Opening Ceremony

Richard blinked. He and Luna had been in his office before being attacked. Now, he appeared to be in a small auditorium, with a thick red curtain on stage that matched the leather seat he had woken up in. He glanced around. Where’s Luna? But she was nowhere to be found. The rest of the four rows were empty, save for a black smartphone waiting on the seat next to him. He tapped the screen looking for any clue as to what happened. It read “Welcome Master” along with the time, just after midnight. He'd been out for seven hours at least, maybe more. Some crazed stalker had clearly knocked him out. He’d be fine then, Helena would find him and make sure either Hazel or the police were here by morning. He just hoped Luna was alright. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her.

The room was small, at least for an auditorium. He did a quick scan and it looked like it could seat maybe twenty people. The whole room was red and black, the same color as the curtains and the phone next to him. There were metal doors in the back of the room, maybe he could head out that way and try to get a signal to Helena.

But that turned out to be a bust. Pushing against the doors, it looks like his kidnapper had locked him in. He went back to where he had woken up and sat back down, trying to figure out what leads to check next.

As he tried to acclimate himself to his surroundings, he realized the red curtains had started to shift open to reveal a strange and chilling scene. The woman from that meeting earlier, Ms.Grant, was behind a podium. Behind her, eight other women were ****, left seated in a semicircle around the podium. Richard saw Luna there on the farthest left. His gaming group, his therapist and ex were there lining the inside of the ring. On the right edge sat his stepsister and her assistant Hazel. So much for his rescue. As he was looking around the stage, Ms.Grant noticed him. She snapped her fingers and all eight women started to rouse.

"Welcome, Richard Turner, to Harem Hotel: Domestic Affairs Edition! As you’ve agreed to, I’ve assembled eight women to win your love and help convince you to become my partner.” Hearing this, most of the room was shocked out of whatever lingering drowsiness they might have felt and turned towards him with looks of betrayal or disgust. Only Luna, Helena, and Dr.Petrov didn’t look angry at him. All three seemed focused still on their kidnapper. He was glad he could always rely on them. Still, he needed to speak up quickly to make sure that the others didn’t think that this was his idea.

“Ms.Grant, I did not agree to this.” He got out of his seat and shouted.

“Not to this specifically, but you challenged me to find eight people that are willing to be in a relationship together. Here they are.”

He looked around. Stella was crying and Aubrey was silently shaking, looking like she was trying not to cry herself. Felicia’s fist was clenched and Helena was whispering to Hazel as if planning something.

“I don’t believe you. Are you expecting me to believe any of them chose to be here. You kidnapped them, just like me, and you’re trying to **** them to help you."

She smiled at him. "I’m not going to **** them to do anything, that's not my style. But I am confident that with time and the right incentives, they’ll come to support this themselves.

To show you that I’m not going to **** anyone to side with me, I’ll track for you how everyone is feeling.” She pointed to a spot on the wall and a panel emerged. It had two sections, one about four times bigger than the other two. The top section listed the names of the women in vertical order. The bottom read 2/8, 2/8, 0/600.

“The top will track how each contestant is performing. That is standard for this. The bottom part is specific to our season. The first number tracks how many people here love you romantically. The second number tracks who would be willing to participate in a relationship where they shared the subject of their affection.

Both fractions showed two out of eight. Richard was distracted for a moment by what that meant before he refocused. “That can’t be believed. You can’t know what they know and want like that.” He shouted up at the stage.

Genet frowned at him. Of course I know what they want, just like you know how to breathe.” She gestured widely behind her, raising her voice. “Do you know why Aubrey hasn’t tried to run off yet? Look at Hazel's belt."

Richard looked over to where she sat on the stage. Her pistol sat in its holster on her belt like it always did.

" Hazel’s job is to defend her boss. I kidnapped both of them without confiscating her gun. Do you know why Hazel hasn’t tried to kill me? Before I let them wake up, I showed them what some of my rivals have done to those that interfered with an Opening Ceremony. Reading their hearts is the least of I can do, as you’ll see in a moment.” Turning towards the contestants, she asked: “Could I have each of you introduce yourselves.

Please include your name, how you met your master, and anything else you’d like to mention. Anyone who discusses their favorite thing about him in a unique way will earn one bonus point, or BP, to spend on items or privileges in our market. Miss Lopez, could you start us off?”

Luna rose from her seat, nervous to do anything wrong in front of the madwoman she had introduced her boss to. “My name is Luna Lopez, and I work as the primary staffer for Congressman Turner. We’ve know each other since law school. We had an unsuccessful law firm together before we decided to run for the House. I followed him to Washington because I respected how much he wanted to help others.” She stood for a moment, unsure of whether to say more, before sitting down.

Ava was next in line, and so she stood up after Luna. Standing at six feet tall, she was the tallest contestant and was nearly at eye level with the heeled host. My name is Ava Soto. I run the Gauntlets and Giants group that Luna and Dick are in with us, and I work out with him on the weekends. I appreciate his willingness to try new things. Our G&G group would’ve collapsed without him and Luna coming in a couple years ago.” She sat back down

Stella did not stand up after her. Instead, the woman simply sat trembling in her chair. Stella’s hazel eyes shone as she struggled to keep herself calm. It wasn’t until Ava got out of her seat and whispered to her that Stella stood up and said “I’m in the G&G group with the others. My name is Stella Steward. Please don’t hurt me.” She crashed back down into her seat. Ava scooted her chair closer to her friend as Felicia stood up.

Sobered by both the time she’d been waiting and the experience after waking up, she stood defiantly. “My name is Dr.Felicia Owens. I play the mage in our Gauntlets and Giants group. I also act as Richard’s doctor and recruited him into the group. I would have used his cleverness for your requirement, but you were able to trick him into getting all of us kidnapped.” Felicia sat back down as Richard felt the sting of her almost-compliment.

Aubrey rose next. She had been changed into a familiar blue dress that left her feeling exposed under the bright light of the stage. While she wasn’t crying like Stella had been, her mascara was running and her green eyes looked slightly damp. “My name is Aubrey Conners. We had dated for five and a half years before he broke up with me. I still don’t know why. Before he broke it off, it felt like he cared about me more than I did about myself. I don’t know what I did wrong.” She trailed off from there, bringing the energy of the room back down.

The next woman after her stood up quickly. “I am Dr.Maeve Petrov. You may call me whatever makes you comfortable. I’ve been Richard’s therapist since his second semester of law school. If anyone needs help, you can come to me to talk.” She sat back down back down as quickly as she stood and turned away from the edge fo the stage, laying her left hand on top of Aubrey’s right.

Hazel was next in line after. Richard had always liked her voice. It had a gentle steadiness that made her easy to listen to. As always, she wore a black suit and today had chosen a ruby red tie that looked good against the caramel of her skin. He listened as she took her turn. “My name is Hazel Singh. I’ve been working for Ms.Turner for nine years, with the primary responsibilities of managing her calendar and ensuring the safety of Ms. and Mr.Turner. This has not been my finest moment.”

Finally, it was Helena’s turn. She stood up, brushing dust off her pantsuit from when she had tried to hide on the floor. “My name is Helena Turner, most of you know me already. I’ve been keeping Richard safe since he was a teenager. I paid his way through college, law school, and was his biggest donor when he ran for office last time. Don’t worry everyone, I’ll figure out how to get us out of here.” She gave everyone a confident smile as she sat back down.

Genet picked the focus back up as her last contestant finished. “Thank you for bringing that up Helena. Yes, I’m sure that you all are interested in knowing how you may leave.” She pointed at the scoreboard again. I mentioned that the top section would be tracking your scores. Anyone that reaches 100 victory points, or VP, may choose to either have one wish granted or help end the contest. Three people that give up their wish can send everyone home. Because of my second game with your master, I am providing extra exit conditions. If all un-eliminated contestants together reach 600 VP, then the group can leave. If I can make all of the un-eliminated contestants love and share the master, then I win my game with him, but everyone gets to leave at the end of the round. Are there any questions before we move on to the most important steps? Yes Felicia?"

The doctor had notes she was looking at that were written on what looked like a playing card. She tucked a loose blonde hair behind her and started speaking. “I have two questions actually. How are we expected to get victory points or bonus points?

Genet smiled at her. “Thank you for asking. Victory points can be awarded for winning polls with the audience, winning events at the end of each round, or advancing your relationship with your master. Bonus points are for something that makes the show better, but does not qualify for victory points.

”Wait, you’ve mentioned a few times that this is televised. Where are all the cameras?” Felicia looked around the theater as she asked.

“Everywhere they need to be. Do you have any other questions before we move on?” Genet sidestepped the question.

No, that… that wasn’t supposed to be my second question. Earlier, you've referred to un-eliminated contestants. To be eliminated, would that be the type of event that you made us all watch like that maid?”

Genet cringed at the question. She’d been hoping to avoid the conversation if possible. “Yes. Contestants that fail to achieve the show’s goals or break the rules egregiously are at risk of elimination. I would like to prevent this from happening to you, but it is ultimately in your control.” She always hated that part. “For now, I would like to address any other questions at a later time. If you look under your chairs, you will find a Harem Hotel branded phone that will offer you a map of the grounds, your schedule, your transformation and point tracker, and your communication while you’re here. Now then-”

“Excuse me?” This time it was Luna that spoke up. “I thought you wanted to avoid eliminating us.”

“These aren’t eliminations. There are just adjustments we’ll be offering to help make you more appealing to the master and the audience. The audience will get to choose these transformations, but each of them follow one of three themes either I or my producer thought fit you well.

You each will be able to vote in your own polls, so I’d recommend trying to make a choice quickly as the audience weighs in. The winner will only be shown to you, though you can reveal it to others and some transformations may be harder to hide than others. Just so you’re prepared, the second place option will stick around for next time.”

***

Luna got the phone from under her seat. It was white, with a black crescent moon imprinted on the back. When she unlocked it there was a menu of several options, with a notification symbol at the Transformation Path listing. She clicked it and read

• Check With My Boss: Luna can sense the arousal level of the master (Wing Woman)
• On Standby: Luna’s libido triples, making sure she’s always ready when the Master needs (Nympho)
• Ready for the Cameras: Luna’s legs become longer and more shapely (Model)

Luna read through, with particular disgust at the middle path. She didn’t know why she had the ‘model’ choice, but she flicked it to the top. At least that one didn’t revolve around her best friend.

***

Ava grabbed the phone and opened the notification. She read through the options:

• Energizer: Ava's been going to the gym for years. Now just like a certain mascot, she gets a boost to her stamina and can just keep going (Gym Bunny)
• Roid Rage: Ava is already the tallest and strongest contestant. This lets her gain the strength she's always wanted. Using this enhanced strength may come with side effects (Amazon)
• Power Creep: Gaining BP will cause Ava to become increasingly horny. Gaining VP, will grant her an amount of BP equal to half the VP received (Gamer)

She ended up not voting. She liked all her choices well enough, so she decided to just leave it up to the audience.

***

Stella had run out of tears by this point. She opened up the phone and read through the options while running her fingers down the pink fuzzy case to calm herself

• Overstimulation: Stella becomes more emotional the more clothes she is wearing, and gains more control over herself the less she is wearing. (Bimbo)
• At Your Service: Stella receives sexual pleasure from doing something for the master or eliminated contestants. (Housewife)
• Tender Barmaid: After running her restaurant for years, Stella has spent more than one night behind the bar. Now, she can brew something to temporarily alter any other transformation in either direction. May come with unpredictable side effects. (Alchemist)

Stella moved At Your Service to the top and kept the alchemist option at the bottom. She already liked helping people. The last one felt like she couldn't control it, and there was already so much she had lost control of tonight.

***

Felicia opened the menu on the phone and sped through the list. They were insulting at best and vulgar at worst. She moved the spell to the top before hitting the vote button

• May Experience Some Swelling: Dr.Owens is the shortest, smallest contestant. To help her keep up, this gives her the chest of a woman twice her size (Ushimimi)
• Eldritch Blaster: This spell will once per round bring Felicia or an unsuspecting target Felicia can see to the edge of orgasm. Uses of this increase once after each transformation vote (Caster)
• Anything You Can Do: When Felicia sees someone do something she has not done (but is physically capable of doing) she feels a drive to match or outdo them (Rival)

***

Aubrey opened up her new phone. It had a bear shaped case like the one she’d left with Tiffany, which felt bittersweet now that she was back with Richard. She scrolled through.

• Those Who can’t Do: No one knows Richard as intimately as Aubrey. If someone asks her for advice about him, she will be rewarded for helping them but grow increasingly horny if she fails to help (Teacher)
• Security Blanket: Aubrey is familiar to Richard. While one is holding the other, both have a loosened sense of inhibitions (Teddy Bear)
• Fated Reunion:Anytime that the master is outside of his rooms, Aubrey will know where he is and where he might be heading (Nostalgia)

Aubrey looked at her options. The first felt like a cruel joke, forcing her to teach others how to please her boyfriend. The teddy bear vote was tempting, but she shouldn’t need it. She could do this on her own, with the right opportunity. She could figure out what went wrong last time, get him to take her back. She moved it to the top and hoped the audience would grant her that second chance

***

Maeve opened the menu. The phone she’d been given had a cheetah print on the back for some reason. She noticed that everyone except Richard and Hazel had personalized phone cases. It was odd to leave just one person out when this was clearly something their host cared about. Moving back to her what she'd been given, she scrolled through:

• Mood Ringer: Maeve can sense the emotions of the master and non-eliminated harem members (Empathy)
• Mom Bod: Maeve gains the stereotypical “mom bod”, seen in the cartoons Richard grew up with as her breasts, thighs, hips, and ass fill out. (Milf)
• Mores and Fuckways: Maeve will feel excited by the violation of social norms. (Social Work)

Maeve considered all three. The ‘milf’ option was a bit insulting at only forty one, but she still moved it to the top. The other two would compromise her too heavily. The empathy one wasn’t as bad as the last one, but it still presented unnecessary risks when Richard and the others would need someone trustworthy to talk to.

***

Hazel turned on the phone and looked at her list:

• Clothes Make the Mistress: Hazel can only wear leather, nylons, and latex (Dom)
• On Your Side: Hazel will feel sexual pleasure from siding with or protecting with the master. (Bodyguard)
• Hold This For Me: Another contestant can choose to transfer their transformation to Hazel for twelve hours. Each contestant can choose to do this once per round. (Sub)

Hazel kept them in the same order before hitting submit.

***

Helena opened the menu on her phone

• Stuck: Helena becomes accident prone, needing the master or someone attracted to her to come to her rescue (Stepsister)
• On My Hands and Knees: Helena cannot walk on two legs without her master’s permission. This permission resets the first time the master wakes up each day. (Inumimi)
• Stock Options: When Helena would gain VP, she gains an equivalent amount of BP (Rich)

This was disgusting. Even the best of the three were trying to get her to date Richard. The other two were just senselessly debilitating. She looked around to see if anyone else wasn’t voting. Aubrey and his therapist were the only ones that hadn’t already finished. She whispered to Hazel, handing over the phone: “Hazel, look at what she’s trying to give me. There’s nothing good here.”

Hazel whispered back as she took the phone, its heavy gold case shining. “Are you planning on choosing one?”

“No, I can’t endorse this”

Hazel glanced down again, reading what her bosses’ voting paths were. She quietly moved Stock Options, then Stuck to the top before locking the phone screen and handing it back to Helena. If she couldn't get Helena out of here, at least she could mitigate the damage.

***

As she watched the last contestants lock in their vote, Genet got back to her podium. “Thank you all. There’s one more vote that the audience will have, the popularity poll before we can finish our opening ceremony. As we wait for the votes to roll in, we’ll go to our first commercial break.”

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Note from the author: If you are not already on the discord, I'll provide a link here for you to be able to join and discuss both this branch and the other branches of Harem Hotel: https://discord.gg/ZUtBA9yp