Jasper took a huge bite of cereal and chewed slowly. "Military childhood, moved all the time. Just feels natural to me. I'm just worried that you don't have any ambition. That girlfriend of yours used to push you all the time. She went AWOL because you lacked ambition. That doesn't bother you?"
"I don't think jumping from one thing to another counts as ambition. And Sienna was only interested in appearances and money. I want something more than that," I said.
"Look, all I'm saying, man, is that the whole sitting around playing video games is not helping your cause. No wonder the cops think you're dealing drugs," Jasper said.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "The funny thing is that the cops haven't accused me of anything. They are searching the apartment. Where we both live. So it makes me think that I'm not the only one the cops are looking at."
"You think the cops believe I'm dealing drugs?" Jasper asked. He snorted into his cereal bowl and took another huge bite. "Look at me. I'm a businessman, an entrepreneur. I'm so busy landing new clients and new work that I don't have time to take drugs, much less sell them."
"Yeah, you know, you always told me you'd show me some of your work. How about now?" I asked. "I'd love to see the work that landed you your dream job. Maybe it'll inspire me, give me some ambition."
Jasper shook his head and checked his watch. "I'd love to, but I've got to go. I really just came home to grab something to eat and change. Sorry about the whole search thing. That sucks. How about I bring home some beers and we come up with a defense plan later. Alright?"
My roommate slapped me on the shoulder and was out the door again in 15 minutes. He came and went so fast, it was no surprise he left a vacuum of suspicion behind.
#
Ten minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I gritted my teeth, prepared for a fight if it was the police again. Instead, it was a young man with a business card.
"Tanner Olson, your manager, sent me. I'm a local blogger covering the Dark Flag tournaments," he said.
"Okay," I said. I did not open the door any wider or invite him in.
"Check your messages. Your manager asked me to interview you. He said we should talk about the upcoming tournaments but also your career and your fight against gamer stereotypes."
I left the door cracked open and grabbed my phone. The young man waited politely in the hallway while I checked my messages.
"Sorry. I've just been under fire this morning in all the chat rooms. I didn't want to let some troll in. No offense," I said.
"None taken. I'm a blogger, trust me, I know all about trolls," the young man said.
I tried to relax. Tanner had obviously liked Quinn's idea about positive publicity. If I came out strong against the stereotypes of the drug-using gamer, then maybe I could defend myself against whatever came next. I grabbed my laptop and brought up the young man's blog. It was a well-recognized blog, and he had also authored many articles in the same magazines that featured me.
"Want to start with the stereotypes?" he asked.
I laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's the freshest topic in my mind."
The blogger turned on a digital recorder and placed it on the coffee table. "Your image stands out amongst gamers, and it is the main strength of your success. Would you agree?"
"I stand out only because my avatar looks exactly like me. Lots of players love to form new faces, entirely new bodies and species, when they enter the world of Dark Flag. To me, it is more fun to conquer that world as myself," I said.
"Not many other players do that. Another standout happens to be a close friend of yours. The human avatar known as Arrowa?"
I thought of Quinn in my bed. The thought was like a sanctuary. I could not let even a well-intentioned blogger touch her. "I certainly do not judge other people for creating avatars that are completely different from their real selves. Personally, though, I think my identical avatar gives me strength. I put more into the game because it is my face on the Black Fields."
He noted my sidestep but moved on. "And it’s that personal touch that has led you to be one of the most sponsored players."
"That and my exceptional grasp of Dark Flag. The creators allowed the game to evolve depending on how players use it, and so far, they believe my leadership is expanding the game in a positive direction," I said.
"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?"