Favourite Romance Options

[Zarok]

So who is your favourite romance option so far?

[NightingaleMuse]

!. Reese - Mainly because there's a lot of variety of how you can approach this romance without even being Hot. The shy virgin route, the seductive tempter route, the 'there's romance if you squint' route... It even has 3 different lock in types.

2. Oscar/Stella - Currently tied. I'm almost 40, so I've been finding myself more attracted to older love interests since being into younger boys is getting a little... Fortunately, it's more a matter of who my avatar likes than who I like, so I can still play the high school romance VNs. Also the single father thing appeals to my maternal instincts it seems based on some other dating sims I've played. Stella's gotten a LOT of screen time, so it's only natural that I develop favor towards her. She's kinda like the 'marry your best friend' type of love interest so dating her looks like it would be fun.

3. Avery - I dig their chillax groove. If they are good at music and have a great voice, that would be a plus cause I'm a big time musicphile. I also think they may be 50/50 on the 'secret traitor who works for the villain but ends up with you in the end' kind of thing. Atleast if this was a Tales game, they has all the signs.

4. Wayne - That mystery, devotion, and protectiveness... and I'm ace so the state of his body doesn't really matter all that much because I'm not into bedroom activities.

5. Dr. Kelly - The name is on the survey so I'll throw it on here. If this is honestly a legit romance, I want my Hot Casanova Sacrificed Years character to hook up with her, because they are cute as buck together. Also like with Oscar, she's older and Reese would be my kid. She's not as hot as Oscar IMO though.

6. Kaneeka - While she gets a lot of screen time, something about her doesn't interest me romantically. I think it's the same reason I liked Makoto in Persona 5, but I didn't pick her as my favored love interest. She reminds me too much of me. I don't want to date myself.

I know Sybil's also on the survey, but I'm really not feeling anything for it or for my characters. Might make a new character for the sole purpose once the game is finished just to try it out, assuming something doesn't interest one of my characters enough to pursue her in future chapters.

[Kurozora Konoi]

Escrito originalmente por NightingaleMuse:

!. Reese - Mainly because there's a lot of variety of how you can approach this romance without even being Hot. The shy virgin route, the seductive tempter route, the 'there's romance if you squint' route... It even has 3 different lock in types.

Huh, what are the other lock-in types?
In my playthrough my MC didn't wait in the basement, didn't take the tranqs, tried to help Reese in the fight, and then held him after he dealt with the doc.
As for the romance approach, not exactly bold cause inexperienced, so a bit awkward in general, but still certain of what he wants (in case it's relevant).

[NightingaleMuse]

Escrito originalmente por Kurozora Konoi:

Escrito originalmente por NightingaleMuse:

!. Reese - Mainly because there's a lot of variety of how you can approach this romance without even being Hot. The shy virgin route, the seductive tempter route, the 'there's romance if you squint' route... It even has 3 different lock in types.

Huh, what are the other lock-in types?
In my playthrough my MC didn't wait in the basement, didn't take the tranqs, tried to help Reese in the fight, and then held him after he dealt with the doc.
As for the romance approach, not exactly bold cause inexperienced, so a bit awkward in general, but still certain of what he wants (in case it's relevant).

1) Tame the Beast - The Beauty and the Beast standard favored way of this kind of pairing. Can even call Tabitha so you get the badass 'don't touch my boyfriend' dialogue option. This fits the 'I know you're good and kind even if you look like a beast' approach to the romance.

2) Stayed in the Basement - You don't witness the carnage, but you tell him you like him how he is and he'll comment he prefers being this way. This could be more of an 'embrace the monster' or 'I like bad boys' approach to the romance.

3) I'd Still Hit That - Close your eyes or not, you know he just killed his mom. You embrace him in a cooldown hug as he seems to BSOD and the rage has waned and he runs off in panic. This has more of an 'I know you still have humanity in you' and 'I can fix you' approach to the romance.

I'm probably projecting my characters' impressions with all 3, so other people may interpret these interactions differently. Also Beauty and the Beast has always been my all-time favorite Disney movie, so I have a VERY strong bias for these kinds of romances.

[Kurozora Konoi]

Aah, I see! Yeah, makes sense.
Though I don't really see the last one (which is the one I got, then) as a "I can fix you" option - the way I see it, it can just as well fit the tone you gave the first or second option to be honest, depending on surrounding character choices and what not. Though my character being really respectful of boundaries and in a mindset that "people know better what's good for them than I'd know", he wouldn't dream of "fixing" someone, but rather he simply accepted that's what Reese is (and agreed with the fact what the doc was doing to him was inhumane - I really liked the fact we could ask her if she doesn't think this is a self-fulfilling prophecy).

But I guess that shows just how much customization there is in the game - as we give a very different tone to the same outcome.

[Zarok]

So far in myself I've become a fan of Stella cause she seems to be really nice and tries to see the best in everyone. She just has this really kind personality despite everything that's happened to her.

[whitneygal]

Escrito originalmente por Zarok:

So far in myself I've become a fan of Stella cause she seems to be really nice and tries to see the best in everyone. She just has this really kind personality despite everything that's happened to her.

Stella is such a sweetheart, and I love basically every interaction with her. She was my first LI during my first playthrough.

But I really want to see her date Tabby instead!! They seem like they'd be happy together.

[whitneygal]

Escrito originalmente por NightingaleMuse:

2. Oscar/Stella - Currently tied. I'm almost 40, so I've been finding myself more attracted to older love interests since being into younger boys is getting a little...

I hear you. I'm over 40, and twenty-somethings do not appeal to me. I haven't even tried to romance anyone besides Oscar, Dr. Kelly, and Wayne.

Reese is an absolute no-go, even if he were older. Spare me the tortured emo artist routine. I'll be over here with Oscar instead, having a quiet evening discussing books and petting Pixel.

[Catabholic]

Reese for me all the way.

Not a monster lover, but oddly wasn't a turn off when he ''flared up''. Really cool design, lowkey ''hot'' in some sprites.
Was a bit eh at first, but grew to like the monster version pretty fast.
He seems fairly harmless, even considering, or at least I don't fear him turning against my MC, as long as I don't try to cage/control him. Maybe he'll hurt us accidently, but I'm not worried much about that either.

Will be cool to see how it works out and how well he can control being whatever he is.
Or see how much you have to intervene to calm him down/if he does end up killing someone by accident or on purpose depending on previous choices and acquire traits (open, reliable, passive, etc).
Either to protect MC or just cuz of what he is.
Not sure where he'll stay though, loose in the forest or a cave or in our garden shed or whatnot.

I personally also really like the kinda dead inside, weirdo emo vibe and grotesque art thing going on with him.
Idk how much will change from not being on ''medication'' anymore, but like what's happened with him so far.

[skiv1]

I do not see Reese as an appealing romance option at all. Because he is basically a (tragic version of a) psychiatric patient who decided to stop taking his meds without consulting his doctor, thus he experiences a psycotic episode, his hallucinations return and he becomes aggressive, only in his case the hallucinations become real and the aggression takes a monstrous form. I don't know about others, but I don't like the idea of dating a mentally unstable person who, while being nice and affable while taking his or her meds, starts hallucinating and becomes aggressive to others should he or she decide get off his or her meds for some reason.

[Chillaxing]

Escrito originalmente por skiv1:

Because he is basically a (tragic version of a) psychiatric patient who decided to stop taking his meds without consulting his doctor

That phrasing sounds a bit... iffy to me. Reese was never told what his "medication" was or what his affliction was beyond vague terms, his treatment being more or less imposed on him, and on top of that, he learns that he was basically being secretely poisoned on a daily basis for at least a decade. Of course he'd refuse to take his "meds".

To me, consulting implies that both parties are aware of the situation and make a conscious choice of using medication. In the Kelly case, though, one side ultimately had more information than the other.

[skiv1]

Escrito originalmente por Chillaxing:

Escrito originalmente por skiv1:

Because he is basically a (tragic version of a) psychiatric patient who decided to stop taking his meds without consulting his doctor

That phrasing sounds a bit... iffy to me. Reese was never told what his "medication" was or what his affliction was beyond vague terms, his treatment being more or less imposed on him, and on top of that, he learns that he was basically being secretely poisoned on a daily basis for at least a decade. Of course he'd refuse to take his "meds".

To me, consulting implies that both parties are aware of the situation and make a conscious choice of using medication. In the Kelly case, though, one side ultimately had more information than the other.

Yes, exactly. That is why I'm saying Reese is the TRAGIC version. And yes, I agree that the phrasing is "iffy", but that's because the situation and circumstances he is forced into are messed up.

Also he is suffering every day of his living. And I suspect that his daily suffering was fuelling the carving in the hospital.

[Zarok]

I feel like with Reese between suddenly turning into a monster which he hasn't had time to adjust to there's the fact his mother has been poisoning him and lying to him most of his life and he had to live in the basement of his house cause she convinced him he was sick cause she was scared of what he might possibly do. It's kind of nice where if you calm him down he says "I'm not a monster" before he leaves. I'm hoping he'll change enough to at least let go of what his mother did to him. I find the most interesting response to his mother when she talks of what if he hurts someone "isn't it kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy?" it seems like what made him dangerous was her doing that to him out of fear of what he could do. Instead of trying to help understand that he has to be careful and not hurt people she chose to poison him and hide the truth.

[Kurozora Konoi]

Escrito originalmente por Zarok:

I feel like with Reese between suddenly turning into a monster which he hasn't had time to adjust to there's the fact his mother has been poisoning him and lying to him most of his life and he had to live in the basement of his house cause she convinced him he was sick cause she was scared of what he might possibly do. It's kind of nice where if you calm him down he says "I'm not a monster" before he leaves. I'm hoping he'll change enough to at least let go of what his mother did to him. I find the most interesting response to his mother when she talks of what if he hurts someone "isn't it kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy?" it seems like what made him dangerous was her doing that to him out of fear of what he could do. Instead of trying to help understand that he has to be careful and not hurt people she chose to poison him and hide the truth.

I LOVE the fact we can actually ask her if she doesn't think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy!
It's the answer I go with, and I'm glad it's an option.
I'm just sad in the case of my playthrough, I can't calm him down. Though I also sort of like the poetic retribution in that scenario.

[skiv1]

Well doctor Kelly's situation is also quite awful to be in and I personally do not what else she could have done. Imagine your only child suddenly turning into a monster and becoming aggressive while at it. First of all, to what extend would you freak out? And afterwards, how are you going to explain him or her the effect this condition of his or her will have on his or her life? How will you tell him that in the eyes of other people he or she is basically a freak and will not be able to have a normal life among humans? How will you explain him or her that in the best case scenario he or she will be locked up at some research facility and in the worst case - simply killed? Yes, Reese was isolated and sedated (not poisoned, mind you,
since with him not being completely human the plant had a different effect), but under his mother he at least grew up into a fine young man you really would not mind to be friends with and who had two good friends in Stella and Kaneeka. And his mother being afraid he might attack someone? How can she be sure he would not? And if, god forbid, he does, then she - a person who gave a pledge to save lives, would also have blood on her hands for letting him go. I mean, even if the MC with "Hot" trait manages to calm him down, we still cannot be 100% sure he would always keep telling himself "I am not a monster". Not to mention that other people will definitely see him as a monster and now he is all alone there in the wild.

So I think there are no good resolutions to the conflict between him and his mother. Him not killing her and simply leaving is just the least bad option.

[Kurozora Konoi]

Escrito originalmente por skiv1:

Well doctor Kelly's situation is also quite awful to be in and I personally do not what else she could have done. Imagine your only child suddenly turning into a monster and becoming aggressive while at it. First of all, to what extend would you freak out? And afterwards, how are you going to explain him or her the effect this condition of his or her will have on his or her life? How will you tell him that in the eyes of other people he or she is basically a freak and will not be able to have a normal life among humans? How will you explain him or her that in the best case scenario he or she will be locked up at some research facility and in the worst case - simply killed? Yes, Reese was isolated and sedated (not poisoned, mind you,
since with him not being completely human the plant had a different effect), but under his mother he at least grew up into a fine young man you really would not mind to be friends with and who had two good friends in Stella and Kaneeka. And his mother being afraid he might attack someone? How can she be sure he would not? And if, god forbid, he does, then she - a person who gave a pledge to save lives, would also have blood on her hands for letting him go. I mean, even if the MC with "Hot" trait manages to calm him down, we still cannot be 100% sure he would always keep telling himself "I am not a monster". Not to mention that other people will definitely see him as a monster and now he is all alone there in the wild.

So I think there are no good resolutions to the conflict between him and his mother. Him not killing her and simply leaving is just the least bad option.

Well, this is the general reason why I never say that one or other situation here is "good". It's messed up in general. So, having a MC with the hot trait is the less bad outcome, yeah - which is basically the goal of the trait related outcomes.
And it's also why I usually don't try to analyze the situation "as myself". It's not as if I was in the game facing these situations, it's my MC - and I take things in stride from the perspective of my MC, so to speak. Now, of course, Reese is MY favorite love interest in the game, but any further opinions are mostly based around my MC's perspective.

With that being said, I'm not one to really mind "what ifs"... What I mean is that I don't think it's relevant to think about the kind of person Reese would be had his mother not treated him like she did. Ultimately, he is the person that he is, and he did suffer from what his mother did, and that's the relevant situation here. I'm not saying it's not valid to see things any other way and to take the what ifs into account, but that's simply not how I approach these kinds of situations, if that makes sense?
Now, no matter if we take what ifs or not into account, and no matter my MC's perspectives, there is one thing I 100% don't agree with here, and that's saying Joan didn't poison her son. Him not being human doesn't mean she didn't poison him. Sure, her aim was not to kill, but ultimately that's not necessarily always the case. Sometimes criminals poison people to keep them weak and under their control, for example - that's still poisoning the person, even if they don't kill them.

So yeah, my personal opinion is that Joan didn't deserve to die, even though I do see that as poetic retribution like mentionned before, and I 100% think she had good intentions, but I still consider she did poison her son and that it's perfectly normal not to forgive her for what she did.

Ultimately, we can go back to what I said at the start - yup, it's a messed up situation.
But it's sort of what makes that interesting in general. I'm very curious as to how the romance aspect will come into play in the future.