Well, you don't believe I can speak well at all, you're a maze to me

There was a tension in the air as Dakota looked out over the crowd. Everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop. They all knew that whatever Dakota had in mind, it was likely to be an issue, and a humiliating one at that. But no one could really say anything until she presented her side.

“As I mentioned before, there have been some rumblings going around, about how people in the audience aren’t satisfied with simply being observers. Some people would like to lend their support to certain girls directly, while some are frustrated that certain folk are allowed to behave however they wish, with the only tool to voice their disapproval being the Popularity Poll.” Dakota clicked her tongue and glanced at Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin.

For once, the assassin stopped smiling.

“…Now, as you can imagine, that isn’t the best motivator,” Dakota pointed out. “Especially when contestants aren’t actually interested in the Popularity Poll results, isn’t that right, Dani?” She looked at Dani with a smirk.

“Oh, come on!” Dani groaned, rolling her eyes. “I’m not even in last place! And I was actually doing what you said and getting involved with Nick! Even if it’s not directly!”

“I know! And believe me, I think you’re doing a wonderful job!” Dakota said, placing her hand over her chest. She actually sounded sincere, surprising Dani. “If it was up to me, you’d be on top of way more women! …But the voters disagree.”

Carly couldn’t help but snicker at the way she phrased that. Marley rolled her eyes at her sister’s immaturity. But Gina was doing the same thing, and Marley couldn’t do anything about that.

“I’m with Dani on this one,” Kim said, frowning. “This sounds like a way for the audience to mess with us.”

Dakota nodded. “Yeah, basically?” She bluntly confirmed. It wasn’t exactly a soothing thing to hear.

She shrugged. “Look here,” she said smoothly, stepping forward to the front of the stage. She crouched down so she was looking closer at the other girls. “We’re trying to have some excitement here, to get the crowd hyped. It’s like in… what was it… …Oh, yes! Hunger Games! That’s the ticket. Thanks to my alternate life, I got to see that movie, and I must say… it’s given me quite a lot of ideas.”

“Wasn’t the whole point of that series that the evil rich people picking the winners was superficial and bad for everyone? Is that really worth emulating?” Kim grumbled at her.

Dakota shrugged. “Maybe. Quite compelling, though, I found.”

She stood up straight and stretched her arms over her head. “Now then, let me properly explain how this is going to work. We’ve danced around the issue long enough, ladies, and I think we should get you girls into the maze sooner, rather than later! Now you see, as the challenge goes on, you girls will be going through my little labyrinth, trying to maneuver through obstacles, booby-traps, and, of course, each other. Not to mention the sea of orgasms you’ll be providing yourselves to find your way through, of course.”

Ella turned crimson. She looked down in embarrassment. Vivian bit her lip with uncertainty. They were some of the girls who were less comfortable about doing stuff like this in public, and it was written all over their faces.

Could anyone blame them?

“But as the challenge progresses, some people may get closer to the end than others. And every once in a while- basically, whenever I feel like it, really- I’m going to make a little runoff vote!”

“Runoff vote? What does that mean?” Carly asked.

“What it means is… well, whatever I want it to mean, really,” Dakota replied. She tapped her cane on the stage and the screen behind her flashed. “For example…”

GINA VS. CARLY!

Everyone looked at the two girls’ names on the screen, alongside their pictures. Gina and Carly took note the most, glancing at each other warily.

“Here we have an example of a possible vote that may occur,” Dakota said, standing up straight and gesturing to the screen. “Now, of course, I wouldn’t be presenting this in such a… direct way.” She shook her head, a smile that could almost be considered tender appearing on her lips. “But it works for an example! This is the most basic form. I would simply pose a question like ‘Who is more deserving of a benefit currently?’ and have the audience vote on a couple of names! It could be just between two people, or it could be more, it all depends on what I think would make for an interesting vote! And whoever wins, they’ll receive a nice little benefit that will help them as they go through the maze! …Not that they’ll know who they’re being pitted against, of course. That’s only for myself, the audience, and of course, the master to know.”

She finished her explanation with a wink towards Nick that made him feel incredibly uncomfortable about all this. But what was he supposed to say.

“Dakota…” he winced, biting his lip.

Dakota turned to the girls in front of her again, her eyes shining. She could see it sinking in. The more analytical types like Amelia and Dawn were already thinking about this system, while more emotional girls like Dani were obviously getting worried.

“So we won’t know who is being voted on, or how many people we’re being pitted against, is that right?” Sylvia asked, her instincts as a host working overtime to keep her invested in this challenge idea. She couldn’t help herself, it sounded so fun!

“That’s exactly right,” Dakota confirmed with a nod. “It could be as simple as a 1v1 poll between two contestants, or I could pose a question like ‘Which five girls could use a boost right now?’ and have the poll be between all of you! …Oh, and these polls will come swiftly and regularly, so keep that in mind as well. No long waits or anything, each poll will pass like lightning!”

She winked to the camera. “24 hours,” she mouthed to the audience, taking advantage of the difference in time passing between the show and in “real life” for her own purposes.

“And what happens if we win a vote?” Rose asked. “What kind of benefits can we hope to get?” She had already forgotten about her middling performance in the Popularity Poll, and had started gassing herself up into thinking that she would get all sorts of rewards for her stellar performance in the eyes of the audience.

“It could be anything, ranging from a very small bonus to something truly game-changing,” Dakota said with a shrug. “For example, maybe you get a temporary transformation that gives you x-ray vision, but makes it appear as though you’re naked even when you’re wearing clothes! Very beneficial. Or, you could get something massive, like a helpful guide who knows all the shortcuts through the maze and can lead you past certain traps! It all depends on what I think will make for the best performance.”

Nick’s heart sank in his chest. Dakota dressed it up nicely, but she was basically saying “I make the rules, and I’ll decide who gets all the good benefits, not you.”

It didn’t exactly sound like the most fair or balanced challenge in the world. All the girls could really hope for was that the audience supported them. But then, winning the support of the audience meant that whoever they were going up against in the vote wouldn’t receive the benefit.

It was a very cutthroat game, going by her explanation.

Dakota could see the apprehension on the girls’ faces. Normally it would have delighted her, but she was somewhat annoyed by how worried they all seemed.

“I assure you, girls, there’s no need for concern,” she said, shaking her head. “Just put yourself in a more positive frame of mind, that’s what I say! Focus on what you can do right now, and do it! This is called the Maze of Enticement for a reason, you know, and that’s because you need to entice the audience! You need to get them on your side, get them supporting you, so that when the votes start happening, they’ll want you to win the challenge! And if you’re worried about the audience not voting for you anyway, don’t worry, there may be other methods for individual girls to receive support from patrons, even without winning a competitive poll with another contestant.”

“But at the same time, we’re incentivized to backstab and betray one another,” Dawn pointed out. “Remember? That whole mechanic about us getting less Victory Points if we finish the maze as a group means it’s going to be harder to work together.”

“That’s right, and audiences tend to not like backstabbing and betrayal,” Sylvia reminded her creator. “You know that as well as I do, Dakota.”

Dakota’s eyes twinkled and her pale lips pulled up into a wry grin.

“Yes, and isn’t that where the fun lies?” She crooned. “You girls are all so great at working together… truly, it warms my heart. And some of you might even feel like doing so again, even at personal cost. Honestly, as the host? I’m touched. But… in this challenge, you WILL be pitted against one another. Maybe not directly, but even in the votes, don’t be surprised if it turns out that the girl you’ve been traveling through the labyrinth with ends up getting all sorts of goodies to give them the edge, while you get nothing but hindrances…”

“Wait, hindrances?” Morgana gasped, going pale. “B-but that means… then, the votes aren’t just about getting benefits?”

Dakota blinked. “Oh, did I not mention that? I’m sorry, my mistake,” she replied with a smile that showed it wasn’t a mistake or an oversight in the slightest. “Yes, that’s correct, Morgana. The votes will involve just about anything I care to think about! If I think it would be exciting to see you girls pitted against one another for a reward, then I’ll do that. If I think the audience might want to punish some folks who aren’t being a good sport about it, say, a girl hogging all the orgasms to herself and not sharing, well, maybe I give her a little jolt to get with the program! Everything is, of course, up to my complete discretion!” She finished with a bow.

Silence hung in the morning air as the waves gently rolled across the beach. Nobody knew what to say to that.

“Dakota…” Nick murmured, not sure what his old friend was even thinking with a challenge like this one. It sounded engaging, the kind of thing he would expect from Harem Hotel, but it didn’t sound like something that would go over well for the people he cared about.

He really hoped that this wouldn’t result in any further issues for his friends.

“I know what you’re all thinking,” Dakota said, taking note of the worried expressions on everyone’s faces. “But don’t worry. Nothing that happens in the labyrinth should be permanent. So even if you get a rather debilitating transformation as a bit of a punishment- say, having to complete the maze while dragging around a couple of cactus-sized boobs- all that will be dealt with surely, by the time you’re out! It’s just for the purpose of the challenge only, I assure you.”

Her eyes landed on Dawn. “Unless, of course, someone has a couple spare transformations saved up that she hasn’t made use of yet… in that case, those will last the noted amount of time.”

“Until the end of the round,” Dawn reminded her. “Which is basically the same thing.”

Dakota shrugged. “As you wish,” she murmured. “Now then, if there are no more questions…?” She picked up her cane and surveyed the audience, like she was waiting for someone to hop up and start screeching about how unfair this all was.

And yes, there were a few people who wanted to do that. Nick was one of them. But everyone realized by this point that it was senseless.

“Now then, in that case, this next bit will be for the sake of our audience,” Dakota said, turning to the camera. “This challenge may be a long one, I won’t deny that. But the more active you are in the polls, the faster it should go! I’ll be doing plenty of votes, some right after the other! And I think it would be very much in everyone’s best interest if you consider that while deciding how you want to approach this. Sound good?”

Nick wasn’t sure what any of that meant. But it almost seemed like Dakota was… worried?

Is there something I don’t know about? He wondered. Dakota really seems to have pulled out all the stops on this one.

He felt a hand suddenly squeeze his, and turned to see Mary looking right at him.

Her gaze was firm, but supportive.

“It’s going to be fine,” she assured him with a gentle smile. “I know you’re worried about how this challenge is going to go, especially with how the audience usually is. But… I think we can trust Dakota on this one. At least we know that she’s determined to make a good show for everyone’s sake, right?” She pointed out.

Nick nodded slowly. He wished he could have the same faith that Mary did, but he couldn’t help himself- he was worried.

He just had to hope that Mary was right, and that this would be entertaining and fun for everyone. And that it wouldn’t be too rough on the girls.

Maybe I should just trust Dakota, he considered, looking at his old friend. I know that she’s behaved poorly recently, and it’s gotten really difficult to have faith in her. But… I’ve gotta believe that she knows what she’s doing, and that she wouldn’t do something so totally crazy that it would put everybody in a tough spot.

It sucked that she was presenting a challenge where she was handing control over to the audience. Nick wasn’t sure he liked the idea of that. But according to Sylvia, that seemed to be the norm for a lot of seasons.

Dakota was a bit of a control freak (understatement) so he could understand why she hadn’t done anything like this before.

Is it because she has something to prove?

“Then, if there are no more questions… shall we begin?” Dakota raised her cane, and the jewel on the head began to glow.

“Wait, I have a question!” Vivian’s hand shot up. “What else can we get while we’re in the maze?” She asked.

Dakota blinked, not sure what she meant by that. “…Excuse me?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “What else can you get?”

“Like, let’s say we wanted to use our BP while we’re in there to buy something,” she explained. “From the shop. Could we do that?”

Dakota considered that, not having expected a question like that one from Vivian of all people. “…Yes, of course you can,” she said. “I don’t see why that would be a problem. Good thinking, Vivian. Yes indeed, you may have access to whatever Harem Hotel resources you like- each of you can still summon your screens of course.”

Her eyes twinkled. “In fact, it may be to your benefit… Vivian here knows quite a bit about bribery, after all.”

Vivian blushed. “I-I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, shaking her head.

Dakota was already ignoring her, though. “Now, I think we’ve wasted enough time on this,” she said, brandishing her cane again. “My last bit of advice for you girls… think about what the audience likes most about you, and try to showcase that, if possible. You want to be trying to get everyone on your side! That’s the smoothest way to achieve victory, as you’ll find. Now… have fun!”

And with a wave of her cane, the contestants (and Marley) were swept off the beach, and into the labyrinth below the island.

---

Once the beach was cleared, Dakota finally felt like she could really relax.

“Phew! That was something! I haven’t done that much talking in quite a while,” she said, wiping the sweat from her brow. She turned and walked over to where Nick and Mary were sitting on the stage, with Holly at their feet.

“They’re going to be fine, right?” Mary asked hesitantly. “You aren’t going to do anything mean to them, or make the punishments too harsh?”

“Oh, Mary… what do you take me for?” Dakota clicked her tongue and shook her head. She drew up a screen with a wave of her hand. “Don’t you trust me?”

“She would be a fool to.”

Dakota jumped, her face turning even paler than usual. It had been a long time since Nick had seen her this startled.

It wasn’t hard to see why.

Behind Dakota, sitting on a throne of his own, was a familiar- and indecipherable- face.

Mr. S, the producer, sat in repose, a wry grin on his lips. His eyes (of a color no one could quite tell) sparkled with delight as he looked at Dakota, who seemed to barely be holding it together.

“I must say, Dakota, this is quite a challenge you’ve cooked up,” Mr. S said with a smirk. “Sending the girls through a maze? Not exactly your most original work.”

“Sir-”

“But it’s got quite a lot of engaging elements, I must say!” The producer interrupted, his tone taking a turn for the positive. “Like the orgasm map? Excellent feature.”

Dakota should have been pleased by his praise.

For obvious reasons, she was not.

“…Thank you, sir,” she said nevertheless, knowing better than to behave with her usual righteous indignation.

If Mr. S was here, he was here for a reason.

“What are you doing here?” Nick asked timidly.

“I’m here to… oversee things,” the producer said, drumming his fingers on the arm of his dark throne. “Consider me an auditor for the season. It only makes sense that I’m here, after all. When there are votes involved, a producer’s presence should be expected. Isn’t that right, Dakota?” He asked, turning his gleeful eyes over to her.

“…Yes, sir, of course,” Dakota said. The look on her face seemed like she was chewing a mouthful of nails.

Nick, Mary, and Holly were all worried for her. But there wasn’t anything they could say.

None of them knew exactly what was going on- only that it didn’t seem good for Dakota.

They could only hope it would be good for the girls in the maze themselves.