HH Cruises

"Are you sure this is it?" Eric asked his girlfriend, looking up at the ship in front of them. It had been a long day. They woke up early to get to the airport in time and then their flight way delayed. They waited 5 hours in the terminal before finally boarding. The flight itself was rather pleasant but didn't entirely erase their bad moods. The weather didn't make things any better, he'd heard south Florida was humid, but he had not been prepared for it at all. They had not been here very long and already sweat was plastered down his back, soaking his shirt. Stephanie seemed somehow immune to the effects of the heat and humidity, although maybe she was just dressed more appropriately. He was wearing a dress shirt and jeans, big mistake, thinking business casual was appropriate for first class. Stephanie had opted for a flowery sundress and sandals with a wide brimmed faux straw hat.

Now they were standing in front of a large ship, exactly where they were supposed to be, but there was just one problem. There was absolutely nobody around. They couldn't see anyone on board. There was no lineup waiting to get on. There weren't any employees checking tickets or helping people board. Something just didn't feel right about it.

"Yes of course, I'm positive! Let's go." Replied Stephanie. She really wasn't sure. She didn't expect to find an empty cruise ship. She had dragged him here when he clearly wanted to be somewhere else and had promised him the HH Cruises was a reputable liner. She was sure because she needed to be.

Just then they noticed two women coming down the gangway. They appeared to be identical twins and were wearing uniforms, if you could call it that. Eric thought it looked like something that would be labelled 'Slutty Sailor' in a Halloween costume store. Both wore a white blouse but the top few buttons appear to be missing exposing very generous cleavage. Their skirts were scandalously short and they wore high heels which seem rather impractical on a boat. Each had epaulets showing some kind of rank, one had a single star and the other had two stars. Eric didn't know what they meant, but assumed more stars meant more important. Both women were beautiful, but in an off-putting way. They had pitch black hair in tight ponytails and their skin was white. No white as in Caucasian, but like the colour of chalk. It seemed unnatural and the way they walked, they just seemed not quite human.

The two women reached Eric and Stephanie. Two stars spoke, looking only at Eric. "Hello and welcome. You must be the master. Please leave your bags here and follow me." She didn't wait for any response and turned and headed back up the gangway. Eric looked at Stephanie confused. The one starred woman came up to them and took their bags. Eric was too stunned to stop her as she grabbed both their suitcases and started up the gangway herself.

Eric called after the first woman, "Excuse me. What do you mean by master?". She didn't respond and just kept walking. He looked over to Stephanie again. "What do we do?"

"I'll admit it's a bit weird, but let's hurry up after her. I'm sure everything is fine." With that Stephanie started after the two women. After just a moment's hesitation Eric went after her.

They followed the two starred woman up the gangway into the side of the cruise ship. They were in a hallway that seemed to stretch forever on forever in either direction and there was a large double door in front of them with a sign overhead the read Great Hall. The woman with their luggage had disappeared but the other woman opened the door and beckoned them inside.

Eric and Stephanie nervously stepped passed her into the Great Hall. It was a huge open space with many doors around the outside wall. A opulent staircase dominated the far end, rising up to the top of the ship and descending below them. Each floor had a balcony that wrapped around the hall and the ceiling was comprised entirely of skylights making the hall quite bright despite the 8 stories surrounding it. In front of the staircase what looked like a temporary stage had been set up. On the stage was an ornate throne which glittered with gold and inlaid gemstones in the sunlight. A row of chairs faced the stage from the floor. In stark contrast to the throne these were ordinary folding chairs, and had the appearance of cheap plastic.

Looking around the room Eric saw paintings and statues and wood carvings and all kinds of art on the walls. Examining the closest painting to him he saw it was quite clearly erotic art. In the painting a man was thrusting into a woman while a dozen other women sat around the couple in a circle with envious looks.

This place is truly bizarre, Eric thought, what did Stephanie get us into?

The clacking of high heels brought Eric's attention away from the art and he noticed someone had descended the staircase and was walking towards them. She was in uniform like the other two women they had met, except her skirt went down to her knees and her blouse had all its buttons. The rest of her starkly contrasted the other staff too. She had short platinum blonde hair that stood out against against her pitch black skin. She was smiling but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. Her shoulders sported 4 stars, which Eric took to mean she was likely the captain.

"Welcome, welcome. I am so excited you are here Eric." She seemed giddy and she sped up to close the distance between them. She grabbed Eric's hand and started to pull him away from Stephanie and towards the stage. Part of him wanted to protest, demand some answers, but he just couldn't find the strength to resist or even call out. So he found himself climbing the stairs to the stage and sitting on the throne looking out at Stephanie who still hadn't moved.

The woman put her hand on Eric's shoulder and looked out in front of the stage. Not at Stephanie, but just off into space.

"Hello and welcome everyone to this season of Harem Hotel, the Cruise edition! My name is Captain Isla and I will be your host this season. I have lots of exciting things planned for the maiden voyage of the 'Master's Prize', but first let's get to know this season's master. Eric why don't you introduce yourself to our audience, you must be so excited to finally get your hands on your harem!" She turned to him expectantly.

Eric felt the fog that had been over him since she entered the room lift. He felt like himself again. He was still confused and now he was angry. He didn't know how but somehow she was messing with his mind.

"What are you talking about, Harems? Season? What's going on? What did you do to me? How did you make me come up here? You know what it doesn't matter. We are leaving." Eric let it all out, letting more and more anger into his voice. Finally he stood up and made to leave.

Isla scowled for just a second then regained her false smile. "Do you mean that you didn't read the terms and conditions you signed? Oh you naughty boy. Sit back down," she gestured with her hand and he felt himself pushed back to sitting as if a giant hand was holding him down. "Well since you couldn't be bothered to read let me explain a little bit. This is Harem Hotel, think of it as a reality tv show, except it doesn't air in your world, it airs in mine. Each season we craft a Harem to satisfy every fantasy for a particular master, and this season you are the master. We are about to introduce you to your harem and they will be competing for a spot in your harem through challenges and interactions with you. And yes I may have dialed up the calming magic a bit too high at first, but I thought you knew what you had gotten into."

"What? That's crazy. Magic isn't real. It doesn't matter what I signed you can't keep me here. We are leaving." He tried to get up again but still felt an enormous weight holding him down. Then suddenly it was gone and he shot to his feet.

"Of course, we wouldn't dream of keeping you against your will. You may go with no penalties at all. It will be disappointing for our audience, as well as the contestants, but I suppose you have to choose what's best for you. I'll just prepare exit transformations for each contestant. Oof, exit transformations before even being introduced, these are going to be harsh." Isla was grinning now. Eric did take a step towards the exit, but something about what she said gave him pause.

"What do you mean, exit transformations?"

"Oh it's quite simple," Isla clapped her hands together excitedly. "When a girl is eliminated from the show, she gets a transformation. The further from the end of the show she is, the harsher it will be. Since this is pretty much the earliest elimination can occur, these will probably be the harshest transformations ever given out in the history of Harem Hotel. I am disappointed I won't get my season, I have been waiting centuries for this, but at least I'll make my way into the history books with these. Would you like to watch? I'll start with Stephanie here so you can see what's going to happen to the others. Let see, what should she become? A French maid? A bimbo? No those have already been done. Oh I know. Stephanie dear, tell me, are you a cat person or dog person?"

Panic started to take over Eric. Magic wasn't real of course, but he also didn't think she was making this up. He looked over to Stephanie. He couldn't let anything bad happen to her. He had to stop this.

"Wait, if I stay this doesn't have to happen? You won't transform Stephanie?" Eric asked Isla.

"Oh I am definitely going to transform Stephanie, and everyone else in the show. Really you should have read the terms before you signed them. But if you stay, then there won't be an exit transformations. At least not yet. A girl can still fail all on her own."

"Fine. We'll play your sick game." Eric sighed. He didn't know what they had gotten into, and he felt overwhelmed. He slumped back into the throne.

"Sick? Oh no you misunderstand. This show is all about love. Just wait. You are going to be thanking me at the end. Everyone will. Now it really is time to introduce yourself."

Eric wasn't sure what to even say now, he hesitated but then felt the words pouring out of his mouth without any control.

"I'm Eric Stuart, 34 years old. I am a lawyer at the firm of Hughes & Hassan in Toronto. I spent most of my 20s focused on my career and between school and work didn't have time for committed relationships. Only once I met Stephanie did I consider that settling down and getting married might be an option. I met Stephanie at a fitness club near my office. I was too shy to approach her but she noticed me staring and came over to me and asked me out. We've been dating for two years now and I can see us spending the rest of our lives together." Everything Eric said was true, but he would not have said it without Isla's compilation. He did want to marry Stephanie, but had not brought it up to her yet, fearing that she wasn't ready for that commitment.

Isla smiled, "Thank you Eric." She turned to look at Stephanie. Stephanie started walking and stopped in front of the stage. "Your turn now."

Stephanie stood up, and presumably under the same compulstion as Eric and said, "My name is Stephanie Bradford, I am 33 years old. I work part time as a tennis coach/personal trainer at a fitness club which is where I met Eric. We've been dating for two years. I am really sorry Eric, I did read some of the terms and conditions but it was just so long I didn't finish. I think we just have to lean into this, having a bunch of women competing for you affection can't be that bad, right?" Stephanie blushed as she said the last part. The truth is she had read almost all of the terms and conditions and she was excited for the show. She had skimmed through some details as she started to masturbate while scrolling through. She had brought Eric here to fulfil her own fantasies, not his. She knew Eric would not forgive herif he realized she had tricked him so she was determined to play the role of the victim trying to make the best of things.

"That's more like it Stephanie. That attitude will go well in accumulating VPs." Now we have more guests arriving any minute now. In fact one is just walking into great hall now." Isla gestured towards the double doors which was starting to open.