As someday it may happen that a victim must be found, I've got a little list

Vivian took a deep breath, exhaled, and started her day.

It began like it did yesterday. Like it did every day, really. With her thinking about her responsibilities and how she could improve herself as a person.

Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin was already gone. Maybe she’d gone down to eat breakfast, or maybe she’d gone to her lessons with Amelia already. Vivian couldn’t quite be sure- she’d woken up pretty late as it was.

She’d been mulling things over for a while last night, and being reminded of the sex Nick had been having hadn’t made getting sleep any easier.

With a sigh on her lips, she climbed out of bed and put on a fresh new outfit to start the day. Not too long ago, figuring out what clothes to wear for the day had been the toughest decision Vivian had to make in her life.

Now?

Now, it didn’t even break the top ten. Dilemmas swirled around her constantly, and the biggest dilemma of all?

Her newest transformation.

Vivian checked her look in the mirror a couple of times. Nick was back from Dream Alley right now, and was probably having fun on his date with Dani. She wasn’t going to interfere with her friend’s “date” (even if it wasn’t really a date) but she was still going to dress up nice.

Just in case Nick liked what he saw, that was all!

“…Mmm… …Yeah,” she decided finally, nodding. “That’s definitely a stylish design. Of course, it always is,” she reminded herself with a giggle, doing a little twirl and making her denim skirt flare up slightly. It wasn’t easy to get the fabric to work the right way, but this had been one of her original designs, and she was quite proud of it.

Especially because of how gorgeous it looked on her. The indigo blouse she was wearing? Dyed through genuine indigo dyers from asia. A rather flashy outfit, but one that Vivian quite enjoyed all the same. It had real character- and she could use something eye-catching, given how her presence seemed to have diminished recently.

She wanted to change that. She didn’t want to be on the outside of the harem looking in anymore, she wanted to be standing center stage, getting along with everyone the way she got along with Dani!

“But that’s easier said than done,” she muttered to her reflection.

“What is, Lady Carrington?” Octavia asked calmly from her position at Vivian’s side.

Vivian turned to look at her stoic butler and crinkled her forehead. “It’s nothing,” she replied, an obvious lie but one she stood by. “Just talking to myself.”

Octavia had comforted Vivian through many problems in her youth. But this wasn’t something that she could help the heiress with. Vivian had to do this herself, or it wouldn’t matter.

You’d want me to make my own decisions, wouldn’t you, Octavia? She silently asked her butler, gazing fondly at her. If I asked you for help, that would just be me nurturing my dependence on you, and that wouldn’t be right at all.

If Vivian was going to change her life and make friends, it had to be from the heart. That was what Octavia would want from her, and more importantly, that was what she wanted from herself.

The last challenge had been a harrowing experience. The way Ella- who was normally quite sweet to others- had just shouted her down like that, expressing how much she disliked Vivian, when Vivian had just been trying to befriend her, it had stung. But Vivian couldn’t refute anything that the other woman had said.

Hearing that… it stuck with her. It was the latest in a long line of call-outs that had caused Vivian to reconsider her actions and look at her behavior from a fresh perspective- and maybe, just maybe, change her approach.

…Maybe.

So, Vivian was going to apply herself, and try to change all for herself!

No following the advice of other people, no “doing what you’re supposed to do” just following your heart and trying to improve, one step at a time.

That was the sincerity with which Vivian approached the transformation she was tasked with.

Her directions were clear.

• Checklist: It’s important for the manager of a harem to ensure that all the needs of its members are being met. Each round, Vivian will receive a checklist with individual tasks designed to aid other members of the harem, and will feel compelled to complete the tasks listed out to help her fellow harem sisters. (Harem Manager)

Nothing forced Vivian to help the other girls. She wouldn’t even get a reward for doing so. All she received was a list of tasks to accomplish, and a compelling need to see them through to completion churning inside of her.

A list that was growing more insistent with each passing day.

Checklist:

• Assist Amelia’s lessons by helping Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin practice her letters at least three times in the round.
• Look after Emmy and become her friend so Carly can spend more of her time focusing on her relationships with Nick and Dani.
• Take Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin clothes shopping and give her pointers on how to behave casually around other girls to help her make friends.
• Help Cinder and Ella be honest with their feelings and stop being so withdrawn and hostile.
• Coordinate an outfit for Dani that emphasizes both her femininity and her tomboyishness.
• Compete with Dawn and give her a good challenge.
• Give Gina relationship advice.
• Enhance Kim’s breasts as much as she is comfortable with.
• Become friends with Morgana and get her to open up to you about her relationship with Nick.
• Help Rose complete tasks on her bounty sheet through any means necessary.
• Assist Sylvia in finding people to temporarily upgrade the transformations of.

It was quite an undertaking, she had to admit. Some of her tasks were simple. Others were far more esoteric. While it would likely not be that hard to coordinate an outfit for Dani or compete against Dawn, giving Gina relationship advice? Did it have to be good advice? Did Gina have to take the advice? Did the advice have to be effective in helping the relationship succeed?

There were so many gray areas in some of these, Vivian wasn’t sure how far she would have to go before they were considered “complete” especially with the more difficult, emotional ones, like Cinder and Ella, or, even more complicated, helping Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin get closer to other girls and make friends.

…

If Vivian knew how to do that, then she’d be able to follow her own advice, wouldn’t she? But, no such luck there.

“And that’s not even getting to the hardest one of all,” she muttered, taking another look at the sheet. There was one item on her list that stuck out to her, one that looked like a fairly simple task on paper, but for Vivian, would be next to impossible to complete.

• Become friends with Morgana and get her to open up to you about her relationship with Nick.

Vivian couldn’t imagine doing that. It made her feel sick to her stomach. Yes, she wanted to be friends with Morgana, but she wanted that to be because the two girls got along! Befriending someone because her checklist told her to… it sounded so twisted and horrific that Vivian refused to stand for it.

But… what could she do? Her brain was already needling at her, telling her that she needed to do this, that she needed to become Morgana’s friend. It had almost reached the point where she couldn’t be sure if she even wanted to be Morgana’s friend in the first place, before she got this checklist, even though she knew that she had!

Vivian grimaced at the prospect. It really wasn’t fair, not to Morgana, not to herself, not to anyone. She shouldn’t be stuck like this, forced into doing this…

But…

What could she do?

No matter what, Vivian didn’t see a way out. So, with a heavy weight on her heart and a sigh on her lips, she folded up the checklist and poofed it away.

“It’s alright,” she told her reflection. “You just need to start small, that’s all. Something easy and manageable! You can do that.”

Her first instinct? Find Kim and give her some breast support.

Problem: Kim would probably tell her to get lost. They were on better terms now, yes, but walking up to her and going “Hey, do you want your breasts to be bigger?”

That was not likely to end up going well. Vivian would need to be more subtle.

“…If only I could help Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin with her lettering,” Vivian groaned. “That wouldn’t be hard…”

“Well, why not do so, then?” Octavia asked. She raised a neat eyebrow and gave Vivian a calm but encouraging look.

Vivian blinked.

“…Eh? Well, uh…”

For starters, she didn’t know where Amelia and Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin were doing their lessons. But she could find that out, couldn’t she?

…Other than that, well…

“…I guess that’s as good a place to start as any,” she conceded.

This, this was why she didn’t go to Octavia for advice anymore. Not because her advice was bad, but because it was good advice, good advice Vivian really didn’t like having to follow.

Tracking down Amelia and Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin turned out to not be as difficult as Vivian anticipated.

Because, quite conveniently as she exited her room, she ran right into two people who would know better than anyone where she could find the people she was looking for.

“You’re cleaning it all wrong! That isn’t how you’re supposed to clean it! And, like, why are you even wearing a maid outfit, anyway? You realize that the hotel is full of faeries to do all this grunt work, right? You’re supposed to be working as Echo’s assistant along with me, so why are you dressed like a maid? And for that matter, why are you giving me orders? I don’t want to take orders! …Well, I mean, I do want to take orders, but only from the host, who you are most certainly not, do I make myself clear? Well? Do I? Why aren’t you listening to me? Why are you still sweeping? And sweeping wrong, for that matter? Listen to me, you doll!”

“Shishishishi, you talk too much, talk too much, talk too much, talk too much! Shishishishi, if I want to sweep the common area, then I’ll do so. And it certainly isn’t because I enjoy irritating you, certainly not, certainly not, certainly not, certainly not. Shishishishi!”

“Aaaaargh! You are SO insufferable! Why does Echo rely on you more than she relies on me?! I used to be a host, you know!”

“Because I am more reliable, shishishishi…”

“Well, well, well,” Vivian said, letting out a whistle. “What do we have here?”

The two assistants turned away from their squabbling match to see Vivian standing in front of them with an intrigued smile on her face.

“…I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Vivian asked saucily, wiggling her eyebrows. “I would so hate if that were the case!”

She covered her mouth and snickered. “…Or would I?”

“…Vivian Carrington,” Lynette said, standing up straight and brushing herself off. “Hello. What can I help you with today? Shishishishi.”

“Hey!” Nola swung her head around, eyes wide. “That’s not your job! You’re just a maid, remember? I’M the assistant host, and I’m not dressed like a maid, so I’M the one who will help out the contestants, you got that!? Well?!”

“Girls, girls, don’t worry, you’re both VERY helpful,” Vivian said diplomatically. “Right now, I’m looking for Amelia and Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin. I’m sure they’re taking their lessons right now, is that right?” She crooned, pressing her hands together.

Lynette blinked. “Sure thing.”

She pointed a crooked finger towards the elevator, and smirked. “Right that way.”

“Oh my GOD!” Nola rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Could you BE any less helpful?!”

“Yes.”

The leprechaun puffed up her cheeks but she didn’t have a good retort to the doll’s cheeky response. So, she just fumed at her instead. It was the only thing she COULD do, really.

Lynette’s smirk just widened gleefully.

Vivian cleared her throat. “Excuse me, ladies? Remember me? Still looking for a certain someone, hmmmm?”

Nola sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Yes, yes, Vivian, I’ll help you out,” she said, trudging over to the elevator. She snapped her fingers and a few seconds later, a viridian-colored faerie fluttered down.

“Yes?” The bright-eyed faerie asked with a chipper smile.

“Vivian here would like to go pay a visit to Amelia and her classroom,” Nola calmly explained with a sweet smile. “Could you please show her the way? Oh, and also bring her some breakfast while you’re at it, she could really use a good meal I imagine if she’s just waking up now. Would that be okay, Vivian? Would you like some breakfast? Of course you’d like some breakfast. What would you like for breakfast, then?”

“Uh… …No, I’m good, actually,” Vivian replied, not sure what else to say. She wasn’t feeling particularly hungry. “Just the escorting will be enough.”

Nola nodded. “Right! Well, you heard her,” she said, giving the faerie a charming smile. “Just trying to be helpful!”

Vivian thanked Nola and followed the faerie to the elevator. The last thing she saw before the doors closed behind her was Nola shooting Lynette a smug, triumphant look.

Well, score one point for Nola on being the more helpful host assistant, Vivian thought, finding it a stupid thing to argue over but not willing to say that out loud to the two twisted women.

She had more important things to deal with at the moment. And it had nothing to do with Lynette being such a gremlin that she would willingly look worse than Nola just to mess with the contestants.

The elevator came to a stop, and the emerald faerie led Vivian down the hall, until they reached a large open door.

Vivian could hear a voice coming from it. Only one voice, but then, it would be, wouldn’t it be?

“…No, no, no!” Vivian heard the familiar sternness in Amelia’s tone. It sent a chill down her spine, and at the same time, brought a smile to her lips. It sure sounded like Amelia had a new problem student causing her trouble. “That isn’t the proper way to write the letter ‘O’. It’s meant to be a circle. This should not be difficult,” she scolded.

Yup. That was her teacher alright.

Without hesitating, Vivian strolled right into the makeshift classroom. “Yo, Teach! What’s up? Having a good day so far?”

Amelia was leaning over the desk that Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin was sitting at, working on her paper. She had a sour expression on her face, which was unusual- Vivian was used to the assassin always smile.

Amelia was also scowling.

That was less unusual.

The blonde woman stood up straight and turned to face the door. Vivian saw a flicker of surprise cross her face, followed by an adjustment of her glasses. She pinched her lips together tightly, then pursed them.

“…Miss Carrington,” she said with a coldness just slightly warmer than contempt. “What are you doing here?”

Vivian ignored the obvious negative vibes she got from the other woman. Amelia’s scowling face was nothing new to her. “I’m just here to pay a visit,” she said with a smile. She put her hand on her hip and winked at Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin.

The mute girl looked at her roommate with a strange expression of perplexity and intrigue, like Vivian’s presence fascinated her. Or maybe, she was looking for any excuse she could find to not work on her letters.

Vivian bathed in Amelia’s testiness. But, if she wanted to change herself and actually be a better person, then maybe the right thing to do was to not pick a fight- especially not a fight with someone who was just trying her best to help.

I guess I was being a bit chavvy to her, wasn’t I? She admitted to herself. The expression on her face must have looked pretty sheepish, given the way Amelia’s face subtly changed into a look of surprise. The older woman didn’t say anything, she just adjusted her glasses and gave Vivian the subtlest of nods.

That would have to do.

Vivian cleared her throat and tried again. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be this way,” she sincerely apologized, looking at Amelia with sincerity in her eyes. “I’m really just here to help.”

Yup. THAT definitely caught her old teacher by surprise. Amelia’s eyes were wider than Vivian had ever seen them. For a moment, anyway.

Then, they narrowed in suspicion.

“…So, you are here to help, is it?” The teacher asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Vivian flashed a cheery smile. “That’s right,” she chirped. “Vivian Carrington, star pupil, at your service, madame!”

She finished with a perfect curtsy of her denim skirt. Flawless. Not even Octavia would be able to point out an error in her posture.

That must have set Amelia right up the wall.

“And what exactly is your angle, then?” Amelia asked her coldly. Mentally, the teacher slapped herself. She had been trying to connect to Vivian, but she had just reacted with hostility and not conveyed her feelings properly. “…My apologies,” she said uncomfortably, adjusting her glasses and scowling. “I did not… express myself in the right way.”

“No, it’s fine,” Vivian said, waving her hand. “It’s not an issue. To tell you the truth, I really do have something on my mind.”

She pulled out her checklist. “Remember my transformation?” She asked. “The one that I just got this round?”

Amelia blinked. “…Oh,” she said, realizing what Vivian was talking about. “Yes, the checklist. I see, I understand now.”

“I’m just trying to help, for my transformation,” Vivian explained. “My checklist says that I’m to help with your lessons, by helping Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin with her letters. So, would you mind if I try?”

Amelia stared at her for a long time. Then, her lips curled into the faintest of smiles, like she was laughing at her own private joke.

It was kind of unnerving.

“…By all means,” Amelia said, shifting her stance. She gestured to Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin, who was leaning back in her chair with an amused smile on her face. “Be my guest.”

“Great!” Vivian chirped. “Thanks for understanding, Teach!” She turned and walked over to the mute girl, who looked up at her with sparkling eyes.

And Amelia just smiled privately to herself, eager to see how this would play out.