She's pushing hard.  It's clear that she's decided on Keltham.

Has Keltham decided on Carissa, becomes the question.

Part of him is scared, but it's the kind of fear where it's a reflex thought that the correct action is probably to overcome it; Keltham has never aspired to be weak.  He has no intention of going around never actually having sex for the rest of his life, either.  There are all kinds of reasons why it'd be wiser to have sex with a relatively older woman first, before getting involved with the younger women in his research harem.  Carissa is attractive on a purely physical level, part of him is quite clear on wanting her physically.

He doesn't know Carissa all that well.  But he feels any respect for her, which is probably a good sign?  She was at the Worldwound at all, in the face of danger, and then dropped that to come here right away, in the face of uncertainty.  You could make the case for her as a strong, risk-taking woman with goals.  But he doesn't quite know what those goals are, or how her career was advanced by being at the Worldwound... they don't really know each other that well.  Quick flings can work, or so he's been advised, but only when both sides know that's exactly what it is, as he's also been advised.

"Oh, it's a challenge on at least some level.  What level exactly, that's the question.  I suppose, among other things, a potential challenger might wonder what his new world would make of a stronger challenge like that being issued by him and taken up -, whether his new world saw any implicit promises as being issued in either direction.  Even implicit promises like somebody having already decided that there's a real chance of something longer-term, because that decision would require more information than I have right now to make one way or another.  I don't default on debts, and that means I need to know when I'm taking them on."

She's pushing hard.  It's clear that she's decided on Keltham.

Has Keltham decided on Carissa, becomes the question.

Part of him is scared, but it's the kind of fear where it's a reflex thought that the correct action is probably to overcome it; Keltham has never aspired to be weak.  He has no intention of going around never actually having sex for the rest of his life, either.  There are all kinds of reasons why it'd be wiser to have sex with a relatively older woman first, before getting involved with the younger women in his research harem.  Carissa is attractive on a purely physical level, part of him is quite clear on wanting her physically.

He doesn't know Carissa all that well.  But he feels any respect for her, which is probably a good sign?  She was at the Worldwound at all, in the face of danger, and then dropped that to come here right away, in the face of uncertainty.  You could make the case for her as a strong, risk-taking woman with goals.  But he doesn't quite know what those goals are, or how her career was advanced by being at the Worldwound... they don't really know each other that well.  Quick flings can work, or so he's been advised, but only when both sides know that's exactly what it is, as he's also been advised.

"Oh, it's a challenge on at least some level.  What level exactly, that's the question.  I suppose, among other things, a potential challenger might wonder what his new world would make of a stronger challenge like that being issued by him and taken up - whether his new world saw any implicit promises as being issued, in either direction.  Even implicit promises like somebody having already decided that there's a real chance of something longer-term, because that decision would require more information than I have right now to make one way or another.  I don't default on debts, and that means I need to know when I'm taking them on."

She's pushing hard.  It's clear that she's decided on Keltham.

Has Keltham decided on Carissa, becomes the question.

Part of him is scared, but it's the kind of fear where it's a reflex thought that the correct action is probably to overcome it; Keltham has never aspired to be weak.  He has no intention of going around never actually having sex for the rest of his life, either.  There are all kinds of reasons why it'd be wiser to have sex with a relatively older woman first, before getting involved with the younger women in his research harem.  Carissa is attractive on a purely physical level, part of him is quite clear on wanting her physically.

He doesn't know Carissa all that well.  But he feels any respect for her, which is probably a good sign?  She was at the Worldwound, in the face of danger, and then dropped that to come here right away, in the face of uncertainty.  You could make the case for her as a strong, risk-taking woman with goals.  But he doesn't quite know what those goals are, or how her career was advanced by being at the Worldwound... they don't really know each other that well.  Quick flings can work, or so he's been advised, but only when both sides know that's exactly what it is, as he's also been advised.

"Oh, it's a challenge on at least some level.  What level exactly, that's the question.  I suppose, among other things, a potential challenger might wonder what his new world would make of a stronger challenge like that being issued by him and taken up - whether his new world saw any implicit promises as being issued, in either direction.  Even implicit promises like somebody having already decided that there's a real chance of something longer-term, because that decision would require more information than I have right now to make one way or another.  I don't default on debts, and that means I need to know when I'm taking them on."

She's pushing hard.  It's clear that she's decided on Keltham.

Has Keltham decided on Carissa, becomes the question.

Part of him is scared, but it's the kind of fear where it's a reflex thought that the correct action is probably to overcome it; Keltham has never aspired to be weak.  He has no intention of going around never actually having sex for the rest of his life.  There are all kinds of reasons why it'd be wiser to have sex with a relatively older woman first, before getting involved with the younger women in his research harem.  Carissa is attractive on a purely physical level, part of him is quite clear on wanting her physically.

He doesn't know Carissa all that well.  But he feels any respect for her, which is probably a good sign?  She was at the Worldwound, in the face of danger, and then dropped that to come here right away, in the face of uncertainty.  You could make the case for her as a strong, risk-taking woman with goals.  But he doesn't quite know what those goals are, or how her career was advanced by being at the Worldwound... they don't really know each other that well.  Quick flings can work, or so he's been advised, but only when both sides know that's exactly what it is, as he's also been advised.

"Oh, it's a challenge on at least some level.  What level exactly, that's the question.  I suppose, among other things, a potential challenger might wonder what his new world would make of a stronger challenge like that being issued by him and taken up - whether his new world saw any implicit promises as being issued, in either direction.  Even implicit promises like somebody having already decided that there's a real chance of something longer-term, because that decision would require more information than I have right now to make one way or another.  I don't default on debts, and that means I need to know when I'm taking them on."

She's pushing hard.  It's clear that she's decided on Keltham.

Has Keltham decided on Carissa, becomes the question.

Part of him is scared, but it's the kind of fear where it's a reflex thought that the correct action is probably to overcome it; Keltham has never aspired to be weak.  He has no intention of going around never actually having sex for the rest of his life.  Having just jumped worlds, there are all kinds of reasons why it'd be wiser to have sex with a relatively older woman first, before getting involved with the younger women in his research harem.  Carissa is attractive on a purely physical level, part of him is quite clear on wanting her physically.

He doesn't know Carissa all that well.  But he feels any respect for her, which is probably a good sign?  She was at the Worldwound, in the face of danger, and then dropped that to come here right away, in the face of uncertainty.  You could make the case for her as a strong, risk-taking woman with goals.  But he doesn't quite know what those goals are, or how her career was advanced by being at the Worldwound... they don't really know each other that well.  Quick flings can work, or so he's been advised, but only when both sides know that's exactly what it is, as he's also been advised.

"Oh, it's a challenge on at least some level.  What level exactly, that's the question.  I suppose, among other things, a potential challenger might wonder what his new world would make of a stronger challenge like that being issued by him and taken up - whether his new world saw any implicit promises as being issued, in either direction.  Even implicit promises like somebody having already decided that there's a real chance of something longer-term, because that decision would require more information than I have right now to make one way or another.  I don't default on debts, and that means I need to know when I'm taking them on."