“I do okay,” D_Light stated evenly.
“Indeed,” replied Fael, turning away from the window to face him. With the moon shining through the window behind her, she was little more than a silhouette. Although the pigtails curved downward-not up-they reminded him of horns. The light of a nearby torch caressed her face just enough to see her glimmering eyes and moist, voluptuous lips. “I imagine you have a few spare points lying around,” said the horned temptress.
D_Light knew exactly what she was suggesting, or at least he hoped he did. It was a transgression for humans to be physically intimate without first buying the proper permit, and although acquiring a permit was not a big deal-a simple electronic transfer of points to the OverSoul via one’s familiar-it was expensive. In the Game, sex was not to be taken lightly.
Although Fael was legally his sister, she was not genetically related. Indeed, numerous mothers, fathers, and siblings who shared this house had chosen to be a part of the Tesla family, and most were not related by blood; rather, such familial titles merely conveyed relative status in the Game. For example, D_Light, who was an accomplished player for his age, was already the “father” of several of his biological brothers and sisters and seemed likely to soon become the legal father of his own biological father.
Indeed, genetic relation had little bearing on one’s sex life anymore. After all, the taboos against incest were, from a pragmatic viewpoint, built upon the drawbacks of inbreeding. However, no female player in her right mind would allow herself to become pregnant. It was much more convenient and safe to have the fetus grown by professionals, a fetus whose parentage had been approved with a repro permit. In this way, sex and reproduction had long ago been separated from one another, and along with it, the messy ethical considerations.
D_Light himself had perved four of his own bio-sisters. Although he initially found these experiences to be an engaging experiment, akin to self-exploration, he now did his best to avoid such encounters. For whatever reason, it felt a bit creepy to him. Perhaps he was old-fashioned, but nowadays he only perved bio-relatives to be polite or when it was absolutely necessary to exert his familial dominance.
Fael took a few steps forward, her hand sweeping along the top of his unassuming chamber bed. She was smiling at him ever so sweetly. She stared through him, full of purpose. D_Light couldn’t help but liken her to a lioness-irresistible, powerful, and perhaps even dangerous. No, not dangerous, for the girl was clearly unarmed. He set his eyes upon her. It would be rude to look away, and indeed, he didn’t want to. In fact, it was all he could do to divert the slightest amount of his attention to his familiar.
Yes, master, Smorgeous echoed in his mind in response to the unspoken summons.
Still moving ever so slowly, Fael ran her tongue across her upper lip and said, “I checked up on you. You’re of the Anadar line. They say your people are animals.”
D_Light smiled wolfishly while issuing a mental command to his familiar. Smorgeous, does Fael Rami own a license for poisons?
Yes, master, the familiar replied. It was issued 6.3 months ago.
Sweep the air for poisons, D_Light commanded.
I do not have a license for that version of airborne chemi detection software.
Buy it, ordered D_Light.
Yes, master. That will cost-
Buy it! D_Light interrupted.
D_Light tried to hold his smile, but it was weak due to a distracting suspicion of the girl. No need for this, he thought. Fael’s not a killer. Her profile said zero frags.
“Yeah, I might have a few points,” D_Light said in response to Fael’s intimacy permit invitation. “There are some things that are worth any cost, right? But, um, I think I’d feel more committed if you had some skin in the game, so to speak.” He did his best to sound seductive as he negotiated the transaction.
“Ooooh, not very romantic,” she said with mock scorn.
“But I s’pose I could meet you partway-say, fifty-fifty split?” She did two little kisses in the air and waited for his reply.
“You’re too good to me. And with the way you look right now, I’ll go ahead and put up sixty percent-you know, to be a gentleman.”
She laughed. The laugh, D_Light thought, was a bit too sharp for the girl.
Fael was now within a foot of him. She looked him up and down like a piece of meat. “I’m not going to argue with a gentleman,” she replied. “You know, since we’re still just getting to know each other, what do you say we start with just a twenty-four-hour permit?”
Master, I have detected traces of three different poison-classified compounds in the air, said Smorgeous.
“Bless you!” D_Light shouted aloud, waving his hands in no particular pattern. He knew he must look like a fool, but he didn’t know what else to do to cover up his shock and dismay. Poisons!
Fael’s eyes widened with surprise, and she had herself a good laugh while dancing and twirling about his room. Meanwhile, D_Light was feverishly communing with his familiar. What kind of poisons? How are they deployed?
Smorgeous replied, Xanelpheno-
No names, just what they do! Summarize fast!
Chemical #1 is injected or ingested. When active it paralyzes the muscles of the subject but is usually not fatal. Tasteless and odorless. Onset two to five minutes. Chemical #2 is normally injected. Fast acting, taking full effect in ten to twenty-eight seconds. Fatal. Chemical #3 can be injected, ingested, or absorbed into the skin. Onset forty-five seconds to one minute. Fatal.
D_Light, overwhelmed, responded, One of them can be absorbed into the skin? Contact poison! Does she have it on her?
Smorgeous knew what he meant. The concentration of detected molecules is too dilute to currently be exposed to the outside air. It is likely contained in a secure vessel at this time. Using similar data, I deduce that the other poisons are likely to be contained as well.
Closely monitor those poisons, ordered D_Light. If the concentration goes up, I want a red alert.
Yes, master.
Fael recovered from her laughing fit and declared, “You’re hilarious!”
D_Light shrugged. “Hey, I always give thanks to those willing to sleep with me.”
“I appreciate your appreciation, but don’t you know that getting a girl into a dark, cozy bedchamber with faceless killers prowling just outside the door is a surefire way to get lucky?” She giggled again.
D_Light grabbed the backs of her wrists as tenderly as he could, given the adrenaline that was coursing through his system, and affectionately turned her palms upward. Her hands were soft, smooth, and empty. Empty hands are good, he thought. Maybe I should just ask her about the poison. No, laying out my cards like that could be very risky. Besides, everyone has a right to be armed. The poisons are contained, and bringing it up-talk about not romantic.
Fael gently twisted out of his grasp. “I’d kiss you right now, but rules are rules,” she said. She then bounced over to the bed and sat on the corner. Sitting on its haunches a few feet away was her fox familiar, its eyes fixed upon her. She looked over to it to open a line of communication. Speaking out loud to her familiar, she commanded, “Paxos, spend forty percent on a twenty-four-hour intimacy permit with co-owner D_Light, er, what’s your full name again?”
“Smorgeous, send Paxos my full identification,” said D_Light, also speaking to his familiar aloud. A ping signaled in D_Light’s mind to confirm that his ID had been sent.
“Smorgeous, complete the purchase of the permit.” D_Light, not accustomed to speaking out loud to his familiar, stammered over the words.
Master, the permit is authenticated. Your permit partner has no known pathogens communicable by use of this permit under terms of use. Would you like to learn more about your partner’s intimacy permit history before finalizing this purchase?