#he enables the same events to play out but broken’s version is more poignant and character driven

[fortune-maiden]

More Happily Ever After route ramblings because I like it a lot but also…

Now that I’ve played Cage & Princess + Dragon through all of their variations, it’s a little frustrating how HEA doesn’t really have any meaningful variation for Opportunist.

Which is a shame because I really like how different the Damsel routes that lead to HEA feel

For Paranoid’s ver, you have to deconstruct the damsel and get a paper thin construct that ‘wants to make us happy’ without knowing what that means or having any other thoughts or wants of her own. Smitten can’t accept that and ‘for her sake’ sets out to create a world where she’ll learn happiness and want (and succeeds in a deeply disturbing way)

Meanwhile, the version that leads to Opportunist feels a lot more sinister. You do know what the Damsel wants actually - she wants to leave. She’s been super cooperative and the ideal love interest Smitten believes her to be to this point, but the moment you decide to stay in the cabin after all, she expresses doubt. She doesn’t want what we want in this moment and Smitten can’t accept that. So he hijacks the route to create a ‘better’ world where Princess will have to want what we want…

It almost feels like Opportunist spawned from him in this scenario