Bouncy Bounties Ch. 01

This story is set after the events of Monstrous Ranch—while it's mainly focused on new characters, if you plan to read Monstrous Ranch and really hate spoilers, I would head there first!

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"So, Ms. Limini..." Valina's arms were crossed as she reclined in her chair, her tone totally neutral, her expression as cool as mountain air. "... what exactly is it that you do, again?"

Valina had not, Senya noticed, taken so much as a sip from her tea since they'd sat down. The catgirl had instead been nibbling at biscuits the entire time, her feline eyes narrowed as she watched their surprise holiday guest.

Teatime was a very important custom for fey-mortal relations in this part of the Wild East, Senya had noticed. It was a time for fey and humans to put aside the usual mischief and focus on cordial conversation—or mundane flirtation. Hypnosis, or any form of mind control or drugging, was a major faux pas, even for the fey more prone to misbehaving. In the time of the Solstice, especially, it was a time for pine needle tea and sugary biscuits, for minty breath and merry voices.

Valina rarely insisted on the rite when the Crows came by the Verdant Ward, or when Senya's sister, Anya, visited. It was a formality she didn't seem to care much for, and though their cottage was bedecked in colorful wreaths of winter-blooming flowers, bright berry bunches, and evergreen plants, pervaded with the festive scents of the traditional maple candles Senya had had imported from southern Lacra, she hadn't been very interested in getting into the holiday spirit, either. Her dark hair hung unadorned with red bows or holly leaves, and indeed, the only decoration Senya had been able to convince her to tolerate had been a necklace of tinkling silver bells.

And Valina had a certain weakness for bells.

She had consented to decorate him, at least. In fact, she'd taken great delight in adorning his short dark hair with red ribbons and lace, looping pretty glass bells she'd made herself around his neck right beneath his spelled collar, tying little ribbon bows around each of his fingers and slipping a bright pink winter rose behind his ear. She had taken great delight, and shown it, and shared it very generously. Senya was festive enough for the both of them, and this was just about the only way she seemed willing to tolerate any holiday cheer whatsoever.

But she had been very insistent when this woman had shown up that it was only proper. That they had to be hospitable. That, on the eve of the Solstice and in the midst of the New Year, it was important to observe the traditions of the season of formalized kindness to travelers. It was only courteous.

Her expression, tone and manner were anything but. And behind her, slipping from beneath her forest green skirt, her tail was twitching with irritation.

"Oh... a li'l of this, a li'l of that." The newcomer waved a finger aimlessly. She gave a sharp twang and drawl to her words, and her shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes and pale—but well-tanned—skin marked her as being from the western portion of Lacra, like him. She wore a leather overcoat—one of those coats that could almost pass for a robe—and a wide-brimmed leather hat. "Primary-wise, though, I'm a merc until recently. Western Plains. Been doin' that for the last couple years, I reckon."

Senya, personally, wasn't sure why Valina had taken such a dislike to her. She'd been very civil on her arrival that afternoon, and seemed more lost than anything else.

"How interesting." Valina nodded slightly and nibbled her biscuit. Not drinking the tea was, as Senya understood it, a major sign of disrespect—an indication that she was eager for teatime to end. But they had only been dining for about five minutes.

Spoons clinked against cups. The catgirl nibbled, brushing back her black hair with one hand and idly scratching an ear. Valina was being extremely rude.

"Mercenary work is a risky work," Senya said, hoping to fill the silence. He smiled at Limini, fiddling with the pink primrose-studded bow atop his head. She herself wore no decorations, though it was harder to maintain them when on the road. "Are you a warrior?"

"Spitter, primary-wise." Limini grinned. "That's, ah, a mage, as y'all deal 'em."

"Oh, really. That's very interesting, Limini." Valina arched her eyebrows. "So a sorceress? A witch?"

"Wizard, to lay it clear." Limini took a sip of her tea, seemingly oblivious both to the meaning behind Valina's abstention and of the ceremony altogether. "Spent a bit between Towers, so I'm all licensed. Makes it easier to find work." She gave a wry half-smile. "I don't ride cart with no inborn nonsense. Never squared for me. I earned every spell."

"Mm."

"With that sort of thing, you either have it or you don't," Senya agreed uncertainly, knowing even less about magic than Valina. "So what brings you all the way to the Wild Continent?"

"Eh, a bit and a bit." Limini tapped her slightly crooked nose. She was very pretty, but had a roughness to her, a bite to those bright blue eyes—as mercenaries often did, of course. "Samplin' the sights. Sometimes you get tired of the same-old and you go lookin' for a bit of the exotic, y'know?"

Senya winced slightly, noticing Valina's tail bristling. Up until recently, the Verdant Ward had been in the care of a number of his relatives who had been very much interested in peddling the 'exotic'. And Limini's gaze had unmistakeably brushed over Valina's chest, pushed up slightly by Valina's red blouse. Valina was, unlike Senya, very clearly a native of the region. She did not consider herself 'exotic' in the slightest. "Well, it's... a very remarkable place. Continent. And it's nice to take a break now and then."

"Oh, you betcha." Limini grinned. She took another sip from her tea. "And y'all out here, with this, ah—neat li'l prison of yours. That's quite an undertakin' for a couple kids."

"We are both adults," Valina said primly, crunching on a particularly stale biscuit. "How old are you, then?"

"Well, I'd hope you're adults!" Limini guffawed, spilling a little tea on Senya's green sleeve. She grimaced and brushed away the drops with her hand. Senya heard Valina give a little growl at the familiarity, but Limini seemed totally oblivious—perhaps a little swept up in what she was talking about. "With these gals you got penned in here, that is—I've never in my life seen so much sugar in one cup.

"Me, I'm sittin' around thirty. Waitin' to die, really." She winked at Senya, who laughed slightly. "But I didn't mean offense. What I meant was, y'all got your hands full. Do you mainly just keep the little sorts? Slime girls, lust sprites..."

"No, it's a variety." Senya winced slightly. "We have a cupid, a few Thriae, a holstaur—"

"A holstaur!" Limini raised an eyebrow. "Damn, those are hard to come by. I used to work for one of those—ah, um, carefully, to lay it clear. Never partook, myself." She took a quick sip of her drink, and Senya couldn't tell if it was the hot tea or the topic that had her cheeks suddenly flushed. "That's one of the few minds the Brat Baroness ain't cracked in all these years. It was a wild time workin' for fey. I don't envy you having to deal with one of the udder sprites."

"We manage." Valina crunched her last biscuit.

"I'll say you do!" Limini grinned. "Y'all are a marked lot, and no mistake. Nothin' but respect."

She tipped her hat and finished her tea. Valina seemed to visibly relax, seeing that the ceremony was drawing at last to a close. "Listen, I really appreciate it." She grinned at Senya. "It gets kinda lonely out here on my lonesome. Nice to see some friendly faces. Especially... well, nothin' against the locals, but now and 'gain it's good to see another face that ain't yell—"

Valina's tail bristled like a scrubbing brush.

"Yelling. Yes." Senya cleared his throat loudly. "People can be very noisy, with all the wars. It's best not to speak of it."

"Ah. Yes." She tapped her nose knowingly. "My sorrows about all that. Cowgirl like me sometimes... forgets how to make polite talk. It's very kill-or-be out in the Plains. Not much room for learnin' what not to say when" She stood up and stretched, pushing her wide hips forward and spreading her arms in a great yawn. "Anyway, it's good to have a nice, civil chat now and 'gain."

"Yes." Valina nodded very slightly. "A pleasure to have you."

Senya shot Valina an uncomfortable look. He understood her discomfort with their guest—who was clearly very much out of her element around here—but Limini's visit had been very short, and his personal instincts always inclined towards politeness. "Indeed," he said, standing up as well with a friendly smile. "Best of luck on the road! Just remember to get out of the forest speedily. Lacratians aren't actually really... supposed to be here unless they have dispensation like me. You don't want to wear out your welcome."

"Yeah, I've gathered!" Limini snorted, then offered her hand. "I'm eager to put my ass to this place, don't you worry. But I do appreciate the warnin', and the tea."

Senya shook it, smiling weakly. She had a very firm grip. "I'm sure a Western Plains mercenary can take care of hersefl."

"Well." Limini smiled knowingly. "I was really more of a diplomat. Up until recently."

Senya felt a strange charge course through his hand. It wasn't like static—more like the feeling of reaching beneath a waterfall. The feeling swelled, and his breath caught, words dying silently on his tongue.

He blinked. Limini's eyes seemed very interesting to him all of a sudden—so, so much prettier than he'd realized. He admired them. Such a striking cobalt-blue. Piercing. Revealing. They caught his gaze endlessly, so bright and friendly, so full of tiny little pink flames.

She kept up that knowing smile as a strange warmth started to spread through Senya. Senya would have flinched, had he not been occupied by those eyes. The warmth was like a sunbeam, swelling inside him, easing his worries, relaxing his muscles as it rose through his shoulders. The warmth felt so very, very... very...

... good.

Happy.

Too late, Senya tried to resist, tried to fight off the pleasurable glow inside him as pink sparks danced in those eyes—those pretty, pretty eyes. His collar was tingling strangely, filling him up with buzzy confusion. It was supposed to protect him from outsiders' mind control, but to his dazed confusion, it was making him feel exactly as he'd felt when Valina had decided to decorate him earlier.

He was helpless to resist the two-pronged assault, but he struggled desperately anyways.

He blinked again, vaguely understanding all this was happening in less than a second. That thought—that it had been so very, very easy to slip so far under so quickly, that he had only successfully held off her control for a few moments so far, that he was totally, utterly doomed—made his will go limp as the warmth finally spread into his open mind.

He shivered very slightly as Limini's magic blazed inside him for a few quick blinks, and suddenly everything seemed just a little bit different.

Limini smiled at him. An angelic smile, heavenly, goddess-like, perfect and wonderful in every way, beaming joy and love from those bright blue eyes and those lovely, perfectly kissable lips.

Limini was pretty. Very, very pretty. A pretty lady who knew exactly what was best, because she was pretty and Senya wanted to make her happy, because he would do anything a pretty lady told him, and she was the prettiest. This logic unassailable in its perfection, just like Limini, Senya smiled at her—even as a tiny part of his mind still writhing in the warm glow rioted in protest. The glow would soothe it to sleep soon enough.

She wanted him to do something. Of course. Senya was unspeakably happy to help. He turned, smiling down at Valina. Pretty, pretty Valina, with such a pretty bell necklace and such pretty green eyes. Almost as pretty as Limini.

The catgirl blinked up at him, caught off-guard as he reached down to lay a hand on her forehead. She stiffened. "Senya, wha—"

The warmth flooded through Senya in an instant. He shivered with bliss as his hand tingled and pulsed.

Valina's katana, already shimmering into existence in her hand, clattered to the floor.

Her lips parted. She trembled, her words lost to her.

Senya felt how pleased Limini was with him—he had been a good boy—and he moaned softly. It flowed through him and into Valina, who moaned as well half-second later. She seemed to be resisting something, trying to hold back information he was helping Limini to pull out of her dazed mind. But no one could resist Limini for long.

"Oh," Limini said quietly. "Kitten, is it?"

Valina's eyes widened. They were rapidly filling with pretty pink light, but she seemed to try to rise from the chair, her hand fumbling for the hot tea kettle. Senya felt Limini's liquid amusement, and knew what was coming.

He let out a soft sigh as he let all her praise and love flow into their struggling companion. Wave after wave of pink whispers flooded her head as he held his trembling hand steady, watching Valina's movements go jerky, halt, stutter...

The catgirl slipped and fell to her knees on the floor. Her ears twitched, and her jaw went slack. She shuddered and panted for a moment, the fight raging inside those pink eyes, a bit of drool trickling from the corner of her mouth as her familiar scent filled the air.

"Mew!" she squeaked.

"There we go," Limini purred. Senya felt her nuzzling his neck, nibbling his earlobe. He quivered, unspeakably happy that sweet, wonderful Limini was touching him, that she was... pleased with him. "That's so good, ain't it, darlin'? Why don't you make that li'l sound again, and I'll make sure it feels even better this time."

Kitten stared up at Senya, her pink eyes a mirror of Senya's own, filled with Limini's magic. Limini's words were no longer needed, of course. Her will was their world.

Kitten mewed again, her eyelids drooping.

Waves of pleasure and praise coursed through the two of them instantly. Senya cried out and fell to his knees in front of Kitten, staring into her beautiful eyes—the eyes Limini had given her.

"There we go!" Limini sounded delighted. Senya felt her smooth hands stroking his hair, playing with the ribbons, and saw her stroking Kitten's ears, scratching them slightly with those painted pink nails. "Aw, who's a cute kitty?"

"Me!" Kitten whined, squirming.

"Are you a cute kitty?"

"I'm a cute kitty!"

"And didn't I make it feel good when you make those noises, Kitten? Ain't you gonna feel good every time you mew like a cute kitty for me?"

A pause. Kitten seemed to be struggling with the words.

The hand scratching Kitten's ears paused and stroked a single finger down to Kitten's lips. Senya could just barely make out the pink light flowing from those fingertips, sinking into Kitten's vulnerable, surrendered mind.

"Yes," the catgirl whispered.

Limini settled into Valina's chair, still holding Senya's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Senya saw the fingers on Kitten's lips travel down her neck.

"Y'know, I thought you seemed kinda rude, but you're just a soft, sweet kitten, arentcha?" Limini sounded fond as she continued to lightly stroke Kitten, pouring in more, more magic.

Kitten squirmed ever-so-slightly, and Senya knew that Limini was playing with her breasts now, pulling down her blouse. Squirming at all was not allowed, he knew, smiling blissfully, and Kitten soon succumbed and went still once more. She was almost vibrating in torment, though.

His hand was still on her head, but now that Limini was touching both of them directly, there was no need for this anymore. He knew this because he felt something—something slick and slippery, coiling and wriggly, something the waves of Limini's magic told him was part of her even if it felt more like a strange tentacle—gently take his hand and lower it to his side.

And coil around it. And hold it there. And he could feel more of these lovely tendrils wrapping around him—more pieces of Limini binding his legs, his arms, slipping tenderly around his belly.

Limini was still talking as she continued toying with Kitten's tits. "Mm... Senya, sugar, thanks for bein' such a doll while I puzzled out that collar o' yours. It's a real trick and a half to bypass, but you made it a pleasure. Such a joy chattin' with you while I... worked out the kinks." She giggled. "And worked in some kinks."

"Yes, Mistress," Senya whispered, suddenly wishing both he and Valina were wearing far fewer clothes. He could see rosy-pink tendrils slipping lewdly up Kitten's thighs, and her breaths were coming quicker, higher, as they wound around her arms.

"An' that collar's not givin' you trouble no more?" Limini cooed, rubbing his shoulders, pouring more waves of relaxed, mindless bliss into him. The tentacles were massaging his neck, and he watched them doing the same to Kitten—saw her going increasingly limp into the tentacles' clutches—felt himself doing the same—"You're a good boy for me?"

"Yes, Mistress!" he cried, feeling her presence in his mind, comforting, tender. He watched as the pink tentacles on Kitten started to rise up, like rising cobras—one on each side, coming to point right at her ears. He wondered what they were about to do to her. Perhaps he was lucky all Limini was having them do to him was play around his neck, though he couldn't turn to look and see what they were doing to him.

"You two are charms in the sand. I wish I could spend all day here, but..." Limini sighed. "I really gotta get goin'. That's the chore of the new job: I never have time to just brainwash some sugardoll anymore. Gotta make the captures an' find 'em a buyer." She patted his head. "But at least I get to be my own boss, y'know? So that's nice."

Senya stared into Kitten's eyes. They were both drooling, on their knees next to the table as the wizardess petted them, brainwashed them, groped Kitten's tits. It felt so good. Senya never wanted this to end.

The tentacles slid into Kitten's ears from either side. They seemed to... blossom, like twin flowers, splitting so that the 'petals' could latch onto the sides while whatever lay within... entered her.

Kitten's pupils visibly dilated. "A-Ah," she burst out, a tiny squeak quickly cut short by Limini's orders.

The tentacles started to pulse, as if these shimmering pink tendrils were... filling Kitten with something. Senya watched, fascinated, as her pupils and whites turned the same brilliant pink as the rest of her eyes. Her lips hung open in mindless bliss, and her eyelids half-closed as a long, helpless breath slid out of her.

Senya would have giggled, had he been allowed. Poor Kitten. Limini was really playing with her—lucky that she'd decided not to oh oh oh oh OH

He felt the tentacles latch on. He felt the tendrils slip in. Felt the pulsing, felt the power Mistress had already put inside him swell and pulse and flash and and and and

And nothing else mattered. Nothing save Mistress's words. Mistress. He loved Mistress. His tongue lolled out as he stared in blissful trance into Kitten's eyes, mirrored her total submission.

And Mistress's voice filled them both with radiant, endless glory. "Now, I'm just gonna leave you two here to take care of each other while I go catch some dolls, kay? Y'all don't mind, right?"

She giggled at their vacant sighs. Yes. Anything for Mistress. They were so happy she was taking what she wanted from them. She could do whatever she wanted to them, and they would be so, so happy to allow it.

"Kitten?"

"Mm?" Kitten squirmed slightly, clearly desperate to mew but scared to do it without Mistress telling her to directly.