Author's Note: Content warning for moderate sexual humiliation, implied sexual coercion/harassment and mild cursing.

Note: Rufus, Bill and Yasmin are kiwimayotte2's characters, used with permission.

*****

One night previous...

Bill, one of the television studio's technicians, had to admit that while he approved of the change in his old arch-nemesis's behavior, of late it had made for far less excitement around their shared workplace. He had taken no small amount of delight in foiling Rufus's repeated attempts to harass guests and staff of the studio alike, and had become rather creative in the humiliating punishments he had dealt out to the surly security guard when he got out of line. Yet he had always been forced to walk a thin line himself, on the chance that Rufus might actually gather his wits enough to convincingly report him to their superiors.

Several days before while pushing a wheelbarrow full of buckets of sludge intended for use in the game show's messy stunts, Bill had happened upon Yasmin, one of the younger contestants on the game show, stranded in the hallway near Rufus's station, visibly distraught and shaken. The guard himself was sprawled on the floor where he had landed, no doubt after she had forcibly shoved him away. Bill had lost no time guessing that Yasmin had refused to stand for Rufus's increasingly lewd come-ons, and he had impulsively offered her the chance to slop him with a heaping bucket of rancid cow manure, which she had gleefully accepted.

However, instead of quitting a job that he couldn't afford to leave in shame, the very next day Rufus had arrived at work seemingly on top of the world, vaguely hinting that he had found someone new and acting as though his comeuppance was either long forgotten or had never happened in the first place. A quick survey of his female peers had revealed that the guard's lascivious requests for kisses and forced affection in exchange for entrance to the set had abruptly stopped, leaving Bill to assume Rufus was actually making an effort to stay loyal to his mysterious new partner.

Not that the guy had turned over a new leaf entirely; he still made it no secret that he strongly resented the young crowd around him for serving as a constant reminder of the stalled career he had nearly lost over a stunt they had pulled sometime before. On the same token, while being in a healthful relationship may have left Rufus slightly more tolerable, Bill wasn't about to forgive him anytime soon for his boorish behavior towards Yasmin, who the technician had befriended and felt protective toward.

*****

About a week after Rufus had suffered his humiliating gunging, a late evening found Bill leading out the group of game show contestants from a meeting he had helped organize with the show's other technicians and producers. Weary from explaining the many technical details and legal and safety warnings for each new stunt he had devised, he was eager to head home, maybe watch some television to relax and then turn in early.

"Well, don't you look nice!" Yasmin called out cordially as a figure, unfamiliar to him at first, emerged from a nearby restroom. Bill soon realized she had greeted Cheyenne, the studio's janitor, but never as he'd seen her before. Though the lime green eyelet-lace sundress she wore was more casual than anything the girls around him typically chose, it was still a step up from her usual look, and he suddenly realized that he had never really thought much about what some of the employees at the studio, from the producer on down to the hourly staff, might do in their spare time outside of work.

"What's the big occasion?" Yasmin asked curiously, and Cheyenne looked taken aback that her change of clothes had garnered so much attention, then regained her wits long enough to stammer something rushed and vague about meeting a friend at a club that night. Even after Yasmin and several others had wished her a good time, Bill looked back over his shoulder, noticing that although the studio was supposed to be closing for the evening, Cheyenne had ducked back inside the restroom instead of hurrying to enjoy her supposed night out.

Once he had seen the group of contestants on their way, Bill hurried back down the corridor, his suspicions growing, and when he heard footsteps approaching from a bend in the hallway he stepped into a dark and narrow closet that looked like it had once housed a pay phone.

"They all scrammed, right? Good, then that leaves just you and me, and before we head to the set, don't forget the price of admittance," came Rufus's familiar voice, startlingly close but now tinged with a seductiveness that seemed out of place. A sudden thump against the nearby wall made the door to Bill's hiding spot swing slightly ajar, alarming him but also giving him just enough of a vantage point to see that the security guard had pushed Cheyenne against the wall and was kissing her roughly.

Bill bit his lip, unable to see her reaction, and he wrung his hands together, trying to decide what to do. He scarcely knew the studio's janitor, who was a relative newcomer to his workplace, but he knew what he was seeing; namely, another of Rufus's attempts to manipulate a woman into doing what he wanted, and this time he had cajoled her into staying after work, assuming there was nobody else around to interfere. A jolt of nausea washed over him as he was forced to listen to the guard's heavy breathing, interspersed with stifled sounds from his partner, and he was relieved when the couple moved on.

*****

Done in by your own recording equipment, Bill thought smugly as he sat in the security office moments later, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes fixed on the monitor that offered a view of the game show set. Unsure how to establish an audio feed on the machine, Bill wondered what the two were discussing, or more specifically, how much Cheyenne was protesting, but Rufus was unabashedly pawing and groping at her as they reclined, still fully clothed, on the bench in the center of the set. Hang in there, he silently pleaded, comforted at least by the fact that she didn't appear wildly panicked and seemed to be holding her own. Once he got enough video evidence of Rufus's true nature, he would storm in and confront him.

Without warning the couple on the silent monitor pulled themselves back up, bursting into what was unmistakable and genuine laughter and leaving their observer stunned. This was a consensual encounter? Watching in utter disbelief, Bill let his hand drop from where he had been about to eject and seize the tape from the machine.

And he's actually into messy stuff like the rest of us around here? What did that gunging do to him? The stunned technician couldn't believe his eyes even after Rufus lost no time in emptying multiple buckets of sloppy food over his very willing girlfriend's head, both of them interrupting whatever game he had devised to break into hysterics once again. Unable to tear his gaze away, Bill suddenly realized he was secretly seeing an entirely different side to Rufus, whether it was one that he had never known existed within himself or one he had worked hard to hide from the rest of the world. The guy he was watching now was clearly enjoying giving his girl a thorough messing, and even through the silent video it was apparent he was revealing his playfulness and fun-loving nature.

"Go for it, get him good!" Bill quietly cheered when Cheyenne finally slapped a handful of foamy whipped topping into Rufus's face in retribution. Before he knew it, they were grappling on the floor and then making out in the considerable mess they had created, leaving the technician transfixed and yet unable to feel much guilt for his surreptitious viewing.

It's not fair that he gets to enjoy this, right after being such a vile scumbag towards Yasmin, Bill thought bitterly, noting with irritation the guard's filthy hands grasping Cheyenne's panty-covered bottom, her dress bunched up around her waist, and an expression of complete bliss on his face. How many times did you have to grope her in the hallway before she finally lost her mind and convinced herself she'd fallen for you?

His eyes falling to the tape softly whirring in the monitoring system, Bill swiftly stopped the recording, ejected his prize and slipped out of the building unseen before he had time for regrets or second thoughts.

*****

"Room for one more?" Rufus asked almost shyly, seating himself across from Cheyenne at her usual spot in the cafeteria. Halfway through the day following the theft of their tape, so far nobody had treated either of them any differently, though he suspected the thief was merely biding his or her time until the potential for maximum humiliation was perfect.

"I, uh, figured that since they're going to know soon enough that we're together, there's no point in hiding it any longer," he said in resignation, feeling curious eyes practically boring holes in his back as their fellow diners not only noticed he had made a rare foray into the cafeteria but was seated with a lunch date.

"Right, at least let's make the best of things while they last," agreed Cheyenne, seconds before an enormous bowl of applesauce was upended over Rufus's head, so forcefully that even from across the table, she was not spared the onslaught of mess. The security guard sputtered in shock, fuming as he removed the foam bowl from atop his cap, while clumps of applesauce slid down his blue uniform shirt. Behind him, Bill stopped abruptly, raising a hand to his face in mock horror and holding a lunch tray with the other.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, barely able to hide his grin. "How very clumsy of me; that just slid right off my tray. Here, let me help you rinse that off." Peeling the plastic lid off his large drink cup, he started to tilt it over his victim, only to have his wrist seized sharply.

"I thought we settled our score," Rufus growled resentfully, and Bill leaned in, speaking in a low voice barely above a whisper that Cheyenne couldn't hear even from the short distance across the table thanks to the overall noise level in the crowded cafeteria.

"I'll decide when this is over, now that I have more than a little dirt on you," he said threateningly, and when Rufus threateningly tightened his grip on his wrist to prevent him from tilting it and spilling the cup's contents over him, Bill simply squeezed and crunched the flimsy foam cup between his fingers, sending down a hearty burst of red punch over the hapless guard.

"Do you see what you're facing by staying with me?" Once his aggressor had turned on his heel and started the walk back to his own table where his friends awaited, Rufus, dripping with the fruit sauce and beverage, looked guiltily at the mess that had not only doused him, but the table, both their lunches and his girlfriend. "I should have known this was a bad idea, but at least now we know who has the tape." He smiled weakly, looking down at his lap where the fabric of his slacks was soaked, once again making it look as though he'd had an embarrassing accident. All around them, fellow diners broke into giggles and taunts, for nearly all were thrilled to see the resident security guard known for his obnoxious personality put in his place.

"Maybe I can cut a deal with him," Rufus mused quietly. "He doesn't have anything against you, so maybe he'll agree to keep the tape secret and leave you alone if...if I let him take out all his aggressions on me just like this, whenever he wants." He was startled to hear the sound of a chair being pushed sharply away from the table, and even more dumbfounded to find his girlfriend halfway to Bill's table, clutching the nearly-empty foam bowl that had held the applesauce.

Ignoring Rufus's plea to not interfere with what he considered his battles, Cheyenne stopped just behind Bill, strongly tempted to smash the remainder of the fruit sauce over his head and give him a taste of his own medicine. If I'm going to get fired for something, it might as well be for something more spectacular than that tape, she thought, just as Bill noticed his friends' frantic gestures indicating her presence and twisted around in his seat.

"I have a survey for everyone in this dining party," she curtly addressed those at the table, holding out the bowl for their inspection. "Who would honestly buy this much applesauce to eat by himself? Or would he only buy it to throw on someone he had a personal issue with?" She let the bowl drop heavily onto the table, disappointed when a little of the remaining sauce inside spattered across Bill's lunch but left him unscathed. Though aware she was playing with fire and certain Rufus was in full-panic mode a few tables away, she wasn't quite done, either.

"Personal issue?" Bill asked in amusement, exchanging amused glances with his friends. "Look, in case you somehow haven't noticed, Rufus has a perfect track record for pissing off everyone he crosses paths with and he's universally disliked here. Just look at the reaction when I got him just now; would everyone be laughing like that if I pulled that on a genuinely nice guy?" He felt a sense of accomplishment when Cheyenne's face briefly clouded with doubt, and she turned just in time to see her boyfriend still sitting alone, flinching when a thrown dinner roll, accompanied by a shouted epithet, bounced off his shoulder, followed by jeers from those around him.

"I know you see something in him, but we want to make sure you know what you're getting into," Bill continued. "How you can give him a second chance after what he did to Yasmin is beyond me." He gestured to a girl sitting on the other side, who Cheyenne recognized as the friendly and remarkably pretty teenager who had complimented her appearance the night she had dressed up in preparation for her "date" with Rufus.

"Yeah, he told me he asked you for a kiss and it didn't go so well," Cheyenne admitted, shooting the other girl an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that left you uncomfortable, Yasmin." She rubbed the back of her neck as she tended to do when she was nervous, then gave an awkward laugh. "I guess the good news is, at least it worked on me, so now he's sorta taken and he won't have any reason to pester you or anyone else, right? But really, he's already changed a lot, if you'd be willing to give him a chance to prove it."

Yasmin's brow furrowed with genuine concern, for clearly Rufus had been less than forthcoming about his past indiscretions if his new girlfriend sincerely believed he had merely been seeking playful affection. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. If you want to see what we're talking about, meet us after the studio closes for the day, and bring him along. There's something I have to show you that will make you see him for who he really is."

"Sure," sighed Cheyenne, dreading the moment when the risque tape would be inevitably revealed. "I'll catch up with you after I finish up the day's cleaning. It seems some damn fool spilled applesauce all over the place, but it's all in a day's work, right?"

*****

"Wow," remarked Rufus later in the day, as Cheyenne proudly unveiled with a flourish the entire work uniform he had been wearing during their messy session the night before, spotlessly clean and looking as good as new on metal clothes hangers. "Whatever brand of laundry detergent they use around here, it's impressive stuff!"

"Tell me about it!" Cheyenne exclaimed once he'd taken his garments to hang them on the rack in his office, the fragrant scent of the detergent wafting through the air behind him. Left with only her cotton dress that she had also salvaged in the same load of laundry, she hugged the garment to herself and twirled around, trying to feign merriment as much as he was despite their looming predicament. "I didn't really want to say goodbye to this one anytime soon so I'm thrilled to have it back, but would you believe it that they just use a knock-off brand of detergent around here? Nonetheless, it works great."

"I'm relieved I still have at least one good uniform, since the status of this one is in question," Rufus said in annoyance, gesturing to the stained shirt he had had little choice but to continue wearing for the rest of the day after the messy "accident" in the cafeteria. "I wish my security firm was a little more lenient when it comes to uniform allowances, but by the way, you look really nice, breaking the dress code like that."

"Thanks, and if anyone asks, I'll leave it to Bill to explain why my last clean work outfit's back in the laundry facility." Glancing down at the tank top and jeans she had defiantly pulled on after the cafeteria incident had befouled her uniform, Cheyenne pitied her boyfriend. His clothes, as well as his cap and much of his hair poking out from beneath it still bore traces of the sticky punishment he'd received, and, strictly required to remain stationed at his post after his mercilessly brief lunch break, he had not had the luxury of so much as rinsing off in the nearest restroom sink.

*****

Seated on the same bench on the set that he and Cheyenne had used for their shenanigans the night before but now surrounded by the small crew of technicians and show consultants, Rufus clutched Cheyenne's leg as Yasmin held out a cell phone before his girlfriend's face, loaded with a video clip he had never expected. Closing his eyes and fearing for the worst, when he dared to open them he discovered to his shock that, rather than the racy tape he had feared would be shown for everyone's benefit, the video was of him a week before, having apparently been filmed from a secret video recorder Yasmin must had been wearing. No... This was even worse.

Meanwhile, Cheyenne's jaw dropped in shock at the first-person view of Rufus, leering at Yasmin and, unwittingly, her hidden camera. Then the camera was abruptly crumpled against his uniform shirt, as he had crushed the girl to him in an unwelcome embrace.

"You never told me you took it that far," she said in a voice that was faraway and hurt, and he dropped his hand from her leg, using it to cover his face in utter shame instead. Turning back to the cell phone, Cheyenne watched in stony silence as its wearer doused Rufus in a bucket of manure, with Bill, armed with a mop, wiping more of it over him for good measure.

"I'm sorry to break it to you this harshly what kind of guy he really is," Yasmin said almost sorrowfully as she turned off the phone and slipped it into her purse, "but I felt you ought to know." Cheyenne only turned her head sharply away, no doubt digesting the awful truth she'd discovered.

"Meanwhile," Bill said coldly, "the rest of us have had quite enough of you, Rufus, so unless you feel like losing your job at the studio, you can guess what's in store for you." He gestured to the set's gunge dunk tank, still halfway draped with a tarpaulin so it was impossible to see what lay beneath the drop-away seat.

"No...please." Twisting around, the security guard clamped a clammy hand to his sweaty forehead and catching sight of what awaited him. Aware that he had no real choice, he tried to give his girlfriend a final, apologetic look, but she was still lost in a world of hurt, unable to so much as look his way.

"Yasmin," he stuttered, "so I'm not so good with words. I can't begin to tell you much I regret that now, but I know it's too late. Whatever, I'll just take my punishment like a man." Trudging over to the tank, he ascended its steps like a prisoner on his way to the gallows, settling gingerly on the hinged seat without so much as a glance at the vileness that awaited him below.

"Well, that was far easier than expected," Bill said triumphantly when Rufus had resigned himself to his fate with little protest. "Now that we've got him where we want him, I'd be surprised if there weren't fistfights over who gets to send him where he belongs first, but I'd like to extend that honor to Cheyenne, if she'd find that therapeutic."