And I guess I've known it all along

A disheartening atmosphere pervaded through the Master’s Suite, and everyone could feel how uneasy the tension hanging over the air was.

No one felt it more prominently than Cinder herself.

“What are all of you fucking cunts fucking looking at me for!?” Cinder roared, clenching her fists tightly. She turned towards Mary in particular. “Pinche idiota, I don’t need your fucking help, or your fucking pity! Okay?!”

Her furious amber eyes flickered across the room, glaring daggers at the people around her one after another. And nobody was quite prepared to confront the furious woman, not with how she was looking at them. The tension just kept building.

Finally, it was Dani who stepped in. “Cinder!” She snapped, approaching the furious girl with a firm expression on her face. “Settle down!”

“Oh?” Cinder turned to face her. “So, now you’re trying to tell me what to do?” She spat. “This is all YOUR fault in the first place! If you didn’t make Ella work out like that in front of that bastard, I wouldn’t have-!”

“It is not my fault,” Dani interrupted her. She wasn’t about to take any slander from the woman in front of her. Dani coldly narrowed her eyes. “I was only helping Ella work out because that was what she said she wanted. Understand? Ella said she wanted to work out, and I helped her. I am not to blame for your overreaction. And, while it’s true that the punishment Echo gave you may be harsh, I am not the one to blame.”

Cinder clenched her fists tightly. Her hands began to tremble. She glared furiously at Dani, and refused to confront the painful reality of the situation-

Dani was absolutely correct.

She wasn’t to blame for what had happened to Cinder, or what Echo did to her. The blame for that only fell on one person: Cinder herself.

Cinder was desperate to hold someone else responsible for her own actions, whether that was Dani, or Dawn, or Nick, or even Echo, because she didn’t want to confront the fact that she had lost her temper all on her own and attacked Sylvia, and ended up getting punished for it in a way that would fall back on Ella.

“…I…” Cinder’s hands began to tremble and she hung her head, trying not to burst out crying. Yet, furious tears still rolled down her cheeks as she seethed, and she shook her head in disgust. “I didn’t, I… I just…!”

“Cinder, it’s okay,” Sylvia said, approaching the other girl herself. She patted the smoldering woman tenderly on the back. “You were going through some difficult things, and it’s not your fault. You just lost your cool and made a mistake. It could happen to anyone!”

“Don’t coddle her, Sylvia,” Dani snapped. Then her voice softened. “Listen, Cinder, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a punishment transformation. It isn’t fair. You lashed out because you felt like you were in a bad place, right? And now you’re stuck with that collar. Well, I’ve been there. Okay? And it sucks. It absolutely sucks.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled. “…But at least your transformation is only temporary. And that can’t be said for mine.”

Nick winced. He knew what Dani was stuck with, they all did.

“Same goes for Dawn, too,” Sylvia said, looking over at the cat girl, who had been very quiet this whole time. “Dawn also received a punishment transformation-”

“From you,” Dani cut in to clarify.

Sylvia made a sour face. “…Yes, I was the one responsible for that,” she admitted. “Thank you for reminding me, my girl.”

Dani shrugged in response as Sylvia continued, “And even though she’s made the most of it… those punishments were still quite harsh. So, you see? Your punishment… may not be as bad as you think it is, my girl!”

She was trying to encourage Cinder in some way. But the other girl wasn’t exactly taking what Sylvia was saying with grace. She narrowed her eyes into a cold glare and slowly shook her head. “Oh, yeah,” she muttered. “That makes me feel SO much better.”

“Well, you could always try to go the other way with it,” Dani pointed out. “And just try and push through the thing until you’ve hit your limit.”

Dani knew that what she was suggesting probably wouldn’t be comfortable for Cinder, and she really did feel bad for the other girl and the position she was being put in. But at the same time, she firmly believed that this was a choice Cinder needed to make for herself. She was the one who was stuck with the transformation now, as insane as it was, so she was the one who needed to figure out just how much she was willing to put up with.

Nobody else would do it for her.

Cinder looked like she was going to be sick. She slowly shook her head, making a disgusted expression as her eyes trailed around the room.

Then, finally, they landed on Nick.

“…What should I do?” She finally asked, and for a second, Nick thought she was talking to him.

“S-sorry, what?” He asked, looking at Cinder in surprise. The dark-haired girl clenched her teeth and glared at him coldly.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she snapped. “With your pitying stare! Like I’m someone that needs to be coddled and protected! Well, I’m not Ella! I’m stronger than she is, I can handle this! So tell me what I need to do, before Ella takes over again and ends up trapped in this stupid collar!”

Furious, Cinder tugged at the metal collar, like she was trying to tear it right off of her neck again.

That was enough to get Dawn animated. “Wait!” Her face went pale. “Cinder, you’re not serious, are you?” She asked worriedly. “You aren’t actually planning on forcing yourself through this punishment transformation and trying to resolve it all right here, are you?!”

“So, what if I am?” Cinder demanded, shooting her a harsh look. “It’s my- err, I mean, it’s Ella’s and my fucking body, right!? If I want to burn through this stupid fucking shitty collar in one night, then I damn well can!”

Right on cue, her collar activated again, picking up Cinder’s bad thoughts. It sent a jolt of pleasure through her body that made her weak in the knees, and she stumbled forward, unable to remain standing due to the abundance of pleasure.

She landed in the arms of the last person she wanted to comfort her right now.

Cinder looked up at Nick’s face, and her blood ran cold. She clenched her teeth into a firm snarl, and she tried to push him off her. “Let go of me!” She spat at him. “I-I don’t… I don’t need your FUCKING help, you got it!?”

Nick wasn’t sure what to do, if he was being honest. The fury in Cinder’s eyes, it wasn’t easy for him to deal with. But he didn’t want to keep pushing her, either, no matter how little strength she had in her spasming body, so he helped her sit down on the couch, where she could at least have a bit of peace when she was on the brink of orgasm.

Needless to say, Cinder wasn’t falling over herself to express her gratitude for his chivalry. All she did was glare petulantly at him, and mutter under her breath, “Disgusting…”

He tried not to take that personally.

“So, what now?” Dani asked quietly. “We haven’t actually resolved anything…”

“This might not be a problem that has a solution, I’m afraid,” Mary quietly pointed out. She looked helplessly over at Cinder, and locked eyes with the scowling woman. “Cinder is right, the only way to get that collar off is if she, um… follows the expectations that were set for her…”

Mary’s face burned with embarrassment as she contemplated the wording of the transformation. It seemed totally backwards! So, Cinder, who hated sexual contact and things like orgasms and cumming, would have to go with that collar on until she reached some arbitrary threshold of contact?

How was that fair?

She didn’t understand it at all, and the notion seemed ridiculous to her. But, ultimately, she couldn’t shake the thought that this was exactly what her other self wanted- that Echo was quite pleased by this turn of events.

Just the thought of it incensed the redhead. Echo didn’t deserve to be right, not about this, not about anything!

She was a bad person, and people should treat her like a bad person!

That’s what Mary wanted to do, anyway.

But, she couldn’t. So she had to suppress her feelings on the matter, and hope that they would be able to come up with something.

“I said it already,” Cinder muttered. “The only way is to just… fucking… …AAaaaaagh!”

Another shockwave of pleasure shot through her body, and that was all Nick could take.

“Cinder!” He cried out to her. “Just stop it already, okay? You’re not even enjoying this!”

“What kind of… stupid statement is that?” Cinder demanded through clenched teeth. “NO FUCKING SHIT! Of course I’m not enjoying this, I can’t fucking stand it… can’t… can’t even fucking stand up without… with… without-!”

The pleasure kept overwhelming her. The halfhearted attempt she made to stand back up just resulted in her being flung down onto the couch again. With frustration in her heart, she hung her head, and her face burned under the stares of the other women, and Nick.

Nick’s gaze burned her up the most.

Who did he think he was, looking at her like that? What, did he think he was special? Did he think that she was just falling all over herself, desperate to appeal to his sleezy wishes?

What an arrogant jerk! He was lucky Cinder didn’t wring his neck!

…Except, well, she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t even think about it.

As Cinder seethed and the others stewed, Holly watched everything from the sidelines. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet all evening because she knew that anything she had to say would probably not go over well for anyone.

But, since she was looking on from the outside, she could see things that other people missed. Like the look of worry on Sylvia’s face.

Even though Sylvia isn’t to blame, she’s still blaming herself, isn’t she? Holly thought, biting her lip. Not even just for the punishments of the other girls, either, no, she’s also blaming herself for Cinder… what’s the matter with her?

It didn’t seem fair to Holly. And she had more reason than most to be upset with Sylvia- after all, the former host was the one who had given her a transformation of her own to condemn! Holly’s elimination transformation was the product of Sylvia’s mind, as well!

But- this wasn’t.

Which was why Sylvia shouldn’t be blaming herself for it.

But try to convince her of that. It was a fool’s errand, and one Holly had no intention of undertaking.

No, the only person who could talk some sense into Sylvia was Nick. And Holly hoped desperately that he would be able to do so.

“…So, what now, then?” Nick asked. He looked at Cinder as he asked the question, wishing that she somehow could come up with an answer that would satisfy everyone. “Cinder… is there any way I can help you?”

Cinder was taken aback by his offer. She raised her head and squinted at him, and then slowly shook her head in response.

“…Don’t bother,” she muttered bitterly. “I understand what you’re trying to do, Nick, but just… don’t bother.”

She didn’t want to rope him into her own problems. Not after everything that had happened. Getting him involved… it just felt like it would make everything worse.

And right now, Cinder couldn’t handle “worse”. She couldn’t even handle the present level of bad, she was just… trying to endure it.

And it felt like a losing battle.

Nick didn’t know what to do, or what to say. In her present state, Cinder seemed impossible to reach, and he didn’t like that, but…

There was something in her eyes when he met her gaze. Something that told him that, maybe… he didn’t have to push things right now.

Nick swallowed, and tried to hang onto that.

“I have work to do,” Cinder suddenly said. This time when she stood up, she was able to maintain her balance, and she looked directly at him. Her eyes were smoldering. “Don’t worry… I can handle this,” she whispered, and Nick wondered if she was whispering mainly to herself.

If she could really continue like this… that would be a massive relief to him. He just had to hope that it was something she could handle.

Nick felt Dani’s hand on his shoulder suddenly, and she gave him a squeeze. When he turned and looked back at her, she shook her head and pinched her lips together tightly.

“Don’t worry,” she said firmly. “It’s fine. Cinder, she… just give her some time to herself, alright? As for me, uh…”

She bit her lip and glanced over at Mary, who looked a little shaken herself, understandably.

“…I’m going to go get dinner started,” Dani decided, and Mary’s eyes widened in surprise.

“O-oh, really?” She asked, blinking a few times. She looked over to Nick for confirmation, and he nodded awkwardly.

Mary bit her lip. “Well… okay, then,” she conceded, not having an issue with Dani cooking but not sure if this was the right time to transition things. After all, they still hadn’t resolved the matter with Cinder! But… Mary could tell that this was a problem without an easy solution, so she didn’t push it.

She would just need to give Cinder her space… they all would. And hopefully, then, Cinder would be in a position where she didn’t feel the need to be so guarded and hostile towards everyone.

It was something to hope for, anyway. And pretty much the only thing Mary found herself hoping for, at this point.

“I think this is for the best,” Nick said aloud, and he gave Cinder a pointed look. “And if you need anything, just let me know. Okay?”

“…Yeah, whatever,” Cinder muttered in response. She jerked her eyes away from him and pinched her nose. “And take a bath. You reek of sweat and dirt.”

Sylvia winced. Nick’s face turned red. “Th-that-!” He sputtered out, not able to formulate a proper response. “There’s a reason for that-”

“I don’t care.” And with that last word on her lips, Cinder turned and stormed off, muttering to herself furiously as she got to work on cleaning up the Master’s Suite, leaving a very flustered and anxious Nick in her wake.

“…Maybe you should take a bath,” Dani suggested. “It might be just the thing you need for your nerves, you know? And plus, that nature hike, well…”

Her eyes flickered over to Dawn for a second. The quiet cat girl seemed to be handling the smell of Nick’s sweat just fine, but there was no telling how it would affect her later. Seeing how worn out Nick seemed to be, and how much Cinder’s situation was overwhelming him, she felt like a nice, hot bath would be just what the doctor ordered.

…If the doctor wasn’t obsessed with Nick’s scent, of course. But there was no stopping that, unfortunately for him.

Nick, seeing what Dani was saying, nodded in agreement and headed into the bathroom. He started running a hot bath and stripped out of his clothes, settling down comfortably into the water as the tub filled up around him and just…

…Tried not to think about what Cinder- and Ella- were going through right now.

It almost worked, too. He was able to take his mind off of everything that was going on outside of the bathroom, right up until the bathroom door swung open and the outside world came in and asserted itself, making its presence known.

“…Room for one more?” A hushed voice asked from the doorway as Nick jolted upright in the water out of surprise. He swung his head around in shock and stared at the girl standing in front of him.

“…I don’t take up a lot of space,” Dawn said quietly, her cheeks red with embarrassment as a tiny smile squeaked across her lips. She took a hesitant step forward and shut the door behind her, looking hopefully at him.

Nick didn’t know what to say. He was sitting in the bathtub, completely naked, with Dawn staring at him as the tub slowly filled with warm water.

Finally, he stammered out, “Uh, sure, I guess,” and with that, he seemed to have made Dawn’s night, judging by the way her face lit up with joy.

“Oh, good, thank you,” she gushed, quickly stripping out of her casual clothes. They hit the ground in a flash and the lithe girl practically catapulted herself into the bathtub to join him with a gleeful smile on her face.

Nick still wasn’t sure what to make of things.

Yes, there was plenty of room for Dawn in the bathtub, no question about that. But why did she want to join him in the first place? Was it her scent transformation acting up again? Or was it something else entirely?

He couldn’t be sure.

All he knew was that now he had a lovely young woman sitting across from him in the tub, right between his legs, staring at him from behind a pair of glasses that honestly, she probably shouldn’t have been wearing in the water.

But she didn’t seem to mind.

“So, what’s up?” Nick asked awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “You just felt like getting a dip in the water or something?”

Dawn nodded slowly. “I mean… are you complaining?” She asked with a playful smile on her lips. But behind that smile, Nick saw something.

“I’m not complaining,” he assured her. “I’m just concerned. There was a lot that just happened, Dawn. Are you sure you’re alright? Everything that just went down with Cinder…”

With that in mind, it probably wasn’t the best time for a bit of playing around in the bathtub, if he was being honest.

He looked hesitantly at her as the smile slowly faded from her face.

Dawn sank down lower as the water rose up to her small breasts. Her ears twitched on her head. “Honestly, I’m… really thinking about something difficult here,” she said quietly. “About this whole Cinder thing.”

Nick felt Dawn’s foot lightly brushing against his penis. But he wasn’t in the mood right now, and he could tell Dawn wasn’t, either.

“Yeah, I’m thinking about it, too,” he answered her back, and the two exchanged tense looks with one another.