You know it's bad when you have like. Five AUs already for a cast of OCs and you want another. Like, why does OIFIL occupy my brain all the time when I think of OCs??? I have 800 others to pick from! But no! I need another AU for OIFIL.
Anyway it wouldn't be an actual AU, just a silly project? Where it's a dating sim type thing with fake screenshots and dialogue and options. And Paul would be the "protagonist" and he'd have four romance routes (we love the bisexual disaster of a guy).
Hot Bartender (obviously) Right (bc he's the main character in the canon plot) Brent (bc everyone tries to keep Paul away from him in canon so I think it would be funny) Karen (bc they are truly best friends and I can see it being a cute romantic but platonic at the same time ending)
And then there would be the side characters because otome and dating sims alike have wonderful side characters. So that'd be Chris and Evelyn as the general route side characters but each route introduces side characters based on which route. For example, HB's route would include James and Lindsey, two other bartenders. Chris and Evelyn would still be in the routes no matter what, but with less frequency in HB's. But then you would have them more prominent in Karen's route.
It's so much thinking about something I'm too lazy to draw.
I just think it would be really funny to see dialogue options for the romance routes cause Paul is a menace to society and would probably have some unhinged replies he can give. Or he can be "more behaved" in some answers. And you gotta pick which would be more appropriate. But knowing the romance options, they'd probably all like the unhinged answers more? Except maybe Brent at the start?
I'll shut up now.









