Outside player's control, very early on Lena already expresses hesitation towards Seymour's initial advance.
My first ORS blind playthrough as a player is to reject Seymour's dinner invitation in the first place.
That's me "playing as myself" as a "controller".
Lena as a character though, her intelligence is determined by how we play her. She could be smart enough or not smart enough to be familiar with The Child.
She could also be a person who sends money to her parents or not.
She could be a person that likes Shine more or like Fortress more.
In a world where Lena is a dutiful daughter sending money to her parents and running out of options, Seymour is cordial if Lena's attitude towards him is neutral. He doesn't outwardly blackmail Lena.
I didn't mean Seymour is hiding in plain sight or even that Seymour is subtle. It's not that.
I was talking about how that story path allows the player to see a struggling person with relatively little option decidedly/willingly make a deal with someone that she already feels isn't a virtuous person. Seymour was cordial.
A neutral-attitude-towards-Seymour Lena isn't duped or enchanted by Seymour.
She has little option early chapters and Seymour's offer is a job offer.
The variant of Lena that is dutifully sending money to her parents are responsible for the wellbeing of not only her own life but also that of her parents.
That Lena has less optionality to pick and choose what jobs to do early on.
That particular story path then offers Lena an exit at the end of Ch 11.
Ch 11 is also a point where that Lena has more option than early chapter Lena.
That Lena now has more optionality to draw the line in the sand and reject Seymour.
For my playthrough, there's the music thing with Emma, and Perry being Ian's friend.
In life it's hard for some people to say "no" due to their circumstances.
And the nuance of how Eva write that possible situation to the point that it's believable for her to accept Seymour's initial job offer is why I said it's good writing.
Yeah Lena got it more rough than Ian.
Lena is deal with one roommate is barely paying the bills; disrespecting the other roommate who is really paying mostly while all she do is be annoying. Then the choices on having her with Mr.BBC or not she's annoying either way.
If she's dating BBC she's distant with Lena and if break them up or they break up in general she will throw herself at you be mad that you reject or if you do admit her she's so clingy.
Then Stan another roommate who honestly shy guy who wants to freak Lena depending on your choices.
Then she's dealing with working two jobs, modelling on the side.
Dealing with your parents who make things difficult for you as it is.
Then dealing with getting over your ex who won't leave you alone.
Then Ian his main problems with getting over ex, his boss and the money situation.
At least Perry is close friend he gets along with and it helps that his dad is a powerful man in the city.
I feel the most problems Ian can have is love/sex life depending how we play him.
