Team Harem Anyone???

WELCOME TO QC’s BLACK CABIN

This is a navigation post to help you find your way around the blog. 

This is not a spoiler free blog. Most spoilers will be marked at the top of the post, but it should be assumed that there are spoilers. 

This door leads to the “about the blog”

This door goes to the Masterlist

This door will take you to the WIP/Upcoming Posts 

This door is to the Memos - all notes from QC to you 

I wrote this after I may or may not have (legal reasons) recorded the entire first season of the game. I've always loved this game, the Black Swan Queen, and where MC fits in to it. I've written some theories and posts about how the Black Swan Queen is just a version of MC who has lost it all. As we, the global players, lose it all. This felt fitting.

Just to be clear there is absolutely no hate towards those on the remaining server. This is about the loss the global server is going through. Nothing but love for those who can keep enjoying the game and help keep the fandom alive.

This is my personal tribute to the game Mr. Loves Queens Choice / Love and Producer. It's for every Producer who has played the game and how we are all mourning together.

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The Broken Door

"No! Let me go back! Please! You have to let me go back!"

It was no use. Even in this dark space. A world within and outside of the world. A place you were supposed to have absolute control. You still lost.

"You have to take me back!"

The more you scream and cried. Banging your fists against the broken door. Watching it shatter in on itself until only your reflection looked back at you.

"Please!"

It was the rawness to your voice. The sound of it echoing in the hollow space that was your undoing. The desperation and anger turning numb as you choke on the words. Lungs burning as you try to scream but only a whisper comes out. You're gasping for breath as tears run down your cheeks. Your eyes sting as you try to wipe them away. Slumping over what was once a glittering doorway.

To the entrance to your home. Your world. Your everything.

A staircase to nowhere. You're clutching nothing but air as you weakly to force that shining light back in to existence.

It stays dark.

"...please...don't go...please..."

Your voice comes out a broken half-sob as you lay there. The remains of a crown made of everything you had next to you. In those fragments you catch a glimpse of them.

His voice calling out to you. The touch of his hand on your back. The way his eyes filled with mirth.

Each shard showing a different treasured memory.

The phantom sounds of music. Laughter on a warm day. The way he held you close as if nothing could keep him away from you.

Gone.

It was all gone.

You can't help but feel a rise of anger, fury, and envy that consumes you. All you can think about is a twisted bitter feeling that winds its way through you. Strangling you from the inside with a fiery resentment.

Voices drift from other doors. Passing reflections of your love but not quite.

You hate it.

How dare they! Why should they get to keep such happiness. Why do they get to be happy when you're left with nothing. Everything is gone and yet it isn't. It lives on still without you and you're furious.

What's so special about them that they get to have what you don't? what you can't? Why do they get to keep living, keep loving, while you can only stare blankly at the place you had once called home.

A screams tears its way out of you. It's almost primal in the way you're forced to lean forward. Hands digging in to your palms as you tilt your head back and roar.

It sounds inhuman.

"It's...not...fair!"

You hear yourself distantly. As if you're underwater and all the sound is muffled. There's a ringing in your ears and a sharp pain in your palms.

That perfectly white top is stained.

How long has it been stained? It was clean just a moment ago. Or was that yesterday?

How long have you been in here?

You don't know when you managed to get up. When you found yourself in front of one of the countless door.

The world reflected in it isn't yours. That isn't him. The look in his eyes isn't the same It's not for you. But it could be.

You hesitate.

It's not your world and that isn't him. But the burning desire to see him again makes it hard to breathe.

What do you do now?

-----

You can't do it.

Your fingers trace the image of his face. You lean your head against it and pretend for a moment he's next to you.

You can hear an echo of his voice telling you everything will be okay. That he's waiting for you. That he will always wait for you.

Every time you try to force yourself to take a step forward something stops you. You're drawn back to the staircase to your own world.

It wouldn't be the same and you'd have nothing. None of the memories you had saved for. All your karma gone. Countless hours and years wouldn't be reflected in this new world. Everything you had worked hard for would be for nothing.

It might stay the same and there would be new adventures to have, but you would struggle with it.

You couldn't imagine starting over again. Having to meet him like nothing happened. You might not get the same opportunities or dates. They could be lost to you forever. It would take ages to catch up to where you had left off.

Better to stay with the salvaged shards you had managed to save before your world crumbled around you.

You could sit and relive those memories. It didn't matter that it had ended for you. What mattered was that you was that you could still have what made it all worth it.

You could watch along as an observer but not a participant. Your story may have ended but that didn't mean it was over.

It just meant you didn't have to be alone.

With that final though the crown was brought close to your heart and you felt yourself fall.

Countless hands reached out to you. Phantoms with the same pain in their eyes. Together all of you watched over the worlds.

Too tired to move on, but never willing to forget the precious memories now kept close to your heart.

-----

You don't look back.

You have the opportunity to see them again. Even if nothing is the same. Even if you can't understand them. Seeing his face is enough.

And if you happen to play some games with your mirror image it's only fair. They don't understand. They could never understand.

But they will.

And as you glide through that doorway, the twinkle of a forgotten crown left on the top of a staircase to nowhere, a black dress flutters as you step through.

I'm coming! Wait for me!

--

Main Story Begins (again)

You can't help but imagine it. A pair of arms catch you as you step through. It's not the same. But you can't help the way tears well up in your eyes and fall. The familiar scent and voice.

It doesn't happen but as you look around to the Loveland you had lost you can't help but smile. For the first time in a long time everything is going to be okay.

From: QC

You’ve probably heard the news by now. Not only will the game be shutting down but it will all be deleted.

I encourage every one of you to take screen recording of old memories that mean the world to you. Having lost apps before - you never know what other people will decide to keep and what they won’t. Don’t miss out on saving a small part or special moments. I’ll be logging back in to do that before it’s all gone. If for no other reason I paid for some of those and my wallet would like to feel there was some gain.

This was one of the first otome games I ever played. I’ll never forget when it came to global. Waiting for updates and experiencing the first year with them. I remember meeting the guys and falling in love. Spending…more money than I probably should have to get some of those cards.

While I may have left after Ben did - his voice brought to life Victor and I’ve always had a soft spot for Victor (and later the rest). I stopped playing because as great as the new VAs were - it just wasn’t the same for me.

I honestly wasn’t too big of a fan of a full reset that happened in season 2 and while interesting the game just couldn’t pull me back in.

It may have been a long time coming even with how much we all have loved the game. After the entire issue surrounding the VAs - I don’t think the game ever fully recovered. Not that it wasn’t great, but some of the magic was lost.

This fandom, and all of you, have been so welcoming. I love each and every one of you. The support you’ve given this blog has meant everything. I used to stay up late writing.

It’s been 7 wonderful years.

Let me be clear, I am NOT deleting this blog. I won’t take away the stories I’ve written, or watch as a small part of the community is hurting after it all.

I just won’t promise monthly updates. I can’t say when I will write. It could be a short one randomly appearing after months or longer.

I’ll never abandon this blog. I just won’t be active. My inbox will remain open and I’ll answer any and all asks when I can and if the muse is willing.

Love to each and every one of you Producers!

I've always had a soft spot for Cyril. I honestly thought he was going to be the 5th LI and was disappointed when he wasn't. Him chasing to stay in the winter wonderland world where everything is perfect and nothing going wrong broke my heart.

A soft hue appeared amidst this world of frozen white. A handsome, elegant young man walked towards me from the mist.  Snow fell upon him, but as if he was protected by some force, none stuck on him. For a moment, I felt that this person looked really familiar, but it was someone I’ve never met. His eyes seemed detached, yet full of pity. “This world’s pretty interesting, don’t you think?” I did not sense any direct threat from him, but I was also unable to let my guard down. “Is this not the world you wanted? You were aware of it long ago. No need to go on deceiving yourself.” His tone was peaceful, but there was a chill to it that made me shiver. “In this world, time’s been frozen. Everything you fear hasn’t taken place. It was not I who made this world, but you. Everything you have experienced is a product of that which you yearn for the most. If everything could start over, if life could return to normal, if none of this had occurred…” He saw into my heart effortlessly, tearing down each fragile wall I’d made with each word that he spoke. The man’s gentle expression turned cold. His smile faded into subdued indifference. “You think everything you’ve experienced is fake? Everything is real. Everyone in this world had sunken into the same dream. We will forever remain in a dream land.” The man chuckled gently. Snow and wind blurred his form, blurring my vision.  -Chapter 19 (Epilogue)

On the train to nowhere in a perfect world you wake up. Everything looks the same, everything feels the same, but nothing is as it seems. When you wake up and blink the sleep out of your eyes you are on a train. You feel as though you're being watch and look around. No one is there except you. The train comes to a stop and the doors open. You're surprised that only one person gets on the train.

The man is beautiful. He has a graceful elegance about him as if he was a snow flake brought to life. He still looks the same. Ice blue eyes and snow white hair. The same timelessness surrounds him and if you listen closely the closing chime of the doors reminds you of the notes of a piano long forgotten. There's a fragility to him that makes it seem like he has lost something, or someone, important to him. That haunted quality in his eyes is different. It's new.

Cyril.

“Why can’t a lie… be a good thing, too? Is this not the world you wanted?” An anonymous voice seeped into my consciousness, accompanied by a dim, far away sounding piano. The false warmth swooped in, and exhausted as I was, I chose to accept it.

You had left the Winter World. Kiro, Helios, had called you back to reality. You couldn't help but remember how it had all ended. When Kiro had appeared, no he was Helios then. When Helios appeared and lifted the enchantment that came with the serenity of the Winter World. A construct of Cyril's making. Hypnosis's grand design to keep the Queen contained in a world without loss.

Helios: “You constructed this dreamscape long before.” Cyril: “I just don’t want this performance to have any interruptions.” He rose elegantly from his piano bench and took a deep bow toward the hall absent of applause. Then he sauntered off the stage and looked at me. Cyril: “You finally came.”

(Part 2)

Continuing off of the last post which can be found here. This analysis focuses on Cyril, how he helped push MC/Youran to ascension and the reason that the conversations they had on the train to nowhere were so important.

A quick summary of part 1 is that this analysis/theory follows the idea that Cyril/Hypnos was the reason MC/Youran started on the path to ascension and gained access to the Black Cabin to wield the Queen evol. Cyril acts a middle ground between the forces that want MC/Youran to leave evol behind and not worry about it, to the ones who want to push her into fully awakening her power.

In some ways he could be considered an agent of the Black Cabin given how MC/Youran's time in the dream world/winter wonderland directly affect how she choses to deal with the problem when using the Black Cabin.

On to the second part of the analysis and theory.

On the train/time subway/train to nowhere MC/Youran has several conversations with Cyril. One of the first things that Cyril tells MC/Youran is that the train is going exactly to where MC/Youran wants to be.

To a place you want to be. So embrace your imagination. Think of everything you ever wanted. Eventually we will arrive at the perfect ending you’ve longed for.

With all that MC/Youran has been through it isn't a stretch to imagine that MC/Youran would want to live in a world that isn't actively trying to kill her/ruin her life/manipulate her. That being said, MC/Youran would rather live in realty over a fabricated existence where there is no trouble because all that she is/was/would ever be isn't possible.

When MC/Youran confesses to not remembering what the truth of the world is. Cyril asks her if she would rather not remember. To choose to forget and let the dream world fully embrace her.

Do you want to remember everything? Or, do you prefer to give up the past and start again right here?

Later going as far as to apologize for not making the dream world more to her liking. All of the problems start and end with the Queen evol so what would life be like if she didn't have it. If there wasn't a Queen evol to complicate everything.

Back to when everything hadn’t taken place, isn’t that what you wanted? I’m only doing this for you. Sorry I didn’t ask for your permission. But you’ll be my best work.

Because his evol allows him to control both time and dreams, he has the ability to make a false reality. A dream world where anything is possible so long as the dreamer agrees. MC/Youran doesn't want to fall in to the false serenity of the dream world. MC/Youran wants reality as ugly and cruel as it is. MC/Youran tells Cyril as much when talking about the merits of humanity and all the flaws of reality.

But absolute perfection doesn’t exist. Everything has blemishes and faults. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not good enough, and it certainly doesn’t mean that they don’t have a right to exist in this world.

Cyril admits that even he cannot create a perfect world because it's beyond the ability of his evol. It's also something he doesn't believe is possible.

The sad fact is that they will never be able to achieve it.

No evol is as powerful as the Queen evol and so MC/Youran does't succumb to the dream. Slowly but surely MC/Youran begins to "wake up". Cyril confesses that once the dreamer enters the world that he creates it's no longer his to control. At least not directly, and definitely not for someone who possess an evol greater than his own.

This world belongs to you. My power doesn’t work here. I’m nothing more than a normal person in the real world. I’m going to use my power one last time. And this will be my final work. A perfect world is still what I’m after. It was you who broke free from the world I created. You showed me my limit. Indeed, the power triggered by your emotion outshined my skills. That’s why I chose your spiritual world, as the raw material of my final work

Now more aware of the dream world and the fact that it's not real, MC/Youran has to make a choice and talks about it with Cyril. The train itself is an infinite loop. Meant to keep the dreamer in a specific time and place that was defined by the dreams creator (Cyril).

MC/Youran: “So this is just an infinite cycle within my spiritual word, isn’t it?” Cyril: “I won’t say you are wrong. In this train, you can choose any stop and choose any exit you want. When you step out, this world becomes more complete. Meanwhile, this dream will continue the everlasting cycle, which is also your karma.”

The dream world doesn't exist. Not like the other parallel timelines running through the Black Cabin. This is small scale of what the Black Cabin is capable of when the Queen uses it.

When MC/Youran asks about how to leave Cyril doesn't tell her. MC/Youran needs to figure that out for herself because to leave she will need to use her evol. if he tells her how to escape the train to nowhere and the dream-that-isn't then she won't be ready. She won't be at the stage she needs to be to see the Black Cabin and to awaken herself.

MC/Youran: “So do I stay here?” Cyril: “You can choose to leave… if you have the power to battle yourself. If you leave, this world will continue to exist all independent from all time space.” MC/Youran: “How do I leave?” Cyril: “You have to discover that for yourself.”

(Part 1)

I replayed the story and realized that Cyril has a lot to offer if you consider his abilities. Not just as a character who we got too little of, but in terms of the Queen's accession. In the Black Cabin there can only be one Queen. Something I explored looking at the Black Cabin and its relationship to the Queen and the Queen inside the Black Cabin.

What if Cyril is the balance? The White Swan Queen and the Black Swan Queen are clearly two sides of the same coin. You can't have one without the other. A deeper look in to the parallels between the White Queen and the Black Queen can be found here, but what if Cyril is the middle ground between the two?

The Black Swan Queen exists because in her universe she lost it all and succumbed to despair. The White Swan Queen ascends because she choses hope over despair. She may have lost it all but there is still hope in her heart. However there can only be one Queen as there is only one Black Cabin. They exist almost separate from the rest of the world/universe at large.

Cyril being the balance makes sense because he is part of what starts MC/Youran ascension. He is the test that MC/Youran must pass to begin the journey to seeing the Black Cabin. I believe he is a way that the Black Cabin gauges if the possessor of the Queen evol is ready to start working towards ascension and mastery over it (the Black Cabin).

He tells MC/Youran in the Winter Wonderland/Dream World that he isn't on the side of Black Swan, but neither is he on the side supporting her. At least not directly.

“I’m not like Ares. I don’t care about any Queen. If you want to influence the outcome, you have to do it your own way.”

All he wants to do as Cyril is to help MC/Youran in his own way. Using his evol he is able to construct dream spaces and what function as parallel realities. A what-if, or do-over, of what could have been if things had played out differently. Only now MC/Youran holds all the cards and the LIs don't.

It's almost a dry run, a test run, for what MC/Youran will do later. Like he is showing her that it is possible to rewrite reality to the best of his own evils ability. He doesn't have the ability to enact it on a large scale that changes the known world/universe. But he does have the ability to do it on a small scale.

Snow fell upon him, but as if he was protected by some force, none stuck on him. For a moment, I felt that this person looked really familiar, but it was someone I’ve never met. His eyes seemed detached, yet full of pity. “This world’s pretty interesting, don’t you think?” I did not sense any direct threat from him, but I was also unable to let my guard down. “Is this not the world you wanted? You were aware of it long ago. No need to go on deceiving yourself.” His tone was peaceful, but there was a chill to it that made me shiver. “In this world, time’s been frozen. Everything you fear hasn’t taken place. It was not I who made this world, but you. Everything you have experienced is a product of that which you yearn for the most. If everything could start over, if life could return to normal, if none of this had occurred…” He saw into my heart effortlessly, tearing down each fragile wall I’d made with each word that he spoke.

What is important to note is that Cyril is very clear about the dream world being real. It's not a false reality, despite others seeing it that way. If you think of Cyril as a possible conduit or player that the Black Cabin moves through, it's easier to believe it may be less of a dream and more of an alternate reality.

The man’s gentle expression turned cold. His smile faded into subdued indifference. “You think everything you’ve experienced is fake? Everything is real. Everyone in this world had sunken into the same dream. We will forever remain in a dream land.”

He tells MC/Youran that directly. They may not be the people that MC/Youran has lived with, but they are still the people that MC/Youran knows. They're just dreaming. Dreams can be a gateway. Evol in universe doesn't have a defined limit, the only clear one being that the Queen evol is the strongest.

Given that once linked to the Black Cabin, MC/Youran is able to create a timeline that is more favorable to her. It's not impossible to consider that those abilities exist on a smaller scale without the use of the Black Cabin. Which only the holder of the Queen evol has access to. Cyril, or Hypnos, is known to have these abilities and is stated as much in game.

“The traitor code-named Hypnos?” With those words, a deathly stillness fell over the air, as if some indescribable darkness had stolen into the room. True name: Unknown. Age: Unknown. Evol: Time travel, dream construction.

Cyril uses music as his medium to wield his evol on a large scale. One greater than what might be possible if he was just doing it on his own. When weaving and creating the dream world he makes his piano music the part of the trap.

“Why can’t a lie… be a good thing, too? Is this not the world you wanted?” An anonymous voice seeped into my consciousness, accompanied by a dim, far away sounding piano. The false warmth swooped in, and exhausted as I was, I chose to accept it.

When he asks MC/Youran if she would rather stay in the dream it's not a question without merit. Given everything that MC/Youran has been through at this point it wouldn't be the worst thing to stay in a world where everything is okay. A world without any of the suffering that defined her childhood and later her relationship/s with the LIs.

In a way he is offering her exactly what she wanted. A world where she can be with the LIs without any of the dangers. there won't be any more secrets and lies. No more running. Just living the way she thought was possible.

Given the level of detail in the dream world it can be assumed, a dn is later confirmed, that this was not the first attempt Cyril had at making one. He's done this before. Likely practicing and adjusting time and the dream to make it a more seamless and appealing prospect when compared to the harshness of reality.

Kiro/Helios: “You constructed this dreamscape long before.” Cyril: “I just don’t want this performance to have any interruptions.” He rose elegantly from his piano bench and took a deep bow toward the hall absent of applause. Then he sauntered off the stage and looked at me. Cyril: “You finally came.”

He isn't surprised to see Kiro, or Helios as he is now. He isn't surprised that we have been awoken. I think part of the reason MC/Youran is able to keep her strength and not just immediately fall in to the dream like the others is because of the power of the Queen evol.

He holds a certain amount of respect for the power of the Queen evol. Even though he isn't Black Swan (considered traitor), he hasn't given up all of their ideology.

“The way I see it, those who have no ability to judge never had the right to choose in the first place.” Naturally, traitor though he was, he was still like others in Black Swan, holding a disdain for normal people, deep in his bones. When he rebelled against wasn’t the thinking of the organisation, but their methods. But no matter which method of theirs it was, they all wanted to force their ideology on the whole world. Did the world really need their brand of reason? Did humanity really need their idea of progress? Everything in existence follows its own, original path, with absolutely no need for human intervention. And what I had to do was to maintain this balance.

He sees himself as a balance. A middle ground between leaving the Queen alone and with the very real possibility of never reaching her full potential, and the forced awakening of the Queen to a world where evolvers are on top because they have become the solution to the Red Queen Hypothesis. There was no natural selection for humanity, so evolvers were created to "even the playing field".

From the available information that Black Swan has, Cyril can both manipulate time and construct dreams (false realities) around it. If you have the ability to create a dream and then change time so that the dream will never end. Is this not similar to what MC/Youran does when wielding the Queen evol in tandem with the Black Cabin at the end of season 1 and her ascension?

If you continue on with the idea that Cryil is showing MC/Youran a possible path. Assuming that MC/Youran doesn't choose to reside in the dream, this is an option. Being stuck in a world where everything has been reset is a possibility - one that hadn't been considered before. One that won't be considered until it all starts falling apart in the true/real world.

“I think you misunderstood me. Just like you, I love this world. I love the complexity and uncertainty humanity has brought to it. I just think, it just doesn’t have to move so fast.” The smile he had showed- made me believe that from the bottom of his heart, everything he did was to make the world better, and that he should not recover any blame or interference from anyone. “Before one fully understands oneself, power beyond control can only be dangerous. Just like if I were to ask you now, do you truly understand yourself? How would you answer?”

He isn't doing this out of malice. As he told MC/Youran earlier, he isn't on the side of Black Swan. He isn't doing this as a way to keep people who don't support their agenda out of the way, nor is he using it as a way to force the Queen evol to fully awaken before MC/Youran is ready.

In the end he wants MC/Youran to make her own choice and this is just another way of getting her to do so. Another possible way to awaken the true power of the Queen evol without any of the more painful or direct manipulation.

ABSOLUTELY! I love MC/Youran. There are a lot of fun quirks especially in the first season where she's just getting to know everyone. I find the BSQ more fun to look at because of the difference but just a straight MC/Youran one is a different kind of challenge. This became incredibly long and got away from me so I hope it's still what you asked for.

~~~~~~~~~~

MC/Youran: A Complete Prologue Analysis (ch. 1 - 10)

One thing that is important to consider when looking at MC/Youran is that when interacting with each of the LI - especially in the beginning - that all of the LI know more about what is going on evol wise than MC/Youran does. This does have an effect on how they treat MC/Youran because each of them believes they are trying to protect her from things that she either doesn't remember, or doesn't need to know (even if it's the main cause for terrible things happening).

Just starting off the game we see that there's some precognition or something "special" about MC/Youran that others don't have. The gutsy determination and sass - that is shown more in the anime adaptation than season 1 (pre-ascension MC/Youran).

I don't think she's a MC who is in need of constant rescuing - though I will admit most of the situations where MC/Youran gets rescued aren't from a damsel in distress, but more of a we have always been in danger and amnesia took a lot of that away from MC. Of course this changes when MC/Youran flips the script in the post-ascension (Season 2 - reset), but even in the beginning you can see there's a lot personality there.

Some of the defining traits of early MC/Youran are:

a burning determination to succeed

impulsivity (often turned up to the max)

an inordinate amount of sass

no concept of danger (until it's too late)

foot in the mouth

having no poker face to speak of

a walking disaster

doom spiraling thoughts

I'll go in the order that MC/Youran meets the LI in the canon of the game from what MC/Youran remembers.

MC/Youran

That burning determination can be seen as early as the very beginning when Anna tells MC/Youran that this is the end of Miracle Finder. There's one episode left and after that everything will be over. Instead of accepting that MC/Youran decides that not only will the show continue, but it's going to continue with the support of the biggest celebrity that's alive (Kiro).

MC/Youran won't let the dream die. It's the last thing she shared with her father and she didn't go to school and leave Anna with the day to day only to see it all end. That's not happening.

After almost being run over by a car, and then saved by Victor, her only thought is a rather humous thought about what the world would make of her sudden death.

MC speculates on what would have happened if she had gotten hit. Tomorrow's headlines would have read: Miracle Finder Loses Funding, Producer Commits Suicide. 

When deciding to show Victor who is boss, MC/Youran takes the assignment with Loveland PD only to immediately regret because Gavin is the officer on the case and the school reputation has MC/Youran practically walking back out the metaphorical door.

What would they be like at their worst? What would it be like loving them at their darkest?

KIRO

"I turn my back on the world because it turned it's back on me first"

Without hesitation Kiro at his worst lets all his walls down. All the masks and carefully considered words fall flat. He's not sure he would call himself Kiro. It's just a persona. A facade. The same could be said with Helios. Or even the successor to Key. He isn't a person.

On his darkest days Kiro finds himself reverting back to the mindset of a number. Just another experiment to further the understanding and development of evol and evolvers. When he reaches the end of the line that is who surfaces in the gloom.

There's so much that he wants to say but holds back. Not just because that's what society expects and tells him to, but because of the restrictions he places on himself. Without those restrictions is just a ruthlessness to survive.

He's trained to survive. His entire life has been about surviving, adapting, and doing what he can. It means using those golden eyes that he was praised for and telling people what to do. If he wants someone to forget or to obey it will happen. Something good finally coming from those painful days and needles. From sterile walls and empty hallways.

At his worst he becomes the perfect weapon. Forged in a place where humanity goes to die and emerging a creature who cares little for the rest so long as the one makes it out alive.

VICTOR

"Hidden in plain sight, I'd do anything for you"

There's so much people would do if they had just a minute more. Just one more second. A way to stop time and freeze a moment forever. Victor doesn't have to wonder about what he would do. He just does.

At his worst he stops caring about the idea that he is playing god. Absolute control becomes his watchword as he pushes himself to the limit. It's not just enough to stop time, to be able to gain advantage over any enemy. There has to be more. There will be more. All he needs to do is stack the deck in his favor so that he never loses again.

He never forgets the terror of being taken as a child. The horror of seeing the only person he cared about sacrifice themself for him. Victor never forgives, and will die before he forgets. That is why he needs control. If he had control then he could have changed everything.

What does it mean to live in the moment when any moment you want can be yours. Removed from time there's a separation that grows with each new ability as his evol gets stronger. Time means nothing to a being who is now timeless.

In his darkest, he detaches himself from the world and people around him. Observing them and calculating what the best move would be to keep him in a position of power but without the unnecessary mess of having to look after others.

LUCIEN

"I'd let the world burn if only you'd let me"

On his worst days he doesn't even consider himself "Lucien". Lucien is a name, a title almost. It's a professor who is well respected and a consultant and guest on the show Miracle Finder. At his worst, at his core, he thinks of himself as Ares.

He doesn't care for the ethics and questions he poses to others. They're just white noise and empty in the grand scheme of things. It doesn't matter if you ask for someone's permission when you know that it doesn't matter. Progress can't be made if you stop along the way. Not when you hold all the cards.

In his darkest hour he stops caring. He lives in a world without color and the only light in his light is the salvation he knows that he is part of bringing to the world. What does it mean to be one of the many when you know you're an elite even among the few? He has more power at his command than any of those non-evolvers could ever dream of.

His worst is when even he becomes less than human. He doesn't need to seek out volunteers to test his next step when he can do it on his own. It's not the first experimentation he has dabbled with and it certainly won't be the last.

Without hesitation he throws off the shackles and constraints of morality. It's so easy to read people and manipulate them to come around to his way of thinking. Moving people to where they need to be so that Black Swan can prosper. Everything has a time and everyone has a place. If he has to move all the pieces on the board to get them there he will.

GAVIN

"Stay by my side until the end and I'll protect you no matter what"

At his worst he is certainly no officer of the law. No special forces agent or commander of men. He is the gale force that sweeps across a battlefield that has long gone cold. If there is one thing that his life has taught him it's that only those with strength - power - and the willingness to use it will succeed.

He stops caring about the way others perceive him. Reputations are useful, but at the end of the day what matters is if you're able to back up what you say. Do you have the power to make something happen no matter who stands in your way. If you do, that's true power.

It's easier to think of people in terms of puppets and the puppet master. He won't ever have to suffer another loss again if no one can get close enough to touch him. To harm him or what's left in the shattered remains of his heart. If he doesn't get close nothing can hurt him again.

Looking back only causes pain so he looks forward instead. He can't change the past, but the future is his to command. He will do anything to make sure that he is never left in a position of helplessness again.

To: Loyal Followers

From: QC

I'm still working on monthly updates and trying to get through some of the asks in the ask box. Anon who asked about an MC/Youran analysis - I promise I'm working on it. I realized I didn't have any photos from early in game content and while I could do the analysis without it - I like to have photos as part of it to break up the massive walls of text. I plan to have that one out next month because storage space is always a problem.

I'm going to start posting some shorter drabbles to try and help me get back in to things. Being honest, I'm not sure how active this fandom is any more on here but I'll keep writing for it regardless. I really do love the game and the story. It's just been a struggle since the original VAs left - new ones are good. Absolutely no hate on them, they just aren't who I fell in love with. The start of what is called Season 2 (post-ascension) still doesn't thrill me but I'm playing through the game and trying to catch up.

You may have noticed I went from writing a female reader/MC/Youran to a more gender neutral one. I wanted to try and make it more inclusive for everyone but will always write a female based one on request. Same goes for a male based one. Doing MC/Reader/Youran's brother was so much fun and different. If I had more time I would have probably made that a series.

I want to thank each and every single one of you for sticking with the blog even as updates went from very often to once a month. Without the support of all of you I never would have written as much for this fandom and the game holds a special place in my heart.

If there's a short scenario, drabble, or what not you want to see let me know. I can't promise I'll get to it right away but there is a higher chance if it's something a I can get out quickly so there is more content out there.

Thank you for everything and I'll see you in the next update!

I’m sorry this has taken so long. It’s been in my drafts for over a year but I wanted to keep up with the monthly posts and felt inspired to write something even if it wasn’t long. 

Scenario: Are there any inner demons they can never seem to get rid of? What are they? 

KIRO

lies

Seeing you again heals something inside of him. He didn’t know it was possible to be broken and yet healed at the same time. When you offered him kindness not knowing who he is for the second time he felt something in him break at the same time something else was healed.

He wants to make sure that you never remember in truth. It was the darkest time in his life, a time without the sunshine he’s becoming synonymous for. Happiness for him was a hand in his and the taste of sour apples on his tongue. Now happiness is a bright smile and a shared bag of chips. 

When you start asking all the wrong questions - right questions - he finds strength in places he didn’t know. The lingering taste of something sour lingers in his mouth as he wills his eyes not to change. Fights back the overwhelming urge to keep your second chance at innocence intact. 

He hates himself a little bit with how easy it is to use the evol that he cursed in childhood to make you turn away. To show you the sides of him that he knows are lovable. The bright shinning idol instead of the hacker weaving webs to catch his prey.

VICTOR

truth

You’ve been gone from him - lost - for so long that you’ve become a concept more than a person. He has to remind himself that not only are you real and here with him, but that you don’t appear to recognize him. That a moment and time he treasures deeply isn’t even a blip on your radar.

He won’t admit how much it haunts him to taste a recreation of a sweet that started the best part of his childhood - the best and the worst. To see you there, whole and healthy without knowing who he is. He wants to take you in his arms and stop time again. To tell you everything he’s held inside since you were torn apart. 

Watching you get mixed up in things that he would shelter you from if given the chance pains him. He doesn’t want to see you back in the same place where you left him. He can’t - knows he won’t - survive a repeat. 

He can stop time, but time stopped for him when you gave everything for him. Now he has a chance to give back but in a twisted way. Helping you fund shows that give you a smile but put you in so much danger. Watching as you run headlong back in to the very place you escaped from.

All the while he has to keep silent. He can’t tell you the truth. 

GAVIN

change  

If he couldn’t even tell you in person what he felt, how much you meant, back then - how could he even come close to it now? It keeps him up late at night as he thinks about all the ways he could tell you everything. Leaving nothing out so you would be able to make a choice and save yourself - he could save you the way you saved him. 

He rises above the rumors of his past, becoming someone he knew he could be. lets himself believe that he doesn’t have to do more to ensure your safety. To give you the life you gave back to him. 

Then it spirals out of his control faster than he could have ever imagined. He knows he needs to be faster, stronger with his evol, more powerful. Climbing the ranks until he has the authority to make the decision to improve everything about himself. 

When you look at him you're only seeing a fraction of who he has become - what he has become. You’ve barely reconciled the delinquent you thought you knew, to the officer who helps you. If you knew everything about who he has become would you regret saving his life that day? 

LUCIEN

manipulation

He has a lot of feelings about the sheer amount of manipulation that he does in his daily life. Leading a double life aside, there is a certain amount of sneaking around and sleight of hand that is required in his profession. 

That being said, the closer he gets to you and the more you become a person. Someone with hopes, dreams, feelings - the harder it is for him to use his usual tactics. 

The thoughts that it shouldn’t have to be “for the mission” and “a necessary step” start to come more frequently until he has to consciously remind himself why he does what he does. 

Note: This is NOT spoiler free. Please stop here if you don't want to see spoilers.

~~~~~~

Starting off with the first words that the Black Swan Queen tells MC when they're together in the Black Cabin.

The Black Swan Queen is not an "Evil Queen". She is not a version of MC that is twisted, dark, or out there committing these actions against evolvers - for evolvers - without reason.

The removal of evol is the way that the Black Swan Queen sees as the only option to keep people alive and to make sure that more suffering doesn't have to happen.

She lived through the worst outcome. Losing the ones she loves, her home, and everyone who mattered to her. She saw distraction and came out as the lone survivor.

When she tells MC that the end "is something he noted down a long time ago". She's telling MC that even with the power of the Black Cabin behind her she was unable to change the hands of fate. Her world - her people - were still doomed.

That "the end of days will eventually come". Which can be taken as her going back and trying to fix her mistakes. To bring back the ones that she lost in the devastation.

However when MC uses her evol, the Black Cabin reacts differently. There is something happening that hadn't happened before. The light within is that evol inside her coming out. The "true power" of the Queen Evol being utilized.

When she thinks about the past, she holds it close to her heart. It guides MC, but it hasn't consumed her the way it has the Black Swan Queen.

It is in the Black Cabin that MC truly "ascends" and unlocks her Queen Evol. Only by unlocking her evol is she able to wield the power of the Black Cabin.

As a fully realized Queen, not Black or White, MC is able to take the Black Cabin and shape reality around her. She is able to stop the disaster before it can happen through channeling her Evol through the Black Cabin. Amplifying her, currently unknown, abilities.

When the world is protected, the force guiding the protection is in the shape of the crown she wears. At this point I don't think there is much of a difference between MC and the Black Cabin. In this single instance I think they are close to being one single entity wielding a powerful Evol whose limits have not been fully explored or defined.

What has set the MC apart from her counterpart is that at the end of the day, at the end of it all, it is LOVE that guides her.

"Love... is my decision"

That is a very powerful statement. Grief let the Black Swan Queen turn the Queen evol in to something that can remove an evol from another. Wielding the power of the Black Cabin the Black Swan Queen channeled it and turned her evol in to something that could remove others.

But when the MC takes the power of the Black Cabin, it is for love. The love she has for her friends, for her city, and for those she loves.

It is love that protects the world and restarts the timeline. A love that doesn't want there to be more suffering. A love that wants to be an equal partner in decisions - to level the playing field. A love that would go back and do it all over again in a way where she can protect the way they protected her the first time.

Note: This is NOT spoiler free. Please stop here if you don't want to see spoilers.

~~~~~~

When MC and the Black Swan Queen are first inside the Black Cabin together

I believe the reason that MC was not able to "see" the Black Cabin is because it was already occupied by a version of her. The Black Swan Queen using the power of the Black Cabin to help her on her crusade to cure all evolvers.

The fact that they are both now inside means that the power and balance of the Black Cabin is shifting. The Black Swan Queen knows this. She is lingering in the doorway - standing in the last shadow of light. The shadow in an opening doorway.

The door disappearing like a mirror is a way of showing that power is already beginning to transfer from the Black Swan Queen to the MC. The darkness in the light is exactly what the Black Swan Queen is. She is the darkness in the MC. The MC who has loved and lost.

I've gone over it in other theories and analysis's but there is a difference here between the two of them. MC still believes that the world is not something to be controlled or determined by one person.

While the Black Swan Queen sees controlling the world as the only way to prevent further disaster. A way to mitigate the heartache and pain of the other versions of herself.

There's a quiet relief on the Black Swan Queen's face. Deep down she is still MC - albeit a different version of her - but they are achingly similar at their core.

This is a gentle transfer of power. She willingly hands it over to MC. They don't fight, there is no power struggle, just a testing of ideals. To see if MC can keep the conviction inside her heart and no waver from it.

That's why she tells MC

"I hope you can keep your faith to the end"

Because a part of her genuinely does hope that MC is able to stay strong. Stronger than she was - stronger than she is. Losing those she loved in such a devastating way destroyed that conviction inside her.

Allowing her to become the shadow that she warns MC about.

"the shadow will always be at your back, ready to fall again"

She lets MC know that should the MC waver - that she will be back.

This is MC taking the first step in to being the White Queen. The only Queen in the cabin.

She makes her declaration. Telling the Black Swan Queen that she is not welcome anymore. That she has no say, no ability to influence, her world.

When the Queen Evol manifests for MC, it does so as light. It sends the Black Swan Queen away. MC reaches out but is unable to reach her because the Black Swan Queen is no longer there. She is no longer needed as MC starts to step in to the light. In to her own power.

~~~~~

I see the Black Swan Queen as a test the Black Cabin allows. To see which version of MC will have the heart and conviction to fully unlock and wield the Queen Evol.

The White Queen and the Black Swan Queen are just versions of MC that have not fully come in to their own power. They take it, shape their desires with it, but do not benefit from the full unrestrained Queen Evol in its purest form.

To: Loyal Followers

From: QC

As always, a thank you to everyone who has stayed with this blog. I know I don't post as often as I used to. I don't even post as often as I want to.

I'll admit I still haven't been playing the game. I get all the update and still follow the new cards. I struggled with the timeline reset/parallel world creation (like the train but with the entire world). It didn't grab my attention as much and losing the beloved VAs was really hard on me. I think the new ones are doing their best, but my love still remains with the original cast.

That being said, I've gotten really in to doing analysis and I have a short list of them coming up this month and April.

Only one Queen can be inside the Black Cabin - because there can only be One True Queen

The Queen and the Black Cabin

Wielding the Queen Evol 

MC/Youran - The Queen Evolver (anon ask)

A heartfelt thank you to all of you for staying with me and being in this fandom. I love every moment and couldn't do it without you. The asks, likes, and reblogs are what make it worth it.

Note: This is NOT spoiler free. Please stop here if you don't want to see spoilers.

~~~~~~

Starting off with the mirror and MC. MC and her "mirror me". There can only be one Queen. Both MC and MC/Black Swan Queen are two sides of the same Queen evol. One who draws strength from love and one takes it from despair.

MC is the White Swan Queen and her "mirror me" is the Black Swan Queen.

Both see themself as the true Queen, even if MC is less likely to acknowledge herself as the White Swan Queen/Queen, while the Black Swan Queen has embraced her role.

MC refers to the Black Swan Queen, her "mirror me", as a shadow. The Black Swan Queen is a shadow, her shadow, just as she is the light.

One representing love and hope, the other representing despair and loss.

MC can empower and strengthen an evol, The Black Swan Queen can lessen and taken away an evol. Their power through the Queen evolved shaped by their core beliefs and heart.

The Black Swan Queen isn't upset by her loss. She sees it as another timeline that she was unable to save.

Though her words aren't an admit of defeat. They're more of an acknowledgment that this version of herself may be able to save her heart, her love interests, but will still fail in the end.

Sorry I wasn't able to get anything out for January. Life and time got away from me. While I don't actively play the game anymore I still follow it. Those cards with rings really are something. They've inspired this with absolutely no knowledge of what happens in the cards.

-----

It was a promise. That much you were sure. There was no other way to interpret it but a promise for the future, and maybe a promise of something more.

You knew because of the way he looked at you. The spark in his eyes and the smile he gave you. It was that secret smile. The one that no one else would see.

It felt heavy on your hand and yet your heart was weightless. It felt like you were free falling. Soaring high and crashing down all at once.

Thinking back there might have been tears in your eyes but you can't say for sure. The memory was both crystal clear and defined, but blurred at the same time. Emotion blinding you in the moment. Yet it's unforgettable.

Funny how time seemed to stop and then speed up until all you can remember is the feeling of his arms around you. The steady beat of his heart. The way you were breathless and the tension melting away.

His warmth surrounding you. Shielding you both from the world. A moment for just the two of you.

You can recall the way his breath hitched. How he hesitated for a moment. The way he looked like he was more present than he had ever been, but also seeing in to the future. His whispered reply as he held your hand in his own.

Being touched as if you were fragile. A priceless treasure he never thought obtainable.

You really couldn't say if it was just a promise or if it was something so much more than one.

One thing is for sure.

I started this entire thing because I wanted to write this post about this song. I couldn't make it rhyme, but I like how it turned out. Could I have written only this post - probably. But it's the last day so I gift you with what started it all.

What Started it All