant and confident, and then despairing. I didn’t intend for it to happen. He had an allure to him. One moment we were talking, the next he was on top of me, and…”

Juala made a retching noise. “You’re kidding me. You’d fuck that limpdick, but not me?”

“What did I just say about you being good?” Otter said.

Juala made a frustrated noise.

“Apologize to your sister. And stop moaning about her not sleeping with her. You’re like the pelanoa equivalent of an incel.”

Juala sighed, grumbled out an apology, and then said, “What’s an ‘incel?’”

“Il-Su is an incel,” Sami said. “Desperate for love and attention and sex, thinking everyone owes him. Quick to lash out because the world doesn’t hand them what they want. Inevitably weak-willed and cowardly. Everything you hate about Il-Su, that’s what an incel is.”

“Gross. Time to re-examine some of my life choices.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Kir said, “he was very bad in bed. I didn’t finish.”

“It doesn’t. If anything, it makes me feel worse. Because I would’ve made sure you did.”

Otter glared at her, and Juala stumbled out another apology. 

“I get it,” Sami said. “What you saw in him, in a moment of weakness. I saw the same. For two years. And then it turned out, I was either blind all along, or he was just a very good liar.”

“I always knew something was off about him,” Otter said.

“You did not.”

“I absolutely did. He refused to smoke with me. Didn’t want to do it even once. I knew there had to be something off with him.”

“I refused to smoke with you.”

“No, you mostly refused to smoke with me. A couple times, I got through to you and you succumbed to peer pressure. You let your guard down, and were willing to try new things. Il-Su refused that. Because he thought that new things were beneath him. And he was afraid of letting anyone see the real him.”

“Really? You think if someone turns down marijuana, it must mean they’re nefarious?”

And then Juala said the two words Otter had been dreading hearing ever since discovering this world was real, and not just a creation of Holt’s. A world with its own biome and eco system, uniquely independent of Earth’s. “What’s ‘marijuana?’”

Something in Otter’s heart broke on hearing that.

The door to the pilot’s box opened, and Vex peaked out. “Everyone has their clothes on still?”

She sounded almost disappointed when she saw that was the case.

“Yes.”

“Everett wanted you to know, we’re pulling up on the island. The one we need for Kir’s Pact.”

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