#but drawing them was going to be a pain (badum tss)

[latelierderiot]

my humble offering to my new obsession 🤲

and without the mask!

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

Midnight Masquerade - Tech

Chapter Summary: The bottle lands on Tech, who, despite not being dressed as a classic 'monster,' still shows you a monstrously good time. (badum-tss)

Chapter Warnings: 18+ minors go away; mad scientist!Tech x gn!reader; kinks: forced orgasms + erotic electrostimulation; discussion of consent and safewords, kind of dark!Tech but only a little, restraints, ball gag, aphrodisiac, vibrator use, overstimulation, pain-as-pleasure, unprotected penetrative sex (wrap it irl) (can be read as PiV or PiA), they actually use lube for once, aftercare, they kiss but only once; if I missed any please let me know!

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: Happy Friday the 13th! 🔪 I refuse to apologize for this one. much appreciation to @sev-on-kamino for beta'ing this chapter <3

Read the intro here! | Suggested listening | Tech's costume inspo!

...Tech. 

A round of wolf-whistles rises from the rest of the group (quite literally, in Hunter’s case). Across the table, Tech’s white, blood-splattered lab coat glows in a flash of ultraviolet lights; his swirling goggles gleam. You stare for a moment, transfixed by the way the blood illuminates in a deep, glowing blue, so dark it’s nearly black. The sight should give you pause, but instead, warmth pools low in your belly. Whatever scientist Tech is embodying, there is no doubt in your mind of how utterly dangerous—and yet how utterly capable—he is.

You stand. Tech rises from his seat as well, adjusts the collar of the coat, and runs one hand through his curls to smooth them. Despite the action, one stubborn curl falls onto his forehead. 

“I hope you do not mind, ner cyar’ika,” Tech says as he approaches, “that I will be cataloging all physiological reactions and changes during this process.” 

“I expected nothing less from you, Tech,” you say with a smile. 

He simply nods. Waving at the rest of the table, you allow Tech to lead you through the crowd. The press of bodies doesn’t bother you; but nonetheless, you keep close to Tech. He uses his height to his advantage, standing several inches taller than the regs, as he guides you towards the back of the building. Though you catch glimpses of other troopers you recognize, you can’t help the way your gaze always draws back to Tech. His presence is magnetic. The way his shoulders stretch the lab coat makes your mouth water. 

His voice jolts you out of your silent admiration. “I had the good fortune of exploring the back area of this building when we arrived,” he says, ushering you past the threshold. “It seems that many of these rooms were purpose-built for an event such as this. Our hosts must understand the rather base instinct to, ah, how did you put it? ‘Know how a monster fucks’.”

Hearing such vulgar language spill from Tech’s lips sends a delightful shiver up your spine. “I assume you picked a room already?” 

“Of course,” he says. The grin he fixes you with is so unlike his usual stoic countenance that it throws you off. Lopsided, nearly a snarl, his gaze piercing and laser-focused behind those odd goggles, he seems to undress you with his eyes. Then the moment passes, and his expression smooths into his usual close-lipped smile. 

“I presume,” he says, leading you down a labyrinth of hallways, “you have a safe word.”

“I do,” you say. “Meiloorun.” 

“Excellent,” he says. “Mine is ‘occlusive’.”

You nod, committing the word to memory. 

“Ah.” He pushes a door open with one large hand. “Here we are.” 

Whatever you were expecting, it wasn’t far off from the sight before you. Inside, a cobblestone room is dominated by a massive metallic tilt table, currently vertical, with slack leather straps. Racks of various implements, some of it almost...medical in appearance, rest on wheeled carts near the table. Flickering sconces provide unstable illumination. The faintest scent of chemicals tickles your nose. That warmth in your belly from before, sparked by the alluring mixture of dangerous and capable, kindles into a low flame. Your chest rises and falls faster, anticipation making your fingers tingle. 

The door shuts. You flinch at the resounding boom of a thick wooden beam sliding home. 

“Now, ner cyar’ika,” Tech murmurs. He pauses by your side, eyes searching your expression as you continue to survey the room. “Normally I would offer to explain what is going to happen, but I think in this case, a single-blind experiment is in order.”

Snapping your head to look at him, you meet his calm, calculating gaze with widening eyes. There’s something there that again gives you the distinct impression that you should be scared—he is a mad scientist after all, and who knows what that magic potion can do? Those medical tools...the table with straps...clearly you’re meant to be an experiment. 

But of what nature?

“Tech—”

“Doctor.” 

You blink, heat blazing through you. “Of course. Doctor. May I at least ask the inspiration for your...costume?” You gesture vaguely at his attire.

“Granted,” he says, an amused lilt to his voice. “You see, I often have the ability to engage in experiments. In part, it is what I was made for. However, these experiments are always done in service of the greater good. The Republic, my brothers, Kamino. 

“I do not begrudge these experiments. But,” he pauses, and his gaze lingers on your lips—your neck—your waist, “I want something for myself.” 

Goosebumps prickle delightfully along your skin. Tech’s eyes miss nothing, and his brows twitch in amusement at your reaction. 

“What is that exactly?” you ask. You can’t help how breathy your voice comes out. Arousal, hot and thick, rests under your skin. 

“You, ner cyar’ika.” He says it like it’s the simplest, most obvious thing in the world. It would be sweet, except for the harsh, possessive undertone that washes over your skin and sets your nerves screaming. “I may not be a monster in the classic sense, but the urge to claim you for myself may certainly drive me to act...monstrously.” 

Your core clenches around nothing. If he’s a monster, so are you, you decide. Nodding once, you quickly shuck your clothing, ignoring Tech’s quietly hungry stare, and allow yourself to stand completely bare before him. The cool air of the chamber makes your nipples pebble, stiffening to taut peaks. Catching your bottom lip between your teeth, you raise one eyebrow as if to say, Well? 

Tech’s gaze darkens behind those swirled goggles, his hands reaching for you. He stops himself, though. 

“Do you trust me?” he asks. 

“I do,” you say. 

He bares his teeth in a feral smile, nearly a grimace. “You really oughtn’t.”

Without giving you time to react, he snatches one of your wrists and twists your arm behind your back—not enough to hurt, but enough to startle you. A squeak of surprise escapes you. You can’t do much else but march forward, the pressure in your shoulder growing as he pushes your arm against your back.

Tech parades you to the tilt table and roughly spins you around. Your back arches as the cool metal kisses your skin; shivers wrack your body, nipples becoming almost painfully hard with the added stimulus. Tech’s hands, rough and calloused, manipulate your body into position, ignoring your physical discomfort. Arms held overhead, wrists secured by supple leather straps about shoulder-width apart, your body stretches over the table. He nudges your feet apart, the toe of his boot tapping your instep, before he crouches to tighten similar straps around your ankles. 

Standing straight once more, his gaze sweeps your restrained, prone form hungrily. This time, he allows himself to reach out and caress you. One large hand cups your face. You nuzzle into his touch—but he draws his hand away just as quickly, down your body to tweak one nipple then the other, drawing a gasp from you. And farther down still, fingertips skimming your heated and sensitive skin, dancing around the one place you ache to feel him. 

“Doctor,” you murmur. You try to press your chest forward in presentation, lure him into doing what you want. 

He chuckles and withdraws completely. With a petulant whine, you watch, neck straining with the angle, as he retreats to one of the wheeled trays. Though you can’t see, you can only imagine the kinds of tools and toys he’s poring over. Your breath hitches when he faces you once more, several items held in his hands. What draws your attention are the ball gag and vibrator, but he also carries a length of silk ribbon and—is that a potion? 

Tech sets the ribbon and vibrator down. When he straightens, he uncorks the small, glowing red bottle. A puff of sweet scent, like strawberries, wafts to you.

“Drink this,” he orders, holding the bottle to your lips. At your wide-eyed, worried look, he sighs. “It is an aphrodisiac. It will ensure that you stay hydrated and that your body does not tire as quickly as it normally would.”

He had said you shouldn’t trust him, so why do you still do? Perhaps, despite the magic potion lowering his inhibitions, he’s still Tech, still the intelligent, caring man you’ve been casual acquaintances with for some months now. Tech wouldn’t hurt you. 

You open your mouth and allow him to pour the liquid in. Sweetness explodes on your tongue, definitely berry-flavored, and it settles into your belly with a peculiar sensation, like popping candy. 

While your mouth is still open, he pushes the ball gag in. The red rubber ball wedges your jaw open; saliva already begins to pool around the intrusion where it rests on your tongue. 

“Very good,” Tech states once the gag is secure. He bends to retrieve the other objects. “Now, here is how this is going to work. You are going to cum as much as I deem fit for my experiment. I need reliable data, and you are my guinea pig.” 

Eyes widening, you whimper around the gag. 

He ties the silk ribbon around one of your thighs, creating a loop for the vibrator. Once his handiwork is complete, he nods. The head of the vibrator rests against your aching core; no matter how much you squirm and twist, or angle your hips, the toy won’t move. Breathing shallowly through your nose, you follow Tech with your gaze as he moves away again. 

Your one solace is that, when he turns, you catch sight of the sizable bulge tenting his pants. Maybe you can break his resolve, convince him, somehow, to have mercy on you. 

Kriff, he hasn’t even started yet. Spit drooling down your chin, you steel your nerves. 

“Ready?” he asks. 

You try to answer in the affirmative, but the gag in your mouth prevents the words from forming, half-moaned grunts falling from you instead.  

“That is satisfactory.”

He pushes a button on the small device in his hand. The vibrator whirs to life. Your body jerks, pleasure arcing through you. Moaning, you roll your hips. Though the vibrations aren’t strong enough to make you cum, not yet, it feels divine to have some kind of stimulation on your heated center. 

Tech strides to a nearby lever and pulls it back one notch, the heavy metal gear clanking, his biceps bulging with the effort. The table you’re strapped to begins to incline until your body now rests at an angle, the change in position altering the pressure on your wrists and ankles. Flexing your fingers, you peer at Tech through half-lidded eyes. 

He merely hums and, with a click of a button, ups the intensity. You groan as the vibrations climb, ripples of pleasure cascading through you. Undulating your hips, you chase the growing seed of orgasm sparking to life in your belly. Pleasure laps against your senses like the incoming tide, each wave larger than the last, each one threatening to drown you—but it’s not until Tech pushes another button that the surf breaks over your head. 

You cum, body pulling taut as you cry out. There is nothing for you to do except let it ride out; and once the pleasure resides, aftershocks jolting your body, you whine, trying to arch your body away from the vibrations. 

But you can’t. Stalking around the table, Tech’s eyes devour the way that your body twitches in overstimulation. You become aware of the sweat already pooling in the bend of your clavicles, the sticky release coating your lower half. On your own, you’d be satisfied, arousal ready to abate.

Tech, on the other hand, is not sated. Another press of the button, and the vibrations intensify another notch. You yelp. Tugging at your restraints, you try to remember how to breathe as the string in your belly begins to pull tight again. Your entire body feels like it’s on fire and submersed in ice at the same time, nerves singing. 

At another increase in intensity, you shout, cumming again. Every muscle in your body locks up, brow scrunched as you bite down on the gag in your mouth. 

Zap! 

You flinch. Eyes shooting open, you stare at Tech and the new device in his hand. Confusion and the painful shock, already diminishing, distract you from the never-ending overstimulation between your legs.

“It is a specially designed electrostimulation tool,” Tech explains. He holds the small, handheld cylindrical device up to your face. Smooth and nondescript, the end of it contains two metallic prongs that remind you vaguely of a taser. What in the Sith blazing hells is he doing!?

In your ears, your heart thuds, drowning out everything else as the vibrations change in pattern this time. Shifting from the steady, monotonous drone, Tech selects a rhythm of several short bursts followed by one long drag of vibrations. Each pulse makes your body lurch. You’re already so spent, and yet, you feel another orgasm building in your belly. Toes curling, nails digging into your palms, you loose a hoarse cry when the pleasure crests once again. It pulsates through your entire being, throbbing in time with your heart.

Zap!

Whining, you try to twist your body away from the painful sting—but it was slightly less unpleasant this time than before. Panting, spit coating your entire front, you study Tech with guarded eyes as he brushes his knuckles over your flushed and warm cheek. 

“Doing so well,” he murmurs. “Giving me such excellent data to work with. Now, cum for me again, ner cyar’ika. You can do it.” 

A wail rips from your throat as the pattern changes again—several staccato pulses in quick succession, with no end in sight—and the intensity grows. It’s becoming nearly painful, but there’s a part of you, deep down, that preens under the praise, under the idea that Tech believes you’re a good subject for his experiment. 

It takes a few moments longer, but you eventually cum for a third time. This time, you anticipate the electric shock, and this time, you find it feels...not pleasurable, necessarily, but good. Moaning brokenly, your head thunks back against the table’s surface. Your entire body is overheated, flushed with equal parts arousal and embarrassment, sticky with sweat, spit, and slick. You’re a mess. 

In contrast, the only sign that this is affecting Tech at all are two high spots of color on his cheeks and a wet patch where the tip of his dick strains against his pants. He flashes you that dangerous smirk, one that you know now means that he’s not done with you. Far from it. 

“Again.” 

You lose track of how many times you cum. You’re sobbing, tears mixing with spit and sweat, body wracked with unending quivers as Tech plays with the settings of the vibrator. Equal parts pleasure and pain clash within you, each one feeding into the other. You’re uncertain how you’re still aware, mind so blissed out that the only thought you can conjure is how empty you feel. Despite reaching your peak so, so many times, there remains an ache in your core. 

Zap!

You nearly cum just from the electric shock alone. Body sagging forward, you keen, voice cracking as pleasure threatens to blind you once again. 

“Fascinating.” Tech switches off the vibrator suddenly. “Absolutely fascinating.” 

You draw in shuddering breaths through your nose. Vaguely, you’re aware of Tech bustling around you, but you don’t care to focus until you feel him loosening the restraints holding your limbs down: first your ankles, then your wrists. He catches your limp body as you fall weakly forward. Arms supporting you easily, he carries you to a bed that you hadn’t noticed earlier, laying you on its plush surface. 

Next, he removes the gag. He holds your mouth open once the toy is gone, then slowly helps you close it, massaging the joints of your jaw to help work out the soreness. 

Tears continue to leak from your eyes. You don’t have the strength to raise your head, barely have the strength to reach with trembling fingers for him, but you whimper low in your throat to catch his attention. 

“I am here, ner cyar’ika,” he assures. His voice still retains a hard edge to it. “What do you require?” 

“Y-You,” you gasp out. Your voice is raw and hoarse. “You.” 

He seems to understand. He shifts the both of you on the bed so that your legs fall open, bracketing where he kneels before you. At last you catch a glimpse of his hard length as he frees it from his pants. Angry red and dripping with pre-cum, his cock jumps as you moan. Tech squirts a line of lube onto his dick and then some onto his hand. He works most of it across your so-far neglected entrance. 

“P-Please,” you rasp. 

Wordlessly, he pushes the blunt head of his cock into your tight entrance. He pants, chin falling onto his chest to watch where your body swallows his length. That one stray curl bounces with the movement, and you yearn to brush it away from his forehead. As it is, you feel like you can barely move. All you can do is lie there and take it, take what you so desperately need. 

He stills when he bottoms out, his hips pressed flush to your ass. Fingers digging into your hips, hard enough to leave bruises, his chest heaves with arousal. A low, broken wail rakes from your throat as the tip of him nestles against the bundle of nerves deep inside you, the perfect length, the perfect stretch. 

“Te-e-e-e-ch!” you cry. 

Nails biting into your skin, his grip tightens. “That is not my title, cyar’ika.” 

“D-Doctor,” you sob. “Please, doctor, fuck me!” 

“Gladly.” 

The pace he sets is punishing. His cock drives against that shattered piece of bliss in your core with each thrust, setting your entire body on fire once again. But this time it’s different. The thread in your belly winds tighter and tighter, but the rope is thicker this time—stronger, a heavier recoil. Dimly you’re aware of the way that Tech’s jaw clenches, the veins in his neck standing out as he strains, the heavy and wet clap of his balls against your ass. But your mind zeroes in on the stretch of your hole around his thick length—and without warning, you cum. 

You black out for a moment, ears ringing. Then: screaming. You’re aware of someone screaming. You think it’s you wailing, unable to control yourself. Your entire body is rigid, legs convulsing around Tech’s waist as he groans, high and heady. 

“That’s it, let everyone know the monster making you feel this good,” he grits out. Though his hips falter for a moment, he doesn’t let up his pace, fucking you through your orgasm. It doesn’t take long before he groans, tossing his head back as his dick pulses, his hot, sticky seed spilling into your spent body. 

Shaking, you whimper as his softening length slips from you. You lay there, gasping for breath, staring up at the stone ceiling while Tech rummages through supplies nearby. Your entire body is sore, aching, battered; yet you’ve never felt more gratified in your entire life. 

“Darling,” Tech’s voice whispers nearby. 

You don’t have the will to turn your head, but in your periphery you’re aware of him sitting on the bed next to you, wiping away the various fluids that coat your body. Lips twitching in a small smile, you simply gaze at him through hooded eyes. He’s doffed the lab coat, leaving him in his blacks, and swapped his goggles for his normal yellow lenses. Contentment sprawls through you at the sight of him, so familiar. 

“You performed exceptionally well,” he says with his usual, barely-there smile. “Thank you. As soon as you are able, I would like to talk through everything you experienced, if that is alright.” 

Blinking once, you try to nod. 

Tech shushes you, smoothing a hand over your forehead. “I’ll get you some water. Regrettably, these rooms do not come equipped with a refresher of any kind; I shall put in a formal request with our hosts so they can make appropriate changes for the next party.”

Quiet amusement, warm and affectionate, curls through your chest. Of course Tech would be concerned about this place not having the proper amenities. 

With supreme effort, you get your vocal chords to work. “Tech?” 

He hums. “Yes?” 

“Kiss me?” 

A small chuckle escapes him, but he obliges, leaning over to press his lips to yours in a chaste, sweet first kiss. You sigh happily. Body slipping into sleep, you can’t fight the warm pull of dreams any longer, but you vow to kiss him again as soon as you’re able, his lips soft and smooth against yours.

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[kikaromi]

MM Thoughts -- The Failure to Redeem Rika

Topic: Mystic Messenger -- V’s Route/After Ending + Ray’s Route  

For those who don’t know, I have the biggest hate boner for Mystic Messenger’s Rika. And I’d say a good part of that is Cheritz’s attempt to retroactively change Rika so she can garner sympathy from players who’ve actively disliked her like me. The real pinnacle of this is Rika Behind Story, which seeks to replicate why players were more well-receiving of Ray/Saeran by copying the points for why people forgave him onto Rika. But in their haste, Cheritz forgot one thing: context. I’ll go over what I think to be the checklist and whether Rika fulfills these.

Ray was following Rika’s orders

Yes. In Rika’s Behind Story, we find out Mika coerced her into starting Mint Eye and plant a seed of distrust in V. 

Ray was forced from one abusive situation to another   

Yes and No. Rika’s adoptive parents were yikes, but the RFA loved her and V treated her like royalty (to a fault, but I wouldn’t call that abuse) 

When given the chance to change/escape the abusive cycle, Ray openly took it 

No, then Yes. In V’s Route/Ray’s Route, Rika doubled down on her beliefs regardless of what was said and specifically in V’s Good End, after 2 years to stew, she tried to restart Mint Eye again by spiking the drinks at the party. 

Come V’s After Ending, in the Forgive Ending, she now decides to change her ways, starting with calling out the Prime Minister

Now for how I thought they failed on all three (with bits of context for how it worked with Ray/Saeran). Under Read More because it’s a long one. 

Following Orders This point is where context makes all the difference. In Rika’s case, though Mika goes through lengths to convince Rika into creating Mint Eye, at the end of the day? Rika chose to follow through with this, despite several chances to turn back. Really, all it took was seeing fear made her mother back down and Mika’s goading for Rika to adopt these crazy beliefs, start a cult, blind her once-lover, subjugate her friend’s younger brother, and then force her beliefs on these same friends by trying to draw them into her cult?  

At any of these points, Rika could’ve considered the implications of what she was doing, yet she chose not to. She was content to keep doubling down on this nonsense path because “Mika told her to do it”. Whatever you say, game. 

Ray, meanwhile never had a choice. Ray didn’t first believe in Rika’s rhetoric until she took the poor kid into a basement and drugged him repeatedly so he’d be forced to convert. And any time you see Ray begin to crack, she'll reinforce how he’ll be useless/the world outside will shun him/she care about him oh so much/what have you and makes him to take a drug Rika herself says, “allows me to control people more easily.”

There was no chance for Ray to reconsider his actions when the lady who forced him to be dependent on her quickly stamps out any transgressions by any means necessary. Context matters.

Abusive Environments  This one's fault lies within the two’s current environments. At first, Rika was definitely in an abusive environment: her mother was a bitch, the pastor her mom hired to exorcise her sexually abused her, it was one big ball of yikes. I won’t handwave that. Where the trouble comes is when Rika moved away from her parents, her environment was everything but abusive. She had a successful business, a loving partner, several friends who adored her, and a child who saw her as a surrogate mother (Ray himself). 

Am I arguing that abuse from the past can’t come to haunt you? Absolutely not; I’m sure the trauma from her past definitely played a part for why she rebelled so strongly against a clearly happy life. I can relate to the feeling of thinking that you don’t feel worthy of living so comfortably despite others giving you unconditional support. But that doesn’t change that she found a happy life which she tore down in favor of creating her cult, Mint Eye. Now in Mint Eye Rika was living it up by being able to play the Savior who would be “helping others through their pain”. Still no abusive environment here. 

So what about Ray? Same starting point sort of: Ray did have a loving brother, but they were under the thumb of a mother who lived in a constant state of fear and paranoia which he took out on them. And boy howdy does that mother get her mileage: tells him he’s garbage, starves him, ties him up for being bad... Their mother’s best described in one word: yikes. Though there is a ray (badum tss) of hope for him and Saeyoung-- through Saeyoung befriending Rika and V, the two get the hell outta that domicile. Things look like they’re a net plus for Ray... until Rika tears that shit down. 

Some years/months before the game starts (the timeline for this even is honestly confusing but regardless), Ray is taken by Rika to live in Mint Eye. While living in Mint Eye, he’s Rika’s hacking slave who suffers a fresh new slice of abuse. Rika spouts near the same rhetoric as his mother (you’re not worth living unless you’re useful, the world will offer you no kindness, etc.) and has him routinely take her magic koolaid which is physically harmful to the body. He’s also forced to believe that what Rika considers his weak half is another personality, Ray, and the strong him is his real self, Saeran. So abusive environment? Check. Good job, Rika. You goofed it. 

Taking Change Rika? Change? Before V’s After Ending retconned her, that’s a big nope. First, V’s Route by itself (as AE was written much after the fact). When you and V escape Mint Eye thanks to Seven’s help, Rika’s views begin to be challenged. V is going along with her delusions anymore, the MC wasn’t having her nonsense from the start, and the RFA sloooowly turns against her too. Seeing the people she’s come to love turn against her because of her radical views, this is a perfect chance for Rika to reflect: Why is everyone turning their back on me? Are my methods actually wrong? Am I as bad as they’re saying I am?. I can buy at first she’d like to double down because admitting your 2-years-strong philosophy is wrong isn’t easily done, plus the woman’s naturally stubborn. And then she blows up the apartment. 

After she fakes her death (again), the game says that another two years goes by. In other words, Rika has two whole years to consider what’s happened. She’s got all this time to herself to reflect and come to the conclusion that what she did was wrong and resolve to change. Cut to the party, and what does she do? She gives her beliefs another go. She tries to give the guests spiked drinks, is caught, and then tries to browbeat Yoosung when he catches her. Rika is clearly not sorry at all. She still thinks she’s right, so that time to reflect? Worthless. 

Ray’s Route is a similar case. Saeran realizes the abuse he’s thrown at the MC is verbatim what he mom told him, causing him to reflect. And by the time his route’s about to end, he resolve to escape this abusive cycle with a little support from you (and a lesser extent V) and presents what he’s learned to Rika’s front door. Saeran tells Rika that what she’s doing with Mint Eye’s believers is her parroting what her parents did to her. And he’s right: we see her repeat her mother’s words verbatim, a realization which does dawn upon her. She then tries to goad Saeran to forgive her and come back, Saeran rejects her, and you see her reconsider her actions... for all of 5 seconds. Then she goes right back to “I was right”, “what I did was love”, and V condones it. 

There was a legitimate chance for Rika to finally reflect and give me reason to go “Least she recognized she was wrong”, alas nope. 

Then there’s V’s After Ending, which just doesn’t deliver on this. For most of the AE, the only impression I got was Rika felt “sorry” because she lost. I don’t see someone who feels remorse, but someone who thinks herself to be the tragic villain that’ll soak up all the hurt feelings because “I deserve it”. The only time she she shows active, genuine remorse is the Forgive Ending, but that’s the problem. To get Rika to realize she’s wrong, the player has to already forgive Rika’s actions first. 

Was it so wrong to expect Rika to actively try and earn her forgiveness, and then let the player decide whether they'd accept it or throw it out? The message the AE was shooting for would be a lot less contrived if so. As the AE is now, it reads as “thou must forgive Rika first before you can earn her redemption”. Not the logical reverse. 

Summary: MM tried to redeem Rika by taking beats from what they did with Saeran, yet failed to deliver because of context and expecting players to make the leap first.