Gratin d'Artichauts

When Caleb awoke, Maya had rolled to his side of the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist, keeping him from moving. He smiled down at her sleeping form, the contrast of the risque lingerie she wore and her peaceful features struck a chord with him. He carefully turned around in her grasp and wrapped his arms around her, yielding a contented sigh from her mouth.

As he held her, the master tried to think of how he could bridge the gap between the girls. After dealing with her personally, Caleb could understand how Maya’s actions and thoughts would put the other girls on edge, but increasingly he could not think of the woman lying in his arms as being malicious. He also couldn’t deny that she would actively be pushing the game of this hotel forward, and that could put the others at risk. What could he say? “It’s alright, she doesn’t mean anything by it” was unlikely to garner sympathy.

He also wasn’t sure how many could relate to the emptiness that fueled her. Honestly, he hoped none of them could, given his own experience of being in that place mentally. He knew what it was like to feel aimless and drifting and could see how something like this could give new meaning to life, particularly given her clear interest in games. He felt it wasn’t his place to deprive her of that.

So what could be done? It didn’t help that Maya didn’t take the others' concerns seriously, but it seemed like she couldn’t ostracize the concept of the game being dangerous. Most of the effects from the Sabotage Shop were temporary, but as he had learned on Lily’s date, they could have tremendous effects with real consequences. His thinking was put on hold as he felt Maya stir in his arms. He looked down to see her gazing up at him.

Caleb pushed the thoughts away and smiled down at her, “Hey, good morning, how did you sleep?”

The purple-haired woman looked at their entwined arms and then back up at him, “I didn’t ask you to hold me, did I?”

Startled, Caleb began to retract his arms, “No, sorry, you were just gripping me in my sleep, so I thought you might like it.”

Maya reached out and kept his arms from moving, “No, I like it, I just was surprised you did it without me asking you for it. I like to be held. My mom used to always hold me when we slept in the same bed. It made me feel safe. So thank you.”

Reaching farther out, Caleb stroked her back and felt Maya nuzzle her forehead against his chest, “We didn’t really talk about it last night, but how are you feeling about all of this?”

Maya stared him in the eyes, “All of this…being us? Doing things together? I gave you a blow job, I thought that might indicate I was ok with it.”

Rolling his eyes, Caleb shook his head, “I get that, I understand that, but I mean feelings-wise, romantically, how are we doing?” The question was met with silence, and so Caleb pushed forward, “I can honestly say I like you quite a bit. After you opened up to me during Mao, I want to explore this further with you.”

Maya looked up at him with a frown, “How can you say that?”

Caleb was surprised by the distraught look on Maya’s face. “What do you mean?”

“How can you say that in the situation you are in? There are seven other women here that you will be sleeping with, and you’re trying to tell me that you want to explore things romantically with me? Have you thought about what that means?”

Caleb paused, after hanging out with Amy, he thought he had earnestly thought about it, “It means I think you’re special and I want to get to know you more. That’s true regardless of the number of other women I’m seeing. You’re all different people, there are different things to like about all of you. So when I say I like you, it’s unique to you.”

Looking doubtful, Maya pulled away from Caleb, “I enjoyed our time together, Caleb. I like you more than I thought I would. I enjoyed our time together and I liked playing games. I’m sorry, though, I struggle to believe that you can really have that much love for all of us for it to be special. It’s only natural you’ll like some girls more than others. Eventually, you’re going to realize that it’s harder to get along with some of us, and you’ll start loving the easier ones more. I know I’m difficult.” She let the statement hang, speaking for itself.

Caleb wanted to dismiss her worries, but hadn’t he just spent all the time awake before her trying to solve how to get people to like her? He shook his own head, It didn’t matter, “Maya, we’ve been put in an impossible situation. Normally, I would not pursue dating eight women at once. Maybe normally, what you said might be true, but you’re all here because of me. I’m going to do my damndest to make sure that you all end up happy at the end. I’ll do whatever is in my power to make that happen.”

Maya slid out of the bed and turned to look at Caleb, “I don’t believe that’s true. I believe you believe it’s true. I don’t think you’re trying to lie to me. I just don’t think you’re capable of loving eight women and making us all feel like we have a place here. That’s not on you, I just think most people are barely capable of loving one person that way, let alone eight.”

Caleb rose from the bed, clad in nothing but his underwear, “Let me prove it to you then, it’s no harm to you if I try right? You can be the judge of whether I succeed, but I’m going to do everything I can to make all of you happy. That’s my duty as Master.”

Crossing to the entrance of the bathroom, Maya stepped inside and looked over her shoulder at Caleb, “Do as you please then,” before closing the door to get changed.

In the Innamorti suite, the two roommates were going through their morning ritual in complete silence. Wake up to a ding covered in glitter and each taking a shower. Yesterday they hadn’t spoken with one another, each too afraid since the argument that had taken place at what the other had said. However, when Maddy stepped out of the shower, wearing only a towel, Lily decided it was time to clear the air.

“You’re right, Maddy, I’m a liar.” Lilly stood up wearing her own towel and shocked Maddy by opening it wide, revealing her chest as well as the chastity belt, which shone a bright number “9” on its lock.

It took the chef a few seconds to tear her eyes away from the green woman’s heaving chest to look down and see the belt, but after bringing her eyes down, she shifted her glance to look Lily straight in the eye, “Lily, what is that?”

“It’s a bounty I took…I have to wear it until challenge day, and it keeps me from orgasming. Each time it works, the number goes up, and then at the time it’s removed, I get that much VP and BP. I took it in secret to avoid having to deal with Caleb, and still trying not to be in last place. Then I lied and didn’t tell anyone because I was so ashamed of it…especially once I started glitter bombing us every morning in my sleep. So you’re right. I’m a liar, I lie all the time because I’m afraid and ashamed. I was upset that you enjoyed your date because it made me feel like I was the problem. I lied about the sabotage because I was ashamed I had made such a big deal out of using them. But none of that lying had anything to do with you, because I think of you as my friend and I didn’t want you to hate me.”

Lily looked at Maddy, desperately trying to parse her reaction to what she was saying when Maddy sighed, “I understand Lily…I talked with Stella yesterday and she made me realize I didn’t really care about the lying. I thought because you were lying that maybe we weren’t actually friends and that you were just using me the way most of my “friends” have used me in my life. I couldn’t stand the thought of just being a prop to you.”

“Oh Maddy, the only reason I lied was because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend-” Lily was cut off by Maddy holding her hand up.

“I get it, Lily, I think I understand it. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that your default when faced with a hard situation was to lie about it. I want to be friends with you, but if that’s what I can expect while we’re stuck in this awful place, that means I can’t trust you. I want to be able to trust my friends. So Lily, if we’re going to be friends…this has to stop, I need to be able to trust you and know that even if you lie that you will always tell me the truth. Ok?”

Lily sighed and nodded, “Yeah…yeah, I can understand that. I promise this is a new start for us, ok?” She paused, “Which means I should tell you about what happened with Maya.”

Raising an eyebrow, Maddy frowned, “There’s more, Lily?”

“This is the last thing I swear!” Lily said desperately as she began to relay what had happened during her confrontation with the Lottery winner earlier in the week. Maddy listened openly, with no judgment crossing her features, but sighed at the end of Lily’s recounting.

“So now you have officially made Maya, who has openly stated she has no problem with playing the game, into an enemy by baselessly accusing her of using sabotage on Eliza, which has potentially turned a difference of ideology into a full-on conflict?”

Lily shrank back, “To be fair, it made the most sense at the time for it to be her, it wasn’t entirely baseless.”

Maddy, “Thank you for telling me…we need to let Eliza know that this happened, though, ok?”

Slumping her shoulders and heaving a heavy sigh, Lily nodded, “Yeah, ok…that makes sense.”

Maddy gave Lily an evaluating look and then leaned in a gave her a hug, “I didn’t like fighting with you, let’s not do this again, ok?”

Lily leaned down to meet Maddy’s hug and nuzzled her nose in Maddy’s hair, “I missed you too.”

By the time Caleb and Maya made it down to breakfast, everyone had gathered there in the breakfast hall as a complete inversion of the previous day. Eliza’s group was chatting excitedly amongst themselves, and Maya cheerfully separated from Caleb to join Mira at her table. The only one not sitting was Stella who had continued to change.

Wearing a simple blouse and skirt combo, the woman’s skin had changed to a blazing red colour, her ears had been sharpened to points, and a black emblem was stamped right above her chest. She looked very fed up with this entire situation as her tail swung back and forth in an agitated fashion.

Caleb moved over and looked at her pityingly, “Still haven’t found the last person you need to apologize to?”

Shooting Caleb a look that made it seem like she wanted him to drop dead, Stella answered sharply, “No, I haven’t. I have no idea who it could even be at this point. I’ve been all over the island. I need this gone, Caleb. The challenge is tomorrow, and if it’s not gone by then, you realize that’s one of five opportunities for big points you will have cost me?”

Caleb crossed his arms, “Have you at least learned your lesson?”

Stella gawked at him and stuck out her tongue, “Not to steal? Not to make light of you? Yeah sure, I’ve learned my lesson. I understand now if I do anything you don’t like, I’m fucked. Great lesson, what a loving and caring Master I have. I bet the audience is eating this up! I bet they love seeing you throw your weight around and for me to suffer, I bet-” It was like a light went off in her head, and she immediately called out “Lucian!”

All conversation in the dining hall went silent as the host appeared in a burst of flames, “Yes, Ms. Vincent? You called?”

This had everyone’s attention now, Amy in particular was leaned in, making sure she heard every word.

Stella scrunched her face up and pointed accusingly at the demon, “Is the last person I need to apologize to…the fucking audience?”

The room went silent, waiting for the host’s response, when the demon burst into cruel laughter, “My dear, of course it’s the audience. I can tell you there are some very vocal viewers who couldn’t stand what you pulled. It upset them a great deal. It’s a valuable lesson on what really matters here.”

Fuming, Stella stomped her foot, “I didn’t harm them, though! They’re not here!”

“My dear, we believe that hurt feelings are just as valid as bruises to the skin, so yes, you very much harmed them. Good on you for reflecting and figuring it out. Now, if you please, all cameras are on you.”

Stella froze, half expecting actual cameras to appear, but as always, whatever means the show had of recording them was invisible to their eyes. Stella ground her teeth together before swallowing and taking a bow, “I Stella Vincent am sincerely sorry for any harm I may or may not have caused our viewers at home.”

Lucian smirked, looking down at her, “See, was that so hard?” He snapped his fingers and in a flash, Stella’s form returned to her normal self. Immediately, she flipped both Caleb and Lucian the bird and stomped out of the dining hall.

Lucian’s smile continued as he watched her leave, and then he turned to address everyone else, “Sorry for interrupting your meal. Please enjoy this final day of preparation before the challenge and Ms. Castro.” He locked eyes with Noemi. “Enjoy your date, we’re expecting great things from you.” And with another burst of flames, the host was gone.

Caleb sighed. This was yet another reminder that he had to be more careful in using his authority from now on and the power of those who brought all of them here. There would be plenty of time to think about that later, for now, he needed breakfast and to consult Noemi about their plans for the day.