Love Addict's RPG Ch. 52

Split this one up a little early, should mean 53 will be tomorrow I hope.

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"Looks like someone is going all out," Oliver remarked after letting Bradley in and getting a load of his ensemble. The psychically-created best friend was wearing a cheap yet shiny new tracksuit and a baseball cap that said 'Coach' on it written in big, bold red letters. Going the extra mile, a plain white towel and a whistle were draped around his neck, which Oliver thought really brought it all together.

"You don't KNOW the [Half] of IT!" Bradley removed something that inspired pause for alarm from his pocket; a silvery, shining scalpel. "I brought all SORTS of [First Aid] supplies and [Various Medicines] just in CASE we need to get you back in the [Ring], my FRIEND!"

"And the scalpel is for... what, exactly?"

"The SCALPEL is to slice your [Eyelids] open in the event THAT they become too [Swollen] to see out of!"

"Not too sure how I feel about you being so enthusiastic to cut me open... and besides that, I'm pretty sure that's not something that people actually do outside of boxing movies..."

"Nonsense! What OTHER purpose would a [Cutman] serve if NOT to [Cut]?"

"This might just be me, but I think it has to do with fixing cuts. You know, as opposed to making new ones?"

Bradley's chipper expression dulled as he considered this, then reinserted the scalpel into his pocket where it hopefully disappeared into hammerspace. "I SUPPOSE that is a [Distinct Possibility]..."

His sadness didn't stick around for long as they had a quick chat about Oliver's day thus far. He told Bradley about his first spark level up, the gift he bought for Mia, what happened with Stacy, and his last-minute skill acquisition. Bradley was pleased to see Oliver following his LP farming advice again but had a take on the matter that Mia hadn't brought up.

"[Juan and Julio Rosas] are convinced THAT you will develop into SOME sort of [Advanced Pickup Artist], correct? Do you not think they might HAVE something to say ABOUT the random [Blonde Bombshell] in your corner?"

Oliver stared off into the middle distance for a moment, cursing, "Fucking hell, I really didn't think this through..."

"Now, now! I'm sure they CAN be perfectly [Reasonable Fellows] when the MOOD strikes!"

"Extremely," Oliver laughed. "Maybe Mia can just tell her brothers that she invited Stacy, or something...?"

"We'll figure it out when we GET there! Shall we [Talk Shop] one last TIME before we go?"

"Yeah, might as well do a quick run-through," Oliver agreed.

The enemy was Juan Rosas. He was a large man, roughly six feet tall and two hundred pounds at the bare minimum, primarily muscle. Though somewhat shorter and lighter than the wrestler Oliver had fought the previous day, it would be unwise to underestimate his opponent before he knew what he was capable of.

Juan had a dangerous air about him- like he might snap at any moment. Oliver was worried about how that might translate into the boxing ring. He assumed Juan to be an 'all or nothing' kind of guy, which might work out to Oliver's benefit if he could use that wildness against him. Then again, it could just as easily trip him up if Juan's aggression was too much to keep up with.

The difference between a Brawln fight and a boxing match was the three-knockdown limit per round. That could make or break things, and they'd have to adjust their strategy to work around it.

After a good ten-minute discussion, Oliver was more fired up than he knew what to do with. He was way past ready to finish up this nonsensical detour involving street fights and boxing so he could resume all the equally nonsensical romantic shenanigans with his beloved girlfriend.

The two fast traveled to Contact Mike's Boxing Gym and entered the lobby. Oliver thought this gym seemed quaint at first glance, with its scuffed floor and overall vintage aesthetic, but he had to admit how fast the charm grew on him. The place was retro, with old black and white boxing posters hanging from the walls and framed photographs of presumably important local boxers who undoubtedly lived exciting stories of their own.

Before Oliver could approach the receptionist and ask where to go or if he had to pay to get in, Mia came up on his blind side. His Hyper Reflexes kicked in, alerting him to her presence as he used his Fancy Footwork to swivel his entire body around in one quick motion, snapping towards her. She looked at him for a few minutes, surprised by his sudden reaction.

"Christ," she exclaimed. "Feeling a little tense there, mi amor...?"

Oliver was embarrassed, partially at his actions and partially by Mia's presence. She was right there in front of him after all of the naughty stuff they said to each other last night, and it was hard not to think back to everything without adopting a huge, derpy smile. It didn't help that she was wearing a sarcastic shirt picturing an adorable cat flipping the viewer off, coupled with a pair of red skinny jeans that drew attention to the slender girl's backside in a way Oliver didn't even know was possible.

"Maybe a little, but hey, you should really be more careful sneaking up on me like that," Oliver warned. "Especially when I'm in battle mode."

"That so? Why, you gonna jump me?" Mia allowed herself to break her sleepy air of calmness long enough to flash him a suggestive smile with half-lidded eyes, hinting that last night's naughtiness was still fresh on her mind, just like it was for him. They stared at each other, the sexual tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Even Bradley wasn't tone-deaf enough to interrupt this little moment they were having and was happy to keep his mouth shut on the sidelines. Unfortunately, Mia's plus one lacked a comparable amount of self-awareness.

"He just might," Rebecca cautiously tiptoed between them. "Soldiers are capable of terribly tragic things if you catch them unawares, as the loved ones of many veterans can attest..." she said in her tiny voice. She mostly spoke to Mia but made an effort to occasionally glance toward Oliver despite the trouble she had maintaining eye contact.

Oliver felt ashamed he hadn't even noticed Rebecca until now, absorbed by Mia as he was. It was doubly embarrassing when you considered how much more she stood out thanks to her outfit. When they'd first met back on Monday, Rebecca had skipped out on work, meaning she was presumably wearing her work clothes at the time. This was the first time he'd seen her in casual clothes, and the difference between the two was striking.

She still had her special hat, her dice bag necklace, and her pack with strapped-on deck boxes, but on top of those, she was wearing fingerless gloves, a black turtleneck with the 40th Space Reich logo on it, a pair of gray sweatpants, and her familiar snowboots. It wasn't easy to sugarcoat it- Rebecca had a unique personal style. That's not to say it didn't look good on her- she absolutely owned it, in Oliver's opinion- but walking around in broad daylight dressed like that...?

It took either tremendous self-confidence or a complete disregard for how others perceived you. That or Rebecca was clueless and marched to the beat of her own drum. Whatever the answer was, Oliver respected it.

"Hey, Rebecca," Oliver casually greeted the mousy girl. "Mia didn't tell me you were coming. This is my friend Bradley, he's-"

"[Charmed] is WHAT I am! Greetings, FRIEND of [Oliver's Girlfriend]!" Bradley took a step forward and gave a polite bow, which had an effect opposite to his intention. It caused Rebecca to reflexively step away, hanging her head and hiding halfway behind Mia, who now had an apologetic smile on her face.

Mia placed her hand on Rebecca's shoulder and comforted her, prompting an apology from the smaller girl. "S-Sorry... I get really anxious around most men..."

"No apologies NECESSARY!" Unbothered and understanding, Bradley retreated. He then subtly went into wingman mode after sensing an opportunity. "Interesting qualifier, [Most]. Would YOU care to ELABORATE?" Just in case Oliver didn't understand where he was going with this, Bradley gently nudged him with his elbow.

"U-Um..." Rebecca froze, winning even more sympathy from Oliver.

He sighed. Mia thinking that Rebecca had a crush on him was bad enough, he didn't need Bradley making things worse. "Just ignore Bradley if he bothers you. He can be pretty weird, but he's harmless." Bradley gave a thumbs up to confirm this was all right by him.

"Okay," she muttered. "Thank you, Oliver. Sorry for tagging along, Mia just, um, told me about the thing tonight, and I thought maybe I could... I don't know, cheer you on...?"

"Like I said, the more the merrier," Mia winked at him. "Right, mi amor?"

"Right," Oliver held back a laugh. He got the feeling that being here was somehow hard on Rebecca, yet here she was, trying her best. Oliver wanted to make sure she felt appreciated for her efforts. "It's very kind of you since I'm gonna need all the help I can get. Thanks, Rebecca." He said while looking straight at her and giving her a kind smile, which inadvertently scored him some points with Mia for once again being nice to her awkward friend.

Rebecca's cheeks turned subtly red, and her brows furrowed, making her look much more grim. She poked her head out of cover, meeting his gaze to tell him, "Don't thank me yet. War is hell, soldier, and if you want to win, you must beat that fact into your opponent's skull until they're left with nothing beyond shattered bones and an innate understanding of your superiority."

Oliver briefly looked at Mia in disbelief at what the tiny one had just said. His girlfriend seemed amused more than anything else, asking, "Solid advice. Which of your books is that line from, hm?"

Rebecca's droopy eyes seemed to sparkle and shine. "Endless Space Siege: Glory to Humanity and Death to our Enemies. It was a direct quote from the honorable Warmeister Heinrich Von Slayblood, part of his rousing speech meant to motivate a fresh regiment of neosoldats on the eve of their first battle against the festering hives of-"

The gym door opened up behind them, snapping Rebecca out of her lore dump and sending her hiding behind her friend again out of fear that some big muscle man was about to come in.

"Mn," Mia observed. "Speaking of festering hives."

"Oh, good," Stacy sighed. "The bus was running a little, so I was worried you might've started without me!"

"[Stacy Lynn, Heroine #1]!" Bradley called out in greeting, much to Oliver's annoyance. "How nice of YOU to JOIN us!"

"Sup?" Stacy gave Bradley a high-five as soon as he raised his open palm, then smiled at Oliver. "You ready to kick ass, hon?"

"As, ah... ready as I'll ever be...?" Oliver felt a problematic lump forming in his throat now that Stacy was here.

She'd mentioned having a yoga class later tonight, but he didn't expect she would come dressed for it. Stacy was wearing a pink sports bra with a sizable boob window, showcasing more than a generous amount of cleavage thanks to how tight it pushed her chest together. There was also her black and pink-lined yoga pants to contend with, which were less formfitting and more form-perfecting. Completing the look was a trio of black sweatbands wrapped around her wrists and forehead and a women's sports backpack hanging from her shoulder instead of one of her many designer purses.

Oliver had to look away the moment after he saw her, knowing himself well enough to understand there was a nonzero chance he might openly gawk at how hot she looked. He looked to Mia hoping to calm his nerves only to find that she was seemingly gawking at Stacy. Her brow was raised, and there was a faint splash of color on her cheeks. If he didn't know any better, he almost would've thought she was checking Stacy out, which...

She did have an awful lot of lewd anime girl pinups in her room, come to think of it... Oliver paused and tilted his head, so close to getting it.

"Mia?"

"Mn?" She shook her head, the glimmer of interest in her eyes fading along with her blush. Mia then leaned in close, whispering, "Sorry, got a little distracted... I mean, fuck. You see those things, mi amor?"

He couldn't believe what she was saying and whispered back, "Um, yeah, but I'm kinda trying not to stare?"

"Wouldn't blame you if you did," Mia shrugged. "Just saying."

Oliver was on the verge of asking Mia more directly about her sexuality but decided against it for the time being. Stacy's outfit already had him excited enough as things stood; there was no sense in making it worse for himself. Confirmation would only fill his head with perverted distractions right before he had to step into the ring. Needless to say, he was into the implications.

Stacy suddenly squinted in Mia's direction and craned her neck forward. Oliver was worried for a second that she'd noticed Mia was openly checking her out, but it wasn't her main concern if she had. She was more preoccupied with the hat peeking out from behind Mia's shoulder.

"Is that...?" Stacy tilted her head, a glint of recognition slowly developing in her eyes. "Rebecca Bergmann?"

"Y-Yes...?" Rebecca answered, eying a big potted plant in the corner of the lobby. It was the perfect size to hide behind. All she had to do was disengage, and-

"No shit? I knew I recognized that hat..." Stacy laughed, then playfully tapped Oliver on the shoulder as she walked past him to insert herself between Mia and Rebecca. Before either girl could react, Stacy pulled them in for a surprise hug and then playfully grinned at him. "Look at you, Playboy. Not one, not two, but three cheerleaders? Smooth. Hope you know it's your damn fault if you somehow manage to fuck this up even though you've got all these sexy bitches in your corner."

Both Mia and Rebecca were inadvertently squeezed against Stacy's breasts, though their reactions couldn't have been more different. Rebecca went pale from the sudden physical contact, freezing in place and sweating up a storm as she tried to repeat the words 'sexy bitches?' in a state of total confusion. On the other hand, Mia looked like a cat secretly thrilled about being picked up and held but was putting on a show and acting as if she didn't enjoy it because she didn't want the human to get any funny ideas.

Bradley nudged Oliver from behind, encouraging him to stop staring at the sexy display in front of him and say something already.

"No worries, I think three is the exact amount of sexy bitches I need to pull this off," Oliver said, then wondered why in the name of Christ he'd thought that was the right thing to say.

Mia broke out of her tsundere bullshit long enough to smirk at him. Stacy was genuinely taken aback, though she had an expression combining disbelief with amusement. As for Rebecca, well... she wasn't pale and sweaty anymore. Now, she was scarlet and sweaty.

Seeing everyone react positively to his unintentionally flirtatious line gave Oliver a little ego boost, making him quip, "Unless you think there's time to go and find one more?"

Mia finally broke free of Stacy's grasp, showing she could've done so at any time. "Loving the enthusiasm, mi amor, but alas. Almost six. Three's gonna have to suffice."

"Or WILL it?" Bradley took a dramatic step forward. "Say the word, my friend, and I will PERSONALLY-"

"Nope, don't even want to know where that one's going," Oliver sighed. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Rebecca wasn't doing well and didn't have the strength to break Stacy's hug. The sadistic part of him was tempted to leave her to her fate on account of how adorable she looked, but he snuffed that thought out pretty fast.

He reminded himself that part of him was only allowed to come out when he was alone with Mia.

"You might want to let go, Stacy. You're scaring her." Oliver pointed out.

"Huh? Oh, shit." Stacy eased her grip and allowed Rebecca to step away. "You okay, sweetie?"

"N-Nuh... no..." Rebecca shambled away and pulled the brim of her hat down over her face to hide. "Pretty people m-make me nervous, I... I don't know how to be around them without feeling out of place and f-freezing up... and t-that's just with pretty people who didn't used to be huge bullies back in high school..."

Oliver frowned, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the awkward nerd once more. He was on the verge of trying to console her himself when Stacy surprised him by making an attempt.

"Aw, there's no need to be scared of lil' ol' me! Not anymore, at least. Right, Mia?"

"Dunno," Mia shrugged with feigned indifference as she shuffled over to Oliver's side, taking the chance to hold his hand. "Seen you without your coffee a few times these last six months. Think there's still plenty to be scared of as far."

Stacy rolled her eyes, then focused in on Rebecca. They'd only interacted once or twice back in high school since Rebecca was a year younger, so she didn't really know her back then. She never picked on her, either, mostly because she quickly became friends with Mia, who Stacy kept her distance from in the aftermath of what happened with Oliver.

That said, everyone knew about Rebecca Bergmann. She stood out back then as much as she did now, and for the same reasons. Still... now that Stacy was up close and personal with her for the first time...

"You know, Becky,"

"B-B-Becky...?!"

"I bet you'd feel less nervous around pretty people if you learned to make yourself into one..." Stacy's eyes gleamed as she stared at what might become her next project.

Oliver was on the verge of speaking up and defending her, but Mia squeezed his hand and preemptively shushed him. "Let her cook, mi amor. Becca doesn't get much socialization outside of me and Zoe. Wanna see how this goes."

Oliver didn't feel great about it, but if that's what Mia wanted...

"I.. um... I don't know how I would... I mean... you can't just learn to be p-p-pretty..." Rebecca laughed an awkward laugh that sounded almost like chittering. "You're either born that way or not, and I..."

"Nonsense!" Stacy crossed her arms and leaned in to be at eye level with the much shorter girl. "Beauty is created through painstaking refinement and self-reflection! You've already got a pretty cute face. It's mostly the bangs and your outfit that aren't doing you any favors. I've worked miracles with a lot less, isn't that right, Oliver?"

Oliver ran a hand through his flawless perm. "I mean, it was mostly Jordan who worked this miracle..."

Stacy let out a half-amused laugh and shook her head. "Don't listen to him, sweetie. I made Oliver over there halfway presentable, and I could do the same for you, too! More than that, even. I bet I could make you drop-dead gorgeous!"

A gear in Rebecca's brain had been dislodged. It tried to keep on chugging, but it only resulted in the gear repeatedly backing up and falling out of place entirely. She looked like smoke was about to pour out of her ears.

"W-What? But... no... my clothes are comfy... a-and they usually have logos and silly pictures of things I like on them! Also, my bangs hide my eyes from other people, and my boots make me feel like an adventurer! I... I'm not... I could never be... g-g-gor... gah!!"

"Uh," Stacy watched Rebecca flounder and break, realizing she might've pushed harder than she'd meant to. "Becky? Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I-"

"Shit," Mia let go of Oliver's hand to go after this little social experiment had finally gone off the rails. All she wanted was to push her friend to open up a little, and she figured Stacy and her in-your-face attitude might help with that. It was too much, too soon, however.

Rebecca's knees were wobbling and were about to give out on her- right up until they did.

Oliver sprang into action the second it happened. Fancy Footwork's added agility kicked in, helping him cross the distance in a split second. Rebecca would've fallen roughly on her back if he wasn't there to catch her. Instead, she landed safely in his arms, her face not too far from his own as he held her and gave the awkward nerd girl a reassuring smile.

"Careful, there," he said. "You okay, Rebecca?"

"I, um... I don't know," Rebecca admitted, staring straight at this relative stranger in fear and wonder.

She was starting to think that all the stress must've been getting to her. There were suddenly sparkling stars all around Oliver's charming face that hadn't been there before, and she couldn't remember how she ended up in this position to save her life. Something about a blonde chick being in her face, maybe? Inconclusive.

Rebecca did know she was supposed to thank him for catching her and tell him she was fine, but maybe he would keep holding her if she didn't?

Wait, no. That would be bad. Rebecca reminded herself that this was Mia's boyfriend. What a silly thought to have, wanting to be held in such a provocative way by your best friend's lover, and yet... Rebecca's panic increased, unable to sort out these new and complicated feelings like an adult. Nothing in any of her 40th Space Reich codexes or Dice Rolls and Dungeons sourcebooks had prepared her for a war quite like this.

Meanwhile, Mia grinned knowingly in the background at this comedically adorable sight. She wished she'd brought her sketchbook or had the chance to take a reference photo- it was too good.

Bradley was the only one who noticed her strange reaction, prompting the observation, "Playing the LONG game, [Miss Rosas]...?"

Mia spared Bradley a look, feeling as if she truly saw him for the first time. "Only game I know how to play," she replied. Neither of them said a word beyond that, but a silent bond of understanding was forged between them after realizing their interests were aligned.

Oliver was just about to let go of Rebecca, only for the door to open up behind them at the worst possible time, the music of his mind changing back to that familiar Western standoff song he had heard a few nights ago. He closed his eyes in frustration, thinking, God damn it.

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