"This is such a strange experience, though not one I dislike," Rowena said as she held Adam's arm as they walked through the orbital station towards the orbital elevator.
"What is?" Adam asked.
"Not being approached by excited fans and constantly asked for photos and autographs," Rowena replied before adding with a smile, "I haven't been able to relax so much in public in a long time."
"Aren't you disappointed about that? I thought you loved the attention," Adam asked.
"I do, but when it's constant, it can get just too much and even I want a break from it now and then," Rowena replied before shooting Adam a sideways glance and saying in a flirtatious voice he had never heard her use before, "also sometimes it's better to just have the attention of one particular person."
Adam decided it was best to ignore the comment and so said, "Well, now that you have the earring, you can go out incognito anytime you like."
Although she was disappointed that he ignored her comment, her attention soon shifted elsewhere as she heard what he said, causing her to turn and look at him fully while asking in surprise, "You're allowing me to keep it?"
"What did you expect me to ask for it back after we returned?" Adam asked as he gave her a smirk.
"Well, yeah," Rowena replied.
"Since you find it useful and will put it to good use, I don't see any harm in letting you keep it," Adam replied as he turned to look ahead again.
Rowena smiled happily and tugged his arm so that it pressed against her breast while saying happily, "My, my, aren't you being all sweet, thank you."
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): He really is a playboy.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Well, they say jewellery is a woman's best friend.]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): They're not wrong. I don't know any woman who doesn't like to receive jewellery as a gift from a loved one.]
"You're welcome," Adam replied simply before looking around and asking curiously, "Then why do you suppose we are getting so much attention?"
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): You think maybe it could be because you have a woman more beautiful than any on Earth holding your arm?]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Rowena might be a cut above the rest, but there are plenty of beautiful women who almost match up to her in the universe, just look at Aphrodite or Lorelie. No, the reason they are staring is totally the clothes they're wearing.]
"What do you mean? It's naturally because your new wife is so beautiful," Rowena replied while flashing Adam her signature smirk, causing him to roll his eyes.
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): Damn her, she is taking any chance she can get to flirt with him, isn't she?]
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): …]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): Honestly, I'm quite surprised. I have never seen Rowena this flirtatious with anyone.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): I guess she feels she can truly open up to Adam, which is a good thing. As we mentioned before, Rowena can be flirtatious with people, but she is only ever playing and never doing it seriously. This time it's different, however.]
[Whitehorn (Darah 5): I'm happy for her. I haven't seen her like this since before she met Philip. Rowena is finally opening up to men again after so long.]
"Hehe," Rowena giggled at Adam's response before saying, "Okay, okay. It's probably because of the clothes we are currently wearing; no one has ever seen anything like Earth clothing, even in our time, let alone now, forty-three years in the past."
"I guess Earth's style is rather unique compared to what I have seen since I arrived in the known universe. I guess that's why Xer-verse was in uproar when the photoshoot photo was posted."
"No, that's because three divas were posing together, something like that isn't seen unless a major event like an awards ceremony is happening," Rowena replied before reminding Adam, "Don't forget that Erkath hasn't released the photos from the model shoot yet."
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): I'm going through those photos as we speak and honestly, I'm having trouble choosing which ones to use in the adverts, even with Diva Aphrodite's photos.]
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): What do you mean by, even mine? 😡]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Oh, please, did any of us honestly expect anything from your photoshoot when we heard Adam asked you to do one? I mean, can you honestly say that you expected it to turn out as well as it did?]
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): …]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Wow, they really have something against those in the porn industry, don't they?]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): The porn industry, I assume you mean the sex industry. Is it really so profitable?]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): I guess they're yet to learn how profitable the porn industry can be, which is strange considering how many races and individuals we're talking about. You would have thought someone would have figured it out.]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): One person has figured it out.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): Romy?]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): Oracle Andromeda?]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): Surely you have all heard of The King of Universal Pleasure?]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): That mysterious individual who is rumoured to have his fingers in all prostitution that happens anywhere in the universe?]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): How do you know such a person, Romy?]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): That's a good question. Isn't such a person's business a bit outside your expertise?]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): I can receive prophecies for anyone in the universe, and I will have you know that I have received them for individuals far more unique and worse than the King of Universal Pleasure.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): Are you saying you received a prophecy regarding them in the past?]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): Whether or not I have is not your concern; we are talking about how profitable the sex industry is, not about those I have received prophecies for.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): You're right, my apologies, Oracle Andromeda.]
[Puntanghunter69Ver2 (International Space Station): The porn industry involves not only prostitution; in fact, most countries on Earth have outlawed prostitution and so it operates without it.]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Trust this space pervert to be capable of explaining it.]
[Puntanghunter69Ver2 (International Space Station): The porn industry is a multi-billion currency industry.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Multi-billion? 😱]
[Puntanghunter69Ver2 (International Space Station): The porn industry, or pornography on Earth, covers sexually suggestive material such as pictures, video, text or audio. However, most sites that host porn videos, such as what Diva Aphrodite performs in, don't make the majority of their revenue from the videos themselves but from advertising revenue.]
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): The King of Universal Pleasures' business is far broader than just prostitution, as most of the universe seems to think. It doesn't matter where you go in the universe, sex will always be big business.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): Why has no one…. I mean, why has almost no one realised this?]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Because when most individuals think of sex, they consider it an activity to do in private with their loved one, and they often feel embarrassed when people bring it up in conversation.
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): …]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): It's not something they can be blamed for. Even here on Earth, where porn is big business, very few actually partake in it because of its reputation.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Are you involved in it, Emma?]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): I am not, at least not directly. I have some business associates who are and I provide some products that they use in some of their productions.]
[Superhearofangirl (Earth): It's kind of ridiculous, really. The porn industry is worth so much, yet 60% of the world's population still washes their clothes by hand.]
"So, have you ever ridden an orbital elevator before?" Adam asked curiously as they followed the signs for the orbital elevator, which many of the other individuals also seemed to head towards.
"A few times, while they're not exactly common, even forty-plus years from now, they are also not exactly uncommon. You will generally only find them on planets that have a specific need for them, such as Solarian Prime or those planets that just don't like ships landing on them," Rowena replied before adding, "The issue lies in cost. It costs far more to build and maintain an orbital elevator than a spaceport."
"It always comes down to cost," Adam remarked.
"Well, credits do make the universe operate," Rowena replied with a shrug before pointing ahead with her free hand and saying, "We're here."
What Rowena pointed towards was undoubtedly a checkpoint of some kind. There were several desks lined up that were being staffed by a Solarian wearing some kind of security uniform, while next to each desk was a tall curved archway that led into a short two-meter corridor before exiting on the other side of the checkpoint.
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Damn, look at all the elves.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Space Elves.]
[Animefangirl (Earth): That's so Anime.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): I believe they're officially called Solarians.]
As Adam watched, he saw that people were queuing up before approaching the desks, where most of the people handed over their luggage and what looked like weapons before walking through the two-meter corridor, after which they got their possessions back.
"What are they doing? Why are they handing their weapons over only to get them back after passing through that corridor? Is it some sort of scanner?" Adam asked curiously.
"That's exactly what it is," Rowena replied before continuing to explain. "You see how the security officer watches the side of the corridor, as you call it, while the individual passes through? Well, that corridor is a giant scanner. As the person walks through it, the security officers can see if he or she is carrying anything they want to try to keep secret and didn't declare."
"They are allowed to take their weapons down to the planet? I thought they would be confiscated," Adam asked in surprise.
"What they do is they scan and record the ballistic or electronic signature of the weapons so that if they are used in any sort of crime whilst on the planet, they know who the weapon belongs to."