In her real life, Lazuli was a 22-year-old insurance adjuster employed at a prominent firm, and avid gamer by hobby. Which was why, for months, she'd closely followed development notes released by the developers of Maiden Quest, leading up to its first public release. Then, ordered the nerve gear as soon as the Closed Beta was announced.
And so far she thought it was a phenomenal game, well worth the wait: billed as the world's first full-dive sandbox PVP world, with a huge emphasis on community and social interaction.
It was truly an epic gaming experience like no other. In many ways, mirroring real life (just with magic, ketonomimi and furries for extra spic) while also letting her freely live out her fantasy of being almost like a superhero, protecting the weak and innocent. As in this regard, her profession as a [Town Guard Soldier] meant she was almost always busy, and her alliance with the Crusader's guild meant that—even during her time off work and on her days off—there would always be some evil in the world of Nirvana that needed vanquishing with the aid of the guild's signature skill, granted to all sworn-in members: the amazing [Power Word: Judgment].
However, it wasn't always about the killing. Most of Lazuli's days were actually slow and uneventful, entirely devoid of any combat. Much like how this one in particular was thus far shaping out to be, which had mostly entailed her sitting at her desk in the Acquama Town Guard Metropolitan Police Station. At the time, trudging through a stack of incident reports for a string of recent [Pickpocketings].
Vivacious retro Pop music was playing softly through the speakers of the small stereo on her paper-strewn desk.
The blinds were pulled over the windows, casting thin shards of light against the far wall.
She'd been so wrapped up in her work that she hadn't touched her cup of coffee all morning, so it was probably lukewarm.
Paperwork was a necessary evil for one in her profession, which she had come to begrudgingly accept. Again, mirroring real life: this was a fantastical world of swords and sorcery…but also soul-crushing bureaucracy. A Yin and Yang "gameplay loop" of fun and tedious mundanity that somehow came together in a way that just worked.
Then suddenly, she received a beep on her deskphone: it's from the front desk sergeant.
She checks the message, informing her that someone just came in off the street, asking for her by name: immediately setting off alarm bells in her head.
Could be a perp she'd locked up. Or, could even be some dickhead player she'd killed—tracking her down on a fresh character, to enact their poorly thought-out revenge. Such occurrences were quite common in the profession, so one had to always be mindful: it sucked having to level up again after reincarnating on a new character.
Her fears were immediately allayed, however, when she saw that the individual in question was described as a "voluptuous, tan squirrel-female with short-cropped red hair." And when asked for their name, was quoted as saying, "she'll remember—she owes me a date!"
'Damn him,' Lazuli thought to herself bitterly. 'Why did he have to come?'
She acted on instinct, in a panicked hurry: quickly tossing on her [Town Guard Uniform] and tying up her hair, putting on her glasses. Even throwing on a spray of perfume, for a temporary +5
Why was she doing all this? To impress Akira...
How pathetic—like a ditsy schoolgirl.
Lazuli didn't want to have feelings for such a shady character: someone she could envision one day becoming a force of chaos in Nirvana: an enemy of the peace she fought so hard to preserve.
Heart pounding, she paused briefly in front of a mirror to take a deep breath, summoning her courage. Then, went through the door of her office and proceeded along a short hallway, her light ram-girl hooves rhythmically clopping against the hard tiled floor.
I'll tell him to leave—that I'm too busy. I'll never have to deal with these useless emotions again.
Akira Maximilian and Co. were sitting in the station lobby, facing her with wide mischievous grins like hungry vultures just as soon as she turned the corner.
Lazuli huffed. "Great...so it really is you again." (And you've brought company!)
Akira shook his head, with a scolding frown. "Is that how you greet an old friend? One who saved your life, at that?!" Tssk, tssk, tssk. "Shame on you!"
"It's not like that," she said solidly, "I'm just...really busy right now."
"Lazuli-san!" Kiko chimed in excitedly, rising up from her seat and gliding over to her from across the room—the water in her [Shellmet Basin] audibly sloshing as she did. "You're a police officer in this world? That's really impressive!"
"Eh...not really. Most Paladins naturally gravitate toward law enforcement."
Next, Melissa came up to her: flitting her wings to hover her small body off the ground, she giggled while she danced in the air in front of Lazuli's face.
"Daddy was right—you're really pretty!"
"Who's this?" Lazuli demanded as she turned to Akira, blushing from embarrassment. "I know the Kappa is one of the girls we saved, but"—she gasped, with a realization—"don't tell me you've already started a harem!"
"Who said anything about a harem?" Akira said plainly, with a totally plain face.
"Don't play dumb with me, Akira," Lazuli said with a knowing, wry smirk, perching one hand on her hip while adjusting her glasses with the other. "It's fairly obvious what's going on here, and you're hardly the first to think you're the fucking MC of Nirvana."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Akira said and gave a small shrug, as Melissa hovered to his side."This is my daughter: Melissa Melissa."
"Ah. I...see." Lazuli raised her head, her mouth ajar, squinting—like she could smell a batch of rotting soybeans. "She's actually…your daughter." Her gaze shifted to Kiko, sitting beside him, as Lazuli slightly pointed at her. "If that's the case…am I to assume, then, that this is—"she maintained eye contact with Akira while holding her hand out toward Kiko expectantly.
"I'm Melissa-chan's mother," Kiko said matter-of-factly. Like it was obvious.
Lazuli adjusted her glasses, secretly cracking up at the bizarre spectacle unfolding before her. "R-right. Of course you are. How silly of me to not recognize."
Akira then wrapped his arm around Kiko's shoulder, grinning. "We just tied the knot."
"So now we're one big happy family," Kiko added. "But there's always room for more."
Melissa piped up, "we're currently auditioning for someone to be my Big Sis" —she hovered behind Lazuli, grasping her shoulders with a mischievous grin—"and I bet you'd be GREAT for the part!"
Akira had the same mischievous grin. "I was thinking she has more of an auntie vibe."
Kiko grinned, too. "She can be my sister, then."
"Uh…" Lazuli swallowed nervously, feeling uncomfortable under the trio's malevolent gazes. "Why does it suddenly feel like I'm being recruited by a cult?!"
...
On its surface, Acquama Town carried on with Hogs' Landing's theme of ancient Roman style architecture with its decadent concrete and brick buildings, lush green pavilions and rustic marketplaces lined with extravagant sill curtains, the streets scattered with breeze-swept flower petals. There was old world pottery and tiles. Intricate fresco murals adorning the sides of buildings held up by rows of carved round pillars. Marble busts and towering statues, depicting innumerable unknown gods and goddesses.
"Hey, there's a statue of me over there!" Melissa said, laughing and pointing excitedly. "And it's totally naked!"
The statue was surrounded by a ring of drunkenly swaying animal-men, toting wine bottles. To say they were appreciating the artistry would be an understatement: Their pants down, hands preoccupied—flagrantly showering the goddess in their blessings.
"Look at those degenerates!" Lazuli scoffed, brandishing her police standard-issue [Laser Mace] from her inventory with a distinct sharp BZZT sound. "I'll make this quick. You all wait here." She made a step toward the shrine worshippers—about to bring a merciful stop to their shameless display— when Akira suddenly held his arm out to block her.
"Akira-san, you're interfering with my police work!"
"Give it a rest, officer."
Melissa, had been watching the worshippers for a while with a mischievous smirk, then glanced up at Akira with an innocent smile while tugging his sleeve. "Daddy, can I go play with them?"
Akira patted her on the back. "Sure, sweetie. Just be back at the Inn by morning."
Melissa merrily skipped past them, humming as she approached the drunken devotees, who all immediately turned to her with their mouths hanging ajar as they immediately recognized who it was.
She giggled at them, placing herself in their midst. "Why settle for a statue, when you have the real thing?"
"What the…" Lazuli gawked, in a mixture of incredulity and disgust, while Akira and Kiko held hands, smiling, watching with pride, as Melissa then proceeded to walk off with the group of animal-men.
~~~~~~~~
Party member has dropped out: Pure Mother Bee Melissa!
~~~~~~~~
Nirvana, in spite of its cozy, familiar exterior, as well as the efforts of Lazuli and so many others like her...was still a crude and perverted world at its core.
That's why there existed a whole part of town called "mercy boulevard": where players, predominantly ladies that are some variation of the [Priest] class, crowded around every sidewalk dressed in bikinis, or similarly eye-catching costumes, often variations on a nun's habit. They hold up cardboard and poster board signs advertising their desired traits in a duo partner (Warrior/tank! Mage! Brawler!), with a few of the more ambitious ones seeking out a party or guild, valued for their looks as much as they are for their healing services if not more so.
"Your relationship with Melissa"—Lazuli sneered—"it's obscene."
"You're just too uptight," Akira said, drifting his hand toward the hair falling down the sides of her face. "A classic example of a beautiful girl who hides her passion behind her work ethic."
Lazuli's eyes widened. (How dare you!)
Then just before his hand touched her, she slapped him across the face.
Kiko giggled.
Akira had a slight, amused grin.
Lazuli was breathing fast. "Akira-san...I can see you're heading down a dark path," she warned him sternly. "But you should know that players with large harems attract rivals. It's like the age of warring states: players will wage war with you and your harem just so they can steal your women, to bolster their own armies."
Akira was undaunted. "It's fine. I'm going to become the strongest player, and collect all the women."
"You're completely insane!"
"On the contrary, it's my birthright. You can resist all you want, but in the end you'll be my property too."
"Is that so?" she said sarcastically, then shouted at his unflinching face, "well, newsflash: every guy with a huge ego that plays this game thinks the exact same thing! So what makes you any different?!"
Akira gave a slight amused chuckle. "Because I'm literally the MC."
"You're deranged, is what you are!"
"All women in this world are my property."
Lazuli stopped and breathed deeply, sucking in her lower lip—looking like she wanted to strike him. Then Akira briefly traded smiles with Kiko.
Their ambitions were as one: "It's simply a matter of business," Akira said.
"Family business," Kiko further clarified.
Lazuli turned to her sharply. "What did he do to you? It's like you're brainwashed!"
Kiko then smiled, in that classic Stepford way, hugging onto Akira's arm. "I used to be insecure. But now, Akira-sama has given me confidence and a goal to strive toward. You'll understand, too: once you've become a part of our family."
Fat chance, Lazuli smugly thought. I already have a goal…
And it's to take chauvinist wannabe MCs like Akira down!