"Stop," Araxis said, sharp, and his creche-mate huffed out a fluting breath and looked back to their wrist.He shifted, hand stroking my back."Each participant receives residuals based on their engagement numbers and, if they win, a portion of the legally placed bets.It is part of the contract negotiations."
I hadn't done any negotiation.I'd just asked Alet Trident to take care of it, and she had.I straightened as Vivith and Araxis continued to review numbers and stipulations about preparation for the Tournament,riflingthrough my own files until I found the copy of my Tournament contract.
I wasn't particularly surprised when I got to the part aboutresidualsand found that Alet Trident had stipulated that any additional revenue was to be assigned to her den.She was the beneficiary.
I snapped the contract shut.Vivith and Araxis weredeep in their own copy of the hefty conglomerate contract,picking apart exactly whatwas consideredpermissiblepast contactfor the two of us.I forced myself to pay attention: this was important.If Araxis was going to help me – if he was going to doall of thisfor me– then I needed to make sure I was an asset in the arena and in the lead-up.
We couldn't have an alliance going in,that much was clear.Therules around preexisting allianceshad beenset in place after a series of biryat mercenaries coordinated to enter separately andthencut a bloody swath to the prize, although they’d turned on each other in the end so it had still been a net win for broadcast numbers.The conglomerate now screened applicants to assure that they didn’t have any prior relationships that wouldinterferewith the competition.While sometimes competitors would join once they’d heard who else had entered – like a voltaari cultist entering when they’d heard an acolyte from a rival cult would be participating;voltaari cultists did love their blood feuds– Vivith was pretty sure ‘he just needed a ride to the area’ wasn’t going to pass muster.While we were in a bit of a gray area, timeline- and relationship-wise, we all agreed it was better to err on the side of caution,which meant we definitely couldn't arrive together.
"Alright,"I said finally, rubbing at my eyes wearily."So we arrive separately andpretend we're strangers and over the twelve days leading up to the Tournament's start, we – what?Suddenly decide we're going to help each other out?"
Vivith made an irritated sound."It cannot behappenstance.You will be recorded the entire time: in the training rooms, in the dining hall, in your quarters, the halls and balconies.You must make your…relationshipconvincing forthe broadcaster andan audience of millions, and then you might offer Araxis assistance within the arena.You will work with him, and then you will yieldand our Araxis, being magnanimous, will spare your life, though you would be easy enough to kill."Their lips thinned."Thisshould not be so difficult for youto follow, Sashen Solar.You excel at pretending."
I couldn't tell if that was a dig at my profession, my species, or what I was doing with Araxis."For fuck's sake," I muttered in English, looking pointedly away.The last thing I needed was to lose my temper.It wasn't easy to make me mad enough to lose control – Iwas well-versed in working with the public in all states of intoxication – but Vivith put a strain on even my deepest reserves of patience.And maybe those wells were running a little dry anyway, given the current state of my life.
Araxissaid something to Vivith in abayan, beforereaching out to pour teafrom our second pot.He slid a cup first to me and then to Vivith before picking his own up."Let us discuss a timeline, then.Vivith is correct in that we will not be able to communicate freely once we arrive on Thenat-6.But I am not worried, Sashen: I do not think it will be so difficult for us to seem that we are drawn together, hm?"He leaned, nudging my shoulder with his own.
When I looked back, Vivithwaswatching us, their eyes gleaming as their attention flickered between me and Araxis."He is virra," they said finally to Araxis, tone flat."You should consider falling in love."
I choked on my tea, thumping a fist hard against my chest as I wheezed."What?"
Next to me, Araxis's eyes were pinched with concern, his own drink set aside so that he might press a hand to my shoulder.
"I'm fine," I said, sputtering and coughing."Just went down the wrong pipe."
"The wrongpipe?"Vivith's face flashed with disgust.
"I know, bad design."I coughed again."Digestive and respiration systems in the same tube?Recipe for disaster."
"How your species ever managed to reach space remains a mystery."Vivith squinted at me, as if I'd personally decided on how to design humans and then put us into the galaxy where we clearly didn't belong.
Araxis threaded his fingers through my hair, leaning close to examine me.I wiped my eyes and smiled at him."I'mfine," I insisted."Vivith just surprised me."
"Could this happen any time?"He frowned, as if an entirely new realm of worry had opened up ahead of him.
"No," I said, firm."Well, yes, if I'm eating or drinking.Or sometimes I can choke on my own spit, but that's not usually so bad."Then, in a quieter voice, "You'd be amazed what doesn't make me choke, though."Araxis flushed the prettiest pink,gently running his nails across my scalpin the most delicious wayas I leaned into his touch.
Next to us, Vivith fluted out the longest, flattest sound."An alliance based on presumed merit in combat would be unbelievable.Beingbesottedwould surely convince even the most skeptical viewers.Let us make a plan, and then you can practice making eyes at one another.At least it will be out ofmyline of sight."
So we did: we sat with Vivith and a string of dates, and we mapped out exactly what we might do and when to convince the eager audiences that we were striking a genuine alliance.That we were apparentlyfalling in love.I was sure that Araxis wouldn't want to play pretend for the whole galaxy, but he seemed unconcerned, eager to make suggestions and to implement a scheme with military precision.Once that was finished, Vivith produced a short dossier with a list of other contestants, which they sent to my wristband with an efficient flick.Clearly it was out-of-date since I wasn't anywhere to be found, and it wasincrediblyagainst the rules… but we'd leave our devices here on the ship to avoid detection.We decided that Araxis would drop me off on a nearby waystation, where I'd charm my way into a ride to Thenat-6: this close to the moon, and this close to the Tournament, I should be able to get someone to give me a lift just by saying I'd be working the event.I had a contract with the media conglomerate.Vivith even offered to prep a redacted copy to load onto a simple chip that could be scanned and shared.
We'd been sitting for so long that my stomach started to rumble.When I got up to go make myself some soup, Araxis stopped me, tugging me back down."I will make you something," he said, firm, and then stepped away from the table, leaving Vivith and I by ourselves.
I didn't look at them, instead flashing up the profiles of the six contestants in the Tournament.It was possible that there'd be others we didn't know about, but we'd figure that out as we went."This information must have been hard to come by," I said, maybe like apeace offering.Like I was noticing something valuable Vivith brought to the table, considering most of what they brought anywhere seemed to betroubleandashitty attitude.
"It was expensive," they said, flat."But I expect you know that: you worked for an information broker.You are aware of what files cost.The more proprietary information is, the more she can charge."
"Yeah, but I don't think Alet Trident trades in stuff like this.She mostly just had us listen for gossip – which diplomat owed which corporate entity money, who was working on a marriage contract with which political dynasty.Who wanted a dancer to fuck them while someone else watched."
Vivith's nostrils narrowed in distaste.
It was maybe a little fun to push their buttons.I opened my mouth to add a few more details, when Vivith scowled."Talvi, go back to the nest," they said, just as two little handsgraspedat my arm.Talvishoved their head under my bicep and nestled their cheek against my chest.
"Our Sashen wasn't in his room this morning," Talvi whined.They squirmed a little closer, squeezing into my lap and pulling on my arm so it tucked around their narrow shoulders.
"Talvi."Vivith's tone was sharp, a harsh subvocal lurking underneath.
Talvi whined with upset."But he'sleavingtomorrow, Vivith, and –"
