Fruits de Mer

Preparations were in full swing as the sun crossed the sky, transitioning from the bright azure of day to the ombre of red and orange that would give way to black evening. In the game room, Lily and Maya had moved things around so that the oblong poker table was in the center of the room, with chairs set up all around. A small stack of games was on a side table; after much deliberation, the duo had managed to pick out four games that felt like a good fit for the group, even if one was purely on Maya’s insistence and Lily just had to trust that it would work out.

Now the two were helping with Maddy’s setup of refreshments. The chef had begun moving things into the room about half an hour ago, and it became clear that if left to her own devices, she was going to try to move everything on her own. So the two had insisted on their assistance, and now a cavalcade of eats was present in the room.

It was clear the chef had spared no time in putting together as much as possible given the time frame that had been available. A charcuterie board of various meats, fruits, and cheeses was the centerpiece, but there were also sandwiches of various types cut in halves and put on display for easy grabbing. She had also filled two large glass drink dispensers, one with cucumber-accented water and the other with some sort of hibiscus tea; both drinks were filled with ice and collecting condensation as they sat on the table.

The group had just finished bringing in a melon filled with its balled innards when the door opened and announced Mira’s entrance to the game room.

Looking over the preparations, the agent’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ before asking, “Is there anything I can do to help set up?”

Maya enthusiastically shook her head, “Maddy’s just coming up with the last thing from the kitchens now; you can just relax.”

Taking an uncertain seat, Mira leaned on her arm, “If I had known you needed help setting things up, I would have come sooner; I was just looking around the island.”

“Well, it kind of just naturally expanded as we got started; I don’t think Maya really thought through what having a gathering like this involved,” Lily remarked as she took a seat of her own.

Pushing her fingers together, Maya looked down, a small smile on her face, “Well, I’ve never thrown a party or anything like that. This is the first time I've had people to invite…”

There was a sound at the door, and Mira leapt up to the entrance to hold the entry open as Maddy entered, holding a final drink dispenser containing a cloudy green liquid that she brought over to the others.

Maya peered at the liquid suspiciously, “What's this one?” Maya had asked this about pretty much everything Maddy had brought up, seeming unconvinced that the world could have so many different foods, let alone that they could taste good.

Maddy patted the lid, “It's a Brazilian Limeade. I think between the three we have enough to keep people hydrated.”

Lily reached down and stuck a piece of salami in her mouth while tilting her head, “No alcohol?”

Maddy frowned sheepishly, “I thought since we were playing games, alcohol might be disruptive. Given the…difficult nature of our group…”

Giving a slight nod, Mira concurred, “Best not to tempt fate; that makes sense.”

Maya wrinkled her nose, “It’s fine, I don’t like alcohol anyway. It makes my body feel weird.”

Lily gave a light chuckle, “Yeah, that's kind of the point.”

Noticing Maddy shifting her posture uneasily, Mira glanced over, “How are you handling your latest transformation?”

The chef recoiled slightly, “It’s…it’s fine. Just…when I’m not doing something, it becomes very noticeable.”

Lily frowned sympathetically, “Do you want to change? I don’t think anyone would mind if you spent the night in a bathing suit or something.”

Emphatically shaking her head, the blonde gave a slight squeal, “I-I would mind! D-despite what this show would have you believe, I’m not keen on showing off my body like that!”

Mira had her doubts but kept them to herself. The show was a lot of things, but she wouldn’t count deceptive high on the list. If anything, it reveled in laying bare what the cast didn’t want to show off to the world. Maddy might have issues putting herself on display; that didn’t mean there wasn’t some part that reveled in the attention.

Maya sat down and looked around impatiently. “Where is everyone else, do you think?”

Lily bit into another piece of meat. “Probably on their way; we didn’t set up an exact time or anything- just evening. It might take a minute to get everyone together.”

As if in response, the door to the game room swung wide as Noemi boisterously made her entrance, “Hello everyone!” The Chilean was smiling ear to ear, exuding an air of confidence and positivity that she hadn’t had this morning. Lily figured she must have finally cooled off after this morning.

Mira wasn’t one to let curiosity stand; however, “You seem to be in a chipper mood. Something good happen?”

The brunette strode across the room and grabbed a piece of melon, “Happy to be spending time having fun with everyone; we deserve a break after all that’s happened!” She popped the melon ball into her mouth

Mira let out a flat, “Hmm?” but didn’t push. Out of everyone here, Noemi had never once described their experience on Harem Hotel as anything but positive. To now hear her talk about needing a break…the agent was unconvinced, but hammering it out now was a surefire way to ruin the atmosphere.

The door opened again, and Caleb entered with Eliza following close behind. Caleb looked at the setup and let out a low whistle. “Wow, you guys really went the extra mile. I was expecting soda and chips, maybe”

The professor looked over to Maddy, “I imagine we have our resident culinary expert to thank for the fact that we have something a bit more substantial.”

Maya pouted and quietly said, “There was going to be cereal too…”

Maddy shrank under the attention and moved over to Maya’s side. “I was just helping out; it gave me something fun to do during the day. Besides, Maya and Lily did the actual work setting up the room and picking out games.

Lily bit into a grape. “Yeah, turns out there aren't many games that support a full ‘harem’” she made air quotes.

“Well, that’s not entirely fair. There are lots of games that exist for 9 or more players it was just whether or not it would be conducive for a lot of people who haven't played many board games. They can get pretty complicated, and while it would have been awesome to play Blood on the Clocktower, I don’t know if the group is up to it…yet.” Maya let the word hang while looking at everyone with an intensity, making it clear this would not be the last board game night the group would have.

Caleb gave an awkward smile under her gaze and then turned, hearing voices outside the door as it swung open to reveal an exasperated-looking Stella and a cheerful-looking Amy.

The Oni pumped her fists into the air, “Game time! Woo woo!”

Everyone stared in confusion before Lily’s eyes trained on Amy’s head, “What happened to your horn, Amy?” The plant woman crossed the room in concern, touching Amy’s shoulder.

“Oh, this? Stella threw a glass at me, but I’m ok now!” Amy Beamed and then launched herself at Lily and hugged her while nuzzling against her shoulder.

Hearing the explanation, the Master’s temper flared, “She did what?!” He rounded on Stella.

Stella held her hands up as a shield, “Hey…in my defense, I was drunk and also not aiming for her head. It was an accident!”

Caleb clutched his head in his hand. “Goddammit, Stella.” He tried to stifle the anger he was feeling as Noemi took his other hand.

“Caleb, it was an accident, everyone makes mistakes, and Amy seems to be ok…right?” Noemi turned to the imp, who sighed in response.

“She’s definitely dumber; I was expecting more bimbo than child. Maybe it's because only one horn broke? That said…” She glanced to Amy, who was now hugging Maddy while shoving a sandwich in her mouth, “If we keep an eye on her, she’ll be fine.”

Seeing Caleb’s disapproving gaze still on her, Stella shifted and looked away, “Look, I’m sorry ok? I didn’t mean to…I’ll keep an eye on her to make up for it…just don’t let this ruin the night for everyone.”

Looking round, Caleb saw everyone’s eyes were on him, except for fittingly Amy’s, who was perusing the snacks blissfully unaware. He closed his eyes and swallowed and unclenched his fists, “Yeah, ok…” He slowly reopened his eyes and turned to Maya, “What’s the first game then? You said you had a few picked out?”

An impish look crossed Maya’s features as she reached out to the table and grabbed a deck of cards. “I thought Mao would be a good icebreaker game.”

Caleb nodded and gave a wry grin, “Well…it will certainly be telling of how the rest of the night is going to go.”

Eliza and Lily exchanged a curious look before everyone made their way around the table and Maya began to deal cards.

In the backstage area, the peace of the darkness was interrupted by Lucian’s arrival in a flash of fire. The Demon stepped out into the space and straightened out his suit, having just inspected Arietta’s claims. While Lucian had found nothing of import, he was still skeptical of the shopkeeper's claims of innocence.

True to her word, when the host had gone to inspect, all he could find was a scattering of wood, tarps, and garden supplies alongside what appeared to be overgrown herb gardens. If the weather on the island weren’t so rigorously controlled, he might have suspected a storm was responsible, but there must be some design he couldn’t see. And there was the rub.

Arietta was a piece placed by Reyna and, by extension, the producers. Any open move to go against her would need to be grounded in his role as host to act with impunity. He was not so high on his recent victories against the Fox to ignore that he was walking a fine line. His role as host protected him as long as he acted in that role. If he were to step out of line, he knew the fate that awaited him. Now that he had found his stride, he was ever more determined not to be cast into nothingness. So he would wait for ‘grandmother’ to slip up, then he would act.

Moving toward the cage where Reyna lay prone, he rapped on one of the bars, “Reyna, has Andrea returned yet?”

Swishing her tail irritably, the red head frowned, “It’s not my responsibility to keep tabs on your guest, Lucy. Especially not when you give her such brazen access to the island as to walk around unattended.”

Lucian wrapped his fingers around the bar and then gave a sharp yank, sending the cage spinning on its axis and eliciting a sharp yelp from the trapped assistant. He then abruptly grabbed hold again, stopping the movement and sending the fox tumbling back into the far end of the cage with her feet above her head.

“Your role, that you chose might I add, is to be my assistant. So when I ask you a question, I expect an answer, not an indictment. Lest I find a more uncomfortable arrangement for you, I'm told fox fur is quite popular amongst the wealthy and entitled; perhaps you might be suited for that?” Lucian leaned his weight on the cage, his arm above his head as he peered into the cage.

Reyna scrambled to her feet, “You may have taken away my abilities, but the producers still answer to my words; you wouldn’t dare get rid of me.”

“Rid of you? No, I guess not.” Lucian sneered, “But we can make things much less tolerable for you. So, as I was asking, has Andrea returned?”

Reyna crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, pouting, “No, your precious mommy hasn’t come back yet. Last I saw, she was making her way to the hotel.” She raised an eyebrow, “Should I bring her in to prevent interrupting the cast?”

“No, leave her be. I doubt she will be going anywhere near the group that Stella is in for the rest of the day.” Lucian remarked while stroking his chin.

“Well, at least she has some tact; shame she didn’t pass it on to her student!” Reyna sniped.

“You misunderstand, my Master doesn't enjoy eating the same meal twice in one day. She’s very particular about that sort of thing.” Lucian looked into the cage and noticed a large envelope that must have been knocked loose when he spun the cage. He indicated with his gaze, “What’s this then?”

Reyna frowned and picked up the letter, handing it over through the bars, “I was going to tell you before you started harassing me!”

The demon snatched the enclosed envelope from his assistant and opened it, letting out a derisive laugh, “Ah, from Arabella regarding her Master’s wedding, bachelor party, and a plea to other hosts not to interfere. Well, there are no worries about that.” With a pinch of his fingers, the parchment ignited into flames.

Watching aghast, Reyna scrambled forward, “But, but but…you’re not even going to tell Caleb?!”

“He’s not going. I’m not letting some sentimental antidiluvian ruin everything I’ve been building.” The demon scoffed, “‘Master’s Support Group’, between that and that deluded contestant turned host encouraging a coup, the last thing I need is Caleb getting it in his head that he is anything but alone and powerless. All this harem needs right now is the proper levers to be pushed.”

Glancing away but then looking back, Reyna murmured, “How much lever pushing can you be doing while hiding back here?”

In response, the Demon just smiled, “Ah, Reyna, don’t you worry. I don’t need to be present to make the moves I need to. I assure you, I have already taken the measures I need to get us to the proper place by the end of the round.

Reyna regarded Lucian carefully, “Lucian…what are you doing?”

Lucian turned his back and walked over to the monitor, the reflection of the gameroom in his eyes as he stared onward, “Just returning to fundamentals…By the end of this round, each and every one of them will have their facades peeled back, and then they will be seen for what they truly are.”

Reyna couldn't resist, “And this will ensure Caleb forms a successful harem?”

Lucian gave a lazy shrug, “Successful or not, harem or not, they will see the reality for what it is. That they play this game we have laid out, or…suffer the consequences.”

Reyna curled up in her cage as if to get some rest, the tiniest of smiles curling on her lips as she hid her face.