Page 39 of Dark Princess Ascending

"That's precisely what I thought your idea was, and it's brilliant!" Jasmine clapped her hands. "And not just for those who would love to experience that initial intensity again but also for those who never have. There are so many clan females who have never been with an immortal male. This could be a game changer for them." Her eyes brightened. "I have an even better idea. Why not recreate the whole experience? There will be a line of immortal females waiting their turn."

Brandon hadn't thought that far, but she was right. Could an algorithm really replicate something that intense?

He wouldn't know since he hadn't experienced any virtual adventures yet, but others had sung its praises and gushed over how it was indistinguishable from reality.

"It would be great if it could work," Morellesaid as a blush colored her cheeks a fetching shade of pink. "I'm still all warm and fuzzy from the venom's effects, and I would love to experience it many times over, but as everyone tells me, diminishing results are to be expected."

Brandon couldn't believe she'd just shared such an intimate thing with her brother. He could have understood if she confided in Jasmine in private, because females were open with each other about things like that, but to say it in front of Ell-rom just didn't seem right.

Jasmine beamed. "I had a feeling that was what had put that relaxed, dreamy expression on your face."

Morelle shifted her gaze to him. "It was only my second time, so it was still as powerful as the first. I hope it won't shrink significantly with repetition. It doesn't seem fair."

Jasmine waved a dismissive hand. "It might not last as long in the real world as it did originally, but I don't feel a significant difference while I'm experiencing it now. It feels like it's much longer while I'm venom-tripping than the actual passage of time in the real world. It's probably like the Perfect Match adventures in that three hours in the machine can translate to weeks or even months of virtual fantasy. A lot gets crammed into the experience. Not that I've gotten to try it yet, but that's what I've been told. Anyway, I think it will be difficult to break the experience up intobits and pieces for the computer to emulate, but it's worth a try."

That was an interesting observation that Brandon hadn't considered, but then his knowledge was superficial and anecdotal. In the past, he'd only been with human females and rarely more than once with the same one, so he hadn't seen firsthand the diminishing effects of his venom, and it wasn't like the mated immortals were freely sharing details with him.

He was also not familiar with the Perfect Match experience. The fact that time moved differently inside the virtual world was a good thing. It meant that there was no time limit on the venom trip, and the only difficulty would be recreating the visuals and sensations.

"I don't know much about the technology, but I know that it is incredibly sophisticated. With enough data, the AI should be able to create a very close approximation." Brandon paused, meeting Morelle's eyes. "But that's just the tip of the iceberg. There is more that I'm surprised no one has considered yet."

Morelle's eyes were wide with intrigue. "I can't imagine anything more wondrous than the venom-induced euphoria."

"Well, maybe not, but here is an idea. What if couples could experience things from each other's perspectives? The technology allows users to choose any avatar, regardless of gender. Couplescould literally walk in each other's shoes and experience physical intimacy from the other's point of view. It's not for everyone, but I'm sure some would find it fascinating."

Color flooded Morelle's cheeks. "You mean we could trade places."

"In some things." He couldn't imagine taking on the female's role in sex, not even in the virtual world. "I'm not as adventurous as other males might be, but I would love to experience the venom trip from a female's perspective."

Ell-rom cleared his throat. "Maybe we should give you two some privacy."

Brandon had almost forgotten Morelle's brother and Jasmine were still at the table. "Sorry," he said, though he wasn't. "You don't have to leave. I'm sure you find the possibility as intriguing as I do, or maybe not. Not everyone is adventurous that way or curious."

"I am curious," Jasmine said. "But it's a bit uncomfortable to discuss with family present." She shifted her eyes to Ell-rom. "Right?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm new to all this, and I'm not embarrassed to discuss anything in front of Morelle." He smiled at his sister. "I don't remember our lives from before, and I don't think my memories of that time are ever coming back, but since we only had each other, I assume that we didn't shy away from discussing intimate topics."

"We didn't," Morelle confirmed. "But as ourknowledge was limited to what the head priestess told us, we only knew about the Kra-ell's savage customs, and we used to make fun of them. We both knew instinctively that this was not how we were meant to be intimate if we ever got to have partners. But since we were resigned to a celibate life, we didn't dedicate much thought to those matters."

Brandon found it hard to believe that two young half-gods could just accept life without sex and hadn't found alternative methods to scratch the itch. He hadn't asked Morelle if she had ever indulged in self-pleasuring, but he should when they were alone.

"I'm grateful to your mother for whisking you away," Jasmine said. "She saved you from a very sad and desolate life." She stood and started gathering plates. "It's wonderful to see you so happy." She turned to Brandon. "Your idea is fascinating, and you should definitely talk to William about it."

William wasn't the one in charge of new content for Perfect Match adventures, and Brandon wasn't sure who was. Syssi, perhaps? Or Toven? He shook his head. "It's just the germ of an idea right now. I need to think it through and jot down some concrete proposals before approaching whoever is in charge of crafting new adventures for Perfect Match."

23

MORELLE

To say that Morelle was surprised about Brandon's change of heart in regard to Perfect Match was an understatement. Only a few days ago, he had been adamant about never trying a virtual adventure, and she'd accepted that. He didn't have to like everything she did, and she didn't have to enjoy all the things he did, although she hadn't found any examples of that.

Well, not yet anyway.

They hadn't been together long enough for her to even know what things he enjoyed so she could decide which ones she didn't want to partake in.

"Are you seriously considering joining me in a virtual adventure?" she asked as soon as they were alone in their room.

He took a deep breath. "I know that it's hypocritical of me to offer ideas about a technology Ihave no experience with and have reservations about."