than me. “Yes, they are. I’d be happy to show them to you if you want to verify that.”
“Think I’ll pass. Now, if you don’t mind . . .”
He didn’t move despite my “please get out of the way” shooing gesture. “You think I’m seductive?”
“Of course I do,” I answered before I realized what I was saying. I clamped down for a moment on the rest of my thoughts, then figured, what the hell. It was just a game. Maybe chitchatty interaction with the natives was part of the scoring process.
That didn’t mean my chitchat couldn’t be of the speak-your-mind variety, however. “You’re clearly the fulfillment of the game designer’s most fervent fantasy—the dashing pirate lord handsome enough to sweep any woman off her feet.”
He smirked. “Shall I sweep you, then?”
“No, thank you. I’ve never been one for men who are prettier than me.”
I tried to brush past him, but he stopped me, his hand on my arm keeping me from leaving. “I’m confused—you think I’m handsome and seductive and sweepish, but you don’t want me?”
“Surprised?” I smiled. “This game has a logging function, doesn’t it? Something so the programming types can look at the beta tests and see what’s happening?”
He looked startled for a moment before nodding. “It does.”
“Good. Then let me clue you and the issue-laden programmers in on a few things, Corbin the Arrogant—when it comes to men, women don’t want lotharios. Handsome looks are fleeting; women like me prefer substance over appearance. A romantic nature is good—a tomcat personality isn’t.”
“We’ve only just met. How can you make any judgments about my personality?”
I waved the leg at him. “Just look at you! Tom Jones shirt, tight leather pants, that long gorgeous hair, not to mention the hip action in your swagger . . . you just reek studly sex machine.”
“So it’s my appearance you object to?” he asked, frowning. Behind him a couple of men emerged from the shadows. Both of them were dressed in blue and white striped pants that ended just below the knee, striped shirts, and leather jerkins over which swords and pistols had been strapped to their waists.
“Look, I don’t object to anything. I’m just saying that, no, I don’t care for a little virtual nookie with a man ten times prettier than me.”
“How about if I looked like this?”
Corbin’s image flickered for a moment, then melted into that of a man only slightly taller than me, a man with short, dark curly hair. He was clean-shaven and bore little resemblance to his previous self. His face was rounder, his eyes were warmer, and he wasn’t built along the lines of a male underwear model. He looked . . . nice .
“What do you think? Would you consider virtual nookie with someone who looked like this?”
I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t looking for nookie with anyone, but a brief flash of insecurity in this Corbin’s dark gray eyes had me blurting out, “Yeah, I would.”
“Cap’n? We leavin’ now?” one of the two men asked, giving me a less than curious glance. The man didn’t seem to notice the change in Corbin’s appearance. Assumedly the other computer players knew who he was regardless of his appearance.
“You would?” Corbin ignored his men, his brow furrowed as he watched me. I got the impression he was searching my face for signs I was lying to him. I wondered whether this form—which I honestly did prefer—was based on a programmer’s real self rather than his fantasies.
“Well . . . yes. I mean, I don’t want to wrestle you to the ground and have my wicked way with you, but if I was looking to have a virtual . . . er . . . boyfriend, then, yes, I’d prefer someone who looks like you do now to the previous incarnation. You look real. He looked fake.”
“Hmm.”
“Cap’n? Bart and his men’ll be sure to be returnin’ any time now. Be we leavin’ or be we stayin’ to fight?”
“Bart?” Hadn’t Tara
“Think I’ll pass. Now, if you don’t mind . . .”
He didn’t move despite my “please get out of the way” shooing gesture. “You think I’m seductive?”
“Of course I do,” I answered before I realized what I was saying. I clamped down for a moment on the rest of my thoughts, then figured, what the hell. It was just a game. Maybe chitchatty interaction with the natives was part of the scoring process.
That didn’t mean my chitchat couldn’t be of the speak-your-mind variety, however. “You’re clearly the fulfillment of the game designer’s most fervent fantasy—the dashing pirate lord handsome enough to sweep any woman off her feet.”
He smirked. “Shall I sweep you, then?”
“No, thank you. I’ve never been one for men who are prettier than me.”
I tried to brush past him, but he stopped me, his hand on my arm keeping me from leaving. “I’m confused—you think I’m handsome and seductive and sweepish, but you don’t want me?”
“Surprised?” I smiled. “This game has a logging function, doesn’t it? Something so the programming types can look at the beta tests and see what’s happening?”
He looked startled for a moment before nodding. “It does.”
“Good. Then let me clue you and the issue-laden programmers in on a few things, Corbin the Arrogant—when it comes to men, women don’t want lotharios. Handsome looks are fleeting; women like me prefer substance over appearance. A romantic nature is good—a tomcat personality isn’t.”
“We’ve only just met. How can you make any judgments about my personality?”
I waved the leg at him. “Just look at you! Tom Jones shirt, tight leather pants, that long gorgeous hair, not to mention the hip action in your swagger . . . you just reek studly sex machine.”
“So it’s my appearance you object to?” he asked, frowning. Behind him a couple of men emerged from the shadows. Both of them were dressed in blue and white striped pants that ended just below the knee, striped shirts, and leather jerkins over which swords and pistols had been strapped to their waists.
“Look, I don’t object to anything. I’m just saying that, no, I don’t care for a little virtual nookie with a man ten times prettier than me.”
“How about if I looked like this?”
Corbin’s image flickered for a moment, then melted into that of a man only slightly taller than me, a man with short, dark curly hair. He was clean-shaven and bore little resemblance to his previous self. His face was rounder, his eyes were warmer, and he wasn’t built along the lines of a male underwear model. He looked . . . nice .
“What do you think? Would you consider virtual nookie with someone who looked like this?”
I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t looking for nookie with anyone, but a brief flash of insecurity in this Corbin’s dark gray eyes had me blurting out, “Yeah, I would.”
“Cap’n? We leavin’ now?” one of the two men asked, giving me a less than curious glance. The man didn’t seem to notice the change in Corbin’s appearance. Assumedly the other computer players knew who he was regardless of his appearance.
“You would?” Corbin ignored his men, his brow furrowed as he watched me. I got the impression he was searching my face for signs I was lying to him. I wondered whether this form—which I honestly did prefer—was based on a programmer’s real self rather than his fantasies.
“Well . . . yes. I mean, I don’t want to wrestle you to the ground and have my wicked way with you, but if I was looking to have a virtual . . . er . . . boyfriend, then, yes, I’d prefer someone who looks like you do now to the previous incarnation. You look real. He looked fake.”
“Hmm.”
“Cap’n? Bart and his men’ll be sure to be returnin’ any time now. Be we leavin’ or be we stayin’ to fight?”
“Bart?” Hadn’t Tara
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