How Azure Got Her Groove Back

Years Ago

Jack stepped into his office, a satisfied sigh escaping as he closed the door behind him. The vibrant energy of the studio still buzzed in his veins, a reminder of the excitement of hosting another successful episode of Bimbo or Billionaire.

He paused momentarily, reflecting on how fortunate he was to have this incredible job. His game show had become a major sensation across the multiverse, captivating audiences with its simple format of sadistically transforming women into sluts as they tried to win money with their dignity intact.

This latest episode had been incredibly satisfying. The victim had gotten the billionaire case yet had been cursed to only be able to pay for things with her own body, making the cash useless. Not that it would have made a difference anyway, as she had also been rendered so stupid that she could no longer put two numbers together.

His smile grew wider as he heard a knock at his office door, expecting it to be his favorite former victim, a girl forever cursed to blow him when he did a particularly good job.

However, to his dismay, the redhead that entered wasn’t the one he expected, but instead, the last person he wanted to see.

"What the hell did you do!?" Azure roared, stomping into the office.

"You have to be more specific," Jack snickered.

Reaching the desk, Azure slammed both palms onto it. "Don't play dumb! You made a contestant into your assistant!"

Jack leaned into his chair. "You mean Chrissi? Yeah, we thought it would be funny to keep her around. I mean, she got every penalty box. The sheer odds of that are too hilarious to not be rewarded."

"You repeatedly told me the producers forbade you from having an assistant!" Azure growled.

"Oh, I lied about that," Jack explained without shame. "I just said it so you would stop asking."

Azure grabbed Jack's bowtie and pulled his face to hers, but he didn't react. "I deserve that role! Heck, I deserve to be a host! I'm the one who stays late into the night writing cases. Meanwhile, you just talk in front of a camera a few hours a week and go home.

"Oh, here we go again," Jack groaned.

Azure released his bowtie and pushed him back into his chair. "How dare you give co-lead to some airhead you created!"

Jack straightened his disheveled tie. "Hey, that's an insult to airheads. She's way stupider than that. Plus, have you seen her rack?"

Azure rolled her eyes. "Anyone can have a big rack. I could make my boobs twice as large if I wanted."

Jack interlocked his fingers over his stomach. "Interesting. If you want the job so badly, consider being a contestant too; you might be as 'lucky' as her. Lord knows a brain drain would make you more tolerable."

"Fuck you!"

"If you insist," Jack winked.

At this, flames erupted from Azure's eyes.

"You forget your place, little man!" she warned, her voice reverberating with chilling energy. "I mastered magic centuries before you even existed. Meanwhile, you're just a man. The only power you have is what the producers give you."

Jack waved his hand dismissively, too familiar with Azure's outbursts to be intimidated by them. "Oh, I know. Speaking of them, the producers approved Chrissi, too, so you're just wasting your time throwing a tantrum at me."

The red aura faded from Azure's eyes as they widened in surprise. However, they quickly narrowed with a new type of intensity.

"You could have fought back!"

Jack burst out laughing. "Are you joking?"

"You're the host," Azure reminded him. "You have leverage. You could have threatened to quit over the decision."

Jack shook his head in astonishment. "Are you insane? Why the hell would I ever do that? I don't even care."

"And that's the problem," Azure spat, crossing her arms. "You don't care about the quality of the show. You only took this gig for the powertrip. Meanwhile, I'm putting in the work to keep it afloat."

Jack was no longer amused. "You greatly overestimate how useful you are. You're not the only writer here."

"40% of the punishments you used on Chrissi were written by me!" Azure countered.

Jack finally got to his feet, his temper rising with him. "And 70% weren't. You delusional bitch. Don't act like you're the linchpin holding all of this together. We could operate fine without you."

"Good! Because unless you reverse this decision, then I'm quitting!"

Jack clapped his hands and cheered. "Thank god. Don't let the door hit your flat ass on the way out."

Azure slammed a fist onto the desk with such intensity that it shattered it in two. Jack swore, jumping back as splitters shot in every direction. As he watched Azure turn to storm out, he called after her. "Good! Quit! It was always going to end this way! You never had what it took for show business!"

Azure halted in her tracks, her expression shifting as she spun around to face him, vexation across her features. "I'm not quitting show business, you dickless moron. I'm switching to Harem Hotel."

Jack responded with an unbearably condescending smirk. "What, as a chorus girl? Or an extra in a stripper-themed season?"

"As an assistant writer,” she replied smugly. “I already got the offer."

"So, doing what you're already doing?"

"That's just the stepping stone, you idiot. I'm going to become a host. And then I'll show you what absolute professionalism is like."

Jack stared at her, gobsmacked, before bursting into laughter again. "You? A host? Do you think they'll just offer it to you on a silver platter?"

Azure held her head high. "I've seen the caliber of hosts they pick. They'll beg me to join when they see how many leagues above them I am."

She grinned maniacally. "And who knows. Once I've completely eclipsed you in success, maybe I'll return and take your job too. And then I'll make you into an assistant so slutty it makes Chrissi look like a nun!"

With that, she turned and slammed the door behind her, Jack being too dumbfounded by her delusions of grandeur to counter.

---

Today

Azure snapped out of her daydreams and surveyed her surroundings. She was back in her office, having left the auditorium the moment she announced Tomoko as the next date, neglecting her usual goodbyes.

She sighed, looking back to the monitor to see Tomoko attempting to eat her breakfast around her massive hooters. Azure expected Levi would be motorboating them that evening, but Azure was having trouble getting excited about the thought. The woman's rack made her once again think of Chrissi.

As Azure grew more aggravated, Alison materialized behind her. The host shook her head, not looking at her, "Well, look who decided to show up. You missed the kickoff."

Alison bowed her head slightly. "I apologize, Mistress. Please get me up to date. What did you do with Sophia?"

Azure's heart fell into her stomach. 'What? Does she know I threatened her? That's impossible.'

Alison continued. "Did you have her demonstrate how she took Levi's virginity, or simply use video? I know you mentioned wanting to reveal the news spectacularly."

"Oh, that. I did both," Azure explained in a casual tone as her heightened pulse returned to normal. "More importantly, where did you go off to?"

"Someone from the studio wanted to meet with you, so I guided them here," Alison explained.

"You brought someone into my domain without my permission?!" Azure asked angrily.

"The request outranked you. It came from the producers."

Azure clenched her chair armrest so hard that it snapped.

---

Nora Wolf

Levi sat awkwardly on a bench in the greenhouse. Across a circular wood table from him was Mrs. Wolf, sitting on a stone barrier. She had requested to meet with him right after the morning kickoff, reaching him before the other contestants who wanted to chat with him.

"So, what have you been up to since I saw you last?" Mrs. Wolf asked in an inviting tone, her voice smooth as she tried to downplay the tension in the air.

Levi stirred impatiently, his mind focused on Sophia, Ji-Woo, and the DVD he had seen of Mrs. Wolf. "I don't know. School?" he finally settled on.

"Oh, I see. Make any new friends?" she inquired.

"No," he responded bluntly.

Nora was not deterred, having experience dealing with students trying to block her out. "So, what are your interests? I remember you had a knack for science."

"I flunked your class," Levi reminded her.

Her warm smile twitched slightly but did not falter. "Well, you did miss the final. But I meant the second time you took my class. You were such a delight to teach."

"Right. The second time," Levi repeated. He resisted the bitter temptation to remind her that she was the reason he had to take it twice. Instead, he said, "You gave me a C on my repeat."

Nora's smile now fell entirely as she tried to remember. "Are you sure? I could have sworn you had an A."

Levi looked away, impatient. "You sure you're not thinking of Kaitlyn?"

"Of course, I'm not... wait... oh god, Kaitlyn..." Nora chuckled before stopping as a realization hit her. "Do you think Kaitlyn knows her sister was brought here?"

The boy sighed in annoyance. He knew it wasn't her fault, but after days of brutally learning the game's severity, having Nora back at square one was frustrating. "Kaitlyn was turned into a succubus to make room for you. She's Lauren-Two now," hoping that would help the danger sink in.

The information passed through Nora, but it failed to truly process. Her grasp on reality had already been thoroughly shaken by what she had seen; she could barely contemplate what impossibilities she hadn't.

She needed something to ground her. Forcing her smile to return, she asked, "What are your plans for after high school? Have you applied to any colleges?"

"That's it? Did you hear what I just said?" he asked.

"Yes, I heard what you said about Kaitlyn," she replied sternly.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Why the fuck can you say her name?"

Mrs. Wolf had had enough. "Mr. Summers. You may not be in my class anymore, but I would ask you not to talk to me in such a manner."

"Are you serious?! You care about manners?!"

"Do not raise your voice at me, Mr. Summers," she snapped. A purely fake smile returned as she grew ever **** to find some normalcy in this insanity. "Now, tell me, what are your career aspirations?"

Levi fell back to his bench and buried his head in his hands. He was having flashbacks of trying to get the danger of the game through Lauren's stubborn head. "Please, stop acting like this!"

"Like what?"

"Like... how you would if things were normal. You're treating me like your old student."

Nora scratched her canine ear, which involuntarily twitched in puzzlement. "You are my old student."

He groaned. "You're just making it more awkward for both of us. You shouldn't be asking about academics. You should be trying to get me to sleep with you."

"Mr. Summers!" Nora leapt to her feet, feeling instinctive offense.

"What, you find that inappropriate?!" Levi asked with bitter sarcasm, feeling his temper flare at being referred to as 'Mr. Summers,' the same title Ji-Woo used for him.

"Of course it is!" She finally shouted, as if she was the only sane one. "I mean, you're younger then my daughter!"

"And you're older than my mom. How do you think that makes me feel?" Levi got to his feet. "You don't have time to be uncomfortable! We've all had days to adjust, and unlike what you did to me, you don't have the option to repeat what you missed."

Levi felt a rush of catharsis at the accusation, not caring if it was justified or not. Nora took a step back, realization dawning on her. "You told me you had no hard feelings about that."

"There isn't. I'm already over it," Levi lied, looking away. "I just... can't do this if you're going to be like my elementary teacher. It's too weird. Especially after..."

Levi stopped before he could mention the DVD. Nora leaned inwards, trying to hide her bother: "Especially after... what?"

Levi opened his mouth a few times, debating what to tell her. However, silence followed. Finally, he muttered, "Whatever. You're not the only one I have to deal with."

This final statement hit a particular nerve, her eyes flaring with rage and fangs baring. It took every bit of willpower to not slap him. Still, decades of dealing with disrespectful children allowed her to keep herself together, if just barely.

Levi nearly lost balance as he stumbled backwards at the threatening wolf. Seeing the fear in his eyes brough Nora down somewhat.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation later. You seem... distracted," she offered through gritted teeth.

"Fine," Levi muttered after some hesitation, getting up and leaving. Alone in the greenhouse, Nora slammed her fist on the table.

'Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to do?'

---

Azure

Alison ushered her guest into Azure's office. The visitor was a petite woman, striking with her neatly styled pink hair. She wore a tailored green suit that complemented her figure, paired with a sophisticated business skirt that would give an air of professionalism were it not cut off her upper thigh.

Azure narrowed her eyes dangerously at the stranger. "I thought the producers would send a more dramatic messenger."

The visitor averted her gaze under Azure's intensity. "Uh... I actually was sent by my manager, who works for the..."

Azure groaned. "So you're not even special enough to meet the producers directly? Splendid. Who the fuck even are you?"

"My name is Little Miss," she responded meekly.

Azure racked her brain, the name sounding familiar. "Little Miss... Little... Oh!"

She snapped her fingers. "Little Miss! The host who went on an ego trip and transformed her master out of spite."

Little Miss clenched her arm with her other hand, not liking to be reminded.

Azure burst out laughing. "Oh my god, it's you! The one screwed the pooch worse than Holt. My god, how do you even fuck up a season that badly? I mean, you were given everything and you still crashed and burned. "

"Can we not talk about this?" Little Miss asked, but Azure was far too caught in her own amusement to care.

Azure leaned in, "I heard the producers punished you by making you a **** to any studio employee. Tell me, is that true?"

"Yes," Little Miss instantly responded, unable to resist Azure's order to answer.

"Stand on one foot!" the host giggled.

Little Miss's body moved without hesitation, curling one leg up and balancing on the other.

Azure clapped her hands in delight at her new toy. "Put your foot down. Take off your top."

"Please don't make me," Little Miss whimpered. Yet her hands had already undone the single button keeping her suit jacket together before eloquently pulling it off. She then began going for her business shirt buttons in preparation to do each at a time.

"Faster!" Azure barked. Little Miss tore the front of her favorite shirt open with a single yank, sending the buttons flying. Blushing furiously, she then undid her bra, and as it fell, she regained control and covered her chest.

Azure wagged her finger. "No hiding the goods."

Little Miss seethed but didn't dare to talk back out of fear of what Azure could do to her. The girl's arms were **** behind her, and her back arched slightly to push out her chest.

"I didn't even need to use my powers on you to do that. This is great!" Azure turned to Alison. "I bet even a lowly assistant like you could command her. Go ahead, give it a try."

"Please put on your clothes and deliver the message you came here for," Alison stated plainly.

"God, you suck, Alison," Azure growled, unamused.

---

Sophia Maoulin

As the catgirl exited Jezebel's store, she did her best to tune out the shopkeeper calling after her. Her feline reflexes had been valuable at keeping the perverted vendor away from her, having only been swatted on the ass once. Sophia had instinctively clawed her boob in response, which had turned Jezebel on enough for her to escape.

However, Sophia barely thought about any of this, instead reliving Azure's threat. The absolute horror that she had felt at being just a soul in her hand had been unlike anything she could have ever imagined, made worse by the witch's enraged proclamation.

"Now, you're going to go out there, find Levi, and tell him that you'll love him no matter what he does to the others. And you're never, EVER, going to mention this conversation happened!"

Sophia shivered. She knew she couldn't hide behind the safety of the game rules anymore. Those were now out the window. And it wasn't like Sophia could speak to any higher-ups about Azure going rogue, assuming such people even existed.

As much as she hated it, her life now relied on convincing Levi. Unfortunately, she was an absolutely terrible liar. She knew that Azure would be watching and wouldn't hesitate to destroy her if she slipped up.

She looked down at the card she just purchased, re-reading it for the hundredth time.

Cost: 10 BP
Inject a belief into a contestant for an hour. Any conflicting memories or opinions will be altered to support the belief. Afterward, they will know they were manipulated. To activate, state your target and then the belief.

Sophia let out a pained sigh, praying she would come up with some brilliant third option out of thin air. But deep down, she knew it would be futile, and more importantly, every second that passed made her scared that Azure would descend on her.

Sophia took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Activating card. Target... Sophia Maoulin..."

---

Azure

Little Miss finished pulling her suit jacket up midriff, the opening proudly showing her pink bra within. Azure had compromised with Alison's order by forbidding her from wearing her business shirt. Not that it would have done much, as it had been ruined when she had torn it apart.

With her state of dress complete, she began, "I was asked to deliver my message to your team. Can you gather them?"

Azure pointed her thumbs at herself and Alison. "This is the entire team. I prefer a smaller staff. Reduces the risk of incompetence."

"You do have a third member," Alison reminded her. "The one you keep in the southern tower."

Azure rolled her eyes. "You mean my robot editor? Don't bother telling her anything. I've abused her mind so much that she's basically an NPC."

"I'd still like to include them," Little Miss said softly, making a silent wish that this wouldn't set Azure off.

Azure simply snapped her fingers, bored. "Whatever."

A figure materialized into the room, accompanied by shimmering lights and a faint hum reminiscent of Star Trek. As the glow dimmed, a striking robotic form appeared.

The robot boasted sleek, metallic arms, contrasting with its human-like torso, which showed a toned midriff. Other parts were simply skin-shaded metal, such as its upper arms. Its hair, a ghostly white, shimmered softly in the fading light while a dark visor shielded its eyes. Finally, it had dark legs that made it unclear if they were synthetic or form-fitting tights.

"Greetings! I am TEAC, which stands for TV-Editor-Android-Cutie," the robot announced enthusiastically to the stranger, its voice enhanced with an autotuned effect that added a playful tone. She turned to Azure, "Hello, master. How may I assist you? Should I remove my…”

"Just sit down and listen. This flunky from the studio has something to say," Azure explained, irritatingly pointing to Little Miss.

"As you wish." TEAC flopped herself onto the sofa, immediately making herself comfortable.

"You built a robot?" Little Miss asked in astonishment. She was far more used to hosts with magical assistants rather than sci-fi.

"It's a cyborg, idiot," Azure countered. "It was some annoying human I turned into a sexbot. I decided to repurpose her for the season, though. She's programmed to edit the show the same way I would have. Actually, the fascinating thing is... WHY THE FUCK AM I TELLING YOU ANY OF THIS?!"

Little Miss cowered as Azure shot daggers from her eyes. "Just get on with it. What is this oh-so-important message? Do they want to bitch about how I'm running things?"

Little Miss shook her head. "No, far from it. They wanted you to know your ratings broke the top five."

Azure raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Among the earth-focused seasons, Payback Edition just hit fifth in current viewership. It's been decades since a new host reached that level of popularity in just three days.

Azure's mouth hung open, taking several long seconds to process. Eventually, the corners of her lips curled upwards before exploding into a smirk of uncontrollable smugness. Her eyes, now glowing with an intense red hue, sparkled with ferocious pride.

She turned to her assistant, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Huh, isn't that interesting, Alison? Didn't you repeatedly tell me I didn't know what I was doing? Wow, it's almost like talentless hacks like you should keep their mouth shut."

Alison simply tilted her head forward. "Congratulations, mistress. This is a great honor. I am most pleased that you have managed to succeed."

"I'll be expecting a handwritten letter of apology from the producers for doubting me," Azure told Little Miss. "Who knows. I might forgive them."

Little Miss was happy to see Azure pleased, which made her feel far safer. "The views you received in three days are remarkable," she complimented. “At this rate, you'll qualify for the Quadragenery.”

"That would be impossible," Alison interrupted. "Our season would miss the deadline."

"What's the Quadragenery?" the robotic TEAC asked, not recognizing the term in her files.

"It's what we're calling the upcoming 40,000th season of Harem Hotel," Little Miss explained. "Well, among the earth-based ones in this reality, anyway."

"The studio produces a special season for every ten thousand," Alison added.

Little Miss nodded. "The 30,000th, the Trigintagenery, lasted a year and featured sixty-nine contestants split among three competing masters. It was epic. The orgy finale is still the stuff of legends."

TEAC activated her 'shake-with-excitement' subroutine. "And you're saying Azure could host it?"

"No," Alison bluntly stated. "The host is voted upon from a pool of successful veterans. But you must have fully completed at least one season to qualify. The mistress's season ends after the cutoff."

Azure stared out her office window, the gears turning in her head. "How much would I miss the deadline?" she asked.

Little Miss counted on her fingers. "Uh, in terms of this realm's timeline, you mean? The cutoff would be in... uh..."

"Thirteen days," Alison answered for her.

TEAC scowled. "Shoot. Payback Edition ends four days after that."

"I see," Azure said slowly. "In that case, I'll ensure this season ends before then."

TEAC sat up straighter. "How? Are you thinking of speeding up time?"

"That would be useless," Alison pointed out. "The deadline exists as a constant within the universal timeline helix." Before TEAC could ask what that meant, she added, "It is a method for tracking time that is immune to the manipulations of other timelines."

"I'm not planning to manipulate time, you idiot!" Azure snapped before returning to her newfound smirk. "I have a far more straightforward way to qualify before the deadline."

Little Miss stepped forward, intrigued. "What's that?"

Azure winked. "I'll just end my season early."

"What?" TEAC and Little Miss asked in unison.

Azure began pacing around her desk. "I'll have the season end on day fifteen instead of twenty. That will still give all the contestants two dates with the master plus a day for the final challenge."

"Are you allowed to do that?" TEAC inquired.

"I'm a flourishing host! Of course I can," Azure laughed.

Suddenly, Alison teleported in front of Azure, mere inches from her face. She narrowed her eyes. "You are utterly incomprehensible."

Azure took a step back in surprise. "Pardon?"

Alison's blue eyes pierced the crimson ones before her. "You have spent every single moment complaining over how little time the producers gave you. And now that you want less?"

Azure clenched her jaw and stepped forward. "To move my career into an even bigger season, yes. Can you even fathom how big an honor the Quadregenery would be?"

"Being in the top five is an honor numerous hosts would kill for," her assistant countered.

"Literally, in most cases," Little Miss chimed in, though everyone ignored her.

"You should build on your success, not jeopardize it for an opportunity you may not get," Alison concluded.

Azure shoved Alison, who stumbled a step back with no change in expression. "I'm not jeopardizing anything. I'm going to make sure it remains successful. You're acting like I'm canceling Payback Edition. I'm just shortening it. Best of both worlds.”

"You told your audience twenty days," Alison reminded her. "You're breaking your promise to them."

"Other hosts have shortened their seasons, and it was fine."

Alison shook her head. "Those instances were due to production issues, player actions, or justifiable circumstances. Not just the host's whims."

Azure threw up her arms in exasperation. "Why the fuck should I listen to you? Did you not hear? I'm in the top five. All those objections you had about how I run things were wrong."

Alison broke eye contact. "I never doubted your ability to succeed. I merely..."

"Enough!" Azure stomped her foot, shaking the ground beneath them. "Just accept the loss, Alison! Go reflect on your place while I plan the new schedule."

It took several seconds for Alison to speak again. She simply nodded. "As you wish."

"You go too, Little Miss," she commanded. "Oh, and spank yourself until you get back to the studio."

"Wait... what did I EEP! EEK! AHHH!" Little Miss cried out with each palm she delivered to her skirted rear end. Meanwhile, her legs carried her through the door out in the hallway, which Alison had already exited through.

"Stop hitting yourself," the maid said simply.

The pink-haired girl let out a sigh of relief as control returned. "Thanks, Alison. God, it's so unfair how they treat us assistants."

Alison turned her back on her. "There is nothing unfair about your treatment, Little Miss. You dishonored your duties as host and were appropriately punished for it. Your fate was well earned."

Little Miss was taken aback, having expected a fellow assistant to understand her plight. The cold indifference was even worse than Azure's insults. "Just... take me back to the studio, please," she grumbled. She began walking down the hallway, only to realize that Alison wasn't following her. Instead, the maid remained rooted to her spot.

"She technically isn't breaking any rules..." Alison said softly. "But it still an unjustified violation of showrunner. I will classify it as half a strike."

"Alison?" Little Miss whispered, unsure if Alison was talking to herself or someone else.

Alison turned to her as if her private conversation hadn't happened. "Please follow me.

"What was..."

"Please do not talk," she ordered.

Little Miss had **** but to follow silently.

---

Bonus Image

Thank you Little Miss for letting me use their character... Little Miss.