Diplomacy.

Lisa sat in the business center of the mid-budget hotel and sipped cold, bitter coffee from the meager continental breakfast. Her laptop was open in front of her, displaying her outline for her series on the small town of Atropos, Illinois. The story was starting to expand and she was debating whether to turn it into a full miniseries.

She looked up when the door opened and an unremarkable man entered. He was skinny, maybe in his mid-thirties, with a short beard and an unreadable expression. He sat across from her and folded his hands.

"Lisa, right?" the stranger asked. "I'm Jonny. I understand you have some questions about our town, and I'd like to answer them."

She eyed him warily. This seemed oddly staged, like someone acting out a scene from an espionage movie. Refusing to confirm any of his information, she simply nodded.

"Good. I think it would be easier in a public place," he said. "There are a few good restaurants within walking distance. Do you like burgers?"

On the short walk, Lisa tried to pry some information out of Jonny with very little luck. It felt like he was waiting for something to spill the details, and she was getting irritated. At one point, she tripped over an uneven sidewalk tile and he scrambled away as if terrified. She made a mental note of the incident.

He led her to a small greasy spoon with a whimsical but forgettable name. It was practically deserted as they approached the counter.

"Hey folks," said the heavyset man behind the counter. "Can I take your order?"

"Mask off," Jonny said. Lisa was puzzled but the cashier seemed to understand. He nodded and relaxed slightly. "I'll have a glass of Merlot and a medium skirt steak."

To Lisa's surprise, the man simply nodded and turned to her. "And you, ma'am?"

Lisa tried not to show her surprise, refusing to be dazzled by this guy's strange behavior. "Double cheeseburger," she said as she fished through her purse for her wallet. Jonny gestured for her to stop.

"Don't worry about it," he said. Lisa felt a pang of irritation at his attempt to intimidate her by buying her lunch, but she was surprised to see him walk away from the counter without another word. She joined him in a nearby booth.

"Are you trying to impress me?" Lisa asked pointedly. "Believe it or not, owning a small restaurant and treating your employees poorly isn't going to move the needle."

Jonny laughed, so genuine and spontaneous that Lisa blushed involuntarily. "Oh, I don't own this place. I'm just trying to ease you into what I'm about to tell you. It's a little hard to believe."

"Try me," Lisa said simply. Jonny sighed and began.

"I have a very unusual ability, one that's directly responsible for the phenomenon you're investigating. People around me... they tend to do what I want. Like, everything I want."

Lisa cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "So you 'want' less crime, and the whole town follows your orders?"

He nodded. "Something like that. Before I go into detail, I think we should have a demonstration."

"Like you and your friend here playing another prank?" she scoffed.

"No, not like that. Come, follow me. Marv will text when our food's ready."

He led her outside again. The sidewalks had a few people milling around, but none showed any interest in them. He pointed to the row of businesses on either side of the street and told Lisa to pick any store or restaurant she wanted. She mused for a moment, then picked a used bookstore a few doors down from the burger joint.

The small bookstore was quiet. A half dozen patrons were scattered among the tall, overflowing shelves or sitting in the small reading nook at the front.

"Ok," Jonny said to Lisa. "What's something no one in their right mind would ever do in here?"

Lisa was caught off guard by his question. She stammered for a moment before blurting out an answer: "Strip naked."

Jonny gave a half smile and snapped his fingers. Instantly, everyone in the store began to disrobe. An elderly woman in the reading nook fumbled with her sweater while the cashier, a slim 20-something with elaborate hair, began to unbutton his shirt. Lisa wheeled around and stared in shock as the entire store followed her instruction without a moment's hesitation.

"What the fuck?" she cried. "What are they doing?"

"Stripping," he said with a shrug.

"Because I said so?" she demanded.

"Because it will help me convince you that this is real. Folks, you can put your clothes back on," he called out to the room. They did as he said. Now he approached a young woman who was looking through the mystery section, Lisa following in stunned silence.

"Hi," he said. "Mask off. What's your name?"

"Sophie," she said politely. "How can I help you?"

"Give me all of the money you have on you," he said. Without a word, she opened her purse and handed him the $24 it contained.

"Is that enough?" she asked sincerely. "I can go to the ATM to get more."

"What the fuck is this?" Lisa asked. "Is this a fucking cult or something?"

Jonny nodded to Sophie, indicating that she should be the one to answer. She gave Lisa a friendly smile and cheerfully replied.

"It's not a cult or a scam or anything like that. It's just... everyone around here knows that there's nothing more important than Jonny. His wellbeing, his happiness... we'd all gladly sacrifice anything just to put a smile on his face."

"That's a cult," Lisa said. "Oh God, is the whole town in on this? What the fuck is going on?"

Jonny dismissed Sophie and she went back to the mystery shelf. "I know it's hard to believe," he said with a sympathetic smile. "But I have no control over this. It's always been this way. It happens whenever I touch someone."

Lisa's body language was tense and she was already backing away. Jonny sighed wearily and pulled out his phone. He tapped something into it and it chimed a moment later.

"I understand why you're nervous," he told Lisa. "I'd be terrified. But do you think you can handle another demonstration?"