Shadow plays dirty

Motels had shitty wi-fi, Shadow was getting to know that well. Wednesday had given him a laptop, Shadow hadn’t wanted to ask where it had come from, and asked him to check travel conditions on the way ahead.

When that was done, he idly opened a news site, clicked play on a video and listened to the journalist report. There were a lot of weird things happening, he liked to keep track.

“Well hello Shadow.”

He did a double-take, then stared. Speaking of weird-things…

“Hey I-Love-Lucy,” Shadow said, irritated. Then, abruptly, he shut down the window.

Sometimes it felt like he was going mad. It wasn’t that long ago, a woman on a TV screen had started talking to him, I Love Lucy played in the store and suddenly the character had that woman’s face and spoke out of the screen to him.

This was ridiculous.

Curiously, he opened up the browser again. Youtube took a good minute to load, and he clicked a random recommended video just to see if it was still happening.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Media said, taking the place of a singer of a music video. “You know, this is just an extension of television. The same principle, the same screen, the same stories, just a little twist. Like Protestant TV, but don’t worry, I don’t judge.”

Her voice was lightly teasing, same as ever. She glanced down at the outfit she’d been conjured into, a short thing that didn’t seem to know whether it was a dress or lingerie. She gave an experimental shake, moving to the music.

“Nice taste,” she said. “Could be nicer, but for that you’re going to have to hear me out. Do you remember what I said?”

Shadow hit the side of his own head, as though dislodging the goddess. She winked out from the screen.

Ok. This was just silly now. He opened another tab, and went to a site that definitely wasn’t youtube. Could he actually watch anything without that woman turning up? Time to test...

On the next site, he opened a random video, and clicked halfway through.

It was a redhead giving a striptease to a camera. At that point of the footage she was down to a pair of nipple tassels, and a g-strip that might as well have not been there, the way she gyrated, shaking her ass at the camera.

And then a moment later the same woman was in her place, in the same clothes-

For a brief moment, she seemed almost surprised. Finally something had knocked that smirk off her face, if only temporarily.

But whatever uncertainty had been there quickly faded as she flicked one of the tassels, turning back to the camera without a hint of shame, hiding if she even felt any self-consciousness. She stood in much the same provocative pose as the stripper.

“This is what does it for you?” Media said. She regarded her own body, showing it off to Shadow as much as to herself. “You know, it’s a bit tame.”

“Let me get this straight,” Shadow said. “Whatever video I watch, you’re just going to pop up in it?”

“Until you let me talk,” Media said. “Mr World wants to make sure you do truly understand your options. I’m not going anywhere.”

Was that a choice, or was that an order?

Could she actually go anywhere before he heard her out?

Damn it, if he was going mad he was at least going to have some fun with it. He skipped ahead a little way in the video, leaving Media sat with her legs spread, the flimsy excuse for panties slipped just enough to show off the goddess’s pussy beneath.

“This is unnecessary,” Media said, though there was a brief, almost imperceptible bit of hesitation. “You can get a look at anyone, it doesn’t have to be one of these. If I Love Lucy isn’t your speed, we could always choose something more modern. All you have to do is make the smart choice.”

Maybe. But she seemed to prefer exposing herself on her own terms, not being dropped into whatever situation had been recorded. Flirtation was one thing, total exposure another. If he had the choice…