Turning Up the Sweat

Felix's night and morning weren't pleasant. That night he saw Noah become a puddle of slime, but it was not a flat surface. It had various strange lumps, and he swore he saw a stretched out face somewhere on the resting slime. Carefully stepping around and over the gooey puddle that was a sleeping Noah, he managed to get into bed for the night, and after a bit, get some much needed rest.

He woke up to the sight of a pile of goo on the ground, which made it a bit stressful for Felix to get out of bed. Noah managed to wake up, and shapeshifted back into her more standard, humanoid form. Seeing all the slime and goo slide back together got across to him how much mass Noah actually had, and why she didn't even try to share a bed with him the prior night.

"Interesting interpretation of the requirement to share a bed." Vizrokoth said causing both Felix and Noah to jump at her presence.

"Well, I umm... didn't want-"

"I understand why dear, but keep in mind you can absorb fluid pretty easily." Vizrokoth said while staring at Noah.

"... Will you punish me?" Noah asked.

"No, I'll let it slide this time, especially as this transformation I know can be confusing," Vizrokoth said. "However, the next time you go on a date with Felix, I want you to sleep with him under the covers, not just touch the same bed, and preferably touch him as well."

After that, Felix's day settled into something of a new normal. Once Noah left they changed, went to breakfast, and enjoyed what had become his favorite part of the day: meal times. The food was amazing, and because they were all on a kind of **** vacation, he could pig out without feeling guilty about it. Today he chose to have french toast with linked sausage, scrambled eggs, and the most delicious orange juice he had ever tasted in his life.

But then came the irritating part, given Felix still needed to meet with Austin. He sighed going back to the master suite, and preparing for a meeting he was going to hate. Sure enough, once he opened the door, he saw Austin there, ready with her clipboard, and a lot more nervous than yesterday.

"Sir, I'm here to explain your schedule." Austin said, far less whiny than they were yesterday, and with an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

"Yes, that much is obvious." Felix said while going over to the couch, and motioning for her to talk.

"So, starting at 10:30, or earlier depending on when you show up, you are expected to report to the gym for an hour," Austin said. "You will be expected to do a specific set of exercises, and wear clothes the demon has left for you on your bed."

Felix shot up hearing that. Looking over at his bed, he noticed it was just gym shorts, and very short ones at that. No shirt, or anything else to cover his chest was available. "I have to exercise in that?"

"She also says if you refuse to attend, or try wearing more than the demon set out, she will assert control over your body and **** you to workout naked." Austin said, stumbling over many of her words.

"Alright, just hurry through the rest of the report, it's already almost 10." Felix said, not looking forward to what Vizrokoth had in mind.

Austin nodded frantically as she continued looking, "Alright, lunch will be available from 11:00-1:00. There is food outside of those times but the demon requires you to finish assigned activities if you want to do any snacking."

Felix groaned hearing that, but motioned for her to continue.

"You have a date with Hailey starting at 6 and lasting until 8:00 AM of the following day. The demon has told me to remind you that you must share a bed with Hailey tonight when you sleep."

"Anything else?" Felix asked.

Austin checked every assigned date in her clipboard, and then nodded. "No, no there's not."

"Before you leave, give me a brief summary of what, if anything, you learned from Cameron about your condition," Felix said. "Emphasis on brief."

Once again Austin nodded frantically and started speaking. "We figured out my knowledge of my time as a C-Suite executive is mostly gone, and can only remember skills I learned in college or earlier unless it helps me with doing paperwork. Cameron also thinks I might have gotten more handsy but that could just be-"

"That you're an asshole who doesn't respect women's boundaries?" Felix cut her off.

"... That is how Cameron put it." Austin mumbled something else under her breath and then... the giggle returned.

"Oh for fucks sake!" Felix screamed at Austin. "Okay, listen closely you stupid sack of shit."

"Whatever insults you have you are going to keep in your rapidly shrinking brain," Felix said while grabbing his gym shorts. "Now get the fuck out of here while you still have braincells to rub together."

Austin ran out, and once she was gone, Felix sighed while putting on some gym shorts. It looked like the carefree portion of his vacation had come to an end. He then realized he had no idea where the gym was and, after changing, had to frantically search for someone to help him out.

Zachary was in hell, for all intents and purposes. Sure, he wasn't actively being tortured, but the amount Z just refused to even acknowledge his presence, much less let him have any power over anything in what was once his own body, had put him in the mental equivalent of solitary confinement. Sure, he could see and hear the same things Z did, but with no ability to influence anything the body they shared did, it was just further punishment. At this point, all he could do was either, in futility, try to get Z to listen to him, or just think about how he ended up in this situation.

Z, on the other hand, had experienced enough in her long, bizarre life to not find Zachary, or the situation she was in, that strange. She had, after all, come from a world where being possessed wasn't unheard of, and had even gotten training in how to deal with it. The same went for the demon, who may have been different in scale, but what was not a different in kind from creatures she had met in her world. In fact, the only part giving her any real distress was the potential idea that she didn't exist before Zachary was transformed, and that her whole prior life was this illusion created by a demon.

It was in that moment of internal turmoil, and eating a massive breakfast, that they were approached by Winters. "Do you have a useless passenger as well?"

"Passenger?" Z asked, but Zachary had already realized, in horror, what Winters was asking about. His screaming did absolutely nothing to help him in the conversation that followed.

"Yes, a personality arising from a prior set of memories," Winters said. "Mine is named Benjamin, whereas I am Kei. I understand yours is named Zachary, who I remember as a forgettable jock, but seems to have been... much more troublesome than that."

Z knew she was being manipulated. However, the constant background noise of Zachary's whining, and how mostly useless she found his memories so far, made this a conversation she could not resist. "The brat is practically a date ****, and is screaming in my head all the time because I don't let him do anything."

Kei Winters acted shocked, although from Z's perspective, the expression felt ****. Was she okay with ****? Or was it something else?

"Well, Benjamin is a wimp, and a terrible teacher," Kei Winters said. "He also seems to overlook bad behavior, judging by what you just said. Care to join me in the gym?"

"You work out after breakfast?" Z asked while following her to the gym. She had found out it was in the western portion of the bunker, huddled among a bunch of other training rooms, and at least one room she couldn't determine the purpose of.

Before Winters could answer, Felix of all people wearing nothing but gym shorts ran up to them. "Do you guys know where the gym is?"

"Why we were just heading there Felix," Winters said, "And we'd love if you joined us."

The trio headed to into the western portion of the bunker with Winters taking the lead. Z, out of habit, chose to stay behind Felix. She wasn't scared of him, but if anything, almost wanted to escort him. He was a high value VIP in the contest they were in, and the main way she knew how to deal with such persons was to keep them guarded.

Upon arriving, the demon was there to greet them. "How excellent for you to join us Felix, and with exactly one minute to spare."

A minute to spare? Z was surprised to hear Felix, the master, had a schedule imposed on him like this. Would he have been penalized if he had failed to show up in time?

"That body of yours isn't just for show you know." The demon said while handing Felix a note with all the exercises he had to do.

"... I'll try my best." Felix said while scurrying off to one of the weight machines.

"I think you'll find it is easier than you expect." The demon said before disappearing.

What followed was less of a workout, and more of Felix being made to do things that objectified him. Every machine he had to use, every weight he had to lift, and every stretch he performed showed off his new body. His pecs, biceps, abs, and ass for that matter, were constantly put into positions that would be pleasing for anyone attracted to male flesh. The sweat he worked up, and the way his shorts were quite tight around his bulge, only enhanced the intended effect.

While initially both Z and Winters did their own exercises, they soon chose to stare at the show put on display by Felix's workout instead. He didn't even realize until the end of his workout that they were staring at him and all his sweaty muscles. Winter was almost drooling while looking at the nubile flesh on display, and while Z was more subtle about it, she very much appreciated the build this eighteen year old boy now had. That Zachary hated her looking at Felix only made it more enjoyable that this eye candy was on display.

After the workout, and upon seeing that the gym indeed came with water bottles, Felix almost ran to drink the available water. Drinking it somehow only made him even sexier, and Z realized this whole thing wasn't for his health, but to make the harem members horny. Mostly because it was working, and she was curious how far she could push certain rules around touching. Winters was thinking along the same lines, judging by how close she got to Felix.

"Hey Felix, I know we're not on a date but..." Kei Winters said gently tracing a finger across his chest.

Felix blushed hard enough to turn red and scurried off in embarrassment before she could continue. Kei Winters just giggled seeing that.

"Oh how I can't wait until I get him alone," Kei Winters said while continuing to chuckle. "Shy boys are so cute."

"You think he wouldn't run away?" Z asked, as Felix reminded her a little too much of how squeamish human men could be around her, and the sexual frustration attached.

"I know how to handle boys like Felix," Kei Winters said. "You just have to be gentle... and assertive."

Janessa Smith had, so far, managed to hide her lust from the others. She masturbated every single morning and every single night, taking maximum advantage of having a room to herself. However, even she had limits, and this day, the humans decided to test her limits. Or maybe it was the demon, as she couldn't see Felix as the type to do the kind of exercise he had done that day.

She hadn't seen the whole routine, but Janessa caught the end of it, and definitely saw how horny it made everyone watching. Even seeing Felix's back was enough to send a lightning bolt like amount of lust. She had never been interested in teenagers, much less teenage boys, when she was James Smith, and considered a human man. But as a fallen angel... humans, especially ones that looked so young, were a vice she just couldn't resist. Was it even a vice, given her need to protect him, and the focus of the game they were all stuck in?

"What are you doing here Janessa?" Kei Winters asked.

Janessa heard that question as leaving the room and bolted after Felix. Her whole body was screaming at her to catch him, and she didn't refuse. While she couldn't run super fast, after she moved through the double doors of the gym, she was able to fly. It was an ability she had experimented with before, and in this moment, it let her catch up to a fleeing human eighteen year old boy far faster than he could anticipate.

"Felix!" Janessa screamed right behind him.

Felix had almost gotten to the door of the master suite when Janessa flew in front of him. He was shocked to see her, and forgot, for a precious couple of seconds, that he didn't have a shirt on. She enjoyed every moment of it.

"Wha... what are you doing?" Felix asked, and tried to shield himself with his arms, but then realized it was futile.

"Don't you think it's for the best if the other contestants see you shirtless?" Janessa asked the question like it was completely reasonable.

"Why?" Felix asked. "You weren't okay with that when-"

"Young man we were in a high school with underage students, where clothing restrictions served a legitimate purpose," Janessa said with a tone of voice James Smith would've used when explaining the rules. "Here, clothing only gets in the way."

Felix just stared, slack jawed at her argument. "That's... ludicrous."

Before she could respond, Felix sneaked past, and entered his room to change. It seemed so logical to Janessa, but... he just wasn't ready yet. This exchange reminded her that she had new rules to enforce, if they were going to make it out of here. She just needed to get the other harem members to trust her...

Hailey wasn't sure how to prepare for her date. She didn't even know if date was an appropriate term, as neither of them were horny enough to want to do the dirty stuff the show wanted to happen. Besides, she didn't have the experience to be aggressive the way the demon wanted her to be. She hadn't even kissed a boy before, the combination of parental pressure and, later on, conscious adoption of a social circle where most of the guys weren't the best looking, ensured that. Heck, she wouldn't be surprised if everyone thought she was a lesbian or something from how clean her life had been.

So when Hailey showed up outside of the master suite, she did so in very typical clothes for her: Jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt to hide her assets. More importantly, a sweatshirt that she thought might have sentimental value for Felix, an idea reinforced by that it was the only sweatshirt in her whole collection. She normally cycled through sweatshirts and light jackets, depending on the time of the year, because she didn't want people noticing her. But in this place, maybe she should change her tactics?

"Hey..." Felix said when the door to his suite opened.

"Lets get going." Hailey said and then lead Felix to the buffet for dinner.

Initially, neither could say anything. While walking there, it was just... oppressive with unanswered questions. Eventually, Hailey couldn't bare it.

"Do you hate me?" Hailey asked.

"NO!" Felix screamed louder than he intended to, and winced upon seeing how loud it was.

"No," Felix said more calmly, "None of us should be here, other than maybe Austin, but you didn't do anything-"

"That's the problem," Hailey said in a quiet, but firm voice. "When push came to shove, I abandoned you. I know I didn't hit you, or blame you for something you didn't do, but I didn't help you when you needed it."

"Hailey, that isn't your fault," Felix said. "That's-"

"I never believed what Smith said about you." Hailey gave an answer that shocked Felix.

"Really?" Felix asked.

"You're not the only one whose been blamed for something they didn't do," Hailey replied, and then continued to walk towards the buffet. "I'll explain the rest over dinner."

They both grabbed pizza for dinner, and some sodas. Hailey intentionally chose a meal that she had eaten around Felix before, and had seen him eat. They returned to silence for a bit, but she could tell he wanted to ask something. She knew that face of someone who just couldn't find the right words.

"When I was younger, my mom constantly pushed me to do things that would make me standout," Hailey said. "Things that would make me special. I cycled through so many after school activities in those days, until... well, what happened isn't important, and I honestly don't know all the details."

She couldn't talk about that with him yet. Hailey already couldn't bare sharing that side of herself with anyone, much less a boy that determined whether she got the closest thing one could get to a victory in this sick game. Felix didn't need to know why she became a tomboy that hung out with nerds.

"What matters is I got blamed for something I didn't do," Hailey said, as tears welled up in her eyes. "And I experienced the people I trusted more than anyone abandoning me to the wolves."

At this point Hailey was sobbing. "So for me to do the same to you, and just because I didn't want to be near drama... that wasn't fair."

Felix took a bit to absorb that before speaking again. "Hailey I don't hate you for refusing to stick up for me when you barely knew me," Felix said. "But still, I forgive you."

Achieved Forgiveness: +5 VP x Level of Harm = 5 VP

Hailey got up, ran over to Felix, and cried into his shoulder. They were soon both bawling their eyes out, as all the drama, all the awkwardness in the room was gone. Eventually, maybe hoping to relieve some tension, Felix asked a question.

"So, how's your transformation going?" He asked without realizing how it had been for her.

"Oh... not good," Hailey sighed while continuing to hug him. "I turn into a massive bitch over the most stupid of things. It's why if you've seen Cameron around they don't wear jeans, or why Kei sticks to pencil skirts."

"You don't try to get Noah to wear clothes?" Felix asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Oh shut up, you know her transformation doesn't allow clothes," Hailey said. "Besides, for whatever reason, whatever impacts my head is suspiciously silent when someone wears very little, or nothing."

Felix and Hailey were able to chuckle a bit as they finished off their dinner. They switched to talking about anime, video games, and nerd stuff like they used to while eating some ice cream. It was good times, and by the time they finished eating, they were able to just continue talking about it while going to the master suite. In that moment, they could forget that they were in a game controlled by a reality altering demon that wanted them to fuck, and just enjoy life again.

When the time came for bed, it was awkward, but, Hailey managed to strip down to her underwear, and got Felix to do the same. She knew from Noah that the demon could get a bit picky about things, and so she decided to make sure them sleeping together would fit. They didn't touch, but they were definitely sharing the same sheets and blanket. For the first time in both their lives, barring running to their parents bedroom or similar when they were scared as children, they slept in the same bed as another human being...