"The frustration from having lost you must drive them crazy." Tyler chuckled with a shrug. "That's all I'm saying."
Olivia pursed her lips, gaze moving towards the door handle where her hand lay.
Her index finger stroked the edge of the handle for a moment.
"If a young guy like you thinks so..." She whispered. "That must be what it is." Olivia chuckled.
It was pretty amazing, Tyler thought.
He didn't feel his muscles twitching, his eyebrows shaking, or his heart beating at 120bpm.
He felt perfectly calm, as he should.
Unfortunately, the mind can't easily influence the body, and thinking could never solve his problem.
"Wait, I know you!" Olivia raised her voice slightly. "You live in the building there, don't you?"
"Yes." He nodded.
"Right..." She whispered. "I remember seeing a beautiful girl come by to see you earlier with her mother. Well, during the day. Could that be a crazy ex of yours? Bringing her mother to reason with you for breaking up with her?"
Tyler instantly realised that Olivia was talking about Sofia and Fiona.
'She's teasing me...' Tyler chuckled internally.
The smile on Olivia's face gave that fact away
[Ding!]
[A Quick Time Event has been triggered!]
'Another one, huh?'
[Options are being generated...]
[Proceed with the response of your choosing carefully.]
[Response 1: No, that would be my step-mother and step-sister.]
[Temporary Reward: None.]
'A straightforward answer isn't good, huh? I guess playful works better since she's sort of teasing me.'
[Response 2: That would be Fiona, my step-sister. Not an ex, yet? Fingers crossed.]
[Temporary Reward: Composure Stat +1.]
'Yeah... A joke like that requires confidence, but I don't think so.'
[Response 3: I'm starting to think this encounter wasn't random.]
[Temporary Reward: XXX.]
[Error.]
[You have not unlocked the Stat Category that holds the Temporarily Rewarded Stat!]
[Response 3: I'm starting to think this encounter wasn't random.]
[Temporary Reward: XX Stat +3.]
'So I don't get to know what that one is. Doesn't really matter. 3 Stats is huge.'
[Quick Time Event Limit: 10 seconds!]
'These Temporary Rewards work to make Quick Time Events, or encounters, go more smoothly. I don't know what that Stat is, but it's going to come in handy. Plus...'
Time started to flow again.
'I like that response way better.'
Tyler's lips curled upwards.
"I'm starting to think this encounter wasn't random." He muttered while rubbing his chin.
[Your XX Stat Temporarily increases by 3!]
[XX Stat: 11-->14!]
"E-Excuse me?" Olivia frowned, confused.
"You're asking about the women that came to see me earlier..." Tyler held his chin as he talked. "Are you stalking me?"
"Ha?" Olivia's mind went blank.
"You're asking about my crazy ex... But maybe you're the crazy stalker keeping an eye on me."
It was a rather ironic thing to say, since a bit earlier, Tyler had, for all intents and purposes, been stalking her.
There was no way he could have made such a joke while remaining so calm without the Temporary Composure Stat increase. Tyler could see it. His voice breaking, a stutter, twitching... Something would have messed up.
Olivia's confused face slowly morphed as the corners of her lips curled upwards.
"Pffffft!" She brought a hand to her mouth. "Hahaha! You got me!"
"I knew it." He chuckled while shaking his head. "My window is right there too, which I'm sure you're aware of, since you know exactly where I live."
"Hahahaha!" The more Tyler talked, the louder Olivia laughed. "Ahh..." She sighed. "Yep, the old hag next door is a stalker."
"Which one?" He asked. "I don't see any old hag around here."
Olivia smiled, stared at him for a moment, turned back to look at her apartment's door, before stepping out of the building.
"I was thinking about going for a walk to clear my mind..." She whispered.
"Needing a walk past midnight... He really did a number on you, huh?"
"He sure did." Olivia nodded, pursing her lips. "So, would you mind... Accompanying me? Just for a bit. M-Maybe down the street and back? Except if you're tired. W-Which you must be, since we woke you up. I'm so sorry about that again..."
Olivia coughed, realising that she was stuttering and talking too much.
"So um, would you come with me?" She asked with a gulp, suddenly feeling shy and embarrassed.
"Yeah," Tyler answered right away.
[Sub-Quest: "A Night Stroll Between Neighbours".]
"I'd love to."
[Sub-Quest Clear Condition: Accept your neighbour's offer and go on a walk with her.]
[Sub-Quest Reward: 50SPs(SystemPoints).]
"Alright!" Olivia nodded, closed the building entrance's door behind her, and walked closer to join his side.
[You have accepted the Sub-Quest: "A Night Stroll Between Neighbours"!]
Olivia stared at Tyler for a moment after joining his side. 'He's much taller up close...'
He raised an eyebrow, and she looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring.
"This isn't part of your stalker plan to make me fall in love with you, is it?" Tyler asked.
Olivia pursed her lips, glanced at him for a moment as she smiled, then directed her gaze towards the street.
She stepped forward, and Tyler followed.