A Strange Confession

A bit more than 2 weeks have passed since I reprimanded Laura, and quite a bit has happened. The investigation into the "terrorist attack" on campus is still ongoing, but there are enough angry and impatient students and parents pressuring public officials to reopen both the high school and college campuses that the decision to resume school has been made. Today is Friday, and the campus reopens on the following Monday.

Laura's capture ended in success. At midnight exactly 2 weeks after I received Laura as my target, I was laying in bed, nervously awaiting some sign I'd succeeded. One moment I was staring at the ceiling, the next I was looking at a game window with a big "Capture Success!" plastered across the top. In the middle, it detailed the rewards I received, and why.

Rewards:

X1 Gacha Token (Participation)

X5 Stat Points (Participation)

X1 Skill Token (Successful Capture)

X5 Stat Points (Successful Capture)

X1 Gacha Token (Players Beaten)

In grand total, I got 2 gacha tokens, 10 stat points, and a skill token. The participation and successful capture rewards are pretty self-explanatory in how I got them, but the players beaten thing takes me a second. I think I got an extra token because I beat a player to the punch in capturing Laura.

Free token. Coolio. It was time to do some rolls.

I switched to the gacha tab and used my 2 regular gacha tokens.

(Normal) Unlove Potion - Cleanses the memory of you from the mind of a previously captured target when consumed in full by the said target.

(Super Rare) Null Amulet - Renders the wearer immune to other players' items and skills. 

Both of those draws yielded interesting results. 

The Unlove potion is interesting, but I can see why it's the lowest rarity. All the other things I've obtained from the gacha are at least mildly helpful in pursuing targets. This one seems utterly useless in that regard.

The Null Amulet seems like it could be a very useful item to have, especially considering how little I know about skills and items. I can't help but notice that traits are conspicuously absent from the immunities. I sure hope that won't be a problem.

Alright, let's use the skill token.

(Super Rare) Pleasure Control - allows you to multiply the pleasure of current sexual partners, up to a maximum of double and a minimum of half.

So I can use this skill to make my partners feel either more or less pleasure? I'm totally gonna use this to fuck with Carolyn.

And that was the end of the capture. I have yet to receive my new target, so I guess there's a bit of downtime between targets that wasn't there in the first round. Either way, I'm happy to have a small break to deal with the shit I'm now saddled with.

I'm something of a liar. I don't lie pathologically, or out of self-doubt or anything. Generally, I use it as a social lubricant to make conversations flow easier, and for people to like me a bit better. That is to say, I normally don't have a problem with lying, so long as it's small, harmless ones.

That being said, I can't keep lying to Laura. It's just recently hit me how horrible of a situation I've placed both Laura and myself into. I know that Laura's a bit… unstable, so can I trust that she won't flip her shit when I tell her I'm sleeping with another woman, and intend to sleep with more? I can't imagine that'll go well. I have the Unlove Potion now if things get murder-y, but I really don't want to use it. I like Laura a lot. I don't want to make her forget me, but more than that, I don't want to hurt her.

I'm currently sitting in a small, kitschy restaurant that Carolyn absolutely loves, waiting for Laura. My intention is to tell Laura about everything. The game, the sabotaging of her relationship, everything. I'm glad that I'm wearing a dark shirt because I'm absolutely covered in sweat. I don't think this is going to go well, which is why I chose a populated place to do it. I'm a little worried about our relationship being discovered, but I'm more worried about being murdered. If worst comes to worst, I can use my Paralysis Potion, then force her to drink the Unlove Potion.

God damn, I really don't want to do that. I was so caught up in pursuing Laura I failed to consider our relationship continuing past the capture. I want our relationship to continue more than anything. I want to keep going over to her apartment, saying things just to see her smile, getting my ass kicked at chess, and… well… she's damn good in bed as well. The thought that it could all be ending in the next hour is sending chills down my spine. I want Laura, but I want Carolyn and the game as well. Am I being too greedy?

Who am I kidding? Of course I am.

A small chime signals the arrival of a new customer. Laura steps through the door and takes a moment to talk to a hostess. They exchange pleasantries and she is guided to the table where I'm sitting. Normally, this is the part where I'd say something witty and charming, and Laura would fall ever deeper in love with me. Instead, I say "hey," in a shaky voice.

Laura immediately takes notice, "Sam? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. I just… let's order, then I'll tell you."

Laura dons a look of confusion, "Did I do something? I can -"

"Laura. You're fine. We're fine. there's nothing wrong, at least on your end."

She gives me a questioning look, but a waitress steps forward to grab our orders before she can say anything in response.

I order a burger, and she orders a salad. She's going to steal every god-damn one of my fries.

After the waitress leaves, Laura asks, "Are you doing alright?"

I let out a sigh. It's time to rip off the band-aid. "I haven't been completely honest with you."

That confused look is back. "About… what?"

"I… oh, god. So much."

My face is burning up staring at hers. Suddenly, the floor seems really interesting. "Uh... first thing… I'm sleeping with another woman..."

She quizzically cocks her head, "Carolyn?"

I'm momentarily stunned. "Fucking what?"

"Carolyn? the tall, pretty one? Darren's mom?"

"Uh, yeah? That's her."

"I already introduced myself."

Now I'm the one who's confused. "You... what?"

"Said hi? We're practically sisters at this point. It only made sense to introduce myself."

"... and you're fine with it? That I'm sleeping with her?"

"She seems nice. I don't know why you think I wouldn't be."

"And by sleeping with, I mean having sex with her, not just laying down next to each other."

"Of course?"

"And by sex, I mean sticking my pe-"

"I get it, Sam."

… My head hurts. I'm suddenly super curious about why she's fine with me sleeping with other people, but I don't think it'll matter. I still have to tell her about me being the one who sabotaged her relationship with Karlsson. She won't have a positive reaction to that.

"Okay… well… I also deliberately sabotaged your relationship with Karlsson. I was the one who sent Minnie into your classroom, as well as the one who destroyed the lock."

"Samuel! You can't damage school property like that!"

"That's not the problem here! I'm cheating on you, and sabotaged your relationship with Karlsson! You should be angry about that!"

"What's there to be mad about? Cedric showed his true colors, you just helped speed it up. As for Carolyn, I think she's a good person. I would be much angrier if she wasn't. As a matter of fact, I'm more surprised that you're not sleeping with more. I thought you were definitely involved with that 'Valerie' girl."

"Just how much do you know?"

"As much as I need to."

"... And you're fine with everything?"

"More than fine. When I fell in love with you, I fell for everything. There's only one thing you could ever do to make me mad."

"And what might that be?"

"Leave."

I grab her hand and hold it. "I never will."

And so, my confession comes to a rather anticlimactic end. I was ready to fight for our relationship, and potentially, for my life. Instead, she was fine with everything and was completely unfazed by my confession. More than that, she actually knew most of what I was confessing to before I even said it.

I probably should've guessed that Laura did some information gathering, considering what I know about her relationship with Karlsson.

Our food arrives, and we begin to eat. The heavy air has been lifted, and the jovial, loving atmosphere of our relationship has returned. There are small spikes of killing intent as I swat her fingers away from my fries, but other than that, meal time passes peacefully. This is the first time Laura and I have been on a real date. The rest have been "at-home dates" due to the various obstacles in our relationship.

We really need to do this more after I graduate. I like playing games with her, but… wait. Shit. I forgot to tell her about the game. 

We're walking back to Laura's car in a covered parking lot. I rode the bus here, and she offered to take me home, so I graciously accepted. Normally, I'd want to go back to her apartment, but I have plans later tonight.

"Hey, Laura? There's one last thing I forgot to tell you about."

"Hm?"

"A magical being wants me to dominate tons of women. When I do they give me superpowers."

The look she gives me can only be described as incredulous. It looks like she can't accept everything so easily.