There's a road I'd like to tell you about, lives in my home town

Nick sprung up out of bed, gasping for breath. A muggy heat wrapped around his body and he was drenched with sweat. It took him a moment to realize that the reason for that was because he found himself caught up in a thick comforter, which clung to his skin.

It took him a moment to figure out where he was; this wasn’t the bed in the Master’s Suite. And he couldn’t really remember going to bed, either.

“Ha… haaa…”

He managed to pry the blanket off of him, and when he did, he nearly fell out of bed it was so tight. It was only after he was able to free himself that he realized just where he was.

It was a room that he hadn’t set foot in in a great many years.

“Wait… what?” He looked around his childhood bedroom. It was exactly how he remembered it, right down to the LEGOs stacked up on the shelves, remnants of youthful memories he hadn’t had the heart to take apart as he grew out of his old hobbies.

“I’m… home?”

It seemed so surreal. But it was true. He was back in his bedroom.

Nick rubbed his forehead, shaking off the pounding ache in his skull. There was something off about this… why was he here?

And why was he in his boxers?

Nick went over to his closet, and as he passed by his mirror, he froze. For a second, he needed to get another look. Then he sighed in relief.

When he woke up in his childhood home, the first fear he’d had was that he’d actually been aged back to a high schooler. But nope, he was still his adult self. That was good. Now, he needed to figure out why he was here.

He walked over to his closet as he tried to sift through the haze of his memories. He could remember everything about Harem Hotel distinctly, but when it came to the beach… what happened after the challenge and Mary’s elimination (or, as Dakota put it, her “victory”) and the subsequent transformations…

Nick gasped halfway through putting on his shirt (which somehow fit him) and remembered everything clearly.

Dakota… the new members of his harem…

…

His stepmother.

“Shit!” Nick cursed, quickly finishing doing up the buttons on his collar. He could already smell something cooking downstairs, and knew what was going on. Dakota had put him in a scenario with each of the new women, to “get to know them better” and this was definitely the one with his stepmother in it.

…Which seemed rather odd on its face.

After all, just because Amelia was his stepmom, that didn’t mean that Nick wasn’t close with her. They cared about one another, and he knew quite a bit about her. What exactly was Dakota hoping when she brought him here?

The only way he could figure that out was by playing along. This was a scenario that Amelia had devised, apparently. If she wanted to have a nice, homecooked breakfast, then that’s what he was going to do.

Then they could figure out where to go from here.

Nick felt his face burning with embarrassment as he descended the staircase, and popped into the kitchen. As expected, Amelia was perched over the stove, preparing a couple of omelets. He could also smell the familiar aroma of hash browns in another pan.

It was surreal.

“I thought you didn’t cook?” Nick asked as he entered the kitchen. “You always said that wasn’t in your skill set?”

Amelia looked up from the stove with a calm expression on her face, not wearing her glasses. She held two plates in her hands, each carrying an omelet and a mound of sliced potato shavings, and set them down. Then she turned to him.

“…That is definitely true,” Amelia admitted, and for a second, Nick thought he caught a look of shame on her stern features. She brought the two plates to the table and set across from each other, then stepped aside so he could sit down first.

Seeing her standing there in the kitchen wearing an apron with her glasses off, Nick couldn’t help but recognize just how gorgeous his stepmother was. He’d always known that, of course; his father clearly had a good eye for the ladies. She was only ten years older than him, and she’d married Nick’s dad before she even hit 20. It was definitely unusual, especially considering how much she’d had to uproot her life to move to America.

And seeing her right now… she looked as young as he remembered her. She had truly aged with grace and perhaps grown even more lovely, something he’d noted the last time he saw her, too. But he’d been a bit distracted then, with the wedding, and hadn’t had time to appreciate Amelia’s presence properly.

Now they were alone together. Now…

Wait, what am I thinking? Nick shook his head quickly and sat down, tacitly granting her permission to do the same. They sat across from one another; the aroma of omelets and hash browns were the only thing filling the awkward silence between them.

“…After… after I moved back home,” Amelia coughed, clearing her throat. She put her glasses back on, perhaps to put on an air of professionality between them. “I had a lot more time to myself than I thought.”

“Really?” Nick raised his eyebrow, surprised. “I thought… wait, but don’t you have that job, at that finishing school? I always thought that was a really difficult job, given how much you complained about it.”

A sour note crossed Amelia’s face for a second, and her eyebrows crinkled.

“Don’t remind me,” she almost growled, as a certain obnoxious student’s face popped into her mind.

Then, her expression softened.

“…I’m sorry,” she apologized in her gentle accent, her eyes moistening. “This isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. No… what I meant to say… when I got back home, I felt so lonely.”

“Lonely?” Nick was surprised to hear that. “What do you mean?”

Amelia raised her eyebrow quizzically. “Nicholas, why exactly do you think I moved back to Europe?” She asked.

Nick shrugged. “I just thought that it was for your job,” he admitted. “I mean, after I moved out, and after dad died… it didn’t seem like there was anything keeping you here. So when you got a job back in your home country, I just thought…”

He shrugged again, feeling he made his point.

“I see… well, you’re half-right,” she admitted. “I never told you, but the reason I moved back was because I couldn’t stand living in this house any longer.”

Nick’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? Seriously?”

Amelia nodded somberly. “This house… it had so many memories,” she said softly. “Memories of our family, and the good times we had together. But… after your father passed, and after you moved away… those memories… they were very painful.”

Nick thought he saw a tear in his stepmother’s eye, which was shocking, because he couldn’t remember ever seeing her cry before.

“Mom… err, Amelia,” he corrected, turning red. There it was, his bad habit again.

Amelia offered a strained smile in response, and her eyes had dried.

“I moved back home because everything about this house, this country, reminded me that I was alone. Tooling around in an empty house, without my family… I thought that a change of pace, going back to my family’s estate, would help matters… but I was even lonelier there, then I was here. That’s why I got that job. But even that didn’t fill the void in my chest. So…”

She gestured at the plate of food, and Nick stared blankly at her.

“…I don’t understand,” he said honestly. “You’re doing it again, Amelia.”

“Oh!” Amelia gasped, and her eyes widened slightly. “Apologies. I need to be more precise. Nicholas, the reason I learned how to cook, was because it brought me back to those days, when you were young and we were a family. It was a way to ease my loneliness.”

Nick smiled. “That’s really sweet of you,” he said, and Amelia relaxed.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear,” she apologized again. “I’m working on that… you wouldn’t believe how difficult it can be with my students.”

Nick nodded sympathetically. He understood his step-mother’s issue all too well. It was something that they’d had to work on a lot when growing up. Amelia would do things, and assume that the motivation behind her actions was clear to everybody, because it was clear to her. But because of her cold demeanor, it often didn’t go that way.

“It’s okay, you’ve gotten better,” he assured her. “Remember when I scraped my knee in the driveway after my tenth birthday?”

Amelia’s face soured, and then she blushed. “Please, don’t remind me of that…” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She could already feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

“But I like that story!” Nick said. “It was really sweet.”

“I was so cold,” Amelia sighed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you ever opened up to me, given the way I acted around you.”

“Well, you were pretty new to it,” Nick pointed out. “…God, you were younger than I am now, weren’t you?”

Amelia nodded somberly.

Nick could still remember that morning clear as day. He and Dakota had been taking turns, riding on the new bike his dad had gotten him for his birthday the week before, and he’d fallen hard and gotten a bad scrape on his knee. He had started bawling, and Dakota ran into the house screaming bloody ****. The way she made it sound, it was as if his leg had been amputated!

But Amelia emerged from the doorway moments later, storming imperiously down the porch and standing above him like a warrior prepared for combat. Without even giving him a chance to explain what had happened, she’d opened up a first-aid kit, and sprayed his wound with something that burned like the fires of hell. Then she firmly wrapped it in a bandage and carried him back inside, all without saying a word. He remembered how cold and mechanical she’d been, and it had scared him. Like she was a robot.

“…You slung me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried me back inside,” Nick remembered with an amused smile.

Amelia removed her glasses, buried her face in her hands, and groaned loudly. “Please delete that memory immediately.”

“No way! It’s one of my favorites! Even if I was really wary of you for a while after that, because you seemed so angry…” Nick sighed and shook his head. “I thought you were mad at me for getting hurt, and I didn’t want to upset you even more.”

Amelia sighed again. “Nicholas…”

“But you were just worried about me,” he reminded her. As embarrassing as that story might have been, looking back on it he knew just how meaningful it really was.

“That was the first time you ever got seriously injured, and your father wasn’t home,” Amelia murmured, her eyes turning glassy as she looked back on that time. “I had no idea what to do. When Dakota came running in screaming about how you were going to die, I just jumped in and didn’t even think. Grab the first-aid kit. Administer first-aid. Get you inside.”

She’d **** herself to remain calm in order to keep from freaking out. That was the best way she found she could do her job as Nick’s guardian.

But her cold, detached professionalism had only come across as a lack of caring to the boy.

It was a mistake she’d made more times than she could count. With another sigh, she rubbed the bridge of her nose and put her glasses back on.

“When I was in therapy, I learned a little bit more about it,” Nick said gently. “My therapist said that even though parents might seem distant and uncaring, deep down they really do love you, and you just need to try harder to make a connection with them.”

“Right… your therapist being the woman who dragged you into this Harem Hotel mess in the first place?” Amelia raised her eyebrow, not at all convinced.

“…Yeah, that’s valid,” Nick agreed. Looking back, Sylvia may not have been solely motivated by helping him, telling him that. “But it’s like when we had family counseling, remember? They said the same thing.”

“I know,” Amelia nodded, smiling a little. “I’m actually getting a bit of counseling myself, to help with it. I need to be better about masking my emotions and letting people see that I’m trying to help them.”

She waved at the plates of food in front of them. The omelets were probably cold at this point. “For example… breakfast. Because I care about you, and wanted to make up for all the times I couldn’t cook breakfast for you back when you were growing up.”

Amelia was smiling, but her smile was a little sad.

“It’s okay, you did the best you could,” Nick assured her, finally digging into his food. “It’s not like I was easy to handle.”

After what happened with Dakota, things had really gotten messed up.

“You say that… but I remember it both ways,” Amelia said, her face hardening. “I remember when she died, and you were completely heartbroken, but… I also have memories of her surviving, and spending many more years with our family. And both sets of memories feel completely real.”

She narrowed her eyes and took a bite of her omelet, chewing it contemplatively before swallowing. “Those memories… that’s because of Harem Hotel too, isn’t it?”

Nick sighed and set his fork down. He figured things would start going in this direction sooner or later.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he confirmed with a nod.

“One of those ‘transformation’ things?”

He nodded again. “It was Dakota’s transformation,” he explained. “She arranged to have an alternate history created, one where she never died, and remained my friend instead.”

“And now I remember both? That’s disturbing,” Amelia frowned. “Does that mean everybody will remember both? Her mother, for example?”

She used that word like it was a slur. The bitterness of referring to that woman as Dakota’s mother came out bright and clear on her face.

Nick frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think so, though. I think they only remember the new version, where she didn’t die. I think the only reason you remember both is because you’re part of the harem now.”

There it was, the elephant in the room. The thing stepparent and stepchild had been dancing around this whole breakfast.

“…So shall we talk about that, then?” Amelia asked quietly.

Nick would have much preferred talking about the specifics and the rules behind the show. But they couldn’t dodge this issue forever.

He sighed and nodded.

“We probably should,” he agreed.

Of course… neither one of them knew what to say about the topic.

“…I hope I don’t need to say this, but my counselor says being direct about my feelings works best,” Amelia said quietly, taking the lead in the conversation. “I completely view you as my son. So obviously, I have no intention of engaging with you in any manner of sexual intercourse.”

The fact that she could say that and still sound sexy thanks to her cold tone and posh accent was really making Nick hate life. Nevertheless, he pushed through that discomfort and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate that. And I feel the same way, obviously.”

Amelia raised her eyebrow. “Do you?”

“Huh!?” Nick’s jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. “What are you even saying?!”

“I may not be the best at conveying my feelings to others, but that doesn’t mean I lack awareness of my surroundings,” Amelia said plainly. “Nor am I so blinded by familial nostalgia as to ignore reality. Let’s face facts here, Nicholas. I was a beautiful young woman who lived in your house, with no relation to you, who you first met just as you were beginning to enter puberty. I’ve seen enough examples of students developing feelings for their teachers, and that’s when those teachers are significantly older than I was.”

She shrugged. “It would not be unnatural, or even unusual, for you to have developed a sexual interest in me growing up.”

Nick couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Mom! That- there’s no way!” He sputtered, shaking his head frantically.

“Really?” Amelia gave him a look that said she didn’t fully believe what he was saying. “I may have just joined this show, Nicholas, but I’m not blind. The women who are in this ‘harem’ of yours are all beautiful, and many of them, you’ve known for some time, correct? And Vivian is certainly lovely, even if the two of you have never met. Is it odd of me to think that whoever arranged this show did so for the purpose of putting women you would find attractive and desirable before you as temptation?”

She gestured to herself once again. “Given all that, it’s a reasonable assumption to make.”

Nick was as red as the onions in his omelet. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but when he tried to find the words to refute her question, they just wouldn’t come out.

Amelia’s face softened, and she reached out and placed her hand over his.

“It’s fine,” she said gently, stroking him tenderly the way she used to do. Another thing they’d picked up from their family counseling sessions; when she couldn’t think of how to show her affection with words, she should use physical gestures instead, like this one. “Nicholas, you were a boy. You’ve matured considerably since then. And no matter what, first and foremost, I am still your mother. I won’t be bothered by what you tell me.”

Nick took a deep breath, and exhaled.

And confessed the secret he’d spent so many years trying to conceal from her.

“Okay, it’s true,” he admitted, unable to even look her in the eye he was so ashamed. “Growing up, I was attracted to you. But that’s it! It was just an attraction, I didn’t… I didn’t, um…”

He was about to say that he’d never gone any further than that, never done anything contemptible like playing with himself to thoughts of her.

But that would be a step too far.

Luckily, Amelia clearly understood what he was trying to say. She smiled gently and tightened her gentle squeeze of his hand.

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “Like I said, I’m not upset. Thank you for being honest with me, Nicholas. But I want to reiterate again, that anything between the two of us-”

“I know!” Nick blurted out, cutting her off before she could say something that would make him feel even more nauseous. “This was when I was a kid! I don’t feel that way now! You’re my mother, Amelia, I’m not thinking about you that way!”

Amelia blinked. “…Well, good. Thank you for assuring me of that.” She sat back against her chair. “In that case, I would propose we move on from this problematic topic. Do you agree?”

Nick would have given anything for that.

“Yes, please,” he sighed in relief.

“Excellent,” Amelia nodded. “In that case, would you like to discuss your current sexual partners?”

“What?!”

“Sorry, that was not how I intended it,” she apologized, a shameful blush crossing her face. “I meant the other women in your… harem. I met most of them back at the wedding. But if we’re all going to be living together, I would like to know as much about them as I can, going in. Like when I have a new class of students to work with.”

Nick wasn’t sure those things were comparable, but he didn’t say that out loud.

Then Amelia’s expression softened. “…And I’m also your stepmother,” she reminded him. “As your stepmother, is it odd for me to ask you about your love life? Given that you’re likely to be my only chance of having grandchildren.”

Nick nearly choked on his omelet. He swiped for a glass that wasn’t there, and Amelia gasped.

“Oh! I forgot the orange juice! Oh, dear!” She rushed to the fridge and hastily poured him a glass, handing it over to him. Water would have done the same thing, but she was panicking, and had already unlearned her “detach your emotions and mechanically solve the problem” behavior.

Once Nick stopped ****, he could finally discuss things as an adult.

“Gr-grandchildren, well, that’s…” Nick averted his eyes, and his face was red.

Amelia stared at him quizzically. “Well… you are already married,” she pointed out. “To that young lady with the red hair, Mary, was it?”

“Y-yeah, Mary, about that…”

How was he supposed to tell her that she could already be expecting grandchildren?

Perceptive as always, Amelia sensed that something was up. Nick had the same expression she’d seen many times on her students, when they’d done something wrong and knew they were caught, but didn’t want to admit the truth yet.

She’d seen that face on him a lot, as well.

Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. “Nicholas… what is it you’re not telling me?” She asked firmly.

Oh boy.

There it was.

Her “mom” voice.

When Amelia used that voice, it meant that she meant business.

And that was not a position he wanted to be in.

Nick let out the breath he was holding, and with it, his apprehension about coming clean with Amelia about what was really going on. He couldn’t keep this from her, she’d find out soon enough. And it was best to hear it from him.

“The thing is… Mary… she’s already pregnant,” he confessed, and waited for Amelia to come down on him like an old testament archangel.

Amelia’s eyes widened behind her glasses and her mouth dropped in shock. Normally, she was a very composed woman who could easily maintain a dignified aura. Right now, though, she was completely blindsided.

“You… what… she… pregnant!?” Her excellent control over the English language had left her and she was babbling like a moron. “…You got someone pregnant?!”

“I… yes.”

Amelia shook her head slowly. “You… do they not have any forms of protection on this island? I mean, with that wedding…” Her face was scarlet with embarrassment. She was recalling memories she didn’t want to recall, and had tried to block out.

When Nick saw exactly what she was thinking, he felt like he was going to be sick. He winced, and shook his head quickly.

“Amelia…”

“No. NO.” Amelia held up her hand and stopped him right there, like he was a disobedient kid in her class. She levied a furious glare his way. “When I heard you and that girl talking about babies, and children, and getting pregnant… I… I thought it was just… a fetish of yours. I didn’t imagine in the slightest that you would actually be…”

Her composure had completely left her. She shook her head, trying to make sense of what she was seeing and hearing, but she couldn’t.

She just couldn’t.

“…How could you get her pregnant? I know that she’s your wife… even though that ceremony seemed rather dubiously legal, but… you’re so young!”

“I’m 27!” Nick protested. “How old were you when you married dad?”

Amelia’s blush deepened. “That isn’t the point!” She stammered. “I didn’t get pregnant!”

“No, but you still became my mother,” Nick pointed out.

“Adopting a nine-year-old and raising a baby are completely different things!” Amelia exclaimed. “What’s your plan for the future? How will you take care of her? What will you do for…”

Her voice trailed off and a bitter look crossed her face. “…So that’s why she was brought here.”

“She? She who?” Nick blinked, confused.

“Vivian.” Amelia spat out the woman’s name with extra venom. “That girl… with her family’s money, I’d wager you’d never have to work again, if she became a member of your harem. Factor that in with my estate, and…”

“Does she really make that much?” Nick asked, amazed. He knew that girl’s clothes LOOKED expensive, but that was different from actually being pricey, right?

“She has considerably more wealth than my family, yes,” Amelia nodded. “I suppose that would take care of any… financial issues.”

She let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples. Oh, yeah, that migraine was really getting her good.

“…Okay. Ignoring the pregnancy. Tell me more about Mary. What’s she like? She might not be competing in this horrific contest, but she’s still someone important to you, yes? Someone who will have a large role in your life moving forward?”

“Y-yeah,” Nick nodded, blushing. “Mary, she… she’s amazing. She’s kind and gentle and sweet, but she’s got a lot of fire in her. She always stands up for what’s right, and takes the side of the weak and helpless. That’s just how she was raised, I guess.”

“I’m glad,” Amelia said, her sour expression finally turning around. “Nicholas, you deserve someone who treasures you. And I could see from your ceremony that she is definitely that.”

Nick smiled like a fool. “She’s also a big fan of books, just like me. She wanted to be a writer, but, well, I guess that didn’t quite work out. She loves mystery novels, oh, and she’s very religious. She’s a devout Christian… more or less.”

Amelia raised her eyebrow. “…A devout Christian, on a show like this? Accepting multiple partners?”

Nick sighed and could just shrug.

Amelia was willing to put it past her as well. “Alright then,” she nodded. “Who else is there, in your harem?”

“Well, there’s Rose,” Nick said, the blonde’s face popping into his mind immediately. “She’s the blonde, the one with the bouncy hair?”

“There were two blondes,” Amelia pointed out.

“The obnoxious one.”

“Ah. The French girl then.”

Ouch. Sorry, Rose.

“So what can you tell me about her?”

“She’s really nice. Like Mary, she’s one of the nicest, sweetest people I’ve ever met,” Nick informed his step-mother. “And you’re probably not going to like her.”

“…Excuse me?” Amelia stared blankly at him and Nick just sighed.

“Rose is a wonderful woman. But… she has trouble showing it, kind of like you, mom,” Nick confessed. “She’s competitive, and a little greedy, and has a bad tendency of saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.”

He sighed and shook his head. “But… she’s really sweet when you get to know her, and she’s always thinking of others. She just happens to usually be thinking about herself more, you get me?”

Amelia nodded slowly. She sort of understood… sort of.

“Hum… what about… Regina? Gina, I think she called herself? The DeAmico girl. Whatever happened to her?” Amelia questioned. “When you were little, she was such a sweet thing. And now, it’s like I can hardly recognize her.”

Nick winced. That definitely hurt to hear. He nodded. “Gina… she went through a really rough patch. Just like I did. After what happened with Dakota… she really spiraled.” He didn’t want to go into further detail. Those things were sensitive issues for Gina, and it wasn’t his place to talk about them.

Amelia seemed to sense this, and responded with a composed nod.

“I see. Well… that is fine. But she’s improved?”

“Oh! Yeah, she absolutely has!” Nick nodded quickly. “She’s a lot better now. She’s happier, too, and things are really taking a turn for the better… at least, I hope they are.”

He calmed down slightly and smiled. “Deep down, she’s still that sweet girl.”

That made Amelia smile.

“What about that other girl? The one with the cat ears?” Amelia asked. “She’s Dawn Willowbrook, right? From your elementary school class?”

Again, Nick was surprised she remembered that far back. He nodded.

“She hasn’t changed much,” Amelia noted. “Physically, anyway. But I remember, you used to have quite a crush on her. No wonder she’s here.”

Amelia’s tight lips turned up slightly in amusement, and Nick blushed.

“Yeah, uh… she’s definitely changed,” he agreed. “Maybe not physically, but she’s a lot more open with people. Kind, and sweet, and just nice. And she’s really helped me out a lot with her insights, too. I think I rely on her brains more than I should,” he admitted.

Amelia nodded. “Well, as far as familiar faces go, those are the only ones I recognize. What about the twins? Are they both in your harem?”

“Who, Carly and Marley?” Nick shook his head. “No, it’s a little more complicated than that. Marley was, but she was eliminated. Well, I mean, she was eliminated back when she was a slime girl. Then she became Carly’s sister, and then-”

“Wait, hold on a second,” Amelia said, raising her hand and cutting her off. “What’s this now? A slime girl, you said? As in, a girl made out of slime?”

Nick winced. “I know, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But-”

“Nicholas, I was brought here by the magic power of a woman who I used to go clothes shopping with, a woman I distinctly remember both attending the funeral of, and helping purchase sanitary napkins and tampons for,” Amelia pointed out. “There’s a cat girl in your harem, and the woman who USED to be in charge of things looks like she was aged down to being barely legal. I think I can process the concept of a slime girl.”

Valid point. Very valid point.

Nick returned to the topic. “Well, basically, after she was eliminated, she and Carly became sisters due to a transformation. So she’s not a part of my harem, but her sister is. The thing is, though, Carly isn’t exactly… my relationship with her…”

He sighed. “So, you know Dani, right?”

Amelia shook her head. “Which one is that?”

“The one with the blue hair,” he explained. “The tan girl.”

“Oh, her, what about her?” Amelia asked.

“Well, she’s a really good and supportive friend. But she’s just a friend. Because she’s gay. She’s only attracted to women. And right now, she and Carly are in a relationship together.”

“Carly… she’s the twin with the cosplay? She’s also gay?”

Now they got to the complicated part. “No, Carly is attracted to men sexually, but only attracted to women romantically. So she’s in love with Dani, but she has sex with me. It’s a really complicated relationship, but they’re both wonderful girls. And Marley is, too. Their support and encouragement of this whole mess has really helped me out a lot.”

Amelia nodded and smiled. “I’m glad. It’s clear that you’ve really changed and grown a lot, since we last spoke. You seem broader. Like you’re not as weighed down.”

“It’s because of my friends,” Nick nodded. “And the women in my life. So is there anyone else you want to know about? Kim, maybe?”

“Which one’s Kim?” Amelia asked.

“She’s the girl in the schoolgirl uniform, the one with short hair,” Nick explained. He winced preemptively, expecting Amelia of all people to not be okay with that.

“The student, huh?” A shadow crossed her face. “Now, as a teacher, I will say-”

“She has to wear that because of a transformation,” Nick quickly clarified. “But she’s in college, don’t worry. I’m not dating kids.”

Amelia relaxed slightly when she heard that. “Well… alright then.”

“Kim’s a great girl,” Nick continued. “She’s an incredibly hard worker, and somehow she’s managed to keep a positive attitude even after having to put up with a lot of shit. Trust me.”

“Language,” Amelia warned him sharply.

“…Sorry. Sorry. But, yeah, she’s really great too.”

Amelia smiled. “I really should have taught your more adjectives, Nicholas,” she chuckled. “You’ve been saying the same things about a lot of these girls.”

Nick blushed. “W-well what do you want me to say?” He stammered. “I could talk about how much she likes doing her hardest, how she started out with soulless eyes, and then found a spark of enjoyment, and how she always tries to be a good friend, or about how much we flirt, or her kind of twisted sense of humor…”

He realized he was rambling and quickly closed his mouth.

Amelia nodded encouragingly. “It’s clear you like her very much,” she said softly. “And in spite of how young she looks, to be such a hard worker, it’s clear that she’s very mature. But as for the other girls…”

Nick knew who she was talking about. Specifically, Morgana and Sylvia.

“That girl, the one with black clothes, and the other, Sylvia, was it? They’re practically children, Nicholas,” Amelia chided him. “Sylvia is one thing, she was an adult, but the other one…”

“Morgana is an adult, too!” Nick defended her. More of an adult than Sylvia, in a lot of ways. “Look, I’m not going to pretend like she’s the most mature girl I’ve ever met. But she’s not a child. And she’s really insecure about a lot of things, so if you’re going to be your usual self around her… never mind.”

He cut himself off before he went too far, because Amelia clearly wasn’t thrilled with this line of thinking. He averted his eyes from her.

She sighed.

“I understand,” she said gently. “Is it family issues? Bullying? A poor body image?”

All of the above pretty much covered it. Nick nodded somberly.

“She’s trying to improve things. But she just had a really tough time with this last challenge. So if you could be a little gentler when you interact with her, that would be for the best. She’s got kind of an issue when it comes to authority figures, especially mothers.” He remembered Morgana’s reaction to her own mother back when he’d gone to pick her up, and then again, in the last challenge.

Amelia nodded, seeing things the same way. “Understood,” she agreed. “I’ll do my best. But as for that other girl, Sylvia…”

“She calls me Daddy,” Nick bluntly cut her off. “I’m just warning you of that right now.”

Amelia’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “D-Daddy?” She stammered. “That… I-I see…”

“That’s also because of a transformation,” Nick quickly clarified. But believe it or not, that didn’t exactly make Amelia feel better. She still eyed him warily, and looked a little nervous.

“She’s kind of imprinted on me,” Nick clarified. “We haven’t really done anything sexual… I don’t think it’s a fetish for her. I think she really does kind of see me as her father, in a lot of ways. See, I know she looked like an adult before, but… she’s not. She was created by Dakota, to be the host for this season. Then when she was stripped of her position, Dakota tried to eliminate her, but she ended up being included in my harem instead, and, well…”

He sighed. “…I actually thought she was going to be eliminated. But thanks to Mary, it looks like she’s going to be sticking around.”

“I see,” Amelia nodded.

“And there’s one other person I should tell you about, too, while we’re on the topic of eliminations,” Nick said, his face softening into a sad yet gentle expression.

“Oh?” Amelia raised her eyebrow.

“Holly. The girl who was in the maid outfit? She’s also someone I love. She was in my harem, but… then she got eliminated. I’m going to warn you right now, she’s a little… hard to deal with,” Nick said, wincing even as the words left his lips. He didn’t like thinking about Holly like that. “Like I said, she’s a lovely woman… but she’s obsessed with sex. And me having it. She has, um… it’s called a cuckquean fetish, I think? She likes seeing me go at it with other women, and, well… I’m afraid she might try and ask you to do some stuff you won’t be comfortable with,” he mumbled.

Amelia smirked. “There’s nothing to worry about,” she assured him, shaking her head. “I’ve fielded my fair share of troublemakers. But I’m glad that you told me about this, Nick.”

“Right,” Nick nodded. “Then, as for Dakota-”

“GONG!”

Before he could say anything else, a loud “GONG!” broke the silence.

“…I suppose that’s the end of things,” Amelia said, rising from her seat. She had a suspicious expression on her face. “I would have thought we’d have more time to talk, but I suppose we’re being cut off early, then?”

“Something like that,” Dakota said with a smirk, popping into existence. She spun her cane. “It’s great to see you again, Amelia.”

“Same to you,” Amelia replied, and Dakota was caught off-guard by the sincerity in her voice. “It seems you’re doing well.”

Dakota scowled and pushed right past the niceties. “Now then! Let me explain how things are going to go. Because Mary had six transformations when she was eliminated, you are going to be given six transformations yourself.”

“That’s fine,” Amelia replied immediately, much to Dakota’s consternation.

Then she sighed. “But unfortunately, I can’t just give you the six transformations outright,” she stated. “That would start getting cluttered. So what we’re going to do, is we’re going to give you three transformations! Three for this round, and three more, after the next challenge. That sounds fair, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Wait, are you going to do this for all the girls?” Nick asked.

“Yes,” Dakota nodded, looking annoyed, as if she’d answered that question several times already. “For all the girls. And since I’m such a sweetheart, we’ll even avoid the ‘you expressing your desires’ part, since there’s no one here but us chickens! Now, let’s begin! Take a look at the first set of transformations! Remember, you’ll be getting three of them, one from each!”

She tapped her cane, and a screen appeared in front of them.

First Poll:

• Mommy Milkies: Amelia may have never been pregnant before, but she’s still unquestionably a mother. And to prove that point, her breasts will now develop the ability to lactate. [NOTE: This will not cause them to change size. As an established MILF, her breasts are already matronly.] (MILF)
• Frigid: Amelia is not very interested in sexual intercourse with any of the people in the harem. Let’s change that! She might be a bit of an ice queen, but the more sexual contact a person gives her, the more she will start to heat up. Her pleasure levels will increase the longer the sexual contact lasts, until her icy exterior finally “melts”. [NOTE: This means an orgasm- and a very wet one.] (Ice Queen)
• Hands Please: Whenever Amelia asks a question, anyone who wants to answer must raise their hand. If someone responds to her without being called on or without showing her proper respect as a teacher, Amelia has the right to deliver a spanking to them, the severity of which will vary depending on the severity of the infraction. (Teacher)

https://strawpoll.com/XmZRQaJa6gd

Second Poll:

• Mother Knows Breast: Amelia’s chest size is a nice fit for her slender figure. She certainly looks great with her body. Someone who takes such great care of themselves certainly knows what looks good. Each day, Amelia has the right to reassign the breast size of every other girl in the harem. For example, she can choose someone with an A cup and someone with a G cup, and switch them. But she cannot cause someone’s breasts to grow. Only assign someone else’s breast size to them. Everyone’s breasts will return to normal at the end of the day. (MILF)
• Let’s Get Physical: Amelia has always had a difficult time expressing herself with her words. In order to prevent further misunderstandings with her loved ones, her counselor has encouraged her to be more physically affectionate. Now her natural impulse will be to express her affection for other people through physical contact, which will escalate depending on the level of affection. [NOTE: Can range from handshakes, headpats, hugs, kisses on the cheek, to anything shy of actual sexual intercourse.] (Ice Queen)
• Dress Code Violation: Amelia taught at a very strict finishing school, with a very strict dress code. Each day, she will be allowed to determine one type of clothing article that is a violation of the day’s “dress code” and anyone she catches wearing that article of clothing she gains the right to strip it off them. (Teacher)

https://strawpoll.com/7MZ0k8B8pgo

Third Poll:

• Maternal Instinct: Amelia views Nick as her son, even if they aren’t related by blood. And therefore, the women in Nick’s harem are a part of her family as well. She will now feel a motherly sense of affection towards any woman who is currently sexually active with Nick, and regard them as if they are also her own children. (MILF)
• Snow Angel: Amelia has always had a bit of an ethereal beauty about her, which has always been tempered by her coldness. Now, her skin will become a pale, lovely shade of white, like newly-fallen snow, and will have a bit of a chill to the touch. Any imperfections will be blanketed out by the white canvas. (Ice Queen)
• Detention: As a teacher, Amelia is used to dealing with unruly students. If she determines that one of the other girls in the harem is behaving in a way that she sees as inappropriate for the established harem norm, she has the right to assign them to “detention” for the remainder of the day, where they will spend time locked in a room reflecting on their actions. However, the party committing the alleged infraction may appeal their decision to the host, who will then put it to a quick audience vote. If the audience determines the behavior is not an infraction, then Amelia must serve out the remainder of the sentence instead. (Teacher)

https://strawpoll.com/X3nkP9m9BgE

Nick winced. There were a lot of things there he doubted Amelia would be okay with. He glanced at his step-mother and saw that more than anything, she was just exasperated.

“…I see,” she nodded. “That’s about what I expected, honestly. Perversion down to the roots.”

She shook her head and sighed. “Well, let’s get this over with, then. Give me your worst.”