I don't believe Dylan_Chivalry is a thing. But as I've been saying for a while now, as long as it is still possible to play the bonus storyline and the Ellie route, they need to match. And currently they don't. The Sam and Ellie routes however do.p.
There is no variable for Dylan’s chivalry, of course. I wasn’t being literal there. Covering for the girls and Sophia recognizing it and admiring him for doing so is what I hope is going on.
As a parent I see my children and other parents’ kids doing and saying things and we parents recognize when they are covering up. It’s usually obvious, even as they get into their teens and their sophistication increases. Even when you miss it on the first pass later you learn things about them (by passive observation and through conversation) that allow you to reflect back on their earlier actions and behavior and suss it out.
What I’m hoping is that Sophia knows and understands her kids (she’s a teacher as well, after all) and picks up on the fact that Dylan is trying to protect his sister. It’s an easy win for Sophia (and us) because she doesn’t have to get into a confrontation with Ellie, so there’s no hindrance to that progression, and it shows that Dylan’s chivalry (first evidenced with the hobos at the park) is an integral part of his character and not a stunt he’s pulling to impress in the moment.
As I read it, Dylan has absolutely no reason to suspect that there’s a possible sexual relationship with his sister at this point and other than being a bit frisky (the laptop scene) he doesn’t seem to view her in that light anyway.
Likewise, Sophia has no reason to think there’s anything brewing between Ellie and Dylan. So Dylan covering up can be read by her as a genuinely altruistic act.
If my logic holds (it may be rubbish, I admit), then we can go further and suppose that Dylan is consciously risking his progress with Sophia: he knows he shouldn’t smoke - he’s an athlete for Christ’s sake - he tried it anyway, that’s immature and impulsive, motivations that are unlikely to further endear him to his mother.
If Sophia recognizes this act for what it really is, she should admire him more because of it.
But then again, I don’t get the sense that L&P has kids, or if he does he’s more in the Liam mold and none of what I just wrote would have ever occurred to him.
Oh well, hopefully that’s worth the time it takes to read.