While the votes are counted...

Following her announcement, Ishtar turned to the girls and Theo, her showgirl smile dropping in favor of a more natural, relaxed expression.

“Okay girls - and Theo - we've got a little time while they vote, so I wanted to just take a moment for a little chat, okay?”

Miriam was the first to register what age was saying, and her brow furrowed.

“What? Didn't you just say they have a week for voting?”

“They do, yes, but time moves differently here,” the goddess replied, exasperation creeping into her voice. “Anyway, that's not the important thing. I just wanted to make some things clear to you, okay? I am not your enemy here.”

Several girls scoffed involuntarily, and Nina stood, looking straight at Ishtar, hesitating only slightly as she locked eyes with the goddess.

“Oh really?” She asked, with as much disdain as she could manage. “So **** us and forcing us into a bizarre reality show is, what, doing us a favour?”

Ishtar shrugged.

“I suppose that's fair. As host I am the villain in your story. But what I mean is this: I have no particular interest in tormenting you. I'm here to create sexy, slutty, perverted entertainment, and that's all, really.”

“And that makes it okay then?”

This time, it was Ishtar's turn to scoff.

“‘Okay’? Why should I care what humans think is ‘okay’?” She sighed, and paused for a moment before continuing in a more even - if still somewhat exasperated - tone. “But still, you're not getting the picture: a six week romance where each of you learn to love your Master, bend your knee, and accept your position is just as entertaining as six weeks of harsh transformations and discipline until you break. By hook or by crook, you will be his, but it's up to you how pleasant that's going to be.”

This seemed to give some of the girls pause, but Nina continued.

“So it's better for us to just give up, get it over with, and let my loser ex turn us into his stupid little whores, is that what you're saying?”

“Hey!” This time it was Joanna who spoke up, standing from her seat and staring daggers at her rival. “Don't you dare talk like that about Theo!”

“Why because he's so da-”

“Enough,” the goddess said, enough weight to her voice to stop the two girls in their tracks. “Both of you. Save it for the cameras.” She sighed. Why hadn't she just pushed them forward a few minutes for the votes? “But to answer your question, Nina, no. I'm not telling you - any of you - to give up. I'm telling you to play the game. Resist me, even, if you think you can. Just remember my goals.”

She shrugged.

“Doesn't much matter to me if you bend or break, I can run the show either way.”

“Then why?” Asked Theo. “Why say all this, give your little spiel, let us know just how “reasonable” you are?”

“I like for people to know where they stand with me,” replied the goddess. “Besides, it's good drama. The better you understand your position, the more weight your decisions carry.”

Theo seemed to accept this, at least for now.

The next few minutes passed in silence, the girls either chewing on what Ishtar had just said, or nervously stewing on the possible transformations. Chloe in particular looked anxious, while Joanna kept looking between her and Jessica, who was pacing back and forth. Anna feigned casual disinterest, but Theo knew her well enough to see the tension in her hands and the set of her shoulders.

He wanted to reach out and do something, say something, but what could he say? He rarely felt helpless, and the feeling gnawed at him. At the same time, he felt silly, seeing the girls and feeling helpless - he had a veto, and they had nothing. Stupid, he thought. Why am I wasting time feeling bad for myself when my girlfriend - and my friends! - are about to be irrevocably transformed?

As usual, adding self-hatred to helplessness did nothing to help.

Theo wasn't the only one struggling with himself. Miriam wasn't pacing or tapping her feet, or looking around nervously. In fact, to all appearances she seemed to be sitting quietly and waiting.

But she was tearing herself apart.

One part of her mind was racing. Isthar had told them to “play the game,” and that’s what her mind was working through. She didn't have a lot of information yet, but clearly appealing to both Theo and the audience was key. Failing to appeal to Theo meant no VP, and the Audience could screw her over with her transformations. But… what did it mean to appeal to Theo? Clearly it meant being submissive in bed, but the man had a girlfriend, and she doubted that throwing herself at him would win her any favors. Ishtar had mentioned hypnosis - maybe that would be the best start, letting him hypnotise her? Or maybe she should appeal to Joanna somehow, suggest a threesome?
And then there was BP. Ishtar had mentioned “transformations and curses,” but what did that mean? Would she need to be worried about the other girls using those against her? She doubted Joanna or Chloe would try anything like that, but she didn’t know the other girls… And even then, well, Joanna was Theo’s girlfriend and - apparently - his sex ****. What would she do to remain the queen of his heart and his harem? Chloe didn’t seem to have a malicious bone in her body, but there was that wish… what if she had a dead sister, or brother or something? What if her dad had terminal cancer? What lengths would the sweet christian girl go to for something like that?

While part of her was thinking through the game mechanics and planning strategy and tactics, another part was disgusted. At Ishtar, at the game, but mostly at herself. She had been kidnapped, **** to compete against her friends in a crazy sex competition, and was waiting for a horde of anonymous strangers to decide how to violate her bodily autonomy, and what was she doing? Game theory! Strategy! She should be fighting against this with every fiber of her body, and instead she was making plans for how to appeal to her friend’s boyfriend and trying to consider contingencies. It was cowardly, disgusting and vile, meekly playing along when she should be doing everything she could to resist. Even imagining herself playing along, even thinking through the possibilities, was a betrayal - of herself, her friends, of everything.

And yet, she could not stop her brain from strategising.

Eventually, Miriam, Theo, and everyone else were pulled out of their reveries and anxieties by Ishtar’s voice.

“Okay, everyone!” she said. “Votes are almost finished, so get back to your seats and look lively!”

She waited a moment for everyone to get back to their seats, then put on her best showgirl smile and turned around, facing away from Theo and the girls to greet the audience back.