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camuslittlesister · 2 years ago

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Summer of Smut 2023 - 2

It's My Life

Prompt Beach Bar Flirting Ends in One-Night-Stand (a day late, soz ^^') Otome Hakuoki SSL Ship Harada x female OC Warning It partly takes place in the context of a scene in the game so could be considered a spoiler. Also the characters are true to their SSL personalities and situations, so that could be considered a spoiler too. It’s also again very plot heavy, I’m an Energetics blueprint (look it up, it'll be worth it)

It's my life It's now or never But I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive - Bon Jovi

"What's with that sour face, Toshi?" I was sitting at a table in a far corner of the bar area at the water park, my colleagues and friends Toshizo Hijikata and Keisuke Sanan glaring at each other while the old pal Shinpachi Nagakura scoured the menu back and forth looking for the cheapest item that would provide the highest amount of food "I'm going to pick up the tab" I announced, hoping it'd make Shinpachi speed up his decision-making.

"You did not die for a bit of water in the face, and anyway look at how cute they are. We must accept that we aren't that young anymore" I took a glance at Todou and Yukimura at the other side of the bar as I left the table. Ah, teenage love. A feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. Love at all had been a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time, but as a high school teacher with mostly male colleagues stuck in Tokyo for the summer holidays there weren't that many opportunities for the kind of whirlwind romance you have on holiday. My parents kept bugging me about settling down, but that felt just as far away. I smiled wryly as I leaned on the bar, taking my place in the queue, looking back at my friends looking a little more relaxed than when I left them.

Soon I was taken back to Earth by the light touch of someone bumping into me. "Oh, I'm sorry" it was a woman's voice with a cute accent. I replied that it was not a problem, not paying much attention to what must have happened. My turn came, and I ordered our drinks and Shinpachi's huge parfait. I heard the same voice again, speaking in English to the Japanese friend who was with her: "Must be nice being a man that fit, I'd have needed 3 trips for our order if you didn't come..." that fit...that's a compliment, right? I finally turned in their directions as I made to leave the bar. She didn't notice, as they were by then making their order.

"Hey Sano, why so distracted today?" Shinpachi was talking to me but my mind was clearly somewhere else. I realised I had been looking at the girls a few tables away from us, absentmindedly. There was four of them. Keisuke smirked, noticing that I averted my eyes, and turned around to see where from. "There's four of us, and four young women. Maybe losing to Todou was not bad after all" before I could realise what was going on, he was half the way to their table. I could not hear the conversation, but it was easy enough to imagine. He addressed the Japanese girl as the group spokesperson, in keigo with his melodic intonation that really was more like a snake trying to ensnare a prey, bowing elegantly like he was paying court to the daughter of a lord or something. It wasn't too long before he came back with a triumphant smile on his face, four young women and their drinks following behind him like a bridal procession.

Shinpachi shot up to attention like a lazy soldier caught red-handed taking a nap, looking around for extra chairs. Keisuke had thought of everything, though. The table next to ours had already vacated, making it easy to just move it closer so we could all fit around it. "I'm going to buy us another round. What would you girls like?" they made their choices and then he confirmed if we just wanted to stick to the same. A petite girl with brown hair that reminded me of Yukimura asked him if he needed a hand since there were 8 of us, and they left while the other girls spread around the table to mingle with us rather than all sit on one side like a singles mixers.

The girl from the bar sat between Toshi and I. I panicked: the old grump had a 50/50 chance of ruining our time together. She looked amused as she leaned back on the chair at a 45º angle, like she knew the vantage point it gave to her figure in the stylish black one piece she was wearing: "My last day in Tokyo and I'm finally meeting people other than my friends." We talked about where she was going next and for how long, how she had made these friends since she knew them before the trip and was visiting, what her life was like in her home city. Toshi chimed in every so often, clearly listening to the conversation but not bothered enough to participate in it fully, but it was mostly as if we were alone. It wasn't long before we were bantering back and forth, by then on our third or fourth round of cocktails.

"Do you girls have any plans for your last night in Tokyo?" I asked, as the sun was beginning to set, letting us know it was almost time they'd close the establishment. "Nothing set in stone" she replied, her tone an open invitation. It was as if the left the ball in my court: she made it clear she was not desperate for the attention, while letting me know she was open to an invitation. "I know an amazing rooftop lounge where we could grab some food and see one of the best views in the city..." we exchanged phone numbers and a promise to meet again later that night.

"Are your friends okay with you not spending your last night with them?" I asked her, trying to hide how nervous I felt seeing her dressed up in a low cut evening dress, her makeup enhancing her already incredible feature. I had seen her with just a swimsuit and, yet, her sex appeal had shot through the roof as she swayed her hips on her heeled sandals on her way to me. "I think they would be way more mad at me if I didn't spend it with you, to be honest..."

The relaxed atmosphere of the late afternoon couldn't feel any more distant as I felt conscious of her every move. The way she caressed the side of her champagne glass as I talked, and how her lips parted seductively whenever she brought the glass to her lips. The way her chest leaned forward as she ate. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about. I was captivated. Knowing it was her last night in Tokyo was a bittersweet feeling, she was a woman I could see myself falling in love with, but at the same time there was a thrill to knowing we only had that one night, and she would always live in this suspended realm of possibilities.

"Shall we dance?" I asked her extending my hand towards her after our dessert plates had been cleared. She took it, and let me lead her to the dance floor area of the lounge. It was busy as all popular spots are, and the closeness of her body made me somewhat tense. I wondered how she felt, as she touched me playfully, coquettishly even. "What time do you leave?" I asked her, as the night turned into morning. "My train is not until the afternoon..." she replied, a knowing smile on her lips. "How about we take it somewhere we can be alone? I promise you'll make your train" "If you don't mind, my hotel isn't very far..." we called the cab and I sat next to her, my hand casually on her thigh to mask how I was excited like I hadn't been in a long time, even though I was far from an inexperienced teenager.

She opened the door and turned on the light, and I was able to notice some dresses on the chair and her makeup all over the vanity before all I could see was her, her arms wrapped around my neck. I wrapped mine around her back and leaned down to kiss her. I don't know how long I kissed her for, it felt both like an eternity and not long enough, as I savoured her like fine sake. I only know that we started by the door, and we parted with her sitting on the bed in front of me, her dress on the floor and my shirt unbuttoned. She looked beautiful in black lace, her red lipstick now vanished to a mere tint.

I took off the shirt as she reached for my belt, and I rushed to help her out like every second wasted not feeling her was one too many. She looked down at my erection with a pleased expression, but I stopped her hand reaching out for me. She looked puzzled. Was I truly her first unselfish lover? I held her hands laced with mine as I kissed her neck, trailing my lips down her collarbone, pulling down her bra straps with my teeth before lying her down on to the bed and finally let go of her hands to play with her breasts. I unclasped the bra and she took it off, her hands reaching for my shoulders as if she understood I didn't want her near my penis yet. I took off her knickers and parted her legs.

She looked surprised when I just didn't push myself in, but soon relaxed into my touch as I checked how wet she was (a lot) and how ready she was. She felt tense around my finger, so I whispered in her ear, as low as my voice would go: "Let me spoil you like the princess you are." She settled on her back as I reached as far as I could go, massaging her clitoris at the same time until I felt her tension go with her orgasm. I whispered again: "The sounds you make are so sweet". I kissed her again, taking it deeper as I made my way inside her at last.

I started slow and deliberate, pushing as far as I could, feeling for her reaction, then picking up the pace faster and harder, her body moving in sync with mine like a boat on a wave, her moans pushing me further and further into my own pleasure. I laid down next to her, breathless, and she curled up on my chest as if we were long-time lovers. She kissed me where my heart was beating so much faster: "It's almost tragic that we only had one night."

CC: @voltage-vixen 🖤 @xxsycamore 🖤

#summer of smut #summer of smut writing challenge

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darkmindsotome · 5 years ago

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Risque Rouge pt8

Tagging: @umbralaperture @otome-smut-queen @silver-fox-of-azuchi @tsundere-mitsuhide @jennacat84

General warnings for the whole fic: Angst, some fluff, Mental health issues, emotional things, trauma, blood, death and possible triggers. Please read responsibly.

Darkmindsotome Masterlist

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Chapter 8

If she had thought the outside of the mansion was impressive the impossibly large entrance was seriously beyond imagining. She had always known that the man who asked to be her sponsor was something of a wealthy man and possibly lived in a grand home, but this was so much more than she dreamt.

White columns and arches sprung up from a lush dark red carpet that held up the floor above. Golden sconces holding tall tapered candles mounted on the walls awaiting lighting. A large glistening central ceiling light that seemed to be powered by electric shone down from on high like a second sun.

Ornate plasterwork, carved balustrade and a large wide staircase completed the space. It was a design that gave both a warm greeting but also displayed wealth without rubbing a guest’s face in it. That feeling of unworthiness loomed over her again as she allowed herself to be led further into the building all too aware of the gap between her world and his.

Rich dark woods and more of that luxurious carpeting continued on into the rest of the mansion on the upper levels. Many doors lined this particular hallway as did the golden accents and motifs. It could have been a very dark choice of décor had it not been for some large arched lead-lined windows draped in swathes of fabric. Light from outside fell on the floor in warm diamonds and squares as they made a turn and went into another section of the property that seemed a little darker by comparison.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Comte stated as they walked together.

Sebastian had disappeared saying he was going to prepare fresh tea. She couldn’t help but wonder why tea preparations involved a pencil and notebook. As they walked it became even clearer her host was a very generous man. She was told about the different rooms and how she could explore and have use of any of them.

“It's beautiful, I feel like I just stepped into a storybook.” She gave a smile that rivalled the sun outside at his side.

“It pleases me to hear that.” Comte let out a small unnoticed sigh as he hummed with pleasure. There were still trials and tribulations to go through, but for now, his main concern was making sure that his latest guest was comfortable and settled in his home. As she continued to smile looking around like a child struck by wonder and imagination at the mansion, he started to plan how to make her stay with him as perfect as possible. First dresses then --.

“It’s so different from what I’m used to. I really have no idea wha—AH!” His planning came to an abrupt halt as the Princess beaming at his side suddenly vanished. Her entire body tumbled to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. His paused mid-stride and looked down to see a tangled mess of limbs that may as well have been a depiction of some far-eastern deity.

“Mmm, Loud…” An all too familiar voice from the ground had Comte rolling his eyes and feeling irritated before he even addressed the moving trip hazard that plagued the mansion.

“Leo, what are you doing sleeping in the corridor?” Comte looked down at the man who was running one hand through his messy hair his other holding the fallen girl up preventing her from the carpeting by balancing her on his lap. Her face was blushing red as a peony, a sight that both made him want to chuckle but also seemed to irritate him right now.

“Well I was waiting to see you and I guess I got tired.” Leo gave a nonchalant shrug turning a pair of sleepy eyes towards her and adjusted his arm to aid her in escaping his embrace. “Pardon Signorina.”

She scrambled back to the side of the man she knew to trust her eyes hardly daring to leave the new male who seemed a lot more like one of the patrons in the performing house. His clothes were quality but how they had been applied to him made it seem like he had dressed either in a hurry or found the idea to be simply too much hassle. He seemed to be the complete opposite of the composted and elegant Comte.

“No, it was my fault I wasn’t paying attention.” Evie gave an awkward apology from Comte’s elbow. She seemed even more adorable to him as he reached out his arm to wrap it around her delicate shoulders. It was as much a move to reassure her as it was one to send a clear message.

“Genevieve this is Leonardo. He is an old friend of mine and also one of the guests in the mansion.” Comte shifted his own golden eyes to look at his friend and didn’t miss the playful delicate shimmering under the surface of Leo’s eyes when he looked between the young lady and him. “Leo, Genevieve is to be my new guest here starting today.”

“Ah, well that explains why you have been absent these past few nights.” Leo gave a suggestive wink that worked as he intended and Comte could feel himself bristle at the provocation. Why the man seemed to delight it being a provocative nuisance at times like this was beyond him. The now wide-awake Leonardo gave a semi bow as he bent over and kissed Evie’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you Cara mia.”

“Monsieur.” Evie’s reply came as an automatic reply from a place that was still a kind of bewilderment.

“Just call my Leo, all that Monsieur stuff isn’t necessary.” Leo brushed away her formality as if he were swatting a fly and favoured her with a kind smile. His eyes much closer and clearer now looked a bit like candle flames. The amount of light they seemed to hold was mesmerising in a different way to Comte’s.

“Alright, Leo.” She nodded understanding all to well what it felt like to be called in a manner you felt uncomfortable with. She glanced to her side wondering why after discovering her full name her sponsor had decided to use it. Had she not made it clear she was unused to it or was it a shift he moved into around others that meant he felt obligated to call her a set way? Fine Society was something of a mystery to her thanks to her humbler origins so she didn’t feel she could say for certain one way or another.

“Bene, grazie.” Leo happily nodded giving her a pat on the head that made her feel a little like a pet and then he started to pat down his jacket.

“You said you were waiting for me? Was there something you wished to discuss?” Comte's enquiry seemed to remind Leo of his original intention before the distraction of a new guest. Leo pulled out a tin from his pocket that seemed to contain some sort of tobacco product and pulled out a thicker than a normal looking cigarette.

“It has waited this long, I can wait a while longer. Ciao” Leo shrugged again slipping the tin back in his pocket before turning away from them. He cast his hand up, holding his newly selected cigarillo in his hand and gave a wave over his shoulder as he made his exit.

“What a strange man. Oh, sorry he’s your friend and that was rude of me.” Evie once more realised she had said something that should perhaps not have been spoken aloud. It seemed all too easy for some reason to speak freely around Comte but she had no idea exactly when that had happened. When had she become comfortable enough to forget he was there? Her safe and comforting shadow.

“No, I would agree with you ma petite. Leo is rather a free bird so to speak. He is not a bad man but I could not completely say I would…” Comte stopped short of finishing his word of warning against becoming romantically entangled with his friend finding he neither wished to imagine such a prospect and also became aware as she had that he had started to speak casually around her as well. “Oubliez-le. You need not concern yourself with such things. Right now, we must find your room and you should dress.”

Urging her forward once more with a gentle hand on her back they turned another corner and stopped at a door that seemed exactly the same as every other door they had passed so far. If this was there destination and supposed to be her room, she seriously wondered how she should navigate herself back and forth from it. Was she to be given a map and a compass?

“Dress? And what am I to dress in exactly? I only have a blanket and what used to be a nightgown.” Her tone became a bit more petulant as she asked her questions. She had also become more animated at his side than she had been when they first exited the carriage.

She felt a little stupid for acting like a troublesome child but it was Comte’s reaction to it that grabbed her attention most. He waited patiently for her to finish, with no signs of annoyance or that he was going to dish out a reprimand for being so unladylike. If anything, he seemed rather amused as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. When he was certain she had recovered her composure, he placed his hand on the door handle and turned it.

“I have already prepared some things for you. Remember I told Sebastian that your visit was earlier than planned? I had every intention of at least having you here for tea and gifting you a few items.” He spoke as if he were conversing in general small talk as he wandered into the room and straight up to a wardrobe that took up nearly an entire wall.

“Wha--?” Evie followed looking at the room completely overwhelmed. It was larger than her room in the performing house and looked as elegant as the rest of the building.

All the furniture in here were white and the walls had been painted in pastel shades. A big bay window provided a lot of light, the curtains dropped the full length of the window and pooled on the ground. Extra fabric of a more sheer variety hung over the pole and muted the harsh light. There was a long sideboard with washbasin and jug, covered in a lace cloth.

A white vanity table that looked exactly like her one in the performing house except it had intact gilding and no shoddy repair work. The centrepiece had to be the massive four-poster bed. A deep mattress covered in a large fluffy duvet with a mountain of pillows. The pastel shades of the walls were reflected in the combination of plain fabric, with scalloped edges, on the bed. Instead of curtains attached to the frame of the four posts, there was the same sheer fabric used on the windows wound around them like vines.

“This room gets the light the most. I realise the dresses might not be to your taste, but if you could choose one for the time being, I would happily take you shopping to find more that would suit your own tastes better.” Comte pulled several elegant and very expensive dresses from the vast wardrobe laying them flat on the bed apparently oblivious to her wonder. Her feet moved to his side her hand reaching out to touch the dresses he had selected and her fingertips brushed over fine silk and handmade lace brocade that was a far cry from anything she had experienced before.

“This is… they are all so beautiful. Are you really sure I can wear one?”

“Naturally Ma Cherie. They are all yours after all.” Comte watched admiringly as she traced her fingers delicately over the dresses as if she expected them to evaporate at her touch. This was the moment he enjoyed the most when giving a gift. The expression on her face told a thousand words of wonder and disbelief, and he wanted nothing more than to turn them to reality for her. “I shall be downstairs. There is an ensuite just behind the other door and I shall ask Sebastian to call on you when you are finished.”

Stepping away, after excusing himself, he found he was already feeling her warmth slipping away from him and something cold and familiar seeping back into his heart. The sun might be high in the sky with rays falling on his skin but in truth, he hadn’t been able to feel its effects in years. Stealing a glance before he closed the door on her and her room, he saw her picking up a cream coloured dress covered in floral embroidery a bittersweet smile playing on his lips.

Alone for the first time since the events of that night, Evie couldn’t help but feel the loss of the man who had been her constant companion of late. Naturally, she was glad of the space in order to dress but she still didn’t think she was in the right frame of mind to process what had happened yet. She knew it was not good to depend on others to distract yourself from reality but she still couldn’t place what the feeling of loss was.

Tears began to fall from her eyes as she walked to the window and opened the latch. A cool breeze drifted into the room, the smell of fresh air she could never find in the city, and a faint fragrance of flowers filled her lungs calming her.

“I can’t believe all this is real. It’s like stepping from a nightmare into a fantasy.”

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liarsgambit · 8 years ago

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Thank you for applying to Liar’s Gambit! The students who have been chosen to visit Flagfall Manor are:

Aoi Kimura, SHSL Otome Gamer Banchō of Ikebukuro, SHSL Juvenile Delinquent Leader Henry Mullins, SHSL Arctic Researcher Ichiko Inuzuka, SHSL Bishoujo Gamer Kakeru Kinokyu, SHSL Stuntman Kaori Nakajima, SHSL Heiress Ken Sugita, SHSL Pyrotechnician Kokoro Teishi, SHSL Horror Mangaka Kouki Akimoto, SHSL Detective Nariya Katabukiyama, SHSL Songstress Niru Nanzo, SHSL Parapsychologist Oka Kanowari, SHSL Programmer Petit Fours, SHSL Polyglot Roxanne Kagome, SHSL Tango Dancer Soleil, SHSL Electropop Artist Taichi Akiyama, SHSL Cardiac Surgeon Toshiko Ryuzaki, SHSL Curator Verruct, SHSL Screamo Artist

Discord invites to the OOC will be issued shortly. Thank you all so much for applying, and don’t be too upset if you don’t get in! Mod Ven will be reblogging some group promos in a bit!

#liar's gambit

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ads-is-shady-blog · 6 years ago

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#3) [Otome Games/BTS] Indie devs enrage fans of their crowdfunded games with a censorship controversy, years of broken promises and delays, & legal troubles on a BTS fan game

View the discussion on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/abjkzf/otome_gamesbts_indie_devs_enrage_fans_of_their/

Post (words belong to original poster linked):

Tl;dr at the bottom since this spans several years and numerous layers of drama and is therefore very long.

Some useful info:

Otome games: a niche genre aimed at a female audience, typically visual novels with a female player character and romanceable male characters. Originated in Japan.

Visual novel (VN): a game where the story and dialogue is (mostly) conveyed in text, accompanied by relatively simple visuals and audio, and with choices that change the direction of the story. Also originated in Japan. VNs made in English are sometimes distinguished with the moniker OELVN (Original English Language Visual Novel).

Route: a specific path or branch of a visual novel, often one involving a romance with a particular character.

Pay-per-route: a payment model mainly found in mobile otome games where a game's prologue/common route is free and each character's route is bought separately as DLC. There may also be separate epilogues, sequels and other DLC.

BTS: a massively popular 7-member Kpop boy idol group.

ARMY/ARMYs: the official name of BTS's fanbase/fans.

BigHit Entertainment: BTS's agency.

This drama concerns one small indie dev company, Aeon Dream Studios (ADS), formerly known as Star Maiden Games, and three of their games:

Mystic Destinies: Serendipity of Aeons (MDSOA): their first game for PC & mobile, an urban fantasy OELVN otome game;

Mystic Destinies: Echoes (Echoes): a promised sequel where the romanceable characters are the male antagonists of the first game;

To the Edge of the Sky (TTEOTS): originally a nonromantic BTS fan game for PC & mobile where the members of BTS are reimagined as operatives in a cyberpunk future. There was no in-game mention of the members' names or of BTS itself, but characters were visibly recognisable as BTS members and the group's name was frequently used in descriptions & promotions by the devs. Though originally free, the game was later monetised.

I'll break things down by year for easier reading. I only became aware of the drama this summer and most of this post is the product of my amateur internet sleuthing in the last month, so I apologise if I have made any mistakes.

2015

Star Maiden Games formed and began developing MDSOA in 2015. Like many indie otome game developers, in September 2015 they turned to Kickstarter for funding with a $2,000 goal. Five days later they'd met the target, and when the campaign closed they had $3,555 pledged in total and several stretch goals met. Looking back now, they were a little overoptimistic in promises for sequels and episodic content which were never added. The $3,500 stretch goal of customisable MC skin colour was also never implemented, though this was supposedly because one backer cancelled their pledge.

2016

MDSOA was soon Greenlit and released on Steam in February 2016 with a free prologue and a single route as paid DLC; four more routes and five corresponding epilogues were to be added as DLC as they were completed. Though the majority of initial reviews were positive (see chart), several Steam users left negative reviews, many criticising the pay-per-route model that had given multiple players the false impression that the entire game was free. One reviewer made a deeply critical playthrough of the prologue on Youtube, branding the game 'Serendipishit', and was soon notified it had been taken down by a copyright strike from the developers. His video about the strike gained significant attention on Reddit and a backlash began to form against the developers' perceived attempt to censor criticism.

A day later, the reviewer posted a follow-up video asking viewers to stop harassing the devs. Having personally spoken with them, he now stated the developers were revoking the strike and everything was good. The exact same thing also happened to another Youtuber at roughly the same time (initial video, video about the strike, update. Judging by a comment on the latter video, the Youtuber believed after speaking to the devs that the copyright strikes were deliberate manual strikes aimed at negative reviews.)

In both cases the follow-ups attracted a fraction of the attention that the videos about the strikes got and the controversy took a while to die down. Outside of Steam the developers made only the vaguest allusions to these events. The devs' most detailed comment on the issue, along with a defence of their payment model, was in response to a Steam review, where they claimed they had not specifically targeted negative reviews, only videos that did not have their direct permission to be posted.

Despite the censorship furore, otome game fans who tried MDSOA were largely pleased with the game and a small but passionate fanbase formed. The developers had a small number of Patreon supporters; bonuses included a short story set before MDSOA, which was also sold for $1+ on Gumroad. The second route came out in May 2016, and that month Star Maiden Games changed their name to Aeon Dream Studios, only citing "varied" reasons for the change.

At some point during the year, the two creative heads of the studio became fans of Korean idol group BTS due to relating to the lyrics of Dope, a motivational anthem about the group's tireless work and commitment to attaining success while refusing to bow to criticism. According to later statements by the CEO/Creative Director of ADS, the devs were enduring significant poverty and exhaustion while working on MDSOA during this time.

That September the third route released and ADS launched another Kickstarter campaign to help fund the final 2 routes and a deluxe edition DLC, all of which were slated to be out by December. Fans spread the word and within 4 days they reached the funding goal of $7,500. The devs then rebranded much of the page to reflect their stretch goal, a sequel called Mystic Destinies: Echoes, initially promised for March 2017. Though the stretch goal was not reached, the funding surplus (roughly $5,500) was put towards Echoes with another Kickstarter planned later to finish funding. The fourth MDSOA route was briefly delayed but came out at the end of November. The fifth route and the DLC did not end up arriving in December as promised, but as some delays are par for the course with Kickstarter, nobody was too perturbed. However, whispers of unrest began as ADS started making references to a BTS fan project.

2017

The developers finished funding Echoes through their third Kickstarter in January 2017. This slightly surpassed its $7,200 goal with a closing total in February of $8,033, and they also opened preorders for the game on itch.io (since closed). They now aimed to first finish MDSOA and its Kickstarter reward fulfilment and then release Echoes in "late Spring 2017", or at least no later than Summer 2017. The studio at the time consisted of only 3 employees, with some work contracted out to others.

Obviously, things didn't quite pan out.

Despite the amount of work still to be done on the Mystic Destinies games, in March 2017 they also released a demo for their BTS fan game, TTEOTS, and in May were soliciting funds through Gofundme for further development. (This closed in September 2017 at $1000 raised.) They dreamed of receiving an official endorsement from BigHit and not only emailed and tweeted at BigHit (with no response) but encouraged fans to do so as well, mobilising under the Twitter hashtag #ARMYWantsBTSGames. Though they never received any response, they decided to go ahead with the game anyway. Meanwhile, due to the pushbacks, lack of updates, and emergence of the BTS project, Mystic Destinies fans began to criticise the studio more openly (sample comments: one, two, three).

One focus of criticism was the devs' poor communication. Statements and news were scattered across multiple platforms or buried in Kickstarter comments, leading to confusion and rumours flying among the discontented community. When pressed for answers about whether the delays were TTEOTS-related, the developers insisted they were only working on one game at a time. Meanwhile, the final route of MDSOA hit further delays and due to the devs' communication issues many fans only found out it had been split into two parts when the first book finally released in June. The second followed in July, while the deluxe edition DLC was now slated for "Summer 2017". Continuous delays followed, but the developers posted semi-regular updates, blaming delays on problems like Hurricane Irma and their main artist leaving. In October the DLC was still not out and the devs stated Echoes would be out in November - but at the same time they were running more crowdfunding campaigns for TTEOTS.

As a BTS fan game, the developers tapped into a large and dedicated worldwide fanbase, so it wasn't a surprise that the two TTEOTS funding campaigns launched in October across Kickstarter and Fundrazr netted over $36,000 in total. From here on Fundrazr was the devs' crowdfunding platform of choice, using its "Keep it all" option where backers' money is sent immediately and campaigns can run forever. By November 2017 TTEOTS's first part had been launched to the public and they created a petition for BigHit to officially recognise the game (9000 signatures and 2k+ comments as of this post), but there were no updates on Echoes or MDSOA's deluxe edition DLC until the end of the month, when both were again delayed until December. Still, as the releases had only been delayed by a month or two each time, it seemed like both games must be near to completion.

Just two weeks later, ADS pushed back Echoes' release date indefinitely, offering a vague promise of 2018, and stated Echoes would now have less content than originally promised - 10 hours' gameplay instead of 15-25. They claimed they would offer refunds to anyone who wanted one but backers were understandably confused and upset, leaving comments expressing their frustration. As 2017 ended, fans were growing deeply concerned.

January - July 2018

After announcing another delay for the MDSOA DLC and receiving a few exasperated responses, the devs posted a backer-exclusive update threatening to forcibly issue refunds to backers whose behaviour they found dissatisfactory and blaming negative comments as the reason for their silences. I was not a backer so don't have a screenshot, but here's part of the text:

We would like to issue a reminder to everyone interacting with us in the community that comments should remain respectful and polite. [...] we ask that the community please keep a positive, welcoming environment instead of the toxic one it's veering into for us - which also makes us reluctant to speak openly about our progress and engage with the community more often. If you feel you cannot do this, or are engaging in abusive language, we do reserve the right to refuse service - this can result processing a refund for your backer number. [...] Part of supporting a project is more than just the financial aspect, but being an encouraging, welcoming presence for the team to come back to and feel comfortable with discussing the development with you in our regular updates. (emphasis added)

Many read this as a threat to stop airing any criticism whatsoever. In the Steam forums, backers dissected the devs' statements and wondered about the legality of TTEOTS, with one user predicting legal trouble was inevitable. (sample comments: one, two, three)

In February, ADS launched another Twitter campaign to promote TTEOTS using the hashtag #BTSxTTEOTS and the account @Trend_TTEOTS. They also hired a new writer, a BTS and TTEOTS fan who had helped promote the game by handing out promo cards at BTS concerts before she was hired. She was set to work on Echoes along with another employee while the most experienced employees, including the CEO, continued work on TTEOTS.

February also brought the release of the deluxe edition DLC for MDSOA, which meant the game was at last considered complete over a year later than promised. Some backers were incredibly frustrated by this point as those who had paid for the full deluxe edition of the game on Kickstarter did not receive any part of the game until the deluxe edition DLC was finished. As the promised release date had been December 2016 at the time of the Kickstarter, backers had certainly not expected such a long and uncertain wait to receive the full game. Some backers had been so dedicated to the game that they had bought the DLC as it came out on Steam on top of backing one or more of the Kickstarters.

As for Echoes, there was little mention of it throughout the first half of 2018, but the devs continued to post regularly about TTEOTS, released the first volume of a TTEOTS graphic novel on ComiXology, and launched additional crowdfunding campaigns on Fundrazr, including:

a project to send gifts to BTS in hopes of receiving official recognition for TTEOTS ($645);

a full length TTEOTS novel (which is still open and currently stands at over $3.5k);

a second campaign to fund TTEOTS development ($4,123);

a campaign to revamp TTEOTS's art ($4,516).

As 2018 rolled on, Echoes backers became angrier at the continued lack of updates and perceived favouritism towards TTEOTS. Those following the devs' social media in hopes of receiving Echoes news were infuriated by the constant stream of TTEOTS-related posts; even the Echoes Kickstarter received an update which featured several lines about TTEOTS and only a cursory mention of Echoes at the end. Despite their claims that half the studio was working on Echoes, their silence about the progress of the game continued and was not well received.

Comments in the Steam forums and elsewhere had by now become much more accusatory. Some backers speculated that the money they'd paid for Echoes had been funneled into TTEOTS instead; some suggested the devs were just opportunists cashing in on BTS's popularity by milking eager fans for money. Since January, numerous Echoes backers had reported difficulty getting the promised refunds (example), often due to unanswered emails and messages, or failed to get any response when asking about backer rewards they were still owed (example).

TTEOTS Premium also launched in late May, swiftly climbing to the #10 Paid Casual app on the Google Play store. Premium included extra content, including exclusive art and the beginnings of romantic content with the characters. For $9.99 Premium players were promised an all-access season pass to all future content up to the game's completion date in December 2018.

With a large fanbase and multiple revenue streams, TTEOTS seemed to be thriving despite the escalating discontent from Mystic Destinies fans.

August - December 2018

Then, in early August, the devs dropped a bombshell: they had been served a cease & desist by BTS's agency, BigHit Entertainment, along with a demand for financial records regarding TTEOTS.

Though TTEOTS was originally a free fan game, BTS's agency may have finally felt a legal line was crossed with the addition of its premium version - presumably they had been aware of the game for some time due to the volume of ADS and ARMY's attempts at contact. Irate Echoes backers experienced a certain schadenfreude at this announcement, with some perceiving it to be the studio's comeuppance. Many had given up on ever getting Echoes and some actively hoped ADS would be sued into bankruptcy.

After the C&D the devs hired legal advice and launched Operation Phoenix, an effort to edit the game's art so characters could not be recognised as BTS, as well as redact all mention of BTS elsewhere to avoid legal repercussions. Some art was updated, but other characters' faces were hidden with masks while new art was being worked on. As many TTEOTS players were ARMYs, some complained about the change or stopped playing entirely, but if anything much of the game's fanbase was bolstered by the crisis. ARMYs sometimes have a contentious relationship with BTS's agency and some felt that BigHit's approach to TTEOTS was not only unfair but set a worrying precedent for other BTS fan works. (At least one fan took to calling the agency 'BigShit'.)

The developers posted two passive aggressive tweets bidding goodbye to those who had abandoned the game due to the C&D and Operation Phoenix and thanking those who stayed.

Not long after, they suddenly began posting developer interviews to promote Echoes' "imminent release" in September 2018, and appeared in the MDSOA Steam forums to lock a discussion thread with over 200 posts which backers had been using for more than a year to discuss and speculate on the Kickstarter problems and, later, the legal situation with TTEOTS. The devs posted a warning against libel and slander and instructed anyone with concerns to email them directly and wait 72 hours for a response instead of posting on the forums. Some commenters felt this was simply an attempt to threaten them into shutting up and hide criticism from the public eye, prompting dozens of outraged comments in response. Several people pointed out they had tried emailing questions or refund requests in the past and never received a reply.

After that, things eventually quieted down for a time. A number of official statements followed on ADS's website between August and October. Echoes was again delayed past September, but many backers had given up caring anyway. The CEO/Creative Director lamented the negativity of Echoes backers, admitted they had made mistakes and stated they would have been homeless if they hadn't started working on TTEOTS. These statements again riled up the posters in the Steam forums for both MDSOA and Echoes, and there were several critical responses to these statements on Kickstarter, but also several supportive responses too. In October they stated Echoes is 80% finished and offered a vague release date of "before the end of the year [2018]".

Come December this began to look increasingly unlikely, and on top of that TTEOTS fans began to grow concerned about the schedule slip and silence regarding Chapter 4 of TTEOTS which was originally scheduled for September, then November, and is still unreleased as of this post (tweet compilations: one, two). While December 2018 had originally been slated as the completion date for TTEOTS, the devs had since announced they planned to continue the game indefinitely in seasons. Echoes backers clearly felt that history was repeating itself for a different group of fans. However, TTEOTS fans appear to mostly still believe in the developers, and some have tweeted defending the devs and urging people not to pressure them for updates.

After a long silence, the CEO of ADS posted a personal blog in mid-December stating that she had struggled to focus on her work ever since a BTS member sustained a minor injury in October that affected his mental state (for reference, "MAMA 2018" refers to Mnet Asian Music Awards, which mainly features Kpop artists, and where BTS won several major awards this year). The post expounded on her many worries about the mental and physical health of BTS members and the effect they had had on her life.

Finally, there was a year-end update on the 24th, pushing back Echoes once again to 2019 and placing blame for the delays on the staff she selected to work on it. Echoes backers were incredulous. Most expressed sympathy for these employees, their consensus being that the CEO had essentially dumped her mess on people with less experience, not given them sufficient help and supervision, and thrown them under the bus to avoid taking responsibility herself. No date was given for future TTEOTS content and she described wanting to "focus less on ADS and more on other solo projects" in 2019.

It is currently unknown if any further legal action will be taken by BigHit, but the development of the amended version of TTEOTS will supposedly continue and the devs' website still contains a link in the navbar to their petition for BTS to officially recognise the game.