You've died.You can't quite remember how it happened, you remember screaming and the crunching noise of metal on metal. You remember feeling pain and scared for only a split second. The glitter of crushed glass beneath your collapsing body. And then... Then what?Then nothing.You die and then you wake up. Cold silk. The soft drip of rain drops against large windows. The muffled, chaotic heartbeat of a grand estate in full movement, like a buzzing hive. People laughing all around you, you're surrounded by a crowd of men and women dressed in elegant clothes; talking to you, smiling to you, vying for your attention.You flinch, and everything is wrong: the portrait on the wall, the candlelight, your dress... You know these details. You've seen them before... not in life, but in fiction.So shocked, in fact, that you've dropped the glass of wine you'd been holding mere seconds before, and it breaks on impact, splashing the wide, long skirt of your dress with red like a blood stain. Everyone's attention is on you. And a handsome man with dark hair and dressed in an old-fashioned military uniform approaches, handkerchief in hand.He talks, but your head's roaring, and can't really focus on what he says. You're panicking, you need to get out. He tries to get you to stay still, and you pull away, choking, suffocating. You need to get out. You need to escape. Panic's got it's ice-cold grip around your throat, around your heart and you manage to pull away, but whoever this man is he seems to understand what's happening and instead of forcing you to stay he herds you out into a balcony overseeing a beautiful rose garden that surrounds the manor you're in.There's no denying it anymore. You're in Crimson Grace of the Rose Bride a game you played back in... Back in the before.
>>6322965If this is the Rosevald Manor then that means you're the villainess. You're...> Lady Evelina d’Aubépine; the cruel and beautiful villainess who wants to keep the male lead at all costs... Trait – Poison Training: You're immune to most known poisons, and can brew or identify them with ease.> Countess Alynne D'Eon; the quiet, calculating widow whispered to have killed her late husband.Trait – Widow's Masquerade: You can mask your true emotions completely. Once per scene, you may lie without rolling.> Marquise Mathilde Auchstead; the young darling of the court, beautiful, adored, and terrified of losing all of it. She swore a pact to a fallen angel.Trait – Heaven's Bargain: When you suffer harm or humiliation, you may call upon your pact to negate it... but your Sin rises by 1.> Dame Isolde von Eberhart; only child of famous war hero General von Eberhart. She's a duelist, famed for her ferocity. Utterly unsuited for courtly grace.Trait – Crimson Duelist: Once per scene, reroll a failed Will check made in a confrontation.> Duchess Christabell Boddinham; Brilliant, cynical, and openly disdainful of love. A scholar of forbidden rites, also a noblewoman playing politics among fools.Trait – Forbidden Scholar: You can perform simple dark rituals. Gain +1 on any roll involving magic, secrets, or ancient texts.
Oh hell yeah, I love me some Otome Isekai. Especially Villainess Otome Isekai. Sounds like we got Truck'd. Set the scene nicelyHmm. I'm torn between Isolde and Christabell. Ima flip a penny. Came up heads. Isolde it is! >Dame Isolde von Eberhart; only child of famous war hero General von Eberhart. She's a duelist, famed for her ferocity. Utterly unsuited for courtly grace.
>>6322968Oh, and you may wanna drop a link to the thread in the /QTG/, just to get some more attention on it. Not every Anon checks the catalogue and shilling your quest is pretty standard practice here
>>6322966>> Dame Isolde von Eberhart; only child of famous war hero General von Eberhart. She's a duelist, famed for her ferocity. Utterly unsuited for courtly grace.
>>6322966> Countess Alynne D'Eon; the quiet, calculating widow whispered to have killed her late husband.I love the villainess genre.
>>6322966>> Countess Alynne D'Eon; the quiet, calculating widow whispered to have killed her late husband.
>>6322968>>6322973Two votes means a clear victory for me.> You're Dame Isolde von EberhartThe information pops into your mind, coming to you in plain text floating in front of your eyes, overlaid over your vision.A game, of course it's all a game. None of this is real. You're probably going to wake up soon. You try to remember more details about it but your memories are a jumble. You remember Isolde's life, you remember your own life, but neither is clear and defined, they come to you in bits and pieces. Separate yet mingled. For now though, you decide to focus on the things you can control. You close your eyes once more and focus on the words, trying to bring them up once more. This time the text is clearer, a full on menu comes up with details about your new identity. Interesting. "Isolde! Are you even listening?" A hand around your chin takes you out of your analysis though, making you open your eyes and you find yourself face to face with Sir Weiss, the male lead. The one you always chose whenever you played the game. His gloved hand making you look him in the eyes-- It's one thing to choose him when you're just a player but you know what happens if Isolde follows her heart and yet... "What happened back there, are you ill?">> [Play Along] Let him help you up. He's handsome and fun after all... Surely, no harm in indulging yourself if this is just a game. >> [Pull Away] You need space to think, to breathe, to figure out what's happening. To remember.>> [Act Out] You've been forced to play the villainess? Then embrace it. You know what's coming.
>>6322993> [Play Along] Let him help you up. He's handsome and fun after all... Surely, no harm in indulging yourself if this is just a game.
>>6322966>Countess Alynne D'Eon; the quiet, calculating widow whispered to have killed her late husband.
>>6322998oops>>6322993> [Act Out] You've been forced to play the villainess? Then embrace it. You know what's coming.
>>6322966>Lady Evelina d’Aubépine; the cruel and beautiful villainess who wants to keep the male lead at all costs...
>>6322981>>6322984it's 2 votes for D'Elon, OP>>6322993>[Play Along] Let him help you up. He's handsome and fun after all... Surely, no harm in indulging yourself if this is just a game.
>>6322993> [Pull Away] You need space to think, to breathe, to figure out what's happening. To remember.I'd love to pursue our favourite, but sorting out our head comes first. I wonder if the other villainesses are still in play, it may not just be the heroine we have to watch out for.
>>63230053 votes for D'Eon now, actually.And wow, we're moving fast.
>>6323010I'd be cool if the QM decided to mulligan and let D'eon take the W. Just glad we got an Otome quest on the board, really. But their quest, their rules. Won't complain either way
>>6323005Yeah I just spent too long writing and finishing the shitty character sheet so by the time I posted new votes had came in. I'll start giving it 10 minutes since my post to close voting from now on. I wasn't expecting as many players and as many responses!>> [Play Along]Honestly, there's nothing wrong with it and isn't this the most perfect situation? The sound of rain in the distance, Anton Weiss' hand on your chin and his attention solely focused on you... It might be worth your ... Accident? What even was it? You try to remember for a split second but all you get back is a killer headache that makes you flinch, which in turn makes Anton get even closer, his blue eyes filled with fear and care for you."I'm... I'm fine." You manage to muster up, but still lean in against him, a little forward but there's no reason to hold back. It's just a game. Your hands are surprisingly delicate for being such a fierce fighter, and they look all the more delicate when they come to rest on Anton's broad shoulders. He wraps an arm around your waist and you look into each other's eyes for a moment, you start to lean close---(FATAL FLAG DETECTED)Romantic Proximity: 10cmEmotional Resonance: HighThe alert pops into your vision, flashing. Blinding. At the same time another headache comes in, harder this time. Splitting your head while a loud alarm blares into your ears. > [PULL AWAY NOW] Maybe it's best to mind your business.> [Kiss him] Throw caution to the wind. A game can't tell you what to do.
>>6323016> [PULL AWAY NOW] Maybe it's best to mind your business.Its cool QM. /Qst/ is a slow board, but like I said, your quest your rules. Most quests do eventually settle into daily updates, more or less, or into scheduled sessions in my experience.
>>6323015I'm fine with whichever character, personally.>>6323016> [PULL AWAY NOW] Maybe it's best to mind your business.Hmm, my guess is we attract unwanted attention and get poisoned for our affections? Probably by Evelina?
>>6323021Same same. Also, it'd be crazy if this is a Multi Villainess Otome game we've been dumped into
>>6323015No mulligans, we die like villains. I might run another, this one's more meant to be a proof of concept and see if people like the themes and my writing. Didn't expect this much interest for an OI in 4chan! I'll find my footing and figure out what's a proper amount of time to let everyone vote. 10 minutes feels too fast too, maybe wait until votes stop coming in. >>6323018>>6323021You jerk back, stumbling slightly, the sudden movement enough to pull Anton off balance. His brow furrows in confusion and worry."I'm sorry," You manage to murmur, forcing a smile that feels fake even to you. "I must've tripped or... Or something." Anton opens his mouth to insist, to protest, maybe even to suggest you retire for the night but you shake your head and he closes it again. The alerts have quieted down for now, though the menu flickers faintly in your vision, but you ignore it for now.The headache fades slightly, leaving a ringing reminder in its place. Still, the blaring warning seems to have shaken you more than expected. Anton gives you one last anxious look and steps back, respecting your distance, though his blue eyes linger on you longer than etiquette allows."I thought you were angry at me," He finally concedes, turning away from you to look down at the garden. "I know becoming a knight was always your dream and I don't want you to feel like I'm taking it from you, but I can't turn down an opportunity like this..."Right. That settles it, you're somewhere at the halfway point through the plot. Anton becomes a knight and due to the rules of the kingdom, Isolde can't join their ranks, no matter how skilled she is or her famous bloodline. If the General has asked Anton to join, then this party is also...Another alert pops up in your screen, it seems to react to your attention, opening and taking over your vision."Do you remember?"
>>6323041The message chills you to your core. What does this mean? The game had no messages and yet... Does this mean someone else here knows what's going on? Another system warning pops up in your vision this time around. [yellow](WARNING: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED)Proximity: Outside ballroom, <50 metersThreat Level: High[/yellow]Something happened during the balls, when Anton is chosen. You try to remember but-- It's like a wall, something blocking you off from remembering the plot of a game you've played a hundred times. You try to force yourself to remember...The headache spikes again. The room around you spins but you manage to stay in control, not making a sound or anything to alert Anton. The sense of imminent danger, of inevitable tragedy, fills your chest. And yet, Anton is still near, unaware, unthreatened, innocent. You could protect him... or use this knowledge to your advantage.Your hand hovers over the edge of your dress, fingers brushing the hilt of the dagger you've brought hidden under your dress. Your duelist instincts flare.>> [Investigate the garden alone]>> [Ask for Anton’s help despite the risk]>> [Ignore the threat for now and focus on the party and your social obligations]
>>6323050>> [Ask for Anton’s help despite the risk]I wanna live! Besides, the more, the merrier!
>>6323050>>> [Ask for Anton’s help despite the risk]
>>6323050>ask anton
>>6323056>>6323055>>6323058You glance out over the edge of the balcony and into the rose garden below. It's supposed to be a beautiful scene in the games, but under the darkness of an overcast night sky it feels eerie."Anton," you start, steeling your voice and making sure it sounds casual. He turns around, relief flashing across his face. You hesitate. The villainess in you, that sharp-edged pride, wants to wave him off and deal with this alone. But the ringing in your ears reminds you that you are not her-- Not fully. "I think I saw someone in the garden."He blinks, following your gaze toward the rain-soaked hedges below. "A guest? A servant, perhaps?"You shake your head. How can you explain what you're looking for when you don't even know what it is you're supposed to find? Something in your body language must convince him, because the warmth in his expression hardens. Without another word, he straightens, adjusts the sword at his belt, and offers his arm."Then we'll go together." He announces, guiding you back into the ballroom, where the party has resumed and you barely notice anyone whispering about your little accident).The two of you step out through a side door into the night air. Rain drizzles softly, the scent of wet earth and roses heavy around you. The world feels quieter out here, smaller. You quietly thank wearing knee-high boots, as unfeminine as they are, you won't have to worry about the mud. You walk side by side through the trimmed hedges and marble statues, still holding onto his arm. The flicker of lanterns casts long, shifting shadows. Anton's hand hovers near his sword, your own fingers itch for your blade. You reach the edge of the garden... And there you see something in the mud, tracks, though these don't look like any shoes you've seen. You get closer, the light of the lanterns set around the perimeter of the garden and the faint moonlight glowing behind clouds seem to fail to illuminate the full shape. Your vision blurs when you try to focus on the prints, until it's just a smudge in the mud.Then suddenly, a loud sound, a short alert demanding your attention. (DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED)Storyline Divergence: 3%Anton has noticed what gets your attention and kneels down by the prints, gloved hand touching what to your eyes looks like a pixelated mess. "What... is this? What did you see Isolde--?" He looks up and gasps, his deep voice caught in his throat. "You're shaking!" You realize his hand is already reaching towards yours, standing back up.ALERT: ROMANTIC PROXIMITY 12CMSTORYLINE DIVERGENCE: 10%EMOTIONAL RESONANCE: RISINGThe warnings crowd your vision, hiding everything else, though you see there, at the edge of your vision. A shape watching you from behind a hedge. Humanoid. >> [Pull your hand away before another FATAL FLAG triggers]>> [Let him hold your hand and face the night together]>> [Draw your blade and demand whoever's out there show themselves]
>>6323073>> [Draw your blade and demand whoever's out there show themselves]
>>6323073>[Draw your blade and demand whoever's out there show themselves]
Interesting premise, didn't expect to see OI on /qst/. Will give more thoughts on It later, for now my vote is:>>6323073> [Draw your blade and demand whoever's out there show themselves]
>>6323073> [Draw your blade and demand whoever's out there show themselves]
