Day 0: Cooking lunch and Gossip

Author’s note: text in square brackets is in primordial, the language of elementals, though the sound might be different, the understanding is the same. I will use this going forward to differentiate the two languages better when spoken.

“Sure, let’s check out my place first.”

The group wandered in. Jessica fawned over all the flowers displayed in the windows, where Jesse looked at a terrarium with a tiny wildscape in it, but lacking animals. The tiny cabin felt bigger on the inside. It had a large living room where you could play games if you wanted to, and a large dining table that easily fit 10 people. The bathroom was also large enough to house the four of them in just the shower and several sinks that doubled as vanities, no bath, but that wasn’t a necessity. The kitchen was a fully functioning kitchen with food supplies. Chris took out his phone to check if this was supposed to be the case.

“We can have lunch here and head to the canteen to check out the board and the store afterwards, or eat there and do it in one go?”

“No guarantee we can eat whatever we want there anyway. Here we get to pick. So let’s eat here, more cosy anyway.” Jessica said. Ryan nodded along, and so did Jesse. “So we're eating some pancakes?”

“Too many carbs for me, I need to be careful what I eat,” Ryan responded.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Ryan. You might still, but not as much as you used to, at least.” Chris thought out loud.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, let’s say you would gain ten kilos now from whatever food you ate. You would at most gain 9, IF I didn’t want you to gain the weight. Also, any weight would be placed in aesthetically pleasing places for the most part, likely. You never were an outdoor person before, but now that you have to camp. You might need some more for the activities, Mr Homebody.”

Ryan glared as Chris explained his reasoning. Chris wasn’t wrong, but it would require trusting his transformation and maybe upgrading. “FINE, eat pancakes, but also make me a salad as a side so I don’t stuff myself too much.”

Chris and Jessica went into the kitchen as Jesse and Ryan remained. “Maybe a weird question, but we arrived last, so how do you know Chris?”

“We run a business together, and we went to college together. Missy started dating him whilst we were there. She cheated on him with William. Heather Jackson is a frequent client or indirect client, or the opposition of our client might be better. Now you know who everyone is. Because if you are childhood friends with Chris, you likely also are with Becky.”

“Wait, you are glossing over a few things here. The bitchy girl in gym clothes is his ex? The gym bro, the guy she cheated with? Are you for real?”

“Yep. Apparently, he didn’t know he had flipped after he was handed the information through his introduction. He lashed out at Missy and dumped her. Respect for that Giraffe.”

“Giraffe?”

“We play shooters together sometimes. Didn’t know he was dating Missy, else I would have told him and asked him to apologise to Chris. Not that it would have mattered.”

“Why would it not have mattered?”

“Ohh yeah, you weren’t here when Syl explained why she picked us. Each of us has a shitty romance life, or better put, a lack of it. Will and Missy hadn’t yet, but would. I would eventually find out, and their relationship would crash. Fate, it seems, all leads to the crash of their relationship. Afterwards, neither finds another partner.”

“William is partly to blame for that himself. Do you know how this would include me?”

“Nope… but seeing how you haven’t had any relationships like Becky, I suspect you were picked for a similar reason. You or Chris liked the other, didn’t say it, and you closed yourself off after contact was broken off.”

“That seems more specific than a random guess. Then again, reasoning based on another's reason seems fine. How can you be so sure Chris has a crush on us?”

“He guessed your introduction. I have been with him long enough that I know when he has a crush on someone. It was cute when Chris blushed and hid away when prodded on why he thought he had a strong emotional connection to you.”

“Wait, so… is that why he wanted to know what happened in that other timeline?”

“Probably if I had to guess.”

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jessica was making the batter whilst Chris was making Ryan’s salad. “Ryan has been eating more and more salad as he has gotten older, good for him, couldn’t be me. I love my high-calorie food.” Chris said to start a conversation. Not that he minded the quiet, but this was a dating show.

“From what you said during Becky’s transformations, you need it. Do you know why?”

“I had some talks with my doctors about it, and it seems like I run a bit hot. We also did some tests on my testosterone for sanity. They said I am in the higher range of safe or normal, don’t remember which. Nothing to worry about, they do check every year to make sure it doesn’t increase, though.”

“That doesn’t sound like your doctors aren’t worried about it.” The woman glared worriedly as she spoke the words.

“Sorry, Mom, they do worry because if it increases, it can have all of the effects of steroid overusage. It can also be an indicator of a tumour or something that produces it. They did check for it when it was first discovered. You know to be sure there isn’t anything brewing. Catching it early is better than late. No reason to worry about it. I will encounter it when I get there.” Chris spoke as if he had had this conversation a dozen times, likely with family. “They did talk about looking into ways to mitigate it, but didn’t care for it immediately. I told them if it gets dangerous, sure, but right now I think the risks of the medication outweigh the benefits of it. I get super easily muscular, gain less fat and need to eat more, if that is what are the consequences of it means to be high, it’s fine. They thought about it and agreed. My symptoms didn’t warrant the medication.”

“You know, many trans people would kill for those types of medication, right?”

“Yep, and if I handed them over to them, I would hurt both them and me. It would hurt them due to sadly not being taken seriously; you need numbers recorded. I would be hurt because my doctors would not take me seriously anymore, or worse, assume it doesn’t do anything and panic.”

“Good point… How do you feel about Missy and William being here?”

“William seems like a dude in over his head. He was a tool and still is a tool, just of a different kind. He was used by Missy, but if he treated you like you couldn’t do something because you are now a woman, that means he is a prick. Missy… part of me wants to abandon her, but the part of me that remembers ethics screams don’t let the girl lose all that makes her, her. She hurt me, she fucking asked me out on a date and had William rail her when I would come to pick her up, so I would find them. Who does that?”

“Wait, we heard from Ryan that she was your ex, and they had cheated together. Not how you two broke up, the bitch! That is beyond unreasonable! You have done more than we would have in your position. She doesn’t seem to want to do anything to make it right, though, as opposed to William, who is open to the idea. How will you make it so she doesn’t get eliminated?”

“Short leash is a useful tool, but it would also feel very rapey… I could use it, but would I be able to live with myself? I have time to figure it out though… Also, double dates are a thing I have no idea who she would invite to score VP or how that would work.”

Suddenly, Jessica blushed. “Uhmm... I understand that..." She had an expression that communicated something was occupying her mind, but she didn't fully want to talk about it. "I want to shift topics quickly, and this might be awkward… But Ryan said something that I want to confirm with you. Did you and or do you like me?”

“I did, and whilst I can’t say anything about romantically yet. I have no idea who you are now, but both of you are still attractive. I am not sure which of you I like the most, though; both of you have your charms.” Chris responded shyly with a blush on his face.

Jessica became beet red. “Then this might be a good opportunity to check if that can grow, I suppose. Well, we don’t have actual time, only a few weeks, and of those, only a single date a week for two of me.”

[It is ‘Harem Hotel’, not ‘Romance Hotel’. Sir, you will not end up with only a single individual. All of the contestants will be your partner in the end; it is best to remind them of this.] Ember said.

With a nod, Chris repeated this minus the sir. “So you need to get comfortable around sharing me. We have little choice if what production has been whispering in my ear is true. You need to be comfortable around me. I won’t demand that you are okay dating others, but… We have little in the way of us dating, it seems.” He added before turning to face her. “So you have been whisking for a while. Give it a moment to rest; it will help reduce clumps by letting the flour hydrate naturally.”

“What do you want me to do instead?” She asked, putting the bowl on the counter.

“No idea, but we need to give each other more attention.” Chris grabbed Jessica’s hand, looking her in the eyes, not letting go for a moment. “It doesn’t matter, but we need to explore what we will mean to each other.”