Chapter 7
by 
wharty
What's next?
Transformations Revealed!
“Alright!” Cheered Esther. “Now that we’ve got your questions out of the way, we can get to everybody’s favorite part – the transformations! I’ll reveal three options for each of you, and the audience will choose the one they like the best! If the runner up comes within 10%, that transformation will appear again as one of next week’s options, so don’t worry if you like two options – maybe you’ll still get to see both. And, like I mentioned before, I get two vetoes each round, allowing me to choose to apply the runner up instead. Now lets see, I think we’ll start with our very first contestant, Maisie Miller!”
Maisie looked ill. She pulled her knees up onto her seat, clutching them with her arms.
“I’m ahead. That means you’ll go easy, right?” Asked Maisie hesitantly.
“Of course!” Responded Esther, “But easy is always in the eye of the beholder. So see for your self!”
With a flourish of her hands, three massive floating spiral bound notebooks, each as tall as the host herself, appeared in front of Esther, covers folded back. Black ink scrawled across the pages, each notebook detailing a transformation for all to see.
1. Invisigirl (Wallflower): Let’s start off simple. Staying still and quiet for long enough turns you invisible – but only if you’re naked. Takes 5 minutes to go invisible and lasts for one hour.
2. Succubus (Degenerate): You gain a stereotypical succubus appearance, skin turning red and growing a pair of cute little black horns. Your base libido is heightened, and sexual acts give you a small boost to speed and strength for the next 24 hours.
3. The Sacred Geometry (Mathematician): Every square inch of skin left bare for 24 hours will develop a detailed, shifting geometrical tattoo, and can never be covered again. Hidden within these mesmerizing lines are the clues to deep mathematical truths – and perhaps even visions of the future. Those around you will feel compelled to look!
“Ta Daaa!” Esther exclaimed. “Well? Which one would you prefer? The audience is usually nice about listening to your preferences…”
Maisie shuddered, gazing up at the notebooks. Invisigirl didn’t seem to bad, all things considered. But would her team end up paranoid that she might be spying on them? The other options seemed terrible. Permanent tattoos were definitely a step too far, and she did not want to know where the “degenerate” path would lead.
“Figures that this game would be intent on keeping me naked.” Maisie muttered to herself, squeezing her legs together.
Fiona, meanwhile, scowled at Esther. “So this is what a transformation is, then? Like some incredibly shitty superpower written by a pervert? You’re just going to… what, change her skin color, give her horns, tattoos… how does invisibility even work? And how many transformations are they going to end up with, anyways?”
“Oh, it depends!” Esther responded cheerfully. “Could be just a couple, but if you really drag it out, maybe dozens! Remember, your goal is to get to 100 VP – then the game ends, and you’re stuck with what you got!”
A dozen transformations like that… Maisie shuddered. The gravity of the situation suddenly hit her – she might well end up completely unrecognizable. And the competition was incredibly intimidating. Maisie had always thought herself content to be the quiet one, the wallflower, as her potential transformation so clearly pointed out. She had her math puzzles, after all. But, how would that play with the audience? Maybe she needed a spark, a hook, to get people interested. Maybe, if she were a succubus…
No. That would change her to her core. Despite her insecurities, she actually liked her body, and she didn’t really want to start down the path of “degenerate.” Invisibility would probably be more useful anyways, and as for the game – well, she did have at least one advantage: no one else, she was pretty sure, had ever seen another season. That gave her a big leg up, if she could use it.
“I’d prefer Invisigirl,” she finally responded. “Just, not succubus, please.”
“Aw, booooring,” Esther rolled her eyes dramatically. “For the record, I recommend The Sacred Geometry, I really think it’d look great on you, and technically its the strongest, if you’re really min maxing. Fiona, which one would be your preference for this delightful young lady?”
“Invisigirl, if that’s the one she wants,” replied Fiona, morosely.
“Figures.” The host gave a disapproving shake of her head, but wasted no time before moving on to the next contestant. “Alright then, next up we have… our super cute cheerleader and classics major, Carolyn Chang!”
The original three notebooks poofed out of existence, three more appearing in their place. New text scrawled across the pages:
1. Three Cheers for Team Cedarwood (Cheerleader): A classic! From now on, the only clothes you can wear are your cheerleader outfit. You might find it just a little skimpier than usual. You can do a dance to magically inspire your team (the more skin you show, the more effective it’ll be!)
2. Just Can’t Stop Talking, Can You? (Bimbo): You’ll find you have a much harder time holding in your thoughts. If it’s at the top of your mind, you’ll say it. Accidentally revealing something inappropriate will give you a boost of both horniness and motivation.
3. Lector of the Lecherous Library (Classicist): Everything except sex is about sex. Sex is about power. As the embodiment of this lesson, you’ll gain the ability to summon a magical tome, from which you can read minor incantations. Casting one requires performing the listed sex act to fuel the spell.
Carolyn carefully read her options, and then scowled, shaking Ms. Bungis at Esther. “Bimbo? Listen, ma’am, I am not a bimbo. And besides, aren’t these descriptions way too vague? How come Maisie got numbers on hers, but I just get these loosey goosey descriptions? What counts as inappropriate? How big of a boost? How much inspiration is slightly? What spells are in the tome? How can I even make a decision based off of this?”
“Carolyn,” Maisie looked up from beside her, “I am willing to bet you definitely don’t want the bimbo option. You should ask for Lector, don’t you want to cast spells?”
“Well, right now I don’t know,” responded Carolyn, “Maybe if we weren’t being skimped on the info it would be easier to make a decision.” She crossed her arms and sat back down.
“What am I supposed to tell you, Carolyn? It gives three motivation? Five inspiration? Those don’t have units, you have to just feel them out. And you get to discover the spells for yourself, it’s part of the fun,” Esther smirked, “so that’s all the information you get. Now pick!”
Carolyn pondered the options. She was certain she didn’t want the bimbo path – that was just degrading. And she wasn’t stupid, she just… let her mouth get ahead of her thoughts sometimes. She considered the cheerleader path. It would change her the least – certainly it was downright mild compared to Maisie’s succubus option – but something about it offended her. Cheerleading was a real sport, a respectable endeavor for an athletic girl, not fetish fuel for a clueless audience. No, there was clearly only one best choice here. She would vote for Lector, despite the uncomfortable requirements of using her newfound powers. Maybe – she glanced over at Maisie – maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
“Fine,” Huffed Carolyn, her decision made. “I pick Lector. And I don’t want the bimbo one.”
“And you, Fiona?” Asked Esther.
“The same.” Replied Fiona.
“Figures. OK, up next, bossy and beautiful, its Etta Edwards!”
Three new notebooks appeared.
1. Boss Bitch (Dominatrix): Before, as head of your firm, you kept your employees in line. Now, it’s time to do the same for your harem sisters. All your clothing becomes dominatrix gear, and you receive a leather crop that you feel compelled to use on the butts of anyone who displeases the Master. It will sting, but it will also provide a small boost of determination.
2. Twisted Sister (Nun): You largely left your religion behind when you went off to college, much to your parents' disappointment. Now you’ll come into a new faith. You begin to see the Master as divine in nature. All your clothing will be transformed into sexy nun costumes, and you gain the ability to deliver sermons in praise of the Master which have minor healing effects.
3. Inside-her Trading (Economist): You’ve always been a woman who knows the value of money. Let’s give you a leg up on BP as well. Sex acts now give you BP as well as VP, but you’ll find yourself increasingly **** for sex the lower your BP falls.
Etta stared at the options grimly. All three seemed incredibly severe – every single one had a mental component. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. She despised feeling this helpless. Would she rather be compelled to crop her, what, fellow slaves? Or literally worship her Master? Or just become a slut – but only while she was poor. The second one felt like the worst.
“These are awful, Esther,” Fiona grimaced, “Doesn’t she have some VP already? I thought you said you’d go easy for the ones in the lead. She’s third.”
“Oh, this is easy!” Esther grinned. “Sexy Nun, Sexy Dom, and a BP granting TF on day one? Any one of these could be a huge advantage! I’d say pick one of the first two, the audience will love you.”
Etta sighed, thinking hard. As much as she hated to admit it, she realized there was some truth to Esther’s words. If there were more transformations in store down the line, her first priority had to be getting into this mysterious audience’s good graces. What would they want? Lewd, Etta figured. Watchers of this show – of course they’d want lewd.
Well, if she had to be in a harem, better to be on top. And try as she might, she didn’t see a way out now – and she had no intention of dwelling on impossibilities. She would pull through. She always did. She had to.
“The first one. Boss Bitch,” she announced. “I really don’t want Twisted Sister.”
“I pick the third one, the economist track,” countered Fiona. “Its the only one where you can avoid the mental alteration.”
“Oooh, we have our first disagreement! I wonder what the audience will choose?” Esther laughed, “We’ll see very soon! I do have to say, healing effects are pretty rare, you might really want to think about Twisted Sister for a nice, balanced team composition. Now, next in line is Bianca Boswell!”
The next set of notebooks replaced the last.
1. And Empty Holes It Fills (Goth): What’s a season of Harem Hotel without a goth? From now on, you can only wear black, and you come across as consistently morose, no matter how happy you actually are. You gain darkness related powers, becoming slightly faster and stronger when in shadow.
2. Shared Sensation (Lover): Your devotion to your lover is admirable! But your body belongs to your Master now. From now on, the three of your libidos are linked – any horniness or sexual sensations felt by one of you will be felt by all three. And yes, it does stack.
3. Improper PPE (Biologist): You gain an indestructible lab coat which imbues your entire body with hardiness and resistance against many negative effects. Unfortunately, it’s the only piece of clothing you’ll ever wear again.
Bianca exhaled heavily, trying to calm her self down. She clutched Brooke’s hand with a **** grip.
“My body doesn’t belong to my Master, it belongs to me. And Brooke is my girlfriend; we are not in an open relationship.” She scowled. “I don’t want the second one, its evil. But the first one is even worse. What do you mean, consistently morose? Am I just doomed to always be miserable?”
“Oh, dear, absolutely not!” Responded Esther. “It doesn’t affect your emotions at all! Just your body language, and how people will see you – a first impressions kind of thing. You can still communicate your real emotions, but a proper goth has got to have a proper goth attitude. Moody, introspective, a little cynical. You get the idea.”
“That’s just a cheap stereotype!” fumed Bianca. “Are you really going to just pigeonhole the whole subculture like that? And – what would that do to my social life? My relationships? It’s horrible!”
“Bianca, my love,” Interjected Brooke, taking her other hand to stroke the slender hand she held in her grasp, “One thing I can promise you. No matter what happens here, I will never let you go. We’ll make it through this together.”
Bianca melted, tears forming in her eyes. “Oh, Brooke, I love you too.”
She stared again at the options in helplessness and outrage. Three options, each designed to turn her into fetish fuel. And this wasn’t even a choice, really – just a chance to beg the audience for the least horrifying outcome. A humiliation ritual, nothing more. Well, the first two were clearly worse than the last one – so beg she would.
She slumped back in her chair, finally stating her choice. “Give me Improper PPE. Please don’t do the other two.”
“I agree,” concurred Fiona.
“It’s not a bad choice!” Esther nodded. “I made the lab coat myself, you know. I’m really quite proud of it. Onward now, to the ever gallant Brooke Braun!”
“Now Brooke, don’t worry about your little outburst earlier, I am hardly a host to hold a grudge. But, the rules must be obeyed, and the penalty must be administered. You’ll be getting the top 2 options from among your transformations!” Esther continued gleefully, snapping her fingers to manifest the new notebooks, “It’s really not a bad deal, you know. You got to start off with 6 VP. So, let’s see those options!”
1. Muscle Mountain (Amazon): Another mainstay here at Harem Hotel. You’ll grow to 7 feet tall, with strength to match. Your libido will be increased in proportion to your size.
2. Tall Tales, Titanic Tits (Raconteur): You love a good story, even if its not always truthful. Now, any form of dishonesty will cause your tits to grow (yes, there is a limit – it’s called your belly button). Good luck, Pinocchio!
3. Energy Reserves (Biologist): You’ll gain a pleasant little layer of fat over your muscles, and a lot of fat in your T&A. You’ll gain increased stamina, but you’ll need to eat like a bear preparing for winter. Good thing food is free here at Harem Hotel!
Brooke looked up at her options, still trying to maintain a brave face.
“So its gonna be two of these?” She chewed her lip in frustration. “My stories aren’t lies. They’re stories. You know, for entertainment. How come that one is set up to punish me for lying?”
Sniffing angrily, she continued. “And I worked hard on my body. So now what, I’m gonna end up with tits to my belly button? Or just wind up pudgy again? I hated being pudgy.”
“Aww, it’s not that bad,” assured Esther, suppressing a sadistic giggle, “Energy reserves won’t make you pudgy. You’ll still have your muscles. You’ll just be… pleasantly softer. Especially your butt. And your tits. Isn’t that what every woman wants? And if you end up with Tall Tales, well, just make sure to avoid any future dishonesty. I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“What I want,” growled Brooke, “Is to have control over my own body. I fought hard for that. And you know damn well that always perfectly telling the truth is plenty harder than it seems.”
Esther grinned in response. “I’m afraid we don’t really go in for that control over your own body thing here at Harem Hotel. But you’re a tough girl, I know you can handle it. So pick!”
This time it was Bianca who stroked her partner’s hand, looking worriedly across at the muscled blonde. But Brooke already knew what her choices must be, even if she didn’t like it.
“Muscle Mountain and Tall Tales.” She stated, finally leaning back into her seat.
“Muscle Mountain and Energy Reserves,” Countered Fiona, a worried look on her face, “I know you think you can manage to avoid speaking falsehoods, but it really isn’t that easy. It says any kind of dishonesty. And it’s a ratchet. There’s no reverse mechanism; every increase is permanent, as far as we know. Breasts down to your belly button – that’s hard, Brooke. Remember, you’re going to be seven feet tall.”
Brooke looked up at Fiona, opening her mouth to respond, but then thought better of it. “Go next,” she stated, turning back towards Esther.
Esther chuckled, “Delightful, another disagreement! It’s so much more fun that way. Well, next I shall go, and that would be our fine and fickle friend, Christina Chapman!”
A snap of the fingers delivered the next set of transformations.
1. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Witch): Chemistry is pretty much potion making. Your house in the sticks, might as well be a cottage in the woods. You’re basically a witch already – we’ll just amp things up a bit. Your clothes will be transformed into sexy witch costumes and you gain the ability to make potions with minor magical effects.
2. Aspect of the Cat (Cat Girl): You’re small. You’re flaky. You like being left alone… until you don’t. Yep, this is the cat girl route. Lets start you off with fluffy ears, a tail, and slightly enhanced reflexes. Watch out – your new appendages are very sensitive!
3. Slime Girl (Chemist): Oh No! A terrible chemical accident has turned your entire body into slime! You can shift and shape your body at will, but any deviations from your base form will make you increasingly horny over time, until an orgasm snaps you back into your initial shape.
The chemist nervously stood. “Turn me into slime?” She asked, uncertainly. “You’re telling me you are just going to… completely remake my body? After that, would I even still be me?”
“Of course!” Esther reassured. “Same soul, same person. We guarantee a nearly 100% safe transformation, all memories intact!”
“Nearly?” Christina exclaimed. “And you’re telling me we have souls now? Can you share some proof of that?”
“Win the game and you can wish for it,” smirked Esther.
Christina was all for experimentation, but turning a human into slime would definitely not pass the institutional review board. That said, she hesitated. What they had all seen today, as far as she could tell, broke the fundamental laws of nature. The other contestants were still worried about self preservation, but maybe this was an opportunity for something more important. Maybe it was time to put aside her fear and play the game – not for herself, but for humanity. To understand even a small portion of the hosts powers – and to transmit that knowledge back to the outside world – it would be the biggest breakthrough since… well, maybe ever. Yes, she knew, she had to aim for that wish.
That said, maybe she could that without losing who she was entirely. Or spending the rest of existence as a puddle of slime.
“Anything but the slime,” Christina grimaced, sitting back down. “The first two are… fine, honestly. I can’t say I’d be thrilled about being **** into a witch costume, but I want to know about the magic. And I guess I could deal with cat ears. Mostly I’d like to avoid anything that affects my mind.” She glanced sympathetically back at Etta.
“Fiona?” Prompted Esther.
“The witch one. Giving people animal characteristics… frankly, I’m afraid of where that might lead.”
“Aww,” teased Esther, “You don’t want a cute little cat girl pet? You know, there’ve been contestants on previous shows who ended up perfectly content that way.”
Christina paled at this revelation. “I change my vote,” she added hastily, “Please give me the first one.”
“Too late, it’s locked in!” Esther laughed, leaving Christina open mouthed in outrage. “But no time to lose, up next we have our fiery little Latina, Carmen Cruz!”
A flourish revealed the options:
1. Match Maker (Entrepreneur): While your current work is in robotics, your first financial hit was a dating app. Now, you’ll play the matchmaker for your harem! You’ll gain BP if you play a significant role in getting any two other contestants to bang. Bonus points if you watch. Double bonus if you watch, and they don’t know.
2. Lamia (Fiery): Your legs are replaced with the tail of a snake. Don’t worry – you’ll keep your ass and pussy – wouldn’t want the Master to miss out, after all. You’ll eventually be very agile in your new body – but it’ll take some practice. Also, you’re cold blooded now. Try to keep warm!
3. Robot Limbs (Roboticist): Your limbs are replaced with upgradeable, high tech prostheses. You’ll be stronger and faster, but you may find that your limbs sometimes have a mind of their own. A very perverted mind of their own.
Carmen stared at the options. She slowly rose to her feet, entire body shaking, the tension she had held in until now finally coming loose. “You are going to turn me into a snake? Or chop off my arms and my legs?” She was on the verge of shrieking. “I did not fail any challenges! We just started, why are mine so terrible?”
The crowd winced in sympathy. These did seem like the worst so far, with the possible exception of Etta’s unfortunate selection.
“And why are they so half baked, anyways?” Carmen continued to rage. “What, Bianca gets some oh-so-clever Lord of the Rings reference double entendre, and mine is just Lamia? Robot Limbs? Really?”
“My transformations are not half baked!” Esther interjected, smiling through gritted teeth.
“Half. Baked.” Carmen emphasized, gesturing wildly at the cards. “Half of them are just corny Halloween costumes!”
“They were carefully and meticulously chosen according to your personalities, interests, and to enable you to face the challenges that lie ahead!” Esther clutched at the squirming pendant beneath her blouse.
“Admit it! You ran out of time! Go back and find some that don’t involve chopping my legs off on the first round!”
“The only thing I’ve run out of time for is your whining.” Esther fixed the Latina with an icy smile. “You may not see it yet, but I assure you, all three of these transformations can result in significant advantages, if you put that overheated noggin of yours to use. Now choose!”
Carmen threw herself back into her chair with a scowl, the other contestants looking on with quiet worry. The Latina hated bullies as much as she loved her independence, which was now being cruelly stripped from her. She clung to her anger like a lifeline – better to be furious than terrified.
Well, one option clearly stood out above the rest. Maybe the audience would be merciful. “I want the first one, matchmaker, obviously. Just because I work on robots doesn’t mean I don’t like my body the way it is.”
“I vote the same,” added Fiona, softly. “She’s right, Esther, disfigurement before the game’s even begun is egregious.”
“It’s not disfigurement if it’s sexy!” Esther sniggered. “Enfigurement? Anyways, it’s time for the last of our contestants, our statuesque stoic, Polina Petrochenko!”
A new set of notebooks materialized.
1. Opposite Day, Every Day (Cynic): You may feel that your bluntness is only honesty, but others think you are far too negative. Lets turn that on its head – from now on, any negative comments you make will be misinterpreted as positive instead. You can temporarily empower your teammates with sexually degrading comments towards them - the filthier the insult, the stronger the effect!
2. Ice Queen (Icy): Your hair is bleached white and your body turns cold and pale as snow. You gain minor ice related powers, but if you stay still for too long, you’ll freeze in place like a statue and require someone to heat you up before you can move again.
3. Ima Firin’ Ma Lazor! (Physicist): Edging allows you to charge up a powerful laser beam which will be fired from your clit when you finally orgasm! While the frequency is tuned to deal heavy damage to tentacles and other extradimensional miscreants, be careful – friendly fire may have some unpredictable consequences.
Polina leaned forward, remaining quiet as she read and reread her options.
“Well?” Prompted Esther.
Polina looked back at the host. “These are not very specific. What powers come with Ice Queen, and what are the side effects of the laser?”
“That’s for you to find out, my dear scientist.” Esther responded with an upward twitch of her lips.
Polina reflected on her options. She supposed she had three factors to consider – how badly the transformations would affect her own life, how the transformations would affect her ability to perform well in the game, and how useful the transformations would be at defeating the tentacles. Sighing, she realized her priorities were clear – she had to aim for anything that could help them defeat the tentacles. Polina was hardly a sentimental woman, but she did like to think of herself as principled – and the idea of invisible tentacles running amok on campus molesting the students was an outcome she would work hard to avoid. Even at the cost of her dignity.
But which option would be most conducive to that goal? Almost certainly the last, although it would be the hardest to use by far. But she had to try.
“I prefer the last one,” she finally responded. “Our priority must be fighting the tentacles.”
“Delightful!” Clapped Esther. “Fiona?”
“Ice Queen,” responded Fiona. “I apologize, Polina, but I don’t like the sound of friendly fire with unidentified side effects. We’ll keep watch to make sure you don’t get frozen.”
“Either of the last two are acceptable,” countered Polina, “The first one seems much worse.”
“Can’t wait to see what the audience chooses!” Esther continued, “Now, just one more set of transformations – for our lovely Master, miss Fiona, herself!”
The final three notebooks of the evening appeared.
1. Fountain of Youth: You begin to lactate. Your breast milk grants minor rejuvenating powers when consumed, making the drinker younger, fitter, and healthier over time. Unfortunately, the effect quickly loses potency, so consume straight from the source for best results (and yes, it works on you as well!)
2. Phallus Mechanicus: Sometimes the mechanics just don’t work right without a rod. You receive a cybernetic strap on you can feel through. It features a variety of fun and useful surprises that will upgrade as the game goes on! It’s also just really fun to use. Like, really really fun.
3. Financial Aid: You gain 40,000 BP per round to spend on behalf of your harem. Anything left over will be spent randomly at the end of the round – so be sure to use it all!
Fiona glared at the notebooks floating in the air. She hadn’t actually expected transformations for herself, based on Esther’s earlier description, but clearly that had been a mistake.
“What, I don’t get pathways on mine?” Fiona asked.
“No,” responded Esther, “Your transformations aren’t based on your own characteristics and personality traits like the contestants. They are just there to help you become a perfect master!”
Fiona considered the choices. The last one clearly looked like a terrible idea. They still had no idea what would be for sale or how much anything would cost, and given the nature of the show, such a transformation could easily result in disaster. As for the other two… well, she really wasn’t too eager to find out what “surprises” were hidden in whatever hellish contraption Esther was likely to have concocted. Technically, it might be possible to just avoid using it… but somehow she doubted the impish host would let her get away with avoiding the transformation that easily. It would probably come with some kind of magical compulsion.
So she would ask for the first one. Breast milk with healing powers… she didn’t even want to begin to think of the ramifications. Based on the wording… would it just result in health improvements, or could it genuinely increase the drinker’s lifespan? Was she about to doom herself to an eternity as some kind of magical milk cow?
She grimaced, wrapping her arms around her chest. No way around it – it was really the only viable option. The others were far too risky.
“I prefer the first one,” she stated unhappily. “Please avoid the last option.”
“And there you have it!” Esther cheerfully clapped again. “Voting is now OPEN for the first set of transformations! Audience members, please submit your choices within the next week. And one more thing, of course – the popularity poll! Let us know who’s your favorite contestant so far – that will determine BP allotments. Contestants – we’ll give it about… 30 seconds for the voting to finish, and then we can get right into the magic!”
“That really should not be possible,” Polina muttered in response to this egregious violation of physics.
The contestants waited tensely as the votes rolled in...
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