Derek Fitzsimmons: Monstergirl Mania

In the dead of night, a computer screen lights up apartment 173B’s room enough that it could almost mistake it for daylight. That is if you were as sleep deprived as its resident. Derek Fitzsimmons was playing his favorite game deep into the night, battling against players all over the world in the largest strategy game ever created. DracoFight 4, controlling different nation states, the players fought for world domination. At least on a massive map, it was really more like if an excel spreadsheet had good graphics. Maybe that was why he loved it so much, it was one thing he had complete control over.

That's what he told himself on nights like tonight. Having just been rejected by his favorite streamer a few hours beforehand. The elfin bitch didn’t even say his name after donating more than she had made in all of her last stream. It had taken weeks for him to save up that much, and to see it all wasted like that made his cheeks burn red into the night. He had watched her streams for years now, the beautiful masked elf always drew the line between seductive flirtatiousness and playing unique indie games. She actually had pretty good takes every now and then, and so he had shot his shot. Donating almost five hundred dollars in an attempt to get her attention. That had failed spectacularly, so now he was drowning his sorrows in a gaming binge.

“Fucking stupid bitch.”

Derek muttered as he conscripted more troops from his peasants, pushing his general from the frontlines into a more defensive position after losing a battle against a neighboring kingdom. Snarling slightly with annoyance, that wasn’t a mistake he normally would have made. Not as a top one hundred player in the world. If only he was good enough to play professionally, top tournament winners made so much money. He just couldn’t win, the top five players in the world were simply leagues better than anyone else. Able to somehow squeeze more resources out of their lands, place troops with near clairvoyant skill, and even understood the trade mechanic fully, letting them optimize their countries towards conquest without needing to devote too much time towards agriculture or industry. There were rumors of collusion among them but nothing was ever proven.

Glancing above his computer at a poster, Derek sighed deeply. Five gorgeous women looked down at him. He went to take a sip of his energy drink and realized it was empty, then glanced back at the game. He was surrounded on all sides, but still might eek out a win.

“Lets ally against the Verdant League?”

He typed in the chat before getting up to check his mini fridge for more drinks. Empty, just like his actual fridge but without the caffeine from energy drinks keeping him up there was no way he would be able to finish this game. Rubbing his face with his hands, Derek switched from his desktop to the mobile app. Booting up the game again as he struggled to find clothes without stains on them. Settling for grey sweats and an oversized t shirt to hide his slightly larger than average stomach, he opened the door to his apartment and promptly ran face first into his neighbor.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!”

The soft feminine voice of a woman rang in his ears as Derek stumbled backwards and actually fell on his ass. Staring up at Xrn, the pale mothgirl beauty as she literally twinkled under the fluorescent lighting. She was looking down at him with concern and even reached out two hands to help him up. His pride already wounded at being knocked over so easily by a girl, Derek brushed her hands aside and pushed himself up. Grunting in annoyance as he shuffled out of his apartment.

She was tall, a bit over six feet and from her forearms down to her wrists were covered in tiny sensitive hairs. Her hands and legs were a much smoother delicate exoskeleton, while her torso and head were that of a normal human. She had four arms, two on each side that diverged just past her shoulder. Two floppy antenna laid against the sides of her head that tilted to the side as she looked down at him with concern. Pulling back her hands and looking a little hurt.

“It’s fine, I’ll be more careful next time. What are you doing out here at this hour?”

He asked as he closed his door and made a point to lock it in front of her. It wouldn’t do to have any of his stuff stolen. Not that he had much of value in there, just some trash, a bed, and a computer really.

“Oh I was just admiring the lights, there aren’t many stars here in Paeth, or moonlight for that matter.”

Derek glanced out the window, even though it was dark he could tell how cloudy it was. It was always cloudy in Paeth. He didn’t want to dally any more than he had to, so he pulled up his hood and glanced down at his phone. Expecting it to display the usual slightly cramped screen for the mobile version of DracoFight 4, instead a blinking set of block letters had appeared on his screen.

My Idle Harem!

Flashed twice before more words began to scroll across the screen.

Capture your first target! Point and click!

Before switching to the front camera. With a scowl Derek tried to switch his phone back to DracoFight, knowing that his nation was probably being ransacked while he was afk. To no avail, for some reason his phone was refusing to switch to any other app besides this one. Some kind of disgusting perverted malware no doubt. He would probably end up on a watchlist if he ever took a picture with it. So he jammed his phone into his pocket and made his way downstairs. Four flights of stairs later and he was out on the street. Dark black cobblestones met his sneakers as the gothic architecture of Paeth rose overhead. As if seeking to remind him of his own insignificance.

Just one block of walking later, it started to rain a light drizzle as soon as he stepped into the convenience store. The bright lights contrasting against the encroaching darkness outside, Derek expected to see one of his few friends at the register. Grob always worked nights, his orcish buddy was also a pretty good DracoFight player and he loved to talk about all his weird strategies. Who else would think to ordain criminals and use them as missionaries to send to other countries? Nobody. And that's why they got along so well, Derek wanted to push the boundaries of the game too.

Instead, standing there at the register was a tall pale woman with long beautiful hair and…pointed ears? Long blonde hair, a petite frame, and deep blue eyes that swirled with the magical power that elves were known for, her body was tight and toned as if containing more strength than met the eye. Derek froze in his tracks like a deer with an 18 wheeler barreling down the highway in his direction. There was something familiar about her, but that wasn’t what made him freeze. It was how she was looking at him, as if he was a bug she wanted to scrape off her shoe. Grumbling to himself, Derek looked down and grabbed a small handbasket and walked towards the refrigerated drinks. Grabbing a few energy drinks and frozen meals he approached the register. Placing his items down, the girl just looked at them and did nothing, raising her eyes to look at him imperiously, as if he was somehow beneath her. Honestly he probably was, how and why an elf was working in customer service was beyond him.

“Uhhhh, so what-”

Derek started as she snapped.

“Don’t even try, I’m engaged.”

She snapped out her hand, a pure golden ring inlaid with a runic enchantment glistened in the light of the store. Derek’s eyes widened, but not because of the ring, because he recognized that hand. More specifically her fingernails, painted with flecks of gold woven into geometric patterns that swirled and shifted as she pulled back her hand.

His favorite streamer had her nails painted exactly like that. Immediately he went into denial. Lots of women get their nails painted, even more like that, it was something of a fad recently. Something about the activated chroma that kept moving made it some kind of higher artform. Derek froze again, not even realizing that all his items had already been rung up. The elfin girl cleared her throat loudly, snapping him back to reality. Now he looked up at her, their eyes meeting as he began to tremble in frustration. Swiping his card aggressively, Derek grabbed his stuff and turned to leave before stopping in his tracks.

Quickly he whipped his phone out of his pocket, finger already on the button he snapped a picture of the elf and ran out of the store like his head was on fire. Stumbling out into the now pouring rain as he ran all the way back to his apartment, grinning like an idiot as his raindrop covered phone screen began to fill out with all kinds of statistics.

Authors Note: Was inspired by the person who made this story. Loved the premise, trying my hand at it in my own style.