Sam's the only maiden, though.

There was, in fact, a coffee machine available. The area outside their rooms consisted of a lounge area, the elevator, and a kitchenette. The kitchenette was stocked with a variety of beverages, including all the makings for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Thus, some small amount of time late found all six Contestants with their beverages of choice seated in the lounge area.

The lounge area consisted of six massive beanbag chairs around a single table, with a view of the horizon where the sun had set minutes prior. Now, sitting with drinks in a beanbag chair would have been a hassle if it weren’t for the FLOATING CUP HOLDERS Sam had discovered. A discovery that reminded them just how crazy their situation was.

They’d also all been pleased to discover the quality of the beverages they were drinking was top notch – not a one of them had a complaint about their chosen drink. They spent the first minute just relaxing into their beanbags, enjoying the final colors of sunset fading from the western horizon and sipping their drinks.

Eventually, Maria broke the silence, “Does everyone like their rooms?”

A general murmur of assent was the response, with Sarah speaking up to mention, “I like how the closet’s got all our stuff in it.”

Half the assembled hadn’t taken a look in their closets, so there was some minor discussion that followed about the expected contents. This eventually dithered out again, falling back into silence.

Finally, Helena broke the silence again. “We need to talk about everything,” she said, deciding to helm the conversation. “I understand if everyone is still adjusting – I’M still adjusting – but we should put our minds together to figure out some plans. From the way things are set up, we should consider ourselves as on a team against the Villains for this competition.”

Sarah nodded, “Yeah, and from the way Serena was talking about other seasons, we may have lucked out there. Sounds like there’s a lot of exceptions being made for us that other seasons don’t usually get.”

“On that topic,” Alex interjected, “It’s possible that the TV’s in our rooms have access to some of those other seasons. Could be a good source of intel for what twists might come our way, or possible transformations to look out for.”

“Ooh, good idea, babe!” Vivian said. “Though, if our current transformations are anything to go by, any suitably advanced seasons will likely be incredibly… depraved.”

At that they all fell silent once more, blushes playing across the faces of most of those present. Sarah, the exception, was the one to speak up, “Alright, enough! We need to fucking talk about this – no point in dancing around it. Reality’s not gonna take our sensibilities into question, and THIS is our reality now. We’re all here, brought back from the fucking dead, to be in Nate’s harem.

She looked around the lounge, making eye contact with each person, “Now, I know everyone here’s got reasons that make it awkward or socially unacceptable. But tough titties, we all signed up for this, yeah?”

**** nods circled the room.

“Look,” the 19-year-old continued, “I get it, this is all kinds of fucky. But I think we can all agree that it’s in our best interests to put a hard stop to any kind of judgement regarding Nate, right? I’m not saying we have to jump his bones tomorrow – we’ve got time, 100 days it sounds like, to work up to the idea – but I know personally it would be a helpful peace of mind to know that if someone catches me k-kissing Nate or something, they’re not going to judge me for ****.”

Those assembled mulled over the prospect, before Helena said, “I agree. As much as the idea of being intimate with my son feels morally reprehensible, the situation doesn’t seem to allow me another option.”

Vivian frowned, “But he’s not your-”

“Viv!” Alex interrupted, raising her eyebrows at her girlfriend. “Her transformation?”

“Oh!”

Helena sighed, rubbing her glabella. In all honesty, she’d been so caught up in her new marriage and the physical half of her transformation that she’d totally forgotten about the other half. “Pause. Let’s get that out of the way. When I transformed, it seemed like you all read something different than I did on the screen. What do you all think my transformation is?”

The other five Contestants glanced at each other before Maria spoke for the group, “Mi amor, it was something along the lines of ‘Helena and Nate will now believe they are mother and son, and Helena believes she is twenty-two years older. Neither can be convinced otherwise no matter the evidence or explanation.’”

“Ah,” Helena said, understanding. “That’s how they’re doing this, then?”

“What… what did you see as your transformation?” Sam asked.

“I didn’t just see it, I experienced it. I essentially lost half my age. The other part of the transformation is this,” she motioned to the group, “Confusion. It said basically the opposite of what you said. That everyone wouldn’t believe I was Nate’s mom or that I’d been 43 before the transformation. It was called Back to the Future.”

“Hah, clever,” Sarah said, amused, “‘Cause he kisses his mom in the first one, right?”

“The one we read was called Mommy Issues,” Alex offered.

“So you really think you’re Nate’s mother?” Vivian asked.

“I don’t just THINK it, I LIVED it! I carried him to term, I gave birth to him, we probably still have photos back at the house!”

“Do we?” Sam asked, and all eyes turned back to the youngest in the room.

“Of course, my transformation wasn’t like Maria’s or Alex’s – history didn’t get changed.”

“But how certain are you that the reality you remember is true?”

Helena was taken aback at the concept, and Sam pushed on with the idea, “Think about it. You, and probably Nate, remember and believe one version of history, while us five remember a different version of history. Both possible versions have an explanation for why the other group wouldn’t believe reality. In your version, we are magically made to disbelieve reality. In our version, you are magically made to disbelieve reality. The very thoughts you are having now about this situation are possible in both versions. So can you be certain you are remembering the truth, and not a magical lie?”

Helena got very quiet during Sam’s explanation, and started to hyperventilate as Sam finished. Was she wrong? Was she not really Nate’s mother? No! She remembered an entire life of being Nate’s mother! She remembered picking out his name with her husband, she remembered his first cries, she remembered his first steps, she remembered-

But wait! If Sam was right, then her memories were magically compromised! Didn’t she have any evidence at hand? Yes! Nate was Sarah and Sam’s brother still, even in the other version of reality, right? And since she was Sarah and Sam’s mother, then logically she was also Nate’s, right? Or was that her logic being twisted by magic, and what she thought was sound logic was instead nonsense? How could she tell!?

“Mom!” Sam’s cry finally broke through Helena’s panic attack, and she realized she was in the center of a hug from Maria, Sarah, and Sam. They’d all rushed to her side and had been calling her name to bring her back to reality.

“Mom,” Sam said again, focusing her attention back on her youngest child, whose newly feminine face was wet with tears. “Mom, it doesn’t matter, okay? I wasn’t trying to hurt you, or to make you sad, or panic or-”

“Helena,” Alex interrupted her stepbrother. She’d risen from her seat and hovered just behind the group hug. “You’re going to have to live your truth, okay? Not sure you’ve ever heard that phrase, but basically what it means is fuck what the rest of us think, live life the way you see it. The whole reason this numbskull,” she bonked Sam on the head, earning a weak cry of pain from the pigtailed girl, “brought up that theory was to alleviate your fears. We get that you and Nate believe any relationship between you would be incestuous, but the rest of the world, us included, doesn’t, okay?”

Sam nodded, “I was just hoping to give you some peace of mind….”

Helena understood, and her heart ached with love for her children. They were only trying to give her an out, a way to psych herself out of the largest dilemma she had in this situation. She reached an arm out through the group hug towards Alex, who rolled her eyes then joined in with a smirk.

A moment longer of holding the group hug, and Helena let out a breath, relaxing. “Thank you,” she said, the hug breaking up. “I’ll be okay. I understand what you were trying to say, Sammy dear. Everyone isn’t going to judge Nate and my relationship because of my transformation, and you just want the same courtesy extended to everyone else, right?”

Sam nodded, still a bit teary eyed, as they all settled back down into their bean bags.

“Well,” Helena said, doing her best to sound chipper, “Your opinions on my situation aside, from my point of view I certainly don’t have a leg to stand on. You’re already extending that very lack of judgement to me. Besides, Serena already hinted at the possibility of magic removing the dangers of ****, and knowing Nate he’s going to be responsible enough to see her keep her word on that before he tries anything risky. So the only real issues are that of the social stigma of ****, and that of already-formed relationships.”

“Vivian already said that inter-harem relationships are okay,” Alex said, “So it’s not an issue of us keeping our relationships, which makes sense given mom’s transformation. It’s more an issue of if those of us in relationships can be okay opening it up to Nate.”

“N-not quite,” Sam objected, drawing attention back to herself. She shrunk a little under the attention due to her experience moments prior, but thanks to Helena’s nod of encouragement, she continued. “I-I think there’s a decent chance that future transformations might also push us towards relationships with each other, especially sexual.”

At this the whole room blushed. After a moment, Alex cleared her throat, “Alright, quick tally, who here’s bisexual? Or at least somewhat interested in the women?”

Everyone but Sarah and Maria raised their hands. Sarah raised an eyebrow at Maria, “Really? But you’re married to a woman?”

Maria shook her head, “No, I am married to HELENA. I find her sexually attractive, but thinking of other women, nothing’s changed. So I’m essentially Helenasexual!” She leaned over and grabbed Helena’s hand in demonstration.

Alex rolled her eyes at her mother’s antics. “Right. Well, then don’t be surprised if you two see transformations pushing you towards bisexual. I know for a fact Nate’s down with girl-on-girl action from my male life. Not sure if he wants romanticism involved or is just acceptable with it, but that’s something we’re all going to have to grapple with.”

She turned back towards her girlfriend, “In the more immediate future, though, is the possibility of already established partners having to share with Nate.”

Vivian nodded, “I’m okay with it if you are.”

Alex seemed taken aback, “Really? That easily?”

Vivian shrugged, “I mean, it’s kind of a fetish? Being part of a bunch of girls all worshipping the same guy. It’s part of why I was teasing you about a threesome when you were a boy – I was feeling you out on polyamory.”

“Wait, what?” Alex was taken aback even further. “Polyamory?!”

Vivian nodded, “Yeah. It’s also why I was trying to hint towards us bringing Nate in for a threesome – you’ve got such a crush on him, he’s a sweet guy, I thought we could maybe make it work with him. The idea of us both submitting to a man, both loving a guy who could love us both back, who can shoulder our burdens while being confident enough to let us love each other as well is just… oooh!” Vivian squirmed in her chair. “The idea of a harem isn’t far removed from my ideal, actually, especially if the ladies of the harem get romantically entangled as well…” Vivian trailed off, her gaze sweeping around the room.

Sarah gulped, “I think I’m seeing why Vivian is the audience favorite, now.”

Vivian beamed a smile towards her, “Aw, thanks, Sarah!”

Alex had her hand over her face, her burning red ears belaying the blush she was trying to hide. Giving her a chance to collect her thoughts, Maria turned towards her wife. “How about us, dear? Putting aside your transformation, what are your thoughts on us sharing with Nate?”

Helena shook her head, her face bright red as well. “I don’t know. I think I need to sleep on it. I know what I signed up for, but that was before this marriage… And yet at the same time it wasn’t. Which is… jarring, to have a memory of you convincing me to accept when we were just friends at the same time as a memory of you trying to tease me into my own son’s harem. It’s just… let me think on it.”

Maria nodded, then turned back to the group, “And with that, I think we should call it a meeting. We’ve all got a lot to think about, and I believe tomorrow may shed light on some of our questions. Such as everything related to the superpowers, which we don’t seem to have.”

Those present nodded. Each had individually tried to use their new powers, but to no avail. Sam was the first to rise, hugging Helena, before traipsing off to their assigned room. Sarah followed soon after, murmuring encouragement to her mother as well during her hug. Alex then rose, grabbing Vivian’s hand to pull her girlfriend with her, but the redhead stopped before she left the lounge, bidding Alex to wait. She went over to Helena, a bit sheepish in her approach.

“Mrs. Hawkins?” She said, sheepishly, “I wanted to apologize for bringing up your transformation. I just want you to know that I’ll support you and Nate, no matter how you guys see the world.”

Helena smiled back at the young woman, and rose from her bean bag to embrace her in a hug. “Thank you, dear. I appreciate your support. And, please, call me Helena, we’re the same age now, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, I… it’s just, that, you know, if you’re supposed to be, like, Nate’s mom, then I thought you might want me to refer to you like I do Mrs. Ortega.”

“Ay, dios mio, Vivian, how many times have I told you to call me Maria!” The woman in question objected.

Vivian shook her head, “No can do, Mrs. Ortega! Momma raised a polite girl, and you’re my girlfriend’s mother. I want to make sure you get the respect you deserve for raising such a fine woman.”

Maria rolled her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation at the familiar conversation.

“Well, how about you call me Helena out of comradery, since we’re all in this situation together?”

Vivian considered it. Then shook her head, grinning, “Nope, still going to call you Mrs. Hawkins, for the same reason as Mrs. Ortega.” Then she darted off, following a smirking Alex back to Alex’s room.

Helena looked at Maria, amused, “I guess I get the respect by virtue of being Alex’s step mom, then?”

“No, it’s more likely she was referring to Nate than Alex. Since she seems certain mi hija is going to get talked around to polyamory.” Maria shook her head in amusement. “She certainly is a firecracker, that one.”

“Oh,” Helena realized. “I… suppose that’s more likely.”

The two moved towards Helena’s room, where they would retire shortly for the first time in each other’s arms.