Alex councils and BP is spend.

Will had sat himself down near the edge of the lake, the grass cool under his still naked butt. He didn’t bring his phone; no one but Chris had brought one. The coach felt silly for not doing so now. He was left alone with his thoughts. It didn’t help; nothing did. This was all screwed up from the moment they arrived here. The moment he had been forced into another man’s harem. How was he going to solve this issue? How was he going to not lose himself to depravity? How would he remain himself? But more immediately, how would he win Chris’s trust? To none of those questions had he found an answer staring at the lake.

“Hello”, Alex said, sitting next to him. “I hope I am not interrupting, but I was curious about your thoughts.”

“Why would you be? Aren’t you part of the kidnapping cabal that put me in an impossible-to-win position whilst keeping my morals intact?” He asked accusatorily.

“Fair on the kidnapping cabal, but Syl isn’t the worst. I will put in a word for Ember’s clipshow idea. You could be in a season where the point is to hurt you to make you not you. You are in a season about… Camping? I missed the philosophy of the season meeting, sorry. Not that that is important for the person in charge of facilities to know. What I can see is you struggling. Not that you are the only one, but you seem to freeze because of it now.” The elf said.

“What do you mean I am not the only one struggling?”

“Missy is well, Missy, so she is floundering, and the only reason she stabilised is the work of Ryan and Becky, like Syl said this morning. Becky is struggling with her usual issues; I assume you know about being her coach and all. Heather is struggling with loss of control. Ryan and the Jessies seem to be the most comfortable, but I can tell something is brewing. I know the Jessies are at least struggling to figure out who is the real one.” Under her breath, she adds, “If there even is one.” Before continuing at her normal volume. “Chris… He doesn’t want to take a break. He is afraid of something… He keeps moving because it gives him a feeling of safety, or maybe just because it gives him something to do. I genuinely believe if you had said I am taking a break, he would have given you the points. He knows he is restless.”

“All of that is brewing with everyone?” Will asked, confused about how she knew.

“Yep,” Alex confirmed, short, clear, not reassuring.

“How do you know?” The coach asked, afraid to be scammed.

“Simple, I pay attention and have experience. Though I will admit some comes from them actually voicing it to others. Chris is too stubborn to say it. Saying something about this won’t help them, by the way. They aren’t there yet or need different help. They likely need to realise things for themselves first. You could help with that, but telling them isn’t them piecing it together.” The elf said as if it was second nature to her.

“Why talk to me now then?” The self-doubt had overtaken Will’s mind.

“You need an ear that isn’t one of theirs. You need an ‘independent’ person to respond. Sorry that doesn’t exist for the most part here, but other members of the crew or I are the closest you will get. You also needed to know you weren’t alone. If you would rather have this conversation with someone else, I can pick them up.”

“I probably will need to have this conversation with Chris later, won’t I?” Instead of actually answering, Alex shook her head. “I won’t need to?”

“You can if you want, but whether you think it is best is a different question. You need to find answers for you to be able to move again. Beyond that, you need to finish the date. Nothing else is mandatory.” The elf stated, ignoring the elephant in the room.

“But I need to get 100VP.” He protested.

“In the long run, yes.” She said with a nod. “But that isn’t now; one step at a time. You can look for a solution to that as you go.”

“It isn’t easy to catch up; the rest is so far ahead and will get further if I don’t do something,” Will said in a panic.

“Most of the bonus points are independent of whether you are the first to do something with Chris. Chill, at most it is ¼ of the maximum. Our bean counter knows that you are moving slowly, but he also knows you can’t move a mountain in a day. The rules are thus that you should be able to reach 100 if you participate.” The elf tried to comfort him.

“But I want to win!” The competitive drive pushed a shout out of Will.

“Sure, but remember what Chris said earlier. Focus on needs before wants, safety before the thing you want. Work before play.” She hoped this was the reaffirmation he needed.

“What do you mean by that last one?” He asked.

Rolling her eyes, Alex explained, “You need to work for the BP, Chris and Jessica said, remember. They wanted to see if you would flake, fuck up, be like Missy; they were testing you. Testing whether investing trust in you was smart.”

“Yeah, and that means they don’t trust me.” The frustration from before returned in full force.

“Yes and no. You don’t give a test to someone you don’t want to trust. Had you immediately said sure I will upgrade a transformation, or upgrade one Chris wouldn’t have stepped in. Then again, I agree with him that this is a better solution for both of you. Do you let a new employee immediately work with clients?” The elf asked as if she was trying to teach a child.

“No, they have to earn it.” The coach said in surprise.

“Okay, are there ways to fast-track that trust?”

“They have a degree from a reputable source.”

“Why is that trustworthy?”

“They have an education to do the work and have proven themselves with tests.”

“They have proven themselves using tests,” Alex repeated to reinforce what Will had said. “So what is wrong with others to try and test you to see if you can be trusted?” She hoped this was the last question he needed. This back and forth was tiring.

“It is an insult to someone you see as a prospective partner.” He responded heatedly.

“Assumptions are dangerous, especially in a show like this one,” Alex said with squinted eyes.

“Why?” Will noticed the shift in tone.

“No comment… No comment. Syl will get mad if I say too much.” She said with a smile and regret in her voice. “What do you think your assumption was?” The elf tried to redirect the conversation back to his thoughts and feelings instead of the external chaos he was embroiled in.

“That it is an insult?” Will guessed, but Alex shook her head. “That I am a prospective partner?”

“Yep. You haven’t cleared that hurdle that requires trust to be seen as one. Chris wants to help you. He wants to get everyone out of here in a way they want, or as much as he can. He verbalised this to the Jessies last night. Again, no telling him I told you. That doesn’t mean he is interested in you as a partner.” She explained.

“How can both of those be true?”

“Can you give a good session to a person and hate their guts?” Alex asked in response.

“Yes, what does this have to do with this?”

“Think about it,” Alex demanded like a teacher giving a kid homework before leaving. She couldn’t give him all the answers. This should at least be enough to stop the paralysis he had.

Ryan was sitting in the canteen, getting bored. “So how does your day usually go?” He asked the only person in the room, Samson.

“So yesterday was how my new normal is going to be. Sit around, wait for you guys to come in, talk to me and maybe buy a few things. I know you got a big payday from the quests. Though those BPs are basically all of the ones you will get this week. So I brought a book to read from my own hovel to read when I got bored.” Samson said, holding up a book with a blank cover.

“What are you reading?” Ryan hoped the answer would solve his boredom.

“HH: Bed and Breakfast edition. Might as well be a hotel at this point, but it is a good read if you like a full lesbian cast. It is more focused on romance than anything else I think up until now, cute. I have sent a single fanmail letter.” An answer the goblin knew Ryan might not like pairings because Ryan was gay, but still, romance is romance, right?

“Yeah, not my thing; give me hot dudes. Any season like that?” He asked, hoping for anything to solve his boredom. Not that reading another season wouldn’t feel creepy.

“Never looked for one, but I know there must be. There are thousands of seasons out there, if not millions. I don’t actively track the number of seasons. If you had access to the book version of seasons, I would recommend one of the mixed seasons. I personally like Woo The Girl Save The World, but there is only one gay couple in it at this point: Kevin and Winter. A man with an individual who swaps between male and female bodies and a person whose male reproductive system is fixed by the show. And no one is allowed to speak about Winter in gendered terms unless they permit it, but they do have a penis.” The shop clerk explained.

“Why would they make people unable to do that, or better put, how?” Confusion lingered in each of the words uttered by the homebody. He had tried to force himself to try and misgender Winter but didn’t succeed.

“Gift from the host of that season when they came of age. I will not spoil too much.” Samson teased the man.

“What is the worst season you have read?” The curious ecologist questioned.

“Organisationally, Summer Camp season or as they originally named it, Harem Hotel: Law and Orgasms. For the rest, I ought to keep being polite. That other season has been on hiatus for a while don’t know if they will continue. It was a decent show/read.” The goblin replied, dry as dirt.

“You won’t comment on it? Why?” Ryan was growing suspicious at the vagueness.

“I won’t. Safer for me and for the season if I don’t poke bears than I already am.” The known prankster declared as a matter of fact.

“What did you do?” Ryan believed Samson had definitely done something beyond the pale.

“None of your business. I have not gone too far. I only did things within safe parameters and things the host has offered me.” A small smile formed on the goblin’s face as he said it.

“I know you are a prankster; you tricked Heather into getting that cursed transformation. You made her wear a chastity belt that was pre-established to be owned by Chris.” A coy smile grew larger on Samson's face as Ryan was scolding him. “You are a prankster. I know you will not go past the limits set for you. Otherwise, Syl would have stepped in on her behalf, and you would have been punished.”

“You are a great observer. Sadly, you don’t have these books available to you. I have no spare book to share now; Maybe tomorrow, or you could buy an upgrade in facilities.” The prankster tried to placate him and to shift the topic.

“What would that cost me?” The BP-rich target asked.

“The basic building of the community centre is 20 BP; the library nook is another 10 BP, so 30 BP total. The community centre also has a bunch of board games and a hearth, as well as a bar, which will be run by someone else, or maybe me, depending on what they want to do. We are allowed to switch if we want, of course.” Samson thought maybe working as a barman was more his speed; his colleague would need to be willing to switch jobs, however.

“Does it also have better seating?” An honest question from a man hoping for the best.

“Comfort costs extra, like with so many things -Syl wants to have a motivator, a carrot for as long as she can- it only costs 2 BP. That’s not that much, to be honest.” Samson explained.

“With the upgrades to the tent- the two expansions and the cots- it will be 52 BP for all of what you just said?” Samson gave a nod. “Please do it. Everyone will enjoy board games, right?” Ryan questioned.

“I have no idea what your group likes yet. It will be there after lunch in a few hours.”

“Wait, I forgot to check if there are also video games available?” The gamer responded.

“Yeah, an arcade as well as a simple game console, but they are expensive. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t buy them for a few weeks. The arcade costs 80 BP, and no, it isn’t a new building. It is an annex for the community centre. The game system isn’t much better, as it costs 30 BP.”

“Why?” Ryan said, more shocked than actually questioning.

“Simple, so neither you nor William ends up sitting there all day playing games. Not that I think two buds gaming is an issue. It is just my boss’s boss’s worry.” The goblin almost sounded accusatory.

“We wouldn’t be.” Samson gave a glare at that. “Not that it matters. Buying the upgrade is too expensive for now anyway. Everything else we discussed is fine.” The homebody said to the goblin.

As the duo was finishing up their conversation, Heather entered the room. “Roberts, do you know where the rest is?” Ryan decided to shake his head; he had an idea, but telling Heather wouldn’t solve shit. “Then you have to deal with me instead of him. Explain how you are in first!” The demands never stopped with this woman.

“First, you buy an upgrade for your tent, then I will explain it.” He resisted bending to the force of the woman who had barged in.

“No! Why would I?” The heiress glowered over him, hoping to get him to break.

“Simple, because you can’t force me. You are just another contestant. You are an equal who wants something from me. I want to do something for a buddy of mine, even if it is temporary. It is not like you won’t benefit from the upgrade.” Ryan explained, having some sort of spine after what happened yesterday.

“You” A growl followed. “Give him what he wants, buy me the single upgrade for tent size, you creature.”

Samson, still annoyed by how the bitchy woman held herself most of the days she was here, didn’t resist. “Sure, miss, consider it done.” She hadn’t left him space to play a prank and was forced to do as they had agreed.

“So explain, Robberts.” She once again demanded, and if it were possible, it would have been even more entitled.

“So I had sex with Chris this morning. He fingered me to orgasm. We kissed, hugged, mutual nakedness, willingly being in chastity, I am guessing, calling him ‘Master’. We do know hugging only counts once. I am guessing nakedness as well. The rest I have yet to test. Sex, orgasm and stuff are likely repeatable with less of a big bonus.” Ryan explained, giving in to the demands of the woman.

“Repeatable? Only once? Bonus? You are just slinging around terms as if I should know them.” Heather responded.

“Okay, you never played games; that does not explain why you don’t understand only once. It is something you can never repeat, no matter how much time or money or time you throw at it. Other things that give points are repeatable once per day. The show gives extra points if it is the first time you do something. I have no idea how the calculation goes. Can you explain it, Samson?” Ryan asked the employee.

“I am not allowed to speak on rules, but there is a section in the handbook on your phone that does include a section on that. I am just talking about an item you have, to be clear.” Samson reacted professionally, distantly. Whilst he would have liked to be maliciously compliant with the nobody explains the rules rule, he decided to help the only human who had been frequently nice to him and was actually trying to get to know him.

“Fine, I will look it up. Thanks for the tip.” Ryan looked up ‘First time bonus’. “Okay, so additional bonuses are given for first times with Chris and other contestants, as well as a bonus if that person hasn’t done it with a person of your gender before. Chris likely has more details on how the splits are.”

“So how much am I guaranteed if he makes me cum?” Heather questioned.

“I will say 6 if he has done that to another woman before,” Ryan replied. “I am guessing anal sex was a first for Chris with a man, but it is all muddled with the stuff from yesterday, so I have no idea. Kissing is 1, hugging is 1. The jump from the rest is 2, so I am guessing nakedness is also 1 once.” Ryan explained. “It would be smart if we both went through the rulebook and then took notes on the rules, and if there are things that we didn’t get told during the introduction meeting.” He proposed, hoping to do something in silence until lunch. Heather agreed, grumbling, but at least not openly hostile.