A Rookie's Race

"Great stint, Fane." The engineer for Foxed GT was clearly impressed with the rookie's final stint in the car during the Bathurst 12 Hour. The car was running in second in the Pro AM class with three hours to go. With the team's penultimate driver swap complete, Fane was free to relax for the rest of the event barring disaster.

Post-stint relaxation wasn't that relaxing, given that the fox was still in a fireproof racing suit on a day where temperatures were creeping past 30°C. Their teammate, Sovrim, was only somewhat better off; the chameleon/amphibian hybrid could certainly handle the heat, but the lack of humidity wasn't making them happy either. The fox removed their pink helmet and tried to smooth out some of their sweaty, grey fur, but there wasn't much they could do under the circumstances.

"Nice stuff, Fane," Sovrim said as they patted their teammate's head. "I heard you say the air conditioning in the car wasn't working, though." It was a common problem among the Mercedes teams this year; coupled with the unusually warm February weather, the temperatures were brutal for most of the drivers to manage. The amphibian was also concerned the rookie wasn't sure how to handle themselves yet, given that this was their first full endurance racing season.

"Yeah," Fane replied, "It's really hot. I'm glad I only needed to do one hour." Sovrim, however, wasn't going to be that lucky. The lizard was scheduled for the final two hours of the race, when the car would be at its hottest. They were already drinking plenty of water, since the amphibian needed to stay especially well hydrated to make the heat tolerable.

"You know, if you think this is hot, there are even hotter places. Indianapolis is always brutal since it's right in the middle of summer. There's also..." Sovrim looked around briefly to see if anyone else on the team was listening, then continued, "More interesting places you could visit, Fane." The amphibian grabbed another water bottle off a tool box and offered it to Fane. "But you should stay hydrated. It's pretty bad out here."

"Thanks Sov," Fane said cheerfully, accepting the drink from their teammate. The fox had also underestimated just how thirsty they were; they drank the entire half-liter bottle in one go. Just a moment thereafter, the fox felt their legs get wobbly. Sovrim quickly intervened with a helping hand against Fane's back to steady the fox.

"Probably heat exhaustion. I told you to take care of yourself, Fane," Sovrim chastised the mammal. "Go to the restroom down there. The water's cold and a wet paper towel on your face is better than nothing."

"Yeah, thanks." The fox followed Sovrim's directions to the nearest restroom and started running some cold water. They splashed some on their face, but something felt... off. There shouldn't be that much water coming out of the faucet, right? They didn't long to contemplate that before they had their answer. The edge of the sink was soon at their eye level and they were falling, fast. When they yelped in surprise, Sovrim took that as their cue to come into the bathroom and 'help' the fox out.

Going Down?

Half a minute was all it took for Fane's size to drop from 5'6" to just half an inch. They were just a small, shivering ball of mostly-grey fluff in the middle of their white race suit. Instead of looking up slightly at their teammate, they were looking way up at them. "Pro tip, Fane. Never accept an opened drink from someone when you're relaxing. Especially when that someone knows a person with access to shrinking serum." Though the amphibian kept their voice low, every syllable was clear to the vulpine's shrunken, sensitive ears.

Fane was undoubtedly protesting. Sovrim could certainly see the fox's mouth moving, but the sound of the still-running sink drowned out any sounds the mammal could make. "You're going to catch your death of cold like that," Sovrim said. It was true to an extent, yes, but Fane was apprehensive about taking the amphibian up on any more help. However, it wasn't their decision to make.

Sovrim crouched down and reached for Fane. The small critter had no chance to run; they were quickly pushed into Sovirm's palm by one of their thumbs, then placed on the floor where they'd have a clear view of what was to follow. The lizard got down on their right knee and slowly undid their left boot. Laces as thick as Fane's tail were casually undone. With the knots untied, Sovrim slowly pulled their boot off right in front of Fane. The micro could see the humid heat rising out of that footwear; It wasn't just hot, it was tropical with the humidity of an amphibian's body.

"Let's get you comfortable for my stint, shall we?" The amphibian pinched the fox between two fingers and lifted them above the boot's entrance. They paused for just a moment to let Fane appreciate the depths into which they were being pressed; it was like being held over the edge of a skyscraper. Sovrim then gently lowered Fane into the boot and pressed the fox as deeply as their hand could reach, which left the fox in the middle of the insole. Sovrim tilted the boot forward and Fane slid across the sweat-damp surface, until they were lying entirely within the toeprint left by the smallest of Sovrim's toes.

Fane was allowed a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the darkness which allowed them to see that, yes, these racing boots were well worn. The indents of each toe were clearly visible and stained dark with sweat. Fane wasn't kept waiting for long, though, as Sovrim needed to gear back up for their stints. The already dim light of the racing boot nearly went black as the lizard slid their foot in. They took their time, which gave Fane a chance to 'appreciate' the view as those shadows moved towards them and, soon, pressed right against the mammals' chest.

Once Sovrim's foot was back in the racing boot, they decided to make a proper comfort break out of being in the restroom, which allowed Fane a few moments to acclimate to being a speck in a shoe as Sovrim relieved themselves. The heat was already more intense than it had been outside; there wasn't anywhere for it to dissipate to. Sweat had already soaked through Sovrim's socks and it soon soaked into Fane's fur as well, which marked the fox with the scent of the amphibian's body.

With their break complete, Sovrim walked back into the pit area. They tossed Fane's uniform into a corner of the garage where it wouldn't be noticed, then discussed strategy and plans with the engineer. Fane tried to shout but their sounds were entirely muffled by Sovrim's foot. All the shouting accomplished is that Fane had to catch their breath afterwards and the air was already becoming heavy with musk. Sovrim casually paced around while waiting, both to keep their body warmed up for their upcoming stint in the car and to continually remind Fane of just how little it took for them to be overwhelmed.

The next hour was much longer for Fane than Sovrim. The heat inside that boot continued to build, but Fane knew it was nothing compared to what they'd experience in the car. They heard a few muffled comments about the status of the race and had a vague sense the pit stop was coming soon, but they had no way to perceive the passage of time within the amphibian's racing boot. There was just the darkness, temperature, humidity, and the occasional flex of toes.

Getting On Track

When the car came in for its stop, Sovrim quickly climbed into the cockpit. Fane at first welcomed the respite from the amphibian's footsteps, but they quickly realized why Sovrim wasn't standing up anymore and tried to brace themselves. With the amphibian's left foot resting on the brake pedal though, it was impossible for Fane to stay out from under those toes. They rolled forward until their body settled perpendicular to the foot, perfectly nestled into the 'safety' at the base of one of those digits.

Once the pit stop completed, the car was dropped back to the ground and its engine restarted. The trip down pit lane and around turn one wasn't that bad. This was going to be fine! Turn two, however, proved that laughably wrong. Quarry was just the first of the heavy braking zones on the circuit, and Fane learned just how heavy it could be as the amphibian's foot mashed them into the brake pedal. They had only a moment to catch their breath before Sovrim's foot bore down on them again before flicking the car through The Cutting and driving up the mountain.

Sovrim focused intensely on their reference points, but Fane's focus was just as intensely on Sovrim's toes. Perhaps the fox could have learned something about driving just from the rhythm of their teammate's foot... if not for the fact it was so mercilessly pressing down upon them every time the amphibian needed to slow the car down. Fane briefly felt weightless as the car crested Skyline, but Sovrim's foot smashed them back into the boot's insole as the car headed downhill. Weight shifted continuously as the Mercedes went through The Esses and around The Dipper, before the amphibian floored it while going through Forrest's Elbow.

Conrod Straight was the longest full-throttle section of the track at nearly two kilometers in length. It was the closest to a breather Fane was going to get during their 'stint' inside Sovrim's left boot. It also gave them a chance to appreciate just how much hotter things had gotten. This wasn't the shade of the garage. This was a car that'd been baking in the sun all day and Fane was trapped in one of the hottest parts of the cabin. They were already soaked through with sweat, though it couldn't evaporate in the tight confines of the amphibian's footwear. It just collected on them as if they were nothing but a sponge.

The next braking zone for The Chase was the hardest on the entire circuit; the car needed to slow from 280 km/h to 120. Fane noticed the car decelerating just before Sovrim's foot stomped down on the brake once more. The fox felt like sweat was being wrung from their fur under that braking pressure; it oozed out of them to seep into the boot's sole instead. It was dizzying to have the foot lift off the brake so quickly again as Sovrim threw the car around that medium-speed corner, bouncing it across the apex while running at full throttle.

Through the final turn, Sovrim continued to feather the brakes, trying to aim for, but not over, the sausage kerb at the apex. The steady pressure kept Fane guessing as to when they'd be able to take a breath. They tried to push back against Sovrim's toes, but those digits were entirely unmoved and indifferent to the struggles going on beneath them. It only served to remind Fane that they were nothing compared to just their teammate's toes; that foot may as well be their god.

One lap complete. Another fifty or so to go. Sovrim guided the car around turn one - Hell Corner - to begin their first full flying lap. The corner name was entirely apt, given the fox's position. They were absolutely in hell beneath the overheated foot of a teammate. This was just the start of two and a half hours of Sovrim's driving, and Fane was briefly left wondering how much of it they could take. Things were only going to get more intense from here...

Checkered Flag

The team's luck held up through the end of the race. Fane's body, too, somehow held together. They certainly didn't feel like they were in one piece after 2+ hours caught under a lizard's foot. Their body had compressed under the ever-shifting weight and they were certain they'd drunk more than their body weight in sweat. They'd almost gotten used to the intensifying taste and smell, but they weren't sure if it was just because their taste buds and nose had burned out from the intensity of the experience.

After a cooldown lap, Sovrim swung the car into the pit lane and parked it for a post-race inspection. Once they climbed out, it was a mercifully short walk to the break area. The lizard made a point to grind their foot down on Fane one last time before undoing their boot and pulling it off. Sovrim tilted the boot backwards and tapped its heel against the ground a few times, freeing Fane from the toe area and sending them towards the boot's entrance.

"Wow, you look like shit," Sovrim laughed at the mammal's misfortune. "You look like just another bit of sock lint." It was certainly true; Fane's fur was completely matted down with sweat and almost blended in with the insole of the boot. The amphibian savored that view for several seconds before reaching in and pulling the micro out of their boot. Fane was carefully set in the palm of Sovrim's left hand, where they dropped onto all fours and coughed up some of the surplus sweat. It helped a little, but they still felt like an entire gallon was sitting in their stomach.

"So... you good?" Sovrim asked the mammal. It was an honest question, being asked as a friend, not a Dominator or Sadist.

Fane... wasn't entirely sure. It hurt like hell, yes. They weren't sure how they even survived the experience. But there was something primally satisfying about a mammal being under a giant lizard, just as one might have been in prehistoric times. This was almost a natural experience, even if it was created in an entirely unnatural way.

"Yeah..." Fane replied as if they were still daydreaming.

Sovrim chuckled as they pulled a small perfume bottle from behind their back. "Good, because otherwise I would've had to get rid of the evidence instead of growing you back." The amphibian pointed the sprayer at Fane and gave it a squeeze, dousing the fox with a fine mist. Immediately, the fox started to regrow. Sovrim set Fane back on the ground as they regained their size as quickly as they'd lost it a few hours earlier.

Once Fane had most of their size back, Sovrim helped Fane get onto their feet, then gave the fox a gentle hug. It was warm in a very different way than the hot foot bearing down on them in a boot. "Glad you enjoyed that. I figured you'd have fun in there." Sovrim smiled. "Anyway, you better put your race suit back on so people don't ask too many questions. We're on the podium in 15 minutes."

Fane nodded at the lizard as they began to get dressed. This was a time to celebrate, after all, even though Fane had 'supported' the team in an unconventional way. As they walked over to join the team in the green room, Fane was already starting to consider how to get Sovrim back with a similar prank at the next race. Those thoughts, however, would have to come after the celebratory champagne shower... and, most likely, a long, cool shower back in the hotel room.