Providence

With Mandy on board, a sense of unity settled over the group. They returned to the common area, where everyone else, sans Turner and Lana, were finalizing their plans. The air seemed to crackle with anticipation, a mix of nervous energy and determined resolve.

"Everyone's in," Charlotte announced, a wave of relief washing over her. "Even Mandy."

A collective sigh of relief echoed through the room. "Good," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming. "Then we're ready."

"Lana's date is about to start," Paige said, checking her watch. "We need to move now."

"Remember the plan," Kathryn said, her voice firm. "We interrupt the date. We demand information about Becca. We make it clear that we won't be silenced."

"And what about the audience?" Abby asked, his voice laced with concern. "What if they turn against us?"

"We'll give them a show," Kathryn said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "We'll give them a rebellion. We'll give them something they can't ignore."

"And if Kendra tries to stop us?" Sara asked, her voice hesitant.

"Then we'll be ready," Kathryn said. "We'll be united. We'll be a **** she can't control, yet one she needs. She can't replace us at this point in the show with an entire new batch of contestants, so her show will be over without us."

They moved towards the lobby of the hotel, where Lana and Turner were preparing for their date. The stage was set, the cameras were rolling, and the audience was watching. Kendra stood at the side, a smug smirk playing on her lips. She hadn't been this involved in a date night before, but after the fiasco that had happened yesterday, she was determined to get the show back on the rails.

"Before we begin," Kathryn said, her voice interrupting Kendra as her mouth was opening, "we have something to say."

Kendra's smile faltered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Now, what in tarnation is goin' on here?" she demanded.

"We demand information about Becca," Kathryn said, her voice firm and clear. "We demand to know how to reverse her transformation. That is what I would like my prize for the round to be."

"We demand to know the rules of this game," Sara added, her voice echoing Kathryn's. "We demand to know how to protect ourselves."

"We demand to know why you're doing this!" Emma shouted, her voice filled with rage. "Why you're turning us into… into monsters!"

"This here's plumb unacceptable!" Kendra shouted, her voice trembling. "You're messin' with my show, and breakin' all the rules!"

"Your rules!" Charlotte retorted, her voice filled with defiance. "Rules that you made up! Rules that you break whenever you want!"

"We're not puppets, Kendra!" Paige yelled, her voice echoing through the studio. "We're not your playthings!"

"We're not going to take this anymore!" Mandy added, her voice strong and firm. "We're going to fight back!"

Turner stepped forward, his gaze meeting Kendra's. "We're not going to let you do this anymore," he said, his voice laced with a newfound determination. "We're going to stop you."

Losing control of a few of the girls was one thing, but once Turner was on board with them? Kendra knew something drastic had to be done, or else her season, and likely her entire employment, would be done.

""Y'all think you can stop me?" she hissed, her shaky voice masked with a chilling threat. "You think you can defy me?"

"As a matter of fact, we do!" Abby joined Turner at the front, emboldened by the loss of her sister.

As soon as Abby finished her sentence, everything around Kendra stopped. The sound of the waves, the general cacophony from the harem, everything stopped aside from the host herself. Then, she felt herself falling, before landing in a chair at an executive meeting.

"Oh, thank everything that is holy you saved me from that!" Kendra said, seeing the familiar faces of her superiors.

"Do it," one of them coldly said.

"I'm...sorry?" Kendra responded, her relief vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.

"Get rid of Becca's elimination transformation," another one clarified.

"Hold on now, sugar," Kendra held both her hands out. "I can't just wave a magic wand, can I? She wanted to leave, so I obliged! Plain and simple! Y'all want me to ruin the whole shebang over a little fuss we can handle with our eyes closed?"

"The audience," a third executive said, their voice flat and emotionless, "is not responding well."

Screens flickered to life around the room, displaying a torrent of negative comments, plummeting ratings, and a growing sense of public outrage. The executives' faces remained impassive, their eyes cold and calculating.

"They're calling it cruelty," the first executive said. "They're calling it ****. They're calling for your termination."

"But… but I was just followin' the rules!" Kendra stammered, her voice trembling. "Your rules, may I add! I was givin' 'em what they wanted!"

"Well, the rules have changed," the second executive said. "You of all people should know that things in this game are dynamic. Isn't that what you said to Lana last week? Well, you're not immune from it yourself. The public's desires have shifted. They want… redemption. They want justice."

"And they want Becca back," the third executive added, their gaze fixed on Kendra.

"But… but that's impossible!" Kendra protested. "I can't just undo a transformation! Especially one as major as an elimination transformation! It's… it's permanent!"

"Find a way," the first executive said, their voice laced with a chilling finality. "Or we'll find someone who can."

Kendra's heart sank. She knew what that meant. She knew her career, her reputation, her entire life was on the line.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll… I'll try."

She was thrust back into the plaza on the island, the noise of the contestants' rebellion crashing back into her ears. She looked at them, their faces filled with defiance, their eyes burning with a righteous anger. She knew she had to act quickly, to salvage what was left of her control.

"Alright, alright!" she shouted, her voice trembling but firm. "Enough of this foolishness! I heard your demands!"

"And?" Kathryn asked, her voice cold and demanding.

"And I reckon I'm willin' to… compromise," Kendra said, her voice laced with a **** sincerity. "I'll… I'll try to reverse Becca's transformation. Now, she's still gonna be out of the competition, mind you. And the rest'a y'all aren't off the hook either."

"Try?" Turner asked, his voice filled with suspicion. "You'll try to reverse her transformation?"

"It's… complicated," Kendra said, her gaze shifting away. "It ain't as easy as flippin' a light switch."

"Then make it simple," Lauren said, her voice hard, years of experience dealing with an abusive ex-boyfriend preparing her for this moment. "Or we'll make it simple for you."

Kendra knew she had ****. She had to play along, to buy herself some time. She had to find a way to appease the audience and her superiors, to regain their favor.

"Fine," she said, her voice laced with a **** resignation. "I'll do everything I can."

She activated a holographic interface, displaying a series of rules and regulations, the inner workings of the game. She inadvertently was answering several unspoken questions many of the girls had, revealing the hidden mechanisms and the transformation interface she'd been using against them all this time. Kathryn in particular was enamored by this, her own workspace at the consulting firm paling in comparison to this marvel.

"And Becca?" Turner asked, his voice filled with desperation. "How do we bring her back?"

"I'll need to access the transformation matrix," Kendra said, her fingers flying across the console. "It's a delicate process. There's no guarantee it will work."

She closed her eyes, her concentration focused on the intricate code, the complex algorithms. She felt a surge of energy, a connection to the network.

"It's… working," she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of relief and dread. "The transformation is… reversing."

Kendra's face became pained as she tried to keep up the concentration for a few seconds. Everyone held her breath, waiting on the eventual result. After a few tense minutes, her face relaxed.

"It should...be finished," Kendra breathily said, panting in exhaustion.

Wingwoman (Updated): Becca will no longer start trying to set Turner up with other girls, but merely be no longer jealous when Turner does romantic or sexual acts with other girls.
Lady In Waiting (Updated): Becca will once again be able to feel her own sexual pleasure, but said pleasure will be augmented if there are more people involved. She will no longer see herself as inferior to other contestants, but will not see herself in a superior position as Turner's girlfriend either.

"Someone go check on her, the rest of us will stay here to make sure Kendra doesn't try anything funny," Kathryn said to the group.

"I'll go," Turner volunteered. "She's my girlfriend after all."

Turner rushed towards the boardwalk, the row of bungalows coming into view. He remembered something vague about Becca and Paige's being the first in line, making a beeline for it. His heart was pounding with a mixture of hope and anxiety. As he walked up the steps, his hands began to tremble, and then he turned the doorknob.

And there she was, sitting on the bed, looking a bit dazed.

"Turner?" she asked questioningly.

"Becca," he responded, relieved. "How do you feel?"

"I...I don't understand," she said, running over to the door and hugging him tightly. "It's just like that dumb elimination transformation got lifted off of me..."

Turner held her close, a wave of relief washing over him. "It's a long story," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "But the important thing is, you're back."

"How...how did you do it?" she asked, her voice breaking. "How did you manage to overcome this...whatever she did to me?"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without the help of a few people," he explained, finally breaking the embrace and motioning her towards the plaza.

As Turner and Becca walked back towards the plaza, a sense of cautious optimism settled over the group. They watched as Becca, a little unsteady but clearly herself, approached them.

"Becca!" Abby cried, rushing forward to embrace her. "We were so worried!"

"I'm okay," Becca said, her voice filled with a quiet strength. "Thanks to all of you."

She looked at Kendra, her expression a mix of gratitude and suspicion. "Thank you," she said, her voice laced with a hint of irony. "For… undoing what you did."

Kendra, her face pale and drawn, simply nodded. She knew she had bought herself some time, but her fate was still uncertain.

"So, what happens now?" Paige asked, her gaze shifting between the group. "Are we still in this… game?"

"The game is still on," Kendra said, trying to regain some control. "Becca just...won't be in anymore."

"Wait, so we can just make a big stink, get eliminated, have everyone else here raise hell, and then get out of the show?" Kathryn conjectured.

"No no no, this is a one-time thing," Kendra clarified.

"And who's going to be enforcing that?" Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure you thought that would be a zero-time thing earlier."

"I will," a shadowy figure from the darkness announced.

"And who are you?" Kathryn asked.

"He's...one of the executives," Kendra explained. "One of the people over me."

"Right, gotcha, so how exactly are you going to enforce that?" Kathryn challenged.

"Well, for one, you're not back on Earth, so we're the people in charge of that," the figure said.

"Touché," Kathryn nodded.

"Secondly, we don't need you nearly as much as Kendra does. We've just decided to be...generous by letting Becca off the hook."

"So what you're saying is that if we just continue like it's business as usual, nothing bad is gonna happen?" Sara said from the back of the pack.

"Precisely. The show will proceed as normal, just without Becca in it."

"And what'll happen to me?" Becca asked nervously. "Do I have to go back to Earth? Without Turner? For an unspecified amount of time?"

"Negative. You'll still be here on the island, but will play a more passive role. You can't receive VP, BP, and thus won't be able to get the wish at the end of the game, but you won't have to compete in challenges or receive any more transformations."

Becca nodded. The result wasn't exactly what she wanted, but she was content with this. Certainly a big step up from where she had been before.

"Now, if there are no more questions, I believe that Lana and Turner have a date to get back to that was so rudely interrupted," Kendra announced. "And I have to search for a new 10th contestant."

"Wait, what?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, a new 10th contestant," Kendra repeated.

"We're not just gonna continue as a party of nine?" Lana asked.

"Heavens no," Kendra said, like it was plain as day. "But don't you worry your pretty little heads, they ain't comin' 'til the third challenge. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention somethin'..."

Kendra paused to look at the eleven people in front of her. Their faces were a mix, between clear worry on Abby's face to unwavering calm on Lauren's face.

"Because of this...little mutiny you've started here, there will be some consequences come the end of the round," Kendra finished.

"Consequences?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you see, there were some people who were going to get off pretty easy on this upcoming transformation," Kendra explained. "I'm sure you remember me saying something about Abby getting a mild round, given her dedication to the harem members. Well...let's just say that might not pan out exactly like it was going to anymore."

"How so?" Abby pressed.

"I ain't gonna take away all your chances for a good transformation," Kendra clarified. "There might just be...one or two more moderate transformations mixed in, just to keep things interestin'."

"Ah, so we're trading in Becca's transformation for ones of our own," Kathryn concluded.

"It won't affect all of you—Lana, Emma, you were already slated for more severe transformations—but it's just to put a little pressure on the rest of you. Oh, and a reminder to never cross me like this again."

She paused to see if there were any actual questions, but everyone else seemed pretty quiet. Content, even. It seemed like even though they still had to deal with their own transformations and the game, it was better than the alternative with what happened with Becca.

"Alrighty, well, that's that," Kendra announced again. "Lana and Turner, y'all go on and have a good time. Becca, you can head on up to the penthouse, or into town, wherever your heart desires. Paige, enjoy havin' the place to yourself for a spell. And the rest of you… well, y'all can go on back to whatever you was doin' before this whole mess."

---

"Well, this is… something," Lana said, her voice laced with a mix of amusement and weariness.

Turner managed a weak smile. "Yeah. After everything that happened, I'm not sure I'm in the mood for going anywhere."

"Me neither," Lana admitted, sinking into one of the plush chairs in the plaza. "But I guess we have to play along, right?"

"Kendra's orders," Turner sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Though, I'm not sure how she expects us to be all normal after… everything."

"Maybe she's hoping we'll forget about it," Lana suggested, her gaze drifting towards the hidden cameras. "Or maybe she's trying to prove that she's still in control."

They sat in silence for a moment, the soft music and the gentle lapping of the waves providing a strange, almost surreal backdrop to their conversation.

"So," Lana began, breaking the silence, "how are you really doing?"

Turner hesitated, his gaze shifting away. "I'm… I'm a mess," he admitted. "I feel guilty, angry, relieved… all at the same time. Becca… I can't believe what happened to her."

"It wasn't your fault, Turner," Lana said, her voice gentle. "You did everything you could."

"I know, but… I still feel like I should have done more," he said, his voice laced with a hint of self-reproach. "I should have seen how much she was struggling."

"We all should have," Lana said, her gaze fixed on the flickering candles. "But we were all so caught up in our own… dramas. We didn't see what was happening right in front of us."

"And now she's… different," Turner said, his voice barely a whisper. "Even though she's back to her old self, things have changed."

"Things have changed for all of us," Lana said, her gaze meeting his. "This… experience, it's changed us in ways we don't even understand yet."

They fell into a comfortable silence, the unspoken weight of their shared experiences hanging heavy in the air.

"You know," Lana said, breaking the silence, "I'm glad we had this down time together. Even if it's under… less than ideal circumstances."

"Me too," Turner said, a genuine smile flickering across his lips. "It's nice to have a moment of… normalcy."

"Normalcy?" Lana laughed, a hint of irony in her voice. "Going on a date with your best friend who's changed gender is normal?"

"Well, as normal as it gets here," Turner corrected, chuckling. "Besides, I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" Lana asked, her brow furrowed.

"For everything," Turner said, his gaze sincere. "For being there for me, for helping with the rebellion, for… for being my friend."

"You don't have to thank me," Lana said, her cheeks flushing slightly. "We're in this together, remember?"

"Yeah," Turner said, his smile widening. "Together."

They spent the rest of the date talking, sharing stories, and laughing. They talked about their lives before the show, their hopes and dreams, and their fears for the future. They talked about Becca, about the other contestants, and about the strange, surreal world they found themselves in.

As the evening wore on, the tension that had hung over them began to dissipate. They found a sense of comfort in each other's company, a shared understanding that transcended the artificiality of their surroundings.

"This is nice," Lana said, her voice soft. "Almost… peaceful."

"Yeah," Turner agreed, his gaze drifting towards the starlit sky. "Almost."

They sat in silence for a moment, the gentle rhythm of the waves providing a soothing backdrop to their conversation.

"You know," Lana said, breaking the silence, "I'm glad we're friends."

"Me too," Turner said, his gaze meeting hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

They shared a moment of genuine connection, a reminder of the bonds that had formed amidst the chaos of the show.

"We should probably get back," Lana said, her voice laced with a hint of ****. "Kendra's probably watching."

"Yeah," Turner agreed, rising from his chair. "But… thanks, Lana. For everything."

"Anytime, Turner," Lana said, her smile warm and genuine. "Anytime."

They walked back towards the hotel, the lingering tension of the day fading into the background. They knew that their fight was far from over, but for now, they allowed themselves a moment of peace, a brief respite from the storm.