Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Path: gmd.de!ira.uka.de!howland.reston.ans.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ddsw1!chinet!jorn
From: jorn@chinet.chi.il.us (Jorn Barger)
Subject: A songful of romance IF ideas
Message-ID: <C65tHL.10C@chinet.chi.il.us>
Organization: Chinet - Public Access UNIX
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1993 20:41:44 GMT
Lines: 120

I found a nice definition for what I earlier called the "Kennedy cousin" 
type of jerk  ;^)  These are lyrics from a song sung by Mary Coughlan 
(Irish) on a CD you can't get in the US, I fear.  (I've heard someone 
more-famous has covered it, too, but I forget who.)  MC's songs are often 
sad Billie-Holiday pickupbarfly torch songs.

Even if the romance IF thread bores you, the following should provide an 
interesting example of how literary sources can help define behavioral 
dimensions; and there's also a theoretical idea about IF and lucid dreaming 
near the end that I'd like feedback on:

         "I Want To Be Seduced"

I want to be seduced, I want a man to take me out to dinner
I'd like to see his eyes gettin moody
Thinkin bout the thought of what flirtin's gonna do
I want him to be real cool
I want him to think about getting me right into bed
Have a chat about the Magna Carta
Flutter my heartstrings, something's gone he said
I might demur politely, but very slightly, if he tried to fondle my knee
But I'm relatively certain, I'd compromise if I know me!

I want to be seduced, I want a man to talk to me suggestively
I'd like to hear him say he'll be with me tomorrow morning
Drinking hot jasmine tea
I want him to make me laugh
I want him to make a point of touching me when we talk
Leavin all the jealous girls in the bar to mumble in their beer and gawk
You know it only happens when I'm nappin, noddin in reverie
But I wouldn't mind a man, who wouldn't mind seducin
(right from the minute that we'd been introduced!)
I wouldn't mind a man who wouldn't mind seducin me...

=I=want=to=be=seduced===

One woman's predatory jerk is another woman's invigorating liaison...?

=I=want=a=man=to=take=me=out=to=dinner===

Giving gifts, buying drinks... the MeActress can learn a lot about a guy 
from the way he spends money

=I'd=like=to=see=his=eyes=gettin=moody===
=Thinkin=bout=the=thought=of=what=flirtin's=gonna=do===

She wants him to mirror back a positive image of her sexual desirability

=I=want=him=to=be=real=cool===

He's not supposed to show any nervousness that she'll reject him-- that 
confidence is what's most persuasive.

=I=want=him=to=think=about=getting=me=right=into=bed===

She likes him to project coolth, but still she wants to *feel* he desires 
her

=Have=a=chat=about=the=Magna=Carta===

Dissembling again

=Flutter=my=heartstrings,=something's=gone=he=said===

???  I don't get what's gone.

=I=might=demur=politely,=but=very=slightly,=if=he=tried=to=fondle=my=knee==
=But=I'm=relatively=certain=,=I'd=compromise=if=I=know=me=!===

(Bodyparts!  ;^)  Polite demurral as conventional assertion of self-esteem/ 
self-value.  So if she doesn't demur, he'll sometimes decide she's 'easy' 
and lose interest.

=I=want=to=be=seduced,=I=want=a=man=to=talk=to=me=suggestively===

He expresses his desire subtly and persuasively, contagiously.  A fine line 
between this and coarseness, though.

=I'd=like=to=hear=him=say=he'll=be=with=me=tomorrow=morning===
=Drinking=hot=jasmine=tea===

Ah, finally, some *romance-not-sex-only*!

=I=want=him=to=make=me=laugh===

Jerks tell worse jokes than charmers?

=I=want=him=to=make=a=point=of=touching=me=when=we=talk===

Bodyparts again.  How-to-seduce books mention this strategy.

=Leavin=all=the=jealous=girls=in=the=bar=to=mumble=in=their=beer=and=gawk==

The jealousy-motive!  She's conscious of the other women in the bar as 
competition for the Kennedy cousin's interest.

=You=know=it=only=happens=when=I'm=nappin=,=noddin=in=reverie===

Interesting connection for IF-theory: It occurs to me that good IF should 
be just like "lucid dreaming", where you have a certain limited ability to 
steer your dream in the direction that fulfills *your* wishes.  So maybe 
you ought to have some control over the other characters, too, not just the 
MeActress?  So if another character turns the plot in a direction that 
isn't what you're in the mood for, you can hit UNDO and the NPC will try 
something different?  (Like sending *meta* Hot-Warm-Cold messages, to the 
*program* itself rather than to the jerks...)

This could apply to room-layouts, etc, too.

=But=I=wouldn't=mind=a=man=,=who=wouldn't=mind=seducin=
=(=right=from=the=minute=that=we'd=been=introduced=!=)=
=I=wouldn't=mind=a=man=who=wouldn't=mind=seducin=me===

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