Why don't you have her join you?

Because of the presence of the mysterious entity called a producer and the effect he seemed to have on Sylvia and Dakota, an oppressive cloud hung over the beach as the numbers tabulated. Then, they came to a stop and the votes closed.

Nick picked up on this immediately, because he saw the way Dakota flinched. She had been standing as still as a statue before then; but now, she reacted with a visceral shake.

“And… the votes have been tabulated!” She declared, regaining some of her swagger. Holding her head high, Dakota walked forward and twirled her cane. “Now… let’s see the results! What did the audience decide?”

1st: Sylvia

2nd: Dawn

3rd: Gina

4th: Mary

5th: Carly

6th: Dani

7th: Rose

8th: Kim

9th: Morgana

The girls were silent for a moment, taking in those results.

“Wait… are you serious?” Sylvia was the first to speak. Seeing herself sitting there in first place was enough to shake her out of her position of terror respective to the producer, and she rose to her feet, stumbling over to the screen to get a closer look.

Her eyes widened in shock.

“I… I got… first place?”

Dakota grunted something under her breath. “Yes, congratulations, you got first place. The audience decided that your demonstration was the one they liked the most! Even though nothing sexual or cruel occurred in the slightest.”

She shook her head and kept muttering under her breath. “What the hell happened to the audience of this show? It’s like they’re completely different from my era…”

“Wow!” Mary’s face was bright with support. “Good job, Sylvia! You really showed them!” Her eyes were wet. She rushed over and took Sylvia’s hands. “I think… I think they really responded well to seeing you not go through with your transformation! And that’s not all… the audience seems to be supportive of all the progress you’ve made to become a better person! I’m so proud of you, Sylvia!”

Sylvia’s hands began to shake, and her eyes began to tear up. She remembered the overwhelming amount of supportive letters that had flooded her room yesterday, telling her how much they were rooting for her to succeed.

She couldn’t hold it back anymore, her emotions were overwhelming.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” She started to cry, trembling like a leaf. “I-I don’t… I don’t believe it… waaaaaaaahhhh!” She remembered all the times she interacted with her audience through chat logs back when she was the host. She missed those days dreadfully now, but she’d been shown, once and for all, that the audience hadn’t forgotten her.

It was too much, it was all too much.

Dakota looked away. Nick caught a strange expression on her face as she did. It wasn’t anger or frustration, it was something harder to identify. But what he saw looked very human.

“Yes, yes, it seems that the audience decided you deserved to win,” Dakota griped, turning back to Sylvia with a **** smile on her face. She had to be on her best behavior for the sake of the producers. “However… it won’t matter in the end. Even if you do get first place, that’s not enough to secure your position in the harem. There’s a vote, after all, and you need to win it! And your number one fan Mary here won’t be able to help you with that.

Mary frowned, but she didn’t say anything in response.

“Now then, I suppose we should get to assigning Victory Points,” Dakota said, twirling her cane. “I don’t see a need to stick to the prior method of tabulating points, however. Instead, since this is an audience vote, I think it will be a simple matter. I’ll just assign the number of votes you all got into a percentage, round up, and that percentage will determine how many VP you girls get! Sound good?”

With a tap of her cane in the sand, numbers appeared next to the girls’ names.

1st: Sylvia – (+14 VP)

2nd: Dawn – (+13 VP)

3rd: Gina – (+13 VP)

4th: Mary – (+11 VP)

5th: Carly – (+11 VP)

6th: Dani – (+11 VP)

7th: Rose – (+10 VP)

8th: Kim – (+9 VP)

9th: Morgana – (+7 VP)

“Well… it could be worse,” Rose sighed, looking down. She had assumed a low score would be coming. “At least I don’t lose any VP this time.”

She’d lost enough VP in challenges at this point.

“I-I’m just shocked,” Gina stammered, shaking her head in disbelief. “Third place? People really liked my performance that much? I don’t believe it…”

“I’m a little surprised myself,” Dakota agreed. “A lot of people voted you pretty average at first. But as time went on, you just kept getting placed high, and eventually even managed to outpace Mary- just by a couple of points! I’d say you have a lot to be proud of.”

“I’m pretty shocked as well, sister,” Dani said, nodding to Gina. Her own performance was shocking. Sure, sixth place wasn’t anything special, but given what she’d done for her challenge, and how low she’d been rated in the popularity poll? It really meant a lot.

“I would be shocked if I were you, Dani,” Dakota nodded in agreement. “After all, your popularity poll results speak for themselves.”

Dani glared at the host, who just smirked in response.

“What? You said it yourself. I would appear that popularity isn’t everything,” Dakota scoffed. “You got quite a chunk of last place votes, but the second-largest amount of second place votes. More than Dawn, more than Mary, more than everybody but Sylvia! It seems that you’re regarded as a real ally, Dani, even given your… questionable decision to out your former lover to her family.”

Dani burned with scarlet shame, but didn’t say anything.

“As for the rest of you… I’d say your positions speak for themselves,” Dakota said, looking at the other girls, who were remaining silent. “Rose, I think the audience really liked how you bonded with your mother and tried to help her. I imagine you would have placed higher, if not for Carly’s challenge playing into that same territory, with her daughter. So don’t take it too personally- they just ranked Carly over you. And as for Kim…”

“I know,” Kim snapped, narrowing her eyes. She looked like she was going to be sick. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I know full well why I’m ranked in the position I am.”

“Really?” Dakota frowned. “Because I don’t. You should have been in first, in my opinion. After all, your transformation followed the rules I actually laid out! Tormenting that bastard of a father… and you did get a decent amount of votes in that regard, don’t get me wrong. From the people in the audience who like that thing. It just wasn’t enough to overcome the feel-goods.”

She shrugged. “So it goes. At least you all performed better than our little goth here, what, with her little mental breakdown and taking it out on her family.”

Morgana started to cry in silence. She had no words. She just looked down at the sandy beach and let it absorb her tears.

“Leave her alone,” Dawn said, fiercely coming to her friend’s aid. “There’s no need to keep harping on this!”

“…You’re right, there isn’t,” Dakota agreed. “I suppose it’s time to move onto the elimination part of this evening! But first…”

She tapped her cane again, displaying everyone’s VP results.

1st: Mary – 62 VP

2nd: Morgana – 61 VP

3rd: Rose – 57 VP

4th: Carly – 54 VP

5th: Kim – 53 VP

6th: Gina – 46 VP

7th: Dawn – 42 VP

8th: Dani – 35 VP

9th: Sylvia – 30 VP

“This is your current amount of VP,” she said, gesturing to the screen. “And this… well, hmm. It seems there have been a few shifts in the numbers!”

1st: Mary – 73 VP

2nd: Morgana – 68 VP

3rd: Rose – 67 VP

4th: Carly – 65 VP

5th: Kim – 62 VP

6rd: Gina – 59 VP

7th: Dawn – 55 VP

8th: Dani – 46 VP

9th: Sylvia – 44 VP

The girls reacted in surprise to the changing scores.

“While there have certainly been a few increases, resulting in some scores changing, and everyone evening up nicely, nobody’s position in the rankings actually changed,” Dakota noted, “and Mary is still running away with a commanding lead in terms of VP. I’d say, she’s on track to win it all, quite comfortably! Of course… assuming things go that smoothly. After all… it’s about time for you girls to decide who’s going to stay… and who will be eliminated.”

As she said that, she gave a side-eyed look towards Sylvia, who shivered.

“You know, Dakota… looking at the amount of VP your girls have accumulated… after granting them such a generous amount on top of that, this round, with no negative scores… I’d say you’re in danger of some girls winning the whole competition, before we can even get through all your planned weeks!” The producer’s voice cut through the air, and Dakota flinched.

She wasn’t the only one. Nick and the others had been trying to put the strange faceless entity out of their minds, but that was quickly proving to be a futile endeavor.

“…I am aware of that, sir,” Dakota said, smoothing out her dress and regathering herself. “And that’s why, I have an announcement to make. Starting now, 100 VP is not the target goal for success in this competition! No… a winner will be decided when one of you reaches the target… 200 Victory Points!”

A hush fell over the crowd.

“What!?” Carly exclaimed. “200?!”

“That… that’s twice as high as the previous target!” Dawn sputtered.

“What’s the big idea?!” Dani demanded. “Changing the rules on us like this!? I thought we were almost done!”

“Dakota, think about what you’re doing!” Sylvia protested. “Isn’t that a little shortsighted of you? 200 VP… that’s one of the highest target scores a season of Harem Hotel has ever run!”

“Your little doll is correct, Dakota,” the producer chuckled. It was obvious that this had been exactly the result he’d been anticipating. “But even so… I think that this is quite an exceptional opportunity, wouldn’t you agree? I’m sure the other producers will admire your initiative.”

Nick winced and sank into his seat. 200 VP instead of 100? That meant Dakota had effectively doubled the amount of time this season would run for.

Sylvia originally said this competition would go on for 100 days… How many have we been here for, at this point? 50? More than that? Is Dakota even going to stick to that part? Nick knew that she had no obligation to do so. But he really hoped that there was a light at the end of this tunnel. On the other hand... could he really adapt to the old world, with everything new that had happened in this one?

Unfortunately, it was looking more and more like that wasn’t the case.

“Oh, come now,” Dakota scoffed, rolling her eyes. “This is a good thing! It will give you girls more chances to claw back that commanding lead Mary happens to be in! Right now, Morgana is the only one who comes close to overcoming her… and given her performance in the last round, well… I wouldn’t put all my eggs in that basket,” she sneered.

Nobody quite knew what to say to that. Morgana just sobbed.

Dakota was all smiles though. “Now then, let’s move on to the important part, shall we?” She chirped. “It’s time for elimination! You girls need to decide who will get a rose… and who won’t.”

She spun her cane and dismissed the screen. A table containing four roses appeared on the stage in front of Nick, and the other girls tensed.

“Now then, there were quite a few surprising results in this last challenge!” Dakota cackled. “Some winners who aren’t used to being winners, and some losers who aren’t used to being losers! Now, of course, Dawn’s in a familiar place, making the final vote again,” she noted, and Dawn winced. She looked like she would cry, having to make a choice like that again.

“But, before her, surprise surprise, Gina will be getting a chance to vote,” Dakota said, gesturing her cane to the punk girl. “Who could have seen that coming?”

Gina shook her head. “Not me.” Ever since she had gotten partnered with Mary, she had assumed that the most popular girl on the show would always be the winner of the challenges.

“And finally, Carly and Dani will also be giving roses today!” Dakota said, unable to contain her amused glee. “…Which means they can’t give roses to each other! How wild is that?”

Dani and Carly glanced at each other, and winced.

“Now then… given the bonds between you girls, I’m expecting you’ll all be voting for your buddies, isn’t that right?” Dakota wondered aloud. “Dani, I don’t see you picking Sylvia after all the bad blood between the two of you, so you’ll be sticking with Kim, I’d wager. And Dawn, same with you and Morgana, right? As for Carly… you might just choose that little doll over Rose, given your sister’s attachment to her. Could that be the case?”

Carly sank into her seat, her face turning pale.

“Carly?” Marley looked to her sister with worry on her face as Rose started to shake.

“…But then, would Nick really like that? Hmm… it might be Sylvia’s only chance, unless… oh, that’s right! Gina! You’ve been getting very close to Sylvia recently, isn’t that so?”

“Err… yeah…” Gina squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, not able to look Dakota in the eye.

“So maybe you might choose her after all!” Dakota laughed. “And in that case… Mary would be eliminated! Talk about a shakeup. I wonder, though… could you really make that choice?”

She narrowed her eyes, and Gina flinched.

“I’ve heard your doubts, old friend,” Dakota said sweetly, approaching Gina’s chair. “Talking about how much you blame yourself for what happened to me…”

She reached out and caressed her friend’s cheek.

“You don’t need to blame yourself for that. But if you’re that disgusted by something that wasn’t your fault in the slightest… making a choice like this, condemning someone… could you do it? Could you do that to sweet little Mary, who’s supported you all this time? Who saved you last round? Could you really make a cold, callous decision like that… to save Sylvia of all people?”

“Dakota, that’s enough!” Nick growled. He was getting tired of Dakota manipulating things to screw Sylvia over- they all were.

Dakota frowned, but she backed off. Clapping her hands together, she cheerily declared, “Then shall we get started?”

“Wait!”

It was Mary who cut in. Everyone turned to look at her, and most of them were confused. But not Dakota. The expression on Dakota’s face seemed to suggest that she’d been expecting this turn of events.

“Mary? What’s up?” Kim asked.

“I know what’s up,” Dakota smirked. “Starting to sweat a little, are you? Worried that Gina might not pick you after all? That no one would? It’s not like any of the victors of this round are particularly close to you, so that’s a fair concern. So let me guess… you’re planning to use your Ace in the Hole?”

“Oh!” Rose gasped. “That’s right! I-I almost forgot!”

“Right, she did have that, didn’t she?” Dani said.

“What? What’s the Ace in the Hole? I’m so lost right now!” Morgana said, looking around at the others. She hadn’t been here when Mary won her prize.

“That’s right,” Mary said, holding out her hand. The small golden statuette of Sylvia appeared.

Dakota twitched her finger against the cane and the gold reformed itself into a replica of her, instead.

“Since some of you may have forgotten about this little prize Mary won in the second challenge, the Ace in the Hole is a very special item. One so special it costs an extraordinary amount of BP just to purchase one,” Dakota informed the others. “But it’s worth it. By using it, one can get themselves out of being eliminated by forcing their previous buddy to buddy up with them again! It just hasn’t been relevant until now, because Mary kept performing better than her buddy.”

“So… she just gets to make Gina pick her?” Morgana mumbled. That really didn’t seem fair. But after everything she’d done, she couldn’t blame the others if they didn’t want to pick her. She wished she had one of those golden statues right about now.

“Actually…” Mary said, glancing over at Sylvia, who quickly shook her head.

“Mary, we talked about this!” The blonde protested. “You don’t have to do that! It’s not even going to work!”

“Huh?” A shadow crossed Dakota’s face. She wasn’t smiling anymore. “Do what? What are you talking about?”

“I have to try!” Mary sharply insisted to the other girl. She took a breath, then turned back to Dakota. “I… I want to give this to Sylvia to use. So that Gina has to pick her as her buddy, instead of me.”

A hush fell over the crowd.

“Mary, what?!” Nick exclaimed, his eyes bulging out of his skull. “You can’t be suggesting…!”

“But you’d put yourself at risk to be eliminated,” Kim protested. “You can’t seriously be planning to do that, can you?!”

“It’s for the best!” Mary snapped. “Sylvia… she deserves a chance! I-I really admired how much she’s grown this round… I promised, that if I won, I’d choose her as my buddy…” She glanced apologetically over to Gina. “I’m sorry…”

“Whatever,” Gina muttered. With her self-esteem at the bottom of a pit, it wasn’t like she could exactly protest Mary’s actions here.

“And… if that didn’t work… then I’d try to use my Ace in the Hole to save her. Even if that meant… that I would be eliminated.”

“No! Mary, no way!” Rose hopped to her feet and stomped on the sand, before storming over to her. “I’m not gonna allow this! I wanted to beat you fair and square! You think I’ll be happy if you just take yourself out of the running like this!? No way!”

“Rose, back off!” Mary snapped, shaking her off. “This is more important than some stupid rivalry, okay!? Don’t pretend like you’re safe, either. Carly could still choose Sylvia over you, if I didn’t do this.”

“So, what?! I’m just supposed to thank you for selflessly giving up to keep me in the game?!” Rose demanded, her eyes filling up with tears. “That’s not fair, Mary! And you know it! I already had to go through that once already with Holly, don’t make me go through it again!”

“Mary… Rose…” Holly looked like she was going to cry as well.

“Mary, Rose is right!” Nick cried. “You can’t just give up like this!”

“Nick…” Mary turned and looked somberly at her husband. “This is different,” she said softly. “Holly… Holly asked to be eliminated, because she didn’t think she deserved to win. But me… it’s not about that. I just-”

“It won’t matter anyway,” Dawn said sharply. “That’s not how your item works.”

“I tried to tell her,” Sylvia bemoaned, shaking her head. She wore a bitter expression on her face. “The Ace in the Hole doesn’t work for the Auditionee, even if you give it to me.”

“Finally! For once, you’re actually talking some sense,” Dakota snarled. She stormed over to Mary and swatted the golden idol out of her hand. “Listen, you. You think that I’ll just bend the rules for you because the audience loves you so much? Not a fucking chance. Do you even know what you’d be giving up if you made this play?”

“I know perfectly well,” Mary replied, staring Dakota down. “But it’s different with me. I’m the one who should go. More than anybody else here. For me… it isn’t a sacrifice.”

She held up her hand, her wedding ring sparkling in the afternoon sun.

“With this ring, I’m bound to Nick as his wife,” Mary asserted. “Even if I’m eliminated from the competition, I won’t be eliminated from the harem. Like you were. I’m bound to him forever.”

The veins on Dakota’s forehead started to throb, and she clenched her cane so tightly it seemed liable to break at any second. Nick feared that Dakota would slap Mary across the face!

Instead, she managed to pull herself back from the edge. “So that’s what this is, then?” She spat, glaring at the redhead. “Pity? Charity from the girl who’s got it all?”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Mary rebuffed her accusation. “But everyone here… they’re all trying their hardest. Even if they slip and fall sometimes.” She glanced at Kim and Morgana. Gina looked down sadly. “…I don’t want any of them to be eliminated. I don’t want you to **** some harsh exit transformation on them. Especially not on Sylvia. She… she doesn’t deserve that, Dakota, even after everything she did. And you know it.”

She turned to Sylvia with fierce determination burning in her eyes. “What about you, huh?” She demanded. “Dakota keeps saying that you’re not real! That you’re just a puppet following her instructions! So? What are you gonna do? What do you want to do?!”

Sylvia meekly shrank back. “B-but… the rules…”

“Forget about the rules!” Mary shouted. She grabbed the golden idol from the ground and shoved it towards the other girl. “What do YOU want!? Do you want to get eliminated? Or do you want to fight for your place at Nick’s side, even if it’s against the rules?!”

“I… I…” Sylvia glanced at Dakota, who levied a scathing glare her way and shook her head. Then, she turned to Nick, who stared at her with pleading expression. She could see the desperation in his eyes. Sylvia looked at all the girls in turn. They all looked varying levels of hopeful, fearful, and worried. Then, finally, her eyes stopped on Marley.

Her little girl looked ready to cry.

“Please…” She mouthed to her mother, and Sylvia’s mind was made up.

“I…I want to stay!” Sylvia said, taking the statue and turning to Dakota. “So let me stay, mom! Please!”

Words could not describe the furious roil that fought savagely across Dakota’s face. The air practically seemed to boil. “You… would defy me? Defy the rules? You defective little-”

“Dakota, please, this is what she wants!” Mary cried. “Can’t you respect that? Can’t you understand, that she’s just trying to fight for her future, too?”

Mary placed her hand over her stomach. “I’m going to be a mother soon. My baby hasn’t even been conceived two weeks, and already I love them so much… don’t you feel the same about your own daughter?”

Dakota stared at the expecting mother with a face devoid of emotion. “That thing isn’t my child,” she bluntly replied, and Mary staggered back, her face shocked, hurt, and filled with pity.

“…I see.”

“And don’t think for a second that I would let any of this happen!” Dakota snapped. “You don’t have the right to just eliminate yourself and **** the person you WANT into the winning position! There are rules to this show, you know! Expectations! Defying the will of the audience would be tantamount to-”

“I’ll allow it.”

Dakota’s words died on her lips and she went deathly pale. She took a few shaky steps backwards and turned her trembling head to look at the producer, lounging back on a sand dune with an amused expression on his indecipherable face.

“…S-sir?” She stammered, not sure she heard the producer properly.

“You heard me,” the producer replied, rising to his feet. It didn’t go unnoticed by anyone that the sand refused to cling to his clothes. “I think that sounds marvelous! Imagine- the leading heroine of the show, the girl with the most VP, and an unquestionable lead in terms of audience support… suddenly removed from the competition altogether? What a marvelous shakeup! Talk about a twist! The ratings will go wild!”

Sylvia’s jaw dropped. Dakota didn’t know what to say.

Finally, though, her mouth began to work, and she regathered herself.

“Sir… it doesn’t work that way. The rules-”

“I make the rules,” the producer bluntly pointed out.

Another shake went through Dakota’s body.

“But-”

“Dakota, you claimed that Sylvia here was just a construct, isn’t that right?” He gestured towards the blonde. “That because you created her, she wasn’t ‘real’ and thus, you didn’t have to abide by the usual rules of Harem Hotel preventing the destruction of life.”

Dakota looked sullenly down at the sound. “Because she’s not,” she mumbled.

“Really?” The producer raised his eyebrow, the color of which couldn’t be properly assessed. “Because I wouldn’t be so sure that anyone here but you believes that. She ranked fifth in this round’s popularity poll. And if that wasn’t enough, the audience gave her an overwhelming vote for first place in this very challenge. It sounds to me like they all believe that she SHOULD be considered alive. They’ve already voted, in my opinion, anyway, to allow Sylvia to stick around. And if that wasn’t enough…”

He turned to look at Sylvia and she froze. She felt like she was going to crumble to dust under his gaze.

“She chose for herself, to defy your wishes, and the rules themselves, to try and fight for her position. So with that being the case… I see no reason why I shouldn’t go along with this little gambit,” he said, then smirked. “It’s quite amusing.”

“Amusing?!” Dakota exclaimed incredulously. But she couldn’t say anything further.

“Assuming, of course, you’re alright with this,” the producer said, turning to Nick. “This is your harem, after all. So what do you think?”

Nick was at a loss for words. He looked down at Sylvia and Mary.

“Nick…” Mary whispered.

“…Daddy…” Sylvia looked down. She could plead her case to Dakota, but where Nick was concerned…

“I… this is the best way,” Nick said, realizing the truth of those words as they escaped his mouth. “This whole time, I’ve been struggling… thinking about who I wanted to eliminate from my harem…” He turned to look at Holly. “Even if they’ll still be with me… that isn’t what I want, to have them transformed by elimination. But Mary… I don’t want that for you, either…”

“It’s fine,” Mary assured him with a smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. “This way, I’ll still be a part of your harem. Even if I’m not part of the competition… even if I can’t be your queen.”

She took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Ever since I got those letters, asking me what I would wish for… I realized that I had no idea. I used to pray to the lord every day for so many things, and then… before I even realized it, my nightly prayers were filled with nothing but expressing gratitude.”

She brought her hand down to her waist and rubbed her midriff. “I have… nothing that I want to wish for. Right now, right here, with everybody… my life couldn’t be more perfect,” she confessed.

Mary raised her head and looked up into Nick’s eyes. “So that’s why… this is the right choice. I don’t want to get transformation after transformation as my pregnancy develops. What if something happens to our angel? So… that’s it. One exit transformation, and I’m out.”

Nick was touched. And it wasn’t just him. Mary’s words had touched every heart there. Kim and Holly were misty-eyed, and Dani tried to put up a strong face. Dawn looked down sadly, while Carly was practically beside herself with heartbreak, watching another expecting mother. Marley gently comforted her, while Gina just stared vacantly at the ground. Even she had a few sniffles. And Morgana and Rose, of course, were bawling completely.

Words couldn’t describe the gratitude on Sylvia’s face.

“I think it’s settled, then,” the producer said. A sly smile crossed his face, like he was laughing at a joke nobody else could hear. “What do you think, Dakota? You could learn a thing or two from our young mother-to-be.”

Dakota flinched. She couldn’t even look at her superior, she just nodded sullenly.

“…Fine,” she spat out in resignation. “Just do what you’re going to do already.”

“I think I will!” The producer cheered jovially, snapping his fingers. And just like that, it was done. The gold statuette in Sylvia’s hands crumbled away, and the dynamics changed. Gina and Sylvia were now officially buddies, and Mary was officially eliminated. But due to the effect of her ring, she would remain a member of Nick’s harem.

“It’s not an elimination,” Mary reassured the other. “In fact, it’s almost like I’ve preemptively won, huh?”

Rose’s mood soured immediately.

“We-we haven’t settled it yet!” She pouted like a petulant child. “I’m not letting you take the easy way out! I’m gonna win this whole thing, so when I do, you don’t get to say ‘well the only reason you won is because I gave up’ you got that!? Not one person is going to think that way by the time I’ve won, got it!?”

“Good luck,” Mary said, giving her “rival” a smile filled with absolutely nothing but genuine care and compassion.

That made Rose burst into tears all over again.

“Well… now that that’s settled…” Dakota straightened up, like a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders. That’s when everybody realized that the producer had vanished to parts unknown. Dakota was back in command… and she was going to make herself known.

“Let’s get back to business, shall we?” A shadow crossed over Dakota’s face and she turned to Sylvia and Gina. “We have a new team in the making! I think I’ll dub you… Team Delinquent Daughters!”

Gina made a sour expression and Sylvia looked down and sighed.

“As for the rest of you girls…” Dakota turned to the others and tapped her chin. “Well, we still have a rose ceremony to do, I suppose. But it’s more of a formality at this point, now that we have an elimination. We’ll hold that later, after the transformations are settled.”

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mwNkJsuaygAZmB7nV8BK9zZ79g8LNezxXDBPKU2ZnGM/edit

A hush fell over the crowd as everyone waited. They all knew what would be coming next. Who would the new Auditionee be, now that Mary was eliminated/coronated?

Nick waited with anxious anticipation. There was a chance… it might be Amelia.

Knowing Dakota, that might just end up being the case.

Then Dakota smiled.

“Let’s move onto the transformations, shall we?”

A few people let out surprised gasps.

“Huh?!” Mary’s eyes widened. “I mean, you’re talking about my elimination transformation, right?”

“Oh, we’ll be transforming you, don’t worry your pretty little head,” Dakota assured her, patting her on the head. “But no, I’m talking about all the transformations, we’ll run through them all.”

“But that’s not how we usually do things,” Sylvia protested. “What about the Auditionee?”

“That’s right,” Dani nodded. “We haven’t even met them yet! Shouldn’t we get to see who we might be buddying up with?”

Dakota rolled her eyes. “You haven’t even picked roses yet. It doesn’t matter. No, like I said, we’re moving onto transformations. Now then, Mary… I assume you’re ready?”

She raised her cane, and Mary braced herself.

“Do your worst,” she said softly, cradling her belly. “Just leave my baby alone, please.”

Dakota wore a gleeful smile as she shook her head. “Why, whatever do you mean?” She asked, her voice oozing with smugness. “That’s not up to me. You know how this goes. The audience will be picking your transformation.”

Again, the group was stunned into silence.

“…Huh?!” Holly exclaimed. “But-”

“I thought Mary was getting an elimination transformation?” Nick wondered. “What’s going on here?”

“I-I don’t understand,” Mary said, shaking her head rapidly in confusion. “What are you talking about, Dakota?”

“Why would I give you an elimination transformation?” Dakota asked, raising her eyebrow. The smug smile never left her face as she twirled her cane. “As you were so proud to declare… you haven’t been eliminated. You’re still a member of Nick’s harem, right? And the rules make it clear. All members of Nick’s harem get a transformation every round, except the ones who win a challenge. You can’t have forgotten that already, not after all the rounds you’ve gone through.”

“B-but! But-!” Mary stammered in confusion, her eyes swimming in her head. “…But I can’t! Th-the producer said that I wouldn’t get any new ones, just an elimination transformation?”

“Did he? Or did you assume that?” Dakota asked.

…

Mary turned pale.

“W-wait, then-”

“No!” Dakota gleefully declared. “Mary, you’re Nick’s wife now. Which means, while you’ll no longer be taking part in the competition for the role of queen, or earning VP and BP, you are still a member of his harem. So every round, you will be getting a transformation, just like all the other girls in his harem! You see? It’s not an elimination! It’s something far grander!”

“Dakota, that’s not fair!” Nick protested.

Dakota lowered her cane and sighed. She rubbed her temples and turned to Nick, wearing an exasperated expression on her face. “Nick… that’s how Mary’s ring works. I can’t eliminate her, because she’s a member of your harem no matter what. And as a member of your harem, she gets transformed every round. That’s the rule. I tried talking her out of taking the bullet for Sylvia, but she was so high on her own self-aggrandizement and martyrdom, she never even questioned it. You should be happy! She’ll get to spend every night in the Master’s Suite with you and the girl of your night. She’s won an all-access pass as your wife! And all it’ll cost her is one measly transformation every round. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”

“But… Mary…” Nick turned to her with sorrow in his eyes.

“Nick… it’s fine.” To everyone’s amazement, Mary stood as tall as ever, even in spite of her worry. She wasn’t looking at Dakota. Only her husband was captured in her eyes.

“I can handle it,” Mary said, nodding. Nick, realizing she was right, nodded back. Only then did Mary turn back to Dakota.

“Okay,” she said firmly. “I’m ready. What transformations have you got for me now?”

Everyone was impressed by her resolve. Rose wished she could be so bold and brave.

Even Dakota seemed impressed. She nodded in approval.

“Very nice!” She smirked, raising her cane, and summoning a black screen the hovered above the stage.

Mary:

• Herding Cattle: Mary has a lot of experience working with animals on her farm. Now, she’ll put that experience to good work. Whenever another girl is up in the Master’s Suite with Nick, she’ll work hard to ensure that girl is providing him with the most pleasure as possible. If she gives an order that will provide the master with more pleasure than what the girl is currently attempting, it will be obeyed. [NOTE: She cannot order anyone to do something they have not already consented to doing with the master.] (Farmer’s Daughter)
• Stepford Smile: A good wife must always be obedient and pleasant and happy to be around her man. Mary will now exude an aura that will facilitate this. Whenever she and Nick are in the Master’s Suite, Nick will feel more relaxed and happy around her. Any other girl who is in the Master’s Suite with them will feel nice and content as though Nick was her husband as well and they are feeling a sense of wedded bliss. [NOTE: They will not actually believe they are married, but will feel the sense of contentment as if they were a domestic homemaker.] (Wife)
• If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It: Transformations are a good thing, especially ones that make Nick happy! Mary will encourage the girls in Nick’s harem to make full use of their transformations when they’re with him, and encourage them to “slip into their role” in the harem, or at least what she perceives that role to be. Seeing the other girls fulfilling their roles will feel her with sexual arousal, pleased that Nick’s harem is coming together. (Corruption)

https://strawpoll.com/QrgebBBe2Zp

Mary winced. Those were some pretty brutal ones.

“Dakota, these are a little…” Nick hesitated to go any further. But Dakota wasn’t upset. She was just amused.

“Come on now,” she chirped. “What will it be? Mary? Which one do you want most?”

“Th-the first one,” Mary said, with just a bit of hesitation. “I know I shouldn’t control others… but if it will help make Nick happy…”

“Good answer, good answer,” Dakota nodded. “And any you don’t like?”

“The second one…” Mary winced. “While I love the idea that Nick would always feel relaxed and at ease around me, dragging the others into it as well…”

“I see… and Nick? What do you think?” Dakota asked, turning to him. “After all, she’ll be staying with you from now on.”

“I want what Mary wants,” Nick said firmly. Mary sighed in relief when she heard that.

Dakota wasn’t all that impressed. “…I see. How riveting. Anyway! Moving on! Sylvia, because you somehow won the competition, you won’t be getting a transformation this round.”

Sylvia sighed in relief when she heard that.

“…Of course, that means we’ll be moving onto Dawn next!” Dakota turned her cane to Dawn, and the screen shifted again.

Dawn tensed as she looked at her results.

Dawn:

• Stretched Skintight: Imagine doing gymnastics without a leotard! From now on, Dawn will wear a sheer, skintight leotard that captures ever curve (or lackthereof) perfectly. Better hope she doesn’t get too aroused, because the fabric turns translucent when wet, and it’ll be pretty difficult to conceal her nips! (Gymnast)
• Self-Grooming: Cats don’t tend to prefer baths. While thankfully Dawn won’t be given an aversion to taking showers when necessary, her primary method of encouraging cleanliness will be to lick herself clean. And just like a cat, this will extend to the people around her, as well. She’ll see nothing wrong with licking the people she’s closest to, and her tongue will change to be rougher, like a cat’s, while also bringing significant pleasure to the people she licks. (Animal Lover)
• Thrill of Victory: Dawn’s competitiveness tends to be blunted by her compassion, but that’s because she doesn’t have anything to fight for. So to incentivize her to put some more effort in, whenever she feels that she’s “won” something meaningful, whether it’s a challenge, a higher ranking in the polls, or even just the master’s attention and affection from another girl, she will receive a massive surge of sexual pleasure. Conversely, losing a challenge will result in a period of dissatisfaction and discontent that will temporarily stunt her ability to become aroused. (Competitive)

https://strawpoll.com/wby5Avv5ByA

“These aren’t the best,” Dawn admitted. “I guess the one I prefer the most would probably be the Self-Grooming one.”

“Really?” Dakota seemed surprised to hear that. “I thought the leotard was the least intrusive.”

Dawn shook her head. “I plan to have a life after this,” she pointed out. “I can’t exactly do my job if I have to wear a leotard. Besides…”

Her tongue slithered out of her mouth, reminding everyone of just how long it was.

“I might as well put this to more use,” she said, pulling it back between her lips.

“I see, and Nick?” Dakota turned to him with a curious look in her eye.

Nick tensed. “Well… I want to give Dawn what she wants, really, I do, but… I don’t know. Licking just seems kind of gross to me. I think I’d rather have the leotard one, honestly.”

Dawn cracked a crooked smile. “Of course you would. Pervert.” She said with a loving tone, her tail flicking joyfully behind her.

“I don’t want the one that gives her pleasure when she wins, though,” Nick said. “I mean, it would be great, letting her feel pleasure like that, but… I don’t know. It would end up forcing me to pick sides too often, and I don’t like the idea of that.”

“Fair enough,” Dakota nodded. “Now then, our dark horse bronze medal, Gina! What transformations do we have for you today?”

“I don’t know, but I bet they’re gonna suck,” Gina winced.

Gina:

• Girls Gone Wild: Nothing says “great party” like topless girls! Whenever Gina is enjoying herself, she’ll feel a natural urge to pull up her shirt and let the girls go free! The more people around, the greater the compulsion to reveal her breasts. (Party Animal)
• Trigger Word: Gina will be able to cum instantly whenever Nick says the words “Good Girl” to her. This trigger can be adjusted to any other term, but only with the consent of both Nick and Gina. Use wisely, only to encourage proper behavior! (Good Girl)
• Bottom of the Totem Poll: Gina tends to be submissive only to Nick right now. But that doesn’t have to be the case. From now on, whenever she is in bed with another contestant, or engaged in a sexual act with another member of Nick’s harem, she will feel naturally subservient to them. (Submissive)

https://strawpoll.com/BDyNE884qZR

“Well, those aren’t so bad,” Gina said, smiling a little. “I like the Trigger Word one. Nick being able to make me orgasm at just a word would be nice.”

“I figured you’d like that one,” Dakota smirked. “Any you don’t want?”

Gina shook her head. “The last one, the one where I have to submit to anyone… but it’s what I deserve. So maybe… maybe that one’s for the best.”

Nick winced. He didn’t like this downward spiral Gina was constantly on. He thought things had been better, but it was becoming clear that was just a momentary respite.

“I don’t want that one either,” he said firmly. “And the one I want… it’s the Girls Gone Wild one.”

Gina was both surprised and not surprised to hear that. Dakota just laughed.

“Well, I can’t say I blame you for wanting her to show off her boobs,” she chortled.

“It’s not just about that,” Nick said, his face heating up. “But that one… it would involve Gina having fun and enjoying herself. And right now, any transformation that does that, has my full support.”

Dakota blinked, surprised. Gina was stunned.

“…Well, alright then,” the host said. “In that case, let’s move on! Carly! You’re doing pretty good in the numbers! And since Mary, who was above you, is no longer in the game, now it’s on you!”

Carly:

• Gacha Girl: Caryl’s a pretty bold woman. Each morning, she’ll get a random transformation from another contestant given to her for the rest of the day. No two transformations from the same person will be given in a row. [NOTE: The transformation will reset every morning at 6:00.] (Adventurous)
• Collab Stream: A good content creator knows the best way to build a brand is to partner with someone else. On Carly’s nights with the master, she may invite another contestant into the Master’s Suite with her for a threesome. The audience will grade both girls’ performances in a quick vote, and split a reward of 5 VP between the two girls depending on who they judged as performing better. (Content Creator)
• Free the Nipple!: Carly’s got the biggest breasts of the harem, and those things were made to be shown off! From now on, Carly will see absolutely nothing wrong with exposing any amount of skin, down to and including full nudity. Furthermore, she will not experience any adverse effects as a result of exposing herself, such as changes in temperature or punishments by society. [NOTE: Sexy effects are exempted, of course, like stiff nipples.] (Exhibitionist)

https://strawpoll.com/jVyG8jjWGn7

Carly was stunned. Marley was stunned. Nick was stunned.

“Whoa, that… whoa,” she said, shaking her head. “I mean… the second one, obviously? Right?”

Nobody could believe that Dakota had actually put a transformation like that into the mix.

“So wait, she has a chance of netting an additional 5 VP every round?!” Rose gasped. “That’s not fair!”

“But she has to risk it with someone else,” Dawn pointed out. “Does that balance it?”

“Not if there’s collusion involved,” Sylvia said grimly. “She might just team up with somebody, and agree to share the VP that way.”

She looked at Dani as she said this, who looked indignant.

“Fine, fine, I’ll make the contestant chosen at random, then,” Dakota assured the others. “Does that work?”

Nick nodded. “That’s fine, then. I’d be okay with that, too. As for ones I don’t like… I don’t know. I’m not thrilled about the streaking one, to be honest.”

“Really?” Carly blinked, surprised. “Because I’m cool with it. I’m fine with any of these, honestly.”

Dakota smirked. “Accommodating as usual, it seems. That’s perfect. Then, let’s move onto our next girl, Dani. Let’s see what your new transformation path has to offer, shall we?”

Dani:

• Wild Horses Are Unbroken: While Dani is no longer a centaur, one of the defining aspects of tomboys is their stamina. Now, Dani will had an endless amount of stamina for sexual situations. In a sexual engagement, she will only tire out when every other participant has tired out. [NOTE: This applies even with participants that she herself is not engaging with sexually.] (Tomboy)
• The Feminine Mystique: Being girly hasn’t been going so well for Dani. So to facilitate that, she’ll be given a crash course in learning femininity through osmosis! Now, whenever Dani is around another woman, she will subconsciously manifest the traits of that woman that she believes to be the most “girly” and feminine. [NOTE: This only applies to behaviors and attitudes, not physicality.] (Girly Girl)
• Serene Serenade: Sirens are well-known for their power to lure people at sea to their doom. But Dani would never do that! Instead, her singing voice will be tuned so that whenever she sings, anyone who listens will be awash with feelings of peace and tranquility, and any troubles they have will be long forgotten. This will also give her voice a melodic quality to it that is very erotic and sensual. (Siren)

https://strawpoll.com/61gDmWWzOZw

Dani was surprised, these actually seemed pretty tame. “Either the first or the third ones I’d be fine with,” she admitted. “The second one is the only one that’s a no-go for me. I don’t know what kind of traits I’d be absorbing, so…”

“Fair enough, fair enough,” Dakota nodded. “And what about you, Nick? I’m assuming you feel the same way? After all, your whole thing is respecting Dani’s wishes in regards to her sexuality, right?”

Nick nodded. “That’s right,” he confirmed.

Dakota shrugged. “Well! Moving on then. Rose! Are you ready?”

Rose swallowed and nodded, tensing up.

“I-I’m fine with it,” she said, wiping her tears. “I’m not gonna back down! Not with Mary counting on me!”

Rose:

• Wandering Eye: Rose has a habit of attracting attention. Now, she’ll always be the focus of everyone’s absentminded stares. Everyone’s eyes will naturally drift towards Rose if they’re not focusing intently on something else. (Seductress)
• Golden Fleece: Rose’s hair will grow incredibly long, and very fluffy, almost like sheep’s wool. The more BP she gets each round, the more luxurious it becomes, then at the end of the round, it’s shorn off. Her hair can then be woven into a garment that grants a boon to the wearer, with the effects increased in strength depending on how much BP was put into it. (Gold Digger)
• Apple of the Green Eye: Rose isn’t shy about the fact that she’s got a banging bod. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t thought about what it would be like to play the part of someone else for a change. For a 24 hour period each day, Rose can choose another contestant, and copy all the physical features of their body, including any physical transformations they have accrued. [NOTE: The changes are only aesthetic; she does not gain any additional benefits of those physical transformations, such as enhance strength. This does not apply to her face; she doesn’t become a copy of them, and still looks like Rose.] (Actress)

https://strawpoll.com/BJnX8zzmdnv

Rose breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her transformation suite. “Oh… that’s not so bad, then. Yeah, I can deal with this.”

“So which one would you like?” Dakota asked. “The first one, perhaps?”

Rose frowned. “No! No way! How vain do you think I am?!”

Everyone stared at her.

“…HEY!” Rose groaned. “I don’t want everyone staring at me all the time! As for the wool one, though… hmm. How good a boon are we talking about?”

She already had a money-grubbing smile on her face.

Nick laughed. “That… that does sound like Rose,” he admitted.

“I know, right?” Mary chuckled. “Some things never change.”

“What about you, Nick?” Dakota asked, turning to him. “What would you like for your little actress?”

“The same ones she wants,” he replied.

Dakota nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s the way with gold diggers, isn’t it? You just want your baby to have nice things…”

Nick’s eye twitched.

“On the topic of nice things, what do we have for the girl who wasn’t so nice this round?” Dakota asked with a smirk, turning to Kim.

The schoolgirl leered at her with a pissed-off grimace on her face, and said nothing.

Dakota was fine with that.

“Here are your selections!” She cooed, brandishing her cane.

Kim:

• Minimum Wage: You can’t just pay someone nothing, you know! Now, Kim’s services towards the harem will accrue her a minimum wage of 1000 BP per round and 5 VP per round, regardless of how low she scores on the popularity polls or how poorly she does in a challenge. [NOTE: This minimum wage does not offset negative scores. If Kim does so poorly on a challenge that she gets a negative value of VP, that amount is deducted from her minimum wage. She only gets 5 VP if she earns a ranking of 0 VP or higher.] (Service Industry)
• Sick Day: Kim is usually a hard worker, but everybody needs a sick day every now and then. Kim may use this transformation to get out of any obligations to transformations she has for an entire day, but as a result, will obtain a minor punishment transformation that will last for the entirety of her sick leave. [NOTE: Physical transformations are excluded. Consecutive uses will cause the punishment transformations to stack.] (Slacker)
• Charter Schooling: As anyone knows, the quality of school you go to is proportional to how expensive it is. Now, Kim will be able to use her BP to get the benefits of finer schooling. If there is something that Kim does not know, or some skill that she wishes to acquire from someone else, she may offer that person an amount of BP proportional to the value of that information or skill, and they will be obligated to reveal that information or teach her how to perform that skill. [NOTE: Proportional BP is determined by the subconscious value the person being paid places on that information or skill.] (Student)

https://strawpoll.com/bVg8orrOrnY

“Now then…” Dakota’s smile twisted into a wicked grin as she looked at the expressions on everyone’s faces. “That’s more like it. You see, Kim, after that last challenge, I realized how much I’ve been underestimating you! You’re not just some bland girl **** to thanklessly toil for the rest of your life. You’ve got a bit of a killer instinct, haven’t you? I admire that in a girl.”

“H-hey!” Kim turned red and balled up her fists. “Stop saying stuff like that… I’m not a bad person! That… it was an exception! Because that bastard-!”

Dakota held up her hand. “I really, truly do not care,” she coldly rebuked the other girl. “Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. I’d like to see more of that! So I devised some transformations that will really help you get the edge over your competitors! What do you think?”

Kim bit her lip and analyzed them objectively.

“Well… they all have their values,” she admitted. “Paying someone to teach me something could come in handy… and taking a day off work might be worth a punishment transformation… oh, but the Minimum Wage…”

She found it surprisingly difficult to make a choice.

“Aargh, I just can’t decide!” She groaned, scrubbing at her hair in frustration. “Nick, what do you think?”

“I think those all sound beneficial for you,” Nick said, though he sounded more skeptical. “But there’s a chance that the audience might score you lower in the popularity polls, and for challenges, if they know you have that safety net. So that one’s a bit of a risk.”

Kim had to admit, he had a point. As someone who worked most of her life on minimum wage, it definitely came with its share of downsides.

Still, she just wasn’t sure.

Amused at Kim’s frustration, Dakota turned to her next target. “And then there was one,” she purred, turning her attention to Morgana. The goth girl jumped in her chair.

“Err… um…”

“You were really something this round, Morgana, transforming a whole party of people!” Dakota laughed. “Now, I wonder what we have for you…”

Morgana:

• Maid in the Shade: A goth girl is a girl who desires the darkness, not the light. From now on, Morgana’s pale skin will become extremely sensitive to sunlight, like a vampire. But instead of bursting into flames, her arousal will build and build the longer her skin is exposed to direct sunlight. [NOTE: Indirect sunlight, such as windows and light from the shade, will have no effect.] (Goth)
• Dream Eater: Like a succubus, Morgana will now have an impact on the dreams of those she sleeps with. Whoever shares her bed will find themselves on the resulting end of a very sensual dream. However, Morgana may enter that dream, and take it for her own, granting them a restful sleep; in exchange, she will spend the next morning incredibly horny. (Fantasy)
• Like a Virgin: Morgana’s body will no longer experience any wear and tear after sexual intercourse. No matter how harsh or how long the bout of sex occurs, a good night’s sleep is enough for her body to bounce back to factory reset, as though it had never happened in the first place, with all her muscles restored, like an untouched virgin. [NOTE: This will not apply to more severe injuries, including the regrowth of the hymen. Exercise reasonable boundaries when having sex!] (Ingénue)

https://strawpoll.com/eNg69GGw8nA

“Were you surprised?” Dakota leaned forward, staring intently at the stunned goth with her piercing golden eyes. “Were you expecting some horrible transformations? I was actually quite accommodating, I believe.”

Morgana didn’t see it that way.

“A-anything!? Any injuries!? Dangerous sex!? What-?!” She stammered in shock.

Dakota shrugged. “I mean, it looked like you were developing a fondness for being spanked when you had your first time with Nick. Was I wrong about that?”

Morgana’s pale face turned red. And now everybody knew that little detail. Thanks, Dakota.

She wasn’t the only one blushing. Nick turned red as well.

“Dakota!” He hissed, glaring at her.

Dakota rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. This is nothing,” she scoffed. “Come on now, Nick. You should know better than this! Which one would you want?”

Nick frowned. He wished he knew what Morgana would prefer, but she was still trying to wrap her head around them. “The sunlight one is really problematic… I don’t know how she’d be able to function on an island like this. So not that one. As for the last one, the one where her body can heal… that one’s pretty good, too. Not that I’d do anything **** with her, obviously!”

Dakota rolled her eyes again. “Right. Obviously.”

“I-I would like that one, too!” Morgana nodded rapidly. “I don’t want to, um… you know. Have to burn up. With horniness. And as for the dreams, well…”

She was already thinking lowly of herself. She didn’t want to develop any grudges with her buddy, by having them get horny just by sleeping with her.

“Fair enough, fair enough,” Dakota purred, twirling her cane. The screen cleared. “And with that, voting is open! I can’t wait to see what transformations await you! And as for the Auditionee, well…”

She narrowed her eyes and turned to the camera, wearing a delicious grin on her lips.

“…Just be patient. You’ll never guess what’s coming next.”