#he could still use me as an outlet for the stuff doll doesn't like. i'm not askin for anythin more. just don't. don't fucking leave me.

[kitkatt0430]

I'm getting pretty close to the final chapter of Code: Realize and it's been interesting seeing bits and pieces of the other character arcs show up in the 'true' path of the game, which finally reveals the truth behind Isaac Beckford's terrorist plot and his plans for Cardia (the player character). And being that the 'true' path is Lupin's path, it means it was his turn for a love confession. I could have done without the 'love makes you a human and not a monster' BS, as it's definitely Cardia's learned compassion that makes her more than the mere doll she was created to be... but I was kind of expecting it given that despite the steampunk setting and the global terrorist threat and the vampires and the rest of the massive, massive plot going on... it's still a dating sim genre visual novel at it's heart. *sigh*

Still, it does have a lot of depth to the rest of the story and I do enjoy Cardia's relationships with all the guys, so I can give the occasional slip into shallow amatanormativity a pass. And putting aside the amatanormative ick moment, Lupin's love confession was rather sweet as it came at a time when Cardia was struggling with her own negative self image due to everything she's learned about herself at that point.

Anyway, the main cast is definitely in a polycule, I swear my favorite creepy assassin (Count Saint-Germain) was basically flirting with Impey during one of the big fights against Twilight. Van Helsing's loyalty to Lupin is pretty devoted at his point - the same for Victor and Impey as well.

Sainty-G (to use Impey's nickname for him), though he has my least favorite of the paths, is in some ways the most relatable. He struggles to understand and name his own emotions and masks his emotions as a result, pretending to be enigmatically cheerful all the time. He reminds me a little of Garak from DS9, which is appropriate since they're both assassins and spies. He does a lot of things because he claims to be an idle, bored rich guy, but he totally thrives on chaos and stimulation.

Impey is definitely chaos and stimulation, as he's constantly on the move. Innovating new devices and new ideas and... blowing a lot of stuff up. It's an engineering process. He just wants to be appreciated for his genius and eventually travel to the moon. Impey can be a little obnoxious, but he has a good heart. And he's not the only inventor of the group.

Victor Frankenstein doesn't create a monster in this setting, but he certainly feels like he has. As an alchemist for the royal institute he helped create terrible weapons used in a war he didn't personally support. He never wants to be in that position again. Becoming part of the group searching for the truth about Cardia has helped give him a new reason to live.

Van Helsing is another veteran of that war, though where Victor fought behind the lines as an alchemist... Van Helsing was on the front lines. He was manipulated into doing things he deeply regrets in a war instigated by the leader of Twilight - Finis Beckford - and while he's a death seeker, Van Helsing won't let himself die until he's killed the supposed immortal. But much like with Victor, finding a place amongst the group has given him new reason to live and a new purpose in protecting the surviving vampire prince they've practically adopted.

Lupin is the one who set everything in motion. From the moment he learned of Isaac Beckford's terrorist plot, he aimed to put a stop to it. And in doing so he sought out a monster and instead found a young woman whose greatest wish was to be able to touch without causing harm. He's the heart of the team and he cares deeply for each and every person in their group; a gentleman thief who robs the rich to feed the poor and steals back what's been wrongfully taken. His determination to do the right thing, regardless of legality, gives Impey an outlet for his creativity, Sainty-G the chaos he craves, Victor an opportunity to use his knowledge to protect instead of destroy, and Van Helsing a chance at life beyond revenge.

The interconnected nature of their stories is really well done. And, of course, the best part is how much they all love being able to sit down to dinner together at the end of the day.