Mike is a recent college graduate. Single, white, straight, and leaving with a bachelors in applied physics at only 24 years old. He was also terribly in debt. Just a few days after graduation, Mike got an email advertisement to audition for a new reality TV show called “Choose Your Own Changes.” The ad promised $500,000 to the winner and ample screen time with many benefits. Since he had nowhere else to go just yet, he auditioned. To his surprise, he was offered a spot less than a month later!
Now Mike was in a limo pulling up to a beautiful summer villa. It was already the evening so he got a great sunset view of the full estate. Three stories tall, modern architecture, a large patio and pool visible from the front, and surrounded by a stunning pine forest. As he walked up V the front steps, he was greeted by a bald man in a blue suit. “Mikey! So good to see you! Your audition was fantastic, am I to believe that was your first time acting?” He said with a highly charismatic voice and a mouth of pearly white teeth.
“Yeah…I’m just happy to be here.” Mike responded with a short stammer before correcting himself (he was probably on film by now)
“I’m glad to hear it! The name’s Gene, and I would like to formally welcome you to the CYOC Villa!” He flashed his shiny teeth again “Since you are the last to arrive, let your driver take care of your bags. We are having our opening dinner in a few minutes and I’d like you to meet your fellow contestants!”
Mike was hurried into the house by Gene and several cameramen. The foyer had a beautiful high ceiling with oak brown floors, eggshell walls and emerald green wallpapers, and a grand marble staircase up the middle. Before he could marvel, Gene rushed him down the hall into the dining room, an equally large room with red walls and spruce furniture. There were already plenty of cameras at all walls facing the long table in the middle. There sat five other people, his fellow contestants.
After some quick introductions, Mike could readily mark out the personalities of everyone present. To his left sat Jason, an openly gay twink with blonde hair and a very slim build. To his left sat Carly, who felt like a standard sorority girl to Mike. Ronaldo was at her side, a Cuban guy with a larger build, nothing close to bodybuilding but enough to consider him to be an underwear model. Jessica was to his left, she was a biology grad student and seemed fairly anxious to be here. Mike also thought she was kind of cute with her brunette curls and slim glasses. Lastly, to mikes right, was Bree, a little heavy-set girl with blue hair and a single nose ring.
Gene gave a short speech to the camera while Mike wasn’t listening and turned to the table. “Welcome everyone! This is the first cast of CYOC and we absolutely couldn’t have chosen a greater group. The rules of this show are simple. One person will be voted off each week by the other contestants, otherwise you can do whatever ~or whoever~ you like!”
So it was like one of those sexy game shows then? That shouldn’t be too hard to do. Mike only felt one person to be particularly cute, that being Jessica of course, and he could easily control himself for 6 weeks. Then Gene pulled out something that Mike never would have expected in a hundred years. A plate of 6 identical playing cards. He began to pass them around but instructed everyone to keep them face down. Mike pulled the one off the top of his deck and passed it on to Jason. What was this for? Some murder mystery perhaps? When the plate was empty, Gene piped in with his booming tone.
“You have now chosen your changes. Let’s see what you got! Flip them over!”