THE REJECTED BETA
"The way the light hits the strands, it draws the eye. If she were an enemy combatant, it would provide a three-second window for a fatal strike. It is a biological advantage. I thought she would appreciate the tactical assessment of her beauty."
Kaelen stood up slowly, shaking his head with a pity so profound it felt like a physical weight. He walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Astance. My friend. My brother. My glorious, socially-stunted Archon. A woman does not want to be a biological advantage. She doesn't want to be structurally sound. She wants to be pretty. She wants to be soft. She wants to know that you see her, not a fortress with a pulse."