Nineteens Gambit

Lauren Peterson

Lauren hurried away from the beach's portal, passed the library shelves, and entered the castle's stone hallway. She walked with no destination, fueled only by anxiety and a desire to escape. Azure's announcement of tomorrow's challenge kept looping in her head.

'Damn it. Damn it. Damn it,' she thought, panicking. 'This is really bad.'

'Yes, it is,' Nineteen agreed. 'We need to shift our priority to getting you points.'

'How? I already tried seducing Levi, and he ignored me.'

'Your approach was too ****,' Nineteen pointed out. 'Especially considering your history with him.'

Lauren threw her arms into the air. 'Well, what the hell do you suggest I do then?'

'Let me handle it,' the angel offered. 'Give me control of your body like you did with Sophia.'

'And what makes you think you can do better?'

'What do you have to lose?' she asked, as they stepped out into the castle's courtyard. 'Just give me one chance. If I fail, I won't ask again.'

Lauren slowed to a stop. The idea of giving control to another person frightened her to the core. But the looming challenge terrified her even more.

Finally, she let out a long sigh. 'Fine, but this better work.'

'Then, I have your permission?'

Lauren nodded. 'Do it.'

Suddenly, all sound seemed to disappear from Laurens' world. She stumbled slightly, as a chilling wave washed over her. Her nerves rewired themselves to follow the will of spirit within her, as Nineteen took hold.

Lauren felt her neck move on its own, witnessing as she looked down at her hands. She felt a strange disconnection, as her fingers flexed despite her brain not telling them to.

'This is weird,' she wanted to say, but the thought didn't make it to her lips. Instead, she felt Nineteen grin.

'Do not worry, my child,' Nineteen reassured her, rotating her wrists and neck experimentally. 'Take this time to relax and fix this for us both.'

A devilish grin spread across her face as she stepped forward, her eyes glinting with fierce determination. “It’s time to get to work.”

Levi Summers

Levi stepped through the beach door and into the library, his swimwear instantly returning to his prior attire. He stopped a moment to remark on the change, seeing his grey button-up and black jeans.

"You going to look for Lauren?" Olivia asked, stepping into the room behind him, her bikini retorting itself to her pants and tank top. "You shouldn't bother. She'll come find you when she's ready."

"You don't know that," Levi replied. "You don't know how stubborn she is."

"Whatever," Olivia shrugged. Levi nodded in response and stepped through the library's wooden doors into the stone hallway.

Olivia turned to Ji-Woo, who similarly walked through the portal to have her clothing changed. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Research," Ji-Woo replied truthfully. "I need to look through my files."

Olivia narrowed her eyes, remembering that the secretary's modified transformation had given her detailed information on all of them and that she would be their manager. "You'd better keep your nose out of my stuff," Olivia warned.

Ji-Woo, unable to lie, said nothing. Instead, she walked past her, entering the halls, leaving Olivia alone.

Nora Wolf

Soaring thousands of feet above the ground, a blimp glided gracefully through the fluffy clouds. A circular passenger chamber sat attached beneath its silhouette. Large windows framed its walls, creating a panorama of the sky and the world below, with blue chairs arranged to let guests take in the view.

Four large puffs of smoke swirled through the air, revealing Elena, Tomoko, Nora, and Sophia. Their swimwear, or nudity in Elena and Tomoko's case, had been replaced with the outfits they had worn before entering the beach. The princess stood in her regal gown, Tomoko in her eye-catching top and shorts, Sophia snug in her traditional hoodie, while Nora returned to her cozy sweater paired with loose cargo pants.

In front of them, Azure appeared, dressed as a flight attendant. "Welcome, everyone, to the HSS: Brüste, a vessel of Harem Hotel airlines." She bowed her head. "Thank you for choosing us for your vacation needs."

"Shut the hell up!" Elena snapped. "Send us back, right now!"

Azure scratched her head in mock confusion. "Whatever for? All four of you said you wanted to visit the Fairy Kingdom."

"That was before you made the challenge tomorrow," Sophia pointed out.

"Yeah, you tricked us!" Tomoko said.

"I did no such thing. I gave you a choice, and now you're acting upset that you have to live with it."

"You should at least let Mrs. Wolf go back," Tomoko offered. "You're not giving her any time to make points."

"As I recall, Mrs. Wolf has had multiple days to do so," Azure retorted. "It's not my fault she hasn't made a move."

"It hasn't even been two!" Nora argued.

"Skill issue," Azure replied. "Seriously, how long do you need to get railed? Hell, you haven't even flashed him your tits yet."

"You're disgusting!" Nora sneered.

"Fine, let's just get the stupid kingdom over with," Elena groaned, knowing Azure well enough to realize she wouldn't back down. "Where are they?" she asked, staring at the host with pure contempt.

"Weren't you listening? We're on our way now," Azure replied, gesturing to the blimp around them. "We're still a few hours away."

"Hours?!" Nora cried.

"You're deliberately wasting our time!" Sophia realized.

"Nonsense. Do you have any idea how far the Fairy kingdom is? The fact that we can get there so quickly is a compliment to this vessel's speed."

"Just teleport us," Tomoko said.

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way," Azure sighed.

"You literally teleported us here," Nora stated.

Azure placed the back of her hand against her forehead. "Alas! I can only take us so far," she lamented melodramatically. "My powers have limits."

"You're not fooling anyone," Nora sighed, shaking her head. "Will we at least be back tonight?"

"Why, you have something you need to do?" Azure asked.

"You know what I need," Nora seethed.

"Yes," Azure grinned. "But I want to hear you say it."

Nora clenched her fist, claws digging into her skin. "To have... sex with Levi."

Azure gasped. "What? Your own student? Don't you know he's younger than your daughter?" She shook her head in mock disgust. "You ought to resign as a teacher, immediately."

"Be quiet," Nora snapped, barely able to stop herself from pouncing on the host and biting her neck off.

Azure laughed. "I'm just teasing. You'll probably have time before tomorrow's big event."

"Probably?" Nora repeated.

"She's just trying to get under your skin," Elena informed her. "Don't engage."

Meanwhile, Tomoko looked over to see that Sophia was taking off her hoodie. "Hey, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't want to risk getting hot again," Sophia explained, throwing her garment to the ground. She then lifted her t-shirt over her head and placed it on the pile, clad now in her bra.

"Well, look at you, dear. You got railed in public one time, and it turned you into an exhibitionist," Azure teased.

Sophia ignored her and sat down in one of the chairs, staring out at the clouds.

Azure shook her head, realizing that Sophia wasn't going to engage further. She turned her attention back to the other three. "Anyway, you should take this time to relax. Things will get busy once we arrive in Elena's kingdom."

"Great," Elena muttered, feeling a knot in her stomach.

Levi Summers

"Lauren? Lauren?" Levi called out, his voice echoing through the vast, empty castle. He paused, listening intently, but only the faint sound of his own heartbeat filled the silence.

He let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the hard tone. Olivia was right; it could be better for Lauren to find him first, rather than him wandering through the halls.

Just as he turned to leave, he stopped as a faint, pitiful sound caught his attention. Straining his ears, he realized it sounded unmistakably like someone whimpering.

He followed the sound, leading him up the winding stairs, until he came to a balcony overlooking the sprawling castle grounds from several stories above.

Sitting on the balcony's banister, legs dangling over the edge, was Lauren, the girl dangerously perched over the abyss, letting her tears fall to the ground below. Her hair flowed in the heavy wind, each gust a reminder of how easily she could be swept away.

"Lauren?!" Levi asked in alarm. "What are you doing?"

Lauren turned to look over at him, pain etched on every corner of her face. "Leave me alone," she croaked softly.

"It's dangerous to sit there," Levi told her, urgency in his voice.

"Like you care," Lauren said bitterly. "Besides, it's over for me anyway."

Levi's heart sank. "That... that's not true."

"Of course it is, idiot," Lauren muttered. "This time tomorrow, I'll be just like my sister." She turned from Levi and looked over the ledge. "Maybe it's better to end it while I'm still me."

Levi's pulse quickened, panic spreading throughout his body. "We still have time. You and I can fix this."

Lauren chuckled, though there wasn't the slightest bit of amusement in her voice. "I know you don't want to help me."

Levi took a step forward, palms outstretched. "Of course I do."

Lauren let out a hollow, mirthless laugh. "Don't lie. You think I'm disgusting," she said. "I don't blame you. After all, it's my fault my sister is... is..."

Lauren lost it. She abruptly lost her composure, her entire body shaking as she pressed her face into her hand, tears spilling through her fingers.

Levi let out a cry, fearing that Laurens' sudden movement would make her lose balance, but the girl managed to remain on the edge. "Damn it! I didn't want you to see me like this. I just... I just can't do this anymore."

"Katelyn wasn't your fault," Levi offered, reaching out and trying to grab her hand. "Please, just get away from there."

Lauren looked up at him, eyes soaked. "Of course it is. She warned me about treating you like shit, and I didn't listen. And then she got eliminated instead of me."

Levi took a step closer, arm still outstretched, and cautious. "Look, please come over here. We can talk."

Lauren bit her lip, staring at Levi's hand as if she were unsure of what it was. "Why? Why are you trying to be nice after everything I've done to you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "What's wrong with you? Don't you hate me?"

"I don't hate you," Levi assured her. "I want to help."

Lauren trembled at Levi's kindness, as if it were a foreign concept to her.

She did not take his hand. Instead, she rotated her body in place, swinging her legs over the banister and back onto solid ground.

Levi let out a sigh of relief as she watched the goth girl slowly rise to her feet. However, her moment of calm quickly turned to terror when Lauren's foot slipped on the slick surface. Time seemed to slow as she stumbled backward, arms flailing, teetering right at the edge.

Levi lunged toward her, shouting her name as he reached out and gripped her arm.

With a powerful tug, he pulled her back toward him, steadied her on her feet, and anchored her against the safety of his embrace. The sudden shift in momentum caught her off guard, and she stumbled forward, collapsing against him into an embrace.

"Lauren! Are you okay!" Levi shrieked, heart pumping violently.

"Levi? You saved me? I..." Lauren stammered in alarm. "I... I... I'm not fine. Damn it! I'm not fine at all."

Lauren grabbed onto Levi as she cried into his chest. "I don't know who to talk to. My life is falling apart. I feel like I'm drowning. I don't know how to ask for help."

"You don't need to ask," Levi said, nearly crying himself. "I got you."

"Please don't let go," Lauren begged.

Olivia Booker

Olivia stood beneath the warm spray of the shower, relishing the soothing sensation as the hot water washed away the lingering salt and sand from her day at the beach. She let her muscles relax, feeling each drop glide smoothly down her muscular skin.

As she let her mind wander, she couldn't help but recall the last time she had showered alone. It was when Alison had joined her to discuss Tomoko. Her pulse quickened at the thought, and the image of Tomoko filled her mind's eye.

She vigorously shook her head to clear the thought, sending droplets of water flying from her hair in every direction. In her mind, she could vividly picture the buxom Tomoko charging toward her, clad in a bouncing purple bikini, before coming undone with a single chop of her hand.

About how the naked Tomoko had run her hands over Olivia's equally naked flesh. How soft her breasts had felt in her hands. How did the butt feel pressing against Oliva's shaved entrance? How...

"Stop it," she said to herself, body growing hotter than the water falling on her. "Levi's dick isn't poison anymore. You don't need to her."

As she said that, the high-pitched sound of Tomoko climaxing under her touch echoed in her ears. She shook her head once more, turning off the water.

"There's no need to burden her with my bullshit."

Levi Summers

Levi sat beside Lauren in one of the castle's tea rooms. Lauren wrapped a blanket around her and stared at her teacup, tears slipping down her cheeks. Levi stayed silent, only resting an arm on her shoulder, uncertain how else to help.

Lauren finally spoke, her voice raw. "I lied to you."

"Huh?" Levi asked.

"Back when you asked me why I targeted you," Lauren explained, recalling a conversation from their last date. "I said none of it was personal. That I had no reason to pick on you specifically." She lowered her head. "That was a lie."

"What do you mean?"

Lauren hesitated a moment. "You made me angry. I was jealous."

Levi reeled back in confusion. "Jealous? How could you possibly be jealous?"

"You have nothing to prove," Lauren said softly. "You don't know what it's like to have to be perfect." Lauren shook. "My father never accepted less than perfect."

Levi stared at Lauren, mouth agape. "Your father?"

Lauren gulped, clearly having meant to say that. She hesitated, before continuing. "Yeah, You have no idea how scary he can get. And you on the other hand managed to escape your dad. He actually suffered the consequences for cheating. Not like mine."

"Cheating?" Levi echoed.

Lauren laughed darkly. "Yeah. Not that my mom would ever leave him. She loves his money too much for that." She leaned back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling with a hollow sigh.

Levi was stunned, his shoulders tense and mouth agape. This was all so much, and part of him almost didn't believe it. But seeing the pain and disgust carved across Lauren’s face, he couldn't help but recognize the same look as his own. After a pause, he finally spoke, his voice soft. "I’m sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. Hell, not even Lauren-Two knew. I had to keep her safe from it all," Lauren explained, taking a sip of her tea and letting out a long sigh. "Jesus, why am I telling you all of this?" She turned to Levi, suddenly sporting a worried look on her face. "Promise you won't tell anyone."

"Of course, I promise," Levi nodded.

Lauren smiled weakly. "Anyway, when you came back to school, I wanted to talk to you. I thought you, of all people, would understand what it was like to have a broken family."

"You wanted to talk to me?" Levi asked, trying to remember any time Lauren had ever shown him anything but disgust or indifference.

Lauren nodded, her voice trembling. "Yeah, but every time I tried to get close, I got scared. I'd lash out. I was a coward."

Levi opened his mouth several times, but no words came out. He wasn't quite sure how to process this, as his mind tried to recontextualize their prior encounters. Is

"Are you saying, every time?" Levi asked, unable to believe it.

"No, not every time," Lauren clarified. "I gave up pretty quickly. And then, every time I saw you, I'd get mad at myself for being so scared. I began to hate you." Lauren's eyes once more. "But really, I hated myself."

Levi pulled Lauren in closer, giving him a hug of comfort as Lauren's tears once more flowed freely. "Hell, I'm still being a coward. Olivia, Sophia, Tomoko, Elena. All of them have tried to help me, and I keep lashing out at them. I even called Sophia a slur. I’m the worst."

"It's okay. I know she didn't take it like that," Levi assured her, bringing his hand to her hair.

"It's not okay!" Lauren sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "I’m just so scared. I don’t know what to do except lash out. I miss Lauren-Two so much."

"I miss her too," Levi replied. "I just want to fix all of this. Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you keep holding me? I feel so safe with you."

Levi hugged her tighter, letting her feel the warmth of his embrace for as long as she needed.

Lauren Peterson

The goth observed from deep within her subconscious, feeling Levi's touch and hearing her own voice as the entity controlling her spoke. Her vision was entirely shaped by Nineteen, and each time it detached from Levi, it revealed the scoreboard, showing her a few more points.

Since Nineteen had taken command, she had already gained fifteen points, allowing her to surpass Nora. Slowly but surely, Levi's embraces and words of comfort, along with her own apologies, were rewarding her.

'I can't believe this moron's buying this,' Lauren expressed in disbelief.

'Never underestimate how easily men can fall into a savior complex,' Nineteen replied. 'And daddy issues are always a good weak point.'

'What will we do if he learns it's bullshit though?' Lauren asked, worried. 'Especially the shit about my dad?'

'He won’t,' Nineteen said. 'Not only have I guilted him into promising not to tell, there are very few people who can contradict the story anyway.'

'You sure?'

'Positive. The only ones who can challenge it are your sister or the succubus. The former would only be able to do so after we’ve already saved her, and any testimony from the latter could be dismissed as a flaw in Azure's programming.'

'What if Azure reveals it, though, just to fuck with us?'

'She won't,' Nineteen told Lauren with total confidence. 'I know Azure too well for that. She'll be far too impressed by the lie to dare ruin it.'

'You'd better be right,' Lauren said, unconvinced. 'So what's next?'

'We cry for a while longer. We then collapse into his "big, strong arms" from exhaustion,' Nineteen explained. 'He'll offer to help, and we subtly suggest he let us rest in his bed.'

'Right,' Lauren replied, dreading what would come next. 'Then we fuck him?'

'One thing at a time, my dear,' Nineteen replied. 'Just because he's showing you comfort doesn't mean he's forgiven you. We need to ensure his reprograming goes beyond mere pity.'

'You better not mess this up,' Lauren warned.

A grin managed to make it onto Laurens' lips. 'You have nothing to fear.'

Bonus Images