[attr="class","text"]

Yumi laughed out loud at the new options presented to her. Of course there was a DLC. Knowing these types of games, she could easily imagine what sort of hilarious sexual content it provided. But she didn't care for that. They were mere pixels on a screen.[break][break]

Would she ever sleep with the real FERNANDO SILPH, though? That was a question for future Yumi to answer.[break][break]

However, the first option was too boring, and she was locked out of the second one. That was fine by her. Her earlier custom input had produced an interesting turn of events for the route, so she was happy to use another.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","text"]

Yumi found herself utterly absorbed by the text that appeared. Instead of writing it all down in her notebook, she took screenshots for later transcription. Then she considered her options.[break][break]

The third one was right out, because she had to agree. Limits were meant to be broken — or, she amended, she was meant to break them. Rise above them, as the fake Fernando declared.[break][break]

The second one was a good option, but she wondered if asking a second question in a row was folly. After all, how would the game know, even though she'd entered custom text earlier? The game thought she had a Mega Evolution bracelet, after all, when she didn't. Battling Pokémon wasn't exactly her strength.[break][break]

She paused at that thought. Limits.[break][break]

The first option seemed desperate, but she found it was the best option in her case. She wished to read more of Fernando Silph's thoughts. Perhaps she would find them agreeable, too. Perhaps he had more wisdom to share.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","text"]

Yumi sat up straight, her brow furrowed and her mouth turned downward into a frown. Dark eyes stared at her phone's screen. The new text and its accompanying set of dialogue options were what she expected, not of a dating sim. Was this truly a game?[break][break]

For a moment, she did nothing except reread the text. Over and over. Then she snatched up her journal and jotted down a note.[break][break]

"You rise above to be a better you. Human vs nature. Human vs self. Power? Prominence? Those are human traits. A conflict of human vs human."[break][break]

Then Yumi turned to her phone, the amusement and dismissiveness gone from her demeanor, replaced instead by an uncharacteristic seriousness. The middle option was no good, not based on what she'd just written. The third option sounded like whining. An excuse. And it revealed too much.[break][break]

The first option, then. The question.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","text"]

Ah, this choice was easy. While it was tempting to choose the next flirt option, Yumi had enough class to select a more sophisticated dialogue option. Besides, the stock dialogue that was meant to be flirty was too out-of-character for her.[break][break]

So, with full confidence, she tapped the option that allowed her to introduce herself.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"][break]

[attr="class","text"]

Only one point of affection?! So it seemed FERNANDO SILPH was not the kind of man who bent to flattery. In fact, he seemed to pursue the noble route, despite his mean countenance and asshole-y demeanor.[break][break]

Yumi jotted down a few more notes into her journal, then considered her options. It was true she craved power, and less true she craved fame. Truth be told, fame mattered very little to her; she liked the spotlight, but she didn't care if she had fans or not.[break][break]

But if she were being honest, her desire for power and prominence stemmed from a deep-seated need to crawl out of the hole her parents had thrown her into. So she selected the THIRD OPTION.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","text"]

Oh, so Fernando Silph was this kind of person, huh? Yumi sat back against the fluffy pillows of her bed, eyebrow arched. Briefly, the thought of restarting the game crossed her mind, but she refused the temptation. It went against her personal philosophy to never regret anything she said or did.[break][break]

Instead, she jotted down a quick note in a journal lying open beside her. Fernando Silph: asshole.[break][break]

Then she selected the final option for CUSTOM INPUT and typed:[break][break]

[break]

Yumi wondered if the game coding was truly so good that the custom answer actually mattered. Surely not?

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","text"]

With the options presented to her, Yumi had no choice but to click FLIRT. After all, she would really flirt with the Crown Prince of Galar if she had the opportunity, if only to see what kind of man he was underneath all that royal primness.[break][break]

It was truly a pity RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV was only a game with predetermined dialogue options and routes. She hoped to secure a dinner date with said wine, but she truly had no idea what the developers had coded into the app.[break][break]

Still, it was worth a shot.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"][break]

[attr="class","text"]

A wicked grin spread across Yumi's face as she reviewed the dialogue options on her phone's screen. She'd been waiting ages for the chance to play RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV ever since the ads came out, teasing that FERNANDO SILPH himself was going to feature as a character.[break][break]

Maybe one day she'd meet the man herself, but for now, a game would have to do.[break][break]

Yumi contemplated the choices for a few minutes, debating whether the first or second choice would be better. The third one might end the date prematurely, though there was always the chance Mr. Silph might be drawn to the aloof types who were difficult to please.[break][break]

Eventually, she chose the FIRST OPTION. That was how she would naturally proceed in real life, anyway.

[attr="class","ooc"]

[attr="class","scrpbkbline"]

[attr="class","scrpbksline"][attr="style","margin-bottom:25px;"]

[attr="class","scrpbkgrid"]

[attr="class","scrpbksline"][attr="style","margin-top:25px;"]

[attr="class","scrpbkbline"][attr="style","margin-top:3px;"]

[attr="class","text"]

Sebastian's familiarity not only with the cuisine of her homeland but also the region itself earned him points in Yumi's mind. However, she did not answer him right away. Instead, she smiled at the waiter and ordered a glass of plum wine — just enough for a slight buzz.[break][break]

After the waiter took Sebastian's drink order and left to retrieve the beverages, Yumi finally turned to her companion. "I am," she said, confirming his suspicions. "I was born and raised in Goldenrod City, though I've seen much of the region thanks to family trips, and I've been to Galar as well."[break][break]

Let him not think of her as unworldly.[break][break]

"And where are you from, Sebastian?" she asked, her eyes settling on a particular dish that evoked memories of her childhood. Grilled salmon with miso soup. Perfect.

[attr="class","ooc"][break]

@tag

NOTES

⬥ Open to interactions![break]
⬥ Dress + hair + mask[break]
⬥ PROMPT 2 FULFILLED

[attr="class","text"]

A pleased smile bloomed on Yumi's face upon seeing the cart of pastries and tea. Inwardly, she was beyond delighted, but strict training since childhood reined in her childish love of sweets. She paused by the cart to peruse the selection, then turned to the Mr. Rime.[break][break]

"Two of these delicate petit fours, and a cup of pure ceylon tea. With cream and a spoon of sugar," she told the attendant Pokémon, silently wishing she could ask for more. Maintaining a prim, elegant demeanor in front of Admin Bee was far more important, however.[break][break]

Yumi lowered herself onto the seat across from her superior. "Thank you for inviting me," she said smoothly. "I'm pleased to finally meet you, sir."[break][break]

Admin Bee wasn't the only one in the room assessing the person in front of him with a keen eye. Though the young woman was the picture of pleasant manners and modern grace, her dark eyes watched him carefully. Her training had taught her not to take others at face value, for beneath them often lurked serpents waiting to strike.[break][break]

Her smile widened at his questions. "Certainly. I started my YouTube and Instagram accounts for twofold reasons: one, as a way to support myself while living in Hoenn, and two, as a way to share my unique life with a wider audience."[break][break]

Briefly, Yumi considered telling Admin Bee that she had a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Wyndon University, but surely he already knew that. It was in her file, after all.[break][break]

"The average young person spends the majority of their time on the Internet as an escape from the dullness of everyday life. They will eat up whatever is novel and different, including a rich girl's life in the big city. That's the sort of commodity I provide through my social media presence."

[attr="class","ooc"][break]

[attr="class","text"]

One friend? That was actually surprising. Perhaps Aimee's effusive personality was also too much for most people to handle. But Yumi could not bring herself to pity the other woman. After all, Yumi herself had only one friend for a long time. She thought of Alexandra Briarwood and how much the redhead had changed in just a few years.[break][break]

"One friend is all well and good while they're around, but when they disappear or change, that leaves you to fend for yourself, doesn't it?" The question was rhetorical, of course. "Though I suppose, at the end of the day, you can't depend on anyone but yourself."[break][break]

That's how Yumi survived, anyway.[break][break]

Once Aimee settled on the Happiny mask, the two women meandered over to the cashier to pay. Yumi was prepared to move on from the conversation and continue with their vlogging when Aimee sprung her sudden question.[break][break]

"Us?" The black-haired woman blinked, stunned. But when she contemplated the question further, she saw no reason to reject Aimee. After all, the younger woman had been nothing but supportive and considerate. So Yumi shrugged, indifferent. "Sure. Why not?"[break][break]

Looping their arms together, they exited the shop. Yumi donned the mask so that it perched at a jaunty angle upon her head, then resumed recording with her camera. Turning to Aimee, she flashed her a sickly sweet, Seviper smile.[break][break]

"Shall we get something to eat, then? As friends do?"

[attr="class","ooc"][break]