A New Direction (Alternative Path)

Author's Note: Hi, guys. I recently came across this story and read up to the epilogue. I am very intrigued by the characters established by Blackhand and the potential that this narrative possesses. As this story hasn't seen any updates for years, I've decided to give it a try and develop the story myself. I've always loved writing and have penned my fair share of content, both fiction and non-fiction, including travel vlogs and such. However, I haven't written much erotica before. I am going to try my luck here. I will be using AI to proofread every chapter I write to ensure grammatical accuracy.

Preface to the New Direction:

Story Direction: I am planning to steer this story towards polygamy. By the end of this story, John will not just have one submissive sex pet, he will have a harem of several submissive, obedient sex pets exclusively for himself. So as you can expect, there will be only one path without any focus on the game variables.

Cast of Characters (with pictures): I am taking the liberty to add more context and depth to the already established characters of the story to fit the narrative I have in mind and to explain the depth of their relationship with the protagonist. I'm also using a new set of images drawn mostly from mainstream Hollywood celebrities who I think fit the descriptions of the characters already introduced and align with my envisioned portrayal of them. As the story is written in the first person, I have chosen not to include a picture of the protagonist, allowing readers the freedom to imagine themselves in his position and feel the story revolve around them. However, I will provide a description of his appearance and personality just in case anyone finds it necessary for resonating with the character. These descriptions are only applicable to the current position of the story. Any future changes in the relationships WILL NOT BE reflected on this page as I don't want to provide spoilers for the story.

Below are the list of characters with their descriptions and pictures:

The Protagonist:

• John Matters (Age - 20): John is the main character of the story. He's a 20-year-old college student who is very tall with a lean yet muscular build. He is someone who has come out of a very complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Gabriella, and as a result, became dissatisfied with traditional romantic relationships altogether. He now desires something different. He craves a taste of dominance. To dominate a sexually submissive partner. To have a completely obedient sex pet all to himself. Will he get the chance to make his darkest desire a reality? Read on and see for yourself.

John's Family:

• Harvey Matters (John's Father) (Age - 42):
  
  Harvey is John's father and also a good friend to him. He is a mature man working as a renowned lawyer in a leading law firm in the country. He gives good advice to his son whenever he needs it and is always there for him as a good father. He has been having a troubled relationship with his wife and John's mother, Abigail though. Harvey and Abigail constantly fight, and John is the only thing that's holding them together. Harvey is also constantly out on work-related trips, and because of that, it is mostly only John and his mom Abigail at home.

• Abigail Matters (John's Mother) (Age - 41):
  
  Abigail is John's mother who is a housewife. She is a kind, caring woman who loves her son John more than anything else in the world. But she and her husband Harvey have been having a strained relationship for years now which mainly started because of Harvey's constant traveling and staying away from home. John's constant intervention is the only thing preventing her from applying for a divorce from Harvey. She and Harvey have not slept together for years and sleep in different bedrooms even when Harvey is home (which is not that often). She has serious doubts about Harvey's loyalty and suspects that he is having an affair.

John's Ex-Girlfriend:

• Gabriella (also goes by Gabi/Gabe) (John's Ex-Girlfriend) (Age - 19):
  
  Gabi is John's ex-girlfriend, who cheated on him a year back, after which they broke up. They went to the same high school and were together for 2 years. The first year of their relationship was like a honeymoon period for them. But they started to gradually drift apart in the second year, and she eventually ended up cheating on John with a senior guy that John didn't have a clue about. John broke things off with her as soon as he came to know about it. The two of them have not been in contact for well over a year now. But out of nowhere, Gabriella contacted John after such a long period of no communication, seeking to meet and discuss something important.

John's Male Friends & Acquaintances:

• Ethan (John's Close Friend) (Age - 20):
  
  Ethan is John's close friend who he's known well since middle school. Their friendship back then itself grew stronger because of their shared interest in gaming. Ethan's had a difficult life growing up as his father had an affair and eventually abandoned Ethan's family for the other woman when he was just 5 years old. His mother raised Ethan and his sister all by herself. But a couple of years back she passed away in an accident which led to Ethan bearing all the burden. John and his parents helped Ethan get through the darkest time of his life by providing financial support as well as emotional support during this difficult time. John was always there whenever Ethan needed a shoulder to cry on. This made John one of the most important people in Ethan's life.

• Carnagie (John's Friend) (Age - 19):
  
  Carnagie is another one of John's good friends. He is a very decent guy who always minds his own business and rarely meddles with others. He is also the Dungeon Master (DM) who guides the game whenever the group plays Dungeons and Dragons.

• Dale (John's Gaming Buddy) (Age - 20):
  
  Dale is another player in the Dungeons and Dragons games group. He is mostly a friend of Ethan. John never liked Dale that much and has maintained a reasonable distance from the guy throughout the two years that he's known him. Dale tends to make impulsive and reckless decisions both in the game and in real life, often causing problems for the group. He also has a big crush on Ethan’s girlfriend, Leia.

• Mr. Zahareed (John's Neighbour) (Age - 56):
  
  Mr. Zahareed is John's religious neighbor and a gardening enthusiast. He ensures that his entire family follows all the religious beliefs to the T. He has 3 daughters and a son. As far as John knows, only one of his four children are adults. The rest are all kids with the son being the youngest and looks to be just around 6 years of age.

John's Female Friends & Acquaintances:

• Jessica (John's Best Friend) (Age - 20):
  
  Jessica is John's best friend and neighbor since they were both just around 4 years old. John and Jess were inseparable growing up and always shared everything with each other. But their closeness waned a bit when Jess had her first boyfriend when they were 16. Since then, John slightly distanced himself from her, but Jess continued to act as if nothing happened and always confided in John for everything. John, despite being attracted to her all these years, always considered her out of his league and so never made a move on her because of their closeness. He did not want to jeopardize his friendship with her. And he dislikes her current boyfriend, Preston, with a passion and has been secretly praying for them to break up.

• Miki (John's Classmate & Friend) (Age - 19):
  
  Miki is an introverted Japanese student in John's history class. John is one of the very few people she feels comfortable enough to open up to in their college. She's a very intelligent girl who always ends up as the class topper. She is also Ms. Friedman's favorite student in Math class.

• Leia (Ethan's Girlfriend) (Age - 21):
  
  Leia is Ethan's girlfriend and another friend of John's. She is also a participant in the Dungeons and Dragons game. She shares John's interest in old fantasy stuff and has a secret crush on him despite her relationship with Ethan.

• Polina (John's Online Friend) (Age - 24):
  
  Polina is John's online friend from FetLife, an online BDSM forum. They have a playful and competitive friendship, often engaging in discussions about their shared interests which also (obviously) includes BDSM. Polina is bisexual and is already in a relationship with some girl that John doesn't know much about. That is actually the only reason John hasn’t tried to make a move on her. Polina and John haven’t met in real life yet. But they are pretty close and chat (and flirt) almost every day online.

• Miriam (Ethan's Little Sister) (Age - 18):
  
  Miriam is Ethan's younger sister who just turned 18 recently. Back when she was a middle school teenager, John always knew her as a sweet responsible girl who always did everything she can to stay on the good side of her mother. But ever since her mother's demise, she has had a very rebellious streak in her. But she is still mature enough to understand the invaluable support John and his family provided for her and her brother. So always tried to keep her antics to a minimum with John. That is also the reason Ethan asked John of all people to keep an eye over Miriam with the excuse of tutoring her as he's one of the few people that she might listen to.

• Danny (John's College-mate) (Age - 18):
  
  Danny is a seemingly underprivileged young woman whom John encounters every day during lunch. At first, John was unsure of Danny's gender due to her androgynous appearance, but after a few interactions with her, John realized that Danny is a beautiful, sweet woman who portrays herself as a tomboy to conceal her gentle nature from the rest of the world.

• Aaliyah Zahareed (Mr. Zahareed's Daughter) (Age - 18):
  
  Aaliyah Zahareed is one of Mr. Zahareed's daughters with whom John spoke about a burnt rosebush. From what he knows, John believes she is the eldest daughter of Mr. Zahareed. She always wears a full-body veil, so John has never seen her full appearance and has only ever glimpsed her eyes. Despite this, John deduces that she is a very reserved person who doesn't talk much.

• Ms. Wanda Friedman (Age - 30):
  
  Ms. Friedman is the math professor at John's college. She recently caught John checking out some not-exactly-classroom-appropriate BDSM content on his phone right in the middle of her lecture. This piqued her interest and even caused a brief blush - though she recovered like a pro. As a result, she's concocted a so-called 'punishment' for John involving after-class grading sessions in her office. But hey, who knows? Maybe she's got a little more than just grading in mind. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Other Characters:

• Preston (Jessica's Boyfriend) (Age - 21):
  
  Preston is Jessica's current boyfriend and happens to be John's senior at college. To say John hates him would be an understatement. John recently caught Preston being flirty with another girl and has a growing suspicion that he's cheating on Jess. Because of this, he recently decided to start his own investigation to prove Preston's infidelity.