Duel Introvert Stalemate

Sophia Maoulin

Sophia leaned back in her chair while conversing with her laptop. Listening to her speak was the program version of her friend Katie Miller, or as they had nicknamed it, CKT for Cyber-Katie. The latter was displayed, like always, as a 2D sprite.

“I also found some unusual wording in the rules,” Sophia explained excitedly, continuing her long lecture on how she planned to exploit the game. “It says that the 'normal item shop' cannot offer anything that goes against the rules. But the fact that this specifies’ normal item shop implies that other shops might be different. Otherwise, they would have just said ‘shop,’ right? And don’t forget that Azure mentioned a secret shop earlier. It doesn’t take a genius to guess what that means.”

“You really have this all planned out, huh?” the computer Katie asked, her voice transcribed into the text box below.

“Oh, I haven’t even gotten started,” Sophia boasted.

“So, what’s your plan for Levi?”

Sophia’s smile faded. “Huh?”

Katie’s expression changed to worried, her image barely updating beyond the change in the face, the program only having so many sprites.

“Levi… you know… the master of the game?” Katie explained slowly.

“I know who he is,” Sophia counted.

“Ok, so what’s your plan for him?” CKT asked again. “You know, to get him to like you?”

Sophia’s mouth hung open, but no sound came out.

She realized she had done it again. The girl had become so fixated on the fun, trivial details that she had utterly forgotten the basics. She hadn’t just missed the forest for the trees; she had overlooked an entire jungle for a single leaf.

“I guess… I’ll just wing it?” She said, completely unsure.

CKT changed to her annoyed sprite.

“This isn’t something you should wing. None of your strategies will make a difference if you can’t score. You’re only one point away from elimination as it is.”

Sophia glanced up at the scoreboard towards her single VP. While doing so, she noted that Tomoko, Elena, and Ji-Woo had made BP purchases, with the latter having spent twenty points.

“Technically, I’m two points from elimination, not one,” Sophia corrected. “You can be at zero and be fine.”

“BE SERIOUS!”

“I am serious,” She voiced defensively. “I’m sorry. I just got excited, and I lost track of things. You know how weird my brain is.”

“It’s fine,” CKT sighed. “Let’s just… go over your current situation. Have you even talked to him yet”

“Oh yeah, we chatted this morning.”

“Ok, that’s good. What did you talk about?”

“Uh, well, we crashed into each other, and he saw up my skirt due to the mind control thing,” Sophia recalled. “And then I started telling him about my theories on how the whole control thing worked and…”

“Did you talk with him or at him?” CKT asked, cutting her off.

Sophia was about to say it was the former, but as she considered more, she realized she couldn’t recall giving Levi a chance to speak.

“I… I’m an idiot, aren’t I?” Sophia admitted after a long pause.

“No, you just… get carried away. But to win this game, you’ll need to socialize with him.”

“I know. I just… have trouble with that. You know how I am with cues. I don’t know how to get people to like me.”

“People like you when you let them get to know you,” CKT offered. “And besides, boys are easy. They’re starved for girls complements. Plus, they love it if you let them talk about themselves. You just have to listen.”

“Listen? But what if he’s boring?” Sophia asked.

CKT would have facepalmed if she had the animation to do so. “Tell me you’re joking,” she pleaded.

Before Sophia could answer, the door to her room opened. Her roommate, Kaitlyn, entered. She wrapped a towel around her, covering up the swimsuit she wore.

“There you are. The party’s about to start,” Kaitlyn informed the other girl.

“Oh hey, Kaitlyn,” Sophia beamed. “How did things go with Lauren?” She added without thinking.

Kaitlyn's jaw clenched as she narrowed her eyes. “Fine,” she lied unconvincingly, but Sophia missed the cue entirely. “Are you still on that database of yours?” she asked, glancing at the laptop.

Sophia clarified, “No, I’m just chatting with Katie.”

“Right,’ Katie,’” her roommate repeated uncomfortably. Sophia had shown her the imitation program the night before, but instead of being impressed, Kaitlyn found it deeply unnerving.

“You shouldn’t spend all day with that,” Kaitlyn expressed. “It’s unhealthy.”

Sophia laughed, assuming she was joking. “Ok, Mom, I won’t play too many video games.”

“I’m serious. That program came from Azure. She might use it to trick you,” Kaitlyn warned.

“Don’t worry,” Sophia reassured. “I know Katie enough to tell if Azure was talking through her.”

“But it’s not your friend Katie, that’s the problem,” Kaitlyn explained. “It’s just a program pretending to be her. It’s not real.”

“How rude,” CKT said in response to the cheerleader, causing her to flinch. The program chuckled before becoming somber and confessing, “But she’s right, Sophia. I’m not really Kate. I’m just an approximation. Without a soul or mind, I can’t fully replicate a human’s complexity, let alone Katie Miller.”

Sophia sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I know, but talking to you makes me feel more stable, and sometimes I just need that,” she said, trailing off as she became self-conscious from her roommate listening.

Kaitlyn shook her head as she watched Sophia retreat inwardly. She couldn’t quite understand that girl. One moment, she was talkative; the next, she withdrew like a turtle. “Whatever, I wanted to make sure you’re at the pool soon. Levi could show up any minute.”

“I’ll be there,” Sophia reassured.

---

Elena Mendez

Elena’s heart pounded in her chest as she frantically navigated the corridors of the ancient castle, looking desperately for someone who could help. The echo of the explosions and roars still resonated in her ears, a haunting reminder of how fear had driven her to flee, leaving Tomoko behind. Anxiety gripped her every step, the weight of worry etched across her face.

As she turned a corner, her eyes widened with disbelief and relief as she spotted Tomoko strolling towards her, seemingly untouched by the chaos, a nonchalant smile playing on her lips.

“Tomoko! You’re ok,” Elena cried.

“Oh, hey. What’s up?” Tomoko asked, casually waving at her with a goofy grin.

“What’s up?” Elena repeated incredulously. “I’ve been so worried something horrible happened to you. I’ve been looking all over for Alison, but I couldn’t find her, and I felt so guilty and…”

Hey, take it easy, Princess. I’m alright,” her new friend said, holding her arms and spinning around to show herself. “Look!”

Tears filled Elena’s eyes. “I’m so sorry for leaving you like that.”

“Hey, don’t even stress about it. You were right. I was being a moron,” Tomoko said. She added sadly, “I could have died.”

A few moments later, her face brightened, “But I didn’t, so there’s no point in worrying about it, you know?”

Elena was surprised by how quickly Tomoko could happily brush off everything. “Are you sure you’re ok?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, pal,” Tomoko replied confidently. “As I said, everything’s good.”

“Ok,” Elena said slowly. “Did you find out what all that noise was?”

“No, when I arrived there, everything seemed normal. No damage or danger.”

“How strange,” Elena mused.

“Well, I did find something,” Tomoko added. “Lauren was napping outside.”

“Lauren?” Elena asked, surprised.

“Yeah, but she didn’t see anything,” Tomoko said, scratching her head. Then she joked, “Maybe she made the noise.”

The two laughed at the absurdity of the idea.

---

Sophia Maoulin

Alone in the locker room, Sophia was frustrated as she searched for her swimsuit. Since each contestant’s entire wardrobe had been moved to the changing rooms, there was a lot to go through to find what she needed. These lockers weren’t designed to be used like a closet, so could only hold so much. As a result, Sophia’s wardrobe spanned over twelve of them.

Of course, that number was relatively small compared to other competitors. Lauren alone had an entire wall to herself.

She finally found her one-piece in the last locker, its contents mostly consisted of her underwear. She vaguely wondered if the suit would fit after the bust increase she had gotten yesterday. Though, looking in the locker, she couldn’t help but notice that all of her bras had grown to accommodate her no longer flat chest.

‘How convenient,’ she thought, closing the door.

She was about to start undressing, but a bizarre thought popped into her head. For absolutely no reason whatsoever, she resolved to go to a closet instead and change there.

Not questioning this bizarre desire, she carried the suit out of the locker room. Stepping out into the hallway, she spotted what looked to be a janitor’s closet. She stepped in and close the door, just missing Tomoko and Elena who entered the changing room she just left.

Alone in the closet, Sophia began to strip.

Moments later, Levi stepped into the hallway wearing swim trunks, flip-flops, and a towel. He had never been to this part of the fortress before and had to rely on a map to find it. As he got closer to the contestant’s living spaces and the pool, he noticed that the stone aesthetic of the castle was replaced with polished wood.

He knew he was late for his own party but had needed some extra time to work up the courage. Still, he had managed to get himself going. Olivia’s comments about taking responsibility still weighed heavily on his mind.

As he approached the door to the pool, he was suddenly struck by an inexplicable belief that one of the closets on the way was the entrance instead. He absentmindedly opened the first one he came across.

After swinging the door open, It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at. His heart then sank as he realized his mistake.

Standing in front of him, half undressed, was Sophia. Her hoodie was half way off her body, exposing her bra. Meanwhile, her skirt was in the process of being removed, flashing her panty clad butt right at Levi.

Undressed in Front of Master: +4 VP

Entirely by Compulsion: 50% Reduction

She stared at him, frozen and mouth agape, as her brain took an unreasonably long to process what was happening. Finally, she shrieked.

“Eek! Pervert!”

With newfound agility, she swiftly kicked Levi in the face, sending him hurtling down the hall. Moments later, her eyes refocused as her compulsion cleared.

“Oh… oh no. Sorry!” she apologized. ‘God, is this all Azure thinks anime is?’ She mentally added, bitterly.

“It’s okay,” Levi responded from across the hall, as he felt the pain instantly subside. He then added awkwardly, “Uh, hi.”

Sophia was about to close the door to resume changing, but as the the initial shock of their unexpected meeting wore off, a realization hit her. This was the exact sort of opportunity that Katie had talked about. She had Levi all to herself. It was the perfect time to impress him.

Sophia began to focus, barely even conscious of the fact that she was only half dressed. She gestured for Levi to come closer. As he approached, she opened her mouth, hoping to come up with the perfect opener to draw him in.

“So, do you watch anime?”

She internally facepalmed.

Levi grinned. “Oh yeah, I’m a big anime fan. I love DBZ.”

Sophia felt a wave of relief. “And?” she asked, pressing him to continue.

Levi didn’t anticipate being asked to list more. “Uh… I used to watch Pokémon,” he offered after considering for a lengthy moment.

‘So he’s a casual,’ Sophia thought but managed to keep herself from vocalizing it. Still, the disappointment on her face was not lost on Levi.

“Uh, I’ve watched a bit of Gundam SEED,” he added, feeling under interrogation.

“Oh nice,” Sophia expressed, lightening up a bit. “How do you think it ranks among the other Gundam's?”

“There are other Gundam's?”

Sophia nearly crumpled from the sudden weakness in her knees. “Oh no,” she murmured, not realizing she spoke it out loud.

Levi was **** now to save the conversation. “Oh, I nearly forgot. I love Avatar.”

Sophia couldn’t stop herself. “AVATAR IS NOT ANIME!” She blurted in frustration, causing Levi to recoil.

Shamed the Master For His Interest: -2 VP

She’s Not Wrong, Though: +1 VP

That Can Be Debated: -1 VP

Cram It You Two. This Isn't the Place: +0 VP

“That’s not what I meant.” Sophia expressed regretfully, instantly regaining her composure. “You can like what you like.”

“Uh, thanks.”

A long silence followed. The awkwardness shared between the two introverts was suffocating.

Sophia was sweating, trying to find a topic to save the conversation. But her nerves were causing her brain to pull up blanks.

‘Complement him, you idiot,’ she thought, remembering Katies advice. Blurting the first thing that popped into her head, she said, “I like your flip-flops. They’re uh… very blue….”

‘Oh my god, just stab me,’ the voice in her head moaned.

“Thanks. I like your outfit,” Levi said automatically before becoming self-conscious of how said outfit was her underwear. “Uh, if that’s ok. I mean, sorry if that came out wrong. But, uh...”

Levi felt he was struggling, and Sophia’s apparent social awkwardness only worsened it. Thankfully, he was saved by a newcomer. Unfortunately, it was from the last person he wanted to see.

“Ah, there you are, Mr. Summers,” Ji-Woo said, having approached the group unnoticed. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts over her bathing suit.

“As your secretary, I must inform you that you are 5 minutes late for your… appointment,” Ji-Woo explained without prompt.

Levi became tense as soon as he saw her. He attempted to look at her directly, but the sight of her was too much for him to handle, and he could only look away. The intense rush of emotions Levi felt upon seeing the woman who caused his family’s breakup caused him to forget that Sophia was still present.

“I can escort you to the pool,” Ji-Woo offered, but Levi rushed towards the pool before she could finish. Taking a moment to give Sophia a prying look, Ji-Woo followed him.

Now alone, Sophia pounded her head against a wall. “God damn it! What’s wrong with me?”

---

Elena Mendez

“Ok, I’m all ready,” Tomoko beamed as she used the locker room mirror to inspect how her newly purchased bikini looked on her. Satisfied with her appearance, she walked over to Elena.

“Just a second,” Elena replied nervously. She was clad only in a towel, knowing that any other outfit would be ruined due to what she was about to do. The covering of her body was purely due to habit though, as her lack of gown made her feel naked anyway.

Trying to ignore Tomoko gazing at her, she looked again at the One-Shot card she had just purchased, reading it for the hundredth time.

Stargazing One-Shot: 10 BP

Turn the sky into a romantic nighttime starscape for three hours. Any day or night game effects will trigger to reflect it being night.

“Come on, ya doing it or not?” Tomoko asked with mock impatience.

“Yeah, on it."

Elena took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She held it out, not sure how it worked. “Activate,” she said.

---

Olivia Booker

“Yaaahhh!” Olivia shouted, throwing another punch into the air. The woman stood within one of the castle's many empty rooms, which she had found contained basic aerobics gear. It had almost seemed too convenient, but Olivia decided to make the best of it anyway. The afternoon sun shined from the courtyard outside the window of the room.

Despite the lovely view, she couldn’t enjoy it due to her increasing frustration with how quickly she was getting tired. Although still fitter than half the other competitors, she was far from the powerhouse she used to be before losing her strength.

“Haaa!” she cried, lifting her leg for a kick. However, due to her tired state and unfamiliarity with her new proportions, she lost her balance and fell onto her face.

“GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!”

“Do it again! You're not fucking weak!” she declared, getting to her feet.

She kicked once more, this time flawlessly. Unfortunately, it gave her no satisfaction, considering she should never have had difficulty in the first place.

She repeated her reps, fighting through how much her muscles were burning. She only stopped when she was interrupted by something very unusual.

The sun hanging above quickly darted across the sky before setting nearly instantly. The moon rose just as fast as the sky became dark, save for the illuminating light of the countless stars on a cloudless night.

“The fuck?” she asked. “What is this? More magic bullshit?” She then shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever, not my problem.”

She resumed her training under the illumination of the moon.

---

Elena Mendez

Elena watched as the color drained from her card, leaving grey and faded white. The words “USED” illustrated themselves in red letters beneath the description.

“Did it work?” Tomoko asked.

Elena was about to respond before an overwhelming sensation hit her.

Instantly, Elena’s body began to shift. She could feel the rapid surge of energy, like a mighty current flowing through her. Her towel fell as her skin strained to contain her growing muscles and the burgeoning strength within them. Her growing pectorals pushed her breasts forward, as they too gained volume.

Elena’s height increased, and she could feel the ground beneath her receding as she soared to new heights. It was a rush, an exhilarating sensation that sent waves of pleasure through her body.

The muscles continued to swell, each fiber expanding and defining itself. Simultaneously, her hair grew long and wavy, cascading down her back in a luxurious mane.

Elena reveled in the transformation, the sheer joy of becoming something more powerful than herself. It was as if every cell in her body vibrated with newfound power, a symphony of strength and might that filled her with a sheer joy that made her nipples harden.

As the changes ended, Elena opened her eyes to a world that looked different from her elevated perspective. She flexed her newly acquired muscles, feeling the raw power at her command and relishing the newfound confidence and dominance.

“Holy shit, that felt good,” she said in a deep and booming voice.

Tomoko could only stare, jaw hanging open and speechless. 'Wow, just when I assumed nothing else could awaken in me,' she thought.

---

Bonus Image