#i play way too many cybird games

[kiy-anna]

OK, time out.

Ikevamp - the biggest names in history (Napoleon, Mozart, Shakespeare, da Vinci, ect.) made pacts with pureblood vampires in order to finish unfinished business.

Ikerev - Alice in Wonderland meets civil war au

Ikesen - time traveling back to sengoku period (be prepared for war since every guy is a Japanese war lord, oh boy)

Ikepri - beauty and the beast w/ 8 princes in line for the throne (you choose one of these guys as the next king with your duty as "Belle")

... that's all the games for English, I think.

WAIT THEIRS VINCENT VAN GOGH AURTHOR CONAN DOYLE AND LEONARDO DA VINCHI???????? ARE THESE ALL FAMOUS PEOPLE AS ANIME VAMPIRES????//GEN??? WHATS THE DIFFRENCE IN TJE GAME S WHATS IKEMAN REVOLUTION??? IM SO CONFUSED???

YES UH THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE THE HISTORICAL FIGURES BROUGHT BACK AS VAMPIRES LMAO IT'LL BE EXPLAINED IN TEH PROLOGUE EHLP

I THINK IKEREV IS THE ALICE IN WONDERLAND ONE???? HELP ME IKEVAMP MUTUALS

[archiveikemen]

Ikemen Villains Prologue: Act 2

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

Victor: From this moment on, you are officially a “Fairytale Keeper”, a position exclusive to “Crown”.

Victor: Kate will live in the castle from now onwards and work alongside the members of “Crown”.

Victor: The members of “Crown” will also keep an eye on her, to make sure she doesn't reveal any secrets.

Victor: During this time, Kate will write down your evil deeds. Just like she’s writing a fairytale.

…

Victor: If you want to return to your normal life after a month… don't let any of them steal your heart.

…

A week has passed since I started my life of sin as a Fairytale Keeper.

Following Victor’s advice, I haven’t fallen in love with anyone.

This way, once I prove to them that I’m a trustworthy person able to keep secrets, I’ll be able to return home safely soon.

That was what I thought, then it happened.

A pure white evil descended on England—

Victor: There is only one reason for gathering all of you here today.

Victor: That is to introduce our guests from Germany—

Victor: — to Crown and Kate.

Victor: May I ask you to kindly introduce yourself?

Angelic Man: A pleasure to meet you, dear members of Crown.

Darius: I’m Darius Vogel, the Chief of “Vogel”, an organisation under direct command of the Emperor of Germany.

Victor: Vogel is said to be a research organisation that promotes the contribution to society by Cursed Ones.

Victor: They will be living in the Royal Palace for a few months as goodwill ambassadors.

Darius: “The power of Curses for a better society” is our motto.

Darius: Although Cursed Ones presently live in the darkness, we believe that there are greater ways they can engage with society!

Darius: Just imagine a future where Cursed Ones and normal humans work alongside each other… exciting, isn’t it?

Darius: The moment I heard about this wonderful organisation in England named “Crown”, I couldn’t contain myself!

Harrison: …

Darius: Oh, don’t worry! This goes without saying, but only a few people in Germany know about the existence of “Cursed Ones”.

Darius: We know about “Crown” because all of us in Vogel are cursed too.

Darius: Interacting more with our fellow Cursed Ones helps to deepen our understanding of Curses and their abilities, right?

Darius: We could have a dinner party, or we could accompany you on your missions for field studies. c

Victor: To the outside world, they came to England as diplomats. Their real purpose of researching Curses is kept secret.

Darius: Thank you for your thorough addition, Sir Queen’s Aide. Although our positions require us to keep many secrets from one another…

Darius: I hope to establish a new regularity together with all of you.

Darius: By the way… it appears that Sir William Rex isn’t here. Where is he?

Victor: Ah, William isn’t here with us today. Please excuse him.

Darius: Oh really? That’s a pity. … I thought I’d finally get to meet him in person…

Darius: Well, I suppose it’s understandable because we arrived a few days earlier than expected.

Darius: Well then, allow me to introduce these two. They’re a pair of twins; the older one is Nica, and the younger one is Ring.

Darius: Now, be good and introduce yourselves to everyone.

Ring: Ring Schwartz… we’ll be in your care for the next few months. I’ll show no mercy if you attempt to harm us.

Nica: Goodness, don’t be so intimidating. Sorry for my brother’s rudeness.

Nica: As you can see, even though he’s an adorable and good kid, he’s very wary like a dog. Oh, I should introduce myself too.

Nica: Guten Tag, members of Crown. I’m Nica Schwartz. Nice to meet you all

Darius: Yup, Nica’s a well-behaved one.

Darius: Nica, Ring, and I are like a “family”.

Darius: I hope we can become this close with Crown as well.

Darius: … Oh? I heard that Crown consists of the Queen’s Aide and eight men… who might you be?

Kate: I’m Kate, the “Fairytale Keeper”.

Victor: Kate isn’t a Cursed One, but she’s an important person who records Crown’s activities.

Darius: “Important person”? Hmm…

Darius: If she’s an “important person” to Crown, we should be courteous with her too.

Ring: …

Nica: You’re right, Dari. I’m so glad there’s someone else other than a bunch of guys here.

Nica: Nice to meet you, cute little robin.

Kate: … Nice to meet you too.

…

After parting ways with Vogel who went on to spend time in the room Victor prepared for them in the palace, I returned to the castle with the members of Crown.

(I’ve finally adapted to my life here, but I have a feeling that something’s about to change.)

I thought back to our meeting with Vogel.

(Vogel… a research organisation made up of Cursed Ones. So that means things like curses exist outside of England too.)

(Darius is always smiling, he looks like an angel.)

(Nica seems spirited and easy to talk to, while Ring on the other hand seems cold. They’re twins, but the impressions they give off are polar opposites.)

(Anyway, they seem like friendly people… but why do I have a gut feeling that’s not true…?)

(Did spending time with Crown and being exposed to all sorts of evil make me suspicious…?)

Harrison: … You felt it too?

Kate: Huh?

Harrison: Those guys were lying.

…

Nica: “Fairytale Keeper”, huh. The data we had beforehand didn’t include any information on the existence of that girl and her role.

Nica: I’m guessing that she just happened to discover the existence of Crown and is currently being surveillanced by them. What do you think, Ring?

Ring: …

Nica: … Ring? Are you listening?

Ring: Oh… I don’t understand complicated things, but I think it’s best to refrain from speaking based on mere speculation.

Ring: All I can say is… as long as we’re not clear on her true nature, we should be wary of her.

Darius: I mean, even though she’s a “Fairytale Keeper”, she looks like an ordinary “human”. There’s nothing much she can do.

Darius: Growing our “family” is the most important. Don’t forget our goal.

Nica: Verstanden / Understood.

Ring: … Yeah.

Darius: I can’t wait to chat with everyone more… fufu.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Vogel’s Extravagant Leisure Time - All Characters Inclusive

Not 100% Accurate. Cybird owns everything. This is their twitter campaign that is available for viewing on the X account.

Post #1 Nica: So, now that there’s three of us free with free time, what are we going to do? Darius: I was thinking of playing a game of giving each of the Crown members a nickname. Ring: ….What great way to kill time. Are you a genius? Nica: That’s the height of boredom. OK, let’s start with the Self-Righteous Monarch.

Post #2 Nickname Target #1 💟William💟 Darius: He’s so flawless I can’t choose one♡ Nica: Red King Ring: Piano Man Nica: Dari, you really like William don’t you. Darius: Yes♡ Ring what’s Piano Man? Ring: I saw him playing the other day. It was good. I want to listen to it again. Darius: I want to hear Will’s performance too.

Post #3 Nickname Target #2 🐈Liam🐈 Darius: Mr. Beautifully Shaped Cat Nica: Smooth Talking Stage Actor Ring: Sparkly Pink. Nica: But I can’t see past the sparkling pink. Ring: …Because he’s flashy? He looks sparkling. And, his hair is pink and cool. Darius: You look like a child looking up to a hero, Ring. Ring: Ah, n-not really…..it’s not like I particularly admire ….him.

Post #4 Nickname Target #3 🦊Harrison🦊 Darius: Mr. Troublesome Fox Nica: Lie Detector Ring: Droopy Tear Mole Ring: Harrison Gray. Is he troublesome? Darius: Perhaps. He might seem aloof, but I think he’s quite compassionate. Having a kid like that makes things nice and unified. Nica: Ahhh, well then my hard-work has increased.

Nickname Target #4 🍎Elbert🍎 Darius: Mr. Greedy Beauty Nica: Bisque Doll Ring: The Desired Nobleman Darius: A bisque doll is rather blunt, Nica. Nica: Elbert was looking at a butterfly in the garden the other day, and I thought it was a real bisque doll. Ring: …..Maybe someday, we can talk about butterflies together. Nica: What was that, Ring. Ring: N-no…..nothing!

Nickname Target #5 🪞Alfons🪞 Darius: Mr. Lewd Illusionist Nica: Shameless Mirror Man Ring: Perverted Mirror Nica: Ahaha! “Perverted mirror”, that’s a bit much. Ring: I- no different than you calling him “Shameless Mirror Man.” Darius: When I look at both of you, there are times I realize, you really are twins. It’s amusing. Nica & Ring: Really?

Nickname Target #6 ⌛️Jude⌛️ Darius: Mr. Ruthless President Nica: Extremely Heinous President Ring: The Angry One Darius: I get the strong impression that he’s a President. Nica: Hey, Ring. That evil looking guy probably has a lot of money, next time why not ask him out to treat you to a meal? Darius: It’s as if my family doesn’t eat. Ring: Sorry, I eat a lot, but…it’s never enough.

Nickname Target #7 🔫Roger🔫 Darius: Mr. Double-Crossing Doctor Nica: Muscle-Glasses Doctor Ring: Dog Loving Brother Darius: Roger has a dog? Nica: According to my intel, it seems he has one kept at home. A corgi named Ale. Ring: Her butt is plump and cute….I wonder if they’ll let me play with it if I ask. Darius: I want to play with it too. Nica & Ring: ……

Nickname Target #8 ⛓️Ellis⛓️ Darius: Mr. Dangerous President’s Assistant Nica: President’s Personal Assassin Ring: Kind Bean Pole Ring: Ellis Twilight’s an assassin? Nica: That’s right, he approaches as easily as breathing and then- whoa! Ring: ! T-that surprised me…. Nica: Ahaha, what’s with that face? Just like you when you were a kid! Darius: Yes, both of you should make sure you don’t get killed.

Nickname Target #9 💀Victor💀 Darius: Absolutely not, I don’t want to give one♡ Nica: Long-Haired Eccentric Guy Ring: Energetic Cooing Pigeon Nica: I’d like to pursue an investigation of Dari’s secret dislike of the Queen’s Aide, but Ring what’s with the cooing pigeon? Ring: He’s amazing. He can send out pigeons at will, and there’s lot of them. Nica: That can’t be true!/Das kann nicht wahr sein!* Darius: Ah, that sort of thing irritates me.

Final Post: Darius: Ha~♡ It was fun to see so many cute Crown members. Ring: As usual, I don’t understand Dari’s meaning of cuteness. Nica: Hey, let’s go now, I’m hungry. Darius: -Before that. Did you two notice that I’ve been dropping hint the entire time?

Ring: Hints? Darius: The initials related to the cursed from the Alice In Wonderland group. Nica: Ah, ahaha, I see. Certain words pop up in the order they were targeted. Ring: I am the only one who doesn’t know what you’re talking about? Darius: Maybe something fun will happen if you solve the mystery.

*I'm not sure if I translated this line correctly or not.

Tags list: @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @sh0jun @letter-from-afar

Divider: @/natimiles

[rou-luxe]

please elaborate on the grandpa clavis bc I don't know much about Alfons, so idk what to think about that 😭

hEHehEhhAaAaHAHA LET'S GO I HAVE PERMISSION TO GET THE IDEA OUT OF MY HEAD (cracks knuckles) I love them both

analysis under the cut spoilers for Clavis, light spoilers for Alfons

I kinda quit Alfons route early to go to the English server release because my brain is too lazy to translate everything 😭 so this is just from what I know about him. this is doomed to be inaccurate 💀

warning this gets off topic in some places because my analysis ideas carried me a bit too far because I love them

The central point is that they both use pleasurable experiences to ignore reality. Alfons focuses a LOT on the pleasure part of that, as seen from erm his lack of sleep and mentions it plenty in voicelines. Alfons also applies this philosophy to people other than himself. Alfons sometimes protects MC from uncomfortable realities, like the scene where he and Ellis kill someone, and uses his power to convince MC that it was just a play (Kate LOVES plays).

As seen from his profile, Alfons heavily resents pain of any sort. I already forgot when exactly (chapter 4 premium avatar challenge?), but at some point, MC is crying and he consoles them before you know- this is just an assumption, but I think he doesn't want any sort of emotional turmoil in those close to his heart. He keeps reassuring Elbert that he is much more beautiful than MC without hesitation. Not only is he making sure MC is safe and doesn't get in a horror-esque story (nervously looks at Elbert trailer), he's also making sure that Elbert doesn't get jealous to the point of performing taxidermy on a person... because the events leading up to that would hurt them both. This makes Alfons feel so kind and considerate ngl 😭

Clavis wants to be loved by all. The game sometimes describes him as "lonely" - this is likely because he was overshadowed by Chev as a kid, and because he felt so shaken by his mother's death that he needed attention from others to feel more complete. It also connects to his pranks. He wants to feel something, anything to pretend he's not dying inside. Whether the attention he gets is positive or negative, at least he feels something.

It's mentioned quite a lot in his path that the more pained / scared Clavis is feeling, the more he smiles. It's sort of his coping mechanism. By smiling, he can pretend everything is alright (HIS MOM 😭😭 I'M GONNA FUHGKING CRY SHE MUST'VE BEEN SO SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL AND Cybird I want to see his mom).

He also does somewhat force MC to be around him, but it's not in a Silvio way, it comes off more clingy to me. He's been left alone, abandoned so many times, that he can't bare the pain of loneliness anymore. And thus we get dragged to his breakfast parties. Another coping mechanism. Clavis gets to spend time with MC every morning, gets to cook for her (...it's the thought that counts) and terrorize a couple of his half-brothers... just to forget it all. Clavis even escapes from his prison cell just to see you, the light of his life. (I love him)

"Sylvatica" comes from the scientific name for "forget-me-not". This one is completely an assumption that seems rather unlikely, but perhaps like Clavis, Alfons wants to be remembered somehow.

I can't remember if this was legit or not because I've been scrolling through Tumblr too much but I remember seeing a post that went something like: "Alfons has MC sign (something) papers because after he dies, his curse will make him forgotten and he just wants something to prove that he loved MC" or something. (That post broke my heart so bad.) Is that why he's called a "phantom"?

In summary:

They both have their own ways of ignoring reality, and they are both up to trickery (especially when it comes to MC). Both endulge in enjoyment, it's part of their lifestyle. doesn't necessarily refer to seggs but it does sure sound like it

I'm not quite sure where Alfons' ignorance originates, but all Clavis wants is to be loved. Give him the love.

Okay onto the shorter sillier theories because my heart can't take this

Clavis' epithet is "The Pleasure-Loving Beast", and Alfons' is "The Hedonistic Thrill-Seeker".

Clavis likes tricks and teasing, and so does Alfons. Though Clavis does that MUCH more often.

They also act like they're fucking around but they actually know what they're doing.

They pretend to be worse than they are 😭 (omg shakespeare too... is that my type... 💀)

Others have made this remark before but Alfons feels like a darker Clavis + more unhinged

They both like to cook. And eat. And they both have stomachs of steel.

sword

They both have bad handwriting. Clavis is notorious for this, and Alfons says he has bad handwriting in the first letter of his path.

Fuck I forgot I had science homework due tomorrow

edit: I forgot another one they both are self-described "gentlemen" 😭😭

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

William Rex Route Review

Okay~ Finally, I sat down and completed William's route today morning.....till 4 am. Yes, I have no life and my opinion is....it's kinda good! Honestly, a part of me was expecting it would be a snoozefest and another part of me was like 'Don't worry, it's gonna be fine. You'll love it!"

Usually when I play an Otome game, if the game doesn't manage to impress me within the first 30 minutes, I'll just immediately uninstall it and would never download it ever again. But I have a soft corner for the Ikemen series because their games really fill up my lonely heart....anyways. I'm not gonna sit here and compare Ikemen series with Voltage games or anything. We'll only compare ikemen games with other ikemen games!

I thought that Ikegen was gonna be my fav game forever and I used to think I wouldn't love another game and its characters as much as I love Ikegen. I mean look at Yoshino, for example! Do you really think any MCs could ever beat her? She's honestly the best thing to come out of Cybird and very thankful to them that I finally got an MC I could truly love!! Since Ikegen set the bar up really high, I was hoping the next upcoming game to be even better or at least the same as Ikegen........and then we got something that I don't even wanna talk about :/

So I was skeptical about the projects after that and then we got the news about Koihana. It got me interested, but it wasn't exactly a game in the 'Ikemen series'. There is no 'ikemen' in the title. Not that I won't play, I will when it comes out when I have time. After that out of nowhere, they dropped the teaser for Ikevil and I was SHOCKED!! because I was expecting a teaser of Koihana that day. I was honestly shocked that we're actually getting two new games for the 10th anniversary. The bgm in the teaser was so good (but too bad they didn't use that bgm even once in the whole game!) and I got intrigued about the characters, how they are gonna look, the MC, what's the story about, whose the artist, MC's role blah blah blah etc etc...I was super hyped.

Then the game came out and I played. Like I said, if the game doesn't impress me within the first 30 mins, I was gonna immediately uninstall it, because what's the point in playing if you're not gonna enjoy it, right? I need that 'first impression' to be the best impression! Honestly, I wasn't expecting a gore scene IN the prologue. I thought the prologue would be nice, calming, and maybe a little bit violence here and there...BUT NO! They didn't hold back at all and I LOVED IT! It got me really excited.

I started with William's route because I was planning to translate it and was expecting a lot more gore. William's route is good..................if you can sit through at least 15 chapters without sleeping, then I guarantee you that you will enjoy it. This is also coming from a person whose fav type is not William. Let me divide William's main story into two parts, without giving as many spoilers as possible. The first 1 to 3 chapters are okay. It just gives basic info about William, his personality, and other characters....simply basic stuff. The chapters from 4 to 14, are basically filled with William and his friends doing various missions and William helping Kate to be honest with her desires. It's mainly the bonding stage and I wasn't really into it because I felt like nothing was happening. Even William and Kate's interactions were alright, didn't get me that excited at all.

The story was moving really slowly and it felt like a lot was happening but I wasn't finding anything exciting. There was no 'real' conflict for example, there is no enemy that is terrorizing the Crown. The Crown members look severely overpowered and they are killing all the butterflies without breaking a sweat. The Crown members having these abilities as the 'cursed ones' is honestly very op if you use it in the right way at the right time. There is not much hand-to-hand combat which I personally love watching and translating. But I also love that they are all working together on these missions in groups. It's not like each member is assigned a different mission. All the members have faith in each other and help out each other when doing missions. No egos are clashing, no unnecessary fights, I love that about Crown, even though they all state that they are not friends.

So In between I was thinking...."What's the real threat here? What is Kate's role? Is her role only going to be just standing around and watching people die? Because if it is, then it's very boring."

It was only after chapter 18, that I really ended up liking William's route. William after chapter 18, is one hell of a badass character. There is this certain scene in chap 19 that I really love and it really caught me off guard for a second. There are some lines said by him that I really love. I can't wait to translate that chap and the madness ending. Also, William and Kate's relationship gets really fun. It's cuter and William keeps teasing her whenever he gets a chance (reminds me of a certain other King with black hair and blue eyes who is also cursed!).

The route has some gore and creepy scenes which are really good in showing how horrifying the world actually is. There is no filter. It feels like no one is safe. I don't even know why because at some point, I thought that there is going to be a scene where Kate is also gonna be injected with drugs. I don't know why I thought something like that, maybe in the future, some golden butterfly member will kidnap and inject drugs into her or something to mess up with the male lead's mind....who knows? But it feels like Cybird is not holding back with this one.

Now, coming to Kate. As an MC, I think she's good. She's very nice, caring, understanding, and possessive (lol). I like her a lot. I feel like out of all the Ikemen series MCs, Kate is the only one that has some sort of character development. She goes from being this shy and reserved person to more lively and talkative. It's kinda cute. She gets more bold in the latter half and doesn't shy away from expressing what she wants to do. I like that. Thank god, cybird didn't end up ruining her character in an attempt to make her look pure-hearted. The only, drawback I have with her is her job as a 'fairy tale master'. Honestly, it's such a.....meh job for some reason. She doesn't really get to do much, she only has to stand at the side and watch the male leads mutilating people. It's kind of boring because she has no real goal in life. I thought her job was to find a way to break the curses of the Crown members but no, she simply writes reports that are to be submitted to the Queen. *Sighs* it's fine, I still like her though and I hope her personality doesn't change once I switch routes, or else I will be mad.

Final thoughts, not bad as the first route. I mean it's still the 'first route' and I'm sure the future routes will be crazier....especially Jude's route (I hope I don't die before that!). I feel like his route is going to be before Victor. But still, William's route did a good job in making me wanna continue playing this game, so that's a plus for me. If not, I would have uninstalled it immediately, waited for Jude route, and re-install it then.

I was thinking to start Harry's route next (not translating that btw!) but I'm restarting William's route again to get the other ending not because I'm poor and saving up gold for Harry's route, pfffttt not at all!

[the12thnightproject]

6, 12, 19, 22 for Shingen? :o

Hi Lorei! Thank you for the ask!

Ahhhh.... Shingen....

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

I think we're both really good at organizing information from a variety of sources to put together a bigger picture. Shingen's a spymaster/strategist, and you often see him surrounded by piles of papers. I come from a research background (literary & history) and I love pulling together articles and resources.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Ha.... so many... Ok... a modern AU Shingen would be a civil engineer. He enjoys building and design (and a blink and you'll miss it note in his dramatic route discusses that he had built embankments to protect the people from yearly flooding ... which is true historically as well). In the modern world, he wouldn't have the kind of clan responsibilities that he does in the Sengoku, which means he would be free to pursue an interest that combines his intelligence, big picture thinking, interest in construction, and interest in projects that help people ... therefore civil engineering.

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

Hm. Well, Kennyo betrays his friendship in several routes, and Shingen continues to have faith that he's worth saving (which true in Kennyo's own route, but not in all of them). But that's actually a pretty fascinating dynamic between the two of them. I can't say that I dislike it. I do think that on occasion MC/Mai's relationship with him comes across rather shallowly. She's sometimes too focused on the fact that she's landed a hot boyfriend (but... you could say that about her in several routes).

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

I love it when a fic plays up his intelligence - both his smarts and his emotional intelligence but doesn't slide past the fact that he can be too stubborn and occasionally manipulative. And as a fic reader, one thing I am not going to do is criticize other people's fic... especially when I can criticize the source material instead. Cybird can get a bit lazy with his collection and story events, and default to MC trying to think of something nice to do for him, and Shingen being appreciative of her efforts. I'd like to the game give us a little more in the way of actual plot.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikemen Villains - Part 1

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support cybird by buying their stories. SPOILERS under the cut. Expect mistakes.

My dad used to read Snow White to me as a bedtime story when I was a kid, so I asked him this:

Kate: "Why does the Queen want to kill Snow White?"

Dad: "Hm? I think it's about pride, vanity, and wanting to be number one."

I remember that his answer didn't add up.

I had a feeling that the root of her desire was something darker and heavier, something that made her want to take her life no matter the cost.

But I still have no idea what it was all about.

Alfons: "I apologize for interrupting your lover's time."

Alfons: "Please don't mind me. Go ahead and flirt to your heart's content."

Kate: "I've said it many times, but we're just "pretending" to be lovers!"

That night I learned a secret I shouldn't have known, and Victor, the queen's aide, offered me to become a fairy tale writer for one month.

------------Flashback------------

Victor: "The fairy tale writer's job is to document them. That means you need to understand them better."

Victor: "So, Kate. Here is my first task for you."

Victor: "Choose one of the crown members and spend a day as their lover. Yay!"

---------Flashback Ends---------

It was Alfons who reached out to me when I was having trouble deciding who to choose.

(He asked me to pick Elbert.)

I glanced at Elbert, sitting next to me.

Elbert, a man of few words and the most passive member of the crown, seemed far removed from any malice or sin.

I agreed to Alfons' proposal, thinking I'd be safe with Elbert.

Alfons: "Pretending or not, you guys are still lovers. El, make sure you escort her, okay?"

Elbert: "Yeah, I know."

(Alfons said he was like a servant to Elbert.)

(But from an outsider's perspective, they look like close friends.)

Elbert: "Rest assured, I won't make you feel uncomfortable."

Kate: "I really hope you don't mind. I apologize for intruding on your schedule."

The two were scheduled to attend a party hosted by a certain noble family today and are now on their way to the mansion.

Alfons: "Well, it's not a mission, so let's take it easy."

Alfons: "The only thing I'm worried about is that El's greed might get out of control again."

Kate: "Out of control?"

Alfons: "El has a nasty habit of wanting anything others deem beautiful."

Alfons: "Since we're going to a party where glamorous aristocrats dressed up in their finery and pride, you'll have to take the reins today, Kate."

(I have a bad feeling about this, but...)

Kate: "I'll do my best to understand Elbert better."

Alfons: "Oh dear, how brave."

Elbert: "............"

Elbert has been looking out the window wistfully the whole time.

(The word “fairest” really fits him.)

(But why does he look so sad?)

His usual melancholy eyes seemed to be even cloudier today.

(Elbert is a man of few words and doesn't seem to express much emotion.)

(I should keep an eye on him to understand what his feelings and thoughts are.)

Host Nobleman: "Hey, hey. I didn't expect you to bring a woman, Count Greetia!"

Elbert: "..........."

Alfons: "Thank you for the invitation, Graham."

Graham, the host aristocrat, greeted us, looking gobsmacked.

(Judging from Elbert and Alfons' attitude, they aren't close.)

(Maybe they're just acquaintances.)

Graham: "I bet today's party will be a blast."

Elbert: "I'm not gonna do anything. I'll behave."

Graham: "You don't understand. You sure will stand out by just standing there. You, what's your name?"

Kate: "Nice to meet you. My name is Kate."

Graham: "Hold on, I've seen you in the theater before. You know, last month's Love Potion."

Kate: "Huh? Yes, I saw that play last month."

Graham: "I knew it! You like to go to the theater? Then we have a lot to talk about."

(Whoa there, Mister.)

Graham suddenly leaned closer.

Elbert: "Could you please not get too close to her?"

(Huh?)

For some reason, Elbert stepped in front of me protectively.

(Elbert?)

Graham: "Oh, come on. It's not like she's your lover."

Elbert: "She is."

Elbert: "She's my lover, so please leave her alone."

Kate: "!?"

Interrupting to protect me from Graham, Elbert abruptly declared.

(You don't have to go that far in pretending to be my lover.)

Stunned, I stared at Elbert's profile as he protected me.

Elbert: "..........."

His expression was so serious, even hostile, that my heart skipped a beat.

Alfons: "Well, well."

Graham: "I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to look so uncomfortable."

Elbert's hand gently held my shoulder to shield me from his curious gaze.

(He's so close.)

Elbert: "Let's go, Kate."

Kate: "O-Okay."

I curtsied to Graham and stepped toward the entrance as he urged me to.

(Maybe he did that because Alfons told him to escort me properly.)

We made our way down the hallway, still a little nervous about being hugged on the shoulder.

When we arrived, Alfons suddenly stopped.

Alfons: "As much as I'd love to see this interesting development, I have to go and see a friend."

Alfons: "We'll split up from here. El, take this with you, just in case.

Elbert: "Yeah."

Alfons handed Elbert something and quickly walked away.

(I wonder what it is. It looks like a key.)

Elbert: "I'm sorry if what I said was offensive."

Kate: "-----!"

A sad murmur brought my attention back to my partner, and Elbert's hand, which had been holding my shoulder, gently pulled away.

Kate: "It's fine. I was a little surprised, but why did you do that?"

Elbert: "Because you're my lover."

(I feel like there's another reason for it.)

(But I should probably pretend to agree with that reason.)

Kate: "You take the word "lover" very seriously."

Elbert: "..........."

Elbert: "..........."

(Oh, he smiled.)

The faint smile made my heart flutter for a moment.

Elbert: "That's right. So tonight, please don't eat or drink anything except what I hand you."

Kate: "Huh?"

Elbert: "And don't walk away from me. Make sure you're by my side."

Elbert: "You're allowed to go somewhere, but don't go anywhere other than where I tell you."

(Wait, what?)

I couldn't hide my confusion as he threw one restriction after another.

Elbert: "Can my lover please do as I say?"

Kate: “Um… Okay.”

Pressured, I nodded involuntarily.

(He's acting like there's danger, but Alfons said it's not a mission.)

Kate: "Um, what am I supposed to do?"

Elbert: "Our goal is just to attend, so nothing special."

Elbert: "Don't worry about the others. Just be there for me as my lover."

People gazed at us as we proceeded through the doorway and into the hall.

(Elbert's beauty stands out even more when he's surrounded by posh people.)

It was clear from the gathered gazes and whispers that I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Gorgeous Lady: "His dazzling golden hair and blue eyes! He looks like he came out of a painting."

Jewel-clad lady: "Oh, he's looking at me!"

Gentleman with a cigar: "Even the gorgeous decorations fade away when he's in the room."

(He's really popular.)

I watched Elbert as people approached to greet him.

(Everyone is praising him.)

Elbert: "............."

The more they praised him, the sadder his expression became.

(Also...)

Noble lady: “Lord Elbert, you look beautiful today.”

Elbert: “Yeah.”

For some reason, some of the people who approached him wanted to touch his body.

They would touch his shoulder, arm, and chest for a split second as if to mark him, making him so vulnerable.

(Why doesn’t he reject it, brush it off, or step away?)

Every time they touched him, his expression darkened.

(He looks hurt, but why don’t the people who touch him notice?)

Elbert: “...........”

(I’m pretending to be his lover, so I guess I’m allowed to do this.)

Kate: “Elbert. I could use some air.”

Elbert: “What?”

Kate: “Will you accompany me?”

Part 1╏Part 2╏Premium End╏Epilogue

[outcastotome]

Hey Hey!!!

As the description of this blog states, this is my safe place to talk about all things Otome (mainly the Ikemen series by Cybrid)! I'm still not exactly sure what I'm going to do on here, but expect a mix of route reviews, opinion posts, memes, and other shit like that. Feel free to ask me anything or suggest games for me to check out!!!

Disclaimer

This is an 18-plus blog!!!! I'm 99 percent sure on the app store it says that all the cybird games are 17-plus, so I just decided to round up to the legal age of adulthood in my country! Also, I know these games deal with some pretty heavy topics (some handled good, some not so much) so I will definitely try and add trigger warning to any of my posts that deal with such topics! If I miss adding a warning to something that could potentially be triggering, please reach out and tell me so that I can add it! I want this blog to be a fun place for people to discuss the games they love while also keeping it a safe place!

My history with Otome :D

I started playing otome games years ago. I'm not even joking. I remember when Arthur's English route was released and that being a big deal in the Fandom. I was also around before Ikemen Revolution was discontinued (fly high my sweet prince). What I'm basically trying to say is that I'm ancient and have been around the block a few times. I've downloaded and deleted and re-download Cybrid games since I've been in middle school (definitely too young to be exposed to that kind of content, but that's what happens when you have unrestricted access to your electronic devices). Despite the fact that I've been in the Fandom on and off again for years, I haven't actually finished that many routes. I intend to use this blog as a way to change that. If im constantly posting about it, then I can't procrastinate playing the games :D

Games I intend to post about

To be completely honest, I'm still not 100 percent sure of all of the games I want to talk about here. However, the current list is:

Ikemen Sengoku (the first Cybird game I ever played)

Ikemen Revolution (yes, I know the game was discontinued, but I prefer to live in my fantasy world and pretend that it'll get an update one day)

Ikemen Vampire (my personal favorite otome game I've ever played)

Ikemen Prince (the last time I was really into Cybird games, I'm pretty sure this one had just been released? I've never played it)

Ikemen Villians (I had no idea this game existed until yesterday when I decided to make this blog)

Mystic Messenger (probably not as much as the others, but I downloaded this game in middle school and have refused to delete it ever since despite the fact that I probably haven't played it in 3 years)

Dangerous Fellows (My favorite fever dream)

Cinderella Phenomenon (If this game has no fans, then I am dead)

Obey Me (I was developing normally as a child until I found this game. I still love it, though)

[ichigostellaglynn]

Hi everyone, sorry this post isn’t about ikevil or jude but I just want to say something.

Is any jude fans got anonymous ask that contained hate speech like me and @/judejazza ?

If yes, pls don’t let them affected you ! you're a wonderful fan no matter if you are F2P or P2P. you have different way to love and support jude and I believe you all don’t deserve that kind of treatment and harsh words.

Pls don’t mind that hate speech that contained body-shaming or something that said you all don’t deserve jude. That will be them who don’t deserve jude love, cybird will have shame to have them as fan actually lol.

So pls don’t depress just bc shitty random people that envy of you who can voice your adoration to jude ! They just low life and I bet jude will hate that kind of person who step on other. I believe yall deserve jude’s love more than her, bc she’s just waste in this world. A person who allergic to kindness and never cant appreciate people.

I pity you for not having a good lives like the rest of us, my condolence that you must live with all hatred and negative emotion inside of you. Actually I don’t mind getting your hate speech, bc I actually enjoyed whenever I see people struggle bc they jealous to me. My life is too blessed to mind your hate speech.

I don’t want to make enemies but I welcome you as my hater bc well... i’m quite interested in you tbh lol.

Also I would love to able to talk and be friends with all amazing cybird fan. So allow me to do simple introduction.

Hello, my name is Livi (23yo). I have pink haired Oc named Ichigo イチゴ (you can see her only in IG). I played all ikeseries game and Themis. I speak English and Japanese, I worked in japan division so my specialty is Japanese business language, I’m not familiar enough with Jude kansai dialect. But now I’m learning it bc I have clients from kansai. So yeah, I can understand Kantou/Tokyo Dialect well, but still learning for Kansai dialect.

My num 1 fav is Arthur from ikemen vampire, ive been his fan for almost 4 years (july 2020). I started loving Jude as my second April 2023. I’m a sharing person or 同担歓迎, so I definitely don’t mind if you love Arthur and Jude ! in fact, I love that we have same fav charas !

I’m a yumejoshi 夢女子, means I have an OC as myself to interact with charas I love. I’m also a merch collector, I collect both Arthur and Jude merchs. I’m P2P in ikevil and pls don’t ask how much I have spent for that damn new game :’). As a yumejoshi, I also have many commissions from amazing artist to draw my Oc with Jude and Arthur.

Feel free to be friends in game or follow each other in various social media !

I hope ikevil can gain more fans after ENG released.

And nice to meet you guys !

Lets support CYBIRD together from now on !

Best regards,

Livi

Ig : Arthur_Shrine22 and Jazzjude_13

[scummy-writes]

Fandoms often have sour spots like anon hate and such eventually, and while I know it is inevitable, instead of letting myself get too annoyed about it, I'd like to try and say some positives about some folks I enjoy seeing around in the cybird fandoms while recommending their blogs as well.

If you'd like, I strongly encourage others to reblog and mention folks that make you happy as well! Maybe I will find some new folks to check out too.

@not-krys is one for me, and encourages me to explore Ocs a lot more through the way she always shares her ocs and their relationships. (I may not post said Oc exploring, but it does happen in my freetime). I like her writing and I love how sweet it can be. She's also sweet as a person and I enjoy her company a lot.

@xxsycamore is another! Her positivity makes me feel more comfortable with trying to talk to others in the fandom as well, and makes me feel less anxious fandomwise. Her writing is great, to the point where I'll read characters I don't know or have no interest in just because the story idea she made appealed to me so much.

@beni-draw-ikemen-please was one of the first cybird related fanartists I followed. She doesn't draw for cybird games really anymore, and I miss her a ton, but I am so happy for the times I got to talk to her and was blessed to be able to buy some of her prints! I'm still trying to decide which ones to hang up in my new home, hehe. She was also very sweet, but now she's off to try new things and I hope she's doing well!

@pathofcomets has some of the best Isaac fanfics I've read. I even remember one every winter because of how much I loved it! She writes for other fandoms now, and I love her writing style so much. In private she's also been very encouraging of me in general, and I'm happy I got to meet her due to these games.

@writer-akihiko has angst that makes me cry, and others cry. I think he has a lot of great ideas, and writes for a few fandoms. If you enjoy angst, and some good smutty hcs, I do rec lookin at his blog.

@alby-rei is a sweetie and I love her writing, and the cute game she made (a wholeass game!!!!!) that is a Ikevamp rpg game made me so happy when I was playing it. I'm always happy to see her around and whatever new thing she is making!

There are some other folks that I am thankful for, or have been very inspired by, but I am too anxious to tag them! So I am going to link to their blogs instead so I do not bother them, while I also tag some more folks in a way that does not make this a miles long post:

Batteryrose, @ndoandou , @mrsmorgenstern, Atelieredux, arthotsglasses , @aaviav , rierru , @honeybyte , and many, many others!

(Lately I have also been very thankful for caffedrine , queen-dahlia , and viatagrinner for their translations with Gilbert's route/events!)

[dear-mrs-otome]

Tamamo - Main Story - Chp 02

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes if/when they come to English.

Yoshino is scandalized by Tamamo’s nonchalant offer, still reeling to catch up when he lets go of her and picks up a nearby obi, remarking on its beauty and asking her opinion. She agrees, and before she knows it Tamamo and the merchants are discussing all manner of clothing options and outfits for her.

She starts to protest, but is cut off by a finger from Tamamo, laid over her lips. “Hush now, and just leave everything to me.” His low voice scatters her thoughts, and he turns back to point out another combination, drawing compliments on his taste. 

Any other concerns she raises are immediately brushed aside by Tamamo, who insists he wants to see her in the nice clothes, and he turns her over to the merchants and staff who are happy to busy themselves dressing, rearranging ‘Lady Yoshino’s’ hair, and applying makeup.

Eagerly, they ask for her opinion after they finish, and she hesitates. “Um...it’s incredibly nice, but don’t you think it’s a bit too much for me?” She’s never worn such a beautiful, extravagant kimono before. 

“Ridiculous! It suits you perfectly,” they gush. “Isn’t that right, Lord Tamamo?”

“Yes,” he agrees with a smile, giving her such  slow once-over that her heart begins to flipflop. “Every bit as beautiful as I expected. It’s not as if your everyday appearance is lacking...but dressed like this, you’re even more lovely.”

She can’t keep the smile off her face at such flattery, as she searches for words to answer him. “Th-thank you. But I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Humility can sometimes be a shortcoming, no?” Tamamo reminds her, insisting once again that he’s not exaggerating when he says she is beautiful. As he does, he picks up a hair ornament of delicate tortoiseshell and cradles her face in one hand to steady it.

His proximity sets her nerves alight, as he slowly slides the piece into her hair, his fingers lingering for long moments. “There, good. That looks perfect.”

She says she has no idea, being unable to see it herself, and Tamamo insists that he be the judge of that - and tells the merchants they will take the hairpiece too. 

His words sweep her out of the fantasy and back to reality, remembering that there is no way she can afford any of these lovely garments or accessories. She wonders if Tamamo is even aware that humans exchange money for goods…

Only to be pulled out of her fretting by the merchant assuring them that what Tamamo has paid already will cover the hairpiece as well. He assures a shocked Yoshino that Tamamo has paid for everything, and as she look on in mute astonishment Tamamo and the merchant settle up and they politely take their leave.

“I have so many questions…” she begins, when everyone had finally shuffled out. “But most of all, why did you buy these new clothes?”

Tamamo insist though that it only makes sense if she’s going to be seen with him - and when she still protests he snags her by the waist and draws her close, a hand at her chin so that her gaze meets his as he reminds her that a good woman elevates the status of a man beside her...and now she fits the bill perfectly.

She only has time for a token complaint before he’s ushering the both of them out the door.

“Where are we going?” she manages, as they walk down the corridor, and he tells her they’re headed to town, his face alight with curiosity. She wonders aloud if it’s alright for them to go on their own, and Tamamo brushes aside the troublesome concept of ‘getting permission’. 

As they walk, she finally dares to voice the question that’s been nagging at her - it was real money he gave them, right? Not fake money that would turn into a leaf later or something? Tamamo laughs and says she’s been listening to old folktales too much, and she sags with relief.

“Oh, phew. I’m glad we didn’t commit some kind of crime or something…”

“Good grief, what exactly do you take me for?” His beautiful features crumple sadly, and guilt immediately stabs her as she hastens to apologize for her lack of understanding about ayakashi.

“Nothing to be done for it, you’re forgiven,” he replies, immediately cheered again.

She tries a different tactic, asking HOW he had money, and Tamamo tells her he’d negotiated pay from Yoritomo earlier in exchange for his ‘services’ as a ‘visitor from China’. She recalls that is their cover story for the vassals, but Tamamo corrects her - it could be true, in a way, given that he was born on the continent across the sea and made his way to Japan many many years ago.

“That’s amazing...all the way from across the sea!” she exclaims, thinking how it’s obvious once again just how experienced and worldly Tamamo is. 

“Yes. But this is my first time seeing Kamakura,” he tells her, brimming with curiosity as he eagerly pulls her in the direction of town again.

As they make it into Kamakura, they’re surrounded by the hustle and bustle of it all. They both marvel at the wealth of trade good from across the country and sea, and the array of foodstuffs. “Before I was sealed in the sesshou-seki* I was in the city of Kyoto, which was wonderful, but Kamakura has a charm all its own,” Tamamo observes. 

* -  the ‘sesshou-seki’ or ‘Killing Stone’ is the stone he was trapped in, referenced in the prologue and it is a real place to this day, in the Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

She tells him she’s envious he’s seen a place as distinguished as Kyoto and he discusses the difference between the two towns - one grand and steeped in age, the other vibrant and still full of potential. He’s so eager, she thinks how she can practically see his ears and tail twitching with excitement, despite their being hidden right now.

 

They wander town some more, Tamamo taking special note of the incense sellers, before they find themselves eventually at a tea shop, relaxing and sampling the sweets and tea available. They're both enjoying their food, as Tamamo tells her how ayakashi have no real need to eat - to them, it's just a pleasant diversion.

She's smiling and laughing, talking about how caught up in all the sights and sounds of Kamakura she'd gotten.

"I see...I'm glad," Tamamo smiles, and reaches out to cradle her cheek. "I'm happy you're feeling a little bit better." She stares at him in astonishment, and he goes on. "Did you not have a distraught expression at the shogun's manor?"

She's surprised and a little embarrassed that he saw all of that so easily, and she asks if that's perhaps why he wanted to go into town in the first place. He says he is in her debt after all, and doesn't want to see her under the weather.

She's touched that he was paying such close attention to her, and that it belies his seemingly mercurial and carefree nature. "Thank you, Tamamo," she tells him, smiling. 

He brushes it off cheerfully, as only natural that he'd be concerned over her, and then sobers to ask her what it was that had her so upset. She's hesitant at first, wondering if she can confide in him, but he seems so trustworthy that she finally does - telling him she'd been fretting over whether she'd ever be able to become friendly with the people of the shogunate.

He doesn't seem to see this as anything to be concerned over, and she wonders aloud if the thought doesn't bother him. 

"I choose to live alone," he tells her, seemingly unconcerned. "Ayakashi don't have friends."

"Oh really?" She looks at him curiously, thinking how even in the bright light of day outside of his extraordinary beauty Tamamo looks perfectly human. He seems very well acquainted with the ins and outs of humanity as well...but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't something completely different inside. 

Still, though...whether he's ayakashi or human, she can't help feeling as if she wants to get to know him better.

"Ayakashi lives are much longer than humans. Live long enough, and you get tired of the company of others," Tamamo tells her. 

"How old are you?" she asks him.

"Around 800 years old. I stopped keeping track after that," he replies. 

“Eight hundred?!” she yelps, stunned, but he just seems confused by her surprise.

“There’s no need to be so shocked, unless of course…” Tamamo takes her hand and presses a kiss to her fingertips, heat radiating from the touch of his lips on her skin as she tries not to short circuit entirely. “You dislike older men?”

<< Chapter 01 | Chapter 03 >> (TBC)

[archiveikemen]

"Ghost House Report" Story Event: Prologue

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Warnings & FAQ

One summer day, under the blazing sun.

We were travelling in a carriage headed to the location for one of Crown’s missions.

Kate: According to the map, the location is in this area. Let’s alight here.

…

— The mansion stood alone in the middle of a dense forest.

The garden, once blooming with seasonal plants, was now overgrown with weeds.

The building was in a terrible state with cracks running all over its outer walls.

Harrison: … So this is the mansion Victor told us to investigate.

Alfons: It indeed looks like it has a shady history.

Kate: This mansion has been abandoned ever since its last owner sold it, and no one has done any maintenance work on it for a long time…

Kate: Despite being uninhabited, there have been reports of crying being heard coming from it at night, so it’s known as a ghost house.

Roger: Ghost house… huh. Realistically speaking, ghosts don’t exist.

Kate: Yes. Victor mentioned that the voices that were occasionally heard were likely human, and not ghosts.

Kate: Someone sneaking into an uninhabited mansion could use it as a base for criminal activity.

Kate: That’s why we were instructed to investigate this matter.

Jude: *sigh*... Do we need this much manpower to investigate something with no solid evidence?

Roger: You could've stayed behind if that’s what you think, you know?

Jude: I have my own business with this mansion.

Kate: We only have today to investigate, that’s why so many of us are present. Please bear with it, Jude.

Jude: Tch…

Harrison: But one day is too rush.

Harrison: With a mansion this big, we should have more time to investigate it.

Kate: Now that you've mentioned it, it’s indeed odd…

Elbert: If I’m not mistaken… Will did say “I have a bad feeling about this, so it's best not to stay for long”.

Elbert: Victor might've taken his word for it.

Kate: W-What does he mean by “a bad feeling”...?

Alfons: Maybe there really are ghosts in the mansion.

Kate: No way…!

(I agreed to go on this mission without worry because I heard the “ghost house” thing was just a rumour…!)

Roger: What’s wrong? Scared of ghosts, little lady? Do you want to hold hands?

Kate: N-No…! I’m not scared at all!

Harrison: Yeah, that's a lie.

Kate: Ughh…

Jude: Bullshit… it doesn't matter whether there's ghosts or not.

Kate: It does! We could get cursed…

Roger: That’d be interesting. Then we’ll see what happens when the Cursed get cursed.

Jude: Ridiculous. What can dead people do to us? Quickly get investigating already.

…

With the key Victor gave us, we unlocked the heavy door and entered the mansion.

Kate: It’s kind of chilly here. Could there really be ghosts…?

Roger: This mansion has trees surrounding it that block the sunlight out, so it's not surprising that it’s cooler here.

Kate: R-Right! There’s no way there would be gho—

— Ghosts. Before I could complete my sentence, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Kate: …!?

Elbert: … A ghost?

Harrison: Probably just the wind.

Roger: Whatever it is, this is no place to be loitering around. Let’s get the investigation over and done with.

We spread out the floor plan of the mansion and started discussing which areas to delegate to each member.

(This place is too scary to investigate alone…)

(... Let me ask him to go with me.)

[natimiles]

SO LIKE... I'm a hoe for Theo and I will forever love his route even though I wish the story wasn't squeezed to death by a month. 😞

I wanna take a moment to to adore the fact that this grumpy ass guard dog has so much little brother energy I can't help, but scream (IRL I will be too scared too, but he's really funny when he's being bullied I'm sorry). I mean irl I'll probably bite his hand and tell him to leave me tf alone, but God he's adorable and scary with his older brother. I still feel heartbroken though because of... Well backstory reasons (if you know you know).

Alsoo.... I adore his frenemy... Probably bc he's my frenemy. My God I have such a love-hate feeling with this flirty mfer it's not even funny. I did legit hate him at first though and I still kinda do especially because he does creep me out a little with his flirting like... I get it's an act for the most part, but much like he hates how unreadable Dazai is, I honestly have a hard time reading him too. Still though, I feel really heartbroken for this dork. Yet I also wanna smack him in the face with a broom bc holy shit he needs a reality check. Like SIR this is not okay... Also I love the way this guy just had this pouty face, kinda makes me wanna bully him a little (even though I'll probably be to scared to bully him just like with Theo). Irl I'll probably absolutely hide from him though like the flag and absolutely wouldn't tolerate his attitude (I know he'll actually be understanding, but that'll take a long time to believe...) I feel bad, but like that's the honest truth.

I wanna befriend Issac, but I'll probably be scared to approach him. I mean we probably won't have much in common bc I'm anime/ manga/art-ish hoe, but something about him makes me wanna befriend him (possibly marry him)? He just looks so friend SHAPED even though he hates it...

Also I hc Levi with gifted kid burnout (totally not bc I'm sorta projecting myself onto him). Bro undervalues himself way too much... I was also gonna add that IRL every brother in the game will probably hate me solely bc I absolutely have no confidence and I rather hide especially to due the fact that I'll be far from home. 💀 I also probably be too scared to talk to Levi and Mammon even though I love them very much. Idk as much as I like tsun-tsun, I genuinely be to dense to understand and absolutely to sensitive to the shit they'll say.

Sill though, Levi is an mood and if I manage to not be... A weirdo, I'll probably get along with him the most ( even though he'll be yelling at me to finish the fucking manga properly). Mammon though... I love this dumbass, I truly do, but I swear we'll drive each other insane.

Also adore Levi when he's cocky (even if it'll start sting), I just swoon over a character who lost his confidence finally getting it. It's just.... Amazing. Mammon being the big bro... 😭 Oh how my heart burst.

YES! Let’s all agree that ONE MONTH IS TOO SHORT! At least Ikesen MC had 3 months before deciding to stay in the past. It bugs me that we have such a short time with them. I understand they didn’t want really long routes or whatever, but... damn Cybird, ONE MONTH? But it’s still better than ELEVEN DAYS, right? Yes, I’m talking TO YOU, Mystic Messenger.

HASIUEHASIUEHAS, he calls us hondje but he is such a puppy! Like Vincent just goes “Be nice, Theo. Shut it, Theo” and he just “Fine, Broer…” HIUSAHEAUISHESAIUH. But yeah, I know! It’s been a while, but I played his routes... Interlude helped a little to remember some things. And damn… it’s a lot to take in and develop IN ONE MONTH, CYBIRD! For both of them, really. I hate Vincent’s ending Irl I’d probably not get too close to Theo but not because he scares me, but because he’s rude HASIEHASIUE.

I. LOVE. ARTHUR. This bitch has so many issues. He’s another puppy that just wants (and needs) to be loved 🥹 And I love their relationship! Frenemies? Yes! Besties? Yes! Best wingmans for each other? Yes! LOVERS? FUCKING YES! I wanna smack his face with my face. Or with Theo’s face, whoever is closer, HASIUEHASUIEHSA. But even if it's a platonic relationship, Arthur is such a good friend. He really cares for others… He’s the one who helps Theo in Interlude and it’s precious 🥹

Me and Isaac don’t have anything in common. Would that stop me? Absolutely not. Just come here and let me love you, you awkward hedgehog! I LIVE TO LOVE SHY MEN! He would be a good friend too! If he considers you a friend, it means so much to him! But I’d rather marry him, HAISUEHASUIHESA. And we would bond over the things we like, even if they’re so different. I like the stars, but I don’t know much about them, so he could teach me. And I could tell him about all my favorite animes, mangas and games. 

Ooooh! I searched for it and… I can totally see Levi! People tend to think Satan is the only one that’s actually smart, but they all are smart in their own ways. I feel Levi is not appreciated enough, even in-game. Sometimes he’s there just to be funny and to be the awkward, shy guy. My baby doesn’t deserve that, he deserves so much love. Also, I think Mammon totally has ADHD. He’s good with math, as long as you explain it to him as if you were talking about money (his hyperfocus). Belphie is smart too, he sleeps in every class and he still has good grades. 

Irl I’d get closer to Levi and Beel first. I love cooking, so Beel would love me quickly. I wouldn’t help Belphie because I’d obey Lucifer and stay away from the attic, HAISEHASIUEHSA. Mammon is the type of friend I could have and that I would want to kill every 2 seconds, but I couldn’t leave him alone or he’d get in trouble and get himself killed. But out of everyone, I think Solomon is more the type of friend I usually have? I don’t know why though, I just have this feeling about him, AHSIEUHASUIEHSA.

I LIVE FOR A COCKY AND CONFIDENT LEVI! Gimme moooooore! I was looking at some random screenshots I have here and I found one of him, I think it’s from that beach Devilgram. The one we have an animation from him… I don’t know the name, HAIUEHASUIEHSA. But the point is: Levi can be assertive and confident when he really wants (or needs) to!

Ignore the awful quality. I had to play at the lowest quality because my phone wasn't the best at the time, AHSIUEHSA.

[tearsofcloud]

I’ve only played two games by Cybird, ー Ikemen Sengoku and Ikemen Vampire ー but the issue with their games is clear. They launch a new interesting game, decently designed characters and artwork, famous voice actors, cute dressing options and fun storyline. It’s no secret i’ve enjoyed the games a lot, but after they’ve milked their fanbase the quality of the game simply declines with time. Either more characters are released to bring up hype and attention back to the game or the game is left neglected of the quality it once was present. 

Ikemen Sengoku had many characters being released when the number was already high to start with, so new character routes lacked the old characters making appearances-   because there wasn’t enough time in the route for it.  Things went down by a new level when Kennyo’s route was released. In the western fanbase the route didn’t have a good reaction to spoilers and translations of the original version of a particular chapter where the main character has it’s clothes torn and is groped by the male interest. 

I never liked the character and already had issues with the drop of quality in the game by then so I did not bother to play it. 

Things didn’t get any better with the release of new characters and a new route, because they used the same recipe as before. Motonari’s character is mean to be the type of character that only wishes to see the world burn, and this is not exactly a bad troupe, but it is very badly executed. To me his character is despicable, but not written good enough in a way that would render me interested in it. 

In addition his route is more of the same where the fetish of being humiliated and mistreated is used to attract the audience. While Kennyo’s actions in his route were meet with disgust, the formula seemed to work very well within Motonari’s route and was well received by many in the english speaking fanbase. I’m not here to judge anyone’s fetishes but back then I had not expected the game to take this route and being so honest about it.

Along with it came the tirelessly repetition of the same events. The stories barely different from each other, with the same couple words being repeated to the main character by the suitors. 

The very, very bad work they did with the translations. The extremely annoying unnecessary amount of sassiness coming out from the main character’s mouth and thoughts, many which are then immediately contradicted by the actions of which the original story was written. 

Basically changing her thoughts for English localization but maintaining her actions because they are not allowed to write or change the original storyline. This makes the heroine appear to be either hypocrite or straight up stupid.  And in routes as well as events this was an issue along with the addition of unnecessary english-centric references and short-lived internet memes and jokes inserted in it, which just age very badly. 

Ikemen Vampire seems to be an excellent game that also declined in quality with time and even with routes still being released, each year that passes there is less and less players. I’ll leave Ikevamp for another post since this one is too long already. 

[aromantic-misguide-to-romance]

There are so many issues with Voltage that make them extremely unreliable that just yeeting a game onto the market with no advertising or promotion whatsoever is the smallest of the problems honestly.

Before I start, I need to also mention, that it's not just Voltage losing its fandom. Route otomes seem to be now outdated as a genre on the mobile market. I believe it has something to do with card gacha games taking the niche. Those games offer a longer investment in the love interest and are very expensive and time-consuming. A card gacha won't leave much time and money left for anything else and they have a faster pace with more to aim for than other, even theoretically stingier gachas.

The purge that AppStore and Play Store did a few years ago didn't help either (Voltage seems to have been largely spared but those two stores basically wiped out the entire genre at some point with only the biggest companies spared). Abracadabra Inc. was entirely nuked overnight and never recovered, Okko aggregated their stories in Honey Magazine, that is much more paywalled than standalones were and never made it back to the old grace either, Solmare survived but eventually shutdown and deleted most of their SWD games sometime later.

Now, back to Voltage.

First, Voltage releases EN localisations with discontinuation in mind. When Lovestruck and the US subsidiary of Voltage went down, I read some of Voltage's financial reports and plans. The company isn't actually interested in running global games - their main method is to ditch old ones for new ones. AyakashiRR was doing decently (and it's absolutely active in JP), but because Voltage prioritises new releases and doesn't keep too many active games, it got discontinued to make room for MirPri. One of the currently running games will be replaced as well with a new app at some point (I bet on CoD or MirPri). That did not make me want to invest in anything released by Voltage ever again - it comes with an expiry date their JP apps don't have, and that a relatively popular and profitable game can be replaced by a new title.

I belive that people from neighbouring Voltage fandoms do notice that the company ditched a game and theirs might not be safe either. Who would invest in a game that's already on borrowed time?

Especially considering there's no promotion or advertising, it seems very deliberate. Voltage releases games basically exclusively to the same playerbase - a playerbase that already got burned or scared. Voltage is basically setting the localisations to fail. And I would bet that's why they're also not lowering the prices or requirements for MirPri. If something isn't meant to last, it doesn't have to be friendly enough to keep the playerbase invested. They absolutely do know that keeping it as expensive as in the original won't work because they lowered costs in AyakashiRR and made several cost adjustments when it was still ongoing. They know that and I believe they have a very good idea why they're doing what they're doing in MirPri and what for.

And lastly something that offends probably exclusively me: the Switch ad games. Games released there are incomplete, just to be an ad for the Love 365 app. Those games are often barely described, with only character list and how much of the route it covers, in a way that's virtually uncheckable without the app. (They're still cheaper than buying the same in the app... they're still cut halfway to make you go to the app to buy the rest of the route so there you have it.)

It's not just Voltage, I'm rather not going to touch anything new by Solmare or Cybird either (those two have their own offence lists) because of how they treat players. Not investing to just see another shutdown.

Voltage Inc Games...

So in my eleven years of otome gaming I played almost all of Voltage Inc games (also tried various companies including cybird and several indie games on steam.). I still play a lot games, mostly voltage inc games, and today I was thinking of their reduced player number... and nonexistent fandom. I see a few hearts and reblogs for cod and some for SLBP but their recent app MirPri? No one seems to be playing this lovely game. Of course not every player might have a tumblr account... Even so cant help but feel Voltage isnt garnering as much attention as it should.

i once again truly feel voltage should change its policies

like they have to reduce the PP required to clear main routes... They can keep the events hard to clear but main routes, do average players have that much patience...? yes you want folks to spend but how many can? and to how much extent? I spend with regrets, I always overspend and I know a few others like me and a few more others who are rich enough to afford every event but seriously... they need to rethink their strategies and get more people to play their games if they don't want to shut off their games prematurely

Marketing strategy is a real thing. As a book writer I learnt it the hard way that initially for a rookie author, low priced books are more likely to sell. You can't expect to write a massive book and wish people will buy. If you want to reach more you have to rethink your strategies

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Kicho's Main Story Romantic Epilogue

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Spoilers under the cut. Expect grammatical errors.

Kicho looked up from the letter as the hands of the clock ticked.

Kicho: “I see.”

Mai: “Um, what did it say?”

Kicho: “Just what you imagined.”

Kicho: “He said he’d love to have you play the leading role in his next show.”

Mai: “I knew it!”

Kicho: “Why did this happen in the first place? You’re in charge of the costumes, right?”

Mai: “I also have no idea.”

We both decided to live in a foreign country and after we found a place to live, we looked for a job.

He got invited to work as a merchant by a man he had become acquainted with through his work as a trade manager, while I got a job as a seamstress.

And this time, I was asked by a troupe to make costumes for a play.

(Hmm. What was the discussion I had with everyone during the meeting again?)

Mai: “Ah...!”

Kicho: “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

Mai: “We couldn’t communicate well because the client wasn’t familiar with Japanese, so I asked someone else to interpret for me.”

Kicho: “Maybe that’s it. Some wrong info must have been passed on to the other side somewhere.”

Mai: “This is bad. I don’t know anything about acting.”

Mai: “I don’t wanna ruin the show, so I’ll refuse the offer tomorrow.”

Kicho: “I see.”

Mai: “What’s wrong?”

Kicho: “Based on this letter, it looks like he has high expectations of you.”

Kicho: “It also says that the survival of the troupe is at stake.”

Mai: “Hey, that’s just too much pressure!”

(There’s no way I could refuse if he said it like that.)

Kicho reached for the script enclosed with the letter, flipped through it, and sighed.

Kicho: “A typical story, but one that many will like.”

Kicho: “A princess from a foreign country hides her identity and meets a civilian man, eventually falling in love with him.”

Kicho: “But the truth is, he’s the prince of that country, and despite all the conflicts, they end up being together.”

Mai: “A princess, huh? Now I’ve lost all confidence to play that role.”

Kicho: “Have you forgotten? You’re the princess of the Oda clan in Japan.”

Mai: “That was just a title given to me. There’s nothing princess-like about me at all.”

Kicho: “I see. Then, how about experiencing it yourself?”

Mai: “Experience it...?

Kicho: “Even if the princess hid her identity, she would’ve at least had one of her servants.”

Kicho: “I can’t provide a castle, but I can recreate the situation the characters are in.”

(Um, is that...?)

He squinted his eyes as he looked straight at me, still confused.

Kicho: “Princess. I’m at your service.”

(Alright, today was a success.)

I breathed out in relief as I quietly closed the door.

(I woke up before him. I should finish getting ready.)

(Hmm?)

Suddenly feeling uneasy, I looked around the room and saw wrinkle-free clothes hanging on the wall and a set of combs in front of the mirror stand.

(Could it be...?)

Kicho: “Your demeanor changed dramatically in just a few days.”

Mai: “Kicho, you’re awake?”

(How? I made sure he was sleeping and didn’t make a sound when I got out of bed.)

Kicho: “It’s only natural that your servant should be awake before his master.”

Kicho: “Please come this way.”

He pulled out a chair in front of the mirror stand and urged me to go there.

Mai: “I’ll leave it to you then.”

I sat down as he told me, and I could feel him carefully combing my hair.

(Failed again today. He’s always one step ahead of me.)

It had been a few days since he started treating me like a princess.

Everything was so perfect that the only thing I did on my own was breathe.

And after a few days like that, I started to feel bad, more than comfortable.

(I’m honestly happy that he’s taking care of me.)

(I’m really happy, but I’m honestly not used to this kind of thing.)

Mai: “Um, Kicho.”

Kicho: “What is it?”

Mai: “We agreed yesterday that you’d return to your normal tone of voice.”

Mai: “How about starting today, we return to our usual morning routine?”

Kicho: “After finishing this, let’s have breakfast. I already prepared it last night.”

(Did he just ignore me?)

Surprised, I looked at his face in the mirror.

Kicho: “............”

Mai: “!”

He smiled and kissed my hair in his hand, making me blush and speechless.

(I feel bad, but honestly, these things are bad for my heart.)

(My heart’s been pounding all day about him.)

After eating our breakfast, we went into town to do some shopping.

Kicho: “I think we have everything we need. Is there anything else?”

Mai: “Yes. Can we buy something for my work?”

Mai: “I’m about to run out of accessories for the costume, so I want to add more.”

Kicho: “I see. Well, let’s go to the street over there.”

Kicho: “I believe they have the best selection.”

Kicho said this and held out his hand toward me.

Mai: “Huh?”

Kicho: “Just because we’re out in the open doesn’t mean I’ll stop.”

Mai: "I-I see. Thank you."

(He was trying to escort me.)

(It was so natural that I didn't get it for a second.)

I was about to take his hand when一

???: "Lady Mai!"

(Hm?)

I stopped and turned around to see a familiar woman and a foreign young man.

Kicho: "Do you know her?"

Mai: "Yes, she's the translator who helped me the other day at the costume meeting."

Mai: "I think the person beside her is probably her acquaintance."

I bowed lightly, and the woman walked up to me, smiling brightly.

Woman: "What a coincidence, Lady Mai. I've actually been looking for you."

Mai: "Huh? Is there something you need?"

Woman: "Yes. This is the person I told you about, your prince."

Mai: "----!"

The man standing next to her squinted his eyes and greeted me.

(I see. He's the prince in the upcoming play.)

(He wasn't at the meeting the other day, so I wonder if he came all the way here to see me.)

As I was wondering how to respond, Kicho took a step forward.

Kicho: "Mai, it's okay. I'll translate for you."

Mai: "Thank you."

(We won’t have the same misunderstanding we had the other day.)

Relieved, I greeted him casually, and Kicho spoke to both of us.

(I guess he’s used to it because of his job. He’s so natural, confident, and so cool, but一)

Despite the friendly atmosphere, a nagging feeling hung on the back of my chest.

(What’s this feeling? I freaking hate it.)

(I feel like walking away from this place right now.)

(Oh...)

Suddenly, the hand holding my hand tightened.

(I shouldn’t have done that. My expression was about to darken even though we were just talking.)

(He’s going to be my colleague, so I have to be firm.)

After we finished greeting each other, Kicho and I continued shopping.

By the time we made our way home, it was already dark.

Mai: “Sorry. I didn’t expect to stay in that store this long.”

Kicho: “Don’t worry about it. It’s good that you’re working hard.”

Kicho: “Above all, I’m sure you were able to make a satisfying purchase that was worth the trouble.”

Mai: “True. I’m sure the costumes will look great.”

Mai: “It’s just...”

Kicho: “You mean your role?”

He looked at me and said this.

Mai: “Even if it started from a misunderstanding, I want to do my best because they’re relying on me.”

Mai: “That’s what I thought.”

Kicho: "Is it different now?"

Mai: "I dunno."

The hazy feeling I felt earlier remained.

However, I still didn't know what triggered it, so I couldn't give him an answer.

(He's helping me out, so I need to get my shit together.)

(I need to do my best and finish the job.)

Kicho: "Then, just say no."

Mai: "What?"

Kicho: "I'll write a letter and find a replacement. Fortunately, I have connections."

Kicho: "If you're feeling sad about it, you should put your own feelings first before the convenience of others."

Mai: "My feelings...?"

Kicho: "Even if someone blames you for it, I'll protect you because you are, above all else, my irreplaceable, one and only princess."

Mai: "............"

His sweet words, which sounded like something you might hear in a story, made my heart race.

Mai: "Thank you very much, Kicho."

Mai: "Then let me think about it tonight."

Kicho: "Yeah. Let's go back then."

Mai: "Okay."

Nodding, we intertwined our fingers and started to walk away.

The next morning.

(Okay, today's the day.)

Bracing myself, I quietly closed the door and hurried to the mirror to comb my hair, change my clothes, then prepare the meal.

(I wonder if Kicho will wake up soon.)

As I put a freshly cooked egg on a plate while looking at the clock on the wall一

Kicho: "I knew it."

Mai: "Morning. I see you noticed the clothes I left for you."

Kicho: "Yeah, I guess this is the right choice."

Mai: "Fufu, that's correct. Well then, please come here."

I pulled a chair from the dining room table and urged him to sit down, which he did, still looking confused.

Kicho: "What the hell is this all about?"

Mai: "It's only natural to wake up first to take care of my lover."

Kicho: "In other words, there’s no longer any need for you to play the role."

Mai: "Yes. I got my answer right away last night."

Mai: "No matter what I do, I can't play that role."

Mai: "I can't do it unless it's you."

Mai: "Even if it's just a story, I can't imagine being with someone else."

Kicho: "I see. So that's why you had that dark look on your face."

He smirked and looked at me happily.

Kicho: “I know how you feel. Then I’ll have to arrange a replacement for you.”

Kicho: “But first...”

Mai: “Ah...”

He put his hand around the back of my head and pulled me closer.

As soon as our lips met, we kissed two or three more times.

Mai: “Nn...Kicho...”

I could clearly see Kicho’s face as he squinted his eyes seductively.

But before I could admire his beauty, his hot tongue slipped between my lips.

Mai: “Ahh...ngh...”

Kicho: “Nnn...Mai...”

His sensual kisses almost drain me of my strength.

Perhaps sensing this, he put his arms around my waist and placed me on his lap.

Mai: “Mnn...w-what’s wrong?”

(Normally, he never asks for anything so suddenly like this.)

Kicho: “Nothing. I just want to make you feel love.”

Kicho: “I’m not a prince, but you, my love, give your heart and soul to me.

Mai: “That’s not true, ah...”

We began kissing deeply again, and we said no more words.

He gently stroked my head, almost melting me with his devouring kisses.

(Being loved like this makes it even harder to go back, so I want to fall in love even more.)

Mai: “Kicho. I love you. I love you so much.”

Kicho: “Yeah. Me too, Mai.”

I was sure I looked far from a princess now, but that didn’t matter anymore.

Kicho: “The theater is just down the street? It’s pretty crowded.”

Mai: “The troupe is so popular. Everyone in this town knows them now.”

One month after I turned down the lead role, the substitute actress Kicho had arranged to fill in my place, performed splendidly, and made the play a huge success.

Today, we received an invitation to that play as a thank-you for our help with the costumes and casting.

Mai: “Still, it looks like most attendees are lovers.”

Mai: “Everywhere I look, there are lots of couples like that.”

Kicho: “You’re right. We probably look like that from their perspective, too.”

He said this and lightly lifted our clasped hands.

(I see. Not only in my heart, but in the eyes of those around us, he and I are lovers.)

(I know it’s obvious, but realizing it makes me happy.)

Mai: “There’s only one person who can take my hand.”

Kicho: “And I have no intention of giving it to anyone else.”

Kicho: “I’ll escort you for the rest of your life.”

Mai: “Yes!”

Feeling happier than anyone else, I walk beside Kicho to the theater where the curtain of the love story is about to rise.

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