Settling In

Night was covering the expanse of the hotel, more like time was catching up with the abductees, as most had been taken in the night. Now the reprieve of the daylight used to explore the hotel was gone, and a cloudless, starry sky with a bright moon filled the air. The only sound in the individual rooms was the buzzing of errant phantom ice machines as each group tried to reconcile their circumstances.

Ipheara, for her part, was just looking out the window at the moon. The moon normally signaled the start of her day, going into the fields, gathering, talking to any villagers that stayed up past nightfall. The fact that she was now expected to sleep in the dark was throwing her for a loop. It wasn't the only thing. Her hand gently drifted to her abdomen, recalling the sensation from touching Robin earlier.

It had been a literal shock, yes, but the warmth and the pleasure that had come from it also set the moth’s mind racing with maternal feelings. Whether you consider it by programming or by nature, motherhood was baked into Ipheara’s desires. She had always wanted a big family and to find the loving partner who might give that to her. Maybe this Robin was the partner she had been looking for.

“Shit!” The moth’s thoughts were interrupted by a crashing sound as Itzel made impact with the floor, trying to rise from the bed.

The alien still didn’t quite have a handle on her legs, and every attempt at walking felt like stepping off a cliff and hoping for the best. She knew that she could change back if she only…but in the cramped space of the room and the thin walls afforded to them, she was less than inclined to make the attempt to change back despite her discomfort. And despite the warmth that was gradually building between her legs. If this is what being human was like, Itzel wondered how they got anything done.

Ipheara rushed over. “Let me help.” She reached down and helped Itzel up and back to sitting on the corner of the bed, where she promptly fell back onto the sheets and turned to the side, pouting.

“Can’t even get myself a drink of water, jeez, and they expect me to seduce Robin like this?” She frowned. She had never really considered Robin in that light, not seriously. The weirdo had a conspiracy board for star’s sake, but…they were nice and pretty. It wouldn't be the end of the world or anything…

“Seduce?” Ipheara’s eyes glazed over for a moment; she shook her head and paused. “Let me get you that water…”

“No, I think I’ll just try to sleep…” Itzel moved clumsily, almost slug-like, to get under the cheap sheets of the bed.

The moth blinked, “Oh, ok. Um…is it ok if I keep my light on? It will help me sleep.”

Itzel shrugged and closed her eyes, “Suit yourself.”

Ipheara moved over to the window again and stared at the moon, her hand running over her abdomen again as she muttered quietly, “Seduce…”

Across the way, in a separate room, two people were trying to ignore the other’s presence while being relatively impossible to ignore. Since arriving, Zoe had taken up the bed and started quietly weeping into the pillow, with the occasional sob that broke through the quiet. Nyx, who wanted no part of that mess, had decided that she would get a few reps in and hope by the time she finished her push-ups, her roommate would quiet down.

Of all the people she could have been paired with, it had to be the straight girl. Couldn't have been Leanne; at least then Nyx could have gotten out some of that frustration that had built up since the transformations had finished. Nyx licked her lips quietly as she let out a grunt as she pulled herself off the floor, her cock hardening as she pictured that blonde slut pounding her throat against her length. Nyx smirked and smacked her own ass; at least now she’d have something to grab.

Her thoughts were interrupted by another sob echoing from the bed, and Nyx frowned; was she just gonna be like this now?

Nyx looked over at the mess on the bed. “Listen, I’m gonna take a shower, and then I'm gonna need some of that bed to sleep. So if you could get a handle on this? That would be helpful.”

Not getting a response, the bouncer rolled her eyes and moved to go to the shower when suddenly Zoe spoke up, “How do you deal with it?”

“Huh?” Nyx arched an eyebrow

“You…you’re so tall and big, yet it doesn’t seem to bother you one bit. Doesn’t it bother you to think that some people might look at you and think-”

The bouncer held up a hand. “Let me stop you right there, princess. For starters, I like being big and strong. I mean, look at me!” She flexed her glistening muscles. “I’m a fucking tank on legs, with a gun to match.” Nyx smirked confidently, but then, seeing Zoe’s face, paused and sighed, “Listen, fuck, I get it. If you could pick your body, this wouldn't be it. Believe me, I get that shit.”

Zoe sniffled and stopped looking over at the bouncer. “Then how do you do it? Being cocksure like that? I just want Robin to look at me the way he…the way they…”

“Leave cutie aside for a moment, ok? Just you gotta fucking accept some things we can’t change. But we can make the most of it, and like, no offense, it’s not like it made you LESS hot so can we pause the waterworks?” Nyx stared Zoe down, whose face turned crimson before pouting

“Just so you know, I’m not interested!” She barked.

“Oh my goddess, I don’t care, I’m taking a shower!” Nyx turned.

“But…Nyx, thanks.” Zoe said quietly

“Whatever,” Nyx said noncommittally as she opened the bathroom door and slipped in.

Murder waits inside the wedge
Sharpening its sickle edge
Spading forks, increasing spin
Screaming tin
Ruby slippers, tap ya heels
In a spiral, orange peel
Bodies flying on a rainbow
Run Toto
♬

The music echoed through Ulyssa’s ears as she grabbed a pillow from the bed and aggressively marched away, and pointed the pillow like a weapon at Leanne, “I am going to sleep in the tub, you are not to get anywhere near me during the night.”

Leanne reacted with barely a blink, a blase expression on her face as she asked, “What if I need to use the bathroom?

“Hold it in, or be quiet and hope you don’t wake me up.” Ulyssa glared at the couch surfer as if daring her to defy her.

Leanne held up her hands. “Alright, but like, I feel like we need to straighten out this whole situation between you and me, because like I feel you’re being a little unfair.”

“Oh, is that right?” Ulyssa’s eyes were open manically as she leaned forward. “You think I’m being unfair to the woman who literally tried to fuck my little brother, in my fucking home to get him to keep her there?”

The blonde shrugged to the other, “I mean a little? Like I’m not sitting here pretending to be a saint, but you brother was also grinding against me.” Leanne smiled and chuckled, “So, like, you’re making a big deal like I assaulted him or something but he clearly wanted it too.”

“Ok, bitch listen up.” Ulyssa was hunched, braced as if she was ready to leap across the room and grab Leanne. “My brother was eighteen! He was barely an adult-”

“Barely an adult is still an adult~” Leanne muttered musically.

“No, shut up, shut up. My brother made the mistake of listening to that decaying biomass of a body instead of his brain, as eighteen-year-olds are prone to do when ditzy bimbos are throwing themselves at them!” The delivery driver hissed

“I’m just saying, what’s his take on all this? Does he hate me like you do?” Leanne gave Ulyssa bright puppy-dog eyes that the delivery driver swore were for the sole purpose of mocking her.

This question seemingly deflated Ulyssa. “Just shut the fuck up and stay away from the tub, got it?”

“Aw girl, you seem stressed, sure you wouldn’t rather-” Leanne squeezed her breast sending a shiver down Ulyssa’s body as she rounded again on Leanne

“Watch it skank, or I will risk whatever punishment they have for attacking another contestant just for the satisfaction of watching you bleed.”

“Oooh, scary, and a little sexy,” Leanne trilled as Ulyssa slammed the door to the bathroom.

Ulyssa made her way to the tub and threw the pillow down into it, she clumsily tried to find a position that would be more comfortable and, after finding something that only caused minimal pain, turned the volume up on her earbuds.

I can't decide
Whether you should live or die
Oh, you'll probably go to heaven
Please don't hang your head and cry
No wonder why
My heart feels dead inside
It's cold and hard and petrified
Lock the doors and close the blinds
We're going for a ride
♬

Inside the final room, Eleana was chuckling to herself as she just turned her head from side to side, seemingly enjoying the sensation but leaving Beverly completely in the dark as the beaver girl watched with trepidation.

“Why laughing?” She was on her haunches in a defensive position; she didn't understand much about this older woman, but her instincts told her to be wary, like when she saw a bear or wolf in the woods.

“Oh deary I’m sorry for concerning you it’s just so amusing!” She turned her head to the left, “Not being able to see all the angles all at once, I have to turn my head! How quaint, how positively elating!”

Beverly raised an eyebrow, the answer to her question providing no insight or knowledge that made why Eleana was laughing any clearer. “Not understand.”

Eleana sighed, “No, I suppose you wouldn’t, you who are at the opposite end of the journey I’ve been on.” She gave a grandmotherly grin. “The world is opening up for you, where I needed it trimmed away so that I could experience the novelty of learning again. Which brings me to an important topic. If you are to survive here, we need to do something about your language faculties.”

“Fake cult ties? Beverly Beaver! Not cult!” She shook her head rapidly

“Yes, I’m afraid that’s exactly the problem, my dear. Your ignorance is endearing now, but it will do nothing to the audience when you fail to have a proper date because you can’t talk with the mastress” She turned and rummaged through the side table drawer and pulled out a pen and clipboard

Beverly reared back “What doing?”

“From now on in the evenings, you will be receiving language lessons, dearie, until you have satisfied my expectations. So repeat after me- ‘The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains.’”

“Beverly not need Spain, Beverly need mate…where mate?” She began to go towards the door and she found an iron grip on her shoulder.

“If you want to impress your mate, you will listen to me.” Her expression brooked no room for argument and Beverly fell to her knees, “So…again The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains.’”

“Rain Spain Main plainly” Beverly stammered

“Well, it’s a start.” Eleana smiled.

Jack sighed, taking the elevator up as high as it would go. A good start overall, weirdness with the one transformation notwithstanding. They exited the elevator into a large, dark room, endlessly large and filled with various seating apparati that various beings were now placed in

Stepping forward, Jack took the form of a plain-featured man, bisected down the middle, perfectly porcelain white on one side and jet black on the other, wearing a trim suit and tall top hat, a scarf around his neck.

“So, my friends, a first day in the books; I hope it was to your liking.” Jack bowed

A large figure with a gelatinous body, talons, and a serpentine neck ending in a lamprey-like mouth spoke up, “ When do they start fucking?”

“Humans, they’re so slow on the uptake; Reluxian-4’s citizens would be on their fourth fuck by now,” complained a bird whose face was a mustache with horns.

A small figure, bulbous, with large cheeks, like a split between a cephalopod, frog, and goblin, lifted two tentacles to its bulgous cheeks and squeezed, “When do they hold hands and-” it licked its beak “interlock fingers?” followed by a throaty chuckle and other figures in the room vomiting from the obscenity

Jack held up their hands. “It’s only the first night; the guests you have picked are a powder keg, I assure you, given minimal prodding, we will see fireworks.”

“We had better, Jack. Remember, you weren’t even the top pick for host here,” Said an ominous voice in the distance whose figure couldn’t be made out, “If you can’t get results, we will get someone who can.

“Not to worry…” Jack bit their lip, “You will see great things…I promise.”