Cupid and the Lioness - Part 2 - Maroon

This short story is a personal project. Will work on it in parts. Don't know when I will finish it. If someone wants to share an opinion of the story or constructive criticism, please leave a comment below.

Thank you.

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It is the year 2069, and a tall man with reddish black hair and golden brown skin dressed in an extravagant, yet elegant and dignified, morocco maroon red suit was coming to the Neo Empire State building. He lived in what was the state of New York in yesteryears. But now presently it was the male ward 112 in North America. He was being escorted by guards as he was a VIP who had been invited to a very tense and peculiar dinner. 

The dinner in question was the annual gathering of the leaders of the male and female wards of the regime where politics and ideologies clashed.

Eros Cruz saw the building at the distance, feeling a mix of anticipation and cynicism. He had been invited to a special event held in the Neo Empire State building, and the guards of the regime were to escort him towards the top floor of the structure where the powerful gathered. It was an unusual honor, reserved only for people that worked for the regime and were of high standing inside that so elitist circle. He had requested access to the event not to have a fanciful meal. But to achieve a single objective: Meet a woman and learn about them. 

This would be a weird and mundane goal to have in mind when going into a social gathering event. But that is only the case when you take out the fact that society has been divided between men and women. It has been strictly forbidden by the governing regime that the 2 sexes shall not live conjoined lives, one with the other. 

Eros had worked all his life in making an A.I. that could take the place of a woman. And in the eyes of the reigning authority, he had succeeded to a satisfying degree. But to him, the irony of the situation was not lost. He had created this A.I. without ever meeting a woman in the flesh. And something inside of him felt as if there was an essential missing piece.  

As he made his way through the crowd of what normally would be only men, for this was this was a male ward, he noticed someone walking parallel to him, meters away at the distance. This individual would not meet the classification of a man by any standards. The crowd was making it difficult for Eros to observe who the person was, but everyone that saw that elusive figure through the mob was stupified about what they saw. 

Eros made his way through the mass of people to catch a glimpse of what was causing the commotion. When he was able to pass all the men in front of him to see, so he could satiate his spark of curiosity, not even all the adjectives of the dictionary could describe how he felt. Dumbfounded, astonished, bewildered, confounded, staggered, stunned, etc... No word would do justice to that emotion he felt. 

Thanks to his work on A.I., Eros was able to recognize this unique individual before him. It was that which he had tried to emulate so desperately. It was a woman. A woman who was beautiful, tall, with a delicate yet well-built physic, endowed, and striking, with an air of confidence that commanded attention. This effect was much more pronounced with the two bodyguards she had at her side escorting her which indicated she was a VIP from the regime. 

Eros could not take his eyes from her. She was wearing a royal blue V-neck sleeveless open-fork night dress that combined mesmerizingly with her cyan blue hair. Eros didn't understand why he didn't have control of his sight anymore, as if a magical command was set upon him to look only towards this enchanting individual.

"My heart races as I gaze upon her, this creature unlike any I have ever seen. The beauty of her delicate yet well-built frame leaves me breathless, and her striking features seem to glow with an inner radiance. How is it possible that I have lived my life without ever encountering such a vision of loveliness? Her every movement, every gesture, is a mesmerizing dance, and I cannot take my eyes off her. I am utterly smitten, lost in a world of sensation and emotion that I never knew existed before.

As I continue to watch her, I am struck by the confidence that emanates from her every pore. She moves with grace and poise that commands attention, and I cannot help but be drawn to her. Her beauty is not just in her physical form, but in the way she carries herself, the way she holds her head high and gazes out upon the world with a look of quiet confidence. I am captivated, unable to tear my gaze away from her, even for a moment.

And then there is her attire, a royal blue V-neck sleeveless open-fork night dress that perfectly complements her cyan blue hair. The colors seem to swirl and blend in a dazzling display of beauty and elegance, and I find myself entranced by the way the fabric moves and flows with her every movement. How could I ever hope to capture the beauty of this moment in words? All I know is that I have been struck by Cupid's arrow, and I will never be the same again."

These were the honest thoughts that came to Eros. At this very moment, the eyes of both Eros and this mysterious woman crossed.   

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It was an eventful day in the male ward 112 in North America. Someone was walking through the streets with a pair of bodyguards. These were heavily armed and they were protecting this person with sternness and seriousness that could only signal the importance and value of this VIP.

This person was causing a commotion on the streets, for every man that looked at this unique character was struck and left startled due to the bizarre scenario they were seeing. Many of them had never seen or been near a being like this in their entire life. They had only used A.I. programs to come close to the real thing. 

It was a woman. A woman walking through the streets of a male ward. In a society where intermingling with the opposite sex was strictly prohibited. The men didn't know how to react to such a sight. But the one that was the most confused was the woman in question. For she had never seen a man in her life. She had a mixture of confusion, fear, and curiosity built inside of her mind. 

The woman, Leonora Løve, was also a guest at the annual gathering. And she had come with the sole intention of meeting a man for the first time in her life. She had never met a man before and was eager to see what they were like. Her entire life had been spent in a female-only community, where men were seen as the root of all evil. But when she received the invitation to the dinner, she knew it was an opportunity to maybe find something she felt was missing in her life.

Now, she was amongst a sea of men watching her intensely due to this being a bizarre event in their daily affairs. And sadly, she was not impressed or comfortable. She had read about how a woman in the past would become infatuated to the point of madness with the opposite sex. But she was not feeling anything of the sort. This feeling was just exacerbating her preconceived notions about men in general. 

But, while she was walking towards a limousine that would escort her together with the 2 guards towards the annual gathering. Something unexpected happened. She saw a man coming out of the crowd with a pair of bodyguards with him too. And at that moment, Leonora's world changed. 

She saw a tall man with reddish black hair, golden brown skin complexation, and strong physic, wearing a morocco maroon red suit. And the sight of this man alone flipped her entire world upside down with a shock sent directly to her brain and a jolt that made her feel something indescribable.

 "My heart beats faster as I lay eyes on him, this man who seems to have been crafted by the gods themselves. Tall and lean, with a shock of reddish-black hair that speaks of passion and cynicism. His golden brown complexion, his strong and healthy physique, and everything he seems to leave me breathless. I have never seen something like him before, and I cannot take my eyes off him.

And then there are his eyes, piercing and intense, seeming to look straight into my very soul. I feel as though he can see all of my secrets and desires, and yet I am not afraid. Instead, I am drawn to him like a moth to a flame, unable to resist the pull of his magnetic presence. I know that I have never felt this way before, and I wonder if I ever will again.

As I continue to watch him, I am transported to another world, one where only he and I exist. We are dancing to the echo and beat in my mind, which shall always remind me of the moment we first met. I have chosen you, the one I was dancing with, in what was New York. We sing, and I feel a surge of emotion in my chest. The burgundy, the rust - I know that I will never forget this moment, this man, this feeling. It is scarlet, it is maroon, it is everything."

Leonora deliberated these feelings inside of her mind. At this very moment, the eyes of both Leonora and this mysterious man crossed.

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The two of them crossed eyes and could not stop looking at each other. That was until the bodyguards grabbed them and told them that they needed to continue toward the separated limousines that were prepared for the two of them so they could arrive at the gathering. And with a sense of dismay, the two souls got separated for the time being.  

They escorted them to a waiting limousine, which would take them to the dinner in style. The Neo Empire State building loomed in the distance, a symbol of power and authority that was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.

The limousine pulled up to the entrance of the Neo Empire State building, where a group of guards was waiting to escort them inside. Eros and Leonora stepped out of the car, taking in the grandeur of the building and the sense of importance that surrounded the event. But the sense of importance was dwarfed by the dreadful pressure of the air due to the tension of the gathering.

As the annual dinner for the global regime drew near, tensions between the male and female parties were palpable. Each side viewed the other as the source of society's downfall, and the dinner was seen as an obligatory event rather than an opportunity for constructive dialogue.

As the heads of the male party arrived, they exchanged curt nods and cold glances with the female party, who were already seated at their designated table. Despite the formal attire and lavish setting, the atmosphere was anything but cordial. Each side had its agenda and was determined not to give an inch.

The male party was led by stern and calculating figures, who wasted no time in launching into a tirade about the decline of society. They blamed the feminist movement for demonizing men and driving a wedge between the genders, leading to the collapse of the economy and the birth rate crisis. The female party listened in silence, their expressions a mix of disdain and skepticism.

The female leaders, fierce and uncompromising women, waited for the male party to finish before they spoke. They accused them of perpetuating the same toxic masculinity that had caused the downfall of society in the first place. They argued that men had lost their way and were unable to adapt to a changing world and that it was up to women to lead the way forward.

Tempers flared as the two sides clashed over issues of gender, power, and control. Accusations were thrown back and forth, and it seemed like the dinner would end in disaster. Amidst all this horrible screaming, scheming, and political disdain, two people that saw each other from afar, subtly left the dining tables with excuses like needing to go the bathroom and wanting some fresh air. 

And with carefulness, they made sure to avoid the guards so they could meet at last. After some maneuvering through the building, the 2 came face to face with each other. And the 2 could only say one word with anxiety and nervousness.

"Uhm... Hello." 

"HELLO!" 

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End of part two.

Might continue another day.