Levi (18) a wimp to get payback (Images)

6 months (non-linear time) before the show

As Azure stormed out of her portal towards the office of the Harem Hotel network, she vaguely registered that she had never been this pissed before in her centuries of life. Marching towards the glass doors, her long red hair billowed behind her like a cape. The door swung open for her, as if they were afraid of pissing her off, and she felt the usual sensation of her magic being suppressed within the network's HQ.

Without any change in stride, she walked past the front desk. "Hello, welcome to..." the receptionist started, shutting up as Azure flashed her a glare. "I'm seeing HR! Now!" Azure said through clenched teeth.

"R-right away miss" the receptionist gulped, as she opened the second door for her. Without giving any further acknowledgment, Azure stormed into the main building. A few minutes later, she loudly slammed open office door with the label of ‘Walter’

The head of HR smiled at Azure, as slamming doors open to enter a room was a common occurrence with her. "Ah Azure. Welcome. What can I do for..."

"This is an absolute outrage. I demand to talk to one of the producers!" Azure shouted, not even registering his greeting.

Walter sighed. "You know that’s impossible. And besides, what are you mad about? You finally got the season you’ve wanted. Or did you not see the memo?"

Azure slammed her hands onto the table and shouted "Of course I saw it. You honestly think I'd be wasting my time here if I hadn't?"

Walter raised an eyebrow. "Well then I don't see what the problem is. This is good, isn't it? You’re finally getting your first hosting gig after... what was it... 3 years of delays."

Azure slammed her hands on the desk again. "15 years! And this is not what I was promised!" Azure reaches into her pants pocket and unfolds a printed version of the memo she received. "My season is only getting seven contestants! SEVEN!"

"Well yeah, but you have full freedom on who you..." Walter began, but Azure cut him off.

"I WAS SPECIFICALLY PROMISED TWELVE! And that’s not all. They’re saying I can only do FOUR challenge rounds instead of the six I requested? Plus only 20 days to do the whole show? Is this a joke?!"

Walter leaned back in his chair, trying to keep his tone as diplomatic as possible. "The producers said they want to experiment with shorter seasons more frequently, so they are applying limits on the hosts for the short term. You'll be the first to try this new exciting new format. You should be honored to..."

Azure cut him off again, her temper flaring even higher. "I'M NOT A FUCKING LAB RAT! My production bible was written entirely around 12 people in six challenges. Remove just one element and the thing falls apart. Gut half of it and it becomes a cluster fuck!"

Walter gulped, his attempt to appear as the rational adult retreating slightly under Azure's pure intimidation. Looking down, he mumbled "Look, limitations can inspire creativity..." However, Azure wasn't listening.

"They think I'm too , don't they? That's why the producers are always fucking me over. They're scared of me! Oh sure, they'll let a unqualified bitch host a show with the fucking devil, or even more insane, hire Yuki, but god forbid someone a tad bit assertive asks for a normal season! You think Bimbo or Billionaire would have even made it past its pilot if I wasn't writing half those transformations?"

"That's really..." Walter half heartedly tried to cut in, but Azure was too far into rant mode to give him an opening.

"Oh, I know what this is. They just don’t want anyone to watch it?!?" She yelled.

"Pardon?" Walter asked, looking up.

"The producers are just tired of me badgering them for the season THEY promised me! So to shut me up they're just giving me the bare bones of a season, hoping no one watches it, and then sweep me under the rug. Just like Fox did with the show New Amsterdam!"

"The hell is New Amsterdam?"

"Exactly! No one knows about it! You want to New Amsterdam me!"

There was a long pause, as Walter waited to see if he had an opening to speak. Then he let out a long sigh. "Look, even if I wanted to, you know there’s nothing I can do. No one challenges the producers. You must know talking to me won't solve anything. You just wanted to vent."

"Screw you!" Azure screamed, and swept her arms across the desk, sending his papers flying.

"NO! Those dont have page numbers!" Walter whimpered, but Azure had already turned his back on him, and marched out the door, slamming it as she went.

Azure marched through the hall to the entrance, needing to leave the building before she could use magic again. Coworkers parted as they saw her coming, recognizing that she was especially mad this time.

"He says limitations breed creativity. Fine, I'll show them creative" she said to herself as she marched past the front desk to the large glass doors. "I'm going to make the biggest, most sadistic show ever. One that will put my show on top, where I belong!"

A portal opened for her the moment she set foot outside, and she entered without slowing. "... and then they'll be begging me to host their shows!"

The portal led to a small room with a door, which opened to reveal another portal, which led to a chasm that eventually led to another door. She continued to march through the warps until arriving at the pocket dimension she called her condo.

Entering, she went straight to her desk. On it was hundreds of pages of notes and documents built up from decades of preparing for a season. Every element of her show had been carefully considered, refined, and perfected... which she proceeded to violently swept them all onto the floor. She then conjured up a typewriter.

Sitting down, she got right to work, putting all her frustration down to paper. The time for careful consideration was over. She was pissed. The top sheet had the following words:

Harem Hotel: Payback Edition