Get ready

"Xand... Xand... Xander!"

Looking away from the interior of the Hotel's lobby/ lounge/ entrance hall done in art deco with art nouveau highlights in a truly amazing monolithic size Xander looked at the ghost of his dead best friend.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

Jesse shook his head, "Really? The building is what has your attention? The building?"

Xander gestured to the hotel, "They just dont build them like this anymore, man. For me, a builder, to see something like this? How can I not be impressed?"

Jesse rolled his ghostly eyes. "Unbelievable. The building..."

Xander shrugged, "Hey, the building is probably going to be the least problematic thing thats about to happen to me. You've got ten women- some of whom arent happy with me- who you are about to **** to jump thru hoops..." Xander looked pointedly at his ghostly buddy. "Do the math, man."

Jesse bobbed his head in indifference, "It's not going to be that bad."

"Uh huh." Xander snorted. "Unless you got magical brain washing mind control magic I'm about to be surrounded by ten very unhappy women."

Jesse grimaced.

"What?" Xander asked.

"It... it's not entirely impossible to, uhm, compell, uhm, certain behaviors." Jesse admitted. "But it's, uh, it's, well... frowned upon. Kinda. Natural reactions are preferred to conditioned responses."

"Why would that matter?"

Jesse looked away and stared at seemingly nothing. Then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "As much as this is a game it is also a game show, understand?"

Xander scowled, "As in... filmed in front of a live studio audience? What is this? Trivia games? Physical challenges? Win big prizes? Is this the metaphysical version of Double Dare?"

Jesse considered for a moment and then grinned, "Well, you arent that far off, really."

"Oy vey." Xander shook his head, "Great. Just great. Im going to be humiliated in front of who know how many people. Fan-fucking- tastic."

"It's not that bad." Jesse put his ectoplasmic arm around Xander's shoulders. "It'll be fun. I promise."

Xander groaned, he spared a look at the ten women who were frozen in time at the other end of the hotel's gigantic lobby. "Buffy is going to kill me. And if she doesnt Cordelia will."

Jesse gave Xander a ghostly one armed hug, "C'mon, man, a clever guy like you has got to have some idea on how to make everyone play ball. Without me having to resort to pleading with upstairs for some light brain washing."

Staring at the ten women currently in suspended animation Xander found his eye being drawn to two in particular. Slowly an idea began to form inside his head. Probably a bad idea but an idea all the same.

"Resurrection is on the table here, yeah?" Xander looked away from Joyce and Kendra. "We play the game and Joyce and Kendra live again?"

"Yeah." Jesse nodded his head. "Thats already a given. They wouldnt be here if they were already resurrected."

Xander looked back at the women, "So that's the way to make everyone play. Buffy, Cordy, Anya will play along and wont be huge pains in the ass if it means Joyce gets resurrected. We dont tell them Joyce and Kendra are already alive. You make everyone here think they are playing this game to bring back two people we lost. Make them think they have to finish the game to get back the people we lost."

Jesse grinned, "I like it, I like it."

Xander tilted his head and made an small curious noise.

"What?" Jesse asked.

Xander looked at the group of women, "If you really want to put it over the top you could throw Ms. Calendar and Ampata into the resurrection plot."

Jesse whistled, "Twelve girls? Xand, my dude... thats just a bit too greedy."

Xander flipped his ghostly pal the bird, "Fuck off, Jesse. I'm not thinking about that. I'm trying to get back as many of our people as I can."

"Who just so happen to be smoking hot chicks." Jesse observed.

Biting his bottom lips Xander found himself staring at the women "Maybe throw in bringing Harmony back to life. Cordy liked Joyce but I don't know how much crap she'd put up with if the outcome didnt personally involve her."

Jesse nodded along as he considered. "Resurrection, huh? Nothing like a little guilt.... I like it, pretty sure it'll work instead of having to resort to brainwashing. Tell you what, before we get going I'll check with upstairs and see if we can use the suggested new women as prizes for challenges the girls wouldnt normally want to do. See if the sense of guilt will make them play harder."

"It's worth a shot." Xander grumbled. He felt a little slimey at the idea of helping lead his female friends into being a harem. But if it meant several people who had their life cut short got another chance at life?

Wasnt that worth it?