This an 18+ Blog. There are spoilers My name is Laura I'm a writer of Love365(Voltage Inc), Ikemen Sengoku, Mystic Messenger Mr. Love Queen's Choice Obey Me! ~REQUESTS OPEN~ ACCEPTS COMMISSIONS~ A03Patreon
Finally it's done! Sorry for the delay @otomefoxystar I hope you enjoy your gift! 💖
Thank you to @lorei-writes and @pond-lilies for arranging this giveaway! I had so much fun making this. 💖
Pairing: Reader x Mitsuhide
Warnings: None
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It started with the dreams. A flash of silver, the chiming of little bells. Night after night, you were haunted by longing and a sense of familiarity. Morning after morning, you woke with only half-remembered glimpses, and a sense that there was something you needed to remember.
Then, little by little came the memories. And slowly you could piece together a story. The story of a summer long forgotten, the summer you first met the ghost boy.
It was so long ago that you couldn’t quite pinpoint the year, but your family had rented a summer house to get away from the routines of everyday life.
Boredom soon set in, away from all your friends and the amenities of home. Dust motes danced slowly through the rays of sun coming through the windows. The only sound in the air was the distant hum of a lawnmower. The heat had slowed time to a standstill. In a bid to beat the boredom, or at least get some air, you headed out to the woods behind the house. They were just large enough for an adventure, and just small enough that if you got lost, you wouldn’t be lost for long.
Under the canopy, the world outside fell away. A thousand shades of green, broken only by small cracks of sunlight between the foliage. The gentle trickle of water drew you to a little stream that wound its way between the trees.
On a rock by the edge of the stream, not too far from where you were, sat a boy. Hearing your approach, he turned to you. Wild silvery hair framed a narrow, almost fox-like face. "There you are." His voice was warm, the tone casual. As if you being here was the most natural thing in the world.
You looked over your shoulder, to see if the strange boy was talking to someone else, but there were only the two of you. “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else--”
“Nope, I knew you were coming. I’ve been waiting ages for you. You just arrived at the yellow house yesterday, right?”
“How would you know that?” Maybe he knew the owners of the house?
“I know many things.” He smiled, and held out his hand. “I’m Mitsuhide.”
From that day on, you became fast friends. Mitsuhide often appeared from seemingly nowhere, like a ghost. He only came when you were alone, soundlessly, or with the quiet tinkle of bells. Always in the forest.
You invited him to come for ice cream, or to go meet your family, or go exploring different parts of the town, but he always refused.
You told your family about him, but when you explained that he wouldn’t come by and say hi, and that he would only show himself to you, they assumed he was just an imaginary friend. Your imagination was vivid, but there was no way you could have invented an entire boy, was there? Imaginary friends weren’t supposed to be this vivid, were they?
“You’re real, aren’t you?” You asked him one day, after once again having tried to convince your family that he wasn’t just a figment of your imagination. .
“I suppose so, he shrugged.” He held out his hand, and you took it. “I couldn’t hold your hand if I was imaginary, could I?”
That made sense. His hand was warm wrapped around yours, and a strange fluttering filled your body. After that, you decided it didn’t matter what your family thought. You knew he was real, and that was all that mattered to you. He said strange things sometimes, and he would never talk about his family, or where he came from, or even why you could only meet in the forest, but he was undeniably flesh and blood. The mystery just made him more intriguing.
The two of you spent the summer bathing, running about, and talking about anything that came to mind in the moment. Being around him was so easy, and you loved every moment of it. He showed you the secrets of the forest. What plants were edible, what ones had helpful characteristics like healing, and what ones to stay clear of. He showed you how to find different animals, and you watched them together in silent awe. He even had a little fox that would sometimes follow you around. He was like no other boy you had ever met.
When the day came that you were leaving, you found him at the edge of the woods. He took your hand, and you walked for a while in silence before he stopped and gave you a hug. There was something final about the gesture. He then stepped back, and looked at you with an expression you couldn’t decipher. “When you go back, you won’t remember me.”
“I will, I promise!” You reached for his hand, but he took another step back, out of reach. How could you forget the person who had brought you so much enjoyment and excitement. Someone who, you now realised, had become one of your best friends.
He shook his head. “No, you won’t. Not until the time is right. But that’s alright.” His lips quirked into a small melancholy smile.
You opened your mouth to ask him what he meant, but before any sound could leave you, he had vanished into the woods.
That was the last you saw of him, and with no one to talk to about him, and so much happening in your life, the memory of him slowly faded into nothing and he once again became a ghost.
Back in the present, something told you that you had to go back to those woods, that there was a reason why you had remembered all this now. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, or even why you needed to go there. Memories were just memories after all. And even if Mitsuhide was real, what were the odds he would even be around that sleepy little town any more. But it was autumn, and the price of renting the old house was so low that you might as well head out for a weekend, if only just to get away from your everyday life for a bit.
The town was quiet without the holiday makers. Only a few cars passed you on the way there. Time had not been kind to the house. The owners had grown old, and so had the building, but it was dry, cosy and clean. You chose the same bedroom as you had as a child, a room stuck in time.
That night you didn’t dream.
The morning crept up, grey and misty. Looking out the window over the rim of your steaming cup, the trees loomed like quiet sentinels. The prospect of going for a walk in those woods was all of a sudden much less tempting than it had been just last night. But what were you to do? Sit and wonder all day? You shrugged on a coat and some wellies and headed out.
Just as you took the first step into the forest, the sun broke through the clouds. The woods felt like they were welcoming you back. You almost chuckled at the thought. The path, now sun-dappled and soft under your feet, wound its way towards where you had first met him.
The white slab came in to view, and your stomach dropped. It was there, an empty and silent witness to the stillness of the forest. Accompanied only by your disappointment, you advanced. Inexplicably pulled towards it even now.
The wind rustled through the leaves, and you could swear you heard the faint chime of bells. It must be your imagination, conjuring up the faint sounds of a dream, you thought to yourself. Just wishful thinking. The second time the sound came, there was no denying that it was real. Your heartbeat quickened, and when you turned around, he was there. His face had sharpened with age, and he had grown into a tall well-built man, but his silvery hair and golden eyes were unmistakeable. For a moment you wondered if this too was a dream, and you had to resist the impulse to pinch yourself. The wind picked up, sending leaves swirling around you.
He smiled, something indeterminable twinkled in his golden eyes. As he advanced towards you, it was as if the forest floor itself smoothed to let him glide effortlessly across it. As if he was a part of it, and it a part of him.
Now that you were here, standing across from him, words evaded you. His presence felt the same, even after all the years that had passed. All doubts you previously had about coming here evaporated like dew in the sunlight.
"There you are." His voice was warm, the tone casual. "I told you you would remember when the time was right." He held out his hand to you, and without a hint of hesitation, you took it.
Regarding the recent upset in the IkeVil fandom, I want to share something that has helped me approach sensitive topics such as dubcon.
I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I am an SA survivor. We are, most unfortunately, very many, and we are, of course, not the same.
What I am sharing below is the analytical approach that helps me, as a survivor, to interact with certain sensitive scenes as I feel comfortable.
It may help other survivors, and it may also be a useful practice for general readers interested in reading any story beyond the surface level.
IMPORTANT: you do not have to do any of this. I’m simply sharing what helps me, and what may possibly help others, survivor or not.
To begin, I always look for dubcon warnings and assess (the whole time) whether or not I feel comfortable continuing to read the scene.
Scenes like these are not the place to be a completionist:
If you feel at all uncomfortable, STOP!
It is OKAY to tap out in any route for any reason, whether you’re reading in the actual app or reading a fan translation.
I mean this very broadly, as there are plenty of other themes that readers may find uncomfortable across all of Cybird’s games, not just IkeVil.
Is it possible that you can be okay with dubcon and feel uncomfortable in the middle of reading it? Yup— so STOP!
Please do not force yourself to finish a sentence, or read one more line. The same for if you made it all the way through and still (or start to) feel any upset.
These characters are not real. These situations are not real. What you feel is very real, and is more important than any desire to “keep up” with what is going on with a LI, or the game, or the fandom, or whatever it may be.
What you have to do is love yourself more than you love otome and STOP when it gets uncomfortable for you.
Next, I look for what the MC themselves say and think about the experience.
This tells me more about the interaction than a general CW, as all situations are different depending on the story.
I pay close attention to the MC’s internal and spoken dialogue, and how the experience is affecting her.
Is the MC frightened? Is the MC conflicted? Is the MC interested in the LI’s sexual advances in general, but not in this particular situation? Does the MC even consider what is happening to be a sexual advance or straight up an attack on her person? etc.
I’m looking for what words (if any) she says or thinks.
Some examples:
“I wanted him to touch/kiss me,” “it felt good when,” “I liked,” or actions such as pulling the LI in rather than pushing him away, keeping the LI close to their person during the dubcon instead of defending herself and running for the hills, etc.
How the MC is responding internally, verbally, and physically during the dubcon, that’s what I’m interested in beyond just: there’s dubcon on my screen and I feel xyz about it (which is fine, just not what I do).
Again I ask myself these questions (and others) because not all dubcon situations are the same.
For example, Alfons and Darius are two different characters with two different outlooks, experiences, and motivations behind the dubcon they perpetuate in their routes.
Trying to view Darius through the view of Alfons’ dubcon actions wouldn’t make sense, and vice versa. What Darius does may not bother you, but you might have a problem with what Alfons does, and vice versa.
What I’m looking for is why is this character in this specific story is doing these actions.
Then I go back and do the same internal and spoken analysis for the LI.
I do this because it’s important FOR ME to understand the intent of the whole picture.
Then, I read the scene again, normally.
If you’re just starting out with reading analytically, this may seem dumb and time consuming.
Again, you do not have to do any of this at all.
Once you learn (or continue to grow) how to analyze what you’re reading, it becomes second nature and you’ll start by do it automatically.
Also, please keep in mind that there are many other techniques, and this is not an exhaustive list for how to read analytically. Just some of the things I do, for myself, to achieve a deeper understanding.
Interacting with what you read in this manner can help you understand the intent behind what is going on in a story beyond what the words on the screen say.
Think of it as the text version of how you interact with people in real life:
There’s what someone says, what someone does, and the intent/motivation behind the connection (or disconnection) to both of those things.
Your brain processes these things and your intuition kicks in to help guide your actions, emotions, and decisions surrounding such interactions with other people.
Analytical reading does the same thing, just on paper or a screen.
Finally, for the nine millionth time, this approach is how I was trained to read from a young age and as such I’ve found it extemely helpful to me regardless of whether or not I was reading fiction or non-fiction (to exclude, of course, strictly scientific or medical research, etc.)
I share this technique in the hopes that it may help even one person who is unsure of how to interact with reading sensitive topics or someone interested in learning more about characters beyond what the words on the screen say.
There are the words in the screen, and there are the motivations, thoughts, and feelings in-between those lines that are so easy to miss (even outside of sensitive topics) when one simply takes the story for being only in the text.
As always, be kind to yourself first, and remember to extend that to others as often as you can.
Keep first and foremost in your mind that these characters are not real, the situations are not real, and that you owe it to yourself to scrape off your plate as much crap as you can.
If playing otome helps you decompress, but something you’re reading is stressing you out— bail.
NO you don’t need to finish that sentence, that chapter, or that route.
YES you can just press Skip from start to finish.
NO that does not mean that you’re not a “true” fan.
YES you can, and should, play how you want to play.
This is my gift for the Top Tier gift exchange! @lorei-writes & @pond-lilies
@elsieverie This is for you I hope enjoy it!
Memories of being rejected when all she wanted was to be accepted. He was a cruel man, the king. He must have hated having a daughter and an illegitimate one at that. Lustelle was who she was because of him. She shook her head, returning to the present and remembered that the king was dead. Should she be as relieved as she was? Probably not. She didn’t have it in her to care because now things would be different. She could be with her brothers freely, and try to have some sort of relationship with her son, Leon. She felt a fierce desire to protect her brothers…Except for that womanizer asshole Jin, he could go to hell.
She had been locked in the castle dungeons until Sariel appeared with the keys in his hand Now that the king was dead he was going to give her a second chance. She was going to behave in fear of being locked up again.
She walked the palace grounds on a peaceful night when wind picked up blowing her hair frantically around her face. Thunder roared, and lightning illuminated the sky.
The next thing she knew she was in the Sengoku time period in Japan. How did this even happen? She wasn’t even in Japan, she was in Rhoadalite. Thankfully, she was versed in speaking various languages and could speak Japanese.
In a mess of events from that night she ended up in Nobunaga’s care as Chatelaine.
It was beneath her she was no maid. Mostly she bossed around the other maids.
While she was in her room a tile moved in her ceiling making her go into defensive mode.She grabbed her sword ready for an attack. It was a ninja named Sasuke who claimed he was also a time traveler in the same way she was. He had seen her before the wormhole appeared then it swallowed them both. He hoped that nothing awful had happened to her while she had been here.
He had been in Sengoku Japan a lot longer than she had. For some reason the wormhole had decided to release him a lot sooner than it had her. He saw her that fateful night that the wormhole opened for her. He idly waited till she was alone. He stated they had three months before they could go home.
Three months was a long time, or so she thought, but somehow within the weeks that went by one sharp tongued warlord made her heart flutter every time he came near. Never had she let herself feel for someone as she did for Ieyasu.
Lustelle always told herself she could give herself whatever a man could. She didn’t need a lover and wasn’t interested in matters of the heart. She decided she would avoid Ieyasy as much as she could. She had no business having feelings for someone she couldn’t be with
On a night where all the warlords were gathered and food was served and alcohol was flowing, She had hit her limit,
“I’m going to retire for the night.” Lustelle announced as she stood to her feet.
Nobunaga nodded. “Ieyasu, walk her to her room, make sure she doesn’t stumble on the way, yeah?”
“Yes my lord.” Ieyasu didn’t complain for once, which was out of character for him.
“You really don’t have to, I'm fine.I’m not drunk.” Lustelle said, wanting to avoid him.
“ Well here we are,” he said as they stopped outside her room
“So we are.” Lustelle said quietly.
They had been silent the whole way to her room, and now conversation was hard. Neither of them moved, seemingly rooted to the spot.
She gazed into his eyes, and he lifted a lock of her onyx hair, and placed it behind her shoulder. His eyes were full of desire and longing.
“Are you going to go in?” he asked, but with the heat in his eyes she couldn’t resist and leaned up and pressed her lips to his.
Ieyasu sighed into the kiss and they kissed from every angle until he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced together and he pulled her closer to him, so she was flush against his body.
Breathless they pulled away from each other. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and smiled at her, but Lustelle was conflicted, she wanted to be with Ieyasu so badly, but her time was limited. They could never have a real relationship, maybe fool around sure, but a relationship? She knew better damnit! Why did she kiss him? She was so stupid.
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you settle in for the night.” He said as stroked her cheek.
She was confused, he had kissed her so fiercely. Now he’s going to just send her to bed? What the hell?! No, she wouldn’t have this.
“Come in, I’ll make some tea,” she insisted
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He expressed, trying to be respectful.
Lustelle rolled her eyes.
“I just want to talk,” she explained.
“I suppose,” he relented.
She slid the door open and motioned for him to go in. She closed the door as she entered the room, and made tea as promised. The first sip brought a suprized expression to Ieyasu’s face.“This is good.”
“I’m glad you like it, my little brother taught me.” A smile graced her lips as she fondly recalled Yves in the kitchen teaching her all about tea.
Ieyasu lifted his head, suddenly interested. “I wasn’t aware you had a brother.”
“I have eight” She said, as she took a sip of tea.
Ieyasu’s eyes grew wide. “Eight?! There’s nine of you?”
She laughed. “I’m the oldest, conceived from a one night stand…My dad was an asshole.”
He took another sip, and raised an eyebrow. “Was?”
She nodded. “He passed away”
Ieyasu immediately regretted asking, fearing he brought her pain. “I’m sorry”
She laughed sarcastically, “Don’t be, I hated him, I’m definitely not losing sleep over it. If anything I’m glad he’s dead.”
“I see.” Ieyasu didn’t know whether to feel releived that he hadn’t overstepped by asking about him, or feel sad that she had a bad relationship with her father.
They both sipped at their tea, and a silence fell over them.
“Ieyasu.” She finally spoke his name, breaking the awkward silence. “What is it that you want?”
He shook his head and snickered. “You kissed me, remember so I should be the one asking you that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And you kissed me back.”
“Fine, you win.” He set down his cup and studied her. “Isn’t it obvious? I want you Lustelle, all of you.”
That’s what she was afraid of.
“We can’t be together like that,” she said matter of factly
He felt conflicted. “And why not, you obviously feel the same.”
She licked her lips. “I do, but you see I’ll be leaving to go back to my home town.”
“You have a duty to Nobunaga now, he’s not going to let you go. You do know that don’t you?” he said bitterly.
“He won’t have a choice…I… don’t have a choice.” she confessed, her voice low.
“What do you mean you don’t have a choice? Explain Lustelle” He spoke firmly, he was baffled not knowing what was going on.
“You won‘t believe me,” she said quietly.
Now he was genuinely curious. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
“You’ll think I’m crazy,” she added.
“I already think you’re crazy,” he took her hand in his.“Tell me.”
She sighed nervously
And so she told him everything from the wormhole appearing to the night when she was spat out and met all those different people. She told him about Sasuke, and how she only had three months. She held her breath as she waited for Ieyasu to say something.
“I believe you, it’d be unlike you to make up a story like that, and I remember what you were wearing the night we took you in. It’s nothing I’ve seen, even in the western countries.”
She let out a breath in relief. He put his finger on his chin as he pondered for a moment.
“I see what you’re saying, you don’t want to get involved because you’ll be leaving. I don’t see it that way. I think we should make the most of what time we have to be together. At least we’d be able to love each other, even if it is for a short time.” He brushed her dark hair behind her ear.
“You still want to be with me even when you know it’ll bring you pain?”
He stared into her crimson eyes with resolve and brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “I still want to be with you.”
She shook her head, “Ieaysu, I -“
He placed a finger over her lips, “let me love you.”
She bit her lip, then finally relented. “Okay”
“No regrets,” he said as he took her hands in his.
“ No regrets,” she repeated back to him
When that fateful day finally came, they had made love for the final time that morning. Everything seemed surreal. They had been so blissfully happy it almost felt like a sin. They spent the day together, going into town and enjoying each other’s company.
He took her to a vendor who sold jewelry. “I want you to take something back to the future that’ll make you remember the time we spent together.”
She put her hand on his forearm. “I want you to have something too.” They looked through the jewelry and finally she found something, she held up two stone necklaces in front of him.
“One green, one red. To match our eyes,” she suggested.
Ieyasu smiled, “I like it.”
He purchased the necklaces and they helped each other put them on. He took the red and she took the green. Lustelle looked up at the sky and saw the sun setting. Her gaze settled on Ieyasu laced with grief. “I know, it’s time for you to go.”
He took her hand, and they interlaced their fingers together instinctively.
They mounted the horse and she sat behind him. Although, they were silent the whole way, she held onto him tightly placing her cheek against his back wanting to be as close to him as possible. He had his free hand interlaced with hers.
When they arrived to where she was meeting Sasuke they dismounted. Sasuke was already there, but he waited to give the lovers a moment to say goodbye. Ieyasu tied the horse to a tree, and noticed how the sky darkened and wind picked up. He turned toward Lustelle, and traced the outlines of her jaw. Cupping the sides of her face with his hands he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, and she put her hands around his wrists. Their lips crashed together in a needy kiss. Tears intermingled as they kissed.
Sasuke cleared his throat. “ I don’t mean to interrupt, but it’s time to go”
They pulled away from each other, and Lustelle combed her hand through his hair. Then she embraced him and he held her tight. When they separated she gave him a sad smile.
“I’ll always love you, Lustelle”
“And I’ll always love you, Ieaysu.” She kissed him on the cheek.“I must go.”
“I know” His voice was shaky with emotion.
“Goodbye Ieyasu. Be happy.” She turned to leave, their hands struggling to let go. Their fingers to slip away one at a time.
Sasuke walked up to them, and Ieyasu turned to him. “Make sure she makes it home safe.”
Sasuke nodded. “of course”
Then Sasuke held out his hand. “Ready Lustelle?”
She nodded and put her hand in his.
She was leaving Ieyasu here in the past, she had to focus on the future the best she could with her brothers and son.
Ieyasu watched as she walked out of his life forever, and for once he was powerless. He was never going to see her again, and he had to be okay with that. His love for her was endless. He had no choice but to let her go. He mounted the horse then looked back at her one more time, as she looked at him. He rode off never to see her again.
Throwing this colored sketch here after finishing it 2 minutes ago. As usual, my coloring sucks but it's better than doing nothing at least?
I'm at a point in my life where I'm finally reconciling with vibrant colors so trying to experiment with them in my art as well.
Don't mind me if I've been posting less lately. It's a mix between wanting to do other things than my hobbies and being tired. I still enjoy the games but need some time for myself I guess? That, and my room has been a pretty mess for a while, so sitting at my desk to post from my computer is more challenging 🤣
This is more or less a first impression/analysis I made after playing Williams route. 😊
Actually no one (except Victor (and Harrison maybe)) sparked my interest as William did; I mean yes, as the poster boy of this game – and I do happen to have a weakness for white haired male characters, since I saw Aster Phoenix as an 8-year old girl lol – it wasn’t really much of a question, whose Route I’d start with. Also, after playing the prologue and Kate’s fateful encounter with him on the street, I needed to know what kind of person he is (and the fact that my friends thought he was a vampire was hilarious because this man is vampire-coded after all).
His interest in Kate at the beginning is… superficial and to a degree selfish, if not outright self-centered; despite his curse, he sees himself as destined to assist others in regaining their autonomy and becoming their own masters. In his view, obstacles in their lives are (mostly) self-imposed; there’s always a decision that can be made. This is something that the past and his ability taught him. So therefore, William wants others to be free from their (self-imposed) restraints. He not only sees Kate’s longing for freedom, but he also sees through her. And while his interest might seem like nothing more than a desire to help her spread her wings, it’s also his own selfish desire that restrains him somehow. He isn’t particularly evil; he simply makes it very clear that he isn’t seeking any kind of close relationship/partnership; a fact that clouds Kate’s ability to approach him. She is afraid of becoming addicted to her newly discovered feelings, only for her to be left longing for this afterwards. He notices that she is punishing herself by denying herself every pleasure life has to offer; this is already evident in his first encounter with him. She wishes to see him again, but quickly reminds herself that it’s unlikely they will meet again given their social status. So, she quickly puts her desire away and continues her work.
But she wants a change and this wish manifests in her being lured by William’s piano melody which leads to her becoming a witness to horrific crimes that night.
William may seem to be quite passive at times, but he is far from it . While he doesn’t seem opposed to indulge in sexual behavior, he waits for his prey her to make the decision out of her own free will. He isn’t trying to force her to do something she doesn’t want to; he rather tries to make her feel her desires pulsing through her, tempting her. William’s voice actor describes him as “calculating”. Additionally, he says that instead of William forcing them to act, he wants them to become their own masters and so he manipulates them into giving into their desires. Williams initial intentions become clear once again in his POV from Episode 6, in which he proclaims that he wants to pour all his love into Kate. After being hurt during their first mission, William is quick to notice that Kate hides her pain. He comforts and reassures her that it’s ok to voice her true feelings; and from the moment on, Kate begins to express her desires which culminates in her in initiating their first lovemaking in Episode 11.
After that, she tries desperately to remind herself that she isn’t special to him; he probably does this with other people as well. Even Harrison tries to “warn” Kate and notes that William’s love feels like “passing rain” a metaphor that even Kate uses during the following chapters. But regardless of it (and her desperate clinging to reason) she falls for him.
When trying to understand William, it is obviously crucial to look into his past and present experiences and relationships. While I don’t want to dwell on his childhood too much, I want to examine his friendship with Victor. They are both the founders of Crown, with Victor serving as the Queen’s aide, delivering the word of His Majesty and William acting as the de facto leader of Crown. In William’s second birthday epilogue, after the relationship between William and Kate has been established, Victor says something to William that even he himself never realized. Victor describes his long-time friend as “lonely” and that he’s glad that he finally found someone who shares his fate with him. This finally made William acknowledge his loneliness for the first time. For someone who can read people and even Kate thinks at some point that he’s able to read minds lol, he never once considered himself lonely; but his closest friend did. But even Victor doesn’t truly know what goes on in William’s mind because his dear friend hides his feelings. Even though William explicitly states that he loves humans, he keeps them at a distance, fearing he might drag someone down his path and ultimately into his fate. He accepted his destiny long ago, but he never accepted his desire to share it. And when Kate enters his life and falls in love with her too, he becomes more stressed at the thought of her getting hurt. And this even astonished Victor when William saves Kate after she is nearly killed by a statue during the end of his main route.
I think that the possibility that William considers Kate being his special someone is hinted in the early chapters. While it seems that his motives are purely based on his perception of personal freedom, he takes his time to make Kate’s time enjoyable. In Chapter 2 he invites her to the theater and even says he’s somewhat disappointed that she didn’t mention that she loves the theater – a shared love by both of them. During the play, the actors depict a perfectly picture of passion, love and dedication that even transcends death. Also, Kate can’t believe that someone can be passionate about something that someone would willingly die for their desire is just pure nasty foreshadowing lol. Not only is Kate later willing to die for her love, but the situation in the theater is also the chance for William to grant himself the wish to spend time with her. Even if he wouldn’t admit it and masks it as Kate’s desire, it just shows that William truly enjoys being with her. He doesn’t realize it yet but it’s his own desire that meddles with him. And even though it’s true that Kate wanted change. He didn’t only saw this in her yes, but he also saw his own reflection, his own desire for change; so, it’s no wonder that this robin caught his attention.
One night before falling asleep, I imagined how Kate/MC would speak to him. She wants to unveil all his mysteries, and she doesn’t hesitate in making this clear. She would probably one day ask herself the question, what would I do if I had the power to command others by simply using my voice? And then it crossed my mind what a burden that power would be; how much self-control one has to develop in order not to mess up and accidentally steal someone their freedom. In Williams POV side story from Episode 23 he thinks about how playing chess and the piano helped him with the frustration he felt after discovering his powers; how he felt disgust when he used his ability unintentionally. A rare glimpse we get of him expressing negative feelings such as anger.
It’s called a curse after all and yet he mastered it. To him, this proves that anyone can – and should! – become their own masters.
So I have noticed some newer blogs around..and since I have been around for 6 years I want to give my opinion on something.
HERE'S THE THING. I have seen many ppl play a later route and immediately drop the game
IN MY OPINION the game should be divided up into 4 acts and if you wanna be able to understand the story you should read certain routes before others
As I said, this is 100% my opinion, you can read whatever whenever, but if you want to enjoy the story to its fullest but don't wanna read all routes in release order, at least read one of each act.
Act 1: Napoleon, Mozart, Leonardo, Arthur, Vincent
Act 2: Isaac, Theo, Dazai, Jean, Shakespeare, Comte, Sebastian
Act 3: Vlad, Faust, Charles
Act 4: Drake, Galileo
Bonus tips:
Read Vincent before Theo
Read Will and Comte before Vlad
Read Sebastian before Faust
Read Dazai before Charles
I recall many people reading Vlad and not reading anything before him, or maybe only one route, and so much doesn't make sense. Because even tho each route is its own story, there is an overall story.
There was such a huge build up leading to Trio and I feel like if you don't experience the build up then it is a let down (mainly Vlad).
Some routes are more lore heavy than romance heavy, like Dazai and Galileo.
We learn a lot about Vincent in Theis route so it's helpful if you read Vincent before hand.
This is just a little helpful guide if you are just starting or you aren't sure where to start.
Living with the the members of crown had been both strange and delightful. You had developed relationships with each of them individually, but whenever William was near, your heartbeat sped up. You gravitated towards each other without realizing what was happening.
You were sitting outside on a bench, twirling a flower between your fingers. A familiar feeling was settling inside you, and as much as you tried to ignore it and reject it, it still came upon you. It was like an unwanted friend coming to visit. You knew what followed when you felt like this. You thought it wouldn’t happen while living in the castle because you were happy, yet here you were.
Roger stood at the window watching you with his brow furrowed. William joined Roger, curious what he was doing. “ You’re not usually one to enjoy the view.” Then William saw what Roger was looking at, and a small smile graced his lips. “ She’s unwell.” William watched you trying to see any sign of sickness, but he didn’t see it. “ She looks fine to me.” Roger shook his head. “Stop with the love sickness, will you?” William was caught off guard. “ I am not lovesick.” Roger sighed, “ Whatever, if you’d been paying attention the last couple of days, you’d see how withdrawn she’s become, but you’ve been gone on missions and whatever else you’ve been doing.” William narrowed his eyes, “ Are you trying to start a fight?” Roger sighed, “ No, I’m not. I just don’t like seeing her suffer like this.” William sighed, “ What do we do?”
Roger turned towards William, “ We get her to talk, we distract her. We listen. We do whatever it takes.”
The wind picked up, and you let it carry the flower away. Unaware of your audience, you got up and walked back inside to your room. You weren’t in the mood to be around anyone. You sat in the reading chair in your room and curled up in a blanket , with your legs tucked in. You looked out the window, the spring sun beat down on you, but no matter how nice it felt, you just didn’t have the energy to enjoy it. You must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing you knew, someone was knocking on your door. “ Come in.” You were too groggy to answer the door. It was Liam, and he wore a wide smile upon seeing you. “ Were you taking a nap? You look sleepy.” You nodded, “ Well, dinner is ready.”
“Oh, okay.” You uncovered yourself from the blanket and walked with Liam down to the dining room. He had a hard time keeping a conversation going, so he stopped, and his eyes bore into yours. “Is something wrong? You don’t seem like yourself.” You shook your head, “Don’t worry about me, I’ve just been tired lately, that’s all.” He raised an eyebrow, “ If you say so, not sure I believe you though. You can talk to me, y’know? About anything.” You nodded, “ I know, Liam, thank you” He smiled and patted you on the cheek. “ Let’s go eat.”
At dinner, everyone was lively as normal, but you remained silent unless someone was directly talking to you. Victor’s gaze landed on you. “ You’ve been quiet, are you feeling alright?” You waved him off. “ Oh, I’m just a bit tired tonight. I’ll probably go to bed early.” Victor smiled sincerely, “ See that you get good rest, we can’t have our fairytale keeper getting sick.” You forced a smile. “ I will.”
Roger and William shared a concerned look, and William touched your hand. You looked next to you, where his ruby eyes studied you. “ I’d like to take you out tomorrow. I have a couple of errands to run, then I thought we could find a play to see or do some shopping. I don’t know, we’ll see what we can find to do.” All of that sounded really nice. You haven’t gone out with him like that in weeks. If only you were feeling better. “ That all sounds fun, William, but I need to work on my report.” He tilted his head to the side, “ You can take a break for a couple of hours, I’m not going to take no for an answer, you’re coming, and that’s the end of it.”
Your eyes narrowed, “ Why are you forcing me to go?” Harry cleared his throat, “ He fancies you, and wants you all to himself.” You rolled your eyes, “ Are you going to joke about how he’s supposedly in love with me again?”
“ How is it joking when it’s true? Just like how you fancy him. You two just won’t take the leap, but I guess pinning after each other is cool.” You rolled your eyes, then took your last bite of food, excused yourself, and went to your room. Where you got into your nightgown and settled into bed. You couldn’t get your mind to settle down to where you could actually sleep. How were you going to get out of going into town with William? You could fake being sick. Oh, how you hated this. You didn’t want to lie to William, but you didn’t know if you could go in the state you were in.
You watched the shadows of the trees dancing on your wall; you watched mindlessly. You felt like you were being torn in two. You didn’t want to be like this anymore. You wanted to be happy. You didn’t want to feel this heaviness anymore. Tears made their appearance and streamed down your face while you quietly sobbed. At least you tried to make it quiet.
William was on his way to his room when he passed by and heard your cries. He stopped in his tracks, and gingerly opened the door, closing it behind him as he entered the room. You didn’t hear it over your sobs, but the scent of roses filled your nostrils, and you knew he was there. He made long strides towards your bed and sat on the edge. The bed momentarily dipped under his weight.
“ What has got you so upset, robin?” You couldn’t speak, and you didn’t want to look at him. You didn’t want him to see you in such a state.William didn’t want to believe Roger. He didn’t want to see you hurting. He wasn’t quite sure how to comfort you, but he knew he had to do something. He could use his power and will the hurt away, but it would always be there just under the surface waiting to escape, and would he have to do it each time you got like this? He wondered if this happened often.
He put his hand on your back and began rubbing. It was soothing, but it only made you cry harder. “ Y-you don’t need to be here, you should go.” You spoke between sobs.
“ I’m not going to leave when you’re like this. I’ll stay all night if that’s what it takes.”
“ I feel crazy,” you put your hands over your face as you sobbed.
“Come here,” He gently pulled your body up and looked into your emotional, confused eyes. He cupped your face with both hands and wiped the tears away, only for more tears to fall. “Take some deep breaths and try to calm down. Do it with me, in and out.” He inhaled and then exhaled, and you copied him. “ That’s a good girl.” Once your breathing evened out and your tears dried up, you put your head on his chest, and he began running his fingers through your hair.
“ I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but it will be okay.” You sniffled and listened to his steady heartbeat. “ You need to talk about it. That’s the only way you’ll start feeling better.” You nodded
“ I know, but no one understands.” He grimaced, imagining the treatment you had received from other people
“ I may not understand, but I won’t judge, and it’ll feel better to talk about it. You can’t keep it in.” Remaining on his chest, you took a deep breath. It felt natural to be here with William like this. You sat up and looked at him, but feeling nervous, you immediately looked down and started toying with the hem on the blanket.
He delicately took your chin between his fingers and lifted your head, so you were forced to look into his crimson eyes. “ Now, I know there’s no way that blanket is that interesting. Talk to me, _ _ _, tell me your story. Tears stung at your eyes once again, and you were thankful when you were able to blink them away. You nodded and took a deep breath. You cleared your throat.
“ Every so often, I get this way. It’s more than feeling sad.” William listened intently.
“ Explain the feeling to me.”
“ It’s feeling numb, just going through the motions of daily life. It’s just surviving. It’s feeling hopeless and worthless. I’m always tired, and even when I’m not, all I want to do is sleep, because when I’m asleep, it stops. It’s like the despair takes over, and all happiness is snuffed out. Some days I don’t even want to get out of bed. It’s hard to carry on. Then sometimes I feel too much, and all I can do is cry. I’m at war with myself, and my sickness is winning.” You blinked slowly and avoided his intense eyes, “ It’s really hard, Will. I can usually tell when it’s about to happen cause I stop finding joy in things, I stop wanting to do the things that I enjoy.”
He reached out and stroked your cheek with his knuckles, “ That sounds miserable, and just so you know, you aren’t worthless. How long have you been experiencing this?” You looked back up
“ Since I was an adolescent, and there’s no telling when it’ll happen. I get moody, snappy, and angry, and on the inside I’m screaming for it to stop.”
“ You’ve got it rough, and I’m sorry you have to suffer so much. How can I help you through this?”
“ Honestly? Just you being here, talking to me, is helping. I don’t really know William, I just have to go through it, and after a week or two, I start feeling better.”
“ Distractions might help, so if you're thinking of not coming with me tomorrow, forget it, you’re coming, it’ll be good for you.” You grumbled. “ I’m going to do everything I can so you aren’t hurting so much.” You looked at him tenderly, and all you saw swimming in his eyes was honesty. “ William, you really don’t have to,” he smiled warmly, “ No, but I want to.”
You shook your head. “ I’d understand if you can’t I know It’s a lot.” He took your hand and squeezed. “ If I say I will, then I will.” He shifted, “ Let’s get you to bed. You seem tired.” You nodded, “ crying makes one tired.” You crawled under the covers, he looked down at you from where he was standing and petted your head. “ William, will you stay? Just until I fall asleep, please.” He began sitting down, and you scooted over so you could make room for his body. Then he laid down, placing his head on the pillow.
“ Thank you, William,” He nodded with a tender smile. “ I’d do just about anything for you. You know that, right?” Your eyes widened, “ Wh-what are you saying?” you said, exasperated, “ I’m saying that you’ve worked your way into my black heart, and made a place for yourself there. I care about you _ _ _, more than you know.” He cupped your cheek and rubbed your cheekbone with his thumb. He smiled. “ What’s happening between you and me, I haven’t felt this type of emotion before. I want to keep you all to myself.” You blushed as he poured his feelings out to you. “ I hope you feel the same about me. If you don’t, I’ll understand. I’m a hard person to love. I’ll back off.” You took his hand and laced your fingers with his. He watched you do this as if it were in slow motion. “ I don’t think you’re a hard person to love, I find it easy actually.” He was taken off guard with your comment, but flashed you a tender smile. “I know I’m not in my right mind right now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel what’s happening between us. I feel the same, William. My feelings for you are beyond what I’ve ever experienced before.”
He searched your face, and ran his thumb over your bottom lip. His face came closer to yours until he pressed his soft, full lips upon yours. He kissed you softly, as you moved your mouth with his, he squeezed your hand, and you squeezed back. He deepened the kiss, and he kissed you fiercely and with fervor. His hand went to the back of your head, his fingers tangling into your hair. When you finally pulled away, you were both breathing heavily, gasping for air.
“ I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. You’re mine now.” You gazed at him lovingly, “ I’m okay with that. William, I love you.” He kissed your brow, “ And I love you. Now sleep, and tomorrow we’ll go out even if I have to get you dressed myself.” You inhaled deeply. “ I’ll try my best.” He smiled and brought your hand up and kissed the back of it. “ That’s all I ask, now sleep.”
“ Will you stay with me tonight?” He nodded
“ Yes, I’ll stay”
“ Thank you,” He stood up, took off his shoes and coat. Then climbed into the bed next to you, covering himself with the blankets. You rested your head on his arm as he pulled you close and wrapped an arm around your waist. “ Sleep, my love.” You closed your eyes, and that night, you both fell into a comfortable, soothing sleep. With William by your side you were sure that facing the internal storm wouldn’t be so bad.