Preliminary Vote Results and a Whole Lot More

The girls, each now with a designated ally in the contest, chatted quietly in small groups while Wise sat awkwardly upon the kingly throne with Loverboo placed in its lap. He didn't feel like a king. In fact, he barely felt like he had any power at all, despite his position here. He and the others had all generally agreed their only option was to bide their time, but was that really going to work out? In mere moments, all of his friends, affected by the so-called Mental Resonium, were going to be further from their alert selves than they had been this morning. It seemed like the way out of this was moving further and further away from his grasp.

"Should I be... thinking about how to minimize the damage? Instead of racking my brain on some way to trick Loverboo and escape, should I just accept that one of them is going to be **** to marry me?" Wise thought to himself, sinking further into his seat, as if to avoid any guilty eye contact with the others. "Hey, Loverboo..."

"Mmm? Yes, darling?" the rabbit doll piped up, turning its eye-plate to face him over its shoulder.

"What if... What if I just pick one? If I just pick a wife, I mean? Instead of going through this game, making them compete, changing them in ways they didn't ask for... Could I just pick one of the girls, and you'll let the others go?"

The Loverboo's heart-shaped eyes curled into happy crescents. "Oh! Mr. Indecisive here is actually going to pony up and pick one, is he? Very well, then! Let's hear it. Out of this classic line-up," it began, then cleared its throat and raised its voice loudly for all the girls to hear, "which single girl would you pick to be your forever-wife?"

The chattering between the others stopped as each of them watched Wise with unveiled curiosity. Their expressions varied. Nicole wore a disbelieving smile, half-cocked, as if she honestly couldn't believe Wise was about to make a choice. Anby wore her usual, unreadable frown. Koleda opened her mouth, red-faced, to yell for him to hold on a second, while Grace clapped one hand over her mouth. Zhu Yuan and Qingyi both watched with narrowed eyes, seeming to sense he was enacting some kind of plan without discussing it first. Ellen Joe watched with one eyebrow raised, while Rina covered her mouth lightly with both hands in an expression of surprise.

"... A-Am I really that indecisive? You all look like you can't believe what you're hearing. It wouldn't be that weird for me to just pick, right?" he asked, trying to put on a smile that looked a lot less nervous than he felt.

"Uh, not to make it weird, but it'd be super weird. I can't imagine it at all," Nicole spoke quietly, trying to keep her curiosity from sneaking into her voice as she watched him with a barely-held-together expression of nonchalance. "But who? I mean, not that I really care, but-- you know--"

"Anby," Wise spoke quickly, putting his eyes on her to really sell the choice. "I pick Anby. There's no reason to go through this with everyone else."

The girl in question, one of the only contestants not already wearing a dumb-founded expression, finally put on a a deer-in-the-headlights look to match the others. "... Me? That is... very surprising."

Wise gulped, trying to keep his smile on. "Is it? We hang out all the time. You're comfortable to be around, responsible, cute... I don't think it's that strange. It's settled then, right, Loverboo?" he asked, trying to speed through the awkward situation as quickly as he could. He felt certain girls in the crowd changing their expressions from curiosity to disapproving glares as he snubbed them. "You'll let the others go?"

In truth, he made the decision on two thoughts: who would take the selection in stride and who had the natural abilities to defend herself and others if it came down to it. Keeping Anby around seemed like the safe pick. So why did he feel like picking anyone at all had been such a mistake?

"Oh... Oh ho ho! That's very good! Well, then, I'll tell you what I was eager to tell you earlier but held off on for comedic effect: no, you picking one girl doesn't end the contest. Obviously. Darling, we've had countless men in this contest with their legal wives before! If it was that easy, they'd have all gone free! This isn't about your choice or sappy ideas like romance, although if you'd like to get romantic, it will surely help you enjoy your time here. No, you don't get to just 'pick.' Aaah, and I thought you were supposed to be an intelligent man... It's okay. Just a simple slip, all due to your nerves, right?" Loverboo seemed like it couldn't stop rolling around with laughter, despite being a mechanical construct. The creature gestured like it was wiping a tear from its eye. "You understand, right girls? It was just his nerves!"

With a concerned frown, Wise allowed his eyes to once again sweep over the contestants. Things... were not looking good.

Nicole looked dumb-founded and, frankly, extremely ticked off. "Of course she does... She and Anby are adoptive sisters, both Cunning Hares. I've spent just as much time with both of them, maybe even more with Nicole for the sake of business. She's probably wondering why I'd pick Anby and not her..."

Anby's eyes were wide and her face appeared to have gone a bit red as well. "Crap! She doesn't get that I was just trying to save everyone! Snap out of it, Anby!"

Koleda wore a disbelieving, agitated expression with her jaw hanging slightly open. She was probably moments away from chastising him for that bone-headed move. Grace had a disapproving frown and her arms crossed. "Koleda just thinks I'm an idiot, but I think Grace is actually angry that I'd pick somebody else instead of Koleda..."

The police officers actually looked vaguely sympathetic, but in a way that was more pitying than anything. "There, there," Qingyi sighed, standing on her tip-toes to stroke Zhu Yuan's hair like a concerned mother.

"Why are you consoling me?" the other officer responded, batting away the hand with a small frown. "If he'd picked me, I would have been..." She didn't answer that thought. Creeped out? Reduced to a stuttering mess? Actually pleased? Wise could only make guesses.

Ellen... still didn't look like she could work up the energy to care. She was almost asleep on her feet. Rina had a sort of scolding frown on. "She's probably angry I picked anybody... She's such a stickler for manners, it's going to be hard for her to forgive me for trampling on the feelings of so many girls at once and picking such a half-assed answer."

He sunk into his chair even further. He wanted to pick up the Loverboo and hide his face. Somehow, he felt even more miserable than when he just thought he was going to be responsible for all of his friends getting hypnotized. Should he say he didn't mean it now? What was the point? Anby was the only one that didn't look pissed and if he said that, even she might turn on him...

"Oh, but don't worry. We all understand that you made a hasty decision just now for the sake of white-knighting for all of the contestants, but the truth is, whatever you're feeling right now, it's almost pointless! You and each of the girls have such a magical adventure ahead of you here at the hotel. By the time we're finished, you'll be seeing them all in a very different light, I guarantee it. You simply jumped the gun, that's all," Loverboo chuckled, finally hopping down from the throne. "You know what will help you take your mind off of this embarrassment? The poll results! That's right, Loverboo's lovely audience has finished casting their first votes for the preliminary polls and I am oh so excited to reveal the results! If you all will turn your eyes away from our pathetic Master and up to the giant monitor hanging behind his throne, we can begin the ceremony!"

Wise was happy to ignore the insults if it meant he had a distraction to take everyone's eyes off of him for a bit. Keeping his head down, he opened up his phone to see the same results roll in that everyone else was watching.

"Go time, darlings! Let's see how the audience enjoyed your initial offerings. Remember: if you aren't happy with your placement, that's all the more reason to make yourself an indispensable part of the show so the audience loves, loves, loves you! Opinions can always change. For now, they're gear coins in your pockets."

Qingyi nodded as Zhu Yuan's name came onto the board, even as her own took up the bottom spot. "Hm, hm. Is that so? Well, it makes sense."

"Qingyi, are you serious? I think something's wrong with the calculations. Maybe since we're on the same team, they distributed some of your gear coins into my account-" Zhu Yuan complained, holding her fist to her chin as she squinted at the results skeptically.

"No, it is what it is. Trust me: I've been patrolling along with you for years now. Behind you, most of the time. I see what the people see. It makes sense that you're in the lead. I'll be happy just as long as I can continue supporting you with tea at lunch and a lap to rest your head on," her partner explained, nodding her head in a look of sage wisdom.

"That's... nice, but I still think your jokes are going to give people the wrong idea."

Elsewhere, Rina grabbed Ellen's hands with a pleasant smile. "Look, Miss Ellen! You've won the people's hearts already. What an excellent representative of Victoria Housekeeping you are. It's your hard work paying off, you know?" she giggled.

Ellen gave a disinterested frown, raising her eyebrows. "But all I've done since I got here is sleep..."

Nicole threw her arm around Anby's shoulder and grinned. "Bunch of sticks in the mud, picking a police officer, huh? Our reputation is on the line here! Let's show em the Cunning Hares hustle!"

Anby nodded slowly, then spoke quietly, whispering with her hand covering one side of her mouth. "You aren't still mad that Wise said that about me?"

"Aaaaagh I wasn't mad about that!" Nicole shouted with obvious anger, pushing Anby a short distance away while loudly ruining her attempts to keep it private. "But you're going to make me mad if you don't drop it! Look, you can tell Wise wants to drop it already! Don't make things weird with our best customer!"

Wise breathed a sigh of relief about that. It was actually perfect from his viewpoint if Nicole wanted to aggressively insist everyone forget that embarrassing scenario ever transpired.

Koleda gave a deep sigh, crossing her arms and raising her chin up. "Ugh. Well, we're used to stretching a denny as far as it'll go, right, Grace? If we pull what we've got together, we can still afford something when the time comes. Assuming prices are what I figure they'll be. Then again, Ben usually handles the expenses and business receipts, so-"

"Oh, Sweetpea. You're doing that thing where you talk about work when you get nervous," Grace whispered, smiling sympathetically. "Don't worry about our chances. You're right: we can win with or without a bunch of coins."

Wise was glad they seemed to be taking it all in stride so far. As long as they could keep up this kind of atmosphere, things would be okay... he hoped.

Loverboo bounced up and down, raising its hands for attention. "Well now, don't you all sound pleased as punch with the status quo? But the status quo is not what brings in ratings. We've got to do a little move-and-shake. As perfectly lovely as Wise here may or may not find you, it's my job to make you all the lovelier. Let's put the first Resonium up on the board!"

Nicole's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Greed is Good-- Whenever Nicole wants something, she's overcome with a shameless desire to get it by any means necessary. (50% of vote)

Wise crossed his arms and smirked. "Ha. That's just how Nicole is anyways."

"Is that really how you see me?" Nicole asked, frowning slightly, before her eyes suddenly took on an odd, static pattern like often hit CRT TVs with malfunctioning signals across New Eridu. She blinked a few times and rubbed them, seeming unsure of what to feel. "What was that just now? It felt kind of tingly. Like, in a good way. Like the first big chug of a sugary soda."

"Why does she get tingly and I get migraines?" Wise thought to himself, but that was a pretty secondary concern to what had actually happened to her just now. That static in her eyes wasn't something he associated with humans...

"Anyway, Wise's stupid joke aside, I really don't feel all that different. Maybe the Resonium are duds after all?" Nicole asked, smirking and placing one hand on her hip.

Loverboo let out a soft chuckle, then placed its stubby arms behind its back and waddled forward. "Ahem. Nicole... how do you feel about having fewer VP than Victoria Housekeeping?"

She crossed her arms and tilted her head up, glaring down at the Bangboo. "Well, of course, I'm not happy about it! Who would be? The Cunning Hares are the best. Having another agency ahead of us is just naturally going to grate on my pride a little."

"What if I told you that you could catch up to them in VP right now just by tugging your top down past the underside of your bosom? Your bra, too. Pull both down, shake your chest from side to side, and I'll award you 5 VP."

Wise gulped. This was the moment of truth. Nicole was greedy and impulsive, not to mention a little competitive, but she also had a lot of pride. She wouldn't do something like that in any case, let alone when some smarmy villain was the one offering it to her. If she went along with this, then-

"Ha! Listen: I get ahead in this business by making deals, not getting suckered into them," Nicole taunted, putting on her trademark smirk and tilting her eyebrows up sympathetically. "You've got a lot to learn!"

Wise breathed a sigh of relief.

"Make it 6 VP!"

"Oooh, you drive a hard bargain," Loverboo sighed. "But I'm afraid I really must settle at 5, darling! We can't break the bank on something as simple as flashing your tits."

With a sigh, Nicole wrapped her fingers at the upper hem of her shirt and began tugging downward. "Fiiine. I guess I'll make do with five, if it gets us on the board." Before Anby could stop her-- or even Wise, he'd jumped out of the throne to try to run for her-- she'd pulled down not just her top, but also, a pink, frilly bra with it, allowing the ridiculously sized globes of her tits to spill out and bounce in the open air. Wise had thought many times about how it'd be to see that. Her shirt was practically begging to be pulled down off her chest at any moment with the amount of cleavage she normally showed. Rather than her beauty mark, where his eyes would normally settle, her pretty pink nipples now commanded his attention. As if that wasn't enough, she placed her hands behind her head and began to swing her chest back and forth, making an eye-catching spectacle as they whooshed through the air hypnotically.

"Nicole!" Anby gasped, unsure if she should stop her boss or not. Typical logic said don't interfere with any scheme of Nicole's, but this seemed less like a money-making endeavor and more like her strings being pulled by some invisible puppeteer. Anby made a grasp for Nicole's waist and tried to cover her breasts, but Nicole doggedly squirmed free, determined to keep shaking her boobs and make VP.

"Hmmm... This seems like a good time for our next Resonium," Loverboo cheered, pointing towards the board.

Anby's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Romantic Revamp-- Anby will confuse her relationship with Wise with that of a couple from a romance film. (50% of vote)

Anby suddenly let go of Nicole and raised her hands, experiencing the same effect they'd seen on Nicole a moment ago. Taking that as a good sign, Loverboo approached, summoning a heart-headed microphone into its hands from thin air and clearing its throat. "Ahem. Anby, do you have a problem with Nicole here trying to seduce Wise with her breasts?"

"Of course. Nicole is my boss and friend. It's obvious you're manipulating her."

"Is that all?"

"I have a problem with this whole game. Wise already picked me earlier, didn't he?"

Wise waved his hands dismissively, still standing instead of using his throne. "Anby, that was... I was trying to end the game, remember? It wasn't really-"

"There's no need to apologize, Wise. After all... we've been lovers ever since that promise we made as children, remember? We promised that when we grew up, we'd be together forever as husband and wife. It would be a movie-like romance, except in real life. So if I see you staring at someone else's breasts, Wise... Of course I'm going to be upset."

Loverboo giggled, then hoisted the microphone up. "But you wouldn't have any problem showing him yours, would you?"

Anby blushed, crossing both hands at her modest chest and wringing her fingers softly. "Well... That sort of thing is natural between a boyfriend and girlfriend. In private, I mean."

Across from her, Wise gulped. He'd never known Anby as a kid or had that kind of relationship, but he remembered the exact movie she was referencing-- they'd watched it together. She'd really lost her mind already as much as Nicole had.

"That's a splendid start." Loverboo left Nicole shaking her tits and Anby blushing and fidgeting, then moved onto the next group. Koleda and Grace were still watching the outcome of the last modifications with startled expressions, but when Loverboo approached, Grace moved to get in front of Koleda for protection. That lasted about two seconds before Koleda pushed her out of the way to take the protecting spot. "Oh, please. You can't block this sort of thing with your bodies. Let's think about another productive way to use those bodies of yours!"

Grace's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Mommy Makeover-- Grace's mannerisms will change to be more motherly. She will take a mother-like interest in the health of Wise's body. (53.6% of vote)

Koleda's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Belobog's Bashful Bear-- Heightens Koleda's shyness and naivety, making her more cutesy. (57.1% of vote)

"Wise, cover your eyes already, if you know embarrassing things are going to be happening to all of us! Sheesh!" Koleda snapped, seeming almost like her usual self. Something was a little off, though-- the static had flashed in her one visible eye. "J-Just cover your eyes and stop watching Nicole shake her boobies!"

"Now, now," Grace giggled, patting Koleda on the head and ruffling her red hair gently. Unlike usual, Koleda didn't swat the hand away, seeming to accept the affection with a pouting frown. "Wise is a healthy young man! We shouldn't hold it against him if he feels like he has to watch such a thing play out."

"I-I'm not watching!" Wise defended, turning his eyes towards the newly affected pair in order to rip his gaze away from Nicole's swinging tits.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of! I'm actually very curious... despite knowing that these modifications are wrong and caring for your friends, you're probably aroused, aren't you?" Grace questioned, putting one finger to her cheek. "How is it right now? Are you getting an erection? Half-mast? You can whisper it to me if you want..."

"W-W-What are you talking about, Grace?! You're really asking Wise to talk about his ding-dong?! You're not supposed to talk to boys about that kind of stuff!" Koleda babbled, red-faced. "Wise, you don't need to answer her! Something's seriously messed up in her head! More than usual, I mean!"

"She's not the only one... Koleda wouldn't be caught dead saying stupid words like 'boobies' and 'ding-dong' ordinarily," Wise thought to himself, covering his mouth with one fist. This was going to be hard to adjust to. That said... her newfound intuition was right. He was sporting an erection and had already sat back down in an effort to hide it.

At this point, Qingyi leaped forward, knocking Loverboo to the ground with an aerial kick while Zhu Yuan slid in to apprehend the bouncing doll and wrap it in her arms. "That's enough! New Eridu Public Security can't stand by and watch this. If you don't surrender, Qingyi will utilize a tactical EMP burst to short-circuit this Bangboo you're speaking through!"

"That's too reckless!" Wise shouted. He'd hoped that Zhu Yuan and Qingyi would keep their cool for a bit longer, but as officers of the law, they were probably having a hard time watching such an obvious crime play out in front of their noses. Taking out a criminal's Bangboo in the Hollow could be a valid strategy, but here, he imagined the Loverboo's security was a pretty low concern for the actual host.

"Hmmm... Let's see if I can give you a change of heart," Loverboo sneered as the monitor overhead lit up with a new pair of names.

Qingyi's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Machine Code-- Qingyi can be ordered to behave like a personal assistant when starting any statement with her name. (57.1% of vote)

Zhu Yuan's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Undermined Authority-- Zhu Yuan becomes more inept and more of a bottom. (75% of vote)

The beauty and coolness of Zhu Yuan were just two of the factors that made her an idol around Lumina Square and the surrounding precinct where she was stationed. The third aspect was her outstanding competence. Her martial skills, paired with Qingyi's intuition, made them one of the most effective duos on the ****. That's why the whole gallery assembled felt their jaws drop, Zhu Yuan included, as the Loverboo effortlessly slipped free from her famed judo grip and bounced into the air, landing with a soft plop of its bottom upon her head.

"Qingyi, please assist!" Zhu Yuan shouted, swiping her hands ineffectually above her head as the Bangboo jumped back and forth, evading her ineffectual swipes.

With an unusually robotic gesture, Qingyi nodded and saluted. "Understood. Assisting now." After that brief hiccup, she prepared her fighting stance, raising one hand and bending her knee as she prepared to pounce and deliver one of her trademark kicks.

"Ahem. Qingyi, cancel that order," the host spoke in a stately way, suppressing a chuckle.

Qingyi dropped the stance, snapping another salute. "Understood. Canceling order to assist."

"Qingyi, please drop your partner's trousers."

"Understood."

Zhu Yuan's eyes widened as Qingyi adopted another martial arts stance, but this time, instead of aiming for the Bangboo dancing around on atop her bushy black-and-red-streaked ponytail, leaped straight at her. The taller officer abandoned her attempt to apprehend the Loverboo, now instead shrieking as her partner grabbed hold of her zipper and yanked it down her groin. "Stop!" she begged, falling onto her back as the other girl tackled her like an MMA artist intending to ground their opponent. Desperately, she held tightly onto her pants as the enhanced strength of her robotic partner attempted to pull them down to her ankles. The sight of her kicking her legs ineffectually in the air made the Bangboos in the audience laugh, as more of her flesh was revealed, eventually showing off her bottom, clad in sporty, black undergarments, the kind designed to resist sweat. "You're going to tear them!" Zhu Yuan cried, finally relinquishing her grip on her own pants in an effort to make sure they didn't get ripped to shreds. The black tights were finally pulled all the way down to her ankles.

"... You know, you can just say 'Qingyi, stop' to make her quit doing things like that," Wise suggested, trying to avoid staring at the officer's shapely, pantsed figure for the second time today.

"You're right... why didn't I think of that?" Zhu Yuan sobbed. She was now trying to get her pull the pants back up, but they seemed to be caught on her thighs, resisting her efforts.

As the Loverboo turned its attention to the final pair, Ellen gave a deep sigh. "This stuff all looks exhausting. Please don't give me one that's going to make me use up all my energy, at least..."

Rina, after seeing what had happened to the officers, abandoned her first impulse-- to try to stop Loverboo-- and adopted a new one. "Miss Ellen, whatever sort of Resonium we are saddled with, we must strive to protect the dignity of Victoria Housekeeping. Let that be our goal as the contest continues."

"Sounds like a lot of work too, if I'm being honest. I'd rather stick with finding some way to get out of here, personally."

Ellen's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Sleep Aid-- Ellen can no longer sleep without first engaging in light erotic activity with Wise. (82.1% of vote)

Rina's A Rank Mental Resonium:

Above and Beyond-- Rina will unwittingly find ways to make her ordinary maidly duties arousing. (96.4% of vote)

"Dammit. I got a really bad one," Ellen complained, instinctively pulling out her phone and opening her messaging app. When she saw there was no reception, she groaned again. "I can't even tell my friends about it. Actually... That may be a good thing. I don't think I want any of them knowing about this," she mused. "I'm going to turn into a zombie at this rate, if I can't sleep whenever I want..."

"Chin up, Miss Ellen. I'm certain our Master will be a perfect gentleman about it, as much as one can be in this situation."

"Hope so. At least mine isn't one we can test right this second. Maybe as long as I don't use any energy, I'll be okay, till night time anyway... How about yours? Can you deal with something like that?"

"I'm actually not certain it's much of a change. You see, I'm not blind to the way that certain people who employ me give me poorly veiled looks during my cleaning duties. It sounds as though, if I simply work as normal, things will play out as usual. I suppose I mean that there is a certain inherent arousal just in watching me work, as much as I'd like to pretend there isn't."

"Huh. So... try it now? I wanna see if anything changed."

"Very well then. I'll help the good Officer Zhu Yuan with her wardrobe malfunction," she chuckled, floating in a ghostly manner over towards Zhu Yuan's location. "Pardon me! And pardon my manner of dress, of course. Circumstances being as they are." She still hadn't managed to get anything to replace the baby-doll she'd been snapped into earlier.

"Oh... Thanks," Zhu Yuan sighed. "They're pretty durable, but Qingyi did a number of them. I'm worried about tearing them now, so try to be gentle..."

"Of course! I've done this sort of thing for plenty of my clients-- older folk, you know, who might have a difficult time dressing themselves. Upsy-daisy!" With a quick motion, Rina managed to shift the pants up to their intended height, bringing the officer to a standing position at the same time. "Perfect! I've still got my touch, it seems."

"Great. Thanks so much- eep!"

Once the pants were back into position, Rina had settled into a pattern of dusting off the butt, which seemed to involve wacking the other girl's butt repeatedly with her hand, causing it to jiggle with each strike. When she was confident it was dusted to perfection, she licked her thumb, then began to give it a spit-shine, rubbing her thumb in a circular motion first over the cheeks, then even between them. Zhu Yuan hopped around in protest, but seemed unable or unwilling to stop it. "There! Spic and span! We can't have a respected officer wearing a dirty uniform!"

Wise covered his forehead with one hand, now feeling a headache coming on that was owed to nothing more than the situation, rather than being magically placed in there for disobedience. "This is already a huge mess. It's chaos! Just one Resonium and everyone's become entirely different people," he thought to himself. "No... I'm sure they're still in there. Nothing that's happened so far is anything we can't work past. But... how do I work towards anything?!" He clenched his fists in anger, closing his eyes to avoid looking anywhere. There was nowhere he could turn his eyes any more without seeing a nonsensically erotic scene.

"Hey, this is getting really exhausting. Have I earned 5 VP yet?" Nicole asked, still with her hands crossed behind her head and her tits out. She hadn't stopped twisting her torso left and right and was beginning to work up a sweat, sending droplets this way and that with each swing.

"Oh, of course, darling! I'll even give you a tip for excellent service. There will also be a little contestant rap sheet and recap for those of you following at home, who might be starting to lose track of the score. Oh, and for anyone concerned about where your S rank Resonium suggestions went, we were very excited to receive those. They're in safe keeping, but the time isn't right to deploy them just yet! Let's update the VP rankings and then move on to the exciting next portion of the show," Loverboo giggled, clapping its paws together excitedly. "After all, what would our competition be without its contests? And I'm oh so excited to reveal our first...!"

+ Nicole earned 6 VP for swinging her bare breasts around for an impressive 5 minutes straight.

+ Zhu Yuan earned 1 VP for showing off her butt with her pants down again.

+ Rina earned 1 VP for molesting another contestant.