Lillian
For each question Ms. Steele asked her, Lillian recounted in detail. They were mostly about her experiences within the game and what she planned to do next. Then came the more personal questions. "Now, Ms. Frost from what you've shared with me, your physical condition doesn't affect your game experience. Can you tell me how the game might be affecting your body? Any changes to how you would normally act or engage with others?"
Knock, knock
"Ms. Frost? Meal delivery." The scent of pancakes, bacon, sausage and egg called out to her with the chef's voice. Lillian slid off the bed, excusing herself on her way to the door. With a trembling hand, she opened the opened the door, and greeted Chef Jack. He handed her three bags of food earning him a puzzled look. His whisper was low and gravelly. "I put an extra sandwich in your bag and the other two are for Ms. Steele and Mr. Braxen." She nodded in understanding, then thanked him. He waved then headed back to the kitchen.
Lillian shut the door. The air in the room felt heavy again, but she didn't dare let it intimidate her further. She checked the writing on each bag to ensure she was each recipient their rightful meal before returning to her spot at the head of the bed. When she opened her bag, her ears twitched in surprise. Chef Jack hadn't just added one extra sandwich, he had doubled the portions and another slip of paper was waiting for her to read.
You're stronger than you know, lass.
The absurdity of the amount of his extra encouragement put an end to her nervous tremors. She had to stifle the laugh bubbling in her chest in front of her visitors. "You asked about how the game affects my body and how I respond to others, correct?" Removing the first sandwich wrapped in paper from the sack, she eyed both the director and her rep. "Don't you think it's a bit too early to tell? I only started playing two nights ago."
Ms. Steele waited for Lillian to unwrap her food halfway revealing the egg, sausage patty and thick crispy slices of bacon neatly stacked between two freshly prepared pancakes infused with blueberries. "That may be true, but the way your ears move and eyes change is rather unusual. Is this normal for you?"
So it's not just the game there concerned about. Lillian refrained from taking a bite long enough to give her an answer. "The oddities you've seen are just part of what I've grown up with since my early childhood. I've also been told that hazel eyes often change colors based on what someone is wearing or their mood."
One carefully styled eyebrow arched upward into Ms. Steele's hairline. Her face stern but her dark eyes glistened with something Lillian couldn't quite name. "And your social anxiety caused by you Autism? I take it there's no progress in either direction."
Hurk! Cough, Hack
Mark who had been content to let the ladies speak while he dig into his breakfast, choked on his egg and cheese sandwich. The poor guy hadn't expected his boss to bring up a topic that most would consider taboo. Once he cleared his air way, he started wheezing out a protest, but Lillian raised her hand to silence him.
She gave Mark a reassuring smile. She couldn't blame him for trying to dissuade his employer from asking about her other condition. Society still carried a stigma regarding people with what most would consider as various developmental disabilities. Those who didn't quite fit into social norms. "It's alright. I don't mind talking about it, but I must ask. Why do you want to know?"
Ms. Steele paused for a moment, taking in the sight Lillian's barely touched food and then looked at her own bagged meal left untouched. "Why don't we stop to for a moment. We should eat before breakfast gets too cold."