*disable_reuse As you get comfortable in your seat, Tiggy begins to prepare for the next arrival. Before they speak, they pause as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh! Silly me, I forgot to introduce myself.” Tiggy sweeps into a low bow, their short wavy hair bouncing as they go down and come back up. Tiggy is wearing a stylish off the shoulder sweater that shows off a detailed tattoo of the moon. They have on a high waisted dress pants and a pair of heels to match. Their eyes are a dark brown, with skin the color of cinnamon. Tiggy’s lips are colored black, but you imagine that under normal circumstances, they’re likely rather pink. A smoky eye look completes the host, who is making sure their microphone is still on before they continue speaking. “I’m Tiggy Irvine, the host of The Odessa Dating Games! How is everybody doing?” The crowd responds in kind with roars and cheers for the host. They giggle playfully and press a hand to their cheek. “Aw, you’ll make me blush. I’m glad you’re doing great!” Tiggy gets another round of cheers before they continue. “I’m very honored King Frederick chose me to be the host! I’ve never hosted anything on this scale so I hope I do you proud.” Tiggy peers into the crowd until they see who they’re looking for. “If I mess up, I’m sure my partner Rumi over there will never let me forget it.” You turn around to follow Tiggy's pointing and see your stylist at the top of the stands nearby, holding an umbrella to keep themselves out of the sun. They wave at Tiggy before blowing them a kiss, which they accept and slide into their pocket. “Anyway, I’m Tiggy. They or she pronouns please, though I'm not too picky either way. But enough about myself, let's keep the party going!" Tiggy adjusts the collar of their sweater before talking once again. *page_break “Up next is a darling girl who you might’ve seen on some of Odessa’s most popular reality shows, such as Odessa’s Next Big Thing and Odessa’s Most Eligible Girl! Let’s welcome Doodles Canabray to Court!” You hear more than a few cheers once Doodles makes her way down the cobblestone pathway towards the stands. Even from where you’re sitting, you can hear her heels clicking as she walks. Doodles takes a quick pit stop to sign a few autographs before she moves to roughly the same place you stood just a few moments ago to introduce herself properly. “I am honored for the invitation to compete in The Odessa Dating Games,” Doodles begins, brushing a strand of her long, blonde hair behind her back. She’s wearing a floor length black dress that is just the right amount of scandalous and appropriate for the occasion. “Though I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to meet you all until now, I’m very excited to get to know $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}, Princess Mozelle and other important figures at court.” She finishes with a deep curtsy, only rising once she hears applause again. “Welcome to the Odessan Palace,” King Frederick and Queen Ramona say in union, before the Queen motions over to where you’re sitting. Doodles smiles and quickly makes her way up the stands, sitting right beside you. *if (arrivalmethod = "none") "Well, guess that was technically the first arrival, seeing as you didn't do anything. Sometimes less is more though!" *fake_choice #"Thanks...?" *set doodles %-10 "Oh! I didn't mean that in a bad way though," she adds, throwing her hands up in front of her chest. "Sorry." You nod, thinking that was easier than saying anything back to her. Soon enough, Tiggy steals your attention once more. #"Eh, if you say so." *set shy +1 *set doodles %-5 "No really. I wish more people decided not to do anything. This Arrival Day would likely go by way faster." Doodles yawns a bit before stretching in her seat to make herself comfortable. She gives you a quick smile before looking back at Tiggy and you follow her lead. #"Never mind that, how the hell are you moving in that dress?" *set bold %+5 *set doodles %+5 Doodles laughs and brushes a few strands of hair out of her face. "This is nothing, $!{player_first_name}. I've worn much longer, much heavier and much tighter." She smooths a hand over the silk fabric before leaning back in her chair. "I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to switch into some sweatpants though." Doodles yawns exaggeratedly before she straightens up and looks back at Tiggy. You take her cue, awaiting the next contestant. #I give her a nod, but don't say anything in response. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 "Brooding type, I like it." Doodles doesn't force any more conversation between the two of you, which you're pleased with. Soon enough, the next contestant is arriving. #I pointedly ignore her, not caring about some reality show reject. *set rude +1 *set doodles %-5 "Well. Hello to you too." Doodles leans back into her chair and doesn't say anything else. You hadn't focused your attention on her in the first place, so it's easy to see when the next contestant arrives. *if (arrivalmethod = "salute") "Wow, $!{player_first_name}! That display makes me wish I stood more during the Odessan National Anthem in school. What an entrance!" *fake_choice #"Thanks! I enjoyed it." *set charming +1 *set doodles %+5 "Hey, if you can ever pull anymore strings, I would love to have the same entrance for my next red carpet." Doodles winks and laughs after she says this, but you're sure that if you could make it happen, she would actually employ it. Soon enough, the two of you look back at Tiggy again, awaiting the next arrival. #"Eh, it was alright..." *set shy +1 *set doodles %+5 "No need to be coy, $!{player_first_name}. It truly is impressive!." Doodles gives you a quick smile before looking back at Tiggy. You follow her lead. #"Forget that, how the hell are you moving in that dress?" *set bold %+5 *set doodles %+5 Doodles laughs and brushes a few strands of hair out of her face. "This is nothing, $!{player_first_name}. I've worn much longer, much heavier and much tighter." She smooths a hand over the silk fabric before leaning back in her chair. "I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to switch into some sweatpants though." Doodles yawns exaggeratedly before she straightens up and looks back at Tiggy. You take her cue, awaiting the next contestant. #I give her a nod, but don't say anything in response. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 "Brooding type, I like it." Doodles doesn't force any more conversation between the two of you, which you're pleased with. Soon enough, the next contestant is arriving. #I pointedly ignore her, not caring about some reality show reject. *set rude +1 *set doodles %-5 "Well. Hello to you too." Doodles leans back into her chair and doesn't say anything else. You hadn't focused your attention on her in the first place, so it's easy to see when the next contestant arrives. *if (arrivalmethod = "airplane") "I can't believe you jumped out of an airplane. You're insane! Nice to meet you, $!{player_first_name}." *fake_choice #"I sure did. Nice to meet you too!" *set charming +1 *set doodles %+5 *if (charming < 50) "You as well. I can't wait to see if you remain the frontrunner or not," Doodles replies before shifting in her set and turning her attention back to Tiggy. You follow her lead. *if (charming >= 50) "So the rumors about you being incredibly charming are true. Great. There will be plenty of people rude as hell competing. Glad to see that you aren't one of them." You smile at her. "Thank you for the praise," you reply before fixing your attention back towards Tiggy. #"Eh, I don't know about insane..." *set shy +1 *set doodles %+5 "No need to be coy, $!{player_first_name}. It truly is." Doodles gives you a quick smile before looking back at Tiggy. You follow her lead. #"Your dress is the insane thing. How the hell are you moving in that? *set bold %+5 *set doodles %+5 Doodles laughs and brushes a few strands of hair out of her face. "This is nothing, $!{player_first_name}. I've worn much longer, much heavier and much tighter." She smooths a hand over the silk fabric before leaning back in her chair. "I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to switch into some sweatpants though." Doodles yawns exaggeratedly before she straightens up and looks back at Tiggy. You take her cue, awaiting the next contestant. #I give her a nod, but don't return her greeting. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 "Brooding type, I like it." Doodles doesn't force any more conversation between the two of you, which you're pleased with. Soon enough, the next contestant is arriving. #I pointedly ignore her, not caring about some reality show reject. *set rude +1 *set doodles %-5 "Well. Hello to you too." Doodles leans back into her chair and doesn't say anything else. You hadn't focused your attention on her in the first place, so it's easy to see when the next contestant arrives. *if (arrivalmethod = "motorcycle") "A motorcycle, huh? How badass. Nice to meet you, $!{player_first_name}." *fake_choice #"Nice to meet you too!" *set charming +1 *set doodles %+5 *if (charming < 50) "You as well. I can't wait to see if you remain the frontrunner or not," Doodles replies before shifting in her set and turning her attention back to Tiggy. You follow her lead. *if (charming >= 50) "So the rumors about you being incredibly charming are true. Great. There will be plenty of people rude as hell competing. Glad to see that you aren't one of them." You smile at her. "Thank you for the praise," you reply before fixing your attention back towards Tiggy. #"Eh, I don't know about badass..." *set shy +1 *set doodles %+5 "No need to be coy, $!{player_first_name}. It truly is." Doodles gives you a quick smile before looking back at Tiggy. You follow her lead. #"Sorry, but I have to know. How the hell are you moving in that dress?" *set bold %+5 *set doodles %+5 Doodles laughs and brushes a few strands of hair out of her face. "This is nothing, $!{player_first_name}. I've worn much longer, much heavier and much tighter." She smooths a hand over the silk fabric before leaning back in her chair. "I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to switch into some sweatpants though." Doodles yawns exaggeratedly before she straightens up and looks back at Tiggy. You take her cue, awaiting the next contestant. #I give her a nod, but don't return her greeting. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 "Brooding type, I like it." Doodles doesn't force any more conversation between the two of you, which you're pleased with. Soon enough, the next contestant is arriving. #I pointedly ignore her, not caring about some reality show reject. *set rude +1 *set doodles %-5 "Well. Hello to you too." Doodles leans back into her chair and doesn't say anything else. You hadn't focused your attention on her in the first place, so it's easy to see when the next contestant arrives. *if (arrivalmethod = "flowers") "$!{player_first_name}, I absolutely loved you giving $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} flowers. It's so classic and romantic." *fake_choice #"Really, it was just cheap and easy." *set bold %+5 *set doodles +5 Doodles chuckles and eyes her dress before looking back at you. "Wish I went that route. I just acted like it was a red carpet." She shrugs and leans back in her seat. "Oh well. There will be plenty of time to think about flowers. I wonder whose coming next?" You take that as your cue to focus on Tiggy again. #"Yeah, I figured it was a nice callback to our first meeting." *set charming +1 "Oh yeah, I heard bits and pieces about that. New wardrobe. Private time with $!{royal_title}." Doodles starts to drum her sharp dark red nails against her knee. "It's as if the whole Royal Family already decided that you're going to be the winner." You turn to her, eyebrow raised. *fake_choice #"I have the highest compatibility score. They would've done the same with anybody else." *set formal %-5 *set doodles %-5 "Right. Of course." Doodles looks away with a bit of a smile on her face. "Just asking what everybody else is going to be asking you once we're all alone." Before you could reply, Tiggy begins to announce the next contestant. #"I'm not sure what you're getting at?" *set charming %+1 "Maybe you're a plant," Doodles says suddenly, giving you a glance over. "Nobody even heard of all of this stuff until you entered. Then everything was at warp speed." "I was an office assistant before all of this. Why the hell would I be a plant?" You ask, eyebrow raising even higher. If this was how the first contestant was acting, you weren't exactly eager to meet the rest. Doodles laughs suddenly, completely catching you off guard. "Sorry, $!{player_first_name}, I just had tease you. Everybody in those horrible gossip magazines think you're some spy or agent from another country here to cause havoc in the Games." Doodles rolls her eyes before moving to play with a lock of her hair. You turn away from her and focus your attention on Tiggy. What are your thoughts about Doodles after that sudden fake-interrogation? *fake_choice #She is incredibly weird. *set doodles %-10 #She is quite scary. That will probably be my first and last conversation with her, if I can help it. *set doodles %-5 #Despite the interrogation, I like her. *set doodles %+5 #She's very pretty. *set doodles %+10 #She's obviously threatened. Why else would she do all of that despite just meeting me? *set doodles %-10 #I don't feel a certain way about her either way. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 #"We have a long competition ahead of us. Are you sure you want to pick a fight with me before we meet the rest of the contestants?" *if (snarky >= 65) *set doodles %+5 Doodles smirks and seems to view you in a new light. "Relax. I'm just kidding. Those crazy tabloids think you're some spy or a sleeper agent. I only wanted to poke a bit of fun at you. She looks you over, smirking again once her self-assessment was done. "You're so fiery. I love it." Doodles soon turns her attention to a piece of her hair that was seemingly out of place. That prompts you to look back at Tiggy. *if (snarky < 65) *set doodles %+10 *set snarky %+10 Doodles' manicured eyebrows shoot up. "Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be so fiery," she replies, smile sliding across her face. "But I'm just kidding. Those silly tabloids think you're everything from a spy to some sleeper agent. Obviously you're not." Doodles looks you over, apparently liking what she sees because her smile grows. "But keep that fire going. Another outburst like that might come in handy." As Doodles turns her attention to a few loose strands of hair, you turn away from her and focus your attention on Tiggy. #"I'm not here to win." Doodles laughs, obviously taking your statement as a joke. "You're kidding?" She asks, laugher increasing once you shake your head no. "So you're going through all of this because…?" *fake_choice *selectable_if (kingsbargain = "yes") #Well, I can't very well say King Frederick and I have an agreement to compete. I just shrug and say, "For fun." *set doodles %+5 "For fun?" She repeats before grinning. "There are better ways to have fun that don't involve being put underneath a microscope for months. But I believe you." The girl soon turns her attention to a piece of her hair that was seemingly out of place. That prompts you to focus on Tiggy once again. #"Why not? Beats my daytime job." *set snarky %+10 *set doodles %+10 Doodles chuckles. "I want to say that, but I haven't decided if this is better than me being in another reality show yet. Time will tell." You two make a bit more small talk before Tiggy's voice steals your attention away. #"Why are you here?" I'd rather turn the attention back to her. *set bold %+5 *set doodles %+5 "For many reasons. Fun. Fame. Maybe a few hookups. Maybe to even be Queen." Doodles shrugs. "I'm going with the flow. There was really not a downside to joining." After a bit more small talk, Tiggy's voice prompts you to focus on the next contestant. #"Free room and board. Free shit. I'd be dumb not to turn down what is effectively a free vacation." *set bold %+10 *set snarky %+10 Doodles smirks. "See, you're thinking like me. We should stick together during this whole competition." You find yourself smirking back, but before you could answer her back, Tiggy's voice steals your attention. #"What are you, some reporter?" *set bold %+10 *set rude +1 *set doodles %-10 "Far from it," Doodles replies with a laugh. "Guess you haven't seen my many runs on every reality show known to man." You can't say you have. Doodles is obviously used to this reaction because she just sinks back in her seat. "It's alright, $!{player_first_name}. Didn't win any of them, so I'll spare the rest of the story." You give her a glance and see that she's pouting, a weird expression on her dolled up face. Tiggy's voice makes you turn away from Doodles but you knew that you two would have plenty of time to talk again in the future. #I stay silent. Doodles is a bit too nosy for my liking. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 After a couple of beats of silence, Doodles sighs. "Alright. I was just wondering…" She slides back into her seat, while you continue to focus on Tiggy. It was your business why you were in the competition, not hers. You were more than happy when Tiggy begins to introduce the next contestant. #"You're reading too much into this." *set bold %+10 *set rude +1 *set friendly %-10 Doodles chuckles and slides back into her seat, raising her hands. "I'm only teasing. I'm on your side. I'm just quoting what those crazy tabloids are saying about you." As she slides back into her seat to relax, you look to Tiggy, ready for the new arrival. #"Are you done?" *set snarky %+10 *set rude +1 *set doodles %-15 Doodles smirks. "Hm. Yeah. I am done. For now." She slides back into her seat and slowly pulls her gaze away from your form and over to Tiggy's. You have a sneaking suspicion that you might've just made an enemy, but only time would tell. For now, you focus on the next contestant coming to the staging area. #"How about we just go back to contestant watching?" *set aloof +1 *set bold %-10 *set doodles %+5 Doodles nods and slides back into her seat, doing everything in her power to get comfortable sans throwing her feet up in the seat in front of her. "That's totally not a deflection," she hums, though you can tell she is joking more than she is serious. In either case, you turn your attention back to contestant watching, like you wanted to. #"I personally thought it was lame, but thanks." *set doodles %+5 *set sarcastic +1 Doodles laughs and sit back in her seat, attempting to get comfortable in her chair. "Far from it," she insists, "but I know when to back off." You let out a chuckle despite yourself. "I'm sure that came with practice." Doodles joins you in chuckling and nods her head. "Much. I still don't know when to quit sometimes." Eventually you guys stop chuckling and turn your attention back to Tiggy, who was getting ready to introduce the next contestant. #"Mhm." I know she's just trying to make conversation, but I don't feel like talking. *set aloof +1 *set doodles %-5 Doodles takes this as an opportunity to continue chattering about who the next contestant could be. You don't know how many times you repeat, "mhm," but apparently one of them was a bit more forceful than the rest because she stops talking mid-sentence. "You totally weren't listening to any of that, were you?" Before you could reply, Doodles just slides back into her seat with a long sigh. "That's fine. Nothing is worth repeating anyway." There's a long period of silence after that, only broken when Tiggy begins to usher in the next contestant. #"If you liked it so much, why didn't you do it?" *set rude +1 *set doodles %-5 *set snarky %+10 Doodles laughs a bit while running a hand through her hair. "I'm allergic to pretty much all flowers. This makeup's too expensive to ruin with my watery eyes," she answers before suddenly gasping. You turn to her, eyes wide, but you relax when you see that she's not in any trouble. "Uh-oh, I just told you something that could harm me. Hope you don't use it against me," she says in a singsongy voice, abandoning her hair to place her hands in her lap and attempt perfect posture. Eventually, both of you turn your attention back to Tiggy. You wouldn't use Doodles' allergy against her…would you? *fake_choice #Uh, I absolutely would. She shouldn't have told me if she was really concerned about it. *set usedoodlesallergy "yes" *set cunning %+15 #No way. Besides, I have no idea how allergic she is. *set cunning %-10 #Depends on how much of a threat she is. *set usedoodlesallergy "yes" *set cunning %+10 #God no. I couldn't live with myself if something seriously bad happened to her. *set cunning %-15 #I mean...if the opportunity presented itself and I really needed to... *set usedoodlesallergy "yes" *set cunning %+10 #Nope. I'm confident in my skills. *set cunning %-10 *set morale %+10 #I shrug and just leave it at that. *set aloof +1 *set bold %-10 *set doodles %-5 Doodles takes this as an opportunity to continue chattering about who the next contestant could be. Eventually, she stops talking mid-sentence. "You totally weren't listening to any of that, were you?" You shake your head as Doodles slides back into her seat with a long sigh. "That's fine. Nothing is worth repeating anyway." There's a long period of silence after that, only broken when Tiggy begins to usher in the next contestant. "Glad you're here, Doodles. Now, may I introduce our next contestant, who reign's from, well, Reign! Welcome Bex Adtue!" A sudden chill rolls into the courtyard, despite the bright sun overhead. The picturesque white clouds slowly turn an asphalt gray. People with jackets pull them tighter across their frames, while people without begin to rub their hands up and down their arms. Doodles besides you is one of those people, watching Bex enter with wide eyes. Bex looks very similar to how you first saw them inside of Cape Odessa, but different at the same time. Their trouser clad legs easily slide out of a luxury black car, showing off a pair of black boots to match. Bex also has on a long gray coat with white embroidery. A white turtleneck completes the look, but what was the most surprising about their arrival was what they had in their hands: a large bouquet of black roses with a single peach colored rose in the center. *if (arrivalmethod = "flowers") Those black flowers looked vaguely familiar. You believe you saw them stuffed in a bucket on the back of Mario's cart, but the card in front of those read "death". Unless there was some secret meaning you missed regarding black roses, it was crazy to bring flowers that symbolized death to impress somebody. You definitely don't remember seeing a pink looking flower like the one in Bex's bouquet anywhere on Mario's cart. "Seems like Bex brought the chill with them as well," Tiggy chuckles, walking up to them with their microphone raised. "Tell me about these flowers." Bex steps up to the microphone, giving a glance towards the Royal Family before speaking. "For many, black roses symbolize death and hatred. But they can also symbolize a new beginning. I believe both my arrival and this competition will bring a new beginning to Odessa, maybe even the world." Bex gets polite applause for their answer and smiles in response. "Ooh, we adore optimists here in Odessa. Are all these flowers for $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}?" "I have 13 roses here, Tiggy. Twelve black and one special one. Each member will get three roses though except Queen Ramona, who will get the lovely peach bloom in the center in addition to the others," Bex answers. "Oh, don't worry. Security vetted them extensively. There are no surprises." Tiggy grins and motions for a guard member to take the flowers from Bex's hands. As they make their way up to the Royal Family, Tiggy asks Bex one final question. "Oh! What's the significance for the peach rose?" Bex runs a hand through their dark hair, styled in a high wavy ponytail. "I just liked the way it looked. The vendor called them sweet juliets." *page_break "I've never seen King Frederick look so pale," Doodles whispers beside you. You look over your shoulder at King Frederick and yeah, he looks as if he's about to faint, puke, or both. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}, Princess Mozelle and Queen Ramona took their flowers in stride, but the King barely took his eyes off of his and kept casting fleeting glances at Queen Ramona's sweet juliet. "It's just some flowers," you whisper to her, turning back around to face the front of the staging area. You're more surprised at the fact that as soon as Bex took their seat, the weather returned to normal. Rumi put their umbrella back up to shade themselves from the sun, jackets fell off of shoulders and people began to fan themselves once again. *if (bex >= 55) Bex opted to take a seat far away from you and Doodles once the Royal Family got the flowers, but did flash you a small smile while walking past. *if (bex < 55) Bex opted to take a seat far away from you and Doodles once the Royal Family got the flowers, barely giving you a passing glance as they moved. "Plus, no way people are buying their flower excuse. Everybody knows black roses equals death. If I got them, I'd be scared," Doodles says, looking over at Bex and back at you the minute Bex locks eyes with her. Before you could reply, a very loud airhorn blares throughout the courtyard. *page_break The sound makes nearly everybody jump in their seats, including yourself. A sleek black limo follows the loud sound and poking out of the sunroof is a brown skinned male with dark brown curly hair. Given the loud amount of cheers coming from the influencer part of the stands, you assume that this male is somebody quite popular. Once the limo slows to a stop, the male continues blaring his airhorn with one hand and holding his cell phone in the other. "Wow, what an entrance Laurel!" Tiggy exclaims, giving him a wide smile. Laurel flips the camera over to capture most of the crowd, who continue to cheer him on. "Oh my God, I'm going to be in a Laurel vlog!" you hear somebody exclaim before their screaming intensifies. The male winks at the camera before finally putting it away in his pocket. He instead focuses his attention on both Tiggy and the Royal Family. "Tiggy, darling, so nice to see you again! I can't believe I had to join this competition just to see you again." He playfully pouts before disappearing back into the limo. He re-emerges out the side of the limo a moments later, still welding the airhorn. Laurel is on the lanky side, but makes up for it with his broad shoulders. He's quite tall and easily towers over Tiggy, whom he hugs tightly after getting settled outside of the limo. "Well, at least you know why I couldn't join you for those videos like you wanted," they say before chuckling. Laurel grins and shrugs off their answer. "I'll live. Besides, I'm sure this pays more." Tiggy laughs and a good bit of the crowd does as well. "Before I get fired, let's get back on track." *page_break Tiggy steps away from Laurel so he could stand by himself to be admired. He's wearing a dark green jacket with an assortment of pins stuck to them, with a white undershirt and dark jeans. Around his neck are numerous little necklaces, mainly of crystals. His ears sport two tiny gold hoops each. Black combat boots complete the male's look. "This is Laurel Petti, with an I, not a y. That's his vlogging channel's tagline, if you're unfamiliar. He started out his career making videos with his action figures and now has over 10 million subscribers who want to watch every second of his life for some reason." Laurel rolls his eyes, but can't stop his smile. With Tiggy's permission, he grabs the microphone and picks up where they left off. "I think what my dear friend here is trying to say is that I'm a very accomplished vlogger ready to take this competition by storm. A few new subbies wouldn't hurt along the way either," Laurel says with a wink towards the Royal Family. *if ((royal_personality = "shy") or (royal_personality = "charming")) $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} smiles politely at Laurel while Princess Mozelle can barely contain her excitement beside ${royal_him_her_them}. "I love your videos!" Princess Mozelle exclaims before letting out a dreamy sigh. Laurel grins and gives her small bow before returning the microphone back to Tiggy. "I'll be off to my seat now," he tells them, holding up the airhorn and blowing it as he walks. *if ((royal_personality = "rude") or (royal_personality = "sarcastic")) $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} scoffs and crosses ${royal_his_her_their} arms in front of ${royal_his_her_their} chest. "Lovely, an actor," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} grumbles, while Mozelle rolls her eyes. "I'm not sure why you're acting like you don't do the same thing in your bedroom," she mumbles, yelping suddenly right afterwards. "Ouch, you dick," she mutters. A dark look by King Frederick stops the squabble in its tracks. "Thank you, Laurel. I'm, er, unsure of what a subbie is, but I'm sure you'll get them soon. Please, take your seat," he says, giving him a short wave before settling back in his own seat. "I'll do that, Your Majesty," Laurel replies with a smile. *if (royal_personality = "flirty") $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} grins. "Subbies? How cute. I'm only familiar with half of that word, but sure, I'll definitely give your channel a view," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} says, giving Laurel a wink of ${royal_his_her_their} own. His jaw falls open before he gives the $!{royal_title} a grin back. "Okay, you're totally as flirty as everybody says. Noted." *if (royal_personality = "aloof") $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} gives no visible reaction to Laurel's words, but Princess Mozelle sure does. "I love your videos!" She exclaims before letting out a dreamy sigh. "You're amazing!" Laurel grins. "Thank you Princess," he replies and gives her a thumbs up before returning the microphone back to Tiggy. "I'll be off to my seat now," he tells them, holding up the airhorn and blowing it as he walks. Laurel all but bounds up the stairs, plopping down right in front of you. After taking a few moments to get comfortable, he takes his phone out and begins recording yet again. He raises it up so Doodles is clearly in his shot. "So, I just got done introducing myself…the Royal Family loved me, of course. But enough about that Petties, look who I ran into!" Doodles blows a kiss into the camera. "Reality show extraordinaire, Doodles!" Laurel suddenly turns the camera towards you. "Now, right next to Doodles is…er…$!{player_first_name}, right? Yeah! It's $!{player_first_name}. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" *fake_choice #"Yeah, get that camera out of my face or else." *set rude +1 *set bold %+10 *set brawn %+10 *set laurel %-10 Laurel's eyes widen and he quickly lowers his phone. "Yikes. Remind me to ask for permission next time," he says, which causes you to roll your eyes. "Or how about each time? Imagine how many other people wanted to say what I did, but couldn't?" "Alright, alright. Thank you FCC," he replies, making sure his phone was no longer recording before putting it away for good. #"Yeah, are you really as popular as you say? I've never even heard of you." *set bold %+10 *set laurel %-10 In fact, you're pretty sure $!{roommate_name} didn't even watch him. If ${roommate_he_she} did, it wasn't regularly. Laurel scoffs and almost immediately puts his phone away. "Yes, favorite, I am! I'm going to assume you did not mean to offend me and you have instead just been living underneath a rock for a few years. Whatever. My career began in my bedroom—" Doodles groans loudly beside you, stopping Laurel in his tracks. "Let me spare you, $!{player_first_name}. Laurel is very popular online. He's not quite a household name yet, but he's working his way up there," she explains. "He wants to be well known in households—" "While Miss Doodles here wants to be popular online," Laurel finishes with a grin a bit too large to be natural. He's seemingly glad to grab the reins of the conversation again after being interrupted. "We both want what the other has at the moment." You nod, mentally deciding that if you got any downtime, you'd check out a video of Laurel's. #There's a lot I want to say, but I find the words catching in my throat. *set shy %+1 *set bold %-10 Laurel waits a few beats before groaning and stopping the video. "Whatever. It's just extra footage anyway. None of this can be posted until I leave or win." He rolls his eyes and slips his phone back into his pocket. "Thanks for saying something though, Doodles." "Anytime, friend," she replies, turning her attention to the upcoming contestant. #"Um, hi there." *set shy +1 *set bold %-5 *set snarky %-5 *set laurel %+5 Laurel smiles. "That you guys is $!{player_first_name} $!{player_last_name}, current favorite to win the competition. Will ${player_he_she_they} win it? Only time will tell." With that, the vlogger puts his phone down and relaxes into his seat. "Ugh. Can't wait until we can all relax later on. I need a mojito like yesterday." "Amen to that," Doodles adds. Before Laurel gets too comfortable, he looks over his shoulder at you. "Thanks $!{player_first_name}. I'm making a whole series about being on this show, so I'll be doing a lot of filming, or at least as much as King Frederick will allow. I'll add and remove as I see fit, but I'm glad you didn't freak out on me about the sudden filming." You shrug a little. "It was sudden, sure, but not too terrible." Laurel gives you a little smile before looking forward once more. #"Hi! Nice to meet you all." *set charming +1 *set friendly %+5 *set laurel %+10 Laurel grins and slowly zooms in on your face. "That, my Petties, is $!{player_first_name} $!{player_last_name}, the current favorite to win The Odessa Dating Games. I must say, $!{player_first_name} is also my favorite contestant at the moment." Doodles pouts beside you, but she obviously doesn't take it to heart. "All because $!{player_first_name} is nice? I should have the home court advantage, given how long I've known you," she says, placing a hand over her forehead in faux outrage. Laurel laughs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, I've known you for so long. That's the exact reason why I like $!{player_first_name} more," he jokes, turning back towards the camera. "Well, there you have it folks. Let's hope we make it to the final rounds. That would make for some good television." With one last wink, Laurel puts his phone away and finally relaxes into his seat. "I didn't think you'd be so nice, $!{player_first_name}, or look so good on camera. Might have a future in vlogging if this whole thing doesn't work out," he tells you. Doodles nods in agreement. "Oh please. I should probably get on screen a few more times before you two really judge me," you say with a bit of a smile. "Now that can be arranged," Laurel replies and the three of you share a laugh. Before long, you are all focused on Tiggy once again. #I freeze up in my seat and do absolutely nothing. *set shy %+1 *set bold %-10 *set laurel %-5 Laurel sighs and slowly sets his phone down. "Alright, thank God for editing software. I'll warn you next time…maybe." You manage to nod in his direction before quickly turning your attention back to TIggy. You really wanted to put the whole situation behind you. "Leave ${player_him_her_them} alone, Laurel," Doodles says with an eyeroll. "We're about to miss the next contestant!" Laurel grumbles, but soon enough, all three of you are looking back to the ongoing festivities. #"Well, this isn't awkward at all. Hey, I guess." *set sarcastic +1 *set snarky %+5 *set bold %+5 *set laurel %+5 Laurel chuckles. "That ball of sunshine is $!{player_first_name} $!{player_last_name}, the current favorite to win the competition. Will ${player_he_she_they} win it? Only time will tell." With that, the vlogger puts his phone down and relaxes into his seat. Before Laurel gets too comfortable, he looks over his shoulder at you. "Ugh. Thanks for saying something, $!{player_first_name}. That was pretty awkward." You shrug a little. "It was, definitely. At least I won't charge this time." There's a beat of silence before you and Laurel laugh together. "Yeah, I think we're going to be fast friends, $!{player_first_name}." Tiggy takes a short break to grab a drink of water before jumping right back into the introductions. "Up next is Stylus Morgan! The sole heir to Morgan Inc., America's largest tech company, he moved to Odessa to attend university and remained here since. Welcome Stylus!" Stylus' arrival is much more subdued than Laurel's. He pulls up in a silver car, throwing up a hand to the crowd as it slows to a stop. He climbs out of it and smooths a hand over his outfit as he walks around to the other side of the car. A palace worker rushes to his side to take his keys, but the dark skinned man just gives them a smirk. "Oh. You're not needed. My car knows where to go." Stylus presses a button on his key ring and his car drives out of the courtyard without a driver. He seems quite satisfied with the reaction of the crowd, which is a mixture of gasps and claps. On your side though, Bex and Doodles look less than impressed, while Laurel does at least clap for the demonstration. "That beauty was the Model MSX. Only 100 like them in the world." He takes a few steps forward, adjusting his suit sleeves as he walks. There's nothing extraordinary about his outfit, a plain black suit with a dark red button down underneath and black dress shoes, but you're sure it's easily 10 times your annual salary. With wind swept brown hair and fox like hazel eyes, Stylus walks as if he already owns half of Odessa. *page_break "As Tiggy said, my name is Stylus Morgan. I hope you enjoyed the entrances of the favorite, the laughing stock of the celebrity world, the wannabe farmer and the Z-list vlogger because mine is the only one that matters." Stylus gives the Royal Family a bow before he moves to take his seat, which is right in the middle of the stands. "Great, a tech bro," Bex says, just loud enough for Stylus to hear. The male seems to take the comment in stride, not even giving Bex a glance. "If you've never seen a car in your neck of the woods, just say that. Maybe we'll set up our first Odessan car factory in that hick town of yours." Bex immediately stands up, catching the attention of a few nearby Odessan Guards. The crowd on the other side of the Royal Family eagerly turns their attention from Tiggy to what they believe will be an impending fight. Laurel whips out his cell phone to start recording, while Doodles watches with interest. "Be careful who you insult, Morgan. I assure you, some of your NDA's aren't as tight as you believe they are," Bex replies. Before Stylus could reply, guards come between the two of them, quickly filling up the nearby empty seats. If either one of them wanted to get any closer, it would be a lot harder to now. "Aw, just when it was getting good," Laurel pouts, slipping his phone back in his pocket. "Alright…let's get back on track!" Tiggy exclaims, adjusting the collar of their sweater a couple of times. Even from here you can see sweat beading at the edges of their forehead. "No fighting, not until a later round, anyway." Slowly, but surely, the crowd turns their attention back to the host. *page_break "Great. Now, that the excitement is over, let's move on to our next contestant! Everybody welcome Cass Harrison!" There's a fair amount of applause for ${cass_him_her_them}. Doodles and Laurel join in, while Bex and Stylus opt out, most likely still stewing over their confrontation. After a few minutes, the applause dies down, as Cass is nowhere to be seen. "Where is this ${cass_man_woman_person}?" King Frederick asks eventually. "Move on soon if Cass doesn't show, Tiggy." The host nods, tugging at their sweater once again. "Ah, well…Royally Rumi is one of the official sponsors of The Odessa Dating Games. Contestants will get free access to the award-winning boutique, but anybody else may set up an appointment to visit at royallyrumi.com!" Tiggy launches into a few other ads and right in the middle of one about a shampoo brand that Princess Mozelle apparently swears by, King Frederick stands up with his arms crossed. "Tiggy, please move on. We would like to get these arrivals done before the end of today." They nod, giving the King a little bow. "Alright. Well—" Tiggy is abruptly cut off by the wailing of police sirens. Doodles shoots up beside you, squinting her eyes as her head moves from left to right. "Police sirens…on the Palace grounds?" She asks. "Who could that be?" She continues looking, trying to see if she could spot anything, while Stylus just shrugs his shoulders. "Since these [i]wardens[/i]," he narrows his eyes at the gathered guards at both of his sides, as he says the word, "haven't gotten up, it's probably nothing. Sit down, Blondie." Doodles rolls her eyes and continues to look. Finally, she does spot something in the distance. "Looks like a long line of police cars!" The sirens get louder and louder until said police cars roll into the courtyard. You couldn't even tell how far back the line went, but you had a pretty good idea of who they were following behind. A very familiar black muscle car stops in the middle of the courtyard. You must've made some sort of noise when you saw it, because Laurel leans back a bit, trying to catch your eye. "Wait, $!{player_first_name}, do you know who this is?" He asks. *fake_choice #I'm 100% sure this is Cass, though I'm not exactly pleased to see ${cass_him_her_them} again. "Our next contestant," I eventually reply. *set cass %-5 *set aloof +1 "Oh really?" Laurel replies, straightening back up to watch Cass' arrival properly. "Guess I'll pay attention to this one." *page_break #My heart is racing. This is Cass for sure. "Oh! Uh, well...yeah. Sort of." *set cass %+5 Laurel smirks a bit and straightens up his posture. "Sounds like there's a story there. Remind me to press you for details later." *page_break #I can't help but burst out laughing. Once I catch my breath, I give Laurel a nod. "Yes. That's Cass." *set cass %+5 "Cass? I'm dying to know how you know ${cass_him_her_them}." "Well…" you begin, only to be cut off by the sound of Cass' car door opening. Laurel groans and quickly shoots you a look that says, 'Yeah, we're talking more about this later', before focusing on Cass. *page_break #I roll my eyes. "Ugh. Yes. That's Cass, the next contestant." *set rude +1 *set snarky %+5 *set cass %-10 "Bad blood?" Doodles chirps beside you, earning an annoyed look by Laurel, who evidently had the same question as well. "Mmm, no comment for now," you reply, becoming amused at the pair's rather exaggerated reactions. "Fine," Laurel sighs, turning to focus on Cass. "There's clearly something there but I won't press. For now." *page_break #I nod, but don't reply. Leave it to Cass to make an entrance involving the police. *set shy +1 *set bold %-5 *set cass %+5 Laurel chuckles. "I'm already intrigued by ${cass_him_her_them}." "Pretty sure that personality is already here," Stylus interrupts, causing Doodles to roll her eyes. "Well, let me know when you find that person. You must be mistaken." Stylus huffs and hunkers down in his seat a bit more, tightly crossing his arms in front of his chest. He at least doesn't try and fight Doodles like he tried with Bex. "Anyway…back to Cass," Laurel says. *page_break Cass climbs out of ${cass_his_her_their} car, shooting an apologetic look to both the Royal Family and Tiggy. "Sorry, I, er…got caught up—" Cass doesn't get to finish ${cass_his_her_their} sentence, because Dia police are attempting to slap handcuffs on ${cass_him_her_them}. "Ouch, watch it!" Cass exclaims, attempting to fight the cuffs, which only makes the situation even worse. "Enough." The crowd gathered watches in complete silence as King Frederick descends the stairs, with two guards flanking him on both sides. His command wasn't loud, not even in the slightest, but almost immediately, the police officers back away from Cass. Somehow, they end up getting the handcuffs on ${cass_him_her_them}. "Please tell me why an Odessan citizen is getting handcuffed within my walls?" King Frederick asks, trying to look an officer in the eye, but none of them will look directly at him. After a few beats of silence, he continues. "Once you are through those front gates, you are under the Guard's command. Since none of you are in a Guard uniform, I will once again ask why Cass here is handcuffed. I will not ask again." Still, nobody speaks up. *page_break "Well, Your Majesty, I'd be happy to tell my side," Cass begins, reaching up to scratch at the side of ${cass_his_her_their} head. Everybody on your side of the stands winces at the sound of metal clanking. "I was running a bit late on account of spending a quite wonderful night at a Dia bar. Gave the bartender a very nice tip. Saw a lot of nice—" Cass freezes at King Frederick's reaction, something resembling a pot about to boil over, so ${cass_he_she_they} quickly changes the subject. "Ah, anyway, I was running late and apparently ran a red light or two and drove way faster than what is allowed in Dia, which is quite slow compared to $!{player_hometown}—" "The point?" King Frederick asks between gritted teeth. "Your little contestant here broke the law." Both the King and Cass turn towards the direction of the new voice. It comes from an older woman with curly white hair and a skin tone to match. You was sure that she could be mistaken for a loving grandmother in civilian clothing, but at the moment, with the huge gun at her side, she's anything but. Her police uniform is a bit loose on her average height frame, but it in no way shrinks how imposing she looks at the moment. The nearby officers quickly move out of her way, allowing her a direct path to Cass and the King. "Ah. Mary. Dia Police Captain Mary. It is so nice to see you," King Frederick replies with about as much enthusiasm as finding out something you really wanted to buy is completely out of stock. "Likewise, Your Majesty," Captain Mary replies with the same amount of feeling. "Now, will you allow me to take Cass away or will you pull some card to get ${cass_him_her_them} out as you usually do whenever I try to arrest somebody?" "That last option should do nicely. All contestants are under the supervision of the Odessan Royal Guard throughout the duration of their time in the competition," King Frederick says, already turning his back to Captain Mary. "Guess my memo never made it in your inbox. My apologies. I could've saved you the gas money. Good day." Captain Mary watches King Frederick go back to his seat for a moment before rolling her eyes and turning back to Cass. *page_break "Get ${cass_him_her_them} out of those damn handcuffs so we can leave. Next time, no car chases without my approval," Captain Mary mutters to her nearby officers. "I'm leaving." Once Cass is freed from the handcuffs, a slow clap begins. It steadily increases in volume, completely exploding when Captain Mary slides into her police car and most of the other officers follow suit. Soon enough, just Cass and ${cass_his_her_their} car remains in the courtyard, with a wide-eyed Tiggy still trying to gather themself nearby. "I, er, hope you don't mind…but I need a smoke. Like, desperately." Cass fishes out a cigarette from ${cass_his_her_their} near endless pocket supply and easily slips one between ${cass_his_her_their} lips. You could almost hear the amount of dreamy sighs from across Odessa at the simple action. "Right. Uh, I'll just properly introduce you while you enjoy that…smoke…" Cass winks at them and takes a long drag of ${cass_his_her_their} cigarette in response. You take this opportunity to finally give Cass a proper look over. *if ((cass_gender = "male") or (cass_gender = "non-binary")) Cass' hair is as short and black as ever. Two cross earrings dangle from each of ${cass_his_her_their} ears. $!{cass_his_her_their} top half of ${cass_his_her_their} body is covered by a black turtleneck, while ${cass_his_her_their} bottom half is covered by tight ripped skinny jeans. On Cass' feet are a pair of black combat boots that have seen better days. You actually believe you have seen them in better days. *if (cass_gender = "female") Cass' hair is as short and black as ever. She has no earrings on today, but she does have on bright red lipstick, which slightly stains the end of her cigarette each time she takes a drag of it. As for her outfit, she wears a sheer long sleeved black shirt with a matching bustier underneath. For her bottom half, she has on some high-waisted black shorts, which have so many laces, you wonder how long it would take her to get out of them. A pair of black platform boots completes Cass' look. "Alright! Welcome to the competition, Cass Harrison," Tiggy introduces. "Hailing from $!{player_hometown}, Cass' hobbies are…" Tiggy immediately freezes and shoots a look over at ${cass_him_her_them}, who is still enjoying ${cass_his_her_their} cigarette. "Cass, I can't say this," they tell ${cass_him_her_them}, waving a notecard around in the air. The contestant in question takes one last drag of ${cass_his_her_their} cigarette before throwing it to the ground and crushing it underneath ${cass_his_her_their} foot. "It's really not that bad. All it says is that I like to do anything that involves holes. Totally innocent." Cass gives the host a smirk, which only grows as people in the crowd begin to laugh. "Anyways, I'm gonna go take a seat now. You have fun up here." *page_break Cass playfully salutes Tiggy and before you could blink twice, Cass has settled into a seat near the bottom of the stands. You are a bit surprised that ${cass_he_she_they} didn't try and tease you as well. You weren't sure how you would've reacted had ${cass_he_she_they} done so. You probably… *fake_choice #...would've welcomed the attention and teased back. *set cass %+10 *set flirty +1 Exactly! From what you remember about Cass, ${cass_he_she_they} teased just about everybody, so it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary to tease ${cass_him_her_them} back. It certainly would've gotten you a few new fans as well. *page_break #...would've made sure to ignore ${cass_him_her_them}. *set cass %-5 *set aloof +1 *set bold %-5 You would've just ignored Cass, of course. No harm no foul. *page_break #...would've wanted to welcome the attention, but would've found someway to freeze up...as usual. *set cass %-5 *set shy +1 *set morale %-5 You would've had a joke or something similar on the tip of your tongue, but you were sure you would've found some way to mess it up. You think it's better without Cass teasing you. *page_break #...would've done nothing. I don't care what Cass does. *set cass %-10 *set aloof +1 *set snarky %+10 Without a doubt, you would've just ignored whatever teasing Cass threw your way. Seeing ${cass_him_her_them} again annoys you, more than anything else. *page_break #...would've found some way to embarrass ${cass_him_her_them}. I hate how smug Cass always is. *set cass %-10 *set rude +1 *set snarky %+10 *set bold %+10 Oh, you would've found some way to embarrass ${cass_him_her_them}. The mysterious air Cass always tries to walk around in annoys you to no end. *page_break #...would've entertained the teasing, only because cameras are rolling. *set cass %+5 *set cunning %+5 *set friendly %+5 On the inside, Cass' teasing would've been absolutely annoying. On the outside, however, you would've gave ${cass_him_her_them} a huge grin and a playful wave. You're here for the crowds and watchers anyway, not ${cass_him_her_them}. *page_break "We're just about done, guys! Three more to go," Tiggy tells the crowd, which cheers loudly. You were sure it was getting late, though the sunlight overhead was just as bright as it was when Arrival Day began. The occasional stomach rumbling or groaning about dinner from the contestants around you only added to your thoughts about the time. "It's my pleasure to introduce Ridge Walker! Ridge is an icon both on and off the field, playing for the Odessa Wheelers, an award-winning wheelchair baseball team!" "Go Wheelers!" somebody from the crowd exclaims, clearly a baseball fan. "Go Wheelers indeed. Now, let's welcome Ridge to Court!" Tiggy exclaims, waving a hand towards their left. A few moments later, Ridge appears, wheeling himself to the middle of the courtyard. More "Go Wheelers" chants are intermingled with the normal cheering, something that Ridge is obviously pleased at, if his pink cheeks were of any indication. The first thing you notice about him is his buzz cut flaming pink hair. His eyes are an alluring blue, hidden behind round silver frames. His eyebrows are so neat, you almost think that he has them filled in with makeup. He has sand colored skin, which stands out even more against his white turtleneck and black bomber jacket. He has on skinny black sweatpants and white tennis shoes. Ridge stops in the courtyard and gives out three waves: one towards the Royal Family, one towards the guests and one towards the stands where you're sitting. He smiles a bit before speaking. "Hi. Yes. Before you say anything, I'm well aware of the irony of my last name now. Here's hoping $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} can help me out with changing that," he jokes, sending a wink ${royal_his_her_their} way. *if ((royal_personality = "rude") or (royal_personality = "aloof")) $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} lets a smile slip out despite ${royal_himself_herself_themselves} at Ridge's words. Mozelle smirks beside them and nudges ${royal_his_her_their} arm, trying to tease ${royal_him_her_them} a bit about the reaction. It vanishes as quickly as it came, but just its appearance seems to put Ridge at ease. *if ((royal_personality = "charming") or (royal_personality = "shy")) $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} lets out a polite laugh before giving Ridge a nod back in acknowledgment. *if ((royal_personality = "sarcastic") or (royal_personality = "flirty")) $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} scoffs playfully. "What? No date first? Not even a kiss?" Ridge's cheeks color. "Sure, if I make it to that round," he replies, rubbing a hand over the top of his head before continuing. "Anyway. I'm Ridge. Eager to get this party started. Thanks for having me." The athlete rolls to his seat at the bottom of the stands, making no other fuss for his entrance. *page_break The second to last contestant, Melanie Brie, arrives a bit clumsily. The shoelaces are undone on one of her tennis shoes. She's carrying a bag in her arms, as if she was running late for a flight. Her outfit is relatively casual, high waisted blue jean shorts and a white tube top, but a quick ironing would've really done the shorts justice. Freckles adorn her light brown skin. Her eyebrows are perfectly arched and the same color as her long dreadlocks: auburn. She's much rounder than the other contestants and much taller too, probably around Doodles' height, if you had to guess. "Hi. Melanie Brie. Shit." Melanie's bag tumbles to the ground, just after her greeting, but manages not to spill open. She lets out a wide smile before she realizes that she's in front of a huge crowd that includes the Royal Family. "Oh. Hiya everyone." Melanie sheepishly grins and gives the audience a bow with just a bit too much bounce. Her dreads nearly come out of her high ponytail. "Um…well…I'm going to go take my seat now. Bye." After one final sheepish smile, Melanie scoops up her bag and dashes for the first seat she sees, which is near Bex. *page_break "Well, she was….something," Laurel hums, watching her fiddle with her hair as she attempts to make conversation with Bex. As usual, Bex looks uninterested, but at least they aren't fighting like their meeting with Stylus. "Reminds me of my sister," Doodles says with a shrug. "But anyways, there's just one more contestant. This better be a good one. The last few have been too causal for me." As if on cue, you see smoke begin to roll out from the far areas of the courtyard. "What the hell, Canabray? Do you have psychic powers?" Stylus asks. He's tipped his head back to look at her, though Doodles pays him no mind. "Weird. It's almost like I hear somebody talking…" Stylus rolls his eyes and faces forward again. Out the corner of your eye, you see Bex attempting to hold back a smile. “Well, it all comes down to this arrival!” Tiggy exclaims, stealing your attention back. They seem to be failing miserably to keep a large smile off of their face. No doubt this would be an interesting arrival. “The final contestant is--” Tiggy is cut off by the beginning chords of an upbeat pop number. A few seconds after the song begins, the fog's intensity increases dramatically. “I need no introduction.” *page_break Your eyes shoot to the left to see Robin emerge, walking as if she was on a runway. She has on a beaded turtleneck tank top, which leaves very little to the imagination. Her bottoms are all white pants with flared legs, with white open-toed heels to match. The crowd erupts with a mixture of gasps, cheers and questions. “The balls Robin has to compete to get her ex back! I’m impressed!” Doodles exclaims beside you. Melanie, a few rows over, cries about how much she wishes she had her wardrobe. Stylus rolls his eyes, leaning over Ridge’s shoulder to whisper something in his ear. The frantic movements of Laurel trying to unlock his phone to record prevent you from seeing whatever reaction he had. As Robin completes her walk, you turn to see the reaction of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}, not sure what to expect. *if (royal_personality = "aloof") $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} watches Robin, ${royal_his_her_their} face betraying no emotion. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she begins, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." There's a beat of silence after Robin speaks, which the model was clearly not expecting. The $!{royal_title} appears to be in thought and trying to choose ${royal_his_her_their} words carefully. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} opts not to say anything in response and instead just gives her a slight nod. She bows deeply and smiles widely at the $!{royal_title} despite the silence. "I'll be taking my seat now." Robin lets out a small sigh before heading over to where everybody else was sitting. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday *if (royal_personality = "rude") "What the hell?" $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} jumps up from ${royal_his_her_their} seat and stares down at King Frederick, who still has his eyes trained calmly in front of him. "Sit down, ${royal_son_daughter_child}." That sentence only adds to $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s anger. "Why would you invite her? The one person I don't want to see. There's millions of people in Odessa and you just had to allow her into the competition!" Queen Ramona reaches out, attempting to take $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s hand in hers, but the $!{royal_title} takes a huge step back. "Whatever. I'm over this!" $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} pushes ${royal_his_her_their} way through the guards gathered in the Royal Family's stands to make a break for it. Ross and Ryr cringe and quickly follow after ${royal_him_her_them}. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} doesn't give Robin another glance while storming out of the courtyard. Tiggy's eyes are wide, but just as they raise their microphone to their lips to continue on, King Frederick interrupts. "This event is over! Everybody not authorized to enter and exit the palace grounds for the competition has 15 minutes to depart or you will be arrested." The King follows after $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s footsteps, obviously trying to find out where ${royal_he_she_they} went. "Wonder how much of that will end up in the final airing," Cass says aloud before smirking. "I hope it all does." While nearly everybody around you rolls their eyes, you slide back into your seat. Like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday *if (royal_personality = "sarcastic") "Oh wow!" Robin pauses, clearly not expecting the interruption from the $!{royal_title}. "Babe, you are aware that you could've just texted me if you wanted to chat? You didn't have to get involved in this whole competition," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} says, eyebrow raised at the model in front of ${royal_him_her_them}. She smiles sheepishly. "What can I say? I like making an entrance." Robin spins around and poses for good measure. The crowd cheers and claps in response, as do most of you guys gathered in the stands. Eventually, Robin takes her seat and sets about fiddling with her outfit, rather than talking to any other contestants. Like it or not, one thing was clear, now. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday *if (royal_personality = "charming") $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} watches Robin with interest. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she begins, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." There's a beat of silence after Robin speaks, which the model was clearly not expecting. The $!{royal_title} appears to be in thought and trying to choose ${royal_his_her_their} words carefully. "Welcome back, Robin," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} says eventually. "It's good to see you again." She smiles and bows deeply, nearly showing off the parts of her chest that weren't covered up. "I'll be taking my seat now." Robin lets out a small sigh before heading over to where everybody else was sitting. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday *if (royal_personality = "flirty") "Wow, Robin. Guess you realized that all those rumors about me cheating on you were just that. Rumors." The $!{royal_title}'s voice lacks its usual mirth. Robin bites on the inside of her cheek before speaking. "I wanted to come to you, fair and square and face to face. I would prefer we talked about this in private though." $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} laughs a little and looks away from Robin. The laugh was nothing like the ones you're used to hearing from ${royal_him_her_them}. It was almost as if the $!{royal_title} was a completely different person. "Sure. I think I can fit you in." Doodles groans beside you at their interaction. "This is painful to watch. Please tell me I'm dreaming." Laurel shakes his head. "Definitely not. I think my divorced parents talk with more love." Robin eventually takes a seat near Ridge. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday *if (royal_personality = "shy") $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s eyes are as wide as saucers. Mozelle is equally shocked beside ${royal_him_her_them}. The King and Queen, however, don't appear to be shocked at all. *if (smarts >= 65) Your eyes drop lower, to the $!{royal_title}'s lap, where you see ${royal_his_her_their} hands shaking. Was it out of anger? Nervousness? $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} eventually looks away from Robin and in the direction of the contestant stands. You're not sure what $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s looking for, but the two of you manage to lock eyes for a brief moment. You decide to… *fake_choice #...mouth "WTF" in ${royal_his_her_their} direction, to show that I'm just as surprised about Robin's arrival. *set bold %+10 *set royal %+10 *set robin %-10 $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s eyes get even wider than what they were previously. Then, ${royal_his_her_their} lips quirk up ever so slightly, bordering on a smile. Suddenly, Robin's voice interrupts your connection. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she begins, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. The $!{royal_title} hesitates, but allows her to catch it. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." There's a beat of silence after Robin speaks, but eventually $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} nods. "Welcome. Take a seat." Robin lets out a small sigh before nodding and walking over to where everybody else was sitting. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday #...pout a bit and mouth, "Sorry". I know how awkward this must be. *set snarky %-10 *set royal %+10 *set robin %-5 $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} seems a bit surprised at your words. The $!{royal_title}'s lips part, seemingly to mouth something else back, but doesn't get a chance to as Robin begins to speak. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she begins, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. The $!{royal_title} hesitates, but allows her to catch it. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." There's a beat of silence after Robin speaks, but eventually $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} nods. "Welcome. Take a seat." Robin lets out a small sigh before nodding and walking over to where everybody else was sitting. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday #...look away. Things are awkward enough as it is. *set royal %-5 *set robin %+5 You quickly look away, not wanting to make the situation anymore awkward than it already was. Besides, you were sure that $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} wasn't really trying to look at you anyway. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again." The sudden sound of Robin's voice shakes you out of your thoughts. She takes a few steps forward in order to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. The $!{royal_title} hesitates, but ultimately does not allow her to catch it. Robin lets out an audible sigh, but continues. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}. I'll take my seat now." $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} just gives her a tiny nod. You watch Robin settle into her seat. She doesn't look too pleased, but it's possible that the face she was showing currently was her usual one. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday #...smile. It's obvious that $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} wants to be put at ease at the moment. *set friendly %10 *set snarky %-10 *set royal %+10 *set robin %-10 Your smile takes the $!{royal_title} by surprise. Then, ${royal_his_her_their} lips quirk up ever so slightly, bordering on a smile. You smile wider and finally, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} smiles back. A proper one too. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s lips part, perhaps to mouth something to you, but is interrupted by the sound of Robin's voice. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she begins, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." The $!{royal_title} is still looking at you and misses Robin's greeting. Robin decides to try again. "I'm eager to catch up on old times, $!{royal_first_name}," she adds. "if you're not too busy, that is." $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} quickly looks away, flushing slightly at being caught not listening to ${royal_his_her_their} ex. "Hello, Robin. Welcome back," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} replies. Robin lets out a small sigh before nodding and walking over to where everybody else was sitting. She glances up at you with an unreadable expression before settling into her seat. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday #...freeze. There's a lot I want to do, but my brain isn't working quick enough to decide. *set bold %-10 *set royal %+10 *set robin %-10 You and $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} hold eye contact for a pretty long time. You two only look away after Robin begins to speak again. "King Frederick, Queen Juliet and Princess Mozelle. I'm more than happy to be back here again," she starts, taking a few steps closer to catch the eye of $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. Initially, the $!{royal_title} doesn't notice the movement, but finally looks away from you after Robin steps even closer to the stands, "I'm especially glad to see you again, $!{royal_first_name}." There's a beat of silence after Robin speaks, but eventually $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} nods. "Welcome. Take a seat." Robin lets out a small sigh before nodding and walking over to where everybody else was sitting. Maybe she was expecting some other sort of reaction? But like it or not, one thing was clear. Arrival Day was finally over. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_postarrivalday