'I guess this is the place.' Those words came from the black haired woman at the head of the group that stood clustered outside the rather nondescript building that still bore the hallmarks of its previous occupation as a supermarket, the low squat building with wide glass fronted well..front nestled beneath a short canopy, a building which sat a little way off the main road they had been following. None of which changed the assertion she had made as her aforementioned short spiky raven hair whipped a little in the summer breeze, the same breeze that was teasing the hair and fur of the three figures behind them. All of whom looked a little bit of a ragtag bunch, from brunettes Savannah and Emily to the mixed brown fur of Pete the German Shepard anthro canine and back full circle to Dolly who's black hair flowed a little longer than Jackie's. 'Lets see if we can find out. Hello. We are here for the Gameshow.'

Those last words were spoken as Jackie lightly pressed the intercom beside the sliding double glass doors before her, barely having to wait ten seconds before a reply crackled from the speaker.'

'Oh..hey, you're here. Sorry. Let me buzz you guys through.'

With a click the intercom went dead before Jackie could even say thank you, the doors rumbling open a second later. And it was through those doors Jackie lead her little group, the door leading to a narrow corridor clearly separating the entrance from whatever lay inside the rest of the building. A corridor that Jackie cast her eyes along, expecting perhaps not unreasonably to meet the owner of the voice that had ushered them in. And she wasn't disappointed in that.

'Sorry, sorry.' That hasty apology came as a blonde in a black suit came jogging towards them as quickly as she could. 'I was helping someone down the other end of..and you don't want to hear me rabbiting on. 'I just can't believe I'm meeting you guys. It's such a thrill. Really.'

'Really.' Emily said, her voice cautious as if she wasn't sure that was meant genuinely or sarcastically. 'Are you trying to be funny? Is that some kind of joke?'

'A..joke?' Raven hair asked in genuine confusion. 'No..I meant that seriously. I've been so pumped to meet you guys. I know I'm just kinda temping here but Debbie and I got talking..you guys have met Debbie right? No? I thought with her being friends with Jackie I..anyway..we got talking and she told me all about you and you guys sound really, really cool. I know everyone else has been jazzed to meet our celebrity host and I am too, but you guys are..'

'Really cool. Okay. We get it.' Jackie had caught the subtle change in Emily's voice there, the soft shift a clear sign she had moved from feeling prickly and put out to pleasantly embarrassed and not entirely sure how to react to that.

'I'm glad. But listen to me jabbering on when you guys need to get ready. Just keep going along this corridor and you should meet Debbie. I'll tell her you are here. Oh..and good luck. Not that you will need it. I'm sure you guys will ace this. I'll be watching you and cheering you on.'

'Well..wasn't she just so cute and peppy.' Emily sighed as the group continued on.

'What's wrong with peppy?' Peter piped up softly. 'Or cute? I kinda like both of those qualities.'

From her place at the rear of the group, Jackie couldn't miss the glance Peter shot at Savannah with a shy grin. Nor the blush that tinged her cheeks as she caught it too, returning that smile with one of her own.

'You are just jealous you can't get a girl like that.' Dolly teased softly.

'Hey..haven't exactly seen you dating much either.' Emily retorted.

'Okay..cut it out guys. Save your energy. I just hope Debbie is around here somewhere. This place is kinda like a maze.' Jackie interjected, eyeing the line of doors that she could see starting to appear on the wall ahead of them. If they had to try each one of them, they could quickly end up lost and bamboozled.

'Well..not really. We haven't got the maze quite ready yet. Which might be a good thing. Since it's pretty messy even by our standards.'

'I'd say so. Since you promised to keep us safe from that.' Jackie turned to fix the figure that had emerged from one of the doors firmly in her gaze. 'Guys, this is Debbie.'

'Pleased to meet you all.' Debbie said getting polite nods and a shy wave from Savannah in return. 'Lauren said you guys were here. Anyway, if you'll follow me I'll show you to your Team Zone.'

'Team Zone?' Peter asked. 'You've really done a number on this place, haven't you?'

'Well..not all of it.' Debbie replied as she lead the assembled group up a narrow flight of stairs. 'Some bits have stayed the same. We didn't really need to mess around too much with the upstairs areas. The locker rooms and canteen pretty much suited our needs. As did some of the offices. Sure, we had to convert a couple into the Team Zones, but that wasn't hard. It's downstairs the real work took place. And it was a lot of work but money does make the world go round. Well..builds a Gameshow set anyway. Anyway, this is going to be you guys.'

Debbie punctuated that by pushing open the plain wooden door that pretty much seemed the same as the others they had passed since she had lead them out onto this upper floor. While the corridor outside had been nondescript, there was nothing remotely akin to that word about the room on the other side. Not with the walls painted in some odd mural that couldn't help but make Jackie think they had stepped into some kind of shipping container.

'It's a bit odd I know.' Debbie sighed as she glanced over the slate grey walls with tiny details of rivets and seams and spidery cracks painted onto them. 'Some of the creative team had some left over paint and decided to create something to help get the teams in the mood. Feels like something from the Diamond Dungeon I know but it works. You have some lockers here where you can leave your stuff. And a change of clothes for you as well.'

'Good. I'd hate for my clothes to get ruined.' That was true. For Jackie, unlike the others who had all come dressed in something old and faded, Pete and Savannah having opted for worn jeans with a tatty t-shirt, green for Peter with a faded brand logo and plain black for Savannah, which was in contrast to the blue shirt and skirt chosen by Dolly and the yellow dress Emily had gone for, an outside she really hated. But the one in real contrast was Jackie, who perhaps overcompensating for the trust she wanted to show in her friend had come wearing one of her favourite outfits: a black
Metallica t-shirt and cream chinos that looked both expensive and tailored. 'Let's see what..the heck is this?'

Even without Jackie's outburst, all of the eyes in the room would have been drawn to the hanger settled outfit she had clasped in her hand. And not just because of the bright yellow colour of the top mixing perfectly with the blue skirt of the almost indecent cheerleaders outfit she had produced.

While the girls were dancing between shock, indignation and the tingling of embarrassment, Peter was struggling to contain a bashfully pleased smile. True, the young canine wasn't exactly an expert when it came to female outfits but even he could see that the skirt was ridiculously short, almost bordering on risqu It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to suppose that even standing still it would barely cover the white panties he could just see hanging beneath it. To say nothing of how..revealing it might be once running came into the equation. While he would never actually admit this, he couldn't help his imagination running ahead to picture what each of his teammates might look like in such an outfit; his teenage lusty thoughts growing with each passing second. Until a thought smashed into his head that instantly threw the brakes on his libido.

'You don't expect me to wear that.'

'You..don't expect any of us to wear that.'

Debbie skirted over that second question as well as the scowl being shot her way by Emily to fix Peter with a tender smile. 'Of course not. We have something special for you.'

'Oh..good. I..what?' Peter's relief instantly faded to a shock of his own, his eyes fixed on the second outfit Debbie had produced with a flourish. Something that was very much the opposite of the girls outfit, in the form of a American football uniform minus the helmet, one that seemed a few sizes too big for him, certainly in terms of the oversized and bulky padding.

Jackie couldn't exactly blame him for not being happy about it, just as she couldn't exactly miss the subtle sliver of indignation that crossed his face. The whole outfit would have well..dwarfed him, more wearing him than him actually wearing it. Still..she wasn't exactly surprised that Peter didn't seem comfortable raising those objections; instead focusing on something a little more..abstract.

'You know I'm not a football player..right?'

'Anymore than we are cheerleaders.' Emily interjected firmly.

'It's just a bit of fun.' Debbie waved her hand in a gesture that could have bordered either on casual or dismissive. 'Trust me, the audience will go batty for you guys when they see how cute you look in them. You'll be a ratings hit.'

'Well..I don't mind.' Dolly said with a shrug. 'I'm more worried about how you are going to keep us from getting messy.'

'Yes.' Jackie said, the indecent outfit forgotten for the moment. 'I'd like to know about that too. I think we all would.'

'Relax. I've got it all in hand. Now, I've got to dash. I'll send someone to collect you when it's time.' With that, Debbie slipped from the locker room to leave the assembled group all sharing glances that bordered on confused to anxious, it having been lost on none of them that she hadn't actually answered the question.

----------------------

Mark slipped into the storeroom with a sigh of relief that slipped from his mouth before the door had even closed behind him. As much as he knew he couldn't stay in here forever, he couldn't deny that was a tempting thought. How exactly had he let his sister talk him into taking a part time job here? Not that he had a good answer for that, even after the tenth time of asking that of himself. He could have taken a job at a supermarket and been happily, or at least less unhappily, being bossed around by a bunch of strangers. But here he was, being bossed around by his sister. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. She had always been the bossy one even when they were kids. But here there was no respite from it. Take these bulbs to the lighting guys. Go get some coffee. Go get more coffee. These are the wrong coffees. Take these bulbs too. And these.

Mark wouldn't exactly have been surprised if there was the long forgotten corpse of her last assistant lying in a storeroom around here somewhere. Which was why he had jumped at the chance when Debbie had asked him if he was doing anything.

See, Debbie was just the kind of girl he'd love to have as his sister. Kind, friendly, not bossy in anyway. And cute as a button to boot. Of course, it was that last one that made him kinda happy that she wasn't his sister, given the reaction of his teenage body every time he saw her. Oh, it was a crush, he knew that. He'd had quite a few since his last birthday and had at least gotten a handle on the tongue tied shyness that always threatened to turn him into a jibbering wreck. Which didn't stop him feeling relieved she had given him a break from his sister's relentless attention.

'Slacking off, are we?'

Mark couldn't help a flinch of shock the second that voice and more importantly that tone burst into his head before, with a resigned sigh, his dream of a few minutes respite crushed almost beyond repair. At least until he saw Debbie standing just inside the door. 'That's...not funny. I really thought you were..her.'

'Sorry. Couldn't resist.' Debbie said with a smile that made Mark's heart soar. 'My bad. Anyway, I've told your 'dear sister' you are helping me out for a bit. I hope that's okay. See, I need someone to bring out those boxes of balloons over there to the main stage. Now..and this is important, don't lose the labels on the front of them. Okay. One is for team Jackie and the other for team Freya. Does that make sense?'

'Take them to the stage. Don't mix them up. Got it.' Mark said with a casual salute which won him another warm smile that did nothing to restrict the warm tingles flowing through him.

'Thanks sweetie. Gotta run. So much to do.' Debbie said before both slipping back out of the still half open door and past Bobbi as she casually strolled along the corridor outside. At least that is until Debbie had moved a good ten paces past her, only then did her feigned nonchalance fade and she turned to fix Debbie with a cool stare.

It had really just been good timing that she had happened to walk past the storeroom when she did, having just returned from checking that the stands were ready for the audience when she had heard Debbie's voice float out to her. And she might just have let it float past her too, had it not been for the words she heard.

'Now..and this is important, don't lose the labels on the front of them. Okay. One is for team Jackie and the other for team Freya. Does that make sense?'

It certainly made a certain sense to Bobbi, her mind quickly putting two and two together. True, she could have been barking up the wrong tree as well but a quick furtive glance into the storeroom told her she was in fact right on the money. And sent her mind into overdrive, her vague thought quickly forged into a more solid theory.

Debbie was clearly talking about the balls for that first ridiculous game of hers, so..why would she need two sets. They were all going to be loaded into the baskets on the set for the two teams anyway, so why separate them out here. Unless one set was different from the other. 'That sneaky bitch. She's done something to one of them.'

'I'm sorry. Were..you talking to me?'

Despite herself, Bobbi jumped a little, half expecting to see Debbie staring at her and so was understandably relieved when her eyes settled on the cute, willing and threatened to be run into the ground by his sister, stagehand who had caught her eye both with his looks and an odd pang of sympathy how he was being doormatted. 'Oh..Mark isn't it? No..sorry..was just thinking out loud. Hey. Let me give you a hand with that.'

'Oh..thank you.' Mark said, gratefully surrendering one of the two wheeled tubs he had been struggling to guide out of the storeroom. 'They are going to the main set which is down..sorry..you know where it is, don't you.'

'I do.' Bobbi nodded as she fell into step beside Mark. 'As well as you do, I'll bet. I've noticed your sister has been running you ragged today, dashing all over the place.'

'She gets..intense sometimes.' Mark sighed. 'Certainly with me. Don't get me wrong, I love her. She is my sister. But sometimes I think someone does need to teach her a lesson.'

'Well..we might have to see what we can do about that.' Bobbi replied with a grin.

-----------------------------------------------------

'I'll see what we can do about that. Yes..I'm sure it will be fine. Oh..she's here. Yes. Excuse me.'

Even being pretty sure that comment was directed at her, Emma didn't exactly rush to barge in and make her presence known. Something that was..unusual for her. After all, she had come along way in this industry since those early heady days as a child star; one who she wouldn't have been surprised most people thought of as just a one hit wonder. Still, for all success, she couldn't help feeling slightly out of place here. Which was silly, she knew. After all, she had been the one looking to try something new, something different, something a little outside the mould she couldn't help feeling a little trapped in. So when the option to host this resurgent Gameshow dropped into her lap, she snapped it up without thinking twice.

'Good morning, Ms Watson.' The polite greeting from the young woman who snapped her phone shut neatly also snapped Emma out of her thoughts to meet her welcoming smile with an apprehensive one of her own.

'Good morning. And please, Emma is fine. I'm sorry if I'm a little early but I sort of wanted to look around a little.'

'Emma then.' The young woman nodded brightly. 'I'm Candy. And sweet as, as the guys like to say.'

Aren't you just. Emma mused to herself as she stepped back to allow a trio of stagehands to slip between her and Candy with an assortment of buckets balanced unsteadily in their arms. 'You certainly do have a lot of guys here. Busy as beavers really. So..maybe I should just get out of your way. Is there somewhere I could wait? A dressing room or something? Not that I need one for myself. I guess you have a wardrobe department here.'

'We do. And we have a dressing room for you. I'll take you up there. Your outfit will be up there. As will be a script of sorts for the episode.' Candy paused, looking almost like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure she should. Then before Emma could press her on her hesitation she plunged on anyway. 'You..do know about it..right? The Gameshow? It's..not exactly..conventional.'

'I know about the Gunge, if that's what you mean.' Emma said with a casual shrug. 'Was a big thing on TV when I was growing up. Surprised to see it's making a comeback but still..'

'And...you aren't worried about it?' Candy asked carefully.

'I have been gunged once before.' Emma pointed out with a soft laugh that was more than just a dismissive gesture. She'd known that it was a possibility that she herself might get gunged if she came on the show and Candy's not so innocent question seemed to have confirmed that. 'Okay, it was technically slime since it was in America but it's much the same. It's all good fun really. Now..show me where I can get changed and I can get out of your hair.'

----------------------------------------------------------

'You really didn't have to do this.' Mark said with a shy yet earnest smile. 'But thank you.'

'Oh..it was my pleasure.' Bobbi said with a smile that was equally earnest, even if cut with an undertow of ulterior motive. A motive she was eager to move onto as she wheeled her balloon filled tub into place besides his. 'You couldn't have managed this on your own.'

'True enough. Still, I...'

'Mark. Get over here. We need more coffee. Now.'

'Oh..great.' Mark sighed. 'I'd better go. Thanks again.'

'No..thank you. Very much.' Bobbi added those last two words the second Mark was out of earshot. Pausing only to check that no one, especially Debbie, was watching her, she moved quickly towards the two tubs to examine the balloons inside. From a glance, they did both seem the same. And continued to do so right up the moment that Bobbi, almost on a whim, gave one of each a little squeeze.

'That cunning bitch.' Bobbi muttered, trying to be more annoyed than impressed and grudgingly failing. And she had more than enough reasons to be annoyed. For the balloons for her team were noticeably more..fragile than the others. Which surely was an attempt to hamper their chances. Well..two can play at that game. Once again, checking no one was watching, Bobbi quickly switched the labels on the tubs before strolling away casually. Olivia should be here by now and she wanted to give her the good news.

---------------------------------------------
'Well..here we are. It's not very big I'm afraid.' Candy said as she pushed the door open to what Emma could only guess Used to be an office of some kind. 'We had to lose a bit of space to fit the shower in. Still..it's cozy I suppose.'

Emma couldn't argue with that, the deep red walls did add a splash of warmth to the room as well as making it feel..snug. Although not as snug as the outfit she could see hanging from the rack beside the low couch that sat opposite the small vanity desk. 'Well..that's different.'

'Yeah..they wanted something...a bit..well...sexy. Trying to go for the fan boy vote I guess.' Candy said with a sheepish grin. 'Not that you need it. You are pretty hot already, even without a catsuit, if you don't mind me saying.'

'Oh..I don't mind at all.' Emma smiled as she picked up the slick blue catsuit and held it up to her body. It was certainly going to be tight. That was for certain. And reveal more..well..cleavage than she was used too. Given how the zip up the front stopped just barely shy of mid breast level. Fan boy vote indeed. 'And thank you.'

'My pleasure.' With the low lighting around her, Emma couldn't be exactly sure if Candy was blushing a little but she was pretty sure she was. 'You have some time, so please, take a shower and freshen up.'

Emma certainly was tempted by that. And almost tempted to ask Candy to join her. After all, like most young women her age, she had been exploring her sexuality recently; aided by a few..trysts and experimentations as far back as the filming of the last Harry Potter films. More than one days filming had ended with her and a female costar (or two) relaxing with a nice warm, soapy shower and the playful exploration of soapy hands. And more besides. She still had pleasant memories of her, Bonnie and whichever of the other girls they could convince to join them sharing some very fun times. That had been daring. And so much fun

'I think I will. Thank you.' Emma said, watching Candy leave with a sad smile. Tempting as it was, she couldn't risk that hitting the tabloids if it got out. British starlet Emma Watson in TV lesbian romp was a headline she'd rather avoid. Still..that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun with her..recollections. Or her imagination. Or both.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

'Well..it's about time you came to see us.'

Bobbi carefully kept her face neutral as she slipped into the second of the converted locker rooms where Olivia and her team waited. She had expected the self-styled leader of this group to be a little prickly. And she wasn't disappointed. Or surprised. Confident as she was in her scheme, none of these four women knew her from Eve. And she doesn't exactly know them either, except by name.

'I can only apologise for that to you all.' Bobbi said as she nodded politely to the group; starting with Olivia, then Katy, then Freya and finally Kylie, her gaze moving in turn from green to raven to red then to blonde. 'And I can understand you having questions.'

'Too right we do.' Katy continued. 'You promised us a lot when we got your message. But now I'm hearing you aren't even in charge of this little..sideshow. So I don't see how you can help us or why we shouldn't just walk out of here now.'

'I never said I was in charge.' Bobbi said, having expected this response. 'That doesn't mean I can't help you. As far as Debbie, that's the one helping Jackie and her little gang, is concerned, I have no idea what she is planning. Which gives me the edge. For example, I know the first game was rigged for you to loose and I know how. I've already taken steps to switch things around so that her little trick will backfire on her. And I can easily do the same for the others too.'

As she let that sink in, Bobbi surveyed the assembled faces while keeping hers perfectly cool. For while most of that was true, the last was a tiny little white lie. While she had ideas for the other games she hadn't exactly had a chance to put them into practice yet.

'Fine.' Katy cast a glance over the other three before seeming placated. 'We'll trust you for now. But this had better work. I'm so not getting messy out there.'

'Or me.' Olivia joined in with a nod from Freya.

'Or me either. I've seen that stuff and it totally clashes with my hair.'

'I couldn't care less.' Kylie said flatly. 'I just want to see Jackie's silly glee club humiliated on live tv. Even if it means getting messy. Or wearing this ridiculously slutty outfit.'

'Then I'd get changed.' Bobbi glanced back as she pulled the door open. 'We will be starting soon.'

----------------------------

The impromptu stage filled with only the soft whispered words of brief, excited conversation as those waiting eyes tried to pierce the darkness that surrounded it. Had they been able to do so, they would easily have picked out the extravagant design that resembled some kind of fare ground; the main part of the vibrant red backdrop embellished by a black rimmed arch surrounding a black curtain, which itself was surrounded by two more smaller aches with red and blue curtains respectively. That silence didn't last long as the stage suddenly burst into applause the second the lights hanging above the bleachers packed with an eager audience flared into life. Applause which grew and was joined by appreciative whistles from a good number of both the men and women packed into the close seats as Emma Watson strolled out to stand centre stage accompanied by the retro, bouncy pop-esque music of the intro theme she had been expecting; the latter no doubt down to the skin tight blue catsuit that glistened and shimmered with each step, the tight material snug against every curve all the way from her feet up over her legs and stomach kept nicely toned through yoga and Pilates to the low cut zipper that both revealed and kept the material snug around her delicate breasts before rising up to the elegantly folded collar resting delicately on her shoulders. Completing the outfit were an equally snug set of patent black thigh length boots delicate laced up the front with white silk ties.

Despite the professional exterior the once child star displayed to all those watching her with rapt attention, inside she couldn't help feeling a little..bashful. Rarely did she wear something so sexy, so..daring. Still..she had to admit the appreciative whistles and whoops that still hadn't died down were helping her feel more confident. There was something about the almost playful and teasing nature of those sounds, more akin to a group of fans meeting a sexy idol than a group of horny males hollering at a strip club, which had been the effect she had dreaded.

After all, she hadn't exactly known how her presence would be taken here. It was only recently that she had broken into the world of becoming a serious actress. Which in itself didn't exactly mean that her fame would translate across to the world of Gameshow host. Still..her reception had given her hope that maybe she could pull this off.

'Thank you. Thank you.' Emma waved her hand a few times to the still excited audience, patiently waiting for the applause to fade as the theme music trailed off. 'Thank you. I'm Emma Watson. And I can see everyone is excited by the return of Payback Time. Now I have to admit I never saw it myself. But I heard it was kind of extreme back in the day. I don't know how messy it can get.'

Time seemed to slow as that line hung in the air, the whole audience seemed to suddenly crane forward a little as if they expected something to happen. Emma herself of course was clueless about that, having seen the line in the script and assumed it was there for a little humour for the audience. So she couldn't have been more surprised by the bucket of blue Gunge tipped over from above. She didn't even have time to jump or step away before the light blue slime a few shades lighter than her outfit splattered over her hair to work a gloppy path over her shoulders. The front of her catsuit was pretty much spared besides the little trickles that ran down her arms and over her collar, most of the heavy slime clinging to her once pristine and neatly styled hair that was utterly ruined, dripping and streaked with blue that mingled with her smooth chestnut locks.

'Ah yes...silly me.' Emma sighed theatrically, flicking her slimy bangs out of her eyes. She could only imagine what a sight she looked bit like the professional she was she carried on despite the Gunge oozing down her back. 'I should have known. Still, that I think was a good introduction for our teams as to what they can expect. So, let's meet them. Today's teams are local, both studying at the same University as it happens. From Greenwood Hall we have Jackie, Dolly, Emily, Pete and Savannah.'

The cheers that rang out for the four ladies and one canine male who emerged from the left hand arch were no less exuberant than the ones that greeted Emma as the curtains were tugged back with perfect timing to admit them and allow them to move with varying degrees of confidence towards where Emma waited. And no surprise really, a good portion of the audience was made up of students from the Greenwood Campus, all of whom were very eager to be there to cheer on their schoolmates.

They certainly were a mixed bunch, two with black hair, one blonde and brunette respectively and a cute sandy furred youthful German shepherd. Or as much of him as could be seen under her bulky football outfit he was struggling with. Not that many people noticed that given how much attention was on the skimpy cheerleader outfits worn by the girls around him. Still, it was too the so black haired girl leading the group that Emma turned her attention to first, carrying on with her duties as host despite dripping heavily in slime. 'So..Jackie, welcome to you and your team. Seems you are dressed for our first game. Are you feeling confident?'

'Of course.' Jackie said with a firm smile. 'We might not know what is coming but we work well as a team. I'm sure our teamwork will see us through.'


'Fighting talk. I like that. Let's see what your opponents have to say. Please, give a big hand for Katy, Freya, Kylie and Olivia.'

The applause that welcomed the second group of cheerleader glad girls wasn't exactly as rousing as the one that had greeted Jackie's team. Which was nothing to do with their looks. It couldn't be denied that they were much more of a varied group in terms of hair colour, with Katy's black, Freya's red, Kyle's blonde and Olivia's freshly dyed green.,After all, Katy and her team did have something of a reputation that proceeded then. Frankly while many people who had come along to cheer for Jackie's team wouldn't have minded seeing them getting utterly trashed and gunged, with Katy team they actually encouraged it. Public opinion was against them and while Katy clearly picked up on that she didn't let it throw her off.

'Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. And I'm sure we can rise to whatever..challenge..Jackie and her little band can meet out. After all, we always come out on top and we can do it again.'

'Hmmm..a little rivalry there I see.' Emma said cautiously, that revelation coming as a surprise to her. Given the way Jackie and Katy were glaring at each other she wouldn't be surprised if she had to break them up at some point. 'Let's keep things calm shall we as we head to our first game.'

--------------

With any other Gameshow that might have meant a quick hiatus. But not here. As much as Debbie had been loath to admit it, Bobbi's idea about having the ex-warehousing area cum set able to be divided by a series of partitions that could be raised and lowered at will was a stroke of genius; providing adequate cover for the area behind it to be rearranged for the next game while Emma filled in with her scripted sections. Not that Bobbi had done it to actually help Debbie, no, more to confuse and obfuscate her true intentions here. Still, it was elegantly effective, meaning all of scant 30 seconds before the area for the first game was revealed; the cheers and applause from the audience telling its own story. During its previous run, Payback Time had become..notorious for its sporting styled games. Not always the most messy but certainly the most madcap. And this one seemed to be no exception.

There was certainly no denying the sports based theme of the game, the area spread before the audience decked out in the style of an American football field. A large green mat, similar to the thick tumbling mats many here remembered from gym class, formed the central area. Painted green no doubt in some homage to the grassy pitch it was to represent, the sporting metaphors didn't end there. From the traditional goal posts to the cut out figures of players in brightly coloured foam arranged in two distinct rows that were themselves clustered close together in a close formation clearly designed to be weaved through like some kind of obstacle course; all of which was obviously placed to make it clear what this game was about. Which just left it to Emma to fill in the blanks.

'Hmmmm...American Football.' The still Gunge soaked celebrity mused to herself as she ushered the two teams over to the mat. 'Never really understood that game. More a real football fan. Still...I don't think that matters here. For here we have our own rules and they are quite simple. All our two teams have to do is collect a ball from the basket at the start of the pitch..' here Emma paused to glance pointedly at the said baskets almost overflowing with the black balls. '....and weaving through the players in their way reach the end of the course and throw the ball over the goal into the basket on the other side. Each shot into the basket will score a point for that team. A miss will of course, score you nothing. And you won't want to miss, because your football padded teammate will be stood behind the goal as well. Miss and your ball might just hit him. Which he won't want, given how those balls are full of Gunge and might just burst on hitting his armour.'

Silence followed that pronouncement, a sort of confused hesitation that rippled around the room like the confused glances seated neighbours shared with each other. After all, all of the assembled crowd couldn't help but notice that there was only one armour clad player. Luckily, they weren't the only ones to have noticed.

'Now...I know what you are thinking. We have a different number of players here.' Emma nodded to where Peter stood as the odd one out to the two sets of four girls. 'Luckily, we have thought of that. So..I'm going to need a volunteer.'

Unsurprisingly, there wasn't exactly a rush of people eager to actually volunteer. While many, if not all, of the assembled had been eager to varying degrees to watch these girls end up slathered in Gunge and slime and other slop; you can imagine how less thrilled they were when faced with that prospect themselves. One such person gripped by these feelings was Sally, a cute young pink furred rabbit seated about four rows up and two seats in, until a few seconds ago having felt safe in the numbers of the crowd around her. A blanket of security that had faded the instant she heard Emma's sudden pronouncement, a soft squeak having bubbled from her throat even as she ducked down into her seat. It wasn't even a conscious thought, almost an ingrained reaction from the shy, bashful girl, something she often resorted too when faced with being called on for a question in class. Sadly it was a reaction that had an almost predictable result.

'How about..that cute bunny up there. Come on down here, sweetie.'

Sally's heart leapt into her throat the second she heard the word bunny, then leapt higher again when she realised she actually did mean her. There was no other way to read the spotlight suddenly trained on her. Now..Sally had never really like the stereotypical phrase of a rabbit in headlights. But that was exactly how she felt at the moment, frozen for a second by the uncertainty of it all.

'I'll bring her down.'

That remark from the tall brunette seated next to her drew a squeak from Sally even as she found herself standing before her friend's hand had closed around her paw; the almost peer pressure of the rhythmic applause of the audience and their attention on her helped to snap her out of her trance as she made her way shyly down to the stage, her best friend by her side every literal step of the way. That was what she envied about Jess, her confidence. Now Sally wasn't exactly a wallflower, timid she might seem on the outside, yes. But that didn't mean she didn't have the courage to face things, timidly as her approach might be. Jess on the other hand with her boundless confidence, elegant figure and gorgeous looks could take things like this in her stride without any hesitation. So it was on many fronts that she didn't exactly feel she could say no; spurred on as much by the casual confidence of her friend as the eyes she could feel all eyes on her and her cute pink hoody and jeans over a equally pink t-shirt as she was guided down to steps towards the waiting Emma.

'Hi there. It's okay. Nothing to be scared of.' Emma said with a genuine smile. 'As long as you aren't afraid of a little Gunge. It's utterly disgusting I'm afraid. No..no. I'm joking sweetie.'

That last comment came as Sally, having taken her teasing at face value shrank back a few steps her face stricken with a expression of genuine fear. Only when she heard her reassurance did her face assume a shy little smile.

'Anyway, thanks for being such a good sport..' Still struggling a little with the eyes of the audience now fully focused on her, it took a few seconds for Sally's brain to register that she was asking for her name. And by the time her mind and mouth had gotten their act together on that question, Jess had already answered it for her.

'I'm Jess. And that's Sally. We are both students at Greenwood ourselves, first year engineering majors.'

'Well..thank you both for coming down.' Emma said brightly. 'And thank you Sally for agreeing to help out with our game.'

Despite not having actually agreed, Sally didn't exactly feel she could back out now. 'Well..I guess if all I have to do is stand there..I guess I can do that. So..what do I do?'

'First I think you'll have to get changed.' Emma said with a smile as bright as her words, punctuated by the applause from the audience. Either they were just going along and trying to encourage her. Or they genuinely wanted to see her in something a little more revealing. Or both. 'You'll have to look the part after all.'

'I..can't just wear what I have on?' Sally wasn't exactly thrilled out her outfit getting trashed by the Gunge that could be in her future, but having seen the outfits the other girls are wearing it might be the lesser of two evils. Sally had never felt comfortable in skirts at the best of times, the fear of suddenly being exposed by something simple as an overeager step or a gust of wind always being one of her nightmares. And those skirts would practically be as good as walking around without one on.

'And ruin such a cute outfit?' Emma replied in a sympathetic voice, an emotion that really only told half of the story. Yes, it was true. She'd hate to ruin the clothes that someone cared about of course. But if under that guise she could slip this cute girl into something equally cute and maybe a little sexy, then so much the better. After all, the audience seemed very keen to see that, so why should she deny them. 'Wouldn't hear of it. You run along and we will see you in a few minutes.'

'So..Jess..' Emma said pointedly as Sally was lead away backstage. 'You don't seem to worried about consigning your friend to a messy fate.'

'Ahh..it will be good for her.' Jess shrugged casually as she toyed with her curly brown locks, clearly a lot more comfortable in the limelight than Sally. 'She needs to get used to the idea.'

'Well..that's telling.' Emma said, that phrase having raised a quizzical eyebrow. 'Care to tell us a little more?'

'Sure. We have an event on Campus next week. A charity gunging event. I think she is a shoe in really. So this might help break the ice a bit.'

'I see. And you'd be willing to put your money where your mouth is?'

'Maybe.' Jess said, suddenly a little wary. Wary, but not entirely surprised. After all, she had seen the show before. And she knew what risk she was running by coming down here. 'What would I have to do?'

'Nothing very much. Just do a dash for us along the pitch here.' Emma nodded to the green mat before continuing. 'See..there was one more thing I forgot to mention and you could help us test it out.'

'Well..I'd hate to ruin my outfit too.' Jess said slowly. Something Emma could appreciate. After all, the low back strapless top she wore over matching black jeans had to have cost her a couple of months wages. 'Sooo..maybe I should take it off?'

That was met by a huge cheer and round of applause from the audience. After all, pretty much all of them had been kern on the idea of seeing the gorgeous brunette lined up for a willing gunging. The added benefit of her doing so without the protection of her clothes seemed the icing on the cake.

'Well..I don't know.' Emma mused with mock thoughtfulness. 'What do you guys think? Should we let her save her outfit?'

If anything the applause was even louder this time, the rumbling roar turning into a staccato rumble of single claps that might as well have been a chant of 'off off off.'

'Guess we can't argue with that.' Emma said as Jess quickly moved to strip before the bemused contestants and excited audience. While the two teams were not exactly feeling much camaraderie at the moment, pretty much all of them were agreed on not seeing why anyone would agree to strip naked in the face of being gunged. The exception being Peter who was very much with the audience on this, already as keen on the idea as them before Jess had stripped out of her shirt and jeans. Already he had been watching with rapt attention and more then a little personal excitement before he imagined Jess in her underwear. A reaction only doubled when he realised that Jess wasn't wearing a bra, just a pair of black panties; panties that quickly joined the rest of her clothes in the pile that was soon going to be a lot safer than she was.

'All set there?' Emma asked, seemingly unfazed by the nude woman before her, her full breasts and toned body fully on display.

'Yup. Let's do this.'

Emma wasn't the only one unfazed, Jess seeming oddly calm as she followed her over to the mat, almost unaware of her nudity and how little she had protecting her from what awaited her. Not that she knew what awaited her. Something Emma was about to fix.

'Now, you may be wondering why the foam figures set up there on the mat. Well..they are there to provide an obstacle for our teams to avoid, and they will want to avoid them. As Jess will now demonstrate. Go on Jess. Take a run at them.'

Jess wasted no time doing just that, her feet plunging into the bouncy mat that wobbled and rippled with each step. So much so that it was hard for her to get into a proper rhythm, her firm breasts barely moving an inch despite her wayward strides; all of which meant she didn't run into the first obstacle as much as bump past it. But that was enough, that simple touch triggering the buzzer fitted to the still swaying figure; that sharp sound a distinct herald that something was going to happen. Exactly what Jess found out as a bucket of yellow goo was flashed over her shoulders by a hasty tip, the slick gunk following the curve of her breasts and down over her tummy to brush the delicate area between her legs . A wave of gunk that elicited a shiver, the smooth slickness carrying with it a cool touch that raised her skin in goosebumps. To say nothing of raising something else as well, a sudden tightness gracing her chest.

Undaunted by the expected flush of excitement that rippled through her Jess ploughed on, this time directing her path so she ran headlong into the next figure, not being entirely surprised as the buzzer shrilled again. Idly part of her had wondered if more contact meant more mess. Sadly it seemed one touch fitted all, her back getting drenched with another bucket sized slop this time in bright pink that followed the path of her back down to her ass from where it hit at her shoulder blades.

Squeaking a little at this second wave of coolness, her previous exposure having done nothing to ease the contrast, Jess squeezed past another couple of the foam shapes before she drove towards the last figure, slowing her speed to brush past it like she had done the first. Her care this time was rewarded, the buzzer's third sounding bringing with it a reward that came in the splash of green Gunge that poured over her head, boobs and back in equal measure, the smooth slime caressing and enhancing her already hardened nipples as did her hair plastered flat to her chest.

Still..all in all Jess was smiling when she stepped off the mat to rejoin Emma who greeted her with another smile. 'Well...that wasn't that bad. In fact, I think someone rather enjoyed that. Anyway, you run along and get cleaned up and you can come back and watch the game.'

That statement was met with a round of applause, all of it directed right at Jess as she carefully made her way backstage; with Emma having found herself ignored for the next few minutes, all eyes drinking in the glorious sight of the naked and slimed girl before she vanished backstage, granting them quite a show as she unashamedly and unabashedly sauntered off, leaving sticky footprints in her wake from the slime still oozing over her curves and down her legs.

While the audience might have been delighted by that little show, the watching soon to be competing in that game girls were anything but thrilled. Despite the simmering rivalries and desire to defeat the other, they were all united in one thought. After all, they had all been promised they would be under no danger of getting messy. Yet they could really see no way of avoiding it

Unaware of the confused, betrayed and angry thoughts being directed at Bobbi and Debbie, Emma continued. 'Well..all we need now is...ah...and there she is. Give a big hand for Sally everyone.'

It was hard to tell, as Sally stepped nervously out onto the stage, which had more contributed to her obvious hesitation. The applause directed firmly her way or the tight black swimsuit that the bulky and cumbersome padding she had been given did nothing to obscure, the snug material leaving her feeling very exposed. True, the one piece wasn't a bikini or anything but even at the beach she always covered her conservative swimwear with a tshirt and shorts even when in the water. So this was far too embarrassing for the shy teen. And yet, she couldn't miss the genuine appreciation in the applause surrounding her, the feeling that maybe all people so much better looking than her actually liked the way she looked boosted her confidence a little. Still..this was a new experience for her. Despite the fact that she tried to hide it, Sally's was completely unwary that her cuteness had more than a few admirers, having not gone unnoticed despite her shyness driven attempts to hide it, her shyness driven attempts to hide it behind somewhat frumpy clothing not entirely helped it go unnoticed. But that didn't stop her having issues about her body compared to her sexy classmates.

'Looking good Sally.' Emma said with a nod. 'Now.if you and Peter just take your places at the end of the course, we can get started.'

'Right. The rules are simple.' Emma continued, only to pause. 'Wait. I said that already. Okay..you know the rules. So let's go.'

Those words were met by a loud drawn out klaxon, upon hearing which Jackie wasted no time grabbing the first ball, despite the fact that she, along with the rest of her team, were all horrified at what they had just seen. Surely she wouldn't be the only one queuing up to have a few words withDebbie after this. Was this supposed to be her idea of keeping them clean? And where the hell was she anyway.

While those questions might have been fair, this wasn't exactly something Debbie had known about. Or Bobbi either. While they might have been collectively the brains behind this whole thing, a lot of the nitty gritty had been delegated to Frankie, sister to the long suffering Mark. So when she had discovered that a: they had mixed too much Gunge for the second game and b: the buzzer mechanism meant to be linked to the games timer and forfeit time for each touch had proved unreliable, Frankie had, with some quick thinking combined the two, thus leading to the small army of volunteers poised above the stage with buckets of Gunge primed and ready to repay any slip ups.

Despite the way this game already seemed to have slipped out of her control, Jackie wasn't exactly going to shy away from it. Going first gave her the best chance to score an early lead. It was with that thought in mind that, with her Ball tucked tightly against her chest, she attacked the course furiously. Even so, it was still tough going. Just from having watched Jess' attempt to tackle it, she hadn't exactly expected an easy ride. But as is often the case, watching and doing are two different things. Her efforts certainly weren't helped by the way the mat rippled and shifted under her, rolling around her feet like a demented vat of jelly. Yet somehow she managed to keep her feet, ducked around and through the foam figures much to the annoyance of the bucket wielding group above and lobbed her ball effortless between the goal posts before she dashed back the way she had come. A shame really, because in her haste she missed one key fact that went unnoticed by all but Peter, the young canine caught in mixed emotions. Sure, he was pleased his team had scored. But sad that he hadn't got the gunging he had been looking forward too. In fact, if seemed a little unfair that he of all of them was missing out on the chance to be gunged. The girls were having all the fun while he was stick here. Still..at least he could watch and.. Peter was distracted from his disappointment as something splashed over his feet. A quick glance behind him quickly provided an answer as to what, the ball Jackie had thrown having burst the second it hit the mat, leaving a pool of Gunge in its place as it drew a frown from Peter. Maybe that was how it was meant to work. With a shrug, he turned his attention back to the game.

Which was actually going quite well. Surprisingly Olivia had volunteered to go first, knowing full well Katy wouldn't dare sully herself by giving Jackie the satisfaction of actually competing against her. Not that she minded, she was just as eager to bring her down a peg. And she was willing to do that and show she could match her. And just like Jackie she had weaved her way through the course without so much as a brush against the faux foam footballers to confidently throw her ball towards the goal. Unfortunately it was a throw of much confidence but little aim.

Sally squeaked as she saw the ball approaching, and again as it exploded against her shoulder pad, drenching her in yellow gunk that flashed over her face and front, the heavy armour doing little to stop its splatter against her swimsuit, the once pristine black splashed with the same vibrant yellow along her stomach; fully matching her already splashed fur. Her eyes that she had screwed shut opened again as she allowed herself a giggle of relief. Truthfully it didn't feel as disgusting as she had feared but it still felt funky as it slid over her skin. More conflicting was the laughter and applause that burst from the audience, a heady mix of sounds that left her squirming in a twisted mess of humiliation and tingling pleasant warmth that fully stemmed from their obvious enjoyment of her fate.

Away from those conflicted feelings, Jackie successfully made if back to the start of the course where she tagged in Dolly who, with her black hair streaming behind her, attacked the course with the same gusto as Jackie had. Her style was a little more..ungainly than Jackie's attempt, arms, legs, hair flailing about all over the place, to say nothing of some enthusiastic bouncing of her breasts in the tight top. None of which stopped her from making good time as she darted around the imposing foam outlines, clearing the gauntlet in record time. Wth her haste and barely controlled wobbling, it was no surprise her arm brushed against one of them but she was already gone before the guy above could react, the Gunge flung out around where she had been standing in a pink slippery pool.

Dolly didn't even seem to pay that any mind though, her focus as unbroken as her concentration which served her well as she too easily sailed her ball over the goalposts for a well deserved second point.

The near gunging of her impromptu rival hadn't done anything to dampen Freya's concentration either; neither had the obvious stares she was getting, mostly from the male half of the audience who doubtless couldn't take their eyes of her full breasts snugly squeezed into this ridiculously tight top like she was some bimbo super model or porn star. Well..she was going to give them something else to focus on. And it certainly wasn't going to be giving them the voyeuristic pleasure of seeing her being gunged. That was for sure. It was with that firm conviction in mind that Freya continued her focused dash along the course, aping Dolly's swift dodges of the foam figures. Well..nearly. She would likely have made it had she not timed one of her dodges at the exact same moment Dolly was returning to the start, the two girls suddenly forced to switch track to avoid bumping into each other and loosing valuable time. And while Freya did manage to dodge her opponent, there was nothing she could do to keep from bumping into the foam figure she had so neatly avoided a second ago.

Nor was there anything she could do to avoid the green splash that rained down on her in a cloying torrent, her long black hair instantly ruined in one fell sloppy swoop of slop now trickling down over her top as gravity did its work to pull the Gunge over her breasts. It seemed this time the watching gungers had learned their lesson, each one standing poised and ready to tip the second they saw even the potential excuse to slime one of the beauties below. And the results couldn't be argued with. Well..except by Freya who wisely decided to not waste time arguing and quickly dashed forward to score her teams first point. Such was her frustration about her slip up that the pent up emotion swiftly carried her back just a second before Savannah was ready to start her run. And luckily for her Katy was ready to go as well.

Both girls broke into a run at practically the exact same time, pretty much launching into a head to head race. But there was where the similarities ended. Overlook the fact that physically they were polls apart; Savannah's equal parts shortness and cuteness along with her curly brown hair almost the exact opposite of Katy's tall elegant beauty and long flowing black hair; and there would still have been an obvious difference. Where as Katy moved with a confidence that neither the fact that her team was losing nor that she was unlikely to make it back clean seemed to dampen, Savannah was obviously nervous. Most likely more about messing up than the Gunge, although the prospect of that happening to her on live television came a close second.

That tension was obvious in her entire posture, from the way she ran to how she hugged the ball tight against her chest, protection against dropping it and losing valuable time. All of which, especially the stiffness in her motion, meant that Katy began to pull ahead as they reached the centre of the course, which was still splattered with the excess of the Gunge that had splashed over Freya, a growing slick pool of green that Katy navigated with barely a slip of her bare feet, as easily as avoided the splash of yellow that rained down where she had been standing.

Anyone watching closely, which lets face it was everyone present, couldn't have helped but noticed that Katy hadn't even come close to touching one of the foam figures. Which hadn't stopped one of the number of eager bucket holders above tipping her bucket anyway, perhaps feeling a little aggrieved that they had as a group missed out on gunging Dolly earlier.

Which wasn't to say the hasty tip didn't have any effect at all. Caught off guard even though that bucket wasn't aimed at her, Savannah hesitated for a second before she braved the slick pool before her. And it was here that her tense demeanour proved to be her undoing. So tense was she that the second she placed a foot in the goo, all that pressure sent her leg skidding and there was nothing she could do to stop the rest of her following it until with a soft shriek Savannah splatted face first into the green puddle, her arms still wrapped around the ball. Well..for a second anyway. Then the pressure of Savannah's delicate frame atop the smooth rubber became too much and it exploded with a flinch enduring pop. Which wasn't the only thing that made Savannah flinch. No, it was much more the white Gunge that burst all over her face and soaked the front of her outfit, thin stringy stretched between her locks and dripping off her nose and ears around the white mask that adorned her.

Hyper aware of how she looked and the ripple of laughter from the audience,Savannah hastily struggled back to her feet, intent on hurriedly returning to the safety of the start line. Haste and a slippery floor have seldom gone hand in hand and barely had Savannah regained her footing that she lost it and half slide half stumbled straight into the foam figure to her left. Instinct took over and she grabbed at it to stabilise herself, realising a second too late what she had done as the buzzer filled her ears. It was a retaliation that came almost exactly at the same time as the bucket of black Gunge poured neatly over her ducked head. Thick, sticky and utterly clinging, much more so than any of the others, the tar like sludge glued itself to Savannah, sticking to every inch of her that it touched in a rolling, gloppy black blob. To say nothing of feeling utterly icky and completely bizarre. Which just counter pointed the feelings of shame and failure that gripped Savannah like the sticky goo that coated her.

To be fair though, she wasn't the only one having a bad run. For Katy hadn't exactly kept her feet either. While she had navigated the slime pool okay, her feet were still left a little slippery from that, leading to her taking a tumble of her own as she lined up with the goal posts; her face fault almost a mirror of Savannah's. Except her ball didn't burst. Something Jackie noted with a sudden icy chill of realisation, her mind suddenly smelling a rat. A rat that was even now standing beside the mat with a subtle smirk on her face.

'We've been set up.' Jackie whispered to Dolly and Emily as Katy regained her footing to take the shot that brought the scores level. 'There is no way that ball should have burst like that. That's okay though. We can work around it. Just be very very careful with them and we can fox that little bitch.'

'We will have too. Because your friend isn't exactly doing a great job keeping us from getting messed up.' Emily said with an icy note in her voice, no doubt fuelled by the fact she was up next.

'I know. And we will be having words later.' Jackie said firmly as Savannah slipped back to the start dejectedly, her head hung in sadness that was obvious despite the Gunge stuck to her face.

'And that's two points each.' Emma announced as Katy began to make her way triumphantly back to her team, earning a scowl from Emily who upon seeing Savannah's sorrow grow rose to her defence, taking that update to heart as much the effect it had had upon her new clubmate. And she was damn well going to turn her misfortune into an advantage.

And Emily did have an advantage here, for Savannah's accident had given her a head start on the next run and it was an opportunity she wasn't going to let slip. Her ball already clasped firmly but not tightly, she had learned that lesson, Emily had powered across half the course before Katie had even made it back to tag in her teammate. None of which stopped her tall blonde rival that was Kylie from trying to make up lost ground, powering onto the wobbly mat with almost carefree abandon, her long legs delivering powerful strides that couldn't help but fling her skirt up to reveal more than a flash of panties.

All of which meant that Emily's hard earned lead was quickly being eaten into, the blonde duo almost neck and neck as they reached the halfway point. Something Emily might have capitalised on had she not been suddenly caught out. No one knew why she stumbled, maybe she was caught by a sudden roll of the mat, maybe she risked a glance at Emily at just the moment needed to break both her stride and concentration. Whatever the reason, there was nothing she could do to avoid the delicate brush against the foam figure that wasn't delicate enough to spare her the sharp bzzzt of the buzzer. Nor to spare her the flash of red from above either.

For Katy had no time to duck out of the way of the torrent of red slime flung all over her hair, blonde now stained with crimson that shone under the stage lights, a river of red that was too much for her hair to take, the excess having nowhere else to go but down her neck and around her shoulders, the dual runs of slop driven around her huge breasts, her sides taking the worst of the run off. And there it might have stayed until a sudden shudder from the squirming blonde directed the slowing pour to shift from around her boobs to right over her cleavage. True, the tight top didn't allow any to slide under her clothing but that couldn't stop the red goo spreading over her chest, much to Kylie's mortification and the audiences delight. To say nothing of Jackie and her team's.

For while Katy had squirmed and suffered under her first gunging, Emily had nimble dodged the obstacles that her opposite number had not, cleared the course to set up for and score a decisively accurate shot, her safely carried ball thrown high to easily clear the goal and once again put them in the lead.

'And that makes it 3 - 2 in Jackie's team.' Emma called out from her gratefully safe position on the sidelines, somehow managing to keep her voice even despite the growing mirth she felt. She supposed that she should, given her recent gunging, have felt a little sympathy for Katy who obviously embarrassed by her newly messy condition failed to score with her own shot. But honestly, her mirth was actually a mask for the..uncertainty she was feeling. Emma might have been new to this aspect of tv but she was still a smart, savvy young woman and some instinct she couldn't put her finger on was telling her something was..off here.
Conflicted Emma might have been, but there was no conflict in the genuine relief on Sally's face as Katy missed not just the goal but her as well, her shot bouncing harmlessly across the mat to roll away to be fielded by a quick thinking stage hand. While the Gunge wasn't as dreadful as she had feared, feeling kind of nice in an odd way against her fur, she was relieved to be spared the sudden focus a gunging would have earned her.

Someone who wasn't relieved was Pete, the youthful canine having pulled his eyes away in disappointment, having been secretly eager to see Sally take another hit. Okay, so she wasn't getting as coated as the other girls but the swimsuit she wore more than made up for that. So it was slight dejection that Pete returned his eyes to the main game, only to catch Savannah watching him with almost..jealousy in her eyes. Had she seen him watching Sally? Then the look was gone before he could scrutinise her expression more deeply, leaving him more confused and wondering if he was seeing things.

Pete wasn't seeing things. For Savannah had felt exactly what Pete had seen and she had no idea what to feel about that, her head ringing with questions. Did that mean Pete liked Sally? Or did he just like how she looked? Did that mean he didn't like how she looked? Or did he just like seeing her gunged? And..did that mean he might like seeing her gunged?

Savannah had no clear answers to that as things came full circle with the game and Jackie once again squared off against Olivia. Both girls seemed driven, which was putting it mildly. Olivia was aggrieved simply because Jackie's team and by extension Jackie herself, had taken the lead. And Jackie was similarly vexed by the growing certainty the game had been rigged against them and her surety that Olivia while not having arranged it, surely had to know something about it.

Such was the determination they both felt and showed to outdo the other, that both girls stayed almost neck and neck along the whole course. Sure occasionally with a burst of speed that whipped her brunette locks around Olivia might pull ahead by a few paces, spurred on as she raced away from the foam figures in a haste to avoid anyone who might get over eager ideas about gunging her anyway. But Jackie wouldn't let that slide and would quickly draw things back to level again.

Even with all that effort, Jackie had still kept something back in the tank which steps dipped into on the last few feet, pulling ahead of Olivia to take her shot. A shot that if made standing would definitely have scored. But she made her mistake of throwing before she planted her foot and she paid for it. Well..Pete paid for it.

The young German Shepard barely had time to prepare before her hastily thrown ball, thrown off course by the way her foot sank into the mat just as she threw, burst against his left shoulder and flung Gunge all over his armour. While that caught the most of it, there was still enough to splash under the armour as well as up over his head, leaving Pete blinking against the yellow goo stuck to his face, more of which he could feel matting through his fur and hair, with even a little seeping through his shirt in a few sticky blobs. It might not have been the biggest gunging in the world, and one that had set his team behind another point, but that couldn't stop Pete grinning and relishing the slime against his fur.

Another who couldn't help grinning was Olivia; who had capitalised where Jackie had messed up. Her shot was focused and true, her gaze following the slow arc of the ball which sailed neatly across the goal posts to net her another point. Something she couldn't help rubbing Jackie's face in with a coy grin that she indulged in for a second before commencing her dash back to the start with Jackie close on her heels.

'And that's 3 - 3.' Emma called out. 'This really is going back and forth. And we have only a minute left. Looks like this could be anyone's game.'

So it might have been, but Dolly was determined to make sure it became her team's game. That was obvious in the way she stood ready in a semi crouch, ready to dash forward the second Jackie returned. Which was a determination that Freya seemed to feel as well, both girls poised like sprinters ready in the starting block.

Still..it was by a hairsbreadth that Dolly took off first, desperate not to waste a second of her advantage. Her initial dash didn't last that long, the subtly rolling mat stealing a good portion of her momentum but she ploughed on, reaching the gauntlet of figures a couple of seconds before Freya caught up. Despite the different fates they had suffered, Dolly still clean despite the pink near miss and Freya still sporting a layer green gunk from her earlier mishap, none of the two girls hesitated before attacking the tight cluster of foam shapes, the once dashing contest now become one of skilful weaving and twisting as each tried to out do the other and come out a stride or two ahead. With such a frantic effort, it was really only a matter of time before something went awry. And that moment came just as the two girls dodged the last obstacle. At the same time. The sudden pressure on the mat proved too much and the resulting shift tipped them both from their feet, both girls flung towards each other and the foam figure that stood between them. Which both girls hit at the same time, dumped to the mat in an ungainly sprawl right next to each other as the buzzer shrilled around them. Dazed from the tumble it took them both a second too long to process that sound. And then it was a second too late. For the watching audience, it was impossible to tell who took the hit first, the dual stream of two buckets previously brimmed with blue Gunge poured by a strangely appropriate set of blue haired twin sisters mingling into a huge deluge that left neither girl spared. Blue Gunge splashed everywhere, flung equally over the mat and foam shapes. But also equally over the two girls, the pair saturated from the head down. Rolling waves of Gunge claimed them both, curling around shoulders and breasts alike, a shimmering sheet of blue that pelted them mercilessly . In this sitting position their legs weren't spared either, the detritus of the drop flung down over the short skirts and the flesh beneath.

Spluttering and wiping gunk from their faces, both girls had no time to dwell on this ignominious fate. Somehow, miraculously, Dolly's ball had stayed intact through this crash and drop. And it stayed that way right until she clambered back to her feet, unthinkingly pressing down on it to support herself, the thin plastic bursting with a pop and flinging yellow gunk on top of the blue layer hugging her boobs and dripping over her chin.

With a scowl of frustration, Dolly dashed back to the start while the grinning Freya hurried on to take her next shot. So buoyed up on excitement was she that she was a little hasty in her shot, the ball falling short of the goal, putting itself on a direct course for the hapless Sally who shrieked again, desperately throwing her hands over her head. Only for the ball to bounce off her shoulder pad harmlessly and, to the disbelief of all, sail over the goal.

'Well...I suppose that counts.' Emma admitted firmly, not sure if the rules really covered that bit hoping her status as presenter would carry her decision. 'Which makes it 4 - 3 to Olivia's team.'

Again, that was pure bluff to cover her shock. That last gunging had been huge, even by her novice standards. If this was how messy the first game was, how much more so were the others going to get? Even having known about the last minute addition to this game, the sheer volume of Gunge being chucked around had taken her by surprise. This wasn't what she had expected and she couldn't help feeling control of this was slipping away from her a little, but what else could she do but press on.

'30 seconds left now.' Emma slipped out of her musing with a glance at the clock. 'Will we see a sudden come back here or will Olivia take the lead?'

Had it been anyone other than Savannah up next, that throw away phrase might have just been that. But Savannah took it to heart, a nervous squeak bubbled in her throat as she lunged for the nearest ball. Lunged and grabbed it with such force that it burst instantly, flinging green goo across her face and down her front, little strings dripping from her chin and ears. Savannah's face dropped, looking like she was on the verge of tears, caught up in the weight of her imagined snd unjustified feelings of failure. And there she might have stayed had not Jackie handed her another ball.

'It's okay. You've got this. Just relax. You can get there before she gets back.'

One glance showed that Jackie was right, Freya barely having reached the foam gauntlet which surely she would pick her way through to avoid another gunging. Buoyed up on a sudden wave of determination and not fearing the buckets that awaited her, Savannah dashed right for the gauntlet. The awareness of the closeness of the time had thrown all her caution to the wind, her delicate frame plunged into the press of foam shapes with almost reckless abandon. True, Savannah didn't make it out without a few buzzer triggering touches, those light brushed earning her a generous coating of purple, red and pink Gunge that she was literally a blob of before she reached the end, the multicoloured mass swirling together over her tight top and matting down her skirt, to say nothing of utterly ruining her hair and running down her legs. Bit she did make it out with time to spare.

Pausing only to wipe the gunk from her eyes, Savannah fixed her gaze determinedly on the goal and with all her might threw the ball. How she made the shot, she had no idea. But just as the timer clicked to one the ball cleared the goal to a cheer from the audience.

'And that's time.' Emma called as she tentatively stepped out onto the mat, wary of both the Gunge underfoot and the unspent buckets over head. Something she might have to do something about. 'And we have a draw. A dead tie. I guess that will make things interesting in the next round. But first..we have a bit of unfinished business to take care of. Since I think Sally here got away a bit clean, since that one ball didn't burst over her. So I think it's only fair we rectify that. Gunge her please.'

'What?' Sally squeaked. 'That's not fair. Come on. That's really not.'

Sally's squeak did no good as any form of protest, only growing beneath the bucket of sticky black gunk tipped down upon her. Thick and glossy, with the consistency of paint, it clung like a second skin, no an inch wasted as her whole body was consumed by the heavy creeping mass of sludge. Her hair obliterated and her clothes following suit, Sally was quickly being transformed into a tarry blob, the weight of the gunk tugging on her suit a little to allow a thin layer of the cloying ooze under her clothing and against her skin, the black sludge following close to her skin and nipples beneath her fur as it had done the curves beneath her suit. Of course the audience couldn't see that but Sally sure could feel it, the whole sensation bizarrely wicked. Luckily for her the bucket ran out before it could reach much lower, the trailed off pressure leaving it trapped just at her waist.

Not daring to move unless that made it creep lower, that thought making her shiver in more ways that one, Sally flicked the accumulated goo from her fingers, feeling and looking like a blob monster, the tar like gunk clinging in heavy lumps to her hair and down her arms, still slowly oozing.

'I think that was fair.' Emma said with a soft smile. 'Sally dear, go and take a shower. You've earned it and I think you and Jess have a few things to catch up on. As for our teams, no time for showers here. Because it's onto round 2.'

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This was a lot of fun to write. And there is a lot more of that to come down the line, both in terms of future chapters and future projects. Plans are afoot to get some character driven art and comics in the works, along with a new roster of characters for both art and stories. Characters you guys will help decide the events they get involved with. Polls. Brainstorming Posts. Not to mention more celebrity driven stories like the one below, which will be available to my Patreons to get a celebrity of their choice into.

https://umd.net/blogs/i/malin-akerman-a/return/%2Fprofile%2Fi%2Fwhite-softpaws%2Fsection%2Fblogs%2F

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www.patreon.com/white66