Alexander of MIT: A LitRPG Adventure by Ed Nemo

Author:Ed Nemo [Nemo, Ed]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 48 - Fruit Should Not Be In the Candy Aisle

Alexander arrived in his Prime Loci.

Looking around, he saw neither Lag nor Sif. Squaring his shoulders, he walked over to the French Quarter and stood outside the closed door.

Should he knock, he wondered.

The door opened, and Lag stood facing him.

“What are you doing, you big weirdo? Come in and check out what I made.”

The room had changed. Instead of the punk and metal posters, framed backlit movie posters adorned the walls. To one side there was a rack containing candy, a fountain drink machine, and a large theater-style popper, filled with popcorn.

Alexander spotted Sif sitting on the couch gazing intently at a few different types of candy.

A bit uncomfortable, he sat down on the couch without a word.

Sif hadn’t yet looked up at him and he was left wondering how to initiate a conversation, when she addressed him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I could hear you and Lag talk,” she said, still not looking at him.

Taken aback, he waited to see if she had anything else to say, before responding.

“It’s okay. I don’t have anything to hide.”

Finally looking up at him, she considered what he’d said, before shaking her head.

“I heard you say that you love me.”

Alexander nodded in response.

“How can you love me? You barely know me.”

Confused for a moment, Alexander decided to go with what he was best at.

“I have always felt that people put too much emphasis on the concept of love. Like all things, love can be measured on a sliding scale. It’s also not necessarily equal. Philosophers on my world, separated love into three types: Eros, Philia, and Agape.”

“Eros refers to the passionate intense desire one has for a specific person, for example. Philia is the appreciation and fondness for friends, family, or a group. And Agape is a sort of paternal love felt towards, say, all of humanity…or dogs.”

“All three of these are one sided. You can be passionately in love with someone who doesn’t love you back. You can love a family member or a friend, but still know they are flawed and think little of you. Like a father to their wastrel child. Or you can love your people like a king. You care for them, but they in turn love you more.”

“And then there is the scale of love I referred to. I tend to think of this as: what am I willing to do for someone? Are you willing to be monogamous? Would you drop everything and help that person if they needed it? How much money would you give them with no expectation of it being returned?”

“My point is: love is an easy thing. It’s not an all or nothing scenario unless we define it that way.”

Lag turned around in his beanbag chair and looked at Sif pityingly.

“A clinical description of love, how romantic…barf.”

Sif giggled at the dragon before opening one of the boxes of candy.

She tried one of the small brown pieces, and froze as she ate it, then stared at the box in wonder.

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