Finding out if Aubrey is home

As you make your way home you decide you want to explore the Affection Multiplier more. Fortunately, you were just walking by a large park which should be pretty empty at this hour. You find a park bench in a secluded part of the park because you don’t want anyone to see the Affection Multiplier.

You rub the bracelet and the familiar logo and menu appears. You check the Scores because you are curious what your score with Amanda is.

Amanda Norris (21 years old): Score: 2 (+2)

Kayla Stevens (18 years old): Score: 25 (-5)

You think that it is a little odd that Kayla’s score went down even though you didn’t see her since the last time you checked her score. But you are happy that Amanda likes you; even if it’s just a little bit.

However, you feel that the scores don’t improve fast enough so you check the “Upgrade” section in the menu. You are a little disappointed as you see just one sentence in there that says:

Click to advance to Level 3

You are not quite sure if that really is the smart choice. If it’s like a video game that has quests that belong to the main story and side- quests you might not get the chance to play the side- quests available on Level 2. You were always someone to complete all the side- quests before proceeding with the main story. Well, IF you got a chance to play one. You open the “Upgrade Info” section and it seems that you can advance to Level 3 without further ado. The only information in there is:

The factor at which people grow fond of you depends on your level. E.g.: If you are on level 3 relationships with other people will be built 3 times faster than usual.

You are currently on Level 2. Visit back if you advance to Level 3.

You get back to the “Upgrade” section and tap the button to advance. You instantly get taken to the “Upgrade Info” section. “You successfully advanced to level 3. Read the additional information” is visible on the top. You scroll down- that must look weird for someone watching you as you swipe through the air- and start to read:

You gain points as you progress in your relationships with others. You can use the points you gain in the “Upgrade” section. You can either use them to advance to a higher level which helps you to increase the factor at which people grow fond of you or you can use it on enhancements that effect you or your relationships. Basically, making you a more likable person. The maximum level is 6.

“Let’s see what Upgrades are available” you think and go back to the “Upgrade” section. On the top you read:

Click to advance to Level 4

Requirements: 150 Affection points/ 50 Love points/ 50 Lust points

You don’t know how many points you have so you just try and press the button, but nothing happens. You shrug and scroll down to find out how many points you have. You skim through the Upgrades till you get to the bottom. Your scores are… well they are bad:

Affection points: 0/ Love points: Still to unlock/ Lust points: Still to unlock

You wonder when you are going to unlock Love or Lust points, but you figure there isn’t much you can do to actively unlock them, so you just shrug it off for now. Since you have no points in any category you decide not to browse through the available Upgrades; what’s the point if you can’t buy anything. You close the Affection Multiplier App and get back on your way home.

You hope that Aubrey is home as you enter the building and waiting for you in the lobby of Riddle Tower. You scan the room but don’t see Aubrey in here. As your eyes drift past the reception desk they catch a familiar face. It looks like it’s Kayla. It seems that she is working here. But before you can overthink it, she spots you and waves to you. Honestly, you are not unhappy to see her, but you would much rather see Aubrey.

You walk to Kayla and **** yourself to mirror the wide smile on Kayla’s face she greets you with. “Hello, Simon. Simon is it? Right? Nice to meet you here! What are you doing here?”

You lift one eyebrow as she talks the same way as when you met her- without full stops or commas. “Hey, Kayla. I would need to go to Aubrey… um Aubrey James. … Can you check if she is home or something?”

Her eyes grow wide for a second before another torrent of words pour out of her mouth. “You know Ms. James? Really? The woman who lives in the top apartment? How do you know her? Is she your mother? Your sister?”

You endure her seemingly endless questions with an uneasy smile. She continues: “Or?... Ohhh, don’t tell me this is some kind of Sugar Mum thing?” Her eyes are narrowing as she asks the last question, a concerned look sneaking on her face.

This is a difficult topic for you. It feels kinda weird to tell someone about your living situation. I mean, ‘I am practically homeless, but my social worker let’s me stay with her’, sounds quite strange. But you need her to check if Aubrey is home, so you have to tell her.

“Look, um, she is a social worker assigned to my case and she let’s me stay with her, so that I’m not homeless.”

You have experienced many different reactions when you told someone you have no family but hers is unique. She just shrugs and says: “Okay, let’s see if Aubrey is home.”

She taps something on the keyboard and reads concentrated what shows up on the screen. She nods a few times while reading. “Okay, Simon. I have both good and bad news. The bad news is that Ms. James left the building this morning but is not home yet. The good news is that she left a package for a Simon Hughes, which I assume is you. So, I’ll get it for you.”

She walks in a room behind her and returns with a small package with your name on it. She hands it you and you open it. You can’t help but smile as you see what’s inside: A few keys.

“Looks like you don’t need to wait here till Ms. James is back. I would have loved to talk a little more to you. This job is too boring. I’m just standing here and waiting most of the time. I hope the job at the paper is more fun.”

You note to yourself that once you let her talk it can go on forever. Thus, you quickly wish her a good night and head towards the elevator. You successfully unlock the door to the second elevator with one of the keys Aubrey left you. It feels weird coming in the huge apartment knowing you are alone.

You watch TV for a little bit, waiting for Aubrey to come back. But you eventually give up and go to bed. Before you fall asleep you check Kayla’s score again to check if it went up.

Kayla Stevens (18 years old): Score 50 (+25)