After considering it for several seconds, Dante suddenly asked,
"Do you give head?"
The question landed so abruptly that Eliosphere completely lost control. She burst into laughter. Actual laughter. The kind that hurt your stomach. After several moments she finally managed to calm herself enough to answer.
"I wanted to laugh exactly like this when you asked Mythical Being Aishwani that question."
She smiled mischievously.
"But unlike you, I quite enjoy remaining alive."
Dante finally understood what she meant.
"The Void Ship."
She nodded.
"You nearly gave the poor woman an aneurysm."
Dante genuinely looked confused.
"I still don't understand why."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You asked whether she'd perform oral sex within minutes of meeting her."
"So?"
"...There really isn't a filter inside your head, is there?"
"I don't think so."
"You never once considered that might be inappropriate?"
Dante frowned.
"I thought uncomfortable conversations make future relationships easier."
She blinked.
"...What?"
"If two people can survive awkward conversations early, they're less awkward later."
She stared at him.
"...Possibly the worst logic I've ever heard."
"I disagree."
She rested her chin against her hand.
"So — does that mean you're planning on making me a future lover?"
Dante looked at her. Actually looked at her. His eyes slowly travelled downward, across her figure, her waist, her hips, her chest, before returning to her face. He sighed.
"Unfortunately, no."
She smiled politely.
"Oh?"
"Your proportions aren't my type. Breasts are too small. Hips are modest. Butt's petite. Waist is acceptable. Legs could be thicker. You'd probably score around a six."
Silence. Eliosphere simply stared at him. Then she smiled — somehow — and even managed to sound amused.
"You're remarkably detailed."
"I like to be fair."
"And brutally honest."
"I don't see the point in lying."
She crossed one elegant leg over the other.
"It is slightly tragic to hear such criticism from an exceptionally handsome man."
Dante nodded sympathetically.
"I understand. I suffer from a terrible condition."
She tilted her head.
"What condition?"
"I'm physically incapable of finding women who aren't built like Vexion, Lexa or Aishwani particularly attractive." He sighed dramatically. "It's a difficult life."
She couldn't hold it anymore. Another laugh escaped. This man, does he even realize how ridiculous he sounds? No. That wasn't quite right. He absolutely knew. He simply didn't care. That somehow made it even funnier.
She finally asked,
"So — if I did give head, would my score improve?"
Dante considered the question with complete seriousness.
"Barely."
She covered her face.
"I walked into that one."
"You did." He nodded approvingly. "Good self-awareness."
She shook her head while laughing.
"I have to admit, I've never met anyone remotely like you."
Dante smiled.
"I've never met anyone who laughed at that question either."
"Perhaps we're both unusual."
"I suppose."
After another few moments of comfortable silence, Dante suddenly spoke again.
"If you showed me what's under your skirt, your score might improve."
She looked at him. Smiled. Then slowly crossed her legs even tighter.
"I have considerably more class than that."
Dante clicked his tongue.
"What a shame."
"I know." She answered with a perfectly straight face. "It's your loss."
For the first time during the conversation, Dante paused. Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
She smiled victoriously. Finally. A point for me.
Dante stood, stretching lazily.
"It's getting late. I need sleep. We leave tomorrow morning."
She rose as well.
"I'll be there."
As Dante walked away, Eliosphere watched his back disappear into the evening crowd.
A Mythical Being. A complete lunatic. A shameless flirt. A frightening genius.
She smiled to herself. Interesting. Very interesting.
Walking to the counter, she placed her bracelet over the screen setting to pay her usual fee. The waitress looked at them before politely smiling.
"I'm sorry, miss. The amount is still short."
Eliosphere frowned.
"It shouldn't be."
The waitress shook her head.
"The gentleman you were speaking with asked for both meals to be placed on your bill."
"...That shameless bastard."
She sighed before reluctantly paying it all.
"...A Mythical Being, and somehow still the cheapest man I've ever met."
Despite herself, she laughed all the way out of the restaurant.