The elevator doors hissed open as Nina reached them, and she blinked in surprise when Margaret, the saleswoman at the store she bought her office wardrobe from stepped out, hanging on the arm of a tall, handsome man.
"Nina! Hello! This is my husband Harry, a close friend of Aaron's." said Margaret, giving a surprised Nina a warm hug.
"It's so nice to see you Margaret!" said Nina returning the hug, relieved that there was one familiar face.
"So you are Aaron's new personal assistant. Nice to meet you" said Harry giving Nina a warm and friendly handshake.
"I've been his PA for nearly three months now" said Nina archly, she wondered when people would stop thinking she was 'new'.
Aaron, noticing Harry and Margaret's arrival came behind Nina and greeted them. "I'm so glad the two of you could make it" he said, shaking Harry's hand.
"Nonsense! I wouldn't miss this for the world! What's it been 7 years now since we built that first game in Andre's loft? Not to mention that this fortress of yours is still my best and proudest achievement!" said Harry.
"Oh yeah! Margaret mentioned that you designed this building!" said Nina remembering her first encounter with Margaret.
"Sure did. Aaron's faith in me to build something like this when I was fresh out of college was extremely gratifying. Though there were times when I thought the guy was one crazy kid." said Harry clapping Aaron on the back.
Her feeling of being left out completely gone, Nina stuck close to Harry and Margaret as they mingled among the other engineers, voice cast and crew.
She marveled at Aaron's more relaxed, yet very Stoic attitude with them, and at how enthusiastic and passionate the engineers were.
"So how long have you known Aaron?" Nina asked Harry.
"Since college. He was only 15 at the time. Smartest kid I ever knew" chuckled Harry.
"He joined college at 15?" asked Nina incredulously.
"Yup. We built the original Master of Arcadia during our first year. The semester was barely over when the game went viral. Made us millions overnight." said Harry, wonder still evident in his voice.
"The game wreaked havoc at my school. The girls in my class felt very uncomfortable with the boys happily talking about how they sliced up countless enemies and enslaved various girls as trophies" said Nina coldly.
"Well I'm sorry to hear that, but the game was properly rated. If anyone should be at fault for that, it should be neglectful parents." said Harry cautiously.
As far as he knew, minors did not have access to the Extreme DLC. If they did, Master of Arcadia would have generated a much greater hue and cry.
"Like that ever stopped stupid boys from doing things they know are harmful to women. I remember there was supposed to be some Extreme expansion that was nearly a hundred bucks. Some boys wanted to get a collective fund going to buy that, but I led a protest to ban the discussion of the game on campus" snapped Nina.
"Damn, I'm impressed that they wanted to play it that badly." chuckled Harry.
"How can you be so cavalier! That game and this remake are harmful!" gasped Nina.
"Only to stuck-up activists such as yourself. I quite enjoyed it" butted in Margaret coldly. She was appalled that Nina had actually led a protest to get a game banned in her school.
Margaret herself was in the 12th grade of high school at the time, and had found the game's mechanics and story exquisite. She strongly identified with the game's female submission aesthetic, giving her some much-needed clarity that her feelings of submission were natural.
When she joined Bunker Hill's business management program the next year, she was extremely gratified to find Harry and explore their love for dominance and submission together.
Nina felt like she had been slapped in the face. "Y-you actually played and enjoyed it?!" she gasped, looking at Margaret with horror.
"I'm a submissive, that game saved me from feeling conflicted and confused. Don't judge things before you try them." snapped Margaret.
Nina staggered into a chair and processed the revelations she had received.
How could there be women who actually enjoyed such demeaning and disrespectful behavior?
Tears pricked her eyes as she wrestled with her beliefs.
"You seem troubled child" said a friendly voice next to her. Nina looked up to see a middle-aged Asian priest in a black cassock looking kindly at her.
At first, Nina thought he was one of the voice cast, but his gentle eyes, quiet demeanor, and the Society of Jesus pendant pinned to his cassock told her that he was the real deal.
"What are you doing here Father? Please don't tell me you are some degenerate who supports this horrible game." asked Nina fighting back tears.
"I'm not. I'm in fact a counselor and psychologist. Father Abel Chang at your service" said the priest, inclining his head to her.
"I don't understand. Why would women demean themselves like this? Margaret even said she was submissive." grumbled Nina.
"Well, that is a very good question, one humanity has grappled with since the dawn of civilization" said Father Abel.
He placed a gentle hand on Nina's shoulder. "I assume that you have learned about diversity, equity and inclusion have you not? How about you apply it to this case? You may find Aaron's and his friends' beliefs and predilections strange, bizarre, and even harmful. But that shouldn't stop you from respecting their choices." he told her gently.
Nina squirmed guiltily in her seat. She saw the truth of Father Abel's words even if she didn't like it.
"I suppose I can keep an open mind" she finally ground out.
Father Abel visibly relaxed. "I'm relieved at your open-mindedness. Not many people are as kind and compassionate to practitioners of BDSM." he said.
Nina blushed a little at Father Abel's compliment. "How do you know Aaron?" she asked him.
"I was his guidance counselor at school. He was the brightest and bravest young man I have ever known. I'd love to give you details, but that would violate both the seal of confession, and patient confidentiality." said Father Abel.
Nina mulled this information over. "I don't get why he's so cold and distant towards me" she finally muttered looking at the Japanese idols fawning over Aaron with a mixture of envy and confusion.
"That's because he has been burned quite badly by activists and feminists in the past. That's all I can say on the subject. But if you really want him to warm up to you, then you'll need to prove that you can understand and accept his nature without judging him." said Father Abel gently.
"And what is his nature?" asked Nina.
"A dominant. And quite an effective one I might add. See those girls who admire him? They are drawn to that aura of his. I'm sure you've felt intimidated, confused and even a little attracted to him?" asked Father Abel shrewdly, causing Nina to squirm and blush uncomfortably.
This gentle priest seemed to be an exceptional psychoanalyst.
"Yes. I have felt those things" confessed Nina quietly.
"Those feelings are natural and not evil." said Father Abel gently.
"Thank you for listening Father." said Nina gratefully. Father Abel gave her a good-natured wave as she stood and left him.
Nina timidly approached Aaron as the party died down. "U-um Mr. Zakhrov? Do you have a minute?" she asked him.
"What is it Ms. Avanthika?" asked Aaron coldly looking down at her.
Nina squirmed under his scrutiny, but remained firm. "I've learned that you have been treated unfairly by others like me in the past. I... I want you to know, that I will not let my beliefs cloud my judgement anymore, and I ask that you help me understand your viewpoint" she said quietly but firmly. Resolve burning in her large black eyes.
Aaron regarded Nina coldly. After several seconds of staring at her, he finally nodded.
"Your assignment for today then Ms. Avanthika, is to play the original Master of Arcadia and compile a report on what resonated with you in the game and what did not." he said.
Nina swallowed and nodded nervously. Guilt wracked her as she realized that she had never actually played one of his games, preferring to parrot the activist taglines after viewing the game trailer and screenshots.