Names

Sawyer blushed. The room they were in was empty, so it felt private. He had never been in a situation like this with a woman before. Even online, social dynamics still existed between men and beautiful women.

"H-hey, I just started today..." he stammered.

"Oh I can tell!" the woman laughed. "I had actually been following you for a while trying to see how strong you were. Some high-level players come to the early floors and pretend to be noobs to get free equipment from generous, kind-hearted noob helpers like me. But as soon as I heard that girly scream you let out when you tripped on the hidden-scythe trap, I knew you were a genuine scrub!"

Sawyer felt a little heat rise in his face. "It w-wasn't girly! I was just surprised is all!"

She smiled and rubbed her chin as if weighing the truth of his statement. "Mhm. Let's hope surprised really is all. Just so you know this game is very realistic. It's not uncommon for the especially weak players to ~ahem~ relieve themselves in the throes of terror. Though I've never heard of it happening on the very first floor before!"

"Wh-What does that mean..." It took Sawyer a few seconds to piece together her insinuation. "I didn't piss myself if that's what you mean!" He pat the front of his pants just to be sure.

"Oh really? I think it says a lot that you checked anyway!" she said, chuckling again into her palm.

Sawyer sighed and grit his teeth. "What's your name, anyway?" DC didn't have name-plates or any UI. It was supposed to add to the realism.

"Oh me? I normally go by Ellena in this game. What about you, noob?"

Sawyer bristled a little at being called 'noob' so casually, but... it was technically true, so he let it slide. He wondered if he should give his own name or use a pseudonym like her.

"It's uh... Dom... Dominick..." he said, trying to think up a cool-sounding name on the spot. He secretly wanted to impress his savior. Maybe he could start a reputation in the game as a lone wolf type.

"Oh, really?" she said, suddenly leaning in close, tucking her hands behind her back and eyeing him up and down from mere inches away. "It sounds like you're lying. You wouldn't do that to me right after I saved your life, would you? Is that really your name?"

Sawyer gulped and looked straight ahead, scared to make eye-contact with her lest she sense his lie through his eyes. "Y-yeah... It is. What's wrong with that?"

She slowly walked around him, like a predator waiting for its prey to make a move. "Oh nothing... You just don't seem like a Dom to me, is all. A little nooby guy like you... I bet you have a much cuter name, don't you?" She wrapped one arm around him from behind and slipped her other hand onto his face, cupping his chin as her face slid onto his shoulder, touching his cheek-to-cheek. "Tell you what, if you tell me your real name, I'll give you something pretty." He could hear the grin in her voice.

"B-but you didn't tell me your real name! You said you go by Ellena 'in this game.' That means it's not actually your name IRL, right?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm not asking you what my name is, am I?" Her hand slid down from his chin, to his throat. She didn't squeeze or **** him, but the feeling of it wrapped there made his skin crawl, like a threat. He could feel her absolute confidence through that hand, and broke down.

"S-sawyer. It's Sawyer... Sorry."

Ellena giggle and let go of him, hopping back to his front like a giddy schoolgirl. "Hehe, good boy! I knew it - your name is way cuter! Dominick is bleh for you. It doesn't match your face at all!" She smiled and clapped, bouncing up and down on her toes like she had just won the lottery.

Sawyer shuddered at how quickly she had gone from adorable to terrifying and right back again. The way her body moved and bounced, he could totally imagine her as a cheerleader, even when just a few seconds ago she had felt like a snake, a stone-cold killer.

Sawyer scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "So... what do I get? You said you'd give me something if I told you, right?"

"Hmm, I guess so!" She giggled and summoned something from her inventory. It popped out of thin air and into his hands.

"A sk-skirt?!" he stammered, holding the little fabric swatch up to get a better look. It was a pleated mini-skirt with a blue and white tartan pattern. "B-but I thought you said-"

"I said it was pretty, right? I didn't say it would be something you'd want!" Ellena giggled and pushed his hands down with surprising strength until he was holding the skirt in front of his hips as if seeing how it might look on him. "You know that actually has 18 armor. That's 17 more than the default gear you have on right now. That skirt would have been able to block one of the arrows that got shot at us earlier."

"I'm n-not wearing it regardless!" Sawyer bleated, embarrassed. He yanked his wrists free and popped the skirt away into his inventory.

"Oh? But you kept it anyway," Ellena teased. "Are you going to put it on as soon as I leave?"

Sawyer groaned. "No, I am not. I'm going to sell it or something as soon as I learn how."

Ellena shrugged, "Okay.... But just so you know, armor breaks if it takes too much damage, so just be careful when you do put it on."

Sawyer's face heated up more. "Ugh, I'm leaving," he said, turning back to the door they had come in from earlier.

"Aw, did I embarrass you? Sorry! It's a bad habit. You either have to be really heartless in this game, or like so friendly people can't possibly help but trust you!" She ran after him, catching up in a few strides and following close behind. "Can I show you around a little and tell you about the game? I don't think you'll get very far without me."

"No and no," Sawyer said with finality. He didn't want to be teased anymore, and he didn't want to be given any more embarrassing casual wear. He stomped out of the room, turned left, and immediately got hit by a fireball, exploding instantly.