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I beat my head against a story for a month to no effect. I try another and it comes out in two days... and technically this wasn't even the story i was trying to write! I'm starting on that one now. This was just a prologue that became its own short story.\n\nI'm more proud of this than the second part of Spoils, but at the moment I'm not sure how well I judge my own work so who knows. I hope you all like it though.\n\nQuestions, comments and criticism adored as usual.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Go figure. I beat my head against a story for a month to no effect. I try another and it comes out in two days... and technically this wasn't even the story i was trying to write! I'm starting on that one now. This was just a prologue that became its own short story.

I'm more proud of this than the second part of Spoils, but at the moment I'm not sure how well I judge my own work so who knows. I hope you all like it though.

Questions, comments and criticism adored as usual.", "writing": "By Design: Acquisition\n\nBy TerraMGP\n\n\t“Ok people, is everyone here? Come on, we don’t have all day. The sooner we get though this nonsense the sooner you get your doughnuts.”\n\n\tThe conference room was far smaller than it should be for something like this. A simple four meter by six meter box of carpeting and pastel paint with a holo terminal window facing the hallway and a half dozen seats now fully occupied. The last few members of the design team slipped their way in to the room slowly. A willowy young deer in semi-professional attire and a rather garishly tattooed Iguana pushed their way in behind the packed gaggle of co workers all dressed in various fashions new and old.\n\n\tAt the other end of a room sat a rather burned out looking boar woman. Theoretically well-kempt and neat, wearing a simple two-piece suit that had been more or less the acceptable standard in business attire a few decades ago. She sat there quietly as she watched the last few warm bodies move their way in and fill out the small space.\n\n\t“So Boss, what’s the situation? You finally gonna snap and fire all of us?” One of the voices called out though the thick pack of warm bodies. A cocky looking gazelle with a painfully hipstery goatee grinning with trollish glee as he poked his head out from those who had gotten in early enough to take the rooms few chairs.\n\n\t“Jenkins, I am so not in the mood.” The older boar woman sighed. The door slid shut and the lights dimmed a bit. The older woman shifted in her seat a moment and took a small survey of her staff. Everyone was indeed present, at least physically. Company servers told her that about half of them were swapping conversations though the company network and most of the others had up different cheap distraction games and social media. Molly had to wonder how the company tanking hit anyone as a shock.\n\n\t“First, I’m sure you have all heard the news. We have a new owner. Our jobs are officially secured as of right now and so long as this new benefactor stays happy, we won’t end up starving. I’m sure you are all just delighted about this new information.” The sarcastic little grumble in the womans voice only grew sharper as she watched the. banal non-reaction of her subordinates. She smirked a bit. A small, banal, almost defeated smirk that nobody seemed to notice.\n\n\t“Second, the new set. I already have the overall specifications and a file the new owner wants all of the devs proper to look over. It looks like the boss man is letting his new boss, our new boss, give some pretty heavy notes.”\n\n\t“Notes?” One of the gathered devs in the back called out. “What the hell do we need notes for?”\n\n\t“Yeah” another voice chimed in. Angela, a rather gothy looking blue jay who had managed to snag a seat at the front. “I mean come on boss lady It’s not like our designs are bad. We just hit a bit of a slump.”\n\n\t“I have to concur” came another voice from the middle of the pack. A weasel, one of the newer hires D’artagnan had brought on in his desperate bid to keep things up to date. “Statistically our prime problem is likely due to a lack of market expansion. We have been on the same worlds and in the same colonies for a long time. All we really need is increased distribution.”\n\n\tMolly felt the fur on the back of her neck bristle, though she did her best not to let on about it. Ten years ago she probably would have flipped the table and given every one of these brats an earful. Then again, ten years ago she would have gone upstairs and given Jules the same talk. The boar just sighed a bit and gave a small nod to her assembled crew.\n\n\t“Everything you will need to know is in your orientation files. Read them when you get back to your work stations. Preferably before you start up any new Dev work. For now it’s just restricted to those who are working on rule sets, Personality shells and parts design. Everyone else can go about things as normal, though I want the prototyping lab working on cutting down the cost and time it takes for shops to make frames and parts. You people have had plenty of ‘down time’.”\n\n\tThere were groans of annoyance. Naturally they paid attention when she was pushing some actual work on them. Molly smirked a bit at that and waved her hand. It really shouldn’t tickle her as much as it did. Maybe she was just getting a bit surly in her old age. Forgetting what it was like to be young and struggling. Misreading a new generations confidence and shift in focus as some kind of personal weakness.\n\n\tThen again it could be they were simply spoiled brats and she found the whole process of antagonizing them utterly hilarious.\n\n\tShe pushed that bit of unwanted sadism to the back of her mind and hauled her tough, plump old body out of her chair. It only took an hour to fully explain the basics of the marketing strategy and what was expected of the team. Most of them didn’t have any real work anyway but they all got an outline of the marketing strategy and the time table. It was almost a formality really, considering the detailed project specs sent down from the new owner to each and every employee. \n\n\tBut then The company was getting yanked out of total collapse. A game company Molly had been grinding away for her entire adult life. A company that she had fought to protect though three different members of the D’artagnan family running the show. No way in hell the rigid old sow was going to let this newest batch of upstart kids wreck things. Even if that meant hand holding them the whole way though.\n\n\tIt took about an hour to get though everything and by the time she was though just about everyone was basically zoned out. Molly smirked a bit at that. She should probably feel a little worse but it was really quite amusing to make these kids endure a bit of real work. \n\n\tAs the staff filed out Molly gave a small gesture to one of her workers. A rather disheveled little Opossum woman struggled to get out from the corner as a few members of the marketing team blabbed incessantly without regard for her. “Ms. Stone, would you hang back a moment please? I have a few questions for you.” \n\n\tThe Opossum blinked a bit and nodded. She shifted a bit now trying to slip past the two people towards the boss now rather than the door. Naturally that didn’t get her much further. Only Molly clearing her throat rather roughly and glancing a small death glare at the two loitering employees got them to break the conversation and pay attention. Even then it seemed they didn’t notice the poor woman they were blocking in as they slowly cleared out from the room.\n\n\t“You wanted to see me, miss?” The girl asked. She was a bit plump, but not really fat. A frumpy little body covered in slightly matted grey fur. Likewise she had a straight black mane of hair full of frizzed, damaged edges and the remnants of green dye that was probably combed in months ago with her last haircut.\n\n\tMolly couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “Hello Ms. Stone. Or do you prefer Kimi?” she said with a small nod “I haven’t really gotten to have a discussion with you since you were hired, have I? What was it, six, seven moths ago?”\n\n\t“Three years, ma’am.” Kimi muttered the word softly and hugged her left arm with her right. The thick, frumpy green sweater she wore seemed to visibly shift as she rubbed her arm nervously and glanced down at the low pile carpet. “And either is fine. I don’t mind.”\n\n\t“I see. Three years Ms. Stone? I suppose that sounds about right. The high mountain expansion, correct?” Molly grinned a bit wider and nodded “I’m going to be honest kiddo, you carried that whole expansion. I was quite impressed with your work. I made sure to mention it to the boss more than once since then. It seems for once he took notice.”\n\n\tKimi blinked a bit and bit her lip “Wait, w-what?” She asked nervously. “Honestly Ma’am I didn’t do much. I wasn’t really looking to, you know, cause any sort of problems or anything.”\n\n\t“Modest” Molly sighed rolling her eyes “You know if you ever want to get anywhere in this industry you’ll need to learn how to take a compliment Kimi. Especially when it is for genuinely good work.”\n\n\t“S-sorry” Kimi muttered “I’m very sorry about that too Ma’am. I’ll try to fix it.” the poor opossum shuffled her feet a bit and sighed softly. Her tail whipped and thumped nervously behind her as she stayed very still. For the past three years Kimi had been able to get away with doing her job and avoiding any serious contact with her co-workers or boss. Show up in her little office compartment, jump on the network and pump out content. All she could really bring herself to do was brace under the womans gaze and keep her eyes shifting between the simple patterns in the carpet and the thin metal rim of her glasses.\n\n\tMolly grumbled a bit but shook her head and sighed. “Never mind. Look. The point is that I’ve had a few words with the boss and with our new owner though the takeover. There are going to be some changes upcoming around the company. I mentioned the work you have done and it sounds like the new owner wants to have a word with some of our key staff. That includes you.”\n\n\tKimi tensed harder and curled her toes. “Me? Oh no ma’am. No no that’s ok. I am sure plenty of other people would like to take you up on the offer. I mean it’s really a group effort. It’s all a team. I don’t think I’d be able to…”\n\n\t“Shut it” The boar growled. “Look kid. I like you. You’re a good worker. I get it that this might make you a bit nervous but this is happening. The new owner wants to meet my best people, and you are just that. Maybe when you calm down you’ll realize that this is a huge opportunity. Regardless, she’s going to be making a stop to tour us in a week. Apparently she wants to ensure everything is up to snuff. I don’t know how this is all going to play out, and you’re one of the few people here I actually want to see stick around. That means I want you putting your best foot forward when we have our meeting. You got that kid?”\n\n\tKimi let out a soft, shallow whine that could reasonably be taken as an acknowledgement. She clasped her arm harder and glanced up nervously over the rims of her glasses. She mouthed, and murmured a few half spoken words. She glanced at her boss, and then nervously cast her violet orbs over towards the door with the kind of longing rarely seen outside of an elementary school detention hall.\n\n\tMolly opened her mouth to say something, then simply sighed and shook her head “Go. I’ll have your calendar marked with the date. And for gods sake buy yourself something a bit more professional to wear.”\n\n\tKimi yelped and nodded a bit before quickly turning to leave the room. She didn’t hear Molly’s little contemptuous chuckle as she left but she felt the crushing weight of what had just been put on her and did her best to calm herself down. The work stations on the main floor were a pretty typical modern setup. Small, thin, prefabricated walls hooked to a grid in the ceiling to create a large area of small individual office spaces. \n\n\tTo most of the employees these spaces were nothing more than work stations to be avoided until some form of actual work was finally required. Already many of her co workers were talking in the hallway or hanging out in the doors of their little offices. Some had one or two of their walls removed entirely for better ‘brainstorming’.\n\n\tAll Kimi could do was dash though the corridors like some dank underwater tunnels, seeking out the thin walled box with her name on it. She plodded clumsily over the thin carpet with eyes glancing around nervously. The strain made her lungs ache, her heart scream and thud. Her hand trembling as she desperately dashed though the boxes and around other people until finally, thankfully she dashed and fumbled her way to the little metal-and-fabric box she basically called home.\n\n\tA quick swipe of the paw over a sensor and the door slid open. She practically fell in and sighed a few deep breaths as the door slid shut once more. It wasn’t until she was back, safe in her little fabric covered box that Kimi finally felt her knees give out from under her. She slumped helplessly down a moment and winced as she felt herself hyperventilate ever so slightly. A growing tightness in her chest that made the thick sweater feel like it was made of lead with each slow, steady gasp she took.\n\n\tHer hands trembled, tears started to well up in her eyes, each deep shivering gasp made the following one harder, made her chest feel that much more tense. She twitched, shivered, strained to make her body move. Hand fumbling to the top of the small mini fridge snatching up a tiny pastel blue plastic L and popping off the cap at the bottom. \n\n\tA few desperate puffs on that little inhaler started to untie the knot of pressure in her lungs. The anxiety still hovered. It was still strong and throbbing as she struggled to calm herself. But at the very least she could breath easily again. More importantly she could think clearly again.\n\n\tMeetings were bad, very bad. Worse when there was conflict. For the past few years the young woman had gotten by simply from avoiding her coworkers and doing the one thing she loved.\n\n\tIt would probably be evident to anyone bothered stepping into her cube, presuming such a thing ever actually happened. The walls were covered with old posters and promo materials, including an animated smart poster from Skybreaker, the first set she had ever played back when she was a kid. \n\n\tThere were other posters as well, character promotions, posters from other games by the company, small one off holo games and expansions that were generally only remembered by the hardcore fans who ate, slept and breathed ‘Warriors of Elysian’. \n\n\tAlong with it were a wide array of battlers and also so model kits from competitors. Stacks of chips with her various shows and novels littered the room along with a small collection of traditional smart paper books and a comfy reclining chair that took up far more of the available floor space than it should.\n\n\tIt was far more a coffin apartment than an office, right down to the food wrappers and stale smell of her own body sealed firmly within. People never really paid enough attention to question why Kimi never left and frankly that suited her just fine. The last thing she wanted was attention.\n\n\tWhich was exactly what she was going to get, now that some big shot was apparently coming to meet her.\n\n\tKimi pulled herself up from the ground slowly. She was still trembling and found it hard to keep her feet. Thankfully it was only a few steps between her door and the big, plush work chair where the soft little opossum spent most of her time. She flopped into the plush synthetic leather and tossed her inhaler on to the desk with a small groan. It was bad enough that they expected the new set to be finished in such an insane schedule, but it seemed now that she didn’t even get a say over the theme. \n\n\tThe beauty of lazy co-workers was that Kimi had gotten to more or less dictate the story by way of her designs. Even if she technically wasn’t on the writing staff. Cloud documents would fill up with potential parts, rule sets and basic visual designs she had hammered out, and the others just filled in what they could of it and took credit. It was almost liberating in a way. Not that Kimi felt any sort of real ego trip from her arrangement. Hell this was probably the first time she had gotten any real praise. Or maybe it wasn’t. There were a backlog of non-essential office notes and messages she had just never paid attention to.\n\n\tEither way she was, at the very least, free. Free of the social constraints and attention and horrible proximity of others. Kimi shut her eyes a moment and willed the document from the new company owner into her HUD. The idea of anyone exerting that much control over her designs was a bitter pill, but it was sadly the price she had to pay for the job she loved. At least for now.\n\n\tThe document started up and instantly a massive flood of data went from the cloud to her secured desk terminal. Reams of data, at least a Zettabite, unloaded and unfolded itself from its compressed little data packet. The HUD flashed things about authentication and file integrity and other words Kimi only vaguely knew before finally stopping dead, leaving her with nothing but an ethereal glow surrounding her glasses.\n\n\tA figure stood before her. A strong, powerful, cunning looking wolfess in a regal looking silver gown stepped its way out of the digital nothingness. She was quite lovely. A thought Kimi really didn’t have about people often, though it was somewhat easier with a recording. The figure of the woman stood on the desk and looked directly at Kimi with a warm smile. She had kind, friendly eyes and a confident posture that somehow made the designer feel both at ease and somehow a bit inferior. Though the latter feeling was hardly something new for her.\n\n\t“Greetings, Ms. Stone. My name is Ilka Thanedotter. As you may have heard I recently purchased your wonderful little company. I understand very well that such transitions can set the employees of any company at ease.” the wolf woman said firmly “I also know that Global Mirage has been having a bit of a slump lately. As such the rumor mill is probably going wild. I am making these personalized recordings for you in the hopes of helping to ease your transition and clarify just what is going to happen on the road ahead.”\n\n\t“First and foremost I want you all to know, your jobs are safe. None of you will be let go. At the very least I don’t plan on letting anyone go at this time. There is naturally the same expectation of hard work that I am sure you have all kept up before. But I am not buying this company simply as another venture. Like many people in countless sectors of the known galaxy I grew up with your product. I am intimately familiar with your product. Even now as I work at lifes more… pressing tasks. It has been with me as a beloved little pastime I cannot stand to see dissolved.”\n\n\tIt was tempting to stop the recording right there. The past year or so had seen the company go from a slump to a harder nose dive. People really didn’t respond to the poor marketing and archaic core systems that rarely got updated. As popular as the game had been they were finally hitting the point where coasting on a good idea was not enough.\n\n\tThe idea that the new owner was someone who cared took a serious weight off of Kimis mind. The fact that she might not have to go though the nightmare process of job interviews again, even more so.\n\n\tShe looked back down at the little figure of the woman as she walked along the desk. Small wisps of the holo-recording stage could be seen around the womans feet, which were apparently bare for some odd reason. Her gown trailed along the ground creating water-like ripples in the visual display behind it.\n\n\t“I have done my homework on the design team, and for you, Ms. Stone, I have compiled a very detailed list of both the new mechanics I hope to see presented and a new update for your design tools that will help you design properly for the new AI firmware we will be using. Both the firmware and the tool plug-in are of my own design, so hopefully there shouldn’t be any major issues. But considering my impending visit, I am sure you can bring up any problems you find with them to me in person.”\n\n\t“Wait. This thing is interactive?” Kimi blinked and leaned in a bit. The wolf figure laughed softly and smirked, almost aware of Kimi studying every fine detail of the recording.\n\n\t“I take it you didn’t realize? This simulation is designed to function as a help tool. I realize the pressure constraints I have put you all under and as such I wanted to ensure I provided my new people with all the help I could. Especially with all of the changes I want to push. WoE deserves to be on top again. Not just in a few colonies and satellites, but everywhere. We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand. We are the first, and we deserve to be the best.”\n\n\tKimi stopped a moment. She waved a paw and paused the simulation. The wolf simply standing at ease while the young woman bit her lip hard and squirmed back into her seat. Something in her brain clicked. Something confusing she couldn’t quite put her finger on.\n\n\tSomething about the wolf. Something she said, maybe something she did. There was a little sliver in Kimis brain. Something that was sticking with her. She looked at the paused figure of that statuesque young woman. She was young, had to be younger than Kimi by nearly a decade at least. Yet she seemed so strong, powerful, regale. It was hard not to fixate on her just a bit.\n\n\tYet more than that something needled her about the words. This girl talking to her had struck a chord. Her mind slowly churned over the odd sensation as she began to fixate a bit. Running though the words in her head a moment. She looked down at the figure for a long time. Ms. Thanedotter standing there still and calm, patiently. Nervously Kimi slumped down in her chair and glanced around the room a moment trying hard to collect her thoughts.\n\n\t “Can… you say that last line again?” Kimi asked, tilting her head to the side.\n\n\t“Repeating.” the simulation said flatly “We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand. We are the first, and we deserve to be the best”\n\n\tThose white-grey cheeks took on a blushing tinge as Kimi let her eyes slip shut a moment. She gripped her chair a bit and leaned back just a little. The sensors catching her before reclining and giving her something to press her back against.\n\n\tShe took a few breaths. Soft and shallow at first, but deeper. Maybe it was the stress, the anxiety. Maybe it was finally getting an endorphin shot after realizing she wasn’t going to lose her job just yet. But for some reason she felt this odd sensation on hearing that. A sensation she couldn’t quite explain, but which she felt again even with the thing playing it back to her.\n\n\t“Again, please. Starting… starting from ’we are’” Kimi muttered as she looked down at the figure.\n\n\t“We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand” The recording said once more, and this time Kimi shot her paw up quickly to stop the figure. “I… ok. F-from just some this time, please.”\n\n“Just some little loser knock-”\n\n\t“No, stop there.” She realized what it was. She thought she did anyways. Kimi sat up and took a deep breath as she squirmed down into her seat a moment. She looked at the wolf and bit her lip nervously. This was stupid, painfully stupid. It really didn’t make any sense. Yet something about those words, that word…\n\n\t“Ms. Thanedotter, could you put that word… put… loser… on repeat, please?”\n\n\t“Loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser…”\n\n\tKimi blushed hard as she leaned back, her eyes slipped shut and her paw moving to push up her sweater just a bit to rub a hand over her doughy little tummy. This all felt so very wrong. She let the word slip into her head, the way the womans tone of voice carried. Her odd strength. Her regale bearing. It was such a silly stupid thing. Yet she couldn’t help but slowly rub her awkward paw up and down bare fur as she listened to the word on repeat. Trying to imagine it in different ways. Sympathetic, aloof, venomous, all directed at her.\n\n\t“Ms. Thanedotter…” Kimi muttered a bit as she slowly sank further into her chair. “I hate to ask. But I am curious” She blushed a bit harder. It felt so stupid being this awkward about questions to a simulation. But then this whole thing felt so awkward and stupid. “I wonder. Does this simulation, can you string together like… sentences?”\n\n\tThe simulation stopped its repeat and looked up “Ms. Stone, I am as advanced as any Battler your company produces. I am fully capable of articulating thoughts you may wish in the proper tone and mannerisms for Ms. Thanedotter, provided it doesn't breach my inbuilt security protocols.”\n\n\t“Security protocols? Why would… never mind.” Kimi sighed “Look I want to ask you if you’ll say something. Just, just say one little thing for me, that’s all.”\n\n\t“I am more than capable of fulfilling this task” the cheerful simulation replied “Please input your request. I am sure I can accommodate.”\n\n\t“Well you see it isn’t quite that simple. I mean it is, but it’s kind of embarrassing. I mean I want you to say it, b-but…” This was stupid. Everything about this felt like the dumbest series of events Kimi had ever undertaken. She’d spent half her life dealing with people calling her names and belittling her then the other half shutting herself away. She didn’t really do ‘people’. Hell she didn’t even really do proper ‘sex’.\n\n\tStill the poor little Opossum couldn’t help herself. Cheeks burning red and body tingling she pushed her hips out a bit and tugged her skirt sloppily to the side, exposing a pair of well worn white cotton panties. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words out loud. Maybe because it was too humiliating. Maybe because she didn’t want to hear them from her own lips. She simply thought them to the file in a short nervous burst without bothering to adjust for tone.\n\n\tThe simulation blinked a moment and a slow grin crossed the false Ms. Thanedotter’s muzzle. She took a couple of steps forwards and looked up into Kimis eyes. A strong, predatory growl echoing in her throat.\n\n\t“You are a loser, Ms. Stone.” the wolfess growled “An ugly, smelly, dirty little loser.”\n\n\tKimi yelped and moaned as she pushed back in her seat. Digits pushing into damp panties as she curled herself back a bit and let her other paw climb until it reached her less than ample chest. A nice tight squeeze and a soft groan slipping free. “A-again…” she whimpered softly\n\n\t“Look at you. Sick little vermin sitting there in your chair. Just touching her body like some horny teenager. When was the last time you even showered?”\n\n\tKimi blinked a bit and looked down at the figure in shock from her contorted position. “What did… what did you just say?”\n\n\t“Extrapolating algorithm based on parameters.” The wolf said cheerily. Kimi could swear that there was a hint of malice in that little face. Though really that wasn’t possible. “Is this line of dialogue consistent with your initial request?”\n\n\tIt was a shock to say the very least. Kimi nodded softly and sank back into her chair as she squirmed harder. It was almost bad enough that she knew what she was doing herself. It was a horrible thing to realize what she was getting off to. But somehow it was far worse with this mindless little simulated being, this recording, ‘knowing’ what she wanted. It made it worse, and made it hot.\n\n\t“C-continue. Please.” She all but begged.\n\n\t“That’s what I should be saying to you, dirty little loser. I didn’t tell you to stop did I?”\n\n\t“No Ms. Thanedotter, I guess not.” The opossum muttered.\n\n\t“Then don’t stop.” The wolfess growled “Show me how a geeky little dweeb like you jills off. I’m curious. Show me if those clumsy little meat hooks of yours can really get you excited.”\n\n\tThe demand was odd, but exciting. The cramped little room quickly started to hot box with her own awkward little noises and her own scent. It was strong enough that she could already smell it even with the vents overhead sucking out old air and pumping in new. She pushed her fingers against the damp fabric firmly and started to rock her hips. Her other paw mashing and kneading her chest awkwardly while one eye slipped open enough to look at the beautiful little projection before her. \n\n\t“You really are a little freak, aren’t you?” The wolf growled “Don’t move those panties. I see what you’re doing. Just keep up with what you’re doing. You’re going to get off like the dweeby little overgrown middle-schooler you really are.”\n\n\tKimi panted and gasped and growled as she just rocked her hips and wriggled helplessly to the dirty, nasty words. She had masturbated before. Hell she did it quite frequently when bored or distracted. But somehow this, this was just so different. Her body shook helplessly and toes curled as she pushed and tweaked her body roughly and clumsily. Pushed herself to the brink of orgasm for Ms. Thanedotter, for that cruel, wonderful wolf woman who just utterly hated the fat, disgusting little trash smelling bitch Kimi.\n\n\t“Go on. Cum” The simulation snarled.\n\n\tWant to or not Kimi’s body complied. She shoved the side of her face into her seat and squirmed as the peak of an orgasm rolled into her body. Every inch of her tingled and thrummed as she gasped for air and choked back a gasp of muted bliss.\n\n\tWhen it all finished she simply melted back into the chair gasping and panting. Her fingers reaching up and gripping the inhaler. They were still a bit sticky with her juices and Kimi blushed as she got a taste of herself along with the fresh puff of medication.\n\n\tFinally her brain settled. The shameful pleasure of her nasty little distraction parted just a bit as Kimi began to wonder just how the simulation had gotten so… visceral. How she had gotten so caught up in knowing just what Kimi wanted. The tone, the feelings. Desires the gawky little Opossum didn’t even know she had.\n\n\tShe was quiet for a long moment. Just looking at the image, looking at gorgeous Ms. Thanedotter.\n\n\t“No further incoming messages. Prompt closing, would you like to save this protocol?” The simulation asked in a cheery tone. \n\n\tKimi blinked and blushed hard as she realized what had happened. That first little message she sent had opened a little mental channel. The thing, that simulation, had been reading her mind the whole time. Taking her deep dark fantasies and putting them out on display. Making Kimi endure what she wanted deep down.\n\n\tThe shocking idea that she might in fact be a rather fucked up little masochist swept though her mind a moment. It was admittedly a bit overwhelming to consider. But in her post-masturbatory state Kimi felt other thoughts come to the fore. “Y-yea. Yeah I guess you can save it” She nodded “You know, for later. Ms. Thanedotter. I am curious. Are you… are you using the new interface that you, well the real Ms. Thanedotter, was talking about sending us?”\n\n\tThe cruel dominant wolf of a few moments ago was once again cheery and professional. She nodded as she waved her hand bringing up a few displays of technical info that Kimi didn’t really understand. “That’s absolutely correct Ms. Stone. I contain parts of the alpha code to be used in the next WoE expansion. I am designed to be far more responsive and adaptable to the actual will and desires of my user than the older proprietary software you have been using.”\n\n\t“I… ok wow. That is. Was all of that really in my head?” she blinked ‘I mean did I really want all of that stuff?”\n\n\t“I can confirm that the new algorithm is based entirely on transmissions from you as my current user. I merely extrapolated the emotional and neurological information sent from your jack. If I were to guess, I would say it was a satisfactory translation?”\n\n\tKimi shook her head and blushed harder .”I… I don’t know.” she sighed. “I get the feeling it was. I mean I think it really really was!” she went quiet a moment and slumped back into her own minor mess letting her thoughts run and bounce around a moment or two. “This is going to sound like a stupid question, but do you know anything about the woman you’re based on? Like, what she’s actually about? Who she is? Maybe… maybe what she likes?” she blushed hard and glanced down to the side again with a soft whine.\n\n\t“I am programmed with all relevant data to ensure that I can simulate her mannerisms and responses with 97% accuracy.” the little image said proudly. “I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about your new owner.”\n\n\tKimi blushed at that. So many ways that could be taken wrong. She almost wanted to comment, but then thought better of it and shrugged softly. “Well, I guess maybe compile some of that and save it for later.” she sighed “For now please just bring up the desired themes and design details I’m supposed to be working with. I’m… I think I’m a bit curious just what she wants to do with this new power.”\n\n\tImages came up. Design concepts, documents, lots of things both drawn and even seemingly modeled by real people. A flood of images and sensory information hitting the little opossum all at once. Her violet eyes went wide as a small grin started to cross her lips. She shifted in her own uncomfortable little dampness and churred, installing the new plugins to her virtual workspace and starting up a blank project.\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\tMirage station only had a couple of hubs for docking larger ships. Anything bigger than a transport class generally had to meet at either end of the stations main spoke, which in turn had a long transport and storage area between any docking ship and the station proper.\n\n\tKimi stood beside her boss in the best approximation of attention that she could muster. She could feel the old boar giving her a wicked little sideways glance. Kimi had put some effort in on her looks. A new bit of dye that didn’t really show up too well and was already fading. About a half hour to get out a few of the worse mats of hair she had. Her sweater and skirt were the same as they had been but she had at least gone over a few spots with one of those cheap fabric markers to get out the worse stains.\n\n\tIt was a travesty of a display, but then that was why Kimi had a nice little grin on her face.\n\n\tThe last of the large blast doors opened and the offload platform slowly crawled its way towards them. Those present looked almost comically colorful. A rather casual and gothy looking Rat woman in a skull Tee and plaid skirt. Some young skunk girl with a super high end looking data jack poking out of her head, wrapped up in what Kimi had to assume was some kind of body sleeve to help with extended decking. At least half a dozen mercs with heavy weapons flaking the trio on either side. Then there was her. At the center. A strong, powerful wolfess with flowing hair wearing a rather beautiful blue and silver three-piece suit. \n\n\tShe stood there like a goddess mere steps from the safety bar. Looking forward with a noble smirk on her face as she surveyed her new domain. Kimi wanted to shrink behind her boss the second those piercing blue eyes fell on her. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. It would just ruin everything.\n\n\tThe platform locked in with a loud, hard thud. Magnetic clamps locking it in place as the safety bar opened and the Wolfess strode forward with a nice, wide, wicked grin. She approached Mr. D’artagnan who quickly took her hand and bowed, kissing it gently before standing back up. “Good evening my dear. I am so glad you could make it out to inspect our happy little facility.” He beamed.\n\n\t“Yes, I’m sure you are. I have to say this station is looking very well kept considering its age, and considering your finances of late.” Ilkas words were calm and smooth. Silvery and metal sharp in a way that made Kimi shudder.\n\n\t“Well thankfully it was well made, and we have had many years to invest in its construction. Every employee on site and their families, such as they are, deserves to have a station they can be proud of after all.” He nodded “Now then before we begin I would like to make some introductions. First there is my staff manager, Molly Graves.”\n\n\tThe boar nodded a bit and smiled. Ilka smirked back and nodded. “Miss Graves. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. It sounds like you’ve been dragging things along pretty well since you took over.”\n\n\t“Just trying to make sure we make our street dates Ma’am.” She replied curtly. “And this here would be my top worker.”\n\n\t“Kimi stone” the opossum blurted out with an awkward little yelp. Her body shivering as she looked up at that pretty young wolf and clumsily offered her hand, eyes looking nervously to the side. “I-it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Ms. Thanedotter.”\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "By Design: Acquisition

By TerraMGP

\t“Ok people, is everyone here? Come on, we don’t have all day. The sooner we get though this nonsense the sooner you get your doughnuts.”

\tThe conference room was far smaller than it should be for something like this. A simple four meter by six meter box of carpeting and pastel paint with a holo terminal window facing the hallway and a half dozen seats now fully occupied. The last few members of the design team slipped their way in to the room slowly. A willowy young deer in semi-professional attire and a rather garishly tattooed Iguana pushed their way in behind the packed gaggle of co workers all dressed in various fashions new and old.

\tAt the other end of a room sat a rather burned out looking boar woman. Theoretically well-kempt and neat, wearing a simple two-piece suit that had been more or less the acceptable standard in business attire a few decades ago. She sat there quietly as she watched the last few warm bodies move their way in and fill out the small space.

\t“So Boss, what’s the situation? You finally gonna snap and fire all of us?” One of the voices called out though the thick pack of warm bodies. A cocky looking gazelle with a painfully hipstery goatee grinning with trollish glee as he poked his head out from those who had gotten in early enough to take the rooms few chairs.

\t“Jenkins, I am so not in the mood.” The older boar woman sighed. The door slid shut and the lights dimmed a bit. The older woman shifted in her seat a moment and took a small survey of her staff. Everyone was indeed present, at least physically. Company servers told her that about half of them were swapping conversations though the company network and most of the others had up different cheap distraction games and social media. Molly had to wonder how the company tanking hit anyone as a shock.

\t“First, I’m sure you have all heard the news. We have a new owner. Our jobs are officially secured as of right now and so long as this new benefactor stays happy, we won’t end up starving. I’m sure you are all just delighted about this new information.” The sarcastic little grumble in the womans voice only grew sharper as she watched the. banal non-reaction of her subordinates. She smirked a bit. A small, banal, almost defeated smirk that nobody seemed to notice.

\t“Second, the new set. I already have the overall specifications and a file the new owner wants all of the devs proper to look over. It looks like the boss man is letting his new boss, our new boss, give some pretty heavy notes.”

\t“Notes?” One of the gathered devs in the back called out. “What the hell do we need notes for?”

\t“Yeah” another voice chimed in. Angela, a rather gothy looking blue jay who had managed to snag a seat at the front. “I mean come on boss lady It’s not like our designs are bad. We just hit a bit of a slump.”

\t“I have to concur” came another voice from the middle of the pack. A weasel, one of the newer hires D’artagnan had brought on in his desperate bid to keep things up to date. “Statistically our prime problem is likely due to a lack of market expansion. We have been on the same worlds and in the same colonies for a long time. All we really need is increased distribution.”

\tMolly felt the fur on the back of her neck bristle, though she did her best not to let on about it. Ten years ago she probably would have flipped the table and given every one of these brats an earful. Then again, ten years ago she would have gone upstairs and given Jules the same talk. The boar just sighed a bit and gave a small nod to her assembled crew.

\t“Everything you will need to know is in your orientation files. Read them when you get back to your work stations. Preferably before you start up any new Dev work. For now it’s just restricted to those who are working on rule sets, Personality shells and parts design. Everyone else can go about things as normal, though I want the prototyping lab working on cutting down the cost and time it takes for shops to make frames and parts. You people have had plenty of ‘down time’.”

\tThere were groans of annoyance. Naturally they paid attention when she was pushing some actual work on them. Molly smirked a bit at that and waved her hand. It really shouldn’t tickle her as much as it did. Maybe she was just getting a bit surly in her old age. Forgetting what it was like to be young and struggling. Misreading a new generations confidence and shift in focus as some kind of personal weakness.

\tThen again it could be they were simply spoiled brats and she found the whole process of antagonizing them utterly hilarious.

\tShe pushed that bit of unwanted sadism to the back of her mind and hauled her tough, plump old body out of her chair. It only took an hour to fully explain the basics of the marketing strategy and what was expected of the team. Most of them didn’t have any real work anyway but they all got an outline of the marketing strategy and the time table. It was almost a formality really, considering the detailed project specs sent down from the new owner to each and every employee.

\tBut then The company was getting yanked out of total collapse. A game company Molly had been grinding away for her entire adult life. A company that she had fought to protect though three different members of the D’artagnan family running the show. No way in hell the rigid old sow was going to let this newest batch of upstart kids wreck things. Even if that meant hand holding them the whole way though.

\tIt took about an hour to get though everything and by the time she was though just about everyone was basically zoned out. Molly smirked a bit at that. She should probably feel a little worse but it was really quite amusing to make these kids endure a bit of real work.

\tAs the staff filed out Molly gave a small gesture to one of her workers. A rather disheveled little Opossum woman struggled to get out from the corner as a few members of the marketing team blabbed incessantly without regard for her. “Ms. Stone, would you hang back a moment please? I have a few questions for you.”

\tThe Opossum blinked a bit and nodded. She shifted a bit now trying to slip past the two people towards the boss now rather than the door. Naturally that didn’t get her much further. Only Molly clearing her throat rather roughly and glancing a small death glare at the two loitering employees got them to break the conversation and pay attention. Even then it seemed they didn’t notice the poor woman they were blocking in as they slowly cleared out from the room.

\t“You wanted to see me, miss?” The girl asked. She was a bit plump, but not really fat. A frumpy little body covered in slightly matted grey fur. Likewise she had a straight black mane of hair full of frizzed, damaged edges and the remnants of green dye that was probably combed in months ago with her last haircut.

\tMolly couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “Hello Ms. Stone. Or do you prefer Kimi?” she said with a small nod “I haven’t really gotten to have a discussion with you since you were hired, have I? What was it, six, seven moths ago?”

\t“Three years, ma’am.” Kimi muttered the word softly and hugged her left arm with her right. The thick, frumpy green sweater she wore seemed to visibly shift as she rubbed her arm nervously and glanced down at the low pile carpet. “And either is fine. I don’t mind.”

\t“I see. Three years Ms. Stone? I suppose that sounds about right. The high mountain expansion, correct?” Molly grinned a bit wider and nodded “I’m going to be honest kiddo, you carried that whole expansion. I was quite impressed with your work. I made sure to mention it to the boss more than once since then. It seems for once he took notice.”

\tKimi blinked a bit and bit her lip “Wait, w-what?” She asked nervously. “Honestly Ma’am I didn’t do much. I wasn’t really looking to, you know, cause any sort of problems or anything.”

\t“Modest” Molly sighed rolling her eyes “You know if you ever want to get anywhere in this industry you’ll need to learn how to take a compliment Kimi. Especially when it is for genuinely good work.”

\t“S-sorry” Kimi muttered “I’m very sorry about that too Ma’am. I’ll try to fix it.” the poor opossum shuffled her feet a bit and sighed softly. Her tail whipped and thumped nervously behind her as she stayed very still. For the past three years Kimi had been able to get away with doing her job and avoiding any serious contact with her co-workers or boss. Show up in her little office compartment, jump on the network and pump out content. All she could really bring herself to do was brace under the womans gaze and keep her eyes shifting between the simple patterns in the carpet and the thin metal rim of her glasses.

\tMolly grumbled a bit but shook her head and sighed. “Never mind. Look. The point is that I’ve had a few words with the boss and with our new owner though the takeover. There are going to be some changes upcoming around the company. I mentioned the work you have done and it sounds like the new owner wants to have a word with some of our key staff. That includes you.”

\tKimi tensed harder and curled her toes. “Me? Oh no ma’am. No no that’s ok. I am sure plenty of other people would like to take you up on the offer. I mean it’s really a group effort. It’s all a team. I don’t think I’d be able to…”

\t“Shut it” The boar growled. “Look kid. I like you. You’re a good worker. I get it that this might make you a bit nervous but this is happening. The new owner wants to meet my best people, and you are just that. Maybe when you calm down you’ll realize that this is a huge opportunity. Regardless, she’s going to be making a stop to tour us in a week. Apparently she wants to ensure everything is up to snuff. I don’t know how this is all going to play out, and you’re one of the few people here I actually want to see stick around. That means I want you putting your best foot forward when we have our meeting. You got that kid?”

\tKimi let out a soft, shallow whine that could reasonably be taken as an acknowledgement. She clasped her arm harder and glanced up nervously over the rims of her glasses. She mouthed, and murmured a few half spoken words. She glanced at her boss, and then nervously cast her violet orbs over towards the door with the kind of longing rarely seen outside of an elementary school detention hall.

\tMolly opened her mouth to say something, then simply sighed and shook her head “Go. I’ll have your calendar marked with the date. And for gods sake buy yourself something a bit more professional to wear.”

\tKimi yelped and nodded a bit before quickly turning to leave the room. She didn’t hear Molly’s little contemptuous chuckle as she left but she felt the crushing weight of what had just been put on her and did her best to calm herself down. The work stations on the main floor were a pretty typical modern setup. Small, thin, prefabricated walls hooked to a grid in the ceiling to create a large area of small individual office spaces.

\tTo most of the employees these spaces were nothing more than work stations to be avoided until some form of actual work was finally required. Already many of her co workers were talking in the hallway or hanging out in the doors of their little offices. Some had one or two of their walls removed entirely for better ‘brainstorming’.

\tAll Kimi could do was dash though the corridors like some dank underwater tunnels, seeking out the thin walled box with her name on it. She plodded clumsily over the thin carpet with eyes glancing around nervously. The strain made her lungs ache, her heart scream and thud. Her hand trembling as she desperately dashed though the boxes and around other people until finally, thankfully she dashed and fumbled her way to the little metal-and-fabric box she basically called home.

\tA quick swipe of the paw over a sensor and the door slid open. She practically fell in and sighed a few deep breaths as the door slid shut once more. It wasn’t until she was back, safe in her little fabric covered box that Kimi finally felt her knees give out from under her. She slumped helplessly down a moment and winced as she felt herself hyperventilate ever so slightly. A growing tightness in her chest that made the thick sweater feel like it was made of lead with each slow, steady gasp she took.

\tHer hands trembled, tears started to well up in her eyes, each deep shivering gasp made the following one harder, made her chest feel that much more tense. She twitched, shivered, strained to make her body move. Hand fumbling to the top of the small mini fridge snatching up a tiny pastel blue plastic L and popping off the cap at the bottom.

\tA few desperate puffs on that little inhaler started to untie the knot of pressure in her lungs. The anxiety still hovered. It was still strong and throbbing as she struggled to calm herself. But at the very least she could breath easily again. More importantly she could think clearly again.

\tMeetings were bad, very bad. Worse when there was conflict. For the past few years the young woman had gotten by simply from avoiding her coworkers and doing the one thing she loved.

\tIt would probably be evident to anyone bothered stepping into her cube, presuming such a thing ever actually happened. The walls were covered with old posters and promo materials, including an animated smart poster from Skybreaker, the first set she had ever played back when she was a kid.

\tThere were other posters as well, character promotions, posters from other games by the company, small one off holo games and expansions that were generally only remembered by the hardcore fans who ate, slept and breathed ‘Warriors of Elysian’.

\tAlong with it were a wide array of battlers and also so model kits from competitors. Stacks of chips with her various shows and novels littered the room along with a small collection of traditional smart paper books and a comfy reclining chair that took up far more of the available floor space than it should.

\tIt was far more a coffin apartment than an office, right down to the food wrappers and stale smell of her own body sealed firmly within. People never really paid enough attention to question why Kimi never left and frankly that suited her just fine. The last thing she wanted was attention.

\tWhich was exactly what she was going to get, now that some big shot was apparently coming to meet her.

\tKimi pulled herself up from the ground slowly. She was still trembling and found it hard to keep her feet. Thankfully it was only a few steps between her door and the big, plush work chair where the soft little opossum spent most of her time. She flopped into the plush synthetic leather and tossed her inhaler on to the desk with a small groan. It was bad enough that they expected the new set to be finished in such an insane schedule, but it seemed now that she didn’t even get a say over the theme.

\tThe beauty of lazy co-workers was that Kimi had gotten to more or less dictate the story by way of her designs. Even if she technically wasn’t on the writing staff. Cloud documents would fill up with potential parts, rule sets and basic visual designs she had hammered out, and the others just filled in what they could of it and took credit. It was almost liberating in a way. Not that Kimi felt any sort of real ego trip from her arrangement. Hell this was probably the first time she had gotten any real praise. Or maybe it wasn’t. There were a backlog of non-essential office notes and messages she had just never paid attention to.

\tEither way she was, at the very least, free. Free of the social constraints and attention and horrible proximity of others. Kimi shut her eyes a moment and willed the document from the new company owner into her HUD. The idea of anyone exerting that much control over her designs was a bitter pill, but it was sadly the price she had to pay for the job she loved. At least for now.

\tThe document started up and instantly a massive flood of data went from the cloud to her secured desk terminal. Reams of data, at least a Zettabite, unloaded and unfolded itself from its compressed little data packet. The HUD flashed things about authentication and file integrity and other words Kimi only vaguely knew before finally stopping dead, leaving her with nothing but an ethereal glow surrounding her glasses.

\tA figure stood before her. A strong, powerful, cunning looking wolfess in a regal looking silver gown stepped its way out of the digital nothingness. She was quite lovely. A thought Kimi really didn’t have about people often, though it was somewhat easier with a recording. The figure of the woman stood on the desk and looked directly at Kimi with a warm smile. She had kind, friendly eyes and a confident posture that somehow made the designer feel both at ease and somehow a bit inferior. Though the latter feeling was hardly something new for her.

\t“Greetings, Ms. Stone. My name is Ilka Thanedotter. As you may have heard I recently purchased your wonderful little company. I understand very well that such transitions can set the employees of any company at ease.” the wolf woman said firmly “I also know that Global Mirage has been having a bit of a slump lately. As such the rumor mill is probably going wild. I am making these personalized recordings for you in the hopes of helping to ease your transition and clarify just what is going to happen on the road ahead.”

\t“First and foremost I want you all to know, your jobs are safe. None of you will be let go. At the very least I don’t plan on letting anyone go at this time. There is naturally the same expectation of hard work that I am sure you have all kept up before. But I am not buying this company simply as another venture. Like many people in countless sectors of the known galaxy I grew up with your product. I am intimately familiar with your product. Even now as I work at lifes more… pressing tasks. It has been with me as a beloved little pastime I cannot stand to see dissolved.”

\tIt was tempting to stop the recording right there. The past year or so had seen the company go from a slump to a harder nose dive. People really didn’t respond to the poor marketing and archaic core systems that rarely got updated. As popular as the game had been they were finally hitting the point where coasting on a good idea was not enough.

\tThe idea that the new owner was someone who cared took a serious weight off of Kimis mind. The fact that she might not have to go though the nightmare process of job interviews again, even more so.

\tShe looked back down at the little figure of the woman as she walked along the desk. Small wisps of the holo-recording stage could be seen around the womans feet, which were apparently bare for some odd reason. Her gown trailed along the ground creating water-like ripples in the visual display behind it.

\t“I have done my homework on the design team, and for you, Ms. Stone, I have compiled a very detailed list of both the new mechanics I hope to see presented and a new update for your design tools that will help you design properly for the new AI firmware we will be using. Both the firmware and the tool plug-in are of my own design, so hopefully there shouldn’t be any major issues. But considering my impending visit, I am sure you can bring up any problems you find with them to me in person.”

\t“Wait. This thing is interactive?” Kimi blinked and leaned in a bit. The wolf figure laughed softly and smirked, almost aware of Kimi studying every fine detail of the recording.

\t“I take it you didn’t realize? This simulation is designed to function as a help tool. I realize the pressure constraints I have put you all under and as such I wanted to ensure I provided my new people with all the help I could. Especially with all of the changes I want to push. WoE deserves to be on top again. Not just in a few colonies and satellites, but everywhere. We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand. We are the first, and we deserve to be the best.”

\tKimi stopped a moment. She waved a paw and paused the simulation. The wolf simply standing at ease while the young woman bit her lip hard and squirmed back into her seat. Something in her brain clicked. Something confusing she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

\tSomething about the wolf. Something she said, maybe something she did. There was a little sliver in Kimis brain. Something that was sticking with her. She looked at the paused figure of that statuesque young woman. She was young, had to be younger than Kimi by nearly a decade at least. Yet she seemed so strong, powerful, regale. It was hard not to fixate on her just a bit.

\tYet more than that something needled her about the words. This girl talking to her had struck a chord. Her mind slowly churned over the odd sensation as she began to fixate a bit. Running though the words in her head a moment. She looked down at the figure for a long time. Ms. Thanedotter standing there still and calm, patiently. Nervously Kimi slumped down in her chair and glanced around the room a moment trying hard to collect her thoughts.

\t “Can… you say that last line again?” Kimi asked, tilting her head to the side.

\t“Repeating.” the simulation said flatly “We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand. We are the first, and we deserve to be the best”

\tThose white-grey cheeks took on a blushing tinge as Kimi let her eyes slip shut a moment. She gripped her chair a bit and leaned back just a little. The sensors catching her before reclining and giving her something to press her back against.

\tShe took a few breaths. Soft and shallow at first, but deeper. Maybe it was the stress, the anxiety. Maybe it was finally getting an endorphin shot after realizing she wasn’t going to lose her job just yet. But for some reason she felt this odd sensation  on hearing that. A sensation she couldn’t quite explain, but which she felt again even with the thing playing it back to her.

\t“Again, please. Starting… starting from ’we are’” Kimi muttered as she looked down at the figure.

\t“We aren’t just some little loser knockoff brand” The recording said once more, and this time Kimi shot her paw up quickly to stop the figure. “I… ok. F-from just some this time, please.”

“Just some little loser knock-”

\t“No, stop there.” She realized what it was. She thought she did anyways. Kimi sat up and took a deep breath as she squirmed down into her seat a moment. She looked at the wolf and bit her lip nervously. This was stupid, painfully stupid. It really didn’t make any sense. Yet something about those words, that word…

\t“Ms. Thanedotter, could you put that word… put… loser… on repeat, please?”

\t“Loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser…”

\tKimi blushed hard as she leaned back, her eyes slipped shut and her paw moving to push up her sweater just a bit to rub a hand over her doughy little tummy. This all felt so very wrong. She let the word slip into her head, the way the womans tone of voice carried. Her odd strength. Her regale bearing. It was such a silly stupid thing. Yet she couldn’t help but slowly rub her awkward paw up and down bare fur as she listened to the word on repeat. Trying to imagine it in different ways. Sympathetic, aloof, venomous, all directed at her.

\t“Ms. Thanedotter…” Kimi muttered a bit as she slowly sank further into her chair. “I hate to ask. But I am curious” She blushed a bit harder. It felt so stupid being this awkward about questions to a simulation. But then this whole thing felt so awkward and stupid. “I wonder. Does this simulation, can you string together like… sentences?”

\tThe simulation stopped its repeat and looked up “Ms. Stone, I am as advanced as any Battler your company produces. I am fully capable of articulating thoughts you may wish in the proper tone and mannerisms for Ms. Thanedotter, provided it doesn't breach my inbuilt security protocols.”

\t“Security protocols? Why would… never mind.” Kimi sighed “Look I want to ask you if you’ll say something. Just, just say one little thing for me, that’s all.”

\t“I am more than capable of fulfilling this task” the cheerful simulation replied “Please input your request. I am sure I can accommodate.”

\t“Well you see it isn’t quite that simple. I mean it is, but it’s kind of embarrassing. I mean I want you to say it, b-but…” This was stupid. Everything about this felt like the dumbest series of events Kimi had ever undertaken. She’d spent half her life dealing with people calling her names and belittling her then the other half shutting herself away. She didn’t really do ‘people’. Hell she didn’t even really do proper ‘sex’.

\tStill the poor little Opossum couldn’t help herself. Cheeks burning red and body tingling she pushed her hips out a bit and tugged her skirt sloppily to the side, exposing a pair of well worn white cotton panties. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words out loud. Maybe because it was too humiliating. Maybe because she didn’t want to hear them from her own lips. She simply thought them to the file in a short nervous burst without bothering to adjust for tone.

\tThe simulation blinked a moment and a slow grin crossed the false Ms. Thanedotter’s muzzle. She took a couple of steps forwards and looked up into Kimis eyes. A strong, predatory growl echoing in her throat.

\t“You are a loser, Ms. Stone.” the wolfess growled “An ugly, smelly, dirty little loser.”

\tKimi yelped and moaned as she pushed back in her seat. Digits pushing into damp panties as she curled herself back a bit and let her other paw climb until it reached her less than ample chest. A nice tight squeeze and a soft groan slipping free. “A-again…” she whimpered softly

\t“Look at you. Sick little vermin sitting there in your chair. Just touching her body like some horny teenager. When was the last time you even showered?”

\tKimi blinked a bit and looked down at the figure in shock from her contorted position. “What did… what did you just say?”

\t“Extrapolating algorithm based on parameters.” The wolf said cheerily. Kimi could swear that there was a hint of malice in that little face. Though really that wasn’t possible. “Is this line of dialogue consistent with your initial request?”

\tIt was a shock to say the very least. Kimi nodded softly and sank back into her chair as she squirmed harder. It was almost bad enough that she knew what she was doing herself. It was a horrible thing to realize what she was getting off to. But somehow it was far worse with this mindless little simulated being, this recording, ‘knowing’ what she wanted. It made it worse, and made it hot.

\t“C-continue. Please.” She all but begged.

\t“That’s what I should be saying to you, dirty little loser. I didn’t tell you to stop did I?”

\t“No Ms. Thanedotter, I guess not.” The opossum muttered.

\t“Then don’t stop.” The wolfess growled “Show me how a geeky little dweeb like you jills off. I’m curious. Show me if those clumsy little meat hooks of yours can really get you excited.”

\tThe demand was odd, but exciting. The cramped little room quickly started to hot box with her own awkward little noises and her own scent. It was strong enough that she could already smell it even with the vents overhead sucking out old air and pumping in new. She pushed her fingers against the damp fabric firmly and started to rock her hips. Her other paw mashing and kneading her chest awkwardly while one eye slipped open enough to look at the beautiful little projection before her.

\t“You really are a little freak, aren’t you?” The wolf growled “Don’t move those panties. I see what you’re doing. Just keep up with what you’re doing. You’re going to get off like the dweeby little overgrown middle-schooler you really are.”

\tKimi panted and gasped and growled as she just rocked her hips and wriggled helplessly to the dirty, nasty words. She had masturbated before. Hell she did it quite frequently when bored or distracted. But somehow this, this was just so different. Her body shook helplessly and toes curled as she pushed and tweaked her body roughly and clumsily. Pushed herself to the brink of orgasm for Ms. Thanedotter, for that cruel, wonderful wolf woman who just utterly hated the fat, disgusting little trash smelling bitch Kimi.

\t“Go on. Cum” The simulation snarled.

\tWant to or not Kimi’s body complied. She shoved the side of her face into her seat and squirmed as the peak of an orgasm rolled into her body. Every inch of her tingled and thrummed as she gasped for air and choked back a gasp of muted bliss.

\tWhen it all finished she simply melted back into the chair gasping and panting. Her fingers reaching up and gripping the inhaler. They were still a bit sticky with her juices and Kimi blushed as she got a taste of herself along with the fresh puff of medication.

\tFinally her brain settled. The shameful pleasure of her nasty little distraction parted just a bit as Kimi began to wonder just how the simulation had gotten so… visceral. How she had gotten so caught up in knowing just what Kimi wanted. The tone, the feelings. Desires the gawky little Opossum didn’t even know she had.

\tShe was quiet for a long moment. Just looking at the image, looking at gorgeous Ms. Thanedotter.

\t“No further incoming messages. Prompt closing, would you like to save this protocol?” The simulation asked in a cheery tone.

\tKimi blinked and blushed hard as she realized what had happened. That first little message she sent had opened a little mental channel. The thing, that simulation, had been reading her mind the whole time. Taking her deep dark fantasies and putting them out on display. Making Kimi endure what she wanted deep down.

\tThe shocking idea that she might in fact be a rather fucked up little masochist swept though her mind a moment. It was admittedly a bit overwhelming to consider. But in her post-masturbatory state Kimi felt other thoughts come to the fore. “Y-yea. Yeah I guess you can save it” She nodded “You know, for later. Ms. Thanedotter. I am curious. Are you… are you using the new interface that you, well the real Ms. Thanedotter, was talking about sending us?”

\tThe cruel dominant wolf of a few moments ago was once again cheery and professional. She nodded as she waved her hand bringing up a few displays of technical info that Kimi didn’t really understand. “That’s absolutely correct Ms. Stone. I contain parts of the alpha code to be used in the next WoE expansion. I am designed to be far more responsive and adaptable to the actual will and desires of my user than the older proprietary software you have been using.”

\t“I… ok wow. That is. Was all of that really in my head?” she blinked ‘I mean did I really want all of that stuff?”

\t“I can confirm that the new algorithm is based entirely on transmissions from you as my current user. I merely extrapolated the emotional and neurological information sent from your jack. If I were to guess, I would say it was a satisfactory translation?”

\tKimi shook her head and blushed harder .”I… I don’t know.” she sighed. “I get the feeling it was. I mean I think it really really was!” she went quiet a moment and slumped back into her own minor mess letting her thoughts run and bounce around a moment or two. “This is going to sound like a stupid question, but do you know anything about the woman you’re based on? Like, what she’s actually about? Who she is? Maybe… maybe what she likes?” she blushed hard and glanced down to the side again with a soft whine.

\t“I am programmed with all relevant data to ensure that I can simulate her mannerisms and responses with 97% accuracy.” the little image said proudly. “I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about your new owner.”

\tKimi blushed at that. So many ways that could be taken wrong. She almost wanted to comment, but then thought better of it and shrugged softly. “Well, I guess maybe compile some of that and save it for later.” she sighed “For now please just bring up the desired themes and design details I’m supposed to be working with. I’m… I think I’m a bit curious just what she wants to do with this new power.”

\tImages came up. Design concepts, documents, lots of things both drawn and even seemingly modeled by real people. A flood of images and sensory information hitting the little opossum all at once. Her violet eyes went wide as a small grin started to cross her lips. She shifted in her own uncomfortable little dampness and churred, installing the new plugins to her virtual workspace and starting up a blank project.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

\tMirage station only had a couple of hubs for docking larger ships. Anything bigger than a transport class generally had to meet at either end of the stations main spoke, which in turn had a long transport and storage area between any docking ship and the station proper.

\tKimi stood beside her boss in the best approximation of attention that she could muster. She could feel the old boar giving her a wicked little sideways glance. Kimi had put some effort in on her looks. A new bit of dye that didn’t really show up too well and was already fading. About a half hour to get out a few of the worse mats of hair she had. Her sweater and skirt were the same as they had been but she had at least gone over a few spots with one of those cheap fabric markers to get out the worse stains.

\tIt was a travesty of a display, but then that was why Kimi had a nice little grin on her face.

\tThe last of the large blast doors opened and the offload platform slowly crawled its way towards them. Those present looked almost comically colorful. A rather casual and gothy looking Rat woman in a skull Tee and plaid skirt. Some young skunk girl with a super high end looking data jack poking out of her head, wrapped up in what Kimi had to assume was some kind of body sleeve to help with extended decking. At least half a dozen mercs with heavy weapons flaking the trio on either side. Then there was her. At the center. A strong, powerful wolfess with flowing hair wearing a rather beautiful blue and silver three-piece suit.

\tShe stood there like a goddess mere steps from the safety bar. Looking forward with a noble smirk on her face as she surveyed her new domain. Kimi wanted to shrink behind her boss the second those piercing blue eyes fell on her. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. It would just ruin everything.

\tThe platform locked in with a loud, hard thud. Magnetic clamps locking it in place as the safety bar opened and the Wolfess strode forward with a nice, wide, wicked grin. She approached Mr. D’artagnan who quickly took her hand and bowed, kissing it gently before standing back up. “Good evening my dear. I am so glad you could make it out to inspect our happy little facility.” He beamed.

\t“Yes, I’m sure you are. I have to say this station is looking very well kept considering its age, and considering your finances of late.” Ilkas words were calm and smooth. Silvery and metal sharp in a way that made Kimi shudder.

\t“Well thankfully it was well made, and we have had many years to invest in its construction. Every employee on site and their families, such as they are, deserves to have a station they can be proud of after all.” He nodded “Now then before we begin I would like to make some introductions. First there is my staff manager, Molly Graves.”

\tThe boar nodded a bit and smiled. Ilka smirked back and nodded. “Miss Graves. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. It sounds like you’ve been dragging things along pretty well since you took over.”

\t“Just trying to make sure we make our street dates Ma’am.” She replied curtly. “And this here would be my top worker.”

\t“Kimi stone” the opossum blurted out with an awkward little yelp. Her body shivering as she looked up at that pretty young wolf and clumsily offered her hand, eyes looking nervously to the side. “I-it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Ms. Thanedotter.”

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