User:Fish/CYOE

Dreams, Incorporated

The sprawling, palatial complex of Dreams, Incorporated, opens up below you, a monument to the worst kind of opulence since the Golden Age of Hollywood: deep pile carpeting in lush crimson; inconspicuous floor-level lighting bathing the arched ceilings in a golden glow; and heavy, somnolent drapery that deadens the murmur of the Dreams patrons to a muffled, respectful hush. Though Dreams is near a major university, and though most of its patrons are young men and women, the aura of the place demands respectful silence.

Hallways lined with red velvet rope curve gracefully away from the central lobby, leading to scores of plush booths. Dreams, Inc., boasts of the privacy of its virtual parlors, and of the quality of its computer simulations. They are so real, claim the advertisers, that they are indistinguishable from, and yet superior in every way, to ordinary reality. It is this promise of fantasy that draws patrons, draws them by the hundreds daily.

See them below you, the patrons of the virtual arts, for when the writers of the Silver Screen speak of the thousand stories in the naked city, they are theirs. Tonight is a special night, when Dreams limits the patronage only to students, so we can be sure that our thousand stories will be exuberant and full. Of course, some stories may intrigue and fascinate, and others repulse; still others may horrify, or delight, or dismay. Choose one, and follow whom you wish.

Oliver

There is Oliver, near the refreshment stand. He is the young bald black man with the quick wit and the charming smile. He lingers near the concessionaire, but not too near, for he hasn't the money to spend on luxuries; simply spending a day in the electronic virtual paradise offered by Dreams, Inc., is luxury enough. His lack of wealth embarrasses him, especially now that he has a steady girlfriend in Danika, there by his side. Oliver isn't like the other young black men on the East Side, because he has talent: skill with music, and vibrancy in his voice, and an active mind. He won't end up in the dead-end jobs, and he won't stoop to selling drugs on the street, for Oliver has pride — perhaps too much.

John

By the door, awaiting his date, is John. His parents granted him a suitable American name, having heard stories of Japanese internment camps and wishing citizenship, anonymous belonging, for their only son. John knows that living up to the expectations of three generations of Japanese-American ancestors is difficult, and although he has done well for himself in the world, and his college studies will take him far, he cannot abide their conservativism. John works hard to satisfy his parents, and wants little for himself, but that which he does wish — the beautiful blond girl Lynne, who is now just arriving with her chaperon — he intends to fight to keep.

Harley

There in one of the booths, with one leg cocked roguishly upon the central table-screen, is Harley. She has lived for too long as the saintly step-daughter of the local minister, too long been the good girl in the white dress, to play the part any more. See how she dresses in tight black leather pants and a sleeveless silk blouse. She wouldn't wear that around the house, not yet; but her friends aren't scandalized, especially not Dominique, there with Harley in the booth, chattering in Spanish about the boy in the parlor across the hall. Dominique knew Harley as a choir girl, it's true, but Harley's rebellion has been eighteen years in the making.

Danae

Many patrons take advantage of the privacy of the booths to discuss which virtual adventure they plan to take. Since in a Dream, one can be anything one desires, the nature of each person's adventure can be intensely personal. In one of the comfortable alcoves, with the red plush curtains tied closed with gold cord, is a lovely young woman with dark, almond eyes and a swirl of lustrous black hair streaked daringly with violet. She is Danae, the artist and avid reader who speaks five languages. One day she will travel abroad to further her studies in contemporary fashion, but now she is at Dreams, Inc., to relax in a virtual adventure with her friend India.

Damon

In another booth with the curtains drawn, on an upper floor out of the way, is an athletic young man named Damon and his friend Seth. Most other students who attend the nearby college know that Damon is a baseball player, and that he pitches for their school's team. They know him as a talented chess player, as an excellent student of architecture and math, and as a handsome and eligible bachelor to which many of the young female fans would like to attach themselves. However, few would suspect that Damon is gay, and fewer still would guess that Seth is his lover. The privacy of the alcoves here, and the secret nature of one's mental adventures, may one day save Damon's future baseball career.

Zoe

Zoe does not keep her sexuality a secret. As a beautiful black member of the school's dance team, she makes no polite conversation before turning down a suitor; she does not speak in vague, coy terms. Little about Zoe is coy: she is forward, honest, forthright, and simply not interested in men. Zoe majors in theatrical arts, as well as in dance, and she is not shy about speaking her mind. If offered the opportunity to visit a restaurant, she reminds everyone she is a vegetarian. If she is asked about politics, she is quick to loudly denounce the conservative agenda. But she does not object to electronic fantasy: in a virtual world, beef comes from electrons, not cows, and she and her girlfriend Xandra may enjoy hedonism and excess while hurting no one.

Hannah

Entering through the glittering glass doors is Hannah, the walking contradiction: the beautiful blond cheerleader, who professes herself to be a video-game geek; the math major with a mind for architecture and geometry, whose mind is sharp, but whose heart is still big enough for two boyfriends. There they are behind her, following in her wake, Duane and Erik. Each wants Hannah for his own, but for her sake they are willing to share. They get along well enough in her presence, and grudgingly outside it. Each has wondered if Hannah would ever consider marrying one, but both are afraid to express such a selfish, possessive desire to her, afraid she would leave them both if they lowered themselves to fighting over her.