Love Addict’s RPG Vol. 2 Ch. 91

Well that took embarrassingly long. It kept getting expanded and rewritten past my expectations, and even now, I cut the chapter short since I’d already written like 600 more words that are now the start of 92. I figured I wasn’t going to reach a good stopping point anytime soon if I did and I wanted to get this out. I hope you all enjoy it, I think there’s a lot of fun stuff in this one along with the big focus on character development.

***

Inside, the pair were met with a dark room devoid of other people save for a man in his thirties sitting behind the front desk. It was illuminated only by blinking machines and a solitary neon light hanging behind the counter, and things were just bright enough to notice the man had a stained shirt. Oliver looked around the place and saw a dozen different arcade cabinets, three quarter exchangers, a crane game pitifully populated by a smattering of cheap plushies, and not much else. A far cry from Prize Planet, but not without its charms- least of which was a reprieve from his mental backing track.

Quarter's Up was tucked away, almost hidden from the rest of the mall, giving it a lonely vibe that resonated with Oliver. It made him think of an arcade plucked right out of some old 80s flick- a sanctuary offering troubled teens a place to get away from it all, if only for as long as they could stretch their coins.

Zoe frowned at all she saw. A few of the cabinets looked dusty, and the manager behind the counter was a stranger with a stained shirt. He looked at them and nodded, but she didn't respond.

Oliver placed his hand on Zoe's shoulder. "I think you might've been underselling this place. I like it here, it's kinda cozy."

"I used to think so, too," Zoe shrugged, then chugged her entire energy drink before belching dismissively and crushing the can against her hip. She tossed it at a recycling bin by the front door, landing a slamdunk. "But yeah, nah. It's not the same."

"It's still got Ms. Pac-Man."

"It does, indeed," she sighed. "Why don't you go grab us some quarters, Olive? I'll even throw you a bone and let you cover the cost." 

"Wow, really? To think I'd be so lucky. I mean, sure, my finances will never recover from this, but if taking two amazing girls out on two separate arcade dates all in the same week isn't worth declaring bankruptcy, then I don't know what is."

"This isn't a-" Zoe started before changing her mind with a shake and another sigh. "Fuck's sake, Olive. You're the most incorrigible dude on the planet."

"Is that including your legion of simps?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Fucking ouch," Oliver hissed as he clutched his chest in jest.

"Never said it was a bad thing, ya fuckin' nerd," she managed to shoot him a subtle smirk, then looked away. "I'll meet you over at Ms. Pac-Man once you've cashed in your life's savings. Back row, last machine on the left. Don't wait up, I gotta BRB real quick."

"Huh? Oh, uh. Sure thing, Zoe."

"Chill. I won't be long, just gonna go and grab another drink. I didn't mean to chug the whole thing at once, but..."

"Yeah. No worries, I won't gonna stand in the way of whatever helps you through this."

"Thanks, dude," Zoe started shifting around on her feet, nerves dragging her down as she made up her mind. "I'm also gonna ask about the old man. Y'know. Just to clear things up."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Oliver asked, trying hard to sound supportive without leading her on. He was personally all for it, but it wasn't his call to make. 

"Nah, but I'm gonna do it anyway. It'll bug the shit out of me if I don't."

"Sounds good," he shot Zoe a soft smile and casually took her hand, giving it a quick, comforting squeeze before letting go. "Take as long as you need, okay? I promise there'll be plenty of quarters and an unkicked ass ready waiting upon your return."

[Zoe has gained +1 Affection! +1 Smooth Talker]

"There better be," Zoe smirked, then left for the last vending machine they'd passed.

Oliver went to grab some quarters and let out a heavy sigh. Coming here had changed the whole vibe of their not-a-date, and while he was doing his best to be there for Zoe and support her, the situation took a toll on him. He couldn't stop himself from worrying, so he rapidly shook his head back and forth, hoping it might dislodge some optimism from his mental cobwebs.

We shouldn't expect the worst just because the old owner's not here anymore. For all we know, he sold this place for some retirement money. Oliver mused while slotting his card into the machine. He punched in the amount he wanted, causing a flood of quarters to rattle out from within.

[Spent -$30]

There. That should last us long enough, and we can always get more if she wants to stay longer.

Oliver scooped up the huge pile of quarters into a large cup he got from a dispenser next to the machine, then wandered over yonder to the fabled Ms. Pac-Man cabinet of yore. To its right was something a little rarer- an honest-to-goodness Pac-Land cabinet. He forced himself not to look directly at it, as even the brief glance he'd gotten of its garish graphics made him fear for his eyes.

His world fell silent as he waited for Zoe, and not even the roaring orchestra of attention-demanding quarter-suckers could pierce through his thoughts. Everything was all jumbled up in his brain, Oliver jumping from one thought to the next as he kept thinking and thinking.

I hope she tells me more about him.

How much does Mia know about this place?

Did Zoe ever tell her about the owner?

I know Zoe's affection keeps going up, but am I really getting through to her?

Am I being too shameless?

He sighed, knowing he'd never truly be free of anxiety. It kind of embarrassed him over how little it took to flip his mood around. Oliver wasn't beating the sad puppy dog allegations anytime soon. Zoe had only been gone for a few minutes, and look where it left him.

He sucked in a huge gust of air and clenched his fist, reminding himself that things were different now. He'd changed. He could fight back- and he had to- because Zoe needed him to be strong. No. That's not right. He had to fight back because he wanted to be strong for Zoe. To move forward and become someone his girls could rely on- the thought itself pulled Oliver from his funk, readying himself for whatever news Zoe returned with.

Wait, did I just call Zoe- and Mia, for that matter- my... he slumped over the arcade cabinet and rubbed his forehead. Nope, nope. Stop right there, dumbass. You're the one who decided to become based and harem-pilled, Oliver. Remember? As long as you're not an asshole, then occasionally having egotistic, hyper-masculine thoughts now and again is no big deal. It's just part of the package, so suck it up, chucklenuts.

...On second thought, maybe I should rethink spending so much time with Zoe. My vocabulary may never recover.

Oliver briefly imagined what an accursed half-life he'd live should he ever start talking like his favorite foul-mouthed streamer. No doubt Tessa would be just thrilled by such a development. Maybe he'd even make it to assistant manager, assuming she overcame her inability to trust someone else to run her store.

He shook the silly thought from his head, then looked at the counter. Zoe was nowhere to be seen. He didn't have time to worry for her, however, as his phone started buzzing again.

[Mia: yall got any more of those date pics

getting the shakes over here mi amor

need my fucking fix]

Oliver smiled from ear to ear. If his mood hadn't already recovered, that would've done the trick a thousand times over. God, he loved this desperate, desperate girl.

[Oliver: Bad news my adorable little crackwhore, Zoe's grabbing a drink right now and I don't think she'll be in the mood for more pics when she gets back. We're at her favorite arcade, and things are kinda up in the air right now.

Mia: o shit

do you wanna call and explain??

Oliver: I've got it covered I think. Did Zoe ever tell you about this place?

Mia: ye the owner's like a nazi or something but she rly likes him]

Oliver stopped smiling. Both from what she'd said and the implication that Zoe told Mia more than Rebecca. His promise to help the tiny tactician still lingered in the back of his mind, even now.

[Oliver: Really hoping that was hyperbole, kitten.

Mia: lol ye sry idk i just know he was a super strict clean freak or w/e

Oliver: Okay, good. Had to be sure since between the rally and that dude I beat up, they keep cropping up.

Mia: mmm

dont be too harsh on the nazis mi amor

never woulda gotten stuck in that truck for so long together if it werent for that freak accident so

u and me owe them a lot if u rly think about it

Oliver: ...Are you high right now?

Mia: lol ollie

id buy a white hood and join the next rally myself b4 visiting abuelito w/o downing 1-2 wine coolers min]

The smile came back as Oliver shook his head. He supposed she did have a point, and he almost joked about it being a fun story to tell the kids one day before catching himself short of hitting the send button. He'd never deleted a prospective text message faster in all his life.

[Oliver: Fair enough lmao.

Anyway, we're kinda dealing with a Schrödinger's Germaphobe situation. The arcade's open, bthough the old dude's nowhere to be seen. Zoe's gonna ask the new manager what's up as soon as she's back but she's not looking very optimistic.

*though

Mia: fuck

thats uh ye not gr8

u offer to take her home?

Oliver: Of course, silly.]

[Mia has gained +1 Affection!]

[Mia: good boy

take it she insists on staying?

Oliver: Yeah.

Mia: well just try and keep her on the lvl ig

ur gud at that

Oliver: If you say so

Mia: i do indeed

Oliver: Either way, I'll try my best.

Everything good on your end?

was worried after last night

Mia: ye sry 4 not replying this morning

im ok

still a bit grumpy but w/e it'll pass

should prolly get back 2 socializing and shit tho

bleh

c u tonite?

Oliver: Not sure, Zoe was talking about dragging me to her bedroom later and I might be pretty wiped out after that...

Mia: fuckkkkkkkk youuuuuuuuuu

god that's fucking

hnnng]

[Mia has gained +1 Affection! +1 Smooth Talker]

Oliver could only shake his head and laugh. He really hoped she wasn't making a hentai face in front of her parents, and the sad thing was that he really couldn't put it past her.

[Oliver: Try not to have too much fun thinking about us, kitten.

I'll see you later lol

Mia: this isnt fair ollie

gonna get u back 4 this

Oliver: Bye, kitten.

Mia: hmph

take good care of her mi amor

bye]

Oliver's spirits couldn't have been any higher after his short conversation with his adorably grumpy girlfriend. It'd been such a nice shot in the arm that he hadn't even noticed they'd been texting for ten whole minutes. His eyes bulged upon discovery- mind-numbing bliss turning into panic as he stashed his phone away and whipped around to check on Zoe.

The arcade music was so loud he didn't hear her coming up behind him. He would've crashed face-first into the taller girl's chest if he hadn't skillfully applied Hyper Reflexes and Fancy Footwork the exact moment before impact.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, dude!" Zoe jumped backward and nearly dropped her new drink.

"Shit- s-sorry, I-"

"What in the fuck was that shit, Olive?"

"...Me having good reflexes?"

"There's good reflexes, and then there's passing a fuckin' quick time even in real life! Fuck. You scared the shit out of me." Zoe took a deep breath as Oliver's guilt continued to grow. He wore it on his sleeve, and seeing it made her feel bad enough to throw him a bone. "Y'know I'm not gonna slap you for accidentally motorboating the girls, right? This ain't one of Mia's pervy animes."

"I'll keep that in mind," Oliver scratched the back of his head and weakly smiled. "But I was more worried about knocking you over than I was about any potential Lucky Pervert BS."

Zoe scanned him from top to bottom, raised a brow, and sipped her drink. "I'm flattered the guy weighing in at a twig-and-three-quarters thinks he's heavy enough to topple my fat ass. Or, y'know. I would be flattered if, much to Mia's unending jealousy, my layer of strategically-allocated blubber didn't make me the Thickest Bitch of the West."

"And here I thought the Wizard of Oz shit had run its course."

"Yeah, well. If the ruby slippers fit." Zoe smirked. "What're you gonna do, cry about it?"

"No, but I could always relay this conversation to Mia."

"It's a free country, bro. If you wanna get your precious pet pussycat shipped away to the forever pound for mauling me to death during a fit of jealous rage, that's your prerogative... but don't even try and pretend you wouldn't miss me."

"Mm, yeah. I suppose I would." Oliver gave her a pity laugh that sounded more genuine as he went along. It was hard to hold back when he felt so relieved. Zoe seemed the same as ever as far as he could tell, so it stood to reason her old friend was doing a-okay.

And thank God for that... he sighed, then asked, "So what took you so long?"

"The closest vending machine was out of anything I'd voluntarily allow past my lips, so I had to backtrack a little more than I'd expected. Then I talked to the guy."

"...Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I saw you were texting Mia after I got done with that, so, y'know. Figured I'd give you a sec."

"Huh? What the heck, Zoe. You should've said something! Now I feel bad for making you wait."

"Chill, dude. It's not a big deal. I was only waiting for like a minute, tops."

Despite lacking her phone, Zoe still knew she was lying out of her ass with that one. It was closer to three or four minutes, no thanks to that dumb face of his. She'd glitched out when she saw him smiling at his phone, and then stood there staring at him like a stupid fucking red-faced middle school student experiencing their first crush.

Zoe sped forward the second Oliver looked like he was done in a desperate bid not to get caught. Supposing the girls did wind up getting accidentally motorboated, it would've been her own damn fault. She'd nearly caused the collision out of sheer embarrassment, and Oliver remained none the wiser.

"Okay, but I was still worried about you. We both were."

"C'mon, dude. I didn't meet the bitch yesterday. Mia was just fishing for more cuck pics, wasn't she?"

Oliver smiled. They knew each other so well, and he couldn't help thinking it was cute. No wonder Mia's family thought they were a thing.

"Mia wanting to be cucked by you and Mia caring about you aren't mutually exclusive."

"No, of course not," Zoe scoffed. "Could you imagine? How weird it'd be if those things were mutually exclusive, I mean."

"God forbid," he tried to hold back a laugh, chuckling upon his failure. "So can I take the fact that you're standing around cracking jokes at my beloved girlfriend's expense to mean that everything's okay with the owner?"

"Huh?" Zoe blinked, then looked away as she slumped her shoulders. "Oh, nah. He's been dead for two years, apparently. The guy at the counter is his son."

Oliver stared at Zoe for a long time. Everything went silent while he struggled to comprehend the last couple minutes of conversation in light of this revelation. He stepped forward into her personal space once it finished churning, his heart racing with concern.

"Zoe, why the fuck didn't you lead with that?! You should've said so!"

"You didn't ask!" Zoe lit up like an active volcano while avoiding his gaze.

"Because you were supposed to tell me when you got back, you silly, stupid piss goblin!"

"I know, I know, but... ugh, you had this derpy grin while talking to Mia, okay?" Zoe huffed.

"...So?"

"So take a hint, dumbass! I didn't wanna shit all over your good mood."

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose. He supposed he should be thankful Zoe was trying to be thoughtful, but he really would've preferred to get the bad news out of the way.

"That's uncharacteristically sweet of you-"

"Fuck you, I'm sweet as hell."

"But..."

"But?"

The question slowed Oliver down, helping him realize he was acting a little hysterical. He didn't like how quickly he'd assumed nothing was wrong before he'd jumped straight back into flirting, but that just meant there was more he could improve on. For now, he had to calm down and better assess how the news affected Zoe. 

Oliver closed his eyes, breathed in, and then compulsively reached for her hand- facing her with renewed determination to help however he could.

"But nothing. I'm sorry for overreacting, Zoe. You still should've told me sooner, but it's nice that you were trying to be considerate, and I really shouldn't have snapped like that. Whiplash. You know how it is."

Zoe started feeling stupid all over again over what felt like a random apology, not to mention the shift in his tone and the strange, fierce flavor of tenderness she found in his eyes. She pulled her hand away and rubbed it.

"Uh. Whatever, dude. It's no big deal." Zoe looked away. "None of this is, so don't feel like you need to worry about me or anything. I'm fine."

Oliver saw straight through her like a sheet of rice paper. He'd need to be careful here. Careful, but firm. The twins weren't talking out of their asses with that one. Experience confirmed that Zoe responded well to a stern voice and a refusal to back down, which Oliver begrudgingly added to their ongoing list of similarities.

At least Mia left me a good playbook, he sighed before getting down to business.

"Zoe, come on. I'm not stupid."

"Never said you were, Olive. You really gotta stop putting words in my mouth. That, and keep working on the whole imposter syndrome thing."

"Do you seriously want to just sweep this under the rug and play Ms. Pac-Man like nothing's wrong?"

Zoe frowned at his stubbornness, her eyes shifting further away before landing on a game that all but demanded her attention. 

"Y'know? Now that you mention it, I'm actually in more of a Zombageddon: Kill or be Killed, Killed, Killed - The Final Chapter Part the 3rd mood." She said, her eyeballs eating up the comforting carnival of carnage displayed on the screen like candy. "I've suddenly got this unexplainable urge to, like, I don't know, violently slaughter the ever-living fuck out of an unending horde of zombos."

"Unexplainable, huh? Right. I-" Oliver froze up after her namedrop fully registered. He followed Zoe's gaze, thinking there was no way anyone would actually name their game something so stupid, only to find the machine in question a few feet away. Below the silly name was the logo of a famous Japanese game development company.

Ah. Okay. That explains a thing or two.

"Olive? You good, dude?"

"Yeah, sorry," he shook his head free of distracting nonsequiturs and zeroed in. "Anyways. You're sure this sudden, allegedly unexplainable craving for violence, gore, and gunplay has absolutely nothing to do with anything you might currently be trying to repress?"

"I'm... not trying to repress it... it's just that, I dunno. People die, dude. It's whatever."

Oliver's anxiety escalated alongside Zoe's dismissal, and he fought desperately to keep it in check. He didn't have to force the issue right now. He could still back off, give her some breathing room, and it'd all be okay. Good intentions wouldn't stop him from coming off as an asshole, but he really couldn't help himself.

Not with her.

"No, Zoe. It's not whatever."

Zoe nearly flinched from Oliver's firm tone and couldn't shake the fear that she'd disappointed him. She probably hadn't, but- no. No, she knew him better than that.

He obviously only wanted to help, but these last few days had been one thing after another. Zoe swore her life was turning into one of those awful high school soap opera animes that Mia marathoned whenever she got too sad or too drunk, and she couldn't help it if some stupid thoughts slipped through while she was winding down from the latest emotional gut punch.

She still wished she could've milked more flirting out of Oliver or crept on him from afar for a little while longer, though. Preferably both. The girl was desperate for a pick-me-up, and caffeine wasn't cutting it. At least she had the way Oliver was currently staring up at her, all cute and serious-like, which Zoe supposed would have to suffice.

 She forced herself to open up another fraction of an inch using the meager courage inspired by his stubbornness.

"No, Olive. It's not. I know it's not whatever, but... c'mon, man, haven't you noticed a running theme here?" Zoe sucked in some air, hoping to dull the pain of throwing open the doors of her heart. It didn't help at all, but she kept going. She had to. "Running away from my problems is the only way I ever learned to deal with 'em. Used to work out great for me, too. Used to be that with enough time, they'd go away on their own, or..."

"Mia would take care of them for you?"

"...Yeah," Zoe winced. "And after a point, I just got so lost in my own fuckin' sauce that I took everything for granted. Took her for granted. Becca, too."

Oliver suddenly reached for her hand. She expected him to squeeze it, but instead, he pulled her a few steps away until she yanked it back, asking, "The fuck, dude?! I thought we were having a moment!"

"We still are."

"Then why the hell're you trying to drag me away like a fuckin' caveman?!" 

"Because now the moment is about us going back and buying a spray bottle."

"Uh...? Are you for real right now?"

"I told you what would happen the next time your guilt complex went off the rails, didn't I?"

"Oh, fuck off, Olive!" Her confusion gave way to anger as she clenched her fists, stopped her foot at him, and made a pissy face. The meter ticked down.

[Zoe has lost -3 Affection!]

Oliver paid it no mind. His compulsions were in complete control, and they told him not to let up. He was going somewhere with this. He couldn't say where, exactly, but anywhere was better than here, and like a force-sensitive pickup artist- or an unmedicated schizophrenic- Oliver trusted the as-of-yet-still-metaphorical voices in his head to push him onwards and upwards.

"No, Zoe. I don't think I will. Not until you see the forest for the trees."

"Yeah, okay," Zoe scoffed. "Go off, then, Mr. Therapist."

"I won't lie and say Mia doesn't want you to show her more appreciation, but that's only a symptom of your real problem."

"Which is...?"

"That you're woefully, comically bad at expressing yourself. Combine that with how hard you find letting other people in, and it's no wonder you started drifting away from your friends once your legion of lonely gooners got big enough to stand in for them. And why wouldn't you? They're strangers, after all, and you'd rather they put up with your bullshit instead of the people you actually care about, right? I'm living proof of that. Or at least I was until you started caring about me."

Zoe stared at Oliver wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Her heart was sinking so fast and hard that it was on a collision course with China. Word after word, his assumptions kept hitting the mark to the point where it was really starting to scare her.

"Zoe? Are you okay? I didn't go too far, did I?"

"Uh. N-No, you're good, it's just that... I dunno, man. I guess I've just avoided looking at myself in the mirror for so damn long that it feels really fuckin' surreal to hear my flaws listed off like that."

"The good news is that you're a lot less far gone than everyone thought," Oliver smiled. "It only took you a few days to realize something needed to change, and no one had to push you very hard to get there. Now look at you. You're out here on a date with me-"

"It's... it's not a-"

"It's a fucking date, Zoe."

"It's..." Zoe shrank, blushed, and finally conceded with a guttural groan. "Okay, fine. I don't even care anymore. It's a date."

"Always has been," he smiled wider. "And you've already got one lined up for tomorrow, too, right?"

"I do?"

"You and Mia? Granted, it's more of a house date, but-"

"Oh, right. About that- y'know I didn't magically improve at expressing myself in the minute or so since your whole 'reason I suck' speech, right? You're assuming I won't somehow fuck it up, and even then, half the reason we're in this mess is 'cause Mia sucks at telling me off." Zoe looked away and frowned, her eyes narrowing in on Ms. Pac-Man right as she snapped up the power pellet and went to town on Blinky. "I mean, sure, she's gotten a little feistier, but... I don't know, man. Might've jumped the gun on this in a rush to prove myself."

"No one's saying this has to be done tomorrow."

"No one except for the guilt complex you keep nagging me about," Zoe huffed to Oliver's amusement. "I'm pretty sure that'll clear up some once I get this outta the way, so I'd rather just get it done with as soon as possible." 

"Okay, fair. My offer to mediate still stands, though. If you think that would help?"

"Nah. I don't wanna hide behind you, Olive... or rather I do, but I feel like I really, really shouldn't. Not exactly the kinda message I wanna send, y'know? That, and I shouldn't be so afraid of doing this. She's my best friend. We've known each other our whole lives, for fuck's sake, but... you were right on the money about me, dude. I suck at this, and I don't know how to get better."

Oliver let out a relieved sigh. He'd been puffing out his chest to look more self-assured this whole time, and it felt good to let it go. The pressure might've gotten to him if he had to put up a front any longer, but it was hard to argue with the results. Oliver was ultimately glad he'd pushed Zoe so hard. Despite the bad news, they were moving forward again, and now all she needed was one last nudge.

"Practice, obviously. You suck so bad at it because you never do it, so, let's do it."

"Optimistic phrasing you got there, my guy."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop deflecting long enough to hear me out, please." He gave her a second to respond, and after she folded her arms, gave him a pouty look, and nodded, he continued. "I'm not gonna make the same mistake of turning this into a challenge again, so instead, I'm thinking we'll make a little game out of hopping between arcade cabinets."

"A game, huh?" Zoe's ears perked at the mention of a game, exactly as predicted. It made him wonder what else her hypercompetitive ass might agree to if he phrased it as a game, but those were fantasies for some other day. "Go on, then. I'm listening."

"Of course you are."

"Fuck’s that supposed to mean, huh?"

"Nothing, nothing. So anyway, here’s that I’m thinking-"

Stat Changes

Oliver Chase | Strength 9 | Style 5 | Spark 1 | Smarts 4
Cash: $796 | LP: 145

Mia Rosas | Status: Girlfriend | 104/300 | ❤❤❤♡♡

Zoe Myers | Status: Friend(?) | 137/100 | ♡♡♡♡♡