Dawn!!

Ikemen Villains

Prologue:

Ch. 1-5 / Ch. 5-10

Elbert's Route:

Shockingly, this is a solid plan. Though I'm unsure what cover would hypothetically be blown here, considering they aren't the police and the art dealer has no reason to believe he's being pursued.

In all of the thousands of languages that have existed since the dawn of time, not one could even begin to describe the look on my face right now.

I despise how well Cybird is depicting sexual harassment. I seriously want to crawl out of my skin and die. Elbert's freeze response breaks my heart, and I can imagine this is a tragic cycle he's been stuck in since childhood.

It gets considerably more horrifying with every line. Police, yeah, that one right there! Her dialog is what led me to associate the opening with CSA rather than the loss of a loved one. A decent, albeit obvious, approach to imply she's a predator.

This is the first chapter to fully immerse me into the mind of Kate. Unease, uncertainty, confusion. I was wondering why Alfons hadn't intervened, but his reasoning makes perfect sense given the time period and role they're performing.

The moral is rich people are peculiar and shouldn't exist. Thanks for attending today's lecture.

Get them, Doohickey! This sequence is incredibly gratifying to read, and I'm loving how consistent her character is. I flamed her quite a bit throughout the prologue for her poor decision-making, but all is forgiven now! It takes a lot of courage to intervene in scenarios of sexual harassment or assault, as bystanders may also experience Elbert's freeze response.

A little detail that piques my curiosity here is the woman's name, "Green-Eyed Lady." At first, I took her descriptor at face value, assuming it meant she literally had green eyes. While this is most certainly the case, viewing it as a metaphor is far more interesting and adds to Elbert's predicament.

He is terribly lucky this isn't America, because the grandpas are NOT safe from me. I will swing on you in the Waffle House parking lot, buddy.

His voice was what? This is possibly one of the stupidest sayings I've ever heard, and honestly killed the tension for me, as I immediately started laughing. Cybird, you were doing so good!

... Lord have mercy. Me and you both, sister.

I find it really charming how Crown is slowly becoming a huge part of Kate's identity, even if she doesn't realize it herself. "Crown forbid" is a small change in vernacular that made me smile.

Another day, another time to question Alfons' intentions. Again, quit hijacking Elbert's route! In all seriousness, I do appreciate the portrayal of his hoarding. The stress of having so much junk piled up, the frequent big spending with little thought of financial consequences, the lack of awareness regarding your own belongings. His life is a constant search for the next "best thing," and that's heartbreaking. Physical possessions are incapable of filling an emotional void.

Right hand on the Bible, God can strike me down if I'm lying; THAT MOTHERFUCKER IS DOING THIS ON PURPOSE.

I have suddenly received war veteran flashbacks to "I gently open the door." Sedate me before things go awry.

While terminal illness and chronic illness are different experiences, I feel a lot for Daisy as someone who's chronically ill. This is the first time in Elbert's route I've genuinely felt emotional, and I think I can attribute that to how much I see myself in her. There is something very desolate about fighting with your own body. The act of waking up in pain, just to go to sleep in pain, and do it all over again the following day and every day after that. Even those who sympathize with the physical suffering of disabled people may struggle to understand the mental and emotional suffering that accompanies it. It can quickly become a vicious cycle of isolation, and unfortunately, she's found herself caught in the center. If Daisy has no fans, I fear I'm dead.

No one talk to me. There is a Daisy-shaped hole in my heart. I will never forgive Cybird.

I'm seriously impressed with how the narrative is handling talks of grief and depression—so much so that I wonder if someone on the development team has had their own personal experiences. If you have a loved one who's struggling with a medical condition or suicidal ideations, I'm sure you can relate to Kate's innate helplessness. Researching these kinds of topics during your writing process is essential, as a half-baked variation of this would make me significantly less interested in the outcome. Not only does it demonstrate the pain many disabled people go through daily, but it also highlights the fear and doubt their support systems feel when helping them.

The writing was so good I forgot I was playing a dating game for a minute. To end this on a lighter note, I've been thoroughly enjoying their dynamic thus far. I'm not sure if "slow burn" is the proper term, given it's only chapter 4, but watching Elbert and Kate grow from skeptical of each other to sharing a secret spot has been a fulfilling endeavor. I have a lot of praise for this chapter.

Commiserative. I like that descriptor. It's strong and suits the tone of this chapter.

More Daisy, more Daisy! Yay! Surely the narrative will treat her kindly and will never allow her to succumb to her illness.

Their banter is so cute. While Kate has taken on an older sister role in Daisy's life, Elbert seems less involved, despite being the one facilitating these visits. I'm curious as to what his intentions are for that reason. The obvious answer is he's simply being kind, but I think there's more to the story. Regardless, I love Daisy!

Why isn't anyone questioning why she requested such a rare flower? If it's her favorite, she must be aware of its scarcity. Or is the moral here that teenagers are simpletons?

Huge props to Cybird for including a storyline relevant to our current political climate! I'm impressed.

I'm getting real tired of your attitude, Alfons...

Adding some levity to his route is a necessary palate cleanser, but going about it in an exaggerated manner is too on the nose. On the contrary, Elbert and Alfons collecting little teaspoons like grandmothers is adorable.

If Alfons has Elbert's best interests at heart, why doesn't he intervene to prevent him from engaging in self-destructive behaviors? Their dynamic is already quite complicated. I'm interested to see how it progresses.

How did Kate even get the notion that he was buying a present? I find it hard to believe she'd reach such an arbitrary conclusion.

This is akin to asking whether the chicken or the egg came first, despite the fact it's not a complicated question nor an evolutionary dilemma. Elbert's greed is not a moral conundrum, and I hope the game doesn't intend to depict it as one.

The answer is @ninetheghost. Doohickey is a close second, I suppose.

This chapter contains a lot of exposition. I'm not a fan of the delivery, as it forces Kate to speak in questions rather than express her curiosity naturally. We've already witnessed multiple sequences where he inquires if something is beautiful; we don't need to be handheld to that conclusion.

Rat bastard always has something nasty to say. I'm at my limit. You are hijacking Elbert's route!

This makes perfect sense, and it leads me to believe Alfons truly does care for his well-being. His attempts to recoup the losses from Elbert's excessive spending are so sweet. However, it once again begs the question of why he permits such outrageous purchases in the first place.

My peace has ended. I was living a lie, forgetting the existence of ye old intimacy checks. Woe is me.

Very smooth, Doohickey. Very smooth!

I can see where his route is headed, and now a pit is forming in my stomach. If I'm correct about this, Cybird did an excellent job with the foreshadowing early on.

Wow, why would Eliza leave such a pleasant guy? In all seriousness, I can grasp his story through this little exchange, despite his status as a minor character. While I am being presumptuous, it's reminiscent of how real abusers behave. I can conclude that he was a violent man who lost a significant woman in his life—most likely a spouse—after she left him. Either the alcohol fueled his anger, or he subsequently started drinking to fill the void she left. Perpetrators can only feel strong when there is someone weaker beneath them. That's to say, background characters are vital for worldbuilding! They give your environment a sense of authenticity and help the reader draw parallels to reality.

I adore the originality of his ability! I found William's power to be generic, but Elbert's is fresh and fun. Conversely, how does this relate to Snow White, much less the Evil Queen? I haven't read the original fairytale, so it's possible I'm missing necessary context.

His ability makes perfect sense for the Hunter. It does sound very inconvenient, though. Is his mind just filled with perpetual loud noise? Were their powers designed to be double-sided?

I audibly gasped at this scene! Consider my expectations subverted. Elbert has always struck me as a more aloof, somewhat disconnected character. I didn't anticipate seeing such a tender moment from him. So cute!

My perspective may be too American, but even if they were apprehended, couldn't Her Majesty simply pull a few strings to ensure nothing is leaked? Why can't Crown present as a secret service within law enforcement agencies to avoid this problem? I understand they aren't meant to be heroes, but they are supposed to be helping people.

Wait, seriously? That was the mission? They were gone for thirty minutes at most, witnessed a disturbing crime scene, and then fled. They learned nothing, accomplished nothing—this was absolutely pointless and cannot be called a mission.

WHAT did you just say about my daughter? ... No, I'll be back.