"Shimi... is there something you want to tell me?"
Trying not to incovenient Bri who might be sleeping with her head resting on his shoulder; Skylar with his hand clapsed with Shimi, gently turned his head to look at her.
At the same time, Mariana who had her head lowered as she interacts with the electronic tablet in her hand, paused and raised her head, looking thoughtfully at the two in front of her.
"Shimi..." Staring intently at her lowered face as he waits for a response, Skylar tightened his hold on her hand a little bit.
Responding; Shimi breathe in and raised her head.
"Lord, I am sorry for almost undermining your plan..."
"Eh!"
Saying this and as a result startling Skylar; Shimi quickly lowered her head.
Oh, its about what happened with that brat. I've even forgotten about the whole thing.
But why is she apologizing? Shouldn't I be the one apologizing since I shouldn't be making decisions for them yet...
Whatever...
Thinking in his mind, Skylar again gently turned to look at her.
"You don't have to apologise. I didn't really had any plan that could be undermined. I was just annoyed with that brat. Wait... what about that flower guy, how are you stopping him from running away?"
"Lord, we drugged him. He won't wake up anytime soon."
Said casually, Mariana replied, attracting Skylar's attention.
"Oh..."
She continued, "Besides using spiritual binding that only few top experts can do, drugging is the alternative we use for keeping criminals from logging off or committing suicide... the government faction also do this."
"However, its not that effective—criminal minded players easily adapt to most of the drugs we use... Its like the simulation favors them. The number of evolution they experience on average is many times more than what an average player experience."
"I see, its natural." Skylar nodded. "Just like the theory of evolution, nature is all about survival of the fittest. I would be surprised if ordinary player fare better than the so called criminals."
"Lord, what's your view on black players? They are the so called criminals." Mariana followed up with a question, her eyes held Skylar's.
Looking at her, Skylar smiled, "Who are the black players and who labeled them criminals?"
Mariana smiled faintly, "Black players attack other players and sometimes deprived them of thier rights, they are also wanted by the government faction."
"I see..." Skylar smiled at her and broke thier eye contact by looking up at the sky. "But who am I to judge them, when the almighty government faction has pronounced judgment on them."
"And again, is the government faction not another faction competing with other factions and players? Does Tribe treats them differently? Where do they get all the power they have?"
"Lord, they are a faction like the other factions—Tribes and the tower has never been bias." Mariana smiled faintly. "Its just that the power and influence they have in the real world after they come together as an alliance in the simulation is something most other factions cannot ignore. Only very few giant faction can totally ignore them."
"Another thing is, most players are very weak compared to the experts at the top. And majority of these experts at the top are the criminals the government faction is going after. So naturally, they receive the supports of this common players since they are mostly the victims of this crminals... and some of them even believe and hope for what the government said about creating a fair and peaceful world without violence."
"A world without violence. Huh." Skylar chuckled. He looked up at the starry sky.
Looking again at Mariana with a smile on his face, he continued. "It will never happen. Even the real world has an element of violence here and there. And who is so stupid to believe a united government that came out of nowhere can stop crazy people from doing their crazy shit in this world that has no concept of monopoly of power—a world where individuals are capable of matching a nuke in firepower."
"Even if the government faction becomes the dominant faction... can they really monitor every corner of this world, and what about the powerful intelligent creatures out there..."
Skylar chuckled, he added, "The whole thing is just funny."
After Skylar was done with his words; while Mariana watch him intently and as he return to watch the clear sky where several flying vessels the likeness of iconic wooden ships from earth seemingly fly past the purple moon in both direction, silence ensued.
"Yami."
Skylar transmitted his voice to the place Yami was previously, thinking she is still there.
I guess she has left...
"Sky."
A few moment later, Yami responded.
She is still around, I wonder what she is up to?
Hearing her reply Skylar gently sit up and released Shimi's hand she has been holding. After doing this, he gently lifted Bri's head on his shoulder and gently help her lie her upper body on his laps with her legs properly stretched, so as to make her feel more comfortable in her sleep.
This is better.
"Yami, what's Mariana story? Does she have one too?"
He transmitted his voice to Yami and a short moment later, Yami responded:
"Yes, her story is also a bit crazy."
"Tell me?"
"You know... its just that she is the eldest child with five siblings behind her, and because of their financial situation at one point, she was forced by her useless parents into the sex industry at a young age. And its there, she met this idiot—a pimp guy that links girls with wealthy bisexual couples and lesbian couples—you should know what I am talking about—the pimp guy made her provide service to rich bisexual couples and lesbian couples."
"But despite that idiot always paying her and the others less than one percent of what they make, when it was time they agreed she would quit, he wouldn't let her go. He wanted her to continue because Mariana was kind of his highest earner. And when he tried to blackmail her like he has been doing to the others, its was at that time Ila came in."
"You know the kind of person Mariana is. She understands if she continue that kind of work for one more year like he requested; to leave it in the future will become more difficult and at that point she would have sacrificed her best years."
"So through one of Ila's help link on the internet, she reached her and cried for help, and after Ila listened to her story, she decided to help her and the others. The idiot is in prison as we speak."
She has really gone through a lot... Skylar thought while looking at Mariana who at one point has returned to interacting with the glyph glass tablet.
"Yami, what's the deal with her parents? How can they lead a heaven's gift like her into prostitution?"
Skylar continued thier conversation through sound transmission like they have been doing.
"Well, her parents are the typical mismatched couples. The husband is a drunkard and a thug, and the wife is a former street prostitute that has nothing to offer again, not even her aged body."
"So, how do you expect such people to think when they are desperate for money... and it was at the point they were most desperate that they realized thier eldest daughter is in the middle of adolescence."
"I see..." Skylar sighed.
"Also at that time, it was easy to convince her to sell her body. She was very young and still developing, and there was also the pressure of—she has to look after her younger siblings and help the family survive because she is the eldest—that was put on her..."
"I guess the mother introduced her to the work?" Skylar interjected.
"You are right, she started as a street prostitute just like her experienced mother instructed her. And its there she met the idiot that introduced her to the vip sex work."
Yami voice transmission ceased.
She doesn't look like someone that came from such a family though.
Thinking, Skylar once again look carefully at Mariana's lowered quiet and carefree face that is holding a charming faint smile ad she interacts with the electronic glass tablet in her hand.
She is definitely one of those people that can't be shaken by their environment and experience.
Smiling proudly as he takes his eyes off her, he turned to look at Shimi beside him whom he felt has been too quiet for a long time, and as she also turned, thier eyes meeting; he playfully winked at her, making her look away with a blush on her cheeks.
I wonder what her story is...
"Yami."
He transmitted his voice as he repositioned his head that was turned to the side—straightening it as his eyes captures the view of the cityscape below the purple sky in front of him.
"You want to know her story?" Yami responded.
"Yes."
"Okay her story is not wild but it almost became wild." Yami replied. "Do you know that she was once married?"
"I think she looks it." Skylar replied after looking to the side at Shimi. "And given her age and temperament, she should be married unless something is stopping her."
"You get it, but her own deal was an issue with her ex husband." Yami replied. "The man wouldn't touch her no matter what she did. As we speak, she is still a maiden..."
"Wow!" Skylar eyes widened as he exclaimed out loud, drawing the attention of both Shimi and Mariana, and almost interrupting Bri's sleep which when he realized suddenly made him comport himself.
Yami voice transmission resumed. "Just imagine, a thirty three year old virgin that was married for six years. And its not like the husband was terrible, in fact he treated her too well except the one or two things he hid from her. Can you guess the reason he wouldn't touch her?"
"He is impotent." Skylar quickly judged.
"You are wrong. He is more virile than anything... he was even very active with a lot of other women outside and he is still is. And when Shimi had enough and confronted him after six years of marriage, he told her he thought she was that kind of woman before they married and not until she told him on the night of their wedding that she is a pure woman, that he lost interest in her.
"Then he went ahead to explain to her that he can only feel sexual arousal for a loose woman—someone like a slut or an unfaithful woman, and he also said he has been giving her the signal and the opportunity to become one, and when he realized she was not going to change, you know how conservative Shimi is? The man said he gave up on her totally."
"So they divorced?" Skylar interjected.
"No, you have forgotten Shimi is strictly traditional."
"What did the idiot do?" Skylar interjected.
"Don't tell me..." Realizing something with a shocking expression on his face, he turned to look at Shimi who is looking at the other side.
"Hihihi... You are right, she is an idiot." Yami replied. "She wanted to make the marriage work, so two days after she confronted her husband, she summoned all the courage in the world, dress like a young woman, and went to an orgy party where she was drugged and almost sold to crazy people that keep humans as pets in their basements."
"Seriously!"
Skylar exclaimed inaudibly.
"Is it your idea she is dressed like this?"
He resumed, asking Yami as he look at Shimi's twintails with curtain bangs, and then her white top that is being fiercely poked by the seemingly erect nipples of her braless huge breasts it outlined.
"No, I only told her to appeal to you, the rest is her idea." Yami replied.
She continued, "And don't let her innocent face fool you, she is as hungry as any woman her age. How do you think she made it through six years of marriage by being faithful?"
"That woman you are looking at should have broken several world records on masturbation by now, and I am certain if you check her suite right now you will find a lot of different sex toys at every corner of it. She might even be carrying one on her as we speak."
"There is no way that is true." Skylar chuckled inwardly and glanced at Shimi who has her head lowered.
"Hihihi... You never know, maybe you should check."
"I'm not interested." With a scrunch of the nose, Skylar rejected Yami's suggestion. "And its her choice if one is vibrating in her pants right now."
"Are you a gentleman?"
"Heaven forbids." Skylar made a disgusted face.
"Then why are you not interested?"
Hearing Yami's next question, he went for Shimi's hand and held it.
He replied, "Do you think she will say no if i tell her to masturbate for me right now?"
"Hihihi... " Yami transmitted her giggle, "She will probably be delighted while acting confused, and if you tell her a second time, she will make a face like she is troubled, and after a while... if you insist, she will hesitatingly gets at it like the pro she is."
"But you still have't told me the reason you have no interest." Yami added.
"How old is Mariana and where is she staying now?" Skylar ignored her question. He diverted the conversion while looking at Mariana.
"Hihihi... She is twenty seven... she is staying in one of our mansions in brazil." Yami replied.
"I see..." Skylar nodded his head and looked at Bri who is sleeping peacefully on his leg.
"What about Bri?" He asked.
"She is fifteen, she is staying with Ila." Yami replied.
She did not stop, she continued, "Shimi is from her native country, however she had to move to England at one point to continue her education, and that's where she is still staying. She may not look it... she is one of the best in her field—second best just behind Ila. She was even sent an invitation by the world union a year ago..."
"What's her field?" Skylar asked while his small hand remained clapsed with Shimi's.
"She is a gynecologist and to some extent a geneticist." Yami replied. "Its because of her contribution to the guild—both in the real world and the simulation that she was made our vice guild leader."
"Oh!" She is impressive.
With a smile on his face while he is looking at Shimi, Skylar squeezed her hand clapsed with his, making her look at him. Then he winked at her, making her look away as quickly as she can.
"Yami, when was your guild created?" His smile still persisting as he look at Shimi, he sent a voice transmission to Yami.
Yami responded, "The guild has been in existence before the simulation..."
"Whoa..." Skylar exclaimed inaudibly with his eyes widening a bit.
Yami did not stop, "...Ila Inherited it from her late mother. It used to be a foundation that provided for unprivileged girls before she rebranded it as a guild recently."
"I see..." Skylar nodded and zoned out a moment after.
Then with Bri sleeping, Shimi also slowly falling asleep and Mariana still busy with the glyph glass tablet, silence ensued.