Victoria led me around, her hand cupped over my arm. It caught my attention because it struck me as strangely formal as we slowly browsed. Wink was walking a number of paces ahead of us visible to all, checking out all the smells. Her falcon sat on her far shoulder, somehow setting its beak against its chest with its eyes closed without falling off of her as we walked.
“Okay, Lucius. What styles do you like?”
“Eh. Practical? My channel manager always helped me with that kind of stuff. It was always simple and mostly dude.”
She chastised me with a look. “Mostly dude?”
“Um. For guys…” I was a little distracted by her closeness, to say the least.
It was really a rare situation for me. Most of my time spent with extremely attractive girls was during competition. I didn’t remember the last time I was with a girl where we were just playing a game together and I wasn’t considering how to kill her.
If it weren’t for what Oliver said about her being taken, controlling where my mind wandered would be all I had to worry about. Now that he had mentioned it, I couldn’t help but think about what a real relationship would be like. It wasn’t something that I was against, but I had always set the timing in the distant future.
I missed Destiny, but she didn’t have to be here for me to know what she would say.
“Lucius. Just because you desire a girl doesn’t mean you're in love. Since you were twelve I have observed you having the same chemical response to over nine thousand girls and counting. She’s attractive, yes. You’re a guy. Do you want to give up all we have worked for to have some temporary pleasure?”
“Can’t I have both?”
“Will she want you to have both? Or more importantly, will she support you to reach your dream even if she ‘thinks’ she’s willing? Will she know how?”
“I don’t know.”
“No, you don’t. Humans are the most complex creatures in the galaxy. It will take us months, if not years, to get to know her well enough to be sure. Then your time will be split between working towards your goal and trying to please her at the same time. Even if she is supportive and trustworthy not to break your heart, you couldn’t neglect her.”
“You are a pain in the butt.”
“You are the one that asked me to look out for you, Lucius. To be your friend even when you don’t want me around. Don’t you want to do whatever it takes to become a professional? Don’t you see the danger? A single moment of lust is already turning your will from what you want more than anything else. Fight, Lucius. Remember what it is we are fighting for.”
“You are right,” I said out loud.
Victoria squeezed my arm, pulling me back to the conversation. “Of course I am. Are you okay?”
I nodded.
“For overall style, do you like classical, colonial, cyborg conservative, cyberpunk, mech-modern, Victorian? Maybe...”
“I always play a magic user.”
“A what?”
Any doubt that Victoria wasn’t a gamer was thoroughly shot down. My stomach tightened.
“Like a mage or wizard in a game.”
“So long robes and pointy hats?”
“Not exactly. Robes but well fit, for mobility. I also use a sword.”
“You’re such a guy. Mostly dude, huh?”
She dropped my arm, placing a finger to the side of her head to think. At least her rebuke was playful. Or was I in trouble?
“Let’s start with some details. Do you want a collar?”
“Um, sure.”
“Wingtips, straight point, mandarin? Or maybe just a v-neck with trim?”
My mouth opened, but my answer wouldn’t have benefitted the conversation. Basically, I didn’t want her thinking I was less refined than she already did. Too late?
“What do you think?” I asked.
“What about sleeves?”
“Maybe?”
“Okay. What length of pants? Shorts?”
“Not too short.”
“More of a point and click kind of guy, aren’t you?” She grinned.
She was totally belittling me in a flirty kind of way. Was this flirting? I couldn’t decide if this would be what it was like to shop with a girlfriend or a sister.
“Don’t worry. It's more fun if I don’t know what you like.”
“Oh. Great.”
The pace quickened as she seemed to have figured out what we needed to do. Before she got totally carried away, there was something I’d been meaning to ask.
“So why did you sign up for Freedom?”
She stopped so suddenly, I almost ran into her. After her initial hesitation, she continued at a slower pace.
“I thought it would be fun. I’ve spent most of my life studying, so it was an opportunity to get a yearlong vacation.”
“What were you studying?”
“Mostly the boring stuff. Politics, economics, biology.”
“With the competition so fierce to get accepted into Freedom you must have done something special. Peter said that you were a healer. Did you get an athletic scholarship?”
“Of sorts. I’m a dancer.” Stopping again, she turned. Looking down, her mouth opened to say something, but then it closed. “I… To answer your question honestly, I think my mother pulled some strings to get me in. I’m a political charity case.”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes as if ashamed.
“So that’s how you were able to start off with Peter. He said he knows your mother.”
“Right. Oliver and Peter work for her.”
“Hey.”
Still downcast, her eyes met mine.
“There’s nothing wrong with using the advantages you have. I’m glad to have met you last night. Just think how beat up I would get over the next year if the three of you weren’t here to keep me in line.”
She looked up at me. Her mouth pursed as if to laugh. “If you continue to throw yourself into hopeless situations I don’t know if there is anything to do except to nurse you back to health.”
“You’re right. I let myself get hit last night because I thought it might be more dramatic for my fans.”
“Really?”
Well, that joke fell flat. If it wasn’t for the 100% pain it would have been true.
“No. I’m insane, but I’m not foolish.”
She shook her head with a chuckle. “So that’s that why you are here? To get fans?”
“Basically. I want to be a pro gamer.”
“That explains why you like wizards.”
“Right.” I grinned.
Before we could arrive at who-knows-where, Drool stepped out in front of me stopping me in my tracks. She leaned in close to examine my face.
“Hi?” I said.
Victoria was no longer holding onto my arm. It suddenly concerned me that Drool may have just seen it. Another part hoped she had.
“You’re Lucius, right?”
“It’s him,” Vector replied. He was now at Drool’s side. Treetop loomed behind.
They hadn’t wasted their time since yesterday. Drool was sporting a leather vest with a light purple dress over the top. Her cleavage had been carefully prepared for the eyes of others. The skirt of her dress was just long enough to keep the imagination engaged.
Vector and Treetop had decent leather and red overtunics, the primary color of Vector’s team if I remembered. Had he recruited Treetop?
They were only level six, so they weren’t able to see name indicators above our heads yet.
“We saw you fight,” Drool said, crossing her arms. “You made us look good.”
Us? Did they remember I was there when they had failed while fighting the boar?
“The athletes have been dominating,” Treetop said.
Even though there was no hostility from Vector, he was looking off into the crowd like he had better things to do.
“I’ve noticed,” I replied.