Salades Manon

Mira and Caleb split up and began to mingle; Mira headed over to join Maya, where she was sitting alone, and Caleb made a beeline for Amy. As he approached, he leaned in over her shoulder and whispered, “Hey, good morning. I need you to be careful.”

The oni’s expression stayed even as she leaned back and turned to Caleb, answering while keeping her voice low, “Well, that’s ominous. What’s up?

Seeing that Lily and Maddy had noticed the whispered conversation, the Master flashed a quick smile to them before returning his attention to Amy, “Lucian knows about the Mask. I don’t know how much he knows or what exactly he knows. I saw him last night and he made it pretty evident that he was pissed off, so just…be careful.”

Cursing under her breath, Amy nodded. That might interfere with the plans she had for the day, though maybe it would be safer to go now with the group than to go later alone? There was really no telling. She leaned back, “Thanks for the heads up.”

Caleb gave her a pat on the shoulder, “Anything for my Grand Vizier.”

Lily had her eyes narrowed and asked point-blank, “What’s all the whispering about?” Maddy also leaned in, curious, though she didn’t have the courage to ask herself.

Caleb contemplated making an excuse, but after an exchanged glance with Amy, thought better of it, “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you right now. I promise it’s not a scheme or a plot having to do with the harem. Amy and I just found something out on our date, and we think it upset Lucian.”

The plant woman leaned back and chewed on her cheek, “So you’re asking for trust that the secret is for our own good?”

Leaning forward, Amy locked eyes with the two, “That’s the long and short of it, the more people that know, the bigger risk that Lucian gets mad at everyone and not just me.”

“What’s this about Lucian getting mad?” Stella, who had, frankly, not been paying any mind to the conversation, piped up, “Because I’m all about that, let’s razz that yellow-eyed freak.”

Everyone else gave a deep sigh as they tried to reorient Stella onto a less dangerous path. It was then that Maddy overheard Mira at the other table, announce slightly above her normal speaking voice, “I’ll be right back, I need to prepare a tray for Eliza, I’m sure she hasn’t even gotten out of bed yet…”

As the Bengali woman rose up, Maddy reached into her purse and clutched the vial tightly in her hands as she remembered the conversation she had in the coffee shop.

“You want me to…to spike someone’s drink?! No, there’s no way I can do that!” Maddy’s face was bright red, and she waved her arms emphatically. The sheer thought of doing that to someone’s food was repulsive.

Mira’s face remained placid in the face of the outburst; she simply drank her coffee before responding, “It’s the wording that’s important here. Just like in contracts, the bounty here is specific in what it requires:

Bounty: Herbal Cleanse: The contestant will be given a vial of Lily's pollen. They have to successfully use it to spike Caleb or another contestant's food/drink without being caught. 15 BP 5 VP

Maddy’s frown was unmoved, but she settled back in her seat, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I imagine it’s a difference in experience; I have plenty in reading contracts for loopholes.” Mira’s smile was filled with pride, “It’s the reward clause, it pays out on successfully spiking the food/drink. It never says anything about the food being consumed. As long as you spike it without being noticed, you get the reward.”

Still frowning, Maddy pushed on, “Ok, I can see that. But once I spike the food, how do I keep the person from consuming it?”

“We take advantage of circumstance here. Every day, while I eat breakfast, I prepare a tray for Eliza back in our room. I set the tray on a neighboring table behind my back. If something were to happen to Eliza’s coffee, for example, I would have no idea. Then again, it will be the day after my date with Caleb. If I were sleep deprived, one would forgive me spilling the coffee on the way back to the room, yes?” Mira gave a conspiratorial smile to Maddy.

The chef was of two minds; one was thoroughly impressed with how Mira had thought this through and incorporated several unique factors into her plan, the second was slightly terrified of just how calculated this all was, and part of her suspected she had been thinking of strategies since seeing the bounty board. To confirm her suspicions she asked, “If…I wasn’t looking for help. Would you have collected on this bounty?”

The agent raised an eyebrow and gave a relaxed smile through lidded eyes, “Perhaps. This is better, though. The more balanced the distribution of points, the more likely we are to all make it out of here.”

“You really want that? Really? You’re always talking about putting yourself first…” Maddy didn’t want it to come across as a critique so she took care to phrase her statement carefully, but was still concerned.

She needn’t have been, for if Mira was upset, she didn’t show it as she took another sip of her drink, “I stand by that, if pushed against a wall, I will do what I have to to ensure my survival. Still, I don’t want to see anyone reduced to an object. I don’t have a heart of stone. I just know when things get difficult, I can’t be putting anyone else’s needs before my own to avoid that fate for myself.”

“Oh…” Maddy answered, unsure of how to respond. Mira was a lot gentler than she had envisioned her in her head, but that hard edge still made her difficult for Maddy to deal with.

“Anyways…on to specifics…”

Mira had just finished gathering the food onto the tray and now had Maya’s full attention back at the table. It was now or never. While everyone else was still conversing together. Maddy rose from her seat and began to walk over. She held the vial in her purse, ready to pull it out and dump its contents as quickly as possible. She approached the table and began to pull out the vial when-

“Hey Maddy?” The chef nearly jumped out of her skin as Caleb called from the table.

She felt the sweat on her neck as she looked over, “Um, yes?”

“Could you grab me a bagel while you’re up?” The master smiled at her, seemingly fully unaware of how much Maddy felt she was shaking.

“I uh…yeah sure ok.” She called back.

“Thanks!” Caleb called back and returned to the conversation at the table.

Maddy avoided clutching at her own chest, feeling like she had just lost five years of her life just now. She moved quickly towards the table and, with a quick motion, tipped the vial just enough out of the purse to empty its contents into the waiting coffee mug, where it shimmered momentarily before becoming completely invisible.

Tucking the vial away, Maddy made her way to the buffet to grab a bagel and tried to slow her heart down.

Bounty Herbal Cleanse Complete- Madeline Purcell - +5 VP +15 BP

In the distant corner of Bazaar Isle, Arietta was leaning against the wall, resting, when there was a flash of white hot flames in the center of the room before the host of the season appeared. Lucian glanced around the space, seemingly examining the details of the setup. For a moment, he paused and reached up and touched a sprig of dried fennel before shaking himself and remembering his purpose.

Even after twenty-four hours, his barely contained rage was evident, little flares licked at the edges of his skin where the tissue turned ashen and dark. Still, he had a smile on his face as he looked at the shopkeeper, “Arietta, yes? We haven’t had much occasion to speak since the competition started.”

Arietta straightened herself and did her best to keep her expression even while avoiding looking the host directly in the face, “I believe the last time you were here was before the competition started, and Reyna was providing a tour of the facilities.”

“Yes, well…” Lucian ran a hand along the windowsill, leaving tiny scorch marks, “I mean to drop by. You’ve done well; viewership always goes up when the girls use a sabotage, and you’ve helped the girls pick out some good ones. Could be…pushing them a bit harder, I suppose, but…” Even as his voice came out composed and honeyed, there was an edge to it, like a rabid dog with a muzzle on, where you could hear the growl through closed jaws.

Brushing off her white robe, Arietta crossed the room, “I can’t make the girls buy something they don’t want to. I can only help them make the right choices when they do.”

“Well, I’ll have to work on providing some incentive…” The demon hissed out the last word as he retracted his hand and twirled his wrist slightly, “Not why I’m here, I’ve been made aware of some…heh,” he gave a small chuckle, but there was no mirth in the laughter, “Tomfoolery happening, after a brief interrogation of Reyna, she made me aware of a mask I was not aware of. A mask that gave private insight into my life and granted immunity to a TF to the holder.”

He turned his eye directly on Arietta, “Now I don’t blame you, you’re an employee, only doing your job. Reyna will get hers for making it, that is for certain, but you have nothing to worry about…I just need the name.”

The witch crossed the room, turning her face away from Lucian, and grabbed the broom as if she had suddenly spotted a vital mess that needed to be contained. “A name?”

“Yes, a name,” flames began to course up his neck and arms as his voice intensified, “Which one of these damnable, wretched, putrescent mortals bought the mask in question?” There was still a **** smile on his face, but the venom he felt was leaking through every pore.

Arietta had figured it was only a matter of time before he came asking, so she did her best not to betray her inner thoughts on her face, “Everything is recorded, right? Couldn’t you just review the footage?”

The demon clicked his tongue, “We film everything 24/10 from so many viewpoints, and, for some reason, this season is running with a skeleton crew, so I have to handle most of the behind-the-scenes operations, while all my crew is either the incompetent writer who put this thing together, shopkeepers, and fauns that can’t focus on footage long enough without fucking each other!” The flames grew white hot and erupted from Lucian’s form as his face warped into a snarl as he spoke before dialing back down, the fake smile returning to his face, “So, straight to the source. Who bought it?”

Arietta did her best not to shrink back from the heat of the flames. Instead, after a brief pause, inhaling deeply and looking the host in the face, “The store policy says I’m not allowed to reveal the purchaser of Sabotages and Masks.”

“To contestants!” Lucian’s face fractured as he flailed his arms angrily, and blue flames erupted from his shoulders, “I’m the goddamn host!” He gestured to himself, “You don’t conceal things from me, on my own show! Do not play that game, because you will not like the prize.”

Arietta grit her teeth and kept her face even, “I can’t tell you, part of my contract binding me here keeps me from revealing the purchasers of any items from anyone on the island, including you or Reyna.”

“Let me see that!” Lucian snarled and reached out, and with a pull of his hand and a wave of flames, a burning document appeared in his hand that his eyes rapidly scanned over. When he was finished, his eyes narrowed, and there was a brief pause before, “FUCK!!!!” Flames consumed Lucian's form and filled the Sabotage Shop wall to wall, forcing Arietta to back up, sweating against the wood behind her.

The demon approached her, wreathed in flames, pointing his finger accusingly, “I bet you think this is funny, don’t you? Everyone’s getting a good laugh at Lucian being brought low like this. Well fine. Keep the name. I’ll find them, and when I do…” He laughed sinisterly before his face went completely straight with bloodshot eyes as he said in perfect monotone, “Everyone involved in this damn show is going to regret it.”

There was a burst of red flame, and then the host was gone, taking all the flames that consumed the shop with him. Arietta coughed, trying to clear her throat and holding herself up with the broom. There was nothing she could do now. Her role here was strictly as an observer. She frowned and bit her lip till it was bleeding.

Was this who she was now? Someone who would just sit by and watch the grandson she murdered **** innocent people? She threw the broom away and made towards the shop exit. What would a chained demon do in a situation like this, and what could she do? Stop it? Unlikely. But maybe there was something she could do in anticipation of it.

Everyone began to disperse from the breakfast hall. Caleb smiled as he made his way towards the main lobby. Breakfast was quickly starting to become one of the bright spots of his time here. Last week, it had been like everyone was walking on eggshells around each other, or like waiting for the first gunshot in a war. Now? Maybe friends wasn’t the right word, but people were beginning to accept each other. Maybe that was better than friendship in this wackadoo situation they found themselves in.

Caleb walked over to the reading nook and settled himself into an armchair. Noemi was still nowhere to be seen, so he now had some time to himself. His brain found itself easily drifting back to the night before. It had been a couple of hours before Mira and he had finally been exhausted enough to let sleep claim them. It hadn’t been gentle or sweet, and there had been no illusions between them that in that moment they were both using each other's bodies for release.

That was perfectly fine for Mira, but the other girls? He thought of his night with Maya, or further back to his first night with Lily. Love? Here? So much of his first week had been consumed with him wanting to know why he had been made Master, he hadn’t spent much time considering what that meant. He was supposed to fall in love with all these girls?

He and Amy had nipped that in the bud, and she seemed happy with that, and honestly, he was happy to have a friend he could rely on. Lily…he didn’t know where he was with her. He wanted to start fresh, but her saying she loved him threw him entirely for a loop. He wouldn’t mind getting closer to Maddy, and she seemed interested in that as well; their time together just felt cozy like a warm hug. Then, of course, Mira had outright proclaimed zero romantic interest. Then there was Noemi, who had not only made her intentions clear but had rented billboard space to make sure there was no questioning. It was equal parts flattering and terrifying.

The rest were less clear, Eliza…where was he with her? Their first night had been an acceptance of circumstances, but that was before she collapsed following the challenge. Maya didn’t understand the basics of love, and having destroyed his last relationship, Caleb felt severely unqualified for guiding her through that. Then there was Stella. She was fun. She was annoying as heck, too. Also, maybe simultaneously the smartest and dumbest person here. None of that told him how he felt about her or how she felt about him.

Caleb ran a hand through his hair and muttered to himself, “Well, Dad, you wanted me to get out and meet people. Guess you got your wish…if only I knew what to do.” He frowned. He wondered what his dad would think when he got back with all these women. Shit, he hadn’t even considered what going home would look like. They were going to be bound together; what did that mean? Were they going to have to all live together? Maya had money, but enough for that?

His thoughts were interrupted by a door opening on the second floor and rapid footsteps down the stairs. “Sorry!” Noemi called out as she hurried down, “I had to get changed after picking stuff out!”

Taking it all in, Caleb could see the effort she had clearly put into her outfit and found himself letting out a low whistle. Noemi was wearing a frilly cream top that put her shoulders and cleavage on full display, even with the straps of the red tank top she had underneath poking through. Below, she had a ruffled and layered black skirt with black leggings and some cute Mary Janes. She had also accessorized, wearing some bright dangling earrings, some bangle bracelets, and a jeweled flower necklace

Noemi: 32 BP - 3 BP: 29 BP remaining

Her skin shone with a thin sheen of sweat, and her cheeks were slightly pink as she looked over at Caleb, clearly seeking his approval. Caleb got up from his seat and gestured vaguely at her, “You look…really-Just wow.”

The Chilean woman’s smile grew wide as she preened and took Caleb’s hand, “I’m glad you like it. I got a big thing for us planned.”

“Oh?” Caleb smiled nervously as Noemi pulled him to the exit. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Noemi gave a conspiratorial wink, “You’ll see, I’ve been dreaming about this since high school,” and, leaving no room for argument, tugged Caleb with just enough time for him to snag his umbrella as they exited the hotel.

Upstairs, Mira carried the tray of food towards the Pierrot Suite, her eyes focused on the coffee. If all went according to plan, she knew what that was laced with. Her eyes glanced as she passed one of the brass trash bins on the second floor. She closed her eyes and passed it by going up the the door of the suite and pressing her back to it to open it

“Sorry, Madeline, I’m afraid that for my plans to work, some subterfuge was required. I hope when we all get out of here, you’ll be able to forgive me for its necessity.”

Mira entered the room, holding out the tray, “Eliza, wake up! I have breakfast for you!”