So yeah, we're going down

Mary took a deep breath, and a shiver went down her spine. Here she was. Confronted with a situation she wasn’t prepared for, and doubts she tried desperately to tamp down.

She stood outside the movie theater and tried to stop her hands from shaking.

“Rather bold of you my girl, to choose this one first,” Sylvia said, nodding to the old building. “She’s his first love, you know. Are you sure she’ll be alright with you trying to take him for yourself?”

Mary’s heart skipped a beat. She knew full well how obsessed Dakota was with Nick. But that didn’t matter at this point. If she was going to take this seriously, if she wanted to be taken seriously, then this was a confrontation she couldn’t avoid.

“I should have done this in the first place,” she said pointedly. “Dakota deserves to know.”

Sylvia nodded. She could appreciate that logic.

“Well, I’d be happy to help, but something tells me she doesn’t want me there.” Sylvia waved her hand, and Mary entered the old movie theater. She wished she could have picked a better time, since talking to Dakota in the middle of a movie would probably be the last thing the other girl would want. But she couldn’t let that hold her back.

There was only one film playing. The Mummy. And not the crappy modern one with Tom Cruise. Or the slightly-less-but-still-crappy one with Brendan Frasier.

Dakota only watched the best. The original film, from 1932, starring the great Boris Karloff. Mary maneuvered her way through the rows of empty seats, marveling at the black and white film. She had no idea what it was about, but it looked like they were in the middle of a very emotional scene.

The mummy lamented, and Dakota watched the scene play out with tears in her eyes. Mary was shocked. She didn’t imagine that the other girl could even feel those sorts of emotions. But no, she was almost crying.

Not willing to distract her in the middle of the film, Mary sat a few seats away and watched the rest of the movie in silence, wondering how she should go about talking to the other woman all the while.

When the film finally ended and the lights came back on, Mary rose from her seat to go confront Dakota. The woman had an oddly pensive look on her face, and when she saw Mary, she said nothing, and just gave the other girl a brief nod.

“Hello there,” she greeted the redhead. “Can I help you with something?”

Mary sighed in relief. At least she doesn’t seem upset that I saw her in such a compromising position, she thought.

That may have been quick to change, because the dark-haired girl was starting to get irritated that Mary wasn’t saying anything.

“Well?” Dakota asked, narrowing her eyes. “Can I help you?”

Mary felt her heart pierced by the other woman’s withering gaze. But she had to be firm. This was about her feelings, and she wasn’t about to allow herself to come up short. If she wanted to be with Nick, if she was serious about marrying Nick, then she needed to prove that she loved him more than anyone, that she could make him happier than anyone.

Even happier than Dakota.

“I’m in love with Nick,” she stated firmly, more to herself than the other woman, to reaffirm what her heart knew to be true.

Dakota stared at her, nonplussed.

“Yeah, that’s pretty damn obvious.” She made a face that seemed to be a mix between a sneer and an amused smirk “What are you trying to tell me?”

Mary shook her head. “I just wanted to make things clear between us, so I could confront you as an equal.”

If Dakota was offended by the insinuation that the two were equals, it didn’t show on her face.

“Okay…” She stared expectantly at Mary, waiting for more.

“I’m in love with Nick… and I plan to marry him.” She let out a faint sigh of relief. That was the hard part. Once she got that out there, telling Dakota of her intentions to go on a date would be easier.

“Marry him, eh?” Dakota’s expression remained enigmatic. She had a contemplative look on her face, like she wasn’t sure how to react to that. “I mean… again. That’s something everybody knows. So why are you telling me?”

“B-because…” This was going too well. Suspiciously too well. “Because you love him too… right? And you want to marry him…”

“That’s right,” Dakota said, nodding sharply. “That’s what I want.” Her eyes glowed with challenge, and Mary shivered.

“…But that doesn’t mean I don’t support you two getting married.”

…And that was about the point Mary stopped being able to make sense of what the other girl was saying.

“Huh?!”

“You want to marry him, I want to marry him, I’m sure a few other girls like Gina, Kim, and Dawn want to marry him, too,” Dakota said, shrugging. “That girl Morgana too, I bet. So why not? We can all get married to him.”

She waved her arm vaguely in the air.

“Mary, we’re standing in a movie theater that was created by magic. In a hotel created by magic. On an island created by magic. In a dimension-”

“Okay, okay, okay, I get it!” Mary raised her hands and cut the other woman off.

“My point is, we don’t have to focus on the rules or laws of earth or whatever,” Dakota said, shrugging. “Hell, according to the real world, I’m dead. You think I have some sort of rebirth certificate that I can use when they check my papers at City Hall? Fuck the laws. This is our world, we can make it our own, and get married to Nick whenever we damn well please.”

Mary winced. “But…”

But she wanted to be the only one. His lawful wife. The woman he loved more than anyone. Having multiple wives…

“That’s how this game works.” Dakota stalked closer to her. “You have to acknowledge that, right? Or do you just want special privileges over the rest of us? Bragging rights? Well, fine. If you want to be his ‘official wife’ as per the laws of the real world, that works for me. But Mary… I think you need to take a long, hard look at your own expectations of this relationship, and see if you can really commit to him. Because… he’ll commit to you. Nick’s that kind of guy. But it might not be in the way you want. You know he won’t commit to only you.”

She sounded almost sorry for Mary. Her expression looked genuinely sympathetic.

In turn, Mary’s heart wavered. She knew that, of course, she’d felt that pain and jealousy stab her many times. And Dakota hadn’t even been cruel about it. But talking to all the other girls, telling them her plans, and seeing the way they treated her in return, she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that something would have to give.

She could have most of her happy life with Nick. Almost all her fantasies. She could be his bride, she could bear his children, they could be happy together.

But she could never monopolize his heart.

Would that be enough? To have him bound to me in the eyes of God, if he won’t commit to me alone?

Adultery was a sin, Mary knew that in her heart. But seeing the love the other women all had for Nick, and how much they loved him…

She didn’t know what to think anymore.

“I’m… going on a date with him tomorrow…” Her voice sounded far more hollow than it had just minutes before. “And I’m going to see how he feels. Maybe even float the idea of marriage with him. I want to understand if we can have a happy future together.”

Dakota nodded. “I hope you have a good time, then,” she replied. “I hope you get everything you deserve.”

Mary didn’t know how to interpret the tone with which the other woman said that. But it sent a shiver down her spine regardless. She nodded shakily, turned, and headed out of the theater with her head hung low.

“So, how’d it go?” Sylvia asked, seeing the answer plainly on Mary’s face. The other woman didn’t even reply, she just kept walking.

“Let’s go,” she muttered, occupied with complicated thoughts. “Let’s talk to Carly next, okay?”

Of the women left, Mary prayed that Carly would be the easiest one.

“Huh?” Carly’s eyes widened in surprise. “A date with Nick? With the intention of marriage? Are you for real?”

Mary winced, bracing for the worst. Just because she’d found Carly and her twin lounging by the pool and relaxing didn’t mean that the other woman’s passive aura would translate to her being okay with this.

“Sure thing!” Carly flashed a grin. “Go for it! You should have a blast!”

Mary’s eyes widened. “R-really? You’re really okay with that?” She asked.

Carly nodded. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be? After all, my feelings for Nick don’t involve a chapel or a white picket fence or anything like that. And if he doesn’t want to have sex with me because he’s married to you, well…”

Her expression looked a little pained, but she shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Mary winced. “I, um, I don’t think it’ll come to that,” she said, shaking her head. “Knowing Nick, I think he’ll still want to… you know.”

“I see…” Carly mused. “That must be pretty tough for you then, huh?”

Mary didn’t know how to respond to that, so she just looked at the water. Marley was lounging in a white bathing suit. Once upon a time, if she’d entered the water, she probably would have melted, so now she was just human.

She was a testament to all the changes they’d gone through since coming here. Would Mary have wanted to marry Nick this badly if she’d never come to the island?

No, probably not.

But the fact remained, this was the world they were in now.

Marley met her eyes, and she looked away. The shy twin swam over to the edge of the pool and threw her arms up over it, pulling herself up to join the conversation.

“You’re really getting married to Nick then?” She asked, a little surprised. Mary thought she could see a faint trace of emotion deeper than just surprise, though.

Mary nodded. “If he’ll want to marry me… then yes, that’s what I want to do.”

Marley glanced down sadly and then **** a smile. “And sis, you’re really… okay with that? You don’t want to marry him yourself?”

“No, not all,” Carly said, shaking her head. “I mean… yeah. If I had to pick a guy, then he would be ‘the guy’ for sure, but… marriage is just, like, a thing. It doesn’t mean we aren’t connected.”

She placed her hand over her heart. “I don’t need a pair of rings to tell me what I already know, you know?”

To Mary, those words felt like a smack in the face. Marriage was so much more than a government document. It was a promise between two people, and God. A bond that could not be severed. That’s what marriage meant to her.

I won’t condemn Carly for seeing things different… but I know we won’t ever be in agreement about stuff like this, she thought sadly. It was a shame, because Carly was a wonderful person, in spite of her lax sexual morality.

Marley, on the other hand…

“Are you okay with this?” Mary asked the more conservative twin. Marley’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? Me?”

“I mean… I know you got eliminated from the harem, but… your feelings for Nick, they’re still… you do love him, don’t you?” Maybe she had it wrong?

“My feelings don’t matter here,” Marley mumbled, sinking a little lower in the water to conceal the faint blush on her pale cheeks. “Even if I wanted to marry him, it’s not my place. I’m just an observer, after all, supporting my sister.”

“Aww, she’s just being shy!” Carly teased, crouching down and patting her sibling on the head. “You can be honest and say you like him, you know!”

Marley sank until she was completely submerged. Mary’s heart ached. She could tell that Carly was right, and Marley did have feelings for Nick.

But she can’t be in my position anymore, she can’t act on her feelings, Mary realized. Because she’s not part of the harem anymore.

Marley was more of an outsider looking in than anyone. Even Dawn, for all her dislike of her indecision, had a higher standing with Nick than the other girl.

“Marley…”

Everyone paused to see Sylvia speaking up. She knelt beside the water, looking down at the other girl.

“Are you sure about that? If you want to go out on a date with Nick yourself-”

“I’m fine.” Marley popped out of the water and shook her head. She had an expressionless face like Mimi had always worn. “But thanks for worrying… mom.”

Sylvia fell silent, offering little more than a small nod, and rose to her feet.

“Just two left, then,” she muttered to herself, leading Mary out of the pool area and back to the main hotel. “Who’s it going to be? Morgana or Rose?”

Mary swallowed. The emotions kept piling up on her. First Kim and Dawn, who suppressed their own feelings for her sake. Then Gina, who didn’t think she deserved him. Dakota, who completely put her in her place, and now even Carly and Marley had caused her to be burdened emotionally.

Rose would hopefully be simpler. She just wanted someone who she could talk to about this who wouldn’t make her feel uncomfortable, or guilty for loving Nick.

She was surprised when she found Rose in the gym. She wasn’t exercising, she was just sitting at the juice bar.

“Oh, Mary, come for a workout?” Rose looked up, flashing the other girl a smile. “You sure you can handle yourself in those clothes?”

Mary raised her eyebrow. Rose was one to talk! She pointed at the underwear clinging to the other woman’s curvaceous figure. Not exactly the type of clothes one should be working out in, either.

“Ah, it’s different for me, I’m not working out,” Rose clarified. “I’m hiding out!” She winked at Mary, and Mary rolled her eyes.

“Hiding from what?” She asked.

Rose blushed and looked away.

“…Nick. I figured he wouldn’t come here.” She lifted up her hands to cover herself. “I thought this would be as simple as wearing a swimsuit, but somehow, when it comes to underwear… it’s just so much more embarrassing.”

Mary frowned. “If it’s so embarrassing… why don’t you stop?” She asked quietly. She couldn’t imagine ever stripping down to her underwear in front of everyone just for money.

“I don’t really know why,” Rose admitted. “I suppose it’s just another bad habit of mine rising to the surface again… you see, ever since I was young, I’ve always had a weakness for money. I’m sure if you asked a psychologist, it’s probably something to do with my brother issues. I pushed myself to the limit of my acting ability trying to support us, because… that’s the only thing I’m really good for. I’ve been in movies that would probably turn your stomach, and I did it all so my little brother wouldn’t have to worry about missing a meal.”

She laughed a little, trying to play it off as not a big deal. But Mary was sensitive enough to see the lines of worry on her flawless features.

“I’m surprised… you’re so beautiful.” To Mary, Rose was exactly what she pictured movie stars to be. Glamorous and lovely, and with twisted personalities. To think someone so pretty couldn’t find success…

It reminded her of all the rejection letters she’d received in trying to get her novel published. Failure after failure had weighed her down, until she finally returned home with her tail tucked between her legs.

But… I still had my family to rely on. Rose… she didn’t have anybody. She remembered Rose telling them about her mother. Nothing specific, but enough to confirm that her brother was all she really had.

Wait, what am I doing?! I didn’t come here to talk about this heavy sort of stuff! Mary opened her mouth to try and get the conversation back on track, but Rose wouldn’t let her.

“Sorry about this, by the way,” she said, gesturing to her lingerie. “I know you’re not good with the whole ‘showing skin’ thing.”

“No, it’s fine.” Mary shook her head. “I mean… I’m not… one to talk…”

She tugged on her shirt, trying to pull the two ends closer together. It felt tighter, like her breasts had grown slightly larger. She needed to milk herself soon.

“…Also, Carly dresses pretty skimpy every day, so…” Add on the fact that if she wanted to go see Kim while her friend was working she’d get an eyeful of what the schoolgirl had to offer, and Mary was starting to get pretty desensitized to skin exposure.

“I guess that’s true!” Rose chuckled. “But still… I never expected to find myself so embarrassed, especially around Nick! I mean, you saw the way I-! …Never mind.”

She realized that Mary was probably the last person to joke about stuff like that with, and glanced down, cheeks flushing shamefully.

Mary sighed.

“Actually… Nick is the reason I wanted to talk with you today,” she said.

Rose blinked. “R-really? Um, I mean… that’s okay, I just…”

Mary squinted in confusion. The other girl suddenly seemed really flustered. They’d just been talking like normal, with Rose making her usual jokes laced with innuendo, and yet from out of nowhere…

Just because she said she wanted to talk about Nick?

“Rose…” Mary narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Did something happen between you and Nick?”

Rose flinched. That answered that.

“N-no!” She stammered, waving her hands frantically. “Nothing happened! Really! We just, well, you know! We were getting along great, we had ourselves a little date, watched some movies, you know! It was a great time! Ask him, he had a lot of fun!”

She winced, remembering Nick’s reaction this morning. The way he averted his eyes.

“At least… I think he did…” She mumbled, glancing down at the floor. Her cheeks were still flushed.

Mary gasped. No way. It can’t be… can it?

Could Rose… actually like Nick that way?

“Rose…” She had to know for sure. She couldn’t believe that someone as superficial and flirtatious as Rose could develop genuine feelings for a sweet guy like Nick. But the way she seemed to be acting… Mary recognized some of her own shyness in the other woman.

“Rose, do you… are you in love with Nick?”

The blonde’s eyes widened like dinner plates and her mouth flopped open. Only a squeak escaped her lips. A tense silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

“Ahem.”

Sylvia cleared her throat, catching the girls’ attention. She pointed at some words hovering in the air.

Scenes From a Hat: Old Beausoleil Had a Cow, E-I-E-I-O!

“OH, COME ON!” Both women shouted in unison.