22. Brandon

22

brANDON

B randon reached for his coffee cup and took a sip to give himself time to collect his thoughts. "I've had some interesting ideas about potential new applications for the technology."

"Such as?" Morelle leaned closer, seeming to be intrigued by the shift in his attitude.

After he'd told her that he didn't want anything to do with Perfect Match, she was naturally surprised.

He still didn't want to participate, though, just to offer an idea, and he didn't want to give her the wrong impression by telling her about it, but he'd backed himself into a corner by blurting it out.

"I was thinking about how immortal females eventually build up tolerance to the venom effects and how that experience becomes harder to achieve over time. "

Jasmine perked up. "Oh! I know what you're thinking, and it's brilliant."

He smiled. "I didn't tell you my idea yet, so hold your accolades."

"Okay, I'm holding them." Jasmine lifted her hands in a gesture that suggested she was holding the reins. "Go ahead."

"I was thinking the Perfect Match team could create an adventure that mimics the venom trip experience. They could collect data from willing participants about their experiences and use it to program something similar."

"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," Morelle said 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 into bits 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. Couples could 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 our knowledge 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."