VN Ren'Py Love & Jealousy [Act 3] [Professor Amethyst Games]

[funnythings3785]

What part of 'its fact' did you miss? Now I didn't say something like cheating was a necessity or anything like that, but that sex is primordial in the manage of mental pressures, it help letting the steam out, its how its always been.

Now I am sure you'll say 'but he could have had it with his wife', when she isn't available for XYZ reasons? She induced a unending stream of mental pressure on him, in every Acts, every days of his life since the reveal of what his wife had done in College, the stress, the anxiety, it would be massive, and how do do we see her fuck him compared to how much she fuck him up? Its vastly uneven.

Act 3 she had sex with him before the girl's day, and I think that was it, after they came back and she went on to do her art, she outright isolated herself and prevent him from interacting with her. She took care of her own emotional and psychological needs, ignored those of her husbands whom 99% of all his issues stem directly from her.

Look it probably help that I am not a proponent of monogamy, I believe that polyamory is the correct way of life, its mentally healthier and provide better support than monogamy, while you are clearly only believe in pure monogamy.

You are arguing one "fact", but using it incorrectly in this situation. A simple chemical response to a physical activity does solve the issues that come before and after that "drugging" and make no mistake, it is a "drug" effect you are talking about, and I think some here who know better than I could probably explain the addiction aspects of that as well (ie sex addiction).

What you are not paying attention to is the consequences of this on everything. As I said, he does not want to do this, he thinks it is wrong, he thinks it is harmful to Lacey and he thinks this because he feels the same way about her doing these things.

I gave you a good example with Anna. He was approved by Lacey to go out on a date and be kissed by Anna. So what was his mind state? The moment he is kissed he feels shocked... like he did something wrong. He already thinks the date is going to weight on Lacey, they already had this discussion before he went.

Right after the date, what does he do? He is immediately concerned for how Lacey feels about the date and kiss, and he is worried she is going to take it badly... even discusses to himself how he should prepare to comfort her. So, for the moment of bliss, he is already worried about the offense... all "healing" that you suggest from the "drug" effect is lost, but it doesn't stop there. Lacey IS upset... she is jealous and scared (even though she planned and approved it), yet what does she do? She PUNISHES him for it, proceeds to make him jealous.

Now tell me, how is this "healing" at all? Where are all of these "sexual" actions and behaviors helping him when it produces these consequences? Heck, we know it isn't helping Lacey in her relationship with him, she admits it hurts her and even lashes out at him making it worse when he does... but... well... it was worth a moment of bliss right?

This is my objection to you, not the basic chemical reaction of dopamine and serotonin on the brain, but the actual cost of them after that moment of "soothing" is over with. There is a cost, and in the MCs case, it is at a loss of value.

 

[monkeyqueen]

Yep, I think the only action that is story driven to which the player has no choice to avoid is the Anna sex in the earlier chapters. Everything else, you can choose not to interact.

Not true of Kelly. I'm path 3, zero relationships points with everyone else and the MC slept with Kelly

 

[Lady Lydia]

You are arguing one "fact", but using it incorrectly in this situation. A simple chemical response to a physical activity does solve the issues that come before and after that "drugging" and make no mistake, it is a "drug" effect you are talking about, and I think some here who know better than I could probably explain the addiction aspects of that as well (ie sex addiction).

What you are not paying attention to is the consequences of this on everything. As I said, he does not want to do this, he thinks it is wrong, he thinks it is harmful to Lacey and he thinks this because he feels the same way about her doing these things.

I gave you a good example with Anna. He was approved by Lacey to go out on a date and be kissed by Anna. So what was his mind state? The moment he is kissed he feels shocked... like he did something wrong. He already thinks the date is going to weight on Lacey, they already had this discussion before he went.

Right after the date, what does he do? He is immediately concerned for how Lacey feels about the date and kiss, and he is worried she is going to take it badly... even discusses to himself how he should prepare to comfort her. So, for the moment of bliss, he is already worried about the offense... all "healing" that you suggest from the "drug" effect is lost, but it doesn't stop there. Lacey IS upset... she is jealous and scared (even though she planned and approved it), yet what does she do? She PUNISHES him for it, proceeds to make him jealous.

Now tell me, how is this "healing" at all? Where are all of these "sexual" actions and behaviors helping him when it produces these consequences? Heck, we know it isn't helping Lacey in her relationship with him, she admits it hurts her and even lashes out at him making it worse when he does... but... well... it was worth a moment of bliss right?

This is my objection to you, not the basic chemical reaction of dopamine and serotonin on the brain, but the actual cost of them after that moment of "soothing" is over with. There is a cost, and in the MCs cast, it is a losing bet.

You ask how it would help their relationship? Simple, if she felt what she makes the MC endure perpetually she'd hold back from doing it again, its how pains work, you learn what gives you pain and you avoid it, why has she systematically thru the entire game done her stupid bullshit? Because she has never felt the consequences of her actions, sure intellectually she knows she is making the MC feel miserable, but she hasn't suffered it herself, by making her suffer the same misery, she might actually start empathizing with the MC and actually be starting to moderate her actions that would cause pain to the MC, so long as she doesn't suffer as he does, she never learn how far is too far. Its again how it works in reality, pain is a great teaching aid, not that I suggest beating people up, but sometimes putting your hand on a burning surface is the only way to learn why you shouldn't do those things.

You know what would have really helped their relationship, having been forced to sit in the room while the MC fuck Kelly, tell Kelly how good she make him feel, and so on so forth, that would have done the trick, if that had happened Act 1 after she cheated on him, that might have actually solved much of their relationship issues. But Lacey doesn't want to feel pain, she gave him a free week, but it was something indirect, something she has but vague awareness of, she doesn't want him to tell her about what he does with others, but that is precisely what needed to happen, the MC needed to do everything she did to others, right in her face, sooner or later she'd get it, her pain would have taught her the lessons she needed to learn to not destroy their relationship.

 

[funnythings3785]

You ask how it would help their relationship? Simple, if she felt what she makes the MC endure perpetually she'd hold back from doing it again, its how pains work, you learn what gives you pain and you avoid it, why has she systematically thru the entire game done her stupid bullshit? Because she has never felt the consequences of her actions sure, she knows she is making the MC feel miserable, but she hasn't suffered it herself, by making her suffer the same misery, she might actually start empathizing with the MC and actually be starting to moderate her actions that would cause pain to the MC, so long as she doesn't suffer as he does, she never learn how far is too far.

Oh, I get that... I wasn't arguing the concept of having someone feel the pain they cause.

I think I have even suggested something similar in past discussions, but DeviantFun brought up the point I think that "tit for tat" can also have negative consequences. I mean, what did Lacey do as a response to the Anna date? Did she recognize how she has made the MC feel in the past? Or... did she retaliate?

Part of me think your idea may work, but then... heck... the way Lacey acts, she could get upset, reason some crazy emotional idea and end up gang banging half the town in hopes the MC will get angry and jump into fight them all off to reclaim her.

It all depends on how the professor would approach it, but I can see it could go either way, and honestly... I see "giving her what she deserves" to be more of a vengeful act by someone looking to walk away than someone who wants to heal a relationship. Besides, this doesn't fit at all into the MCs character and it would likely break him to push him to such (as was already mentioned in another discussion).

 

[monkeyqueen]

Well put.
The dude just doesn't have it in him and that's something fundamental in one's relationship values. You have to break them completely to instill it.

No. The man has it in him. Replay the final sex scene of act 1. Then replay the freak out on the morning of act 2.

The man was abusing his wife, calling her a cum bucket, slut, whore and he choked her to point of her nearly passing it out. (yes with permission but he desires in bed are reflection of who he is when the mask falls) And this is on the "no fun" route! He has the capacity to be the center of harem of women he degrades.

And the "monster" theory is correct he has derogatory names for the other harem members.

Does he have the capacity to be poly? fuck no.

 

[monkeyqueen]

Its not porn logic that dictate it would help him, its biology & biochemistry, its how men are built, sex is a relief valve for their psyche, from a psychological perspective he might bitch about it, it might not match his personality, but from a physical point of view the relief would have been very good to help sooth him, Hell its also applicable to a lesser degree to women, although women have also complex emotional needs on top of the physical needs, which is what make relationships with other women so important for women.

Today I learned that only women have complex emotional needs. because biology

 

[Lady Lydia]

Oh, I get that... I wasn't arguing the concept of having someone feel the pain they cause.

I think I have even suggested something similar in past discussions, but DeviantFun brought up the point I think that "tit for tat" can also have negative consequences. I mean, what did Lacey do as a response to the Anna date? Did she recognize how she has made the MC feel in the past? Or... did she retaliate?

Part of me think your idea may work, but then... heck... the way Lacey acts, she could get upset, reason some crazy emotional idea and end up gang banging half the town in hopes the MC will get angry and jump into fight them all off to reclaim her.

It all depends on how the professor would approach it, but I can see it could go either way, and honestly... I see "giving her what she deserves" to be more of a vengeful act by someone looking to walk away than someone who wants to heal a relationship. Besides, this doesn't fit at all into the MCs character and it would likely break him to push him to such (as was already mentioned in another discussion).

No no no, giving her what she deserves? No this is teaching, making her sit in the cuck chair while the MC fuck Kelly that would be a teaching moment, something to force her to learn what it feels like, learn to feel how her husband felt when she cheated on him, its a much more valid version of the excuse she gave for cheating in the first place, she wanted to teach him the lesson it didn't matter if she had sex with others, so now she would have been made to learn the lesson that IT DOES.

As for causing her to fuss if the MC had done that, yea sure, but the problem is doing nothing doesn't solve those problems either, you try to defend so much her not getting hurt in the equation you ignore what the MC had to endure, so you argue that cheating in front of her might have caused her to make a mess, but doing nothing as caused the same, except now the MC is the one that has snapped, so how much good doing nothing served?

 

[DeviantFun]

Well the MC has in a few occasions of doing something with Christine at the office, outside of that Jamie can give the MC a blowjob. But I think the MC was given the okay to do something with Jamie, as for Christine I don't know if she knows exactly but I think she knows the MC has done something with Christine during his free week and has vaguely allowed it to keep going, I think she operate based on 'won't ask, don't tell' approach when it comes to that.

Jamie is sanctioned, yes, I am trying to recall if there is any instances of christina after the free pass bj and I am coming out empty, she does give him a massage in her underwear if mc accepts, which with the new logic inserted by act 3 is not even remotely cheating.

And yes Lacey wants to know if somethibg is goibg on, so she can control and define it but is not interested in minor things, such as the first christine massage.

This is a mix of dialogue from both act 1 and act 2.
Which makes me think Veronica has been sanctioned as well, but in the material we only see the ok for sexting.

Edit: since there seems to be confusion, during the free pass we get two forced sex events: Anna and Kelly.

To those that did not know, in an old version of the script you could even deny Anna and avoid Bastion.

 

[funnythings3785]

No no no, giving her what she deserves? No this is teaching, making her sit in the cuck chair while the MC fuck Kelly that would be a teaching moment, something to force her to learn what it feels like, learn to feel how her husband felt when she cheated on him, its a much more valid version of the excuse she gave for cheating in the first place, she wanted to teach him the lesson it didn't matter if she had sex with others, so now she would have been made to learn the lesson that IT DOES.

As for causing her to fuss if the MC had done that, yea sure, but the problem is doing nothing doesn't solve those problems either, you try to defend so much her not getting hurt in the equation you ignore what the MC had to endure, so you argue that cheating in front of her might have caused her to make a mess, but doing nothing as caused the same, except now the MC is the one that has snapped, so how much good doing nothing served?

I am not entire against it, I just don't know how you could do it without harming the MC in the process.

Oh... I got it... You don't involve him.

A very clever deep fake could work. Something that covers ALL the angles to push Lacey's buttons. The sky is the limit, it could be the girls (this would complicate things though), it could be unknowns, but the point is that it would have to be harsh, I mean DEVISTATING to her hitting all the right points, saying all the right things, etc... to bring her to complete despair.

Since the girls would be present (Christine especially since she will claim it is real, not a fake) when she is viewing they could be there to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid... but then... the best part, it becomes kind of an intervention in a way... where they all point out how they remember the MC going through this when they watched Lacey and Damian with him. They could even begin to show little sympathy, pointing out... "It is hard to feel sorry for you Lacey, I watched you do this to the MC and he was devastated"

Then, once it was all done, while she is in complete shambles and they have all spoken to the actions she has put the MC through... and she has committed to the reality of it... they let her stew a bit (under supervision), then break the truth to her that it was a fake.

The MC doesn't know anything, he isn't there, he has no idea, and this is done at a point where lets say it is the girls being together over a weekend, so it gives time for it to happen, and for Lacey to reflect on it after she learns the truth.

This could even roll into some sort of break for her, hospital, etc... which complicates things, but... it may even provide a means to make it work even better.

Honestly though, don't think the MC could do it himself without some severe consequence to himself. He is too connected to Lacey, any pain she had would be absorbed to himself and I think while it may cause her to have some "understanding", it would be at a great cost to himself. I just don't see him being able to do that.

 

[NewGuy2022]

Have anyone heard the "broken heart symphony" from professor? I think it sheds some light on how he perceive the L&J story and possible direction where it is going.

I haven't. Where could I find it?

Yes, Lacey has cheated on the MC, but the MC has cheated on Lacey. The difference (at least in the first 3 acts) is that the MC did it whilst sober. Does that make a difference? The MC and Jeanette believed it does when it comes to Lacey and Damien.

I honestly don't remember the MC cheating on Lacey in my runthrough. Was this choice-dependent?

As the player I refused every offer from every woman when the dev allowed me; I even opt out of sexting when the dev finally allows it. When I'm allowed to choose what the MC says, I choose the option that is most harmful to any relationship with that female NPC--I am avoiding allowing the MC to do anything (even flirting) with NPCs.

It annoyed me, frankly, that I was not allowed to have MC refuse Anna because I think anything Lacey suggests is "good" for the MC really isn't (note: I openly admit my blindspot when it comes to Lacey so there's no need to shame me over it). And, as I recall, Lacey directed the whole MC-Anna event so I don't consider that cheating. I freely admit I do not like it but that was more like sharing than cheating, if only IMO. Not only was it insensitive to the MC (playing on his feelings for Anna) but it was pretty harmful to Anna, too, because I don't think she saw that event as shallow meaningless sex.

You know, I'd really like it if Lacey could just catch a break. Like she organises something with the MC and it just goes off without any problems, it's a perfect time they spend together, no abuse, no hate, no interruptions - perfect mental health.

Will we get that...?

I doubt it. I ask the same questions about the MC and I don't expect things to improve for him, either. This story has me conditioned to hate it when good apparently happy/positive things happen because I expect it's only the set-up for the MC (and the reader) to have our hopes dashed yet again when the inevitable bad thing happens. Often, but not always, orchestrated by Lacey.

she still does it, knowing how damaged the MC is, knowing this is yet another situation she created, she is fully responsible for.

Every time I read where someone says Lacey has grown... this is what I keep coming back to. It also reinforces why I believe the MC needs to leave all these people behind (note: not the way we ended Act 3, BTW) and go somewhere out of their reach/contact to seek some serious therapy and healing; perhaps in-patient for a bit? Yes, I know he is codependent but I don't see how the MC ever will benefit (really) from therapy when he returns to his loony-bin of a life after each session where the NPCs break him again by their attempts to "help" him. And I recognize the dev never will write his story that way so...

It's true Anna sleeping with the MC was with Lacey's consent, though I'd argue it was only to sooth her guilty conscience rather than her actually wanting him to do it - we will probably disagree on that point.

I took it that she wanted for the MC to sleep around to desensitize him to her sleeping around ("see, it doesn't hurt anything" or "since you can do it I can do it, too") but again I have to recognize that I'm hard-coded by the dev to seek and expect the worst from Lacey, Mia, and most of the NPCs. If you feel Lacey has a guilty conscience then that suggests to me that she recognizes that what she did was cheating so it's not just the reader's bias... but when someone tells us to do something (not shouted in rage) then we have to accept they meant that, don't we? Otherwise I'm back to not being able to accept or believe anything I read in the story.

Everything that is pushed, is by Lacey (and some of the other girls under specifics

And this, more than anything, is why I have the MC refuse every woman in the game. I think it also explains why Lacey seems more jealous when a woman she does not control is hitting on the MC vs. the NPCs she can direct. It's why I resist the harem option under the "no fun" route; it's not because of the MC's undying devotion to his wife, it's because I don't want to see him further manipulated by her and the NPCs.

but Anna confirms Lacey granted it.

I wouldn't say Lacey granted it as much as Lacey ordered it.

And then MC cums on Veronica, never touching her

Beth is the only clear cheating

Did these happen on all routes? I don't remember them (not saying they didn't happen; I just don't remember). To be fair, I refused everything with Bethany (no TV date, nothing) and I did skip/FF through much of the story on my first playthrough due to my frustration so I could have missed some forced events.

throwing gasoline on a fire to try and put it out.

That could be the title of the next Act.

 

[monkeyqueen]

But Lacey doesn't want to feel pain

You can't really believe this. You are just playing a different game and confusing it with this one

 

[daimadochi]

I'm very surprised that no one noted the dialogue between aby and lacey/jeanette just after the BDSM experience.
She ask them a specific question that is very clear and precise on the capacity of the BDSM master (wathever was is name) to be a very good lover , yes , lover.
The answers to that question are very telling imo.

 

[Lady Lydia]

I am not entire against it, I just don't know how you could do it without harming the MC in the process.

Oh... I got it... You don't involve him.

A very clever deep fake could work. Something that covers ALL the angles to push Lacey's buttons. The sky is the limit, it could be the girls (this would complicate things though), it could be unknowns, but the point is that it would have to be harsh, I mean DEVISTATING to her hitting all the right points, saying all the right things, etc... to bring her to complete despair.

Since the girls would be present (Christine especially since she will claim it is real, not a fake) when she is viewing they could be there to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid... but then... the best part, it becomes kind of an intervention in a way... where they all point out how they remember the MC going through this when they watched Lacey and Damian with him. They could even begin to show little sympathy, pointing out... "It is hard to feel sorry for you Lacey, I watched you do this to the MC and he was devastated"

Then, once it was all done, while she is in complete shambles and they have all spoken to the actions she has put the MC through... and she has committed to the reality of it... they let her stew a bit (under supervision), then break the truth to her that it was a fake.

The MC doesn't know anything, he isn't there, he has no idea, and this is done at a point where lets say it is the girls being together over a weekend, so it gives time for it to happen, and for Lacey to reflect on it after she learns the truth.

This could even roll into some sort of break for her, hospital, etc... which complicates things, but... it may even provide a means to make it work even better.

Honestly though, don't think the MC could do it himself without some severe consequence to himself. He is too connected to Lacey, any pain she had would be absorbed to himself and I think while it may cause her to have some "understanding", it would be at a great cost to himself. I just don't see him being able to do that.

You do realize the MC has already fucked Kelly, in Act 1 after Lacey came back he'd be fine if he had done at that point, even if he had felt bad for some time, what pain he'd endured would have been the pale shadow of the pain he had endured when she cheated on him, and allow her to have an actual earned moment of character growth, so it would have worked fine at the time and could have led to a far better narrative and characterization.

But the Dev wanted endless drama so now we are 3 Acts neck deep in drama, and now their is no choice but either at worst another unearned twist in character personality to fix those issues, or have some external metaphysical force to make it happen, their is no way to make that fix fit, the MC's will has been crushed entirely, he has been forced to passively just sit back and let Lacey do anything she wants.

 

[funnythings3785]

You do realize the MC has already fucked Kelly, in Act 1 after Lacey came back he'd be fine if he had done at that point, even if he had felt bad for some time, what pain he'd endured would have been the pale shadow of the pain he had endured when she cheated on him, and allow her to have an actual earned moment of character growth, so it would have worked fine at the time and could have led to a far better narrative and characterization.

But the Dev wanted endless drama so now we are 3 Acts neck deep in drama, and now their is no choice but either at worst another unearned twist in character personality to fix those issues, or have some external metaphysical force to make it happen, their is no way to make that fix fit, the MC's will has been crushed entirely, he has been forced to passively just sit back and let Lacey do anything she wants.

That may be, I am just speaking to a specific solution for a Lacey "dealing with what she has dealt". We may be too far past that due to the MCs break and health, but... maybe not in terms of lacey FULLY coming to terms and this may be a way (for the route to repair their relationship) to give her the means and motivations to actually "help" rather than the "hindering" she has been doing.


I don't think Lacey will "get it" by simply having to experience him being with another, even if it is watching...

Nope... it has to be soul crushing. When I say soul crushing, I mean... every fear, every single thing that would be a horror to see and hear from the MC, every element to reflect back at her how she has been, what she has done, but wrapped up into that presentation in some way.

She literally has to be on the verge of demanding that she can kill herself at that very moment, to escape the very horror she just witnessed... This is why it should be over a course of a couple of days before they break the truth, something where they refuse to let her act, to force her to simply sit... cry, scream, sob and swirl in it.

Unless we a going for some other type of ending (demoralized, breakup, etc...) this would be a "reasonable" means to provide an eventual reconnection.

Lacey is the problem right now. Sure, she forgave herself, but she has only done so "partially". She blames herself, but she still shifted blame on the exes, on mia (which is fair), but ultimately... the reason things are the way they are aren't because of her college days (they play a big part), but because of the way she acted since coming back to the MC (and the various lies she did it under).

She hasn't come to terms with it, sure... she talks the talk, says all the right words, but she doesn't truly accept the responsibility of them. They are... simply telling the MC what he wants to hear, but not understanding what it is she is actually saying.

This type of shock could be the catalyst to that understanding, a true revelation that causes her to freak the hell out, and to be honest... I have yet to see her truly attend to it (very briefly with the split personality break). She hasn't hit rock bottom, she is nowhere near on that level of understanding.

once she does though... then she can begin to actually grow, not through words, but a show of actions to the MC. Simply being a good wife, considerate of her words and actions, of him... If she did that from the start, I doubt things would be as bad as they are (even the MC said this, if she would simply stop hurting him) and she hurts him because she doesn't understand that she is hurting him... I mean. TRULY understand.

I think from that, it would be possible for her to then work on his mental health issues. Without her being the cause of continued issues, they simply have to repair from what has already occurred and I think the MC (at least he was) was pretty good at working to that, he had a long way to go for sure, but the long road is really... the only road. There is no quick fix here, just consistency to a cause and that will eventually heal things, and allow stability over time I would think (along with a crap load of therapy both individually between them and eventually group wise).

I think it is possible, and the professor could still throw in some twists and drama as it is progressing, providing Lacey herself is no longer the cause and she becomes more a means for them to build a defense together.

Again, this is the "They end up together" resolution, the others are easy to progress in. This would be the hardest to reason to work.

Oh, there is the other side to this as well... she breaks, the "old lacey" returns (because she no longer has anything left to be the new lacey for) and this could open up a complete shit show of drama as the girls try to get her to realize it was a fake (I get the whole exorcist vibe from this, "Lacey is no longer here") ... but that may be too much... lol.. hell.. I am spit balling into dark drama now.

Oh well... they are just thoughts... I wonder what the professor will come up with though.

 

[funnythings3785]

I'm very surprised that no one noted the dialogue between aby and lacey/jeanette just after the BDSM experience.
She ask them a specific question that is very clear and precise on the capacity of the BDSM master (wathever was is name) to be a very good lover , yes , lover.
The answers to that question are very telling imo.

I won't say yes, I won't say no.

What I will say is this forum is filled with theories based on some pretty reasonable takes of the dialogue for it to end up never answered to or simply be a "choice of words" in the moment by the professor.

 

[daimadochi]

I won't say yes, I won't say no.

What I will say is this forum is filled with theories based on some pretty reasonable takes of the dialogue for it to end up never answered to or simply be a "choice of words" in the moment by the professor.

I just wanted to point out how what lacey and jeanette say to aby is completely different to what they say to the MC.

A: The rumor is that he's an incredible lover , like no other.
L: That's probably extremely accurate.
J: Yeah. It would be hard to argue that.

Now if you compare that to what they say happened to the MC , that's very different.
I would love it if the MC could see that video in act 4 to see what an incredible LOVER the master BDSM guy is.

Edit : Now it could be a very poor choice of words , scratch that , sentences by prof , but it's tiring to second guess every word or sentence in the game if it doesn't fit a certain idea of what happens.

 

[funnythings3785]

I just wanted to point out how what lacey and jeanette say to aby is completely different to what they say to the MC.

A: The rumor is that he's an incredible lover , like no other.
L: That's probably extremely accurate.
J: Yeah. It would be hard to argue that.

Now if you compare that to what they say happened to the MC , that's very different.
I would love it if the MC could see that video in act 4 to see what an incredible LOVER the master BDSM guy is.

Edit : Now it could be a very poor choice of words , scratch that , sentences by prof , but it's tiring to second guess every word or sentence in the game if it doesn't fit a certain idea of what happens.

Yeah, it can drive you crazy.

I would say the professor (outside of big twists for drama) isn't the type I have noticed to do a lot of subtle foreshadowing to plot twists.

 

[Lady Lydia]

That may be, I am just speaking to a specific solution for a Lacey "dealing with what she has dealt". We may be too far past that due to the MCs break and health, but... maybe not in terms of lacey FULLY coming to terms and this may be a way (for the route to repair their relationship) to give her the means and motivations to actually "help" rather than the "hindering" she has been doing.


I don't think Lacey will "get it" by simply having to experience him being with another, even if it is watching...

Nope... it has to be soul crushing. When I say soul crushing, I mean... every fear, every single thing that would be a horror to see and hear from the MC, every element to reflect back at her how she has been, what she has done, but wrapped up into that presentation in some way.

She literally has to be on the verge of demanding that she can kill herself at that very moment, to escape the very horror she just witnessed... This is why it should be over a course of a couple of days before they break the truth, something where they refuse to let her act, to force her to simply sit... cry, scream, sob and swirl in it.

Unless we a going for some other type of ending (demoralized, breakup, etc...) this would be a "reasonable" means to provide an eventual reconnection.

Lacey is the problem right now. Sure, she forgave herself, but she has only done so "partially". She blames herself, but she still shifted blame on the exes, on mia (which is fair), but ultimately... the reason things are the way they are aren't because of her college days (they play a big part), but because of the way she acted since coming back to the MC (and the various lies she did it under).

She hasn't come to terms with it, sure... she talks the talk, says all the right words, but she doesn't truly accept the responsibility of them. They are... simply telling the MC what he wants to hear, but not understanding what it is she is actually saying.

This type of shock could be the catalyst to that understanding, a true revelation that causes her to freak the hell out, and to be honest... I have yet to see her truly attend to it (very briefly with the split personality break). She hasn't hit rock bottom, she is nowhere near on that level of understanding.

once she does though... then she can begin to actually grow, not through words, but a show of actions to the MC. Simply being a good wife, considerate of her words and actions, of him... If she did that from the start, I doubt things would be as bad as they are (even the MC said this, if she would simply stop hurting him) and she hurts him because she doesn't understand that she is hurting him... I mean. TRULY understand.

I think from that, it would be possible for her to then work on his mental health issues. Without her being the cause of continued issues, they simply have to repair from what has already occurred and I think the MC (at least he was) was pretty good at working to that, he had a long way to go for sure, but the long road is really... the only road. There is no quick fix here, just consistency to a cause and that will eventually heal things, and allow stability over time I would think (along with a crap load of therapy both individually between them and eventually group wise).

I think it is possible, and the professor could still throw in some twists and drama as it is progressing, providing Lacey herself is no longer the cause and she becomes more a means for them to build a defense together.

Again, this is the "They end up together" resolution, the others are easy to progress in. This would be the hardest to reason to work.

Oh, there is the other side to this as well... she breaks, the "old lacey" returns (because she no longer has anything left to be the new lacey for) and this could open up a complete shit show of drama as the girls try to get her to realize it was a fake (I get the whole exorcist vibe from this, "Lacey is no longer here") ... but that may be too much... lol.. hell.. I am spit balling into dark drama now.

Oh well... they are just thoughts... I wonder what the professor will come up with though.

As you said the shock treatment is about what need to happen at this point, I suspect what will happen is the reverse of what I said in my theory of what if Mia hadn't showed the MC's the videos, Act 4 will be the MC under the control of a secondary persona is going to go around and do everything he couldn't allow himself, going around and fucking girl after girl after girl, Lacey and his girls will track him down and she'll have to face the fact he went on this massive sex binge, she'll approach him, convince the MC's other persona to at least let her have one last great fuck, she'll basically do to him what was done to her in College, forcing a 'reset' by basically fucking him like crazy, possibly with the assistance of some of his other girls. Once he got 'reset' his personality is going to be an amalgam of both, so he'll be back to himself, but with his will and confidence returned to him, and now willing to fuck around.

Act 5 with the MC main persona back in charge he'll inform Lacey about her family property, they'll go there, there Lacey will come to term with everything she did and how it felt when she figured the MC fucked around likely crazy, as well as coming to term with her childhood, this Act will be around her coming to term with all of that and her own divergent personalities, ending with her coming to term with it and fusion together like the MC.

 

[ashketchumisty]

This game doesn't start. I am using Win 11. Any fix?