*disable_reuse *label coffeequestions *fake_choice #"What are the other contestants like?" Lyon squeezes his eyes shut and thinks for a moment. "Well, legally there isn't a lot I can tell you, but it's a pretty decent mix of people from all over. Men, women and non-binary people. It's gonna be a good show." You hum a bit to yourself, wondering if you could possibly get some more information out of him if you pressed hard enough. Or he liked you enough. *fake_choice #"Oh c'mon, Lyon. Surely you can tell me a bit more?" You playfully bat your eyelashes and reach out to touch his arm. *if (lyon >= 55) *set flirty +1 *set lyon %+3 *set bold %+2 *set charisma %+2 Lyon looks from your hand on his arm into your eyes and back again a couple of times, cheeks warming to a light pink color. "Um…well…" You watch as he has a mental debate about whether or not to tell you anything. After nibbling on his bottom lip for a moment, you guess he decides that you're going to win over his better judgment. "Fine. There's going to be 10 contestants, including yourself, of course. All different backgrounds, professions, personalities," Lyon begins. "The first challenge is apparently going to involve trivia of some sort. So brushing up your skills on royal history and other things will help you out greatly. There's this awesome bookstore in town…love the owner." You listen to Lyon ramble a few more minutes about said bookstore before you decide to move the conversation along." *page_break *goto coffeequestions *if (lyon < 55) *set flirty +1 *set lyon %-3 *set bold %+2 *set charisma %-2 Lyon looks from your hand on his arm into your eyes and back again a couple of times as his cheeks warm. Eventually he shakes himself out of the daze and moves back a bit so your hand falls to the table. "Ha, sorry, $!{player_first_name}. I truly can't tell you anything." You sigh and decide to move on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"It's okay, Lyon. I understand..." You make a big deal out of seeming disappointed and upset that you can't know anything. *set cunning %+2 *if (lyon >= 55) Lyon watches your facial expressions and you notice him start to fiddle with his clothing. "$!{player_first_name} please…" You double down on your upset facial expressions until Lyon cracks. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you some more information." Almost immediately, you ease up on your facial expressions and wait for Lyon to begin speaking. "So. There's going to be 10 contestants, including yourself, of course. All different backgrounds, professions, personalities," Lyon begins. "The first challenge is apparently going to involve trivia of some sort. So brushing up your skills on royal history and other things will help you out greatly. There's this awesome bookstore in town…love the owner." Once Lyon sees that you're not frowning or pouting anymore, he seems to relax. "Hopefully that answers your question, yeah?" You nod and decide to move on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions *if (lyon < 55) *set lyon %-3 Lyon carefully watches your facial expression and you could've sworn he was starting to break out in a sweat. When he doesn't say anything, you continue to pout and he continues to sweat. "I can't, $!{player_first_name}! I just can't, okay? Look, I really need this job and don't want to mess anything up," he says. Accepting that he won't give you any more information and you've rattled him a bit too much for him to say anything even if he wanted to, you move on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Tell me more. Or else," you demand. You have no idea what you could even expose about this man, but hey, it might work. *if (cunning >= 55) *set lyon %-3 *set cunning %+3 Lyon's eyes grow wide at your demand and he's quick to talk. "U-um," he begins shakily. "Well, there's going to be 10 contestants. From all over Odessa. All races. All backgrounds. Super diverse." He purses his lips in thought before he continues. "Er, pretty sure that the first challenge is trivia related. Don't kill me, but I think you'll have to know some things about the Royal Family, about Odessa's history…all of that." You nod, satisfied with Lyon's answer. "Thanks. I hope I can continue coming to you for insider information," you say with a raised eyebrow. "Beyond what your job is, of course." Lyon nods quickly, reminding you of a hyperactive dog. "Yes. Of course, $!{player_first_name}. With that thought in mind, you move on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions *if (cunning < 55) Lyon's eyes grow wide at your demand, but soon he's laughing. You might just find the laugh amusing if it wasn't directed towards you. "Okay, I'm not exactly street smart, but I can tell when somebody's just bluffing. Look…" Lyon looks around the coffee shop before leaning in close. "There's going to be 10 contestants, including yourself, of course. There's nothing else I can really tell you though. Seriously," Lyon says. You nod, forcing yourself not to flush out of embarrassment. "Right. Thank you. Moving on…" *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Are you sure you can't say something? Even something small?" You ask, giving him a smile. *if (lyon >= 55) *set charming %+3 You give him a genuine smile and it's as if Lyon has seen something in it, because he relaxes and nods. "Ugh, $!{player_first_name}, I bet you're used to getting everything you want. This time included…" Lyon lets out a sigh before leaning in close to you. "So, there's going to be 10 contestants. Several high profile. All genders, backgrounds, you name it. I'm unsure of what the first challenge will be." Lyon glances down at his notebook, dragging a finger along the yellowed pages. "Right now, I think the Crown is trying to decide between two challenges. I think the trivia one will win. It'll be all about royal history and all of that," Lyon says, looking up from his notebook. That's insanely helpful, you think. Getting to know royal history will definitely be an interesting challenge. For now though, you think Lyon for the information and move on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions *if (lyon < 55) Lyon shakes his head, but you can tell that it takes everything inside of him not to pout. "'Fraid not, $!{player_first_name}. I like you a lot but…" He sighs a little and flips over a page in his notebook. "Well," he begins, "I can't exactly give you details but just know that trivia will be invovled in the first challenge. Maybe. That's all I can say." You don't exactly know Lyon like that, but you doubt something as small could be a lie. Then again, he could be just saying whatever just so you stop asking him questions. "Thanks for answering," you eventually say, smiling briefly before moving on. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Actually, I'm fine with the answer he gave me. Lyon pauses for a moment, waiting for you to possibly press him for more information but when you don't, he seems surprised. "Well. I thought you'd try and get at least something out of me. At least one thing. I…" He trails off and shakes his head. "Never mind. Let's move on," he says. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Why are you in this coffee shop?" Lyon waves a hand over the interior. "Well, first of all, it's social media worthy. Pretty sure half of my feed is of this place," he says, eyeing the plant wall towards the back before looking back at you. "Besides that, they give great discounts to Crown workers and one of the only places within walking distance to get dairy-free milk," Lyon continues, before suddenly becoming shy. "It's also…well…full of tourists and…" He says the next part so quietly, you almost couldn't hear it. "I was hoping to run into you," he rushes out in one breath. *fake_choice #I find myself flushing against my will. "A-ah, is that so?" I ask. *set lyon %+3 "Yes. Very much so," Lyon confirms, finding courage to look you into the eye. "I'm very honored to be over your account. You're arguably the most important person in the games right now. To think that a country bumpkin like me could have that kind of honor…well…" Lyon trails off, seemingly lost in thought. Before you could question what he was thinking about, he speaks. "Anyways, I find you fascinating, $!{player_first_name}. I'm looking forward to getting to know you more throughout the games!" You smile a little and prepare yourself to move on verbally, but that doesn't mean you have to move on mentally. What do you think about Lyon? *fake_choice #In a one-on-one setting, he's not too bad. It was jarring to meet him at first in Odessa HQ, but now that he's in his own little element, he seems much calmer. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He definitely has a crush on me, but who wouldn't? It was honestly pretty endearing, you thought, and nothing you're not used to. The way he was acting around you was the way so many others have acted in the past. Should you entertain him? Let him down easy? You decide to leave the matter alone for now. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He's alright. I still don't feel anything towards him positively or negatively. Despite your neutral feelings towards Lyon, you're glad you had the chance to talk to him. Perhaps your feelings towards him will change with time. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Lyon seems to have a good heart. I have no problems with him. Maybe a bit too chatty at times, but overall, you liked being around him. He seems to only want the best for the country and you in the Games. Time will tell if that changes. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Well, you did," I reply with a shrug. *set lyon %-3 Lyon swallows thickly and dares to look you in the eye. "That…that I did, $!{player_first_name}! I'm honored to be over your account. It's a big responsibility…" He trails off, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. Soon enough, he comes back to the world of the living. "Anyways, I find you fascinating, $!{player_first_name}. I'm looking forward to getting to know you more throughout the games!" You nod noncommittally and prepare yourself to move on verbally, but that doesn't mean you have to move on mentally. What do you think about Lyon? *fake_choice #In a one-on-one setting, he's not too bad. It was jarring to meet him at first in Odessa HQ, but now that he's in his own little element, he seems much calmer. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He definitely has a crush on me, but who wouldn't? It was honestly pretty endearing, you thought, and nothing you're not used to. The way he was acting around you was the way so many others have acted in the past. Should you entertain him? Let him down easy? You decide to leave the matter alone for now. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He's alright. I still don't feel anything towards him positively or negatively. Despite your neutral feelings towards Lyon, you're glad you had the chance to talk to him. Perhaps your feelings towards him will change with time. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Lyon seems to have a good heart. I have no problems with him. Maybe a bit too chatty at times, but overall, you liked being around him. He seems to only want the best for the country and you in the Games. Time will tell if that changes. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"I was hoping to see you again too. Last time was too short!" I exclaim. *set lyon %+3 Lyon grins in your direction, which you match with a grin of your own. "Incredibly too short! I've been dying to see you again," Lyon replies, leaning nearly all the way across the table. Once he realizes how close he is to you, he backs up, cheeks turning red. "A-ah. Sorry." Lyon coughs softly before he continues. "Anyways. I really just wanted to say how huge of an honor it is to be over your account. It's insane. I'm from, like, Nowhereville, Odessa. Never thought I'd be doing this!" "Glad you're on my side, then," you reply with another smile. After a few more moments of small talk, you prepare yourself to move on verbally, but that doesn't mean you have to move on mentally. What do you think about Lyon? *fake_choice #In a one-on-one setting, he's not too bad. It was jarring to meet him at first in Odessa HQ, but now that he's in his own little element, he seems much calmer. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He definitely has a crush on me, but who wouldn't? It was honestly pretty endearing, you thought, and nothing you're not used to. The way he was acting around you was the way so many others have acted in the past. Should you entertain him? Let him down easy? You decide to leave the matter alone for now. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He's alright. I still don't feel anything towards him positively or negatively. Despite your neutral feelings towards Lyon, you're glad you had the chance to talk to him. Perhaps your feelings towards him will change with time. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Lyon seems to have a good heart. I have no problems with him. Maybe a bit too chatty at times, but overall, you liked being around him. He seems to only want the best for the country and you in the Games. Time will tell if that changes. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Was that all you were hoping to do?" I ask with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. *set lyon %+5 You watch as Lyon physically shivers at your expression. What's running through his mind? It seems like it's nothing safe for work, as he's still struggling to respond to you. "Everything alright, Lyon?" You ask, chuckling a little afterwards. The second question helps Lyon come back to reality and soon enough, he's able to form words. Sort of. "Um, no. Well, yes. I'm…" Lyon lets out a frustrated little groan and runs his hand through his hair, which somehow makes it both tamer and messier. "Basically, I just wanted to say it's an honor to be working with you and watching over your profile. You're already a standout in the Games and it hasn't even started yet. I'm from Nowhereville, Odessa, so, like, this is a big deal for me," he says. You smile and place a hand on top of his. "You can watch over me all you'd like, Lyon," you tease, watching his cheeks turn red yet again. "Ha, alright. Let's move on before you make my face even redder than it should be," he says, playfully waving your hand away. After a few more moments of small talk, you prepare yourself to move on verbally, but that doesn't mean you have to move on mentally. What do you think about Lyon? *fake_choice #In a one-on-one setting, he's not too bad. It was jarring to meet him at first in Odessa HQ, but now that he's in his own little element, he seems much calmer. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He definitely has a crush on me, but who wouldn't? It was honestly pretty endearing, you thought, and nothing you're not used to. The way he was acting around you was the way so many others have acted in the past. Should you entertain him? Let him down easy? You decide to leave the matter alone for now. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He's alright. I still don't feel anything towards him positively or negatively. Despite your neutral feelings towards Lyon, you're glad you had the chance to talk to him. Perhaps your feelings towards him will change with time. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Lyon seems to have a good heart. I have no problems with him. Maybe a bit too chatty at times, but overall, you liked being around him. He seems to only want the best for the country and you in the Games. Time will tell if that changes. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"We aren't exactly running, are we?" I joke. *set lyon %+3 Lyon bursts out laughing and it's pretty contagious, because you find yourself laughing too. Once you two catch your breath, Lyon continues speaking. "Well, $!{player_first_name}, I really wanted to just say how much I'm enjoying working with you. It's gonna be awesome," he says, a small blush coating his cheeks, though you're not sure if it's because of how hard he was laughing or if he's just that enamored with you. After a few more moments of small talk, you prepare yourself to move on verbally, but that doesn't mean you have to move on mentally. What do you think about Lyon? *fake_choice #In a one-on-one setting, he's not too bad. It was jarring to meet him at first in Odessa HQ, but now that he's in his own little element, he seems much calmer. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He definitely has a crush on me, but who wouldn't? It was honestly pretty endearing, you thought, and nothing you're not used to. The way he was acting around you was the way so many others have acted in the past. Should you entertain him? Let him down easy? You decide to leave the matter alone for now. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #He's alright. I still don't feel anything towards him positively or negatively. Despite your neutral feelings towards Lyon, you're glad you had the chance to talk to him. Perhaps your feelings towards him will change with time. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #Lyon seems to have a good heart. I have no problems with him. Maybe a bit too chatty at times, but overall, you liked being around him. He seems to only want the best for the country and you in the Games. Time will tell if that changes. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"Where are you from?" Lyon smiles and leans back in his chair at that question. "The middle of freaking nowhere, to be honest. I was born down south in Eha," Lyon begins. "Nothing to do in Eha but hang out in the local parking lot and sneak alcohol in the backseat of cars." He chuckles and fiddles around with a pen as he continues. "I was adopted into a family of four other kids. Ma and Da tried to provide for all of us, but eventually I started working to help out. Also started taking classes in a local college when I could," Lyon says. "Eha is not a fancy travel destination or anything, but it's home." *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"How'd you get your position with Odessa HQ?" Lyon grins. "Easily my favorite story ever." Lyon launches into a tale about one of his tech projects being discovered by somebody in the IT department in Odessa HQ. He says he never thought anybody would ever see it, but when he got an email inviting him to participate in the Crown's internship program, he couldn't turn it down. "I'm taking a few more college classes online, but once I'm done with those, I'm pretty sure I'll have a full-time job with the Crown," Lyon says with a small smile. "Amazing pay, doing what I want to do…it's been a good life so far." *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"What's your family like? Lyon chuckles and picks up his cell phone, showing you his lockscreen. Lyon's recognizable immediately, but then you see two people on either side of him and two standing in the back. "So, the girls on the left of me are my two younger siblings. Ari's the one with pigtails and Erin is the one with the buzzcut. Polar opposites really," Lyon explains. You can see it even in the way that they look. Ari's hair is platinum blonde and she has on a lot of warm toned makeup, while Erin has a hoop nose ring and bold makeup. "To my right are my brothers! One is older and one is younger. The curly haired one is Oscar and the littlest one is Byron." All in all, including his parents, Lyon seems to have a nice family. He confirms this by talking about how proud they are of him for being in Dia, how Byron wants to be just like him when he grows up and how Erin's dying to move into the city to pursue her art dream. "Most of my money that I make goes back to them. I'm hoping to go back home and visit once all of this business with the Games is over with," he says, letting out a small sigh after that. "Hopefully," Lyon adds much quieter. *page_break *goto coffeequestions #"I think that's all the questions I have for now." Lyon nods and gives you a smile. "Glad I answered everything you wanted. I've got to get going though," he says, collecting his notebooks and laptop. By the time Lyon is ready to go, your roommate saunters over, looking between the two of you like there's something going on. Lyon immediately notices ${roommate_him_her} and smiles warmly. "Hi, you must be $!{roommate_name}! I'm Lyon! Nice to meet you," Lyon says, briefly looking ${roommate_him_her} up and down before turning back to you. "Alright, $!{player_first_name}, I'll see you soon. Don't hesitate to get in contact with me via email if you need something else before we get back together again. See you later." You and $!{roommate_name} say goodbye to the boy and watch him leave. Once he's gone, your roommate playfully elbows you in the arm. "I came over to tease you guys, but you were just wrapping up. Anyway, you ready to head out?" $!{roommate_name} asks and you nod. "Definitely. Maybe there's something else we can do today," you say as the two of you throw away your drink cups and head out the door. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_thecity