FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Still stuck as she was in the tank, Lucci had no way of knowing that the second the massive tank dripped its last all over her the screens that had been broadcasting her fantastic gunging to the others outside the room cut off even though the cameras themselves kept running, recording every second of Lucci's post Gunge enjoyment as she scraped and slicked what Gunge she could from her face and eyes' flicking the clinging remnants from her fingers and down to the pooled mess below that largely made it pointless to even think about cleaning the rest of her. Not with how she stood almost chest deep in the rippling gunk heavy and thick against everything below it.

It was that heaviness that made Lucci shiver with less than subtle delight, feeling the press even through her thick clothing with an almost electrifying tingle of pleasure that couldn't help but get her wondering what that might feel like without the jumpsuit in the way. She was almost tempted to strip pit of the ruined outfit and find out, as she was equally tempted to let her fingers and hands do a little 'wandering' while she waited. At that moment the choice was taken out of her paws as she felt more than saw the Gunge being drawn out of the tank by some unseen suction, not knowing that two huge grills designed just for this purpose had opened beneath her. Well..almost this purpose. In truth the special mix of Gunge was a little thicker than what they had intended, so instead of a quick thirty seconds the tank actually took a good two minutes to drain all the way and release her. The drain of the tank had done her little good, every inch of her that had been submerged or deluged by Gunge still clung to by as much as it had when the tank had been full. So much so that Lucci felt more than a little funky as she picked her way out of the tank, her feet sticking to the floor with each step.

The stares that greeted Lucci as she stepped back into the base proper ranged from shocked to horrified, taking in mirthful, appreciative and bashfully intrigued before heading back to shocked again. The latter claimed by Adam and Uma alike, with the sloth claiming the middle three for his own as well. Bonni predictably only felt the first two, utterly confused as to why anyone would undergo that willingly. Unless the whole thing didn't feel as bad as she had imagined. But that couldn't be true...could it.

'Wow...you look amazing.' Adam said earnestly and honestly, before he caught himself and pulled his eyes away from Lucci shyly; almost as if he had caught himself. Or that she had caught him starring. Which she had. Well..noticed more than caught. Caught would have meant she didn't like it.

'I'd say I feel amazing. But really, I feel pretty funky.' Lucci said, her pose showing that as well as her words; given how she stood with arms held away from her sides as the Gunge cooled on her now ruined jumpsuit. 'It was totally worth it, though.'

'I'll say it was.' Adam seemed to have overcome the brief flustered moment that had grabbed him and returned to his usual confident self.

'Are you really okay? That looked awful.' Uma said looking like she wanted to give Lucci a hug and seesawing between seeing that as both a good idea and not.

'It wasn't that bad. A lot more than I expected. But that was the worst of it.'

'Something tells me that won't be the worst of it.' Bonni sighed, mostly to herself.

'And you would be right.' Cobalt's smug voice filled the space behind them with the same cool menace her look carried even through the now familiar medium of the projected image the four teammates still weren't quite used too. 'I'd get used to that. Or better yet, enjoy it. Because things will only get more extreme from here. But I'm not a Pika without heart. Since Lucci was so brave, I'll let her clean herself up. So, you just leave her with me and you three can run along and play the next game.'

'Oh, come now. What do you think I'm going to do? Gunge her in some terrible way? I've just done that. The thrill of gunging comes from the risk of defeat, not just dishing one out whenever I want. Well...mostly. But as Lucci knows, I'm a Pika of my word. And all I'm offering is a shower and a change of clothes. So off you go and she will catch up with you later.'

'Go on, guys. I'll be fine.' Lucci said as she fell into step behind the projected Cobalt who lead her without a word down tunnels and passageways no contestants had likely walked before. And presumably ones that very few would in the future. Even so, they kept the same futuristic feel as the rest of the base, all the way up to the Spartan metal walled rectangular room that looked very similar to a public shower block except for the polished chrome on the walls and the black tiles beneath her feet as she stepped inside, warm water pouring from the similarly polished shower heads as soon as she did so. As she had expected, the combination of the warmth and water alone wasn't enough to shift the thickly layered Gunge, leaving Lucci with some scrubbing to do before it began to wash away from her head.

'Some shampoo would be nic....Great bales of hay. What happened to you?'

'I could ask you the same question.' The shapely, cuddly and somewhat pudgy in a cute way giraffe who had just entered replied with a flick of her claggy and matted hair that might have been blonde. Right now Lucci couldn't tell and with good reason; given how her current companion was literally and liberally slathered in what both looked and smelled like thick set honey, the glistening yellow muck clinging to every inch of her body. 'I hope you gave whoever made you go through that a good talking too.

'And what if it was me? Which it was, by the way.' Lucci said as her paws continued to scrub over her still sticky ears and scalp.

'Then maybe you were the lucky one.' The giraffe sighed with a flick of her still sticky hair, the honey resisting the water better even than the brown sludge was. 'You made your choice and I got suckered into this. This is really much messier than I thought I would get.'

'What did they do to you? Drop you into a vat of honey or something?' Anywhere else and any other time, that might have been a sarcastic question. Yet with every thing she had seen here, she couldn't deny there might be a grain of truth to it.

'Exactly that.' The giraffe sighed again, Lucci just having got the first glimpse of her less than traditional coat mottled in marks of a soft pink over her brown coat. It could of course have been nothing more than dye but Lucci had a feeling it was genuine. 'Now I see why Chloe bowed out from doing this herself, she must have known the cheeky mare.'

Little did both ladies know that she wouldn't avoid it forever but that was another story indeed. And too good a story to go into here. Even if it was and had she known, Lucci would have had other questions on her mind. And did as it happened.

'Wait...Chloe. You're a Sentinal?' Lucci asked with a grin that she was sure Bonni wouldn't have shared. Or Uma for that matter, both ladies having their own reasons to worry if they found out they were sharing a shower with one. 'So...you guys aren't safe either.'

'Not completely.' The zebra made no effort to deny it, the simple shrug of her shoulders seeming to be proof enough. 'Besides Cobalt I don't think anyone is. Even her favourites. In fact, they are often the ones most at risk, since I think they are her favourites because she enjoys Gunging them so much.'

'Well...I guess she must have taken a shine to me.' Lucci shrugged a shrug of her own as she moved to scrape and scrub her arms clean as she had done her head, the constant pouring of the water having done something to loosen it up a little. It was also helping that the Gunge clung less to her jumpsuit than it did her fur.

'She does like the brave ones. Or the bold ones.' The Sentinal nodded. 'And from what I've seen, you have a pretty brave team with you. Well...most of them. I couldn't help but notice one of you has stayed clean so far.'

'Well...that's true.' Lucci admitted. 'Bonni wasn't really prepared for this like the rest of us. It's understandable that it would be a little scary.'

'Let's hope she doesn't let her fears get the better of her.' The zebra shrugged again. 'I get the feeling she would do anything to keep herself safe. Even if that meant the rest of you got gunged instead of her.'

'I don't think that will happen.' Lucci said with more conviction than she really felt. Truth was, part of her couldn't deny that might be just how it went down. It was something that had been niggling at the back of her mind for a while now. She just wasn't sure she could mention it to the others. Not even now. Not that she let those worries show in the way she wiped the last traces of Gunge from the legs of her jumpsuit, the warm water having done a lot of the rest of the work for her as well as washing her feet clean. Still her jumpsuit was sodden which meant Lucci was grateful to strip out of it as soon as she left the shower, where she was equally grateful to be offered a towel and a replacement jumpsuit by the waiting stagehand who would escort her back to the others.

All of which left the giraffe showering alone, her body mostly clean of the honey by the time Cobalt appeared beside her in a flash of light.

'Is it done?'

'Oh yes. If she wasn't wondering about her before, she will be now.' The Sentinal replied coyly.

---

'Are you sure we should leave Lucci alone?

Uma whispered those words to Adam barely two seconds after Chloe had asked them to follow her; no doubt leading them to towards where they could play the next game. Or maybe towards the next game. There had been a certain glint in her eye when she turned to let them fall into step behind her.

Another thing about which there was no doubt was that Uma was worried someone was still listening to them as they walked. Either because she feared reprisals or just hated to give her any ideas.

'I think she will be safe enough.' Adam whispered back in words as low as his bend down towards her. 'After all, what...more can she do than she has already done.'

That was a poignant pause, even if only Adam knew why. That his first thought hadn't been more, but worse. Yet how could he say that when thinking of what happened to Lucci, the word worse wasn't one that came to mind.

Adam had been glad that his jumpsuit had been loose enough to hide something Lucci would no doubt teased him about had she been anywhere near close enough to notice. Uma and Bonni hadn't, thank Sapphire. They had both been distracted by thoughts of a different sort. Uma had been worried for Lucci and Bonni..well..she was just thankful it wasn't her. Adam for his part couldn't deny he had enjoyed it. As avidly as he had watched her Gunging, had his eyes lingered on her as she emerged smothered in more Gunge than he could have ever imagined seeing in person.

Friends, family and colleagues alike had all wondered and asked why he was so eager to apply for this show given what could happen to him; none of them knowing that it was more what might happen to the others. More for that vicarious thrill he had come here. One that was still a secret from the others. For the moment.

'Well...yes...that's true.' Uma admitted. 'I suppose if she wanted to...do more to her, she wouldn't have let her out.'

Adam's only answer to that was a sly grin that he let fade as Chloe quickly turned to face them; her face sporting a matching grin excited Adam as much as it worried Bonni. That being a feeling that didn't fade when that gaze settled on him.

'Seems to me the ladies have been doing the heavy lifting this far. So why don't we switch things up. Adam, why don't you volunteer for this one?'

Adam had a feeling that wasn't the only reason he had been chosen, feeling the inkling of some kind of a setup here. Nor that he was really being given the option to volunteer. Which wasn't to say he wasn't about to. It was high time he played a game himself, rather than standing on the sidelines while the girls took all the Gunge. While this would become what the show was known for, from the get go they were out to prove they weren't about indulging a niche form of male centric fan service. Well..not all about.

Little did he know that was one of the reasons he had been picked for this episode. While the pilot had rated well amongst males, the ratings for female viewers had been much lower. Hence the decision to provide a more balanced mix of men and women for the corresponding balance of viewers. They didn't want to just become known for offering male centric fan-service and little else. That wasn't the reputation they wanted to build at all.

'Fine by me. Let's do this.' Adam wasted no time following Chloe's directions towards the door that now sat open for him leaving his two teammates to watch on the screens outside as the door slide closed smoothly behind them.

Being only the second team to pit themselves against Cobalt and her maze of games, neither Adam or the others had any idea what lay in store for them behind the closed doors they had passed and entered alike. And the same was true for the room he had now entered. Not that he had much more idea about it from where he stood now, even if some of his expectations had been met; the dark and rusted metal once again replaced with surfaces that were all shiny and new. It seemed that Cobalt's preference for dark and gritty didn't run to her games. Unless that was all Chloe's influence of course.

As it turned out, this game owed none of its origins to Cobalt, Chloe or any of the Sentinals. While it had been given to one of them for what would become her signature game, the truth of it was connected to what Adam had already come to suspect.

In the back of his mind there was something familiar about the layout of the room before him even if he couldn't put his finger on why the two long tracks leading down to end at an enclosed circular zone should raise a trickle of memory but it did. Something that distracted from the momentary surprise of not finding himself faced with a game centred around an imposing Gunge Tank. As did the almost instantly noticeable section at the rear of the room, a five foot square area of the otherwise shiny chrome wall marked out with alternating diagonal lines of yellow and black.

But it was more than just a trickle of memory raised as the now familiar hiss of a door opening admitted the first of two figures. Under any other circumstances the feline that entered first would have attracted all of his attention for the duration of the game, the bright coloured item of clothing she had been presented with very much in contrast to the somewhat more reserved than the dress code of the Sentinals. Or other Sentinals, given that she was a member of that order as well.

She couldn't help finding it ironic that despite a climate where the show was keen not to overdo the whole male eye-Candy thing she had been sent out in this bubblegum pink swimsuit. Not that she minded. Or that Adam minded either, rather enjoying the way she sauntered towards him in the skintight Lycra outfit over the golden brown fur that he suspected was doing more to cover her nipples than her tight fabric could have done.

'Welcome Adam. Has my little game intrigued you?'

'Maybe a little.' Adam raised his eyes politely towards her face. Not that he was ogling her. Well..not very much. He couldn't deny he found her more than a little cute. Or that he didn't like the way her choice of outfit looked on her. Especially if there was a risk of her getting gunged in it. He couldn't lie and say that he hasn't been hoping he might see one of the girls get messy wearing their bathing suits before they were done. Even if he might be seeing that sooner than he had hoped. Yet right now he was more interested in the cheetah-like markings that covered her fur. Cheetah-like because unless he missed his guess she was as much Serval as she was cheetah.

That wasn't exactly right, but was closer than Adam knew. While both her parents were cheetahs, one of her ancestors likely was a Serval given the recessive genes the doctors had identified upon her birth. Which one she had never found out, her father splitting before she was born and her mother never having told her out for fear of pushing Joey closer to him. But that is a whole other story.

While Joey had the general overall look of a Serval in terms of her physique, she had more cheetah in her than just her spots. Something that must people never noticed. It was only here with her bare from the hips down that Adam could see she had inherited both the long powerful legs of a cheetah and the ears as well.

'Maybe a little.' While Adam spoke Joey grinned as if she had noticed Adam staring without saying a word about it. 'Although I'm not sure how to play it.

I am. And you are too.' Zoey answered cryptically.

'So...you aren't afraid of getting a Gunging yourself?' Adam grinned, the very thought of that having spurred on his desire to win even more. Not only could he get one over on Cobalt, he could also deliver a very well deserved Gunging to one of her Sentinals. Not a choice that Uma or Bonnie would have made, for different reasons. One fearing reprisals against the group in the way of more fiendish games. The other dreading a more personal reprisal. Adam genuinely didn't care. Like he said, he was here to have fun and if that meant he got more messy then that was the way it went.

'I'm not. But I won't be the one getting gunged here.' Zoey chuckled as Adam's face fell.

'Well...that's not very fair.' Adam pouted.

'Who ever said this place would be entirely fair?' Zoey smirked. 'I guess we will see what you think is fair when you see our special guest for this game.'

Adam wasn't entirely sure what that meant, the thrilling idea that they had maybe convinced someone famous to make an appearance here dancing in the back of his mind before the reality of what she meant revealed itself to be something even better.'

'Hi Adam. Long time no see.'

That was an understatement. Even thought it had been near on ten years since he had heard it, there was no mistaking the voice behind him and he spun quickly with a nervous smile. Even after the three years it had been since they saw each other last, he remembered it like they had only parted yesterday as Adam grinned like a shy teen meeting his first crush. Which was exactly where he found himself.

His sister, little darling though she had been, hadn't taken to her new babysitter. Although Adam had been sure she wouldn't have taken to any babysitter, given how much of a mommies girl she had been growing up. Adam on the other hand had very much been taken with the stunning grey furred wolf girl with her white tipped tail and dyed green hair that was Eloise; hair that these days had returned to her natural black. Which wasn't to say he didn't like it. Or that he hasn't been glad she wasn't his babysitter either. That would completely have spoiled things had she seen him that way. Adam, who for the months following his fifteenth birthday had proudly proclaimed his newfound independence by spending long hours out of the house hitting up arcades and skateboard parks and anywhere else cool kids wanted to be seen suddenly found a lot of excuses to be home whenever Eloise was babysitting. School projects, club activities, extra credit, a new video game or fresh single all became legitimate excuses to be in the house when she was. Things he often ended up sharing with Eloise after little madam had finally gone to sleep. While he didn't have any first hand experience with it Adam was crushing on Eloise hard. Every undistracted waking moment was filled with thoughts of her. Her eyes, her smile, the way she flicked her hair or idly snapped her bra strap not quite hidden under her top as she thought about something all filled Adam with warm, tingling feelings. Even more so when Eloise seemed to reciprocate these moments of shared time, seeming to enjoy his company as he did hers. It could never have gone anywhere, Adam knew that deep down. But that didn't stop them having fun, creating memories that they would treasure. Especially some of his more..private memories. Like most young men his age, Adam had a healthy fantasy life. And while some of them boarded on the raunchy side, most were surprisingly prudent. Little half formed dreams about things they could do and places they could go together. Which wasn't to say some weren't on the spicy side. It was about the same time they met that Adam stumbled into the world of Gunge and while he never told Eloise (how could he) she had featured heavily in his new found fantasies for sometime even after they parted. So to think that they would meet here after all these years in the one place where those fantasies could come true..it was almost too much for him to take in. Especially with her decked out in the very revealing bikini she was now sporting for him. Red always was her colour and nicely complimented her grey fur and the white splash on her tummy.

'Someone is pleased to see me huh?'

Adam had a feeling there was a double meaning there, one he couldn't miss or help responding too as his blush rose a little. Something Eloise must have noticed. Either that or she had always planned on teasing him a little more. Little did he know that Cobalt had encouraged it, seeing it as the perfect way to continue her efforts to generally mess with the heads of her four victims whenever she could.

'I guess you are. And that you kept a lot of things from me all those years ago? Hmmm? Who knew you had such interesting...likes.' Adam had a feeling she had another word there, a word for reasons only known to her she decided to hold onto. Sparing his blushes maybe. Not that it was working, his cheeks felt hotter than ever. 'Maybe the kind of stuff you'd like to see done to me. So I've heard anyway. Am I right? Well...looks like the boot is on the other foot now. I can't wait to see the look on your face when I get to cover you in so much gunk.'

'Oh yeah?' Adam posed with his paws on his hips. 'I could say the same to you when I do the same to you.'

'Nonono.' Eloise clicked her tongue tightly. 'I was promised that wouldn't happen to me. Just you.'

The speed with which Adam's face fell again was priceless; at least to Eloise who seemed to find both his disappointment and shock at this seeming betrayal extremely funny; unable to help lording it over him with a smug grin. Had she known it wasn't the only betrayal that would be forthcoming she might not be so cocky.

'That's right. She was promised that.' The Sentinal added without a flicker of the grin she suppressed. There was no point in spoiling that little surprise just yet. 'Now..here is how this game works. I'm sure you've all seen the Olympic sport Curling. Here on Serenity Base we have our own version. Which involves nothing as boring as hurling a stone along an ice rink. No..here you two will play the part of the Curling stones yourselves, aiming to slide yourself as close to the centre of the circle as you can. I'm sure you've noticed just how slippery the floor below you is. Or if you haven't, you will do soon. And you will need to make use of that. In the middle of the two courses is the scoring area which when we start will be marked with numerous scoring zones. A gold circle is worth 50 points, a red circle 25 and a blue circle worth 10.'

If Eloise had already made the same guess as Adam he couldn't say, not given how she hadn't reacted in anyway until Jodie let slip that last bit of information. Adam's suspicion that she had been let in on the secret of this game before hand was correct, Joey having arrived and introduced herself as she was changing, giving her the lowdown on exactly why she had been invited along today. A revelation met with a delighted smile as she realised the extent they were willing to go to allow her a little revenge on Adam for the secret desires he had carried for her all these years, courtesy of some gossip from his sister. Given how much he had fantasied, wished even, for this to happen to her it was only fair that she should be the one to do that very same thing to him. It was only now that she was beginning to realise they had omitted one small detail, that she would be equally at risk of that. Something she would later discover his sister had worked out and kept to herself.

'So...Eloise...do you feel confident you can best Adam at his own game, so to speak?' Those watching at home might have frowned at that, not knowing that Adam had a past and passing familiarity with this game that could set him in good stead here.

'Let's just say I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to him when he looses.'

'Fighting talk. Of course, I bet he would say the same thing if I asked him.'

'Then the joke will be on him, won't it? Won't it?'

Zoey's only response was a slight raise of one eyebrow that doubtless inspired Eloise's next question.

'Wait. Wait. Wait a minute. Hold on. I only agreed to this when you said I wouldn't get gunged.'

'And you won't. Which isn't to say we don't have something else in mind for you. Besides, you were confident enough before. So what's changed?'

'Nothing. I guess.' Eloise grimaced a halfhearted half smile, as she realised she should maybe have considered there were things they could do to her that didn't involve gunge. Adam was clearly imagining just that and seemed to find this hilarious. And maybe it was to him since she had been obviously set up.'Fine. Let's do this.'

'Oh yeah. I can't wait to see you get what's coming to you.'

Adam grinned again as he put those words into practice, taking a steady run up which lead into a somewhat wobbly start. A wobble that nearly made him lose his feet. Nearly. Luckily old instincts he had long thought he had forgotten seemed to still serve him well.Yes, he wobbled a bit for the first few seconds of his first slide onto the rink. It had been almost a decade since he had done anything like this, this game not dissimilar to one he, his brothers and Eloise used to play when they were kids. After all, if you lived in a house with long hallways with frequently polished wooden floors, wouldn't you have found a way to use them to kill some time on wet afternoons?

Those old instincts guided him pretty close to the centre of his rink. Not dead centre but good for a first try. And his second would be better he was sure. The trouble was that neither had Eloise, who had matched his score perfectly with her first try.

It seemed both the old friends had lost little of the skill they had honed all those years ago, yet Adam felt confident that he would be able to use that to pull ahead slightly. And it was, the feel Adam had got for the slippery surface on the first run which set him in good stead for his continued run to victory. Or it felt that way anyway, his confidence growing with each run he had under his belt. Confidence that could be seen in his very posture, his arms still and his legs steady as he allowed his momentum to carry him towards and over the rink.

The trick was to keep that from growing into overconfidence and bravado, as Adam had learned to his cost when he played this game all those years ago. And when he had let just that happen, one bad run enough to let Eloise or his Brother's capitalise. Which he couldn't let happen here, not with the stakes so high.

After all, not just his teams success was hanging in the balance but the glory, bragging rights and thrill of winning the chance to do something to Eloise he had never dared dream would come true. So on both counts he couldn't afford to mess this up. His team wouldn't hold it against him of course, but Eloise would never let him forget if she won. Just one more reason to ensure she got what was coming to her.

Adam didn't let that psych him out, they had just barely begun after all. Which wasn't to say he couldn't make up some ground. Tempting as it was for him to just rush ahead and try again, another long forgotten memory had resurfaced as he took up the position for his second attempt. Instead he paused to steady himself, waiting until he felt grounded before he began to move. Which was instantly proved to be a good move.

While he waited he was able to watch Eloise's next attempt, her attempt to try and pull out a lead over him actually working against her. In her eagerness she failed to give the same thought to preparation as she had done the first time and it showed as she squeaked past the 50 points she had no doubt been aiming for to score a paltry 20 instead. Adam with his more measured approach was able to double his score as he halted his slide almost exactly the same place he had done before.

Which didn't change the fact that Eloise was already on her way to start her third slide, prompting Adam to race back to his starting zone to do the same. While she did have something of a head-start on him, Adam did have something else going in his favour. He had found his feet properly and was going to take full advantage of that. And did. There was no denying that he dialled in not just his next slide but the following one as well. Adding a solid pair of 100's to his score he was sure.

And sure enough when he glanced up at the score board he had indeed pushed his score up to a decent 350 points. More than decent really, given that Eloise was lagging behind with a somewhat meagre 290. And she knew it too, her eyes lingering on the scoreboard for a long second.

Had it been anyone else, Adam would have been unable to predict how they would take this revelation. Yet knowing Eloise as he did, he was sure she wouldn't take that lying down. And would double down on her efforts to best him. And the worrying thing was that she could do it, his lead hardly unshakeable if she really nailed her next few tries. Which meant he would have to do the same to stay ahead.

With all his focus on the game, Eloise slipped from his mind as did everything else around him. The clock. His score, her score. The watchful eye of Chloe and the no doubt eager onlookers of his teammates. Everything except the score he was aiming for.

That was really the only thing on Adam's mind and it showed right enough, each zone he aimed at becoming played for and got as his brother would have said, although he doubted he would have imagined it applying to this exact circumstance. 20 points became 40 then 90 as Adam nailed slide after slide, each successive score boosting his confidence. Yet not so that he would risk overconfidence, one moment of bravado ruining everything.

Still Adam was confident he had increased his lead and remained convinced of such until he glanced up at the score board to see that Eloise had just squeaked out ahead of him with 450 to his 440. Which hadn't just been luck either. Having more to loose than Adam, or more of a challenge to win anyway, she had pushed herself to take a few risks that had paid off very well in her favour. While Adam wouldn't discover this until he saw the actual episode for himself, Eloise had pipped him with a neatly scored 100 followed by a fifty and a ten, that total bringing him out into the lead by a whisker. But a lead never the less. And with only thirty seconds for him to claw it back.

In a way though, that actually proved to be a boon for Adam though he wouldn't discover that right away. He just gave it his all, pushing himself the same way Eloise just had. He had to go big here and he did just that on the first try, nailing a perfect 100 points that he couldn't help crowing about in his head. He was sure going to Lord that over Eloise later. Even more so if he won. Which he still had to do. Even with the clock ticking down it's last seconds, Adam didn't let up for one second, pushing himself almost breathless in one last flurry of effort. So much so that it was almost a relief when Chloe called time.

'Well well...that looked frantic at the end there.' Chloe said softly. 'I was almost tired just watching you both. I think you both agree you gave it your all. However there can only be one winner. Eloise, do you think it's you? You have scored an impressive 490 points.'

'Ummm...I hope so?' Eloise chuckled nervously. 'I mean..it's pretty good. Right?'

'It is. It is.' Chloe nodded. 'We still have a definitive winner though, since there is only 30 points between the both of you. Eloise, you scored an impressive 490. Adam, you come away with...520.'

'Hahah.' Adam punched the air as Eloise took that with good, if anxious, grace. Loosing had always been a possibility of course, yet it felt more real now it had actually happened. Especially with the prospect of this..forfeit hanging over her head. A prospect that suddenly became a good deal more real as the black and yellow striped section of the rear wall she as well as Adam had noticed was bathed in an orange glow as two strobe lights on either side began to flash. There was no simple raising mechanism here. Instead of rising up into the wall there was a sharp a hiss the whole marked section of the wall slid backwards and downwards, completing the hidden track behind that allowed the concealed chair to slide out into the room from the wide dark space it had exited from.

'So...if you will come over here, Eloise. Come on. Don't be shy.'

'I'm not shy, I'm terrified.' Eloise half joked as she took the offered hand and allowed herself to be lead into the imposing high backed metal chair that likely wouldn't save her from what was coming. One that looked worrying spotless as far as Eloise was concerned. If it had been used before and it most likely had, what exactly were they trying to hide from her.

'Don't be. It's not that bad.' Chloe reassured as she settled down with her back pressed to the chair as if she expected that simple motion to trigger something terribly messy.

'No?' Eloise asked half hopefully, half suspiciously as Adam was guided to the intimidating lever on the wall that edged the recess she now sat on.

'No..not really.' Eloise chuckled as Adam threw the lever gleefully. 'Enjoy.'

Eloise shrieked a shrill cry of surprise that was only a little exaggerated, the sudden lurch of the chair that supported her catching her off guard as much as did the sudden strobed yellow lights mounted along the darkened tunnel, lights that flashed over her body once, twice, five times in all. The pause between each one long enough that once the brief darkness that covered her was driven back she was noticeably further away from the single camera that captured her slow retreat into the machine that awaited her.

Even without that view that was supposed to highlight the intimidating tunnel that surrounded and enclosed her, Eloise couldn't deny she felt more than a little awed, trapped and suitably intimidated by her surroundings, the dark walls of smooth curved metal that arced above her adding to the feeling of foreboding about what was about to befall her.

Anyone who might have been convinced Eloise had really known all along what could have happened to her would have had that notion smashed by the look of pure anxious trepidation plastered over her face, this whole experience clearly more intense than anything she could have imagined. Not that she had long to imagine it. Which had been Cobalt's plan. There was no more honest reaction than an immediate one. And in all honesty part of her felt this was fair at least in its unfairity. Had she spent the days before this one dreading something like this, she perhaps wouldn't have played as well as she did. At least it meant she and Adam were playing from a level playfield in that regard.

Either way Eloise hasn't even contemplated that eventuality that anyone other than Adam would be facing the device she now found herself surrounded by, each foot of her unwilling journey only heightening her trepidation and suspense. A suspense not helped by the darkness around her, the lack of any visual clues or cues giving her mind a free reign to imagine all kinds of potential messiness that could surround her. Had Adam been here in her place, he would surely have imagined any of a number of messy devices and contraptions just waiting to give him a good Gunging. Eloise however had only discovered about this strange side of once popular culture today, her limited exposure only allowing the conjuring of such simple imaginings as a room awaiting her filled with members of the crew armed with huge buckets.

While that highlighted her level of naivety when it came to such things, so too did the way she felt safe from anything messy while she was still moving. Having watched even a fraction of the videos Adam had would have surely cured her of that blindspot. As it was, Eloise was still stuck in her own personal blind spot, at least until the darkness of the tunnel was broken by a sudden flare of light that she was drawn out into.

By the time she had blinked away the sudden whiteout of her move from dark to light, Eloise had a sudden personal understanding of how much she had underestimated just how serious her approaching messing was going to be.

'Adam, I'm going to get you for this someday.' Eloise shot that half joking threat towards the grinning sloth who had emerged from behind her with Joey, the pair now moving to stand before where her chair had come to rest. Which was somewhere Eloise was beginning to think she didn't want to be. Not with the four conveyor belts suspended above her, the ends of them surrounding her menacingly. Eloise gulped, trying not to think what that could mean for her. A memory rose of a film with a conveyor that carried the villain into a pit of deep sticky treacle. While she was spared that, she didn't feel much safer down here.

'Not today you won't.' Joey answered as Adam's grin only broadened. 'Impressive aren't they. We saved these from the Factory District prior to its remodelling, and thought they were too good to waste. So we found a use for them here.'

Eloise wasn't sure she wanted to learn what that use was. Not that she had much choice. Her nose couldn't help twitching as her sensitive senses picked up traces of something sweet and sugary. Which she wasn't sure she would like.

'Adam, would you care to do the honours?' Joey asked, both ladies knowing there was no way he would turn that down. And they were both proved right as Adam moved towards the heavy lever Joey had indicated with her gaze and yanked it down without hesitation, the silence that surrounded her giving way to the steady rumble and clatter of machinery building up to full steam.

Knowing she was going to tease him later about how eagerly he did that, Eloise tried to prepare herself for whatever Adam was gleefully awaiting to happen to her. Either through knowing exactly what awaited her and the excitement that came from such knowledge or eager anticipation of something that was as much a surprise for him as it would be for her. That was really the question, did he know what was about to happen?

It might have been an odd question to ask, but right now it was the only distraction she had from the constant rumbling rattle of the conveyor belts above as they dragged something undoubtably messy towards her. And from her racing thoughts about what that might be.

Those watching at home saw what Eloise could not, the camera breaking away from the slightly squirmy fur to watch the line of small white shapes inching closer and closer to the conveyor belt with an steady slowness. One that was far to slow for Eloise, who couldn't help using those seconds to imagine what exactly awaited her. The sugary smell made it pretty clear it wouldn't be Gunge, but that still left a lot of disgustingly sloppy options.

'Please, don't let it be cream. Don't be cream.' Eloise whispered under her breath, the very thought of the white slippery topping sending an actual shudder down her spine. While she had never been able to really articulate why, the feel and sight of it had always given her goosebumps. Which was why she had made custard her topping of choice. And what could have been worrying was that Adam knew that, the only consolation being that he hadn't known she would be here.

Despite all her instincts to do anything to the contrary, Eloise couldn't help straining her ears for the slightest sound that might signal the beginning of whatever messiness awaited her. Try as she might though she could hear nothing over the sound of the machinery and she wasn't brave enough to risk even the quickest glance above her less she get a face-full of...whatever it was. was this growing closeness that prompted her to raise her legs and tuck her head forward. She knew it likely wouldn't help but she felt she had to do something.

'Come on, just get on with it already.' Eloise squirmed with visible anxiety and trepidation, her legs tensing up and relaxing again almost in time with the way her arms gripped and released the armrests besides her while she sat awaiting whatever overly generous quantity of gunk was soon to be tipped over her. There was the hope that all this was a wind up, a way to mess with her. But that hope was fading with every passing second.

Eloise was still clinging to that hope as tightly as her paws suddenly tightened to cling to the arms of the chair as whirr of the motors and machinery overhead added to by another as the chair she was on began to spin on the spot, drawing a slight shriek from the hunched lupin girl while her muttered question was met with no response, not even a change in the sound around her. So it wasn't surprising that the heavy wet splat that wrapped around her ears in more ways than one came as a total shock, the white mass of white frosting bursting apart to shower her dipped head with thick heavy sponge that clung where it landed thanks to the thick layer of jam it had been slathered with. The sound of the sharp, surprised gasp of laughter from Adam told her that this was a complete surprise for them both, although one he was no doubt enjoying.

Utterly shocked Eloise uttered her first shriek as she lurched forward again, hands wrapped defensively around her head. Not that it would have done anything to save her. And certainly didn't as she was suddenly hit by another thick, heavy and sticky cake that splattered over every inch of her front.

'Ahhh.' That sudden cry was as reflexive as the way Eloise pulled her legs up off the floor the very second after the sound of the wet splat had faded, hoping they and the arms wrapped around her body would do something to save her. Not that there was any saving from what awaited her.

Eloise barely had a handful of seconds to register exactly what had hit her before another stodgy cake splattered against her back and around her neck, drawing a sudden shudder from the hunched hybrid as the sticky jam invaded the shorter fur it found there and easily worked its way down to the skin below.

And barely that much time again before another slapped against her right shoulder, only the random spin of the chair saving her bikini and the breasts that lay beneath from the heavy coating on her fur. Something Eloise knew couldn't last.

And it didn't. Almost in defiance of both the slowly spinning chair and her efforts to protect herself, cake after cake continued to fall as each mass of glistening frosting crept closer and closer to the end of its respective belt before it gave way and gravity took over. No matter which way she faced, each fresh cloying splat managed to cover some part of her that had been left untouched by those that had come before it. Her high and proud ears were already buried, lost beneath the mounting sponge and icing.

Across her shoulders, down her spine and the base of her neck, along her arms and all the way to the top of her head. Over her collar bone, chest and breasts alike. Even her stomach and legs were coated as more than one sticky cake met it's end by landing squarely in her lap. Only her feet stayed clean, the position of the chair meaning she took each splat and fall squarely on her upper body.

And Eloise could feel each strike and splat, despite the gap between each one growing less and less. Now that the moment of anticipation Cobalt enjoyed so much had been stretched to its fullest, there was no reason to deny her second pleasure of watching a cute fur being made extremely messy; the gap between each cake suddenly decreased in inverse proportion to the speed of the cloying drops that exploded all around her.

Eloise couldn't have imagined it would be like this. As much as a product of her upbringing as her species, Eloise felt a little awkward with as much as a hair or fur out of place, even the tiniest speck of splatter of mud tempting her to take at the least a throughly through shower. If not a long and attentive bath. So it was almost impossible to put into words how she felt right now, sitting here utterly slathered in gooey sponge and creamy frosting mounded almost two inches thick in places and piled up almost to the top of her hips. She almost didn't dare think how much conditioner it would take to restore her coat to its lustrous sheen. And it was that fastidiousness as much as her shock that kept Eloise in her hunched position.

By this point Eloise was almost buried in the high backed chair, it's curved design doing a great job of containing the sticky mess so it could build higher and higher with each gooey splat. And still they continued to fall upon her, raining down upon her still slowly spinning body, leaving Eloise to wonder exactly how many cakes they had made for her and if they would ever run out.

Not that it mattered now, her fur clung too by the detritus of twenty or more cakes, little yellow clumps of sponge still visible through the layer of white creamy frosting that topped it. While the jam and cream was buried, she could still feel them, both sticky, cool and slimy against her fur and skin as the growing pressure of the mounded mess pressing it deeper.

She hoped Adam was enjoying this. She had a brief moment to think that. Oddly she was too. In an odd way. It's so bizarre as to be almost entertaining. She is almost anticipating each splat and strike of the freshly frosting laden cakes. Having decided there is no point to covering up now since she is sticky from head to toe, Eloise lowers her legs back down to the footrest that is the one part of the chair still clean. She grinned as she thought she might as well give them a show. She doesn't flinch as it hits, not bothering to wipe herself clean.

Not that it really mattered, for Eloise had at least gotten over her shock and just allowed what would happen to happen, opening herself up to the fresh gravity driven pelting and splattering. Her once nerves about getting utterly ruined had been burned away by just that happening. Now that it had happened, it didn't feel as bad as she feared. Although she still hasn't been gunged, so there was still a trickle of doubt about that as she wondered if that was still in her future.

Watching it from outside it might have been funny. Actually experiencing it was ludicrous. She couldn't have imagined anything like this in her wildest flights of fancy. Eloise already felt completely funky, sticky and messy, her bikini having been a bad choice. She could feel it on her breasts, over her stomach and between as well as along her legs. Her arms were similarly and literally, to say nothing of liberally, caked. Feeling the chair slow to a creaky halt that felt random which in truth was anything but after the last heavy splat had settled right on her head, Eloise released herself from her hunched position, daring to hope that this was finally over. Her fur was a rainbow of massed icing and sponge, sone of the colours contrasting nicely and others almost clashing. Massed so much that her appearance was so smothered it would have been impossible for anyone to work out anything but the crudest details. Anyone seeing her for the first time would have missed her dual heritage given the way the colour of her fur was obscured, her just visible ears having only provided half the answer. And while they would have just about worked out she was female, her uncovered lower legs and the just visible swell of her breasts just about giving that away, any other details of her body were lost beneath the heaped and lumped cake. As had been said before, her ears were the only recognisable feature of her head, her hair, eyes and muzzle utterly obscured as was her vision and hearing.

Which was the only reason she failed to catch Adam's gasp of delighted shock as a section of the floor slide back before her, revealing a five foot square mass of pristine white icing. Eloise had no time to do anything to prepare herself for this before the chair that had once sat solidly beneath her lurched forward to send her plunging into the massive cake, the impact pushing her through the icing and deep into the cloying and sticky mix that was raw cake batter which utterly failed to take her weight. Quickly submerged up to her shoulders, Eloise could do nothing but flounder and struggle in the sticky, gooey mix that clung to her as she desperately tried to extricate herself. Submerged up to her shoulders, she was now messy all over; her feet that had so long stayed clean now as messy as the rest of her. With her face a mask of the pink batter and her hands equally heavy with it, all she could do was drag herself forward until her hands reached solid ground and she dragged herself out to stand covered shoulders to toes in the cloying gloop that shockingly made her feel funkier than she had before.

'I think I might have almost wanted the Gunge tank.That...was overkill.' Eloise mock grumbled as she scraped enough gunk off her hands to clear her eyes, that perhaps unwise comment picked up by Cobalt who smirked a smirk that clearly said that could be arranged.

'Was it?' Joey chuckled. 'I don't think Adam minds. And why should he. Given the solid points he earned. Although I don't think he enjoyed those as much as he did...other things.'

'Perhaps not.' Eloise shook her head as Adam slipped out of the game room to rejoin the others with a lingering glance backwards.