London

[Bloodedge]

Well enough as it were, Nikki received the warm welcome he predicted she would. He could always have faith in his chat. For the longest time, he could always assume the overall reaction of that group to any specific thing; they really were like some strange sort of family. Now, that family was heralding in its long-awaited matron. "Fantastic! Always could trust the fam," he commented while seating himself next to Nikki. He wasn't going to be shy at all about the close proximity; no, he'd bask in it as he squeezed himself fully into the camera's line of sight without even urging Nikki to move from its center. "Anywho! Morning, you lot! Guess what?" he greeted, teasing the minds of his chat as always via the typical introduction they'd come to know.

"Got a treat for everyone today. First off, look here!" Once more, he gestured toward Nikki. Yes, that was the first treat. The simple sight of her was a present he took for himself, and offered his followers. They should be pleased, just as he was. "Isn't it brilliant? Now then, second thing! Also this!" Indeed, he was referencing Nikki yet again. This time around however, it wasn't for the same purpose. She was to be the center of attention in this stream, considering it would be her gameplay the viewers were spectating. "I give you... Blue Lotus, the gacha gamer! She's keen to do some pulls in a few Aeons works, I think. So, Blue─ should I call you Blue? Which one are we keen to gamble on first?"

[Apollymi]

He could always trust the fam? That was interesting... Nikki couldn't imagine having a community of such like minded individuals. The technical circle that belonged to her was a bit... dodgy on the best of days. Even so, she hadn't made any sort of announcement on her own about what she was doing here. So far as she knew, those who followed her wouldn't be at all interested in her other activities. Granted she knew that she and Ozzy had at least a few followers in common. Maybe she'd link them later and see how her own followers responded. Yeah, she could do that as part of her wrap up on the con. Whatever the case, he squeezed in pretty close, not trying to get her out of the center of the camera and definitely enjoying the close proximity to her person. And she for her part in this would settle into it, as if she didn't care much about it. They'd been way closer already and she really didn't care to pretend like this wasn't exactly what it was.

Moving on, it seemed Ozzy had a treat for his fans, and it was... Nikki. Her eyes widened as he mentioned this as the first thing he had to say. "Blimey, do I even wanna know how much do you talk about me, that I'm considered a treat just being here?" she asked in teasing most rhetorical fashion. She truly didn't want to know, she spent most of her time in Ozzy's presence surprised by how much he liked her. It wouldn't be surprising to the purple haired lass if he'd spread this among his followers. He went on to explain the actual thing they were here for, which was Nikki doing some pulls on gacha games. He even went on to call her by her well known title. Strangely, it wasn't as if Nikki was an unknown person or anything. She wasn't hiding who she was from people. Blue Lotus was simply the name of her brand and as such was applied to everything she did. "I've told you, you should call me what you like... I'm not too keen either way~" she said, with her general amount of comfort and that large smile plastered on her face. "Oh, to gamble... I uh kinda really want my first extra Ayatsuki. After getting the base one, I feel like her character won't be finished until I have the lollipops. And she'd my favorite, I love her... " she explained seeming to gush happily about her preference in this moment. "Besides, I can't really start this new set of gachas without at least one unit I really love playing with... it'd be rude to my sensibilities," Nikki concluded.

Ah her words reached the ear of a very interested party. One who sat at a desk on an otherwise normal work day. She was done with exams and saw this news. And took it in with a demonic expression. The subtle hints of Blue Lotus were so obvious to one like her... maybe because she understood them. Oh, this pair was about to become something great, she could feel it on her bones. And... her pockets. She flicked her hand over her mouse as she watched the display on her phone, trading stocks the way most people bought items in video games and feeling a light hearted happiness. Of course, her face showed an almost demonic visage instead of that, with a smile that most would consider frightening. But she was all alone it didn't matter that she was giving off vibes of near condensed evil.

[Bloodedge]

"Loads," was his quick rebuttal to explain how frequently he spoke about Nikki. That was about all he could say; there was no simpler or more complex answer to it. All those people at their individual monitors or other screens, had been observing a show for several years, and now they could see the start of a climax in the story of said show. There was no short of excitement on either side of the screen, even though Ozzy retained enough for all 30,000 individuals involved with this meeting. What a season this was going to be.

Nikki said he should refer to her as he liked, apparently not meaning that as something to only apply in a casual setting. Gone would be the formality, then. "Alright then, Nikki it is! And we want..." As he spoke, Ozzy went about loading Nikki's account, planning to deposit a bit of his own currency to start the next character summoning session. "Another Ayatsuki Akiko in Brave Souls! You know the rules, fam. We like a character, we max a character!" he announced. Though he hadn't mentioned a thing, he was quite certain his chat wouldn't allow only the first additional copy of anyone's favorite character. The lot of them always looked out for one another, any time Ozzy happened to be summoning characters on someone else's account for the sake of content. Hell, they even had a common phrase among them as a result─ one Nikki would have heard recently, but had no reason to understand just yet. "Alright, a hundred pound load incoming. Sorry you lot, but we already started rolling a bit. We've got one Ayatsuki, one Kogara, and one Namikaze already. We are on guarantee whenever we hit pity this time, but let's see what the cards have in store, eh?"

[Apollymi]

Loads. What an ambiguous but frightening answer from Ozzy. He was so unabashed in his like of her, that he'd probably spent as much time as he liked her, talking her up to his chat. Nikki in this moment had the nerve to look absolutely flabbergasted. How on earth could he say such a thing with a straight face. She was embarrassed for herself and on his behalf at the same time. "Blimey, I definitely didn't mean for you to answer me..." she said fighting the desire to bury her face in her hands. This man was going to be the absolute end of all of her ego. She really wouldn't survive the idea of this man being so about her that he bragged to a coalition of perfect strangers all over the internet about her.

Moving on, she'd mentioned he could all her what he liked, and found it amusing that he fell from every formality instantly. That was refreshing, she'd meant it exactly the way it was taken. She'd introduced herself to him, as Nikki and she meant to be called that by him. It was always weird when people who actually got to know her were too formal with her, and it felt like an unnecessary boundary. She was happy and then words hit her ear strangely. "Wait. Wait What?! Did you just say max? People actually do that... I've never maxed a single character in one of these in my life. Why?" Ah, it was clear to at least one type of person watching the chat what kind of person, Nikki was outside of this current situation.

That same girl who was watching and trading stocks at the same time heard how aghast the woman was at the idea of maxing a character. So much that she'd never done it herself. But she played gacha games enough to be just a bit familiar. Ah, so she had self-control at least a bit in comparison to Ozzy's amount of freedom. Well, that was fine... a man who spread his money around was more than pleasing to this lass. A woman who cherished her investments and made them with care was equally pleasing. What a power couple! She finished up her stock trading and began engrossing herself properly. She'd be making quite a few donations shortly, but that was fine. Her last act of her work day, as buying over 1000 shares in Blue Lotus' company. She could trust that investment not to go sour and now she could invest herself in watching this couple's first international public appearance.

[Bloodedge]

It was clear that Nikki had no intention of being answered, but that sort of thing was never going to stop Ozzy from letting the truth spill forth. He needed her to know, to understand, that his obsession was unwavering and infallible. So long as she remained in his company, fate would see her ego either solidify over time, or have its reality shattered to be rebuilt from a new and unbreakable material. If it showed any signs of fragility thereafter, it would be reconstructed again and again, until it became the most powerful substance known to man. That wasn't quite Ozzy's goal, but it was a fated side-effect should they continue pursuing one another.

For now though, none of that would matter to the immediate future. Said future had one eventuality: completing the character Nikki claimed to favor. This matter seemed to be in question, specifically from the lass herself due to a lack of understanding. That was fine; she would come to learn the ways soon enough. "I did say max!" he specified while leaning away from the laptop, leaving Nikki to her summon session. "We don't take Ls on this channel, right lads? If you've got a favorite in here, you're gonna have it as good as it can be. And... we don't lose the 50/50 here! We go again!"

[Apollymi]

Ozzy was absolutely terrible for Nikki's sense of self, but in the best possible way. She'd gotten used to being understood in a certain way and appreciated in a very specific way. But every time, Ozzy spoke of her, he did so in a way she'd never heard before. She felt herself grow absolutely sheepish, but wondered every time, if maybe she wasn't actually giving herself enough credit. Time would tell how this would go on to affect her, how much more confident could she actually become while dealing with this man? Regardless Ozzy's answer to her inquiry was outrageous. His claim was that a favorite character was always maxed and given at his highest potential to those who wanted it. Was he really that kind of person? Not only non-toxic with a community with zero toxicity but also... just nice about everything. "You really would say something like that..." she said no longer resisting palming her own face. They don't lose 50/50 huh? They go again? He'd said that before... was it preparation. "Well, I'm already in for it..." she said seeing that he'd already given her a boost in spendable currency. "Alright..." she said pressing the button to begin the pulls. It hadn't been too long since she got Kogara. On screen he was listed with only nine after him. "Nine pity..." she said pressing the button only to have her eyes widen immediately. "No way!" it was gold, she looked to Ozzy with pure surprise sparkling in those purple eyes of hers. How on earth was it actually gold? Her luck had already been good, it was supposed to be routine for her to do this and have to press this button numerous times. Ah, but the excitement of wasn't tainted at all. "That's so early." She said most astounded by this current upsurge of good luck.

[Bloodedge]

And so, the summoning began anew, with what had quickly become over 40,000 viewers watching. The chat's shock at Nikki's appearance was unending as new watchers continued to discover her being part of the stream. Those who'd been watching all along, however, were fully immersed in the gacha experience as always. Cheers of good luck were aplenty, and lo, the golden glow of a five-star character appeared in a single summon of ten units! "Pog!" Ozzy shouted. No excitement was spared as the lad nearly hopped up, reaching out to take Nikki by the upper arms while his eyes were locked on the screen. "All those top-notch units, and an early Akiko to top it off! What did I tell you? We don't lose on this channel!" he said just as excitedly as his actions portrayed. Apparently, he was at least comfortable enough around Nikki now to do such things publicly as well. Of course, it may have also been some subconscious effort to lay claim in a way. Yes, both Nikki and the general public needed to know that he was far from backing away now. His path was set, and he'd continue along it even during casual moments such as the present. "That's a guarantee as well. Five left; hopefully they can all come home early. How's it, Nikki; feeling good yet?" he asked as his eyes shifted toward the lass.

[Apollymi]

10,000 more people were now watching as well. Excitement in the chat was literally palpable and Nikki found that kind of environment oddly fun. Maybe it was simply the matter of it being so very wholesome? Normally the idea of having that many eyes on her would make her shy away quite a bit. She'd become more confident in herself but not to the point of wanting to be the center of attention. Right now she didn't feel like a spectacle she felt like a normal person, having a chat with a large friend group about her hobbies and life. Like she was just catching up, instead of meeting everyone for the very first time.

It was Ozzy. That man was absolutely infectious and he'd gotten to his entire chat and Nikki herself. She didn't mind his small outward showings of claiming her, nor the personal contact. In fact, she was showing off that mark on her neck as such an act as well. Bearing that in mind, his excitement even over the pulls was shocking. "Yeah, I'm starting to see that... good on you lot, sharing all this luck with me~" she said sheepishly. Nikki knew her own luck was never this good, it had to be the chat and its positive vibes and Ozzy further influencing it. As for how she was feeling Nikki gave it a bit of thought... "I'm pretty excited actually... and having a great time of it. You're definitely to blame for that..." she said to Ozzy flashing him a bright smile. "Oh and you lot too~" she said of the chat in general, wouldn't want anyone feeling left out. With that, she'd begin rolling again, trying to get to the next golden light, all but high off the buzz provided by the chat and proximity to Ozzy.

Cuteness overload was something that was being experienced in that office space. Somewhere a girl was squealing with delight. This couple was too cute. She needed to bear witness to it always. Besides all of that, Nikoleta Corbyn was exactly as she was hyped up to be, nice, cute, gracious a bit shy, she was perfect for Ozzy by this particular fan's logic. Much like people who shipped characters in anime and manga, this lass had shipped those two people since the moment of seeing them separately. Seeing them together... and seeing how much extra they brought to each other, gave her an intense sense of joy. Oh, but what was this? There was also the increasing viewership. In addition to being an absolutely perfect power couple, they were attractive public figures. Another purchase of 500 shares was made, she was almost certain this would be the most profitable investment of her recent months.

[Bloodedge]

Nikoleta was almost custom-made for a streamer's camera; Ozzy figured as much. Even with the reprehensions she shared earlier, she was seamlessly interacting with an unknown audience of no small size at all, never failing to leave them included despite seemingly being more adjusted to recordings as opposed to live video. She had to be given a great deal of credit for performance in this case. "Oy, careful giving this group too much clout. Look at 'em!" he said, pointing at the screen and using his forefinger to gesture toward the rolling chat in particular. "Scammers, bozos, bonobos and baboons, the lot of them! You can't trust them, I'm tellin' ya!" In spite of the words leaving his mouth, the viewers seemed to fully understand Ozzy's playful nature. Some sent numerous hearts in response, others fully embodied their given titles by sending various primate emotes and trolling images. Others, however, were finally becoming privy to a certain feature clearly visible on Nikoleta herself.

'WHAT IS THAT' was becoming a frequent message. Some others to follow consisted of only a pair of wide eyes offering a sideways glance. Ah, the masses were finally taking note of events prior to the stream. Minds were racing all over the world, and Ozzy basked in the collective consciousness' speculation. Regardless, the summoning session continued without a hitch. Ozzy settled into his place after releasing Nikki's arms, though taking up a more lax position left one of his own arms slung over her shoulder. If the viewers had their speculations, he would only be fueling the minds without bothering to interrupt the current content via another topic. They would know for certain eventually; things could take their natural course.

[Apollymi]

Nikoleta never considered streaming for one major reason, she didn't want to be the sole focus of a large group of people. Such a thing made her terribly uncomfortable and given how the comments on her Channel and Twitter went she didn't want to be too involved with real-time reactions from people. This group was a bit different. In this exact moment, she could feel absolutely comfortable and as such she had no problem with chatting up these people nor Ozzy himself. Speaking of, Oliver Williams was a delightfully playful man, so much so... even in this form that he was passing as quite an interesting individual. She shouldn't trust them? A bunch of primates and scammers, this lot were? "Bloody hell, those nicknames are terrible... " she mused only to see the rolling chat full of positive reinforcement of these horrible names. "Oh... I see, well whatever suits ya'~" she encouraged the lot, as she always would. Ah, but there was the others thing circulating. Lots of eyes and questions, what were they curious about? A devious little smirk appeared on the face of Nikoleta. She'd not had a real-time reaction set for the kinds of things she hid in her videos before. Now, it seemed that beyond being excited just to see her, the chat was moving towards having some understanding of the relationship developing between this pair. Before she could comment though, at 10-pull number 7, a golden light appeared on her screen and she released the mouse for a second. "My heart can't take it... is it bad? Is it pog?" she'd covered her eyes with her hands and was peeking through. Waiting for the reveal with her heart thumping in her chest.

At the same time, those eyes traveling through the chat along with the questions made the girl in the office scoff. She typed a single sentence with all the seriousness she usually possessed, but strangely her face had a smile on it. "You guys are so late." was the first message. No emojis or anything of the sort, but she was mostly at home in the chat, most knew she was simply this way. Of course, she'd seen the mark soon after the lass was revealed. Her brain had already told her, the continued closeness of the pair sold it. The Queen was here, she was showing up to claim her throne, and said throne couldn't be more pleased to be there. This was great, so fulfilling, so freaking wholesome. If this was really happening this girl had hopes for her own future, a gaming couple, proper... full of cute and wholesome moments. Two equivalent nerd existences... maybe she could even have one eventually. Until then though, she fully planned to live vicariously through this older pair... they were her new role-models.