Read from chapter 1 here!

Grace could hardly think, the sound of her pounding heart drowning out all else. She tightly gripped the podium, the whites of her knuckles showing as she stared into the crowd. It took what felt like hours for her eyes to adjust to the light. The auditorium was more dimly lit than she expected, with the only significant light source coming from near the back right corner of the room.

"Fuck-- I don't want this… Fucking hell…" Rose muttered, shaking her head as her body trembled.

Grace sympathized with Rose at this moment, but there were more important matters at hand.

"Welcome to the first round of Mollusk Match! I would like to thank our esteemed VVIP guests. Not only for their invaluable contributions but also for taking the time to show up today."

A masculine laugh sounded off from the left side of the audience. "This is all a little too theatrical, isn't it? Maybe you could speed things along?" Called the male voice with a slight purr.

Gregory's smirk disappeared. "My apologies, Lucius! I will speed things along. I am guessing all of you have been acquainted with the rules of Variety Hour?"

As the men spoke, Grace finally got a good look in front of her. Despite the poor lighting, she could make out enough. Rather than audience seating, there were luxurious chairs and couches. The floor raised higher the further back it went. Grace saw a man sitting upon a leather recliner in the back right where the lighting was better. He appeared in his sixties, bearing a bald head with a bushy white beard and handlebar mustache. She noticed something peculiar about his left eye and found his choice of a white and orange Hawaiian shirt odd. Based on his location in the audience, he couldn't be Lucius. Someone else appeared to be sitting in the middle, but they were still shrouded in darkness.

"Eun-ju! Please step forward to the front of the stage and give our esteemed VVIP guests a brief introduction!" Gregory chimed, his serious expression once again curling into a smile.

Grace took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart rate as Eun approached the front of the stage. A sea of worry and troublesome thoughts flooded her head, making it difficult to formulate a plan. If she failed this game, would she end up like Ella? The idea sent a shiver down her spine.

All the while, Rose continued to mutter under her breath, entirely in her own little world.

"Hello," started Eun in a calm monotone. "I am Eun-ju. I'm twenty-three years old and was in my final year studying mathematics when I came here." As she spoke, her eyes scanned the audience.

."I am ha--" Eun was interrupted by a sudden click as an ornate lamp turned on, illuminating the stage to her left and in the front row. Eun instinctively turned to look, flashing a look of bewildered shock.

Grace raised an eyebrow and followed Eun's line of sight. It only took a moment for Grace to recognize why Eun had been taken off guard. "Holy shit…" She mumbled as a strong surge of adrenaline spiked within her. A man wearing a finely tailored, double-breasted suit sat with one leg crossed over the other and his fingers laced together in front of him. Most strikingly, all exposed skin appeared to be covered in a luscious layer of glossy, black fur. His head was largely feline in shape, bearing a strong resemblance to the black panthers Grace remembered reading about in school. He had crimson, cat-like eyes and nicely cut black hair that seemed more like an extension of his fur. It took Grace another moment to realize he had a thick, fluffy black tail curled onto his lap.

"Oh? I know I'm an attractive man, but I didn't think I would leave you completely speechless." The panther man let out a hearty laugh, exposing his fearsome fangs as he did so. "As Gregory mentioned, I'm Lucius."

Eun collected herself, an air of confidence returning to her visage. "It is nice to meet you, Lucius. I--"

"Tell me, Eun," purred Lucius, interrupting the introduction. "How would you prefer to win today's game? By answering questions or by making my colleagues and I like you?" He stared her down like a predator would his prey.

The room was silent for a few brief seconds before Eun-Ju continued. "I am one-hundred percent confident in my ability to answer the questions correctly, regardless of difficulty." Eun stood tall and clenched her fists. "I am sure I will score the highest out of all twelve. There is no chance I will end up in the bottom fifty percent."

Grace wasn't sure whether to find Eun's confidence-inspiring or annoyed by her arrogant proclamation. Then again, maybe making a solid impression on the VVIP guests was a good move.

Lucius placed a hand on his chin, scratching it as he let out a low whistle. "My, oh my. I like this attitude of yours. Do you really think it will be that easy, though?" He curiously asked, intently gazing upon Eun-ju.

"No, I don't," responded Eun as she shook her head. "I am sure it will be difficult. But I will still succeed and persevere. There's zero chance of me losing an academic challenge of this nature, especially if the goal is simply to score better than my peers. If this challenge proves difficult, it will be magnitudes more frustrating for the others who haven't gotten straight A's in advanced placement classes since they were ten."

Grace cringed and found herself disliking Eun more by the second.

"Oh-ho! Well then, I'm expecting you to impress me." Lucius crossed his arms over his chest and turned toward his left. "What do you think of this one, Callum?" He asked the man sitting in the center.

A frustrated sigh escaped Callum's lips as he reached up from his couch to turn up the brightness on his lamp. "I prefer sitting in the dark, but it's rude to speak or be spoken to when no one can see me. You're just trying to piss me off, aren't you?" Callum's voice carried an exasperated tone and a faint Brooklyn accent.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "I don't have to try to piss you off when everything pisses you off, to begin with."

Grace wiped stress sweat from her brow and intently gazed toward the center of the audience. Callum appeared more human than Lucius but less so than the mustached man near the back right. From his sitting position, he seemed lengthy and thin. Callum wore a white dress shirt with the top few unbuttons unfastened, tucked into a pair of dark blue dress pants. His face appeared somewhat gaunt, with nearly pitch-black eyes, grayish skin, and sharp teeth. Expensive-looking rings adorned almost every finger while a gleaming gold chain hung from his neck. Something about his appearance sent a shiver down Grace's spine.

Callum brought a hand to his mouth and yawned before pushing his fingers back through his slicked back, black hair. "Just leave me out of this. I will not address a single one of the contestants, and I don't want them to address me. I'm here to observe."

Lucius sighed, watching in annoyance as Callum dimmed his lap and receded back into the darkness. "Nigel! What do you think of Miss Eun-Ju here?" He asked, turning to face the mustached man sitting in the corner.

"Oh, me?" Nigel's weathered voice asked in response. He adjusted his Hawaiian shirt and brushed his fingers through his mustache. "I think it's wonderful that young Eun-Ju thinks highly of her own abilities. There's nothing wrong with being proud about the skills you have spent a lifetime honing." A warm smile spread across his face as he looked toward the stage. "You must have worked very hard to have such confidence; how are you feeling? I am sure you must be feeling a great deal of pressure."

Eun-Ju looked taken back by Nigel's gentle tone and jovial demeanor. "Y-- Yes, that's right. I have worked very hard. I did not sleep the best, but I can handle this pressure." She paused for a moment. "And thank you for your concern."

"I wish you luck! Please keep your head held high and do your best, okay? I am sure you will perform wonderfully," cheered Nigel with a broad, white-toothed grin.

Meanwhile, Lucius grew bored and lulled his head back in his chair. "I forgot that you're boring," he grunted toward Nigel.

Grace momentarily glanced back toward Rose, who now had her eyes closed tight while trembling and not making a sound. She remembered how much of an asshole Rose had been previously but still felt a pang of sympathy; they were all in this situation together. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stay focused. What did she know so far? Nigel appeared nicer and more sympathetic than the other two VVIP guests. It could be an act, but he gave off the same vibes as her gentle grandfather. Callum apparently wished to be a spectator and nothing more. It was hard to get a read on him, but his appearance creeped the hell out of her.

Grace looked toward Lucius as a twinge of dread bubbled up within her. To be completely honest, he scared her most of all. The intimidating black panther man had the eyes of a predator. It was as if he saw the contestants as toys for his amusement. He also seemed annoyed when Nigel took the time to speak nicely and reassure Eun-Ju. She got the distinct feeling that he would interfere with the actual game.

Lucius suddenly returned Grace's gaze, staring at her with his hungry, crimson eyes. "Are you sizing me up, or have you fallen in love?" He demanded as a frightening grin spread across his face. "If you answer correctly, you might win some bonus points with me, love. You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?"

Dammit, I didn't want to draw his attention. Though, Grace should have thought about that before staring at him. "Oh, well--"

"Wait! Shut up for just a moment," insisted Lucius as he raised a hand up. "Eun-Ju, dear, please shoo now. Back to your podium, okay?" He motioned for her to step back.

Eun winced, swallowing as she nodded her head and silently slunk back to her podium. When she arrived, she let out a breath to decompress.

"Now, you. Pretty little blond thing." He waved toward Grace. "Come to the front like a good girl, okay?"

Grace winced as her heart sank into her stomach. Lucius seemed to worsen with every passing second; now, he treated her like a small child or a house pet. She knew better than to argue as she quietly walked toward the front. Her footsteps echoed through the room while she mentally psyched herself up. You can do this. What would Margaret do in this situation? Grace reasoned, giving herself a pep talk. Even with the self-reassurance, she still felt like a death row convict being walked down the hall after their last meal.

During this exchange, Nigel mulled something over before finally speaking. "Come now, Lucius. I thought you were going to be gentle with them." He was frustrated by the antics of his esteemed colleague.

"I told you I'd consider it!" Lucius growled in frustration, bearing his teeth toward Nigel. "And I did. I simply decided that I have no interest in your positivity nonsense."

Tension built and permeated the air. Even Gregory appeared nervous as he kept an awkward, forced smile on his face while continuously using a cloth to wipe sweat from his brow.

Grace stood at the front of the stage like a deer in the headlights. Are they really arguing? She decided to stand still and say nothing for now.

"This is their very first game! They have also just started to transform, so they're probably scared and exhausted," barked Nigel in response, his face turning red while he furiously twirled his mustache around his finger.

Lucius tightly clenched his fingers onto the arms of his chair, his sharpened claw-like nails cutting through the lather like a hot knife through butter. "Why should I give a fuck about that?" He dangerously asked.

Nigel's brow angrily scrunched. "They're living, breathing people! Also, there will be plenty of games in the future. You don't need to have all of your fun during the first when they're already terrified and exhausted."

"The fact that they're all exhausted, terrified newbies is part of the fun for me." Retorted Lucius as the tip of his tail frantically swished. "Please tell me again why I should sacrifice my happiness because an old man is whining at me?"

"For crying out loud!" Callum barked from the darkness. "I'm not turning the damn lamp back on, but both of you, please shut up, for Christ's sake. Let the contestant introduce herself already."

Discontent murmurs ushered forth from Nigel and Lucius as the situation calmed. At the very least, they mutually agreed to not waste any more time.

Grace tightly closed her eyes, slowly inhaling and then exhaling before opening them. I can do this. "I am Grace! I'm a twenty-one-year-old college student who enjoys reading and solving puzzles. My mom would always get mad at me for solving her sudoku and crossword puzzles before she got the chance." She softly giggled, flashing a sly grin. Maybe she could make the VVIPs endeared toward her; she had no idea how these important guests would be allocating points to them, but Gregory was careful to emphasize how critical it was for the contestants to appease the VVIPs. The game had already started; introducing herself properly was the first step toward making it out of Mollusk Match with her humanity intact.

A jolly laugh escaped Nigel's lips. "Puzzles, you say? I am sure that will come in handy in future games!"

"Yes, I do hope so!" Responded Grace, keeping her tone upbeat. "I really want to turn my life around. While participating in these games is scary, I feel that I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is a chance to make a better future for myself." What a load of bullshit. She enjoyed her life just fine before coming here, regardless of how difficult it was at times. Of course, she had some regrets, but nothing positive would come out of being forced to participate in these sadistic games. "I know I made mistakes in the past, and I will strive to better myself." Actually, Grace had no idea why she was there. However, whining about how she was innocent and wrongly imprisoned wouldn't look good.

"I am impressed with your maturity, Miss Grace," responded Nigel as he lit a cigar. He brought it to his mouth and took a puff before continuing. "

"It's my turn to ask a question," whimsically chimed Lucius as he leaned forward in his chair and clutched his knees. "Before I do so. Nigel, you do understand that all of us are allowed to ask whatever questions we wish, aren't you?"

Nigel sighed, sinking into his seat as he conceded. "Yes, you are correct."

Lucius turned his attention to the stage, feeling satisfied with Nigel's concession. "My sincerest apologies for that interruption, Grace. Where were we? Ah, yes… Could you please let me know your cup size, my dear?" He innocently inquired with the cadence of a man merely asking for the time.

Nigel opened his mouth to speak but instead grunted and closed his eyes tightly, knowing he only had control over his own questions.

Grace kept a warm smile on her face while internally screaming. Dammit. I knew he was a creep. She mused. Lucius was trying to rile her up; he most assuredly wanted to see her flustered and humiliated, considering he flat out admitted that he got enjoyment out of screwing with newbies.

"You're pretty naughty, aren't you?" Grace giggled. "I'm in the smaller C cup range, actually. If you keep asking questions like that, you might have to buy me a drink first."

Lucius sat up in his chair, staring more intently at Grace. She had successfully gotten his attention. Nigel flashed a cheeky grin from his corner, giving a nod of approval toward her response.

Lucius cleared his throat and continued. "You're pretty smart, aren't you? I see your hands trembling, yet you pretend you're fine and roll with the punches."

Wait, what? Anxiously thought Grace, casting a quick glance downward. He was unfortunately correct; she was trembling. "You caught me; I have been nervous all morning and had no idea what to expect coming here." She refused to falter. "But I would have responded the same way even if I was completely relaxed. I'm afraid my crappy sense of humor never turns off. You may start hearing some bad puns if this keeps going, so apologies in advance."

Nigel burst out laughing. "Miss Grace! It has been a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I have a feeling you will go far."

Lucius rubbed his chin, losing himself deep in thought for a few seconds. "For once, I would have to agree with Nigel. I'm quite glad we got to meet. Please try not to completely lose your humanity before we meet again. I won't be able to have a conversation with you if your mouth can't even form sentences."

Grace kept her smile on her face but felt a twinge of dread flare up deep within her body. Did Lucius add that last part just to scare her? An ominous reminder of what all twelve girls would lose if they failed. He's just trying to get to you; don't let him. Don't show weakness. She deeply inhaled through her nose and then let out a small laugh. "Please keep rooting for me then, okay? I will do my best not to let you down," gently stated Grace. She somehow managed to keep a genuine tone while speaking.

"You know what?" Lucius calmly responded. "I think I will be rooting for you. At least for now. However, please understand that I am a fickle man. I will stop finding you interesting if you're not careful." He waved his hand at Grace. "Alright. Shoo away now. I want to speak with that rather unhappy-looking redhead now."

Grace thanked the VVIPs for their time and turned to leave. As she did so, she caught something from the corner of her eye. She hadn't realized it before, but the stage was being recorded. They mostly blended into the darkness, but there were cameras pointed at them. If she recalled correctly, Gregory said something like 'three of our VVIP guests wanted to participate today,' which implied there were more than three. The other VVIP guests were most certainly watching despite the fact they weren't here. Grace reached her podium and watched as Rose shakily and slowly walked toward the front of the stage, appearing to still be quite distressed. Grace felt terrible for her but couldn't waste time worrying. How many VVIPs are there? She mulled over her thoughts but simply didn't have enough information to do much else. All she knew was that appeasing the VVIPs watching remotely was just as important as winning over the three right in front of her. Making a solid impression in a general sense was all she could do without knowing the likes and dislikes of every individual VVIP.

"I-- I… I'm Rose… I'm nineteen-- I…" Rose stammered toward the audience after making it to the front of the stage. She was covered in a thin layer of sweat and was out of breath.

"Deep breaths, Miss Rose," Nigel carefully replied. "I can tell you have been through a lot; it seems you got unlucky with your first dose. How are you holding up?"

Rose paused, her eyes darting back and forth as if she were desperately searching for an answer. "I just-- I… I don't want to change. I don't-- I don't want to be here…" She mumbled as her words trailed off.

"I'll take the next question then!" Lucius beamed with a wide grin on his face. The tip of his tail gleefully swished and thumped against the arm of the chair. "How do you feel about today's game? Something tells me you're not an academic. You're screwed, aren't you?"

Grace winced, watching from her podium as Lucius tore into Rose. How could anyone enjoy being this sadistic? She quickly glanced over at Eun-Ju, who calmly stood at her podium with her eyes closed; it looked like Eun was meditating or doing some kind of mental exercise. While that likely wasn't a bad idea for retaining one's sanity, Grace would rather stay alert and aware of her surroundings.

Tears streamed from Rose's face as she slowly shook her head. "I-- I'm going to lose… I'm going to fail, and they're going to charge me more-- please… I don't want to be a fucking animal." She put her hands over her face to hide.

Nigel gave Rose a sympathetic look, folding his hands in his lap. "I understand this must be incredibly difficult for you. Please take some deep breaths and try to calm yourself. You might do better than you think, so don't give up before starting!" He tried to put some pep in his voice.

Lucius stared at Rose, the pupils of his crimson eyes narrowing. He inspected her body, licking his lips while noticing how tightly packed her assets seemed. "Miss, Rose. There are other ways to earn points. Even if you're an awful student, I can think of a few ways you could win my favor."

Rose stirred from her stupor and cast a puzzled look toward Lucius. "What-- do you mean? Could I really win even if I suck at answering questions?"

"Oh, of course!" Jovially retorted Lucius. "Just remember; there's no rule saying you have to answer questions. But, enough of that, shoo.”  He motioned for Rose to leave.  “Why don't we get the next phase started?"

Rose weakly nodded, turning as she walked back to join the others.

Jazz music once again flooded the room as the lighting adjusted to show the three women at their podiums more adequately. Gregory let out a laugh and turned to face the contestants. "We will now be starting the quiz show portion of Variety Hour! On top of two separate three-minute time-outs, the three of you have three minutes to talk amongst yourselves before we start asking questions. Now will be the time if you want to hash out a battle plan together!"

Grace was fueled by pure adrenaline as she listened to Gregory. She had a couple of ideas but wasn't sure if they would work.

"You're three minutes start… Now!" Gregory cheered as the music volume lowered enough for the three contestants to properly converse.

"Eun! Rose! Let's huddle right over here!" Grace immediately insisted, beckoning for the other two to join her in front of the podiums. When they arrived, she forcefully repressed her nerves and kept calm. "I have an idea that should help us score as many points as possible. There will, unfortunately, be a discrepancy in points depending on what level of questions each of us can answer."

Eun looked bored while Rose began to stare almost blankly out toward the audience's left side. Grace felt a pang of frustration; based on what Eun said during their introductions, would she even want to play along? Rose seemed mentally destroyed and reasonably spaced out.

Grace clenched her fist, forcing herself to calm. "Okay, so… Basically, we'll each take turns answering questions. Each time one of us answers, we'll pick the question grade that the next person wants to answer. When they answer, they pick the letter grade of the question the next person wants and so on. There are a few intricacies to consider here. First off, if someone misses their question, then--"

"Yeah, no. I'm not interested," dully responded Eun. "I'm going to pick and answer as many A-rank questions as possible. You two are my enemies during this game. Slowing myself down to your pace doesn't help me." She turned and walked back toward her podium to wait.

"H-- Hey!!" Grace shouted her face flushing red with anger. She wanted to follow after Eun and try to reason with her.

"Two minutes left!" Gregory called out as a warning.

Grace swore under her breath and grunted. I don't have time. She turned toward Rose, who was still staring into the distance. "Rose, I need you to focus! We're at a disadvantage here. We have to score in the top half out of all twelve; it will be hard enough with Eun being so obstinate." Grace paused and quickly noticed she still didn't have Rose's attention. Not only that but Rose's pupils were dilated, her breathing ragged.

"Rose… We don't have time for this. What's wrong? What are you doing?" Grace asked in exasperation. What is she looking at? Is Lucius doing something?   She looked in the same direction as Rose.

For a couple of seconds, all Grace noticed was the smug face of Lucius. When her gaze drifted downward, she let out a loud gasp, all color draining from her face. What the-- are you serious?  

Lucius had unzipped his pants and unsheathed an inhumanly large, erect cock. It stood tall and proud, at least ten inches long and quite thick. He then noticed Grace admiring his raw masculinity and flashed her a toothy smile. Lucius firmly gripped the base of his penis and squeezed, slowly sliding his hand up the entire length.

Feelings of horror and confusion crashed through Grace as she looked from Lucus to Rose, who was now panting and squirming as she stared at the impressive phallus. Something about Rose's demeanor reminded Grace of Ella when she accidentally eavesdropped on her rousing session of masturbation.

"One minute left!" Gregory excitedly yelled.

After cutting away all the cruft, her mind laser-focused on one horrifying and unsettling fact. Both Gregory and Lucius had made one point exceedingly clear.

Answering questions wasn't the only way to win points.

Read up to chapter 7 early for $5 on Patreon!  Or chapter 6 for $2.50 on Patreon where we're three months ahead.  The TF intensifies in the next sexy and tense updates!



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