Do the right thing, not talking about a black or white thing

“I actually can’t believe Rose is going around naked all day today. I mean, it’s Rose, but even still I expected she had some limits!”

“I know, that is so-”

“MARY!”

Mary’s head jerked up and she turned to see Sylvia walking towards her. The blonde was carrying a tray of food, and her eyes were shining with admiration. The redhead was just finishing up her breakfast and enjoying a nice conversation with Kim, and had actually been planning to leave. But seeing as how the blonde was coming over, she could be polite enough to listen to what she had to say.

“Oh, Sylvia,” Mary greeted her with a smile that she hoped didn’t seem forced. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the other girl, it was just…

…Sylvia had done a lot of bad stuff. And unlike Rose, who was clearly remorseful for her actions and had done a lot to apologize and make up for them, sometimes Mary wasn’t even sure if Sylvia understood what she did was wrong.

But given the fact that the round was soon coming to an end, and Mary wasn’t sure if Sylvia would remain in Nick’s harem or not, she did feel a great amount of sympathy for the other woman, especially given her treatment at the hands of Dakota.

“What are you doing today, my girl?” Sylvia asked, setting down her tray and sidling up next to Mary. She was practically rubbing against her, much to Mary’s discomfort. The redhead adjusted her posture, pointedly scooting far enough away to where they were no longer making contact.

Sylvia quickly scooted after her, much to the other girl’s chagrin.

“…I was planning on preparing for my cooking lesson this afternoon,” Mary calmly replied. “With all this business with the siren, what was her name again? Serenity? It’s been some time since we’ve had a good get together.”

Mary had called off the lesson yesterday because Dani had spent the whole day out with Carly, Morgana had been with Nick, and Rose… well, it wasn’t sanitary to be cooking while naked, and Rose seemed actually relieved to hear that she didn’t have to follow through on that particular obligation. Which only left Gina… and Mary got enough of her as it was.

“On the topic of the siren, can I ask you something?” Kim scowled. “Is there a reason why I got ripped off? Dani bought her that swimsuit, and I didn’t get my cut! Talk about a rip-off!”

Sylvia shrugged, not even looking at the other girl. “I guess you don’t get a cut if the clothes aren’t actually going to someone in the harem. Sorry, next time be more selective who you sell to.”

Kim’s eye twitched, but she kept her composure. “…Whatever. Anyway, since you asked, I’m planning on working today.”

“That’s nice.”

It was clear that Sylvia was all eyes for Mary. She wasn’t being rude about it- not intentionally, anyway- but it was clear that’s where things stood.

Kim sighed and shook her head in exasperation.

“…Well, it seems you two have some stuff to talk about,” she said, leaning back. “Guess I might as well finish my breakfast then.”

Mary sighed too.

“Sylvia…”

“Yes?” Sylvia leaned in, practically hanging off of Mary’s every word.

“…Do you want something?”

That question actually got Sylvia to pull back. She looked shyly up at Mary, twirling a lock of blonde hair with her finger.

“Well…”

“Sylvia?”

“I-I was wondering… um… could we hang out today?” Sylvia’s watery eyes gazed hopefully at the other woman. “Just the two of us, I mean!”

“What, you and me?” Mary was surprised to hear that. “I-I mean… I suppose we could, but why-?”

“Oh, thank you!” Sylvia gushed, turning and hugging her tightly. “I’m so happy! This is going to be so much fun!”

Mary glanced warily over at Kim and mouthed the words “help me” to her friend.

Kim couldn’t hide the amused smile on her face, and gave Mary a thumbs-up.

Mary hung her head and sighed.

“…Like I said, I have cooking club this afternoon,” Mary reminded Sylvia, prying the other girl off of her.

“That’s fine!” Sylvia chirped. “I’d love to learn some more about cooking from you! It would be just the best!”

“R-really?” Mary wasn’t sure about that. “You actually are interested in cooking?”

“…Well, no, not at all,” Sylvia bluntly replied. “That’s what the faeries are for. And Holly.”

Mary’s eye twitched. “Then why?”

“To spend time with you, of course!” Sylvia said, rolling her eyes like that was the most obvious thing in the world. “Dakota never taught me anything about cooking. But you would! It can be a mother-daughter cooking lesson, and that’s always been my dream!”

Mary’s jaw dropped.

“…And with that, I think it’s time for my shift,” Kim said, wisely choosing to exit herself from the conversation. She suppressed a smirk as she stared at Mary’s desperate expression, begging her not to leave her alone with Sylvia.

“Bye, Kim!” Sylvia waved the asian girl off without even looking her way. Again, not because she was trying to be rude or dismissive, but because the only thing she could see was the farmgirl in front of her.

Mary forced herself to smile.

“Sylvia… you know I’m not your mother, right?” She reminded the other girl.

“Uh, duh?” Sylvia rolled her eyes, acting like Mary had just said “You know I’m not the queen of the moon, right?”

“…Then why…?”

“Well, Daddy is my Daddy, right?” Sylvia pointed out. “So if you’re married to Daddy, which you are, then doesn’t that make you my Mommy?”

May could definitely see how Sylvia’s brain could make that connection, tenuous as it was. And it wasn’t like the other woman hadn’t said this before, either.

But still, best to nip this in the bud. If it were Dawn, she could probably think of a dozen rational ways to defuse the situation.

Mary’s brain started frying like an overheated computer.

“That- that- no!” She sputtered, steam coming out of her ears. “I-I’m your step-mother, at best!”

Sylvia tilted her head to the side. “So? Daddy has a great relationship with his step-mom, more or less.”

Mary blushed, remembering Amelia. Was that really how Sylvia saw her?

She quickly regained her composure. No, she needed to cut this off. “This is completely different,” she asserted. “Sylvia, you and I are just friends, I’m not your ‘Mommy’.”

Sylvia’s eyes widened. “You mean we’re friends?!”

“Uh…” Mary hadn’t really meant to say that part, but now that it had slipped out, what was she going to do, deny it? Until now, she hadn’t even considered the possibility, but her lips had made a decision before her brain had a chance to consult with them.

“…I suppose so?” She stammered, still not sure how the conversation had gotten to this point. “But anyway, all I’m trying to say is that just because Nick is willing to indulge this… ‘Daddy-Daughter’ dynamic, that doesn’t mean I have to see you as my daughter, understood?”

Mary winced. That had come out a lot harsher than it had sounded in her head, and the crushed expression on Sylvia’s face made her feel like a monster.

“I-I guess that’s fair,” Sylvia mumbled, looking down. “I mean, you and I… we have our issues, don’t we?”

“No, Sylvia, that came out wrong!” Mary shook her head frantically. “I was just trying to say that I don’t want any part of this fantasy you’ve concocted… no, that’s not right, either…”

At this point, Mary wasn’t even sure what she was trying to do. Comfort Sylvia, certainly, but she was clearly not having very much success on that front.

She sighed and hung her head.

“…Look, Sylvia, I care about you, I really do,” Mary said gently. “I know that you care a lot about Nick, and that’s good. And I know you’ve really been trying hard to become a better person, after everything that happened…”

“I am!” Sylvia nodded frantically. “I talked with Dawn a lot last night, and she gave me all sorts of ideas about how to get along better with people and treat them with respect.”

“Well that’s good!” Mary nodded, brightening. She was glad that Sylvia was taking efforts to grow as a person.

Sylvia’s positive aura didn’t last long, though, and she soon let out a sigh. “…But it’s hard,” she admitted glumly. “Sometimes, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do…”

Mary winced. “What do you mean?” She asked.

“I mean… look, it’s like this, okay?” Sylvia slumped over onto the table. “I’m trying to be a good person, really, I am. And not just because I want people to like me, either, like you said! I really, really want everybody to be happy! It’s practically my whole reason for existence! But… I just don’t know how to do that. I’m not some Pretty Mary Sunlight like you, my girl, I’m just… I’m me.”

Mary frowned. She could understand the problem Sylvia found herself in. And she was happy to see that Sylvia was trying, really, she was.

“I’m glad,” she said, placing her hand on Sylvia’s shoulder. “That’s called empathy, Sylvia. Thinking about how others feel, and wanting the best for them.”

“Yeah!” Sylvia nodded, her attitude picking up. “That’s right! I’m empathetic now! Yeah! There’s never BEEN an em as pathetic as me!”

“Uh… sure…” Mary forced a smile. “That’s one way to look at it…”

Sylvia’s mood had done 180 after 180, to the point where she was practically spinning in circles! And Mary was just trying to hold on.

“So what do I do? I need tips.”

Mary blinked. “…Huh?”

“To be empathetic!” Sylvia urged. “You’re really good at that stuff, right? The caring for people and doing nice things for them? I need me some of that. Dawn said I should do good stuff and not be so rude to people, but I’m not quite sure what that entails…”

Mary nodded. “Well… what did you come up with?”

“Well, when she asked me what ‘doing something nice’ looked like, I told her that buying a transformation for someone was nice!” Sylvia explained. “Then she did the thing where her ears droop, and she took off her glasses to pinch her nose.”

Mary did just that, minus the glasses.

“Sylvia, that… that’s a big no,” she said, shaking her head. “Why do you think someone would like a transformation?”

“Well, you do,” Sylvia reminded her. “Don’t you like making milk all the time?”

Mary turned red. “That… now listen here, that’s not…”

Sylvia stared innocently at her.

“Not… completely wrong…” Mary was forced to admit. Her honesty had gotten her snared in a very dangerous trap.

“So what’s the problem?”

The redhead sighed. “The problem is that you don’t always know what’s going to make someone happy. If you choose to give them a transformation, what if it’s a bad one? Then you’d be making them sad!”

“But I wanted to make them happy,” Sylvia pointed out. “So don’t I get credit for that?”

“Sylvia, it’s not about credit. Your intentions can be good, but if your actions still result in harm, then that means you still did something wrong.”

Sylvia scrunched up her face, not sure she understood what the other girl was getting at.

“…Are you sure you’re a Christian?”

Mary scowled.

“…Okay, okay, we’ll forget the transformations!” Sylvia held up her hands in surrender. “That’s just it though, isn’t it? I don’t know what to do to actually make people happy. I’m not a moron, my girl. I know that the way I look at things… it’s not exactly the same way as other people.”

Mary sighed. “Well… at least you understand that. A lot of people in your position might not.”

Sylvia could recognize the fact that she was marching to the tune of a different drummer, and that was a start, at least.

“What if you start small, then?” Mary asked. “This is something I learned about in Sunday School.”

Sylvia crinkled up her nose. “Sunday… School? But don’t people only go to school on the weekdays?”

Mary shook her head. “For traditional education that’s the case. Sunday School is something that certain churches have. Think of it like a whole entire extra day of learning, focusing on the Bible!”

Sylvia’s jaw dropped. “So wait, you have to go to a whole other day of school? Do Christians just hate their children or something?”

It was a testament to Mary’s infinite patience that Sylvia’s neck hadn’t already been wrung like a dish towel.

“…We’re going to move past that,” Mary said, taking a deep breath and exhaling all of her murderous impulses, like Jesus would have done. “Now, I learned this in first grade. So it might be a little too complicated for you, but just try, okay?”

“Ah, there’s the Christian condescension I’ve heard so much about.”

Again, Mary moved past that.

“This is called ‘Three Daily Acts of Kindness’,” Mary informed her blasphemous companion. “The goal behind it is that every day, you try to come up with three things you can do to make other people’s life better. And you don’t want to take credit for it, or boast about it! You can’t be getting anything out of it, other than pride in having made someone else’s day better.”

Sylvia was pretty sure that pride was one of those seven deadly sins that churchfolk were always railing against, but she was smart enough by this point to understand that repeatedly trashing Mary’s religion was counterproductive.

“So three acts of kindness… and they can be anything?”

“Anything,” Mary nodded. “Big or small. As long as they make the other person’s day a little better. Even if they don’t know you’re doing it! So, what do you think?”

“I like it!” Sylvia nodded eagerly. “So what should I do?”

Mary sighed and rubbed her temples. Sylvia didn’t get it at all, did she?

“It doesn’t count if I tell you what to do,” she said gently. “You’ve gotta decide for yourself, what you can do to help others. Just let the Lord into your heart, and you’ll understand how you can make a difference in someone else’s life.”

Sylvia shook her head. “Oh, in that case, no way. Daddy is the only man I want inside of me.”

Mary took a deep breath. At this rate, Sylvia didn’t have to worry about getting eliminated from the harem.

Mary was going to kill her herself.

---

“Okay, I think I have a good idea of what to do!” Sylvia was brimming with excitement as she followed Mary into the kitchen.

“Oh? Is that right?” Mary was only half-paying attention, focusing more on her work right now. “Let’s hear it.”

She wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of being Sylvia’s spiritual guide, but it seemed like a better option than leaving the blonde to her own devices. The carnage that would result from that… yeesh.

“I can volunteer to be Marley’s babysitter again!” Sylvia explained. “That way, Carly and Dani can have fun together! That’s doing something nice, right?”

“Oh! Yes, that would be lovely,” Mary nodded.

“And the best part is that I get to hang out with Marley!” She added. “We had so much fun the other night, it would be a blast!”

The smile fell from Mary’s face.

“Sylvia, what do you care more about in that arrangement?” She asked, fishing for a certain answer from the blonde. “Helping Dani and Carly? Or spending time with your daughter?”

“Oh, spending time with Marley, obviously,” Sylvia replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mary sighed. That was about what she’d expected.

“Nope, doesn’t count,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re doing something for yourself! Helping someone else out is just a bonus to that!”

Sylvia frowned. “And that’s bad?”

“…Well, no, but… it’s not really an act of kindness if you’re doing it for yourself, too,” Mary explained. “You’re not going out of your way to do something. I mean, yes, spend time with Marley and give the two of them some space, that’s good for everyone, but it’s not what we’re talking about here.”

“Oh, okay then,” Sylvia nodded. “Wow, I guess I really have to think hard about this! Thank you for the advice, my girl.”

Mary nodded. “Any time. I’m happy to- Sylvia, what are you doing?”

Sylvia had pulled up her screen, and was typing something into it.

“I’m buying an upgrade for one of Gina’s transformations,” she explained. “You can do that, you know? It just costs more than when someone does it themselves.”

Mary gasped. “No-! But… we just talked about this, Sylvia, you can’t!”

Sylvia frowned. “But you said I couldn’t buy a new transformation for someone,” she pointed out. “Not that I couldn’t upgrade one!”

“It’s the same thing!” Mary shook her head. “No, you can’t!”

Sylvia groaned. “I can’t give someone new transformations, I can’t upgrade people’s transformations, what can I- Oh! I just thought of something!”

Mary winced. She was glad that Sylvia was trying, she really was, but the other girl’s ideas were just so… twisted.

“I still have my veto!” Sylvia reminded her. “Mary! Are there any transformations you don’t want? Ones you need a break from?”

Mary stared at Sylvia in surprise. “N-no,” she said quickly. “No, I don’t…”

“But that’s a good idea?” Sylvia asked.

Mary honestly didn’t know what to say about it. “Let’s just come up with some other ideas, okay?” She encouraged.

Sylvia nodded. Now that she was thinking in that vein, there was a lot she could do!

---

“Gina!” Sylvia caught up to the punk girl on her way down the hall, back to her room. Gina turned and looked at them, wearing an amused expression on her face.

“Well, this is a combination I don’t see very often,” she said, suppressing her grin. “Mary and Sylvia, together? I know you want kids, Mary, but you’re adopting them kind of old, don’t you think?”

Mary turned red. Her hand drifted to her midriff instinctively.

Sylvia blushed.

“Um… look, Gina… I just wanted to say thanks,” she stated, stepping forward. “You really helped me out a lot when we had our night together.”

“…Oh, yeah! Sure, no problem,” Gina nodded, grinning. “The night we crashed with Nick and Mary, I remember.”

Mary scowled. She remembered, too.

“So that’s all? Saying thanks? Pretty cool,” Gina nodded.

“And I also wanted to talk with you about Dakota,” Sylvia added.

That threw both the other women for a loop.

Gina winced, and then sighed. “Ah, man… talk about a pain in the butt…”

“Sylvia!” Mary hissed. “You didn’t tell me anything about Dakota!”

“B-but… you said I should do something nice for someone,” Sylvia mumbled. “And Dakota… she’s my real mom…”

Mary found herself put in a difficult position. While she wanted to encourage Sylvia to express herself in a positive way, she also knew that Dakota was absolutely toxic for the other girl’s mental state. Hell, Dakota was the REASON Sylvia was so messed up in the first place!

But she couldn’t just tell her to shove it, either.

Gina could, though.

“Look, Sylvia, take it from me,” Gina scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “Forget Dakota. She’s not worth it.”

Sylvia was shocked. But Mary was surprised, too.

“Wait, but… aren’t you two friends?” Mary asked.

Gina seemed pretty uncomfortable by that question. “Yeah,” she said. “We are. But so what? Doesn’t mean I can’t call bullshit out when I see it. And that shit, erasing you? No way.” Gina shook her head sharply. “I can’t support that.”

“Gina…” Sylvia was happy that Gina was willing to stand up for her. She figured that with how little Gina cared about… well… anything, really, she wouldn’t have given a damn.

“Look, take it from me, she’s not worth it,” Gina said, shaking her head. “Parents are poison, guys. My folks, they’re the most toxic, controlling, horrible fucking people I’ve ever met!”

Mary winced. “That’s…”

“It’s true!” Gina didn’t let her get a chance to answer. “They had all these fucking rules for how they wanted me to behave, tried to turn me into their perfect good girl… Sylvia, you know what that’s like, right? Having your folks plan out your whole future for you? You, better than anybody.”

Sylvia winced. True, if anyone could be accused of trying to impose their own will on their child, then it was Dakota.

“I disagree!” Mary put her foot down. “One of the Ten Commandments is to honor thy father and they mother! So-”

“Oh, so Sylvia should honor her mom’s wishes by turning back into sand?” Gina’s eyes flared with challenge and a twisted smile broke her lips. She crossed her arms under her chest, knowing that Mary wouldn’t have an answer for that.

And judging by the pallor of her face, Gina was right.

“That’s…”

“Come on, Mary, you can’t honestly believe that your parents would be cool with what you’ve turned into, right?” Gina gestured to Mary’s outfit. “Your clothes, dressing like a slut? Sleeping with a guy, heck, fucking marrying him, getting knocked up, all while he’s still banging like five other girls? Please. Your folks would kick you out so fucking fast, just like my shitstained ‘parental units’ am I wrong?”

Mary looked like she was on the verge of tears. Sylvia scowled. “That… Gina, that’s enough! You’re going too far!”

Gina could tell she’d gone too far herself. The look of shame blossoming on her cheeks made that clear.

“H-hey… Mary, I’m sorry,” she apologized, looking crestfallen. “Don’t cry… I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I was just making a point…”

She reached out to Mary, but Mary batted her hand away and shook her head.

“No… no, you’re right,” she admitted, wiping her eyes. “My parents… they’d hate me if they saw me. But… I can’t think about that right now. I have to believe in my heavenly Father, and his path for me.”

Her voice dropped down to a whisper. “…It’s the only thing I can do…”

Sylvia felt sick. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, this wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go! She was supposed to make people happy!

“…What a fucking mess,” Gina muttered, scraping at her twisted, knotty hair. “Look, guys, all I’m saying is fuck parents. Live your own fucking lives, and cut them out. That’s all. That’s what I did, and look at me! Getting to please my guy every day!”

She smiled a toothy grin. Sylvia was still impressed that she had a nice set of pearly whites with all the hard drugs she did.

Again, though, she knew better than to comment on that.

Besides, there was something else she had to say, instead.

“…But you still called your family.”

Gina froze.

“Huh?” Mary turned to Sylvia, confused, and then looked to Gina. She was clearly out of the look.

“Well, you did,” Sylvia said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Remember? Back at the end of the second round! I gave each of you one phone call, to anyone you wanted! Gina, you called your family, and-”

“Okay, stop!” Gina snapped, putting her foot down. She clenched her fists. “Sylvia, just… shut up, okay?! You don’t know anything!”

“Gina?!” Mary was stunned by the outburst of anger coming from a girl who usually so laid-back and chill.

“I-I…” Sylvia’s mouth flopped open and closed, as words of apology and confusion swirled around in her head, unspoken.

Immediately, Gina restrained herself, and another guilty expression crossed her face. “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get upset,” she apologized, as her transformation to be a “good girl” kicked in. Just… don’t talk about my folks anymore. Leave it alone.”

With that, she turned and stormed away, leaving a crestfallen and disappointed Sylvia wondering what she’d done wrong.

“But… I was just trying to help…” She mumbled.

Mary placed her hand on the other girl’s shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “You just touched a sensitive spot for her, that’s all. That was still a nice thing you did.”

Sylvia bit her lip, feeling just awful. “What? Hurt her by reminding her that her family cut her off? Yeah, real nice. You’re not very good at this, my girl.”

Mary shook her head and squeezed harder. “No,” she murmured. “Standing up for me like you did just there. It was very nice. Being supportive like that. And you did it without even thinking! I say we count that as your first act of kindness for today!”

Sylvia brightened a little when she heard that. “Really?” She sniffled, wiping her eyes.

“Really,” Mary nodded. “Although… she was right about one thing. Let’s try and focus on someone other than Dakota, alright? At least for now, I mean.”

Sylvia nodded and wiped her nose. “Yeah… okay…”

She looked down at her transparent sleeve, and smiled. “Hey! I just had a great idea!”

---

“You’re really going to buy this many clothes?” Kim was surprised by the stack of clothing Sylvia set down on the counter.

“Yes!” She smiled cheerfully. “Ring it all up, if you would!”

Kim shrugged. “Sure, why not? That comes out to… oh! Just 1200 BP. Not as bad as I thought. And you want to wear one of them out?”

Sylvia: 4700 BP - 1200 BP = 3500 BP

Kim: 4600 BP + 600 BP = 5200 BP

“I don’t really get it,” Mary frowned, following Sylvia out of the store. She was dressed in a new outfit, and one she really rocked. “How is buying new clothes doing something nice?”

Sylvia turned back to Mary and smiled, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Remember this morning? Kim was upset that she didn’t get a commission from Serenity,” Sylvia reminded her. “And she was right, that wasn’t fair. So I wanted to help her out! I bought enough clothes, where now she has over 5000 BP! She can use that BP now, and buy a day in Dream Alley with Daddy! I think she’d like that, don’t you?”

Mary was stunned. Sylvia’s logic… was actually logical.

“That’s… wow, yeah,” she stammered, shaking her head. “So you didn’t buy those clothes because you liked them? It was just to give the BP to Kim?”

“Obviously,” Sylvia said, rolling her eyes. “Like, don’t get me wrong, these outfits are cute and all, but I’m fine with anything. As long as it’s skimpy. No, I just needed an excuse to give Kim some BP, because she’s so proud she probably wouldn’t accept it otherwise.”

Wow.

“Sylvia… I think you just did a really nice thing,” Mary smiled. Her heart swelled with pride for the other girl, and in that moment she was happy to call her a friend.

“Really? I did?!” Sylvia was shocked. “Wow! That’s so great! I feel so warm and sparkly inside! Mary, are you like this ALL the time?”

Unlike the more questionable act of kindness from earlier in the day, this was definitely something that was positive, and kind, with no downsides.

Sylvia felt amazing.

“You did a good job,” Mary smiled. “And if you keep it up, we’ll have done your third act of kindness before you know it!”

“Yeah!” Sylvia nodded enthusiastically. She leapt onto Mary and hugged her tightly. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your support, Mommy!”

Mary blushed and averted her eyes. “D-don’t call me… oh, okay, whatever,” she sighed in resignation, patting her on the back. While she didn’t think of herself as Sylvia’s mother and she DEFINITELY never would… it felt nice, being treated like that. Having someone be so grateful just for the smallest things anyone would do for them.

It honestly… got her kind of worked up. She felt a heat in her womb, urging her, telling her that she should go ahead and have babies already, like she was supposed to.

Every time Sylvia looked at her with adoration like a daughter would to her mother, Mary felt that tug, making her wish that she really WAS a mother already!

…Not Sylvia’s mother, per se, but a mother for sure. The idyllic traditional housewife of her dreams. Taking care of the babies, staying home, playing games, changing diapers, reading bedtime stories, cooking meals…

Mary gasped.

“Ah! I can’t believe I nearly forgot!” She exclaimed.

“What?” Sylvia asked. “What is it?”

“Cooking club!” Mary cried. “We need to go get ready! Everything’s prepared, but the other girls are going to be here any second!”

“O-oh, that’s not good!” Sylvia could see the problem. “Hey, how about I help you out? You know, as my third act of kindness?”

Mary didn’t know if that really counted, but she didn’t have time to think about it right now. They needed to get going as fast as possible, and get to the kitchen!

---

Fortunately, the two of them made it just in time.

“What took you so long?” Holly asked, tapping her foot impatiently. “The others are going to be here any minute!”

Mary didn’t have an answer. All she could do is respond with an awkward, embarrassed shrug.

“We got caught up in something, and we lost track of time,” Sylvia explained, stepping in for Mary. “You wouldn’t believe how much you can forget when you no longer have control over all time on the island, you know?”

She tried to laugh it off, but Holly wasn’t exactly amused by that statement.

She sighed in exasperation, and nodded.

“Well, okay then,” she mumbled, tugging at a fringe of hair. “Let’s just get on with it, okay? Sylvia? Are you sitting in?”

“You know me!” Sylvia grinned. “I love cooking! I mean, theoretically, anyway. I probably like it.”

Mary sighed. It would have to do. “Well, we’ve got a simple recipe for today,” she assured the other girl.

Holly snorted. “Nothing simple about pizza.”

Sylvia’s face lit up. “Pizza?! Can I put anything I want on it?”

“Did someone say pizza?”

Mary and Holly turned to see Rose peek in through the doorway. Her body was hidden from sight, leaving just her face, which was red with shame.

“Oh, Rose,” Mary noted. “You’re actually here?”

“Mary, um, I’m sorry I don’t know if I can grace you with my presence yesterday,” Rose murmured. “But I don’t know if I can risk cooking without clothes on.”

Mary frowned. That was true.

“But I heard we were making a pizza?” She inquired. She sounded almost disappointed.

Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Just come on in, Rose, nobody cares.”

Rose took a deep breath, then exhaled. She scooted into the room, still holding her hands over extremities. “Nick isn’t coming, right? It’s just going to be us girls?”

“Yeah,” Holly nodded. “As soon as the others get here. Morgana is still hiding in her room, probably.” A coy smile crossed her face. “After last night… I don’t blame her.”

Mary blushed, and Sylvia whistled.

Holly continued, “And I suspect Gina will be late as usual, so we’re really just waiting on Dani.”

Sylvia and Mary glanced at each other. They were both thinking the same thing.

“Gina… may not be coming today,” Mary mumbled.

“Hmm?” Holly blinked.

The redhead didn’t elaborate, and Sylvia just winced.

But then, the door to the kitchen swung open… and it was Gina!

“You made it!” Mary’s face lit up.

Gina wouldn’t even look her way. Her cheeks were flushed. “Yeah, well… whatever, right?” She muttered, sliding onto a stool. “I’m the one who asked for this class in the first place, and I might as well, right?”

Really, it was her transformation compelling her to honor her agreements, like a good girl would. But she didn’t have to tell them that part.

Not that Mary cared, anyway. She was just happy that Gina was here!

And not long after Gina, they got another surprise.

“Hey, um… is it cool if I sit in?” Dawn asked, poking her head into the kitchen. She looked a little embarrassed, like she was ashamed to ask. “I don’t plan to cook, or anything like that… I’m not very good at it… but… something sure smells nice…”

She sniffed the air, and her cheeks flushed a little darker.

“…You mean the dough?” Mary was surprised. But she didn’t press any further.

There was an awkward tension in the air. Dawn wanted to be here, but felt out of place since she didn’t usually come. And Gina, a regular, wanted to be anywhere else.

And the presence of Sylvia was quite a disruption.

Mary, meanwhile, was just waiting for Dani to show up. Hopefully, the tomboy would be able to break the awkward silence!

But when Dani finally came, five minutes late, she looked off. Her eyes had a distant gleam in them, and she had a shiftiness about her, like she was distracted by something.

That caused the others to get concerned.

“Dani, is everything alright?” Dawn asked.

“…Huh? Oh, yeah… sorry, I just had some stuff to think about,” Dani muttered, shaking her head. “Sorry. I was caught up in my thoughts. What’s up? I heard something about pizza?”

“Yeah,” Mary nodded, brightening a little now that she could see Dani was in a better mood. “We’re making pizzas! All kinds!”

“That’s pretty cool,” Gina said, cracking a smile. Her attitude had improved. “Hey! I know! Why don’t we use these pizzas for my party tomorrow? Up in the Master’s Suite?”

At the mention of the Master’s Suite, Dani twitched.

“Something up?” Dawn didn’t miss much. “You’re nervous about your night with Nick, huh? Well, it’s no big deal. You two never do anything together, and-”

“It’s more complicated than you think,” Dani said, cutting her off with a shake of her head. “Carly and I… we were talking about something… and I did something really stupid.”

Dani explained to everyone the idea she’d agreed to with Carly.

“…Yeah, that’s really stupid,” Gina agreed. “I mean, cucking yourself just to… what? Prove your feelings or whatever? Dumb.”

“I think it’s sweet!” Holly fought back.

Gina rolled her eyes and smirked. “Of course you do,” she scoffed. “You’re a cuck by default! At least I’m a sex slave who actually gets some!”

Holly shot her a withering look.

“Guys!” Mary wailed. “We’re wasting time! I picked out so many different toppings for us to try! I was preparing all morning!” Except for when she was helping Sylvia. But as far as Mary was concerned, it might as well have been the whole morning.

Rose sighed and shifted the way she held her boobs. “Mary… it’s just the way things are sometimes,” she said sagely. “Us girls need to stick together.”

“It’s just… I don’t know what to make of this,” Dani said, shaking her head. “Am I crazy? Am I making a big mistake? I keep thinking that this is so twisted and wrong, putting myself into this situation… and I don’t even know if it’ll help!”

“Oh?” Dawn frowned. “Why not? You would at least be able to know how you feel, right? About seeing Nick and Carly having sex?”

Dani shook her head again. “I thought so… but my transformation… it’s making me doubt myself.”

“Which one?” Mary asked. Dani had a lot of problematic transformations.

Dani sighed. “The one where I don’t care about Nick seeing me naked, or touching me. That one’s fucked me up really badly.”

“Really?” Gina frowned. “I thought that would be a transformation you would like?”

“I mean, it’s more helpful than the alternative,” Dani sighed. “But because of it… I don’t even know how much of myself I can trust, you know? Right now, the idea of seeing Carly and Nick together… I don’t mind it that much. And that’s weird, right? I should care! We’re dating! But it’s like, I’m just so ‘whatever’ about it!”

She glared at Sylvia. “Because my default’s been messed with so much, I don’t even know what’s normal and what’s not anymore.”

“So you think there’s some subconscious thing inserted in your transformation, that would make you okay with this?” Dawn asked, frowning. “I can see why that would be a problem… but I don’t think it’s likely.”

“It’s not even that!” Dani groaned. “It’s the not knowing! I can’t say for sure if there’s not! Maybe it’s how I would normally feel, maybe it’s how the show’s made me feel, I don’t even know which is the case!”

Sylvia shook her head. “It’s not the transformation,” she stated. “There’s nothing in that transformation that would make you fine with your girlfriend sleeping with Daddy. If you’re fine with it, then that’s all on you. I should know, I’m the one who created it!”

Dani glared at her.

“Sorry if I don’t take your word on that,” she replied. “You’re not exactly in my most trusted people on the show.”

Sylvia winced. But that criticism was fair.

Then her eyes widened. “Wait!” She exclaimed, slapping the counter. “That’s it! I just had the perfect idea!”

Mary sighed. Somehow, she just knew that that idea wasn’t “baking pizzas”.