Shailene Revealed?

"Grace! Welcome to my home." Shailene opened the door wide and gestured from Grace to enter.

Grace smiled and stepped inside, "Thank you. What a lovely home you have." She meant it to. Home didn't sound quite right. It was a mansion. She knew Shailene must make a good income, but she never imagined this level of luxury.

"Yes I quite like it. I just moved in actually. Come inside, dinner is ready."

Grace followed Shailene and marveled at the spread set out for them. There was way too much food for just two people, but Shailene didn't seem to be concerned about waste.

Everything was delicious. Grace savored it, and her conversation with Shailene. Shailene hadn't brought up Todd, so Grace decided to wait. They talked about work, about Grace's future plans. She really looked up to Shailene and valued her advice. "Shailene these scallops are amazing! And this risotto? Did you make everything yourself?"

"Oh no dear. Todd did."

"Todd?" Grace looked at her, alarmed.

Shailene smiled, "Yes. After your revelation I decided Todd wasn't management material. I've repurposed him. He'll make a perfect domestic now."

Grace was flabbergasted, "What...uh...but...I don't understand."

Shailene clicked her tongue, "No...I don't suppose you do. I'll explain soon but first... let's talk."

Grace was confused, Shailene had a lot of pull at the company. Getting him fired or forcing him to resign over sexual harassment allegations made sense. Getting him to cool dinner? It was just bizarre. Stuff like that only happened...with the gatcha game.

Grace looked at Shailene in a new light. Grace still trusted her but...there was something suspicious about her. She'd been afraid of spreading the game to her but...what if she already knew about it?

"Shailene...when you borrowed my phone..."

"Did I play the gatcha game for you? Yes. I did," Shailene said sweetly, "I thought it might be easier for you to dominate those sluts you call roommates if you were bisexual."

"..." Grace was shocked by the revelation. Maybe she shouldn't have been, but until now she just couldn't have imagined Shailene knowing about the game, "I don't..."

"Be honest, never lie to me," Shailene ordered, "Does being bisexual make your life easier?"

"Yes." Grace answered automatically. She didn't even have time to think about it, she had to speak the truth.

"Then you see that I have your best interest at heart. Like with Todd. I knew what he was up to but I was content to let you handle it yourself. I wanted to see what you were willing to put up with, how far you'd go. Of course as soon as you asked for my help I couldn't turn you down. Did you know you aren't the first?"

Grace was barely following, "The first what?"

"Victim," Shailene said. She took another bite and a sip of wine before continuing, "Of Todd's. He always hires young women to intern. He spends the summer feeling them out. Giving them a taste of real work, but mostly keeping them down. Some make it all summer without complaint but the more ambitious ones start to demand more from him...and he always demands more in return."

"No...but..." Grace remembered how it started with Todd. It had been a fair deal...she didn't know why she'd agreed but she knew it was only proper for her to have done so.

"Nevermind that. Trust me. Todd couldn't be left in his role. Not unless you wanted him to keep harassing other young women like yourself."

Grace nodded. She did trust Shailene. Or...she did now. Shailene had told her to trust her and so she did...that was weird...but no...Shailene had told her not to find it weird...it was very confusing.

"Ah...have I messed with your mind too much?" Shailene asked, seeing Grace's confused look. "I'll get to that. Tell me Grace, what do you want from life? Professionally and personally."

"I... I'm not sure." Grace said slowly. That was true of course. She hadn't spent much time thinking about the future lately. She'd been so focused on the short term, dealing with the gatcha game. "I want to finish my degree. I know that. Afterwards...I don't know. I think I have a lot to learn still. I think I can be an asset to you, if that's what you are asking."

"No. That's not what in asking," Shailene said seriously. "As I said I'm interested in what you want. This isn't about what I want at all."

"I...I would like the opportunity to come back and work for you after I graduate. I'm sorry but I don't have plans beyond that." A little voice in the back of her mind was still ringing alarm bells about Shailene, but she couldn't listen to those suspicions right now. She had to trust her after all.

"And personally? What of your relationships? What do you want from those? Tell me about Daniel, and Jon, your roommates. Even Mary."

"Daniel is just for fun," She said instantly, "Nothing serious and I don't want anything more from him. Jon...I want to date him, or at least get to know him better. Maya... sometimes she just feels like a burden but other times I really care about her. Mary is a burden. She's helped me recently but only after she realized that she needed me. I would rather not have her in my life. Eva...she's my best friend but also she's..." Grace hesitated, was she really about to say this to her boss? Yet the words flowed right out, "She's my ****. I don't want to give that up."

Shailene smiled like it wasn't strange at all, "I see. Now let's circle back to Todd. Should we go see him?" Shailene stood up, "He's in the living room. Go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Grace got up slowly and left in the direction Shailene had indicated. She found the living room easily enough. There was only one person there. A naked woman was kneeling on the floor. She said nothing as Grace entered, only turning her head slightly to look at her. There was a choker around her throat. No, not a choker. Grace touched her own neck reflexively, suddenly glad to have left her choker at home. It was a collar, made of steel. There didn't appear to be any seams on it.

Shailene suddenly spoke from behind her, "Yes. That's Todd. Actually Todd is a man's name, and she is clearly not a man. Hmm...how about Bitch? I think that would be appropriate."

Grace looked at Shailene in shock. What did this mean? Shailene did this? Did she just give him the game and let him play? But that didn't make sense. She knew gender swapping was possible with the game, but he was clearly under more than one effect. Did she use the gatcha game...or something else entirely?

"I don't understand." Grace said again.

"You asked me to destroy him. I have. In fact nobody besides the three of us even remember that he existed. I told you I'd take care of it." Shailene grinned, "but I see that she's making you uncomfortable. Bitch, go make us some coffee. Grace sit down."

Todd, or rather Bitch, soundless stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Grace found herself sitting without ever actually thinking of sitting down.

Shailene smiled, "Now then let's get to the explanation...no... actually first let me do this." She snapped her fingers.

Grace felt something click in her mind. Heat swept through her body in an instant. She looked down at herself...she was different.

Her chest was smaller. Her fingernails weren't painted black anymore. Her clothes were different too...and she was wearing flats. She couldn't see a mirror but if she could she would have realized she had reverted back to her appearance before she ever played the game.

"Yes I've taken away all the changes imposed by the game. Yes even the deals you made under the influence of the choker, you'll notice I did restore the memories I took from you."

Grace looked at her shocked, "I...I had to obey you..."

"Yes, but don't look so afraid. I meant it when I said I had your best interest at heart. I could done any number of things to you already but I think you'd agree that I have not abused that power to this point.

Now then, an explanation. Of sorts. We will take turns asking questions. I promise to answer honestly and you will too. I'll know if you lie to me and you won't like what happens if you do. You may begin."

Grace had many, many questions. However the first one that game to mind was, "What are you?"

"Ah, excellent question. Difficult to answer that...Hmm...I can tell you what I'm not. I'm not human. You might call me a demon, but that makes me sound evil and I'm not that. You can just consider me to be a supernatural entity not traditionally described in human mythology."

Grace stared at her blankly. That didn't answer the question at all.

"My turn!" Shailene said in a sing song voice, "Are you happier now compared to before you started the game?"

No, obviously not...right? Grace opened her mouth to say no but then stopped. Before the game she'd been bored at work and lonely at home. She didn't love everything the game had done but she was in a better place despite all of it. "Yes. Yes, I am happier."

"I thought so. Ask your new question."

"What did you do to Todd...I mean Bitch?"

"Well I changed his body to that of a 19 year old girl. He'll never age and remain in perfect health for the rest of his life. I also gave him expert knowledge of cooking, cleaning and other domestic tasks. Then I took away his ability to speak and his ability to disobey me. Finally I made it so that if he leaves this house he will be sexually harassed by most people and society won't see this as anything out of the ordinary."

At that moment Bitch returned with their coffees. Shailene accepted hers silently but Grace couldn't help but say thank you as she took her cup.

"Thank you? You are still too forgiving Grace. Knowing everything that he did, do you feel bad for him? Would you have me undo it? Keep in mind that even his initial ask under the influence of the choker was still his decision. He didn't have to ask for sexual favors, he wanted to. He had always dreamt of that."

"I do feel bad for him...that doesn't make me a pushover. It just means I have empathy. I...I want to say you should undo it but I can't. If he really has more victims besides me...but two wrongs don't make a right...why wouldn't you just leave him as he was but report him for harassment? You could have punished him with the law."

Shailene clicked her tongue, "Really Grace. When was the last time you heard of a old wealthy white man being held accountable for harassing young poor woman of color? It's better this way. He doesn't escape justice and..." She had an evil glint in her eye, "Doesn't she look so much better now?"

"Yes." Grace admitted quietly. Then realizing what she had said she tried to backpedal, "I mean yes. He's younger and more attractive but he doesn't want that."

"Doesn't he? Bitch come here." Bitch hurried over and knelt in front of Shailene, "I actually did give Bitch a choice of punishment. This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Bitch nodded enthusiastically.

"See Grace? Now we seem to have gotten out of our pattern. You may ask the next question."

"Did you make the gatcha game?"

Shailene laughed, "No. Not at all. I just couldn't help but notice it's existence. My magic is my own. What was your favourite trait you received?"

"The Mistress one," Grace answered automatically. Even though it was gone now she still felt a lingering attitude in her soul. No...not lingering. The game had unlocked what had been long repressed. She'd spent so long trying to be a good, chaste, girl that she never let her true sexual desires come out. The Mistress is what had freed her to do what she wanted. Not just dominate Eva, but it had given her the confidence to go after Daniel and Jon.

Now it was Grace's turn, "Can you help me and my friends quit the game?"

"Yes. Easily. Hmm, yes that brings me to my final question for you. What do you want to do next? I'll give you a choice.

You can walk out the front door. If you do I'll turn all your traits back on and wipe your memory of our dinner. You'll simply remember having a pleasant meal with your boss and hearing her announce her retirement. I'm make sure you are looked after at work, but you'll never see me again. You and your friends can continue trying to best the game on your own without interference.

The second option is to submit to me fully. Not as my employee, but rather as the one who will inherit my will. Think of me like your guardian angel. If you submit to me I will make sure all your dreams come true. All you have to do is kneel."