A strange dream

Author's note: I should be able to upload at my old pace now, so roughly two story days per real-life week. I hope you're looking forward to our main character growing some balls over the next few chapters.

I looked below me, there was a lot of distance between my feet and what appeared to be ground. In actuality, it was merely an oscillating plane of blue, that one could nearly mistake for water. Suddenly, I heard footsteps that were approaching me.

"I am behind you."

I could not recognize the voice, but as I turned around, Helen stood in front of me. Yet the voice was not hers. "Helen?"

The woman looked confused. "I am not who I look like. I am visiting you in your dreams. You can hear me well, but my visual appearance is a construct of your mind, matching me as closely as possible to a person you saw before."

"Oh, I understand, I think? What's your name then?"

The woman chuckled. "My name is Ngrimah, the Goddess of Women." I gulped heavily. If she's right and this is not just a nightmare, was it over for me? After all I did? I can't end like this, Amber needs me. I'll promise her anything, just... "Relax, I was responsible for giving you the app."

"Huh?"

"You were nervous, mortal, were you not?"

"I-I mean, yes. Why wouldn't I? If you're here, you probably know what I did to all these women..."

"Indeed I do. You've caused me quite the headache..."

"I'm sorry, I... Sigh, I guess it's useless to come up with excuses if you're a goddess, huh? I enjoyed it too much and let go of myself. Take the app, punish me however you see fit."

"Boy, do I have some people who would want me to, but not for that reason. Your constant attempts to do things differently than anticipated caused my maintenance team a lot of stress."

"H-Huh? I figured I was pretty normal... I just did what felt right."

"Yeah, what felt right in your heart. You're supposed to think with your dick!"

"What?"

"Mortal, this app is a divine gift to you. Make the women you like want to fuck you and you only. That's what the app is for."

"Aren't you the Goddess of Women? Shouldn't you be protecting them from monsters like me?"

"Monster? Mortal, it took you over three weeks to even spank someone after getting the app."

"I guess, yeah... But don't you feel bad for the women that come under my control?"

"It's a price I'm willing to pay, mortal."

"Could you explain that please?"

"Fine, if it makes you able to let loose more. About 120 years ago, I came to an agreement with the God of Men. I had seen the terrible state of women across the universe and sought a solution. He was hesitant at first, but soon realized that any society that represses women is one that also one that forces men to control them. We made a pact. I was allowed to unleash my newest creation, feminism, across the multiverse, making men and women more equal. He... merely wanted insurance in case things get out of hand. Thus I had to create this app. Any man who suffers from women or does a lot for them, is given the app. The threshold for this is high, of course. And sometimes we act early, sometimes late. Some men only get the app after suffering for years, others get it shortly before. Sometimes a woman is given the app on accident."

"Wait but... I don't really suffer under women. And I don't think I would have without the app."

"Hm, let me see." She pulled some papers out of thin air and began reading them. I was pretty far away from her, but either way I was sure I couldn't have read it if I tried.

"I see, maybe I was unclear in my explanation. The purpose of the app is to balance out the relationship a man has with women as a whole. In your case... Your articles have reached tens of millions and will continue to do so for the near future. While some men suffer under awful female bosses and coworkers and get noticed that way, you essentially did a lot of small favors for women, giving them far more than you will ever receive back in your entire life, if you never had the app. In case you have forgotten, with your low self-confidence you'd never have been able to have a lasting relationship. This was the cause of the massive imbalance."

"And if I were to stop writing... What would happen?"

"You cannot lose the app."

"Oh, wow. I didn't expect that."

"James... I implore you. Take what is yours. You seem to be a kind man, but you have genuinely deserved the gift I have bestowed upon you. In that spirit, I want you to open the app."

It was weird, my phone was in my hand all of a sudden. I opened it up to a few new traits, all very much stronger than before.

New traits unlocked!

The exception (Helen)

Subject will see user as exception to the subject being a lesbian, justifying even sexual actions with the user to herself.

Robot (Gloria)

Subject can be made to act like a robot, needing 90% less food and water and no sleep during this. User can give commands and the robot is programmed to satisfy the user.

Number One Fan (Megan)

Subject spreads positive news about you and your work, being highly convincing to others in doing so.

I like it that way (Christine)

Subject only feels sexually satisfied from rough sex, being hurt, and being taken advantage of. Hurting the subject too much will stop this trait from working to ensure their physical safety.

My way of saying thanks (Jane)

Subject wants to show thankfulness through sexual favors, increasing depending on what the subject is thankful for.

My life is yours (Laura)

Subject is excited by the user dominating their life at every moment. Having become totally dependent on the user economically, emotionally, and sexually, the subject becomes aroused by the mere fact that this is the case.

Orgasm Lock (Floria) unlocked!
Orgasm Lock (Megan) unlocked!

I was horrified. "B-But... I can't do this to them..." She slapped me. It was supposed to be a dream but I could feel it sting regardless.

"Mortal, I have told you everything already. Don't make me repeat myself again. From the moment I granted you the app, these women were counted as yours. They're no longer under my protection. They are truly yours, in every conceivable way. I hope you take my gifts seriously instead of selling them. I hope that this one command I give you will be the last time you are **** to obey a woman." She comes closer. It is only now that her height comes into perspective, she was a lot taller than me. "Do not speak of this dream to anyone." She gave me a kiss on the lips, but it didn't feel like a normal kiss. "Sorry, but Gods need to have some protection."

"I understand, don't worry." I scrolled through the app a bit. Not to sell the traits, but for something else. Okay good, she did not appear.

"I know I told you to enjoy what I gave you, but do you seriously think I would appear?"

"I mean... Weirdly enough the women's names in the app go from A to M. It was stupid but I thought that maybe you... Well, I don't see why you'd add yourself here, now that I think about it. Although you seem strangely fine with letting other women into my clutches."

"When you're a God, like I am, a couple dozen mortals are of little concern for you, at least when you have multiverse-spanning ambitions and obligations like I do. As I told you before, use them to your heart's content once they're yours. **** them, breed them, beat them (but not too hard), make them into breathing sex toys, all for your pleasure. They are yours, so fulfill every desire you have with them. No matter how dark."

"See, that's the thing... I have these fantasies, yeah, but... I got to know them now. Now they're not just lumps of meat to me anymore, they are people. In my fantasies, there are just women, but in real life these women aren't just random women to me anymore, they are my friends. I feel bad for hurting my friends and loved ones, you know?"

"If you want something from them, they'll happily comply with that. No matter what, once they're at +100SP. Take my gift with pride and use it to its fullest potential. Make yourself a happy man that understands the value of the gift that I have given you. I can come up with more devilish traits if you need to be pushed in that direction. And maybe selling needs to undergo a long maintenance soon..."

Uh oh. "But... if I just do it for your sake, then what's the point?"

"The point is that you'll hopefully start to enjoy it and act like every other man who's used the app before."

"Ngrimah... I'm not that kind of man. I think, at least. I can't stop feeling guilty. Unlike some of these other men you spoke of before, I have no desire for ****, I don't feel like I'm being taken advantage of by anyone, I haven't been bullied by these women. Even if you say I deserve it because of this weird system you have, I... strangely have little desire to use the app this way. Or to **** the women this way. Especially since they'd do a lot for me already anyway. I can understand somewhat that it feels like I'm being unappreciative towards your gift, but I am not... Without it, as you said, I would be miserable and thinking nobody could ever want to be with me long-term. Thanks to the app I went from a loner convinced that he'd die alone to someone building a harem with the people he loves and cherishes the company of. I'm happier with my life than I ever could have imagined to be."

"Mortal...", she smiled, "this is moving but regardless, your desires remain. You see yourself as a monster who abuses women, do you not? Even worse, ones that love you and that you love in return? You are not. I told you before, you are truly deserving of the app. Over time, your articles will have changed so many women's lives, directly or indirectly. Yet you will receive little praise or pay rise, at the current rate, right?"

"Yeah, the plan is to get one new employee, restructure the company a bit and then maybe I get to keep my job."

"See? Yet, you deserve so much more. But every woman, who's life you touched, can't possibly give you a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers as thanks. These women are the thanks for your hard work."

"I... I see. I... Sigh... I can't promise you that I'll keep the traits forever. But I won't sell them right away."

Her eyes narrowed. "What are your problems with the traits?"

"Uhm..." I looked back at my phone. "Christine 'only' being able to feel sexual pleasure through this? Seems annoying if I ever want to invite her to a threesome of foursome, etc. The other trait is Megan's, I don't really like being the center of attention that much. I don't think I can handle that much praise that well. I haven't read much feedback on my articles beyond the click rates."

"Very well, mortal. Keep your promise, I implore you. I do not want to have to come up with consequences in the case that you break them."

With that, I woke up. It was 6:55AM and I checked the app in real life. Sure enough, the traits were there. Ngrimah was the real deal. I think I need an action plan on how to approach the traits and whom they apply to. In this moment, Christine woke up. She gave me a little peck on the cheek.

"Good morning James."

"Good morning, Christine. Can I ask... did you like what we did yesterday?"

"Wanna go another round, huh?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were still fine with it once your mind was cleared a bit. So be honest with me please."

"I was a bit confused yesterday, but right now, I think I understand why I like what we did so much. I trust you and I love you. And unlike all these other men that won my heart and trust for a night, I felt safe with you through and through. You know why I am, or rather why I was the person that I was, yet you accepted me. You took your '****' only when I asked you to, and when you did... I could not help feeling protected by you. From the worst version of myself, yes, but also from other creeps. Our ride home in the train left a deep impression on me, you know? You are not just the kind of man that I want, but also the one I need in my current situation. Strong when it matters, but gentle and caring otherwise. That first date... It was beautiful. And yesterday felt like everything was completed. I want to be by your side. I'll beg for that every day like I did yesterday, if I have to."

"And what about the sex? Are you really fine with what we did? And the fact that normal sex seemed... unimpressive to you?"

"Yes I am fine, it was honestly amazing. If you weren't so kind after the fact yesterday, I'd still be wondering if it was just a performance or your true feelings. But I enjoyed that, in a weird way. I liked having to think about your enjoyment. I think normally, I don't care a lot about that and so people get disappointed with me..."

"That yesterday was a performance. It may be a bit irrational, but nothing happened to me and so I'm not that mad at you."

"Alright then. Do you want to go for another round now or not?"

"Nah, I'll make breakfast. The trains are slow until the new schedule changes happen, so we have to leave way earlier for work, I'm afraid."

"Unfortunate, but I'm not that horny right now anyway. I guess I'll take a shower."

I gave her a kiss and we got ready for work.