Better than with the Orange

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Chapter 3

The sun is already starting to set and heralds the end of another day, but my feet still carry me home quickly and with ease.

Okay, it's not really joy that's carrying me, I realized that during the day. I had to stay away from my friends at college, Lisa and Ryan, because I was afraid that the MCD would strike on them too. A quick check tells me that this isn't the case, and neither the FAQs nor my attempts to understand the situation tell me why this isn't the case. My work colleagues in the shitty part-time job I have aren't on the list either. Either that's because of my absence in mind or because of the app. Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to ask the crazy (maybe not quite so crazy) man who gave me the device, but for whatever reason, I know it's not joy, but rather anticipation that makes me open the door to our little house.

"Mom? Mom, I'm home!" I'm almost frightened by my cheerful voice, but the five points I've collected today are irrefutable proof that my life, as was prophesied, will soon improve. Could, I remind myself as I hear my mother arrive. I still have a long way to go. The other profiles are blocked for some reason, progress to +100 with my mother is still a long way off and the other women in my life... At least I have friends and some teachers at school like me too. I don't want to change these people and...

"Well, you're finally home." Yup, that's my mother for you. I even rushed home to try this out.

"Mom! I missed you!" I stop in the entrance area, spread my arms and wait for Michelle Lynchwood to come out of her state of shock. She must want it on her own, the behavior of a pet. As far as I understand, the app doesn't **** her to behave in a certain way and I'm the one who accompanies her on the way to her goal. The only thing that scares me is how willing I am to get my mother to that goal.

Blinking, Michelle comes towards me. She doesn't know what to make of the situation, is confused by the sudden behavior of her son, the black sheep of the family. But she's also a mother, remembers what was in the job description, spreads her arms and...

Michelle Lynchwood. +2 (PS -93)

I felt that too, just like the hug my mother gives me. The first in a... two weeks.

But that's not why I'm here... Even though being close to her feels good, right, deserved. Michelle had her chance, for years, since I was 14, and didn't take it.

But I'm going to use this MCD.

"Thanks, Mom," I say as she ends the hug and steps away from me. -93 is not a good score, but it's a start. But do I see something in her face? Are her cheeks slightly red? Maybe I'm just imagining it, or it's something else entirely, maybe my behavior. But Michelle adjusts her glasses and looks me in the eyes with an expression I haven't seen before.

"N-No problem Finn," she says, her voice hoarse. And then she smiles. Not really nice, she hasn't had enough practice for that, but she smiles.

I'm slowly starting to like the MCD. Pet or not, seeing my mom smile at me is a nice change. Then she turns around and quickly disappears back into the house. "Clean up the living room before your sister comes home!" she orders from further away, at least acknowledging my early arrival in some way.

"Yes, Mom!" I call out in a good mood and go into the living room. Then I have an idea.

"Mom? Mom!” As always, I need several attempts, but finally, Michelle storms into the living room… and stands rooted to the spot.

Unbelievable! It actually works!

The vacuum cleaner is next to me, unused, but Michelle’s eyes fall on the device and then dart to me.

“You don’t have to shout, Finn,” she snaps at me out of reflex. Embarrassment? Fear? Whatever, she covers it up with anger. “You’re a boy. Learn to control your voice. I can hear you well even without you shouting.” With that, she brushes her long brown hair out of her face and looks at me angrily.

Because you have superhuman hearing? Like an animal?

But I don't have time for that now when I have the ultimate weapon in my hand with which I will prove once and for all, at least for me, that the MCD actually works. No normal person would be afraid of...

Michelle Lynchwood. +4 (PS -89)

Unbelievable!

I feel the MCD vibrating in my pocket but I don't have time for that now.

Instead, I have to suppress a nasty grin as I turn on the vacuum cleaner and Michelle flinches hard. She even takes a step back when I start moving the loud device across the floor.

She's only at -89 in Progress Score but she wasn't afraid of the vacuum cleaner before.

I grin even more.

"W-What did you want t-to talk to me ab-bout, Finn?" my mother asks stuttering and I pretend not to hear her.

"What?" I ask and move closer to her with the vacuum cleaner. She takes another step back and frowns.

You can't understand, can you? Why are you suddenly afraid of the vacuum cleaner? That's right, Mom. You're changing and you don't know it's happening. You still have a long way to go, but the fear of the vacuum cleaner is already coming through strong.

"Finn..." she shakes her head. "Turn the thing off when I'm talking to you!" But I pretend not to hear her and continue to do my duty as a son and clean the house.

I watch Michelle out of the corner of my eye. Her blue eyes are fixed on the vacuum cleaner that I casually drag behind me as I march through the living room. She can't move, is rooted to the spot as I pull the devil's thing, loud and frightening, ever closer to her. And her thoughts seem to be written on her forehead. What's going on here? What woman is afraid of the vacuum cleaner? But she's not a woman anymore, not quite anymore. She has started her journey to becoming a happy little pet and...

But she is still my mother and even before the vacuum cleaner has completely gone quiet, Michelle is already hissing at me, the plug dangling in her hand and a murderous look on her face.

"Finn Lynchwood! I told you to turn this... thing off! Listen to me!" She comes towards me, furious and with red cheeks. "I don't know what you're up to but I'm not going to stand by and watch you fool me! Do we understand each other? If I tell you to turn the vacuum cleaner off, then..." Then she squeaks, almost like a little guinea pig or something, as I take her in my arms. Mom freezes in her movements. She wasn't expecting that. And she wasn't expecting what comes next either.

"I'm so sorry Mom," I say soothingly, my voice a little higher than usual, while my arms wrap around her body. I smell her perfume and feel her chin digging into my shoulder. She doesn't know how to hug a boy who is even a little bigger than her, and to be honest, I don't have much experience with this sort of thing either. But it feels good.

It feels good to be close to someone, especially someone you should care about.

Okay, Mom means something to me, but not enough to stop me from doing what I'm doing.

My hands wander down her back and start stroking it up and down. I talk to her soothingly.

"I'm sorry I vacuumed, Mom. I didn't know it would make you so uncomfortable. I won't do it again."

And then...

Michelle Lynchwood. + 8 (PS -81)

Ouch, I could feel that hitting me. And the next one too.

My mother hugs me, presses herself against me, returns the gesture. There are many words for it, but I doubt there is a feeling for being hugged by your adoptive mother who actually hates you but has had her first experience on the way to becoming a domesticated pet and is now taking the first step towards accepting her new status. But I have felt the points. And I have seen Michelle Lynchwood do things she wouldn't otherwise do.

And I know I want more. Her breasts are pressed against my chest, her head rests on my shoulder and feels better there with every second. Her body, warm and soft, snuggles up to me and I already toy with the idea of ​​letting my hands wander, but I hold back.

Not for ethical reasons. Michelle deserves to be, what did the app call it, domesticated. And so do I earn the one who does it to her. Fuck, I've waited years for this, a hug, a single nice word. And there are those other names on my list.

"It's okay," she finally mumbles but stays in my embrace.

Exactly. I am your owner and you are safe with me. Let me…

Then she pushes herself away from me.

“But next time you have to listen to me, got it!” It’s not a question. Mom is still Mom.

But how much longer?

This way, even housework is easy and I'm even so nice as to warn Mom the next time I turn on the vacuum cleaner. All I get is an annoyed 'I don't care!', but she doesn't come into the room to remind me to do my duty like she always does. I don't get any points, but I can hardly wait to get back on my cell phone/the MCD.

After all, it's evening. Tammy is as usual. Rose is too. And Jasmine is staying at work this evening. That way we don't have to wait for her to start eating.

"Here, Mom." Without asking or being told to, I hand her a bowl of mashed potatoes. "Eat."

It works better than with the orange. Maybe it looks like a bowl? Or the mashed potatoes are more reminiscent of pet food? Either way...

Michelle Lynchwood. +3 (PS -78)

And the MCD vibrates in my bag again. I want to get it out but Tammy is faster.

“Finn is looking at his cell phone!”

“Finn!” snaps my mother. “No cell phone at the kitchen table!”

“Sorry Mom,” I apologize and look at Rose, who is looking down and eating her mashed potatoes. No help from her, Tammy is a little bbrat tch and Mom… I’m not finished yet, Mom.

“Thanks for the food, Mom. It tastes fantastic.” But nothing happens, even when Michelle accepts my thanks. “You’ve outdone yourself again.” But this praise is useless too. Is it possible that a trick only works once? That would be bad, I have to vacuum the house again tomorrow. Or is it that Mom has already gotten used to my compliments? I poke around in my food thoughtfully and finally notice that Rose is watching me from the side.

I try not to make it too obvious but she is invisible today, even more than I am. Tammy has it in for me and so everyone misses the hostile, attacked and pain-filled look she gives me. Not me, however, but I can't do anything about it now except give her an apologetic, encouraging look. It doesn't help.

"Hey Mom?" Rose flinches, I'm still looking at her.

"Can't you just leave her alone?" Tammy snaps.

"I just wanted to ask, don't you think Rose smells wonderful today." My adopted sister looks at me as if I'd just spat on the table but I'm not Stilgar from Dune, even if I think his cloak is pretty cool.

"Are you completely stupid?" Tammy asks as if she's just realized it. But then her head snaps towards our mom. A quiet sniff is heard and...

Michelle Lynchwood. +1 (PS -77)

"That's right," she finally says and nods. "You smell really good, Rose."

"Th..." She looks at me questioningly and I nod encouragingly, "Thanks... Mom..."

"Keep eating," she finally orders. "When Jasmine comes home, I want the table clean." Her children nod and I'm not sure if it was her suspected heightened sense of smell or my commands, but at least I managed to get a nice word out for Rose.

And already it's evening again, again I'm lying in the room with Rose, our curtains drawn. Rose is sulking, for whatever reason, I was nice to her today. But there'll be time for that later.

As soon as the curtain is closed, the light from the MCD fills the small space. I can only hope that I can select another profile. Or I can see what Michelle's profile is all about.

But neither of those things happens.

Because first, a message flashes up.

Congratulations! You have reached the first milestone and increased the progress score of a subject by ten points. Collect your reward!

This time I click on the message without thinking. Today is proof enough and in fact I am not expecting a spam email or anything else but…

“One hundred tokens?” I click on the message with my brow furrowed but before a menu can open a second message opens.

Congratulations! You have reached another milestone and increased the progress score of a subject by another 10 points. Collect your reward!

So what? A reward for the first 10 points with Michelle on her journey? And the next reward for another ten points? But there is no point in asking what the rewards are all about, there is a submenu called User/Subject Perks. I just have to click on it…

But the profiles of Tammy, Rose and Jasmine also flash up. Apparently, I can open another profile. Does that have anything to do with the rewards? Or the milestones?

I could look at them.

Or open my sisters' profiles?

Should I check User/Subject Perks or open another profile?

****https://strawpoll.com/7rnzV8pAWnO