"There is talk of your clan members also getting sponsorships though there has been some jealousy among the ranks. Is that true? Are your clan members upset at the arrival of newbie Arrowa?" he asked.
"I think the mention of the clan makes it clear why there is jealousy. There will always be jockeying for position amongst a clan. History bears that out to be true and it is proven in Dark Flag." I refused to let him get any closer to Quinn.
"I only ask because jealousy is a powerful motive. You've recently come under scrutiny from the police. They are playing off the stereotype of the gamer as drug-user to produce search warrants and raid your apartment," he said.
"Unfortunately, no matter what I do to bring an open and honest face to gaming, there will always be prejudiced people. I'm not sure where the misinformation is coming from, but I do not use drugs or indulge in that stereotypical lifestyle," I said. In my head, I could hear my manager applauding.
"So, it could be possible that jealousy is motivating someone to set you up?" the blogger asked. "It was noticed at the last tournament that there is tension between the Green Witch Ayaan and the Human Arrowa. Two female clan members vying for the attention of Light Slayer?"
"If that were true, they would target each other, don't you think? But let me make it clear there is no drama there. Dark Flag is a complex game but not a forum to play out love triangles or soap operas," I said.
The blogger sat back and frowned. He was disappointed I was not producing any juicy quotes or comments. I should have known that any interview would focus mainly on Arrowa. Encouraging Quinn in real life was one thing, but in the world of Dark Flag, it caused much larger ripples.
I hoped that whatever Quinn's new plan was, she had taken into account the dual life of Arrowa. If she was planning to enter the world of professional gaming, I would have to protect us both in the game and in the real world.
"I think that about covers it," I said. "If you want to email me any follow up questions, I'd be happy to answer. Also, I'm sure my manager told you, I need to see a proof of the article before you can post it to your blog."
Again, the blogger frowned. He stopped his digital recorder and stood up. "Thanks, Mr. Redd. I'm not really sure what shape the article will be able to take."
"Stick to the whole breaking down stereotypes angle," I said. "Unless you're going for your own stereotype of gossip-seeking tabloid blogger."
"I'm not like that," he said.
"Exactly." I shut the door behind him.
I checked my messages again and found a follow up from my manager. He sent the address of a local clinic that would perform a drug test and put it on record. I could stop by anytime I wanted. I tried not to throw my phone across the room.
There was another knock at the door. I balled up my fist. If one blogger knew my address, then my manager had opened up a channel for other gossip-seekers to flood right to my door. I stood in the hallway not sure whether to tell the person to go away or pretend not to be home. The knock sounded again. Not the hammering of the police, so I took a step closer.
"Who is it?" I called.
"FBI, Mr. Redd, open up. We've been asked to do a follow-up by the local police force," a gruff voice said.
I ripped open the door, prepared for a fight.
"Not funny?" Quinn asked.
It took a moment for me to unclench my fist. Her peals of laughter helped. So did the light and sweet kiss she planted on my cheek before she stepped inside.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just couldn't help myself. Remember that time in high school when you pretended to be the killer from that scary movie?" she asked. "Yeah, maybe a little payback was in order."
"Stopping my heart and choking the breath out of me? Is that what you call payback?" I asked.
Quinn wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. I felt her smile against my lips. "Now I feel bad. Maybe I should make it up to you?"
I swung her farther into the apartment and shut the door behind us. "Did you see anyone outside? A weasel with glasses and a digital recorder? Did he see you?"
Her smile slipped and her arms tightened. "Are you okay? I checked out some of the forums. You can't let it get to you."
"No, it’s just my manager and I took your advice. I just got interviewed, but he was more interested in gossip about Light Slayer and Arrowa," I said.
"Oooh, people suspect our avatars are having a steamy affair? How sexy."
"It’s not good, Quinn. Sorry, but I can't handle any more gossip right now," I said. "And you've got me worried with this whole mysterious new plan thing. If you want to take a serious shot at professional gaming, then you need to be worried about the chatroom gossip too. This is all coming dangerous close to affecting my career."
She dropped her arms and pulled me to the couch. "I know. I'm sorry. And if it would help, Arrowa can disappear from Dark Flag."
"Wait, what? You don't have to do that. I know you love it and you're getting really good," I said.
"That's just it," Quinn said. She grabbed my hands. "Can we take a break for just one second and talk about some good news?"
"Yes, please."
"Alright. So, that last tournament when I managed to get the Green Witch on the run got me noticed by a lot of players. It also got me noticed by some game creators," she said. "To be honest, I was hoping to use that to leverage myself into the Dark Flag tournaments that pay money. But now that you mention the whole problem with the gossip, I'm glad I took a different offer."
"What offer? Are you sure it’s good?"
Quinn crossed her arms. "I've been asked to test out a new game. I get paid per hours logged and there are bonuses for the levels I crack. I told them it would be more fun if I could play with a friend and they agreed. I have two new log-ins all ready to go."
My shoulders relaxed, then melted as Quinn reached over and rubbed my neck.
"See? I'm not as helpless as everyone thinks I am. I'm not encroaching on your territory or messing up your career. We can have a little fun," she said.
"Is that all this is?"
She tipped her head and looked away. "This is complicated, but only if we talk about it. How about we play instead?"
I handed over my computer and the game console controllers. Quinn brushed her wavy hair out of the way and set everything up.
"What's the game about?" I asked.
"I'm not going to lie, it’s a lot like Dark Flag, except set on Mars. The colony is expanding and there is potential for players to influence the world, just like in Dark Flag. And there are aliens, meteorites, and all sorts of complicated space dangers."
She made my avatar a pock-faced engineer and herself a middle-aged doctorate in astrophysics. "What, no glamorous astronauts or super-sexy scientists?" I asked.
"That's another thing. In this game, your only choice is to be human. Sure, you can augment your avatar, but they keep the choices plain. It’s all about survival and humanity," Quinn said.
"And starting over," I said. "I like that."
"Exactly," Quinn handed me a controller. "Here, we can start over and no one knows us."