#mystic messenger v route

[httyddragonfox]

Ray/Unknown's regard towards MC

[Part 1]

Let's get into Another story: This is a different timeline and his character has been reworked a little so he could have a route of his own. This is because the people of Cheritz know that Unknown is a not a healthy partner choice. Also, if we were spending time with him, him going by Saeran might be a little revealing if we were to say his name at some point. It would not work for the route, that's where the split personality came in, because they acknowledge he used to be a better person.

Again, I'm not how MC was picked to be their innocent go between for the RFA. It seems Ray was super attached even upon talking on the phone, so I wonder if he knew of her already. So the Prologue goes like this: We get contacted by an Unknown person known as Ray. He wants us to come to his secret complex base to test a game for him, we'll get free room and board, and it's a visual novel styled like a chatroom. In the Bad endings, he says that if we do this, he might be interested in dating us. If we still say no, he gets upset. He says he really wanted to go to paradise with us. He then claims he hasn't given up as he's the angel to lead us to paradise. He wants to see how we look when we've truly been saved. Over the next few days he keeps contacting us, we could answer or not. If we don't answer, he says it's not like us to ignore him. If we do answer, we get the stalker calls. He wants to constantly be on the phone with us as it's the only thing that connects us. He's constantly thought of us, even when he was busy. He wondered what we were doing, who we talking to, how many times we thought of him. He wants to know everything and it's driving him crazy (-_-). He misses us so much, then reminds us we could have been together already if we took his deal. He tells not to worry because we'll still end up with him. He's going to make sure of it. He'll miss hearing our breath through the phone. With the second call he thinks if we were waiting for his call he'd be super happy, our head filled with thoughts of him. He admits he came to see us yesterday because he couldn't help himself, trailing us from 1 meter behind. He then remarks he can see us during that call at that moment. Of course he won't tell us how, which makes it worse. Hearing our breath and watching, it feels like he's with us. It will be a few days before we can feel him closer. Soon he will be right in front of us and be able to touch us. Again reminds us, we should have taken the deal. With the final call, he talks of how much he wishes he could fill our eyes with him. He wants so much for us to stay by his side without going anywhere. He misses us so much he's going to bring us to him. We must want the same thing, because we answered the phone. The preparation is done, he's hoping we'll like the bird cage he made for us. Now we could report him to the police, but then...well the story doesn't happen, but at least we're fine. If we do meet up with him, he tells us all we have to worry about is being happy at paradise, and he'll make our lives more fun. He wants to start over with you, and play an...interesting game. After meeting you, he won't let you go. He wants you as his assistant. (This goes against his first statement, but whatever...that liar.) Even if you say no, he's going to take you. (You did choose to meet him so...) Later, it shows you're struggling with being his assistant, as you need to learn coding but can't keep up with him. Of course, he's constantly worried you'll leave him, so he tells us "We don't have to be good, we just can't leave him." Also, he keeps us away from the 'game,' because he wants to keep us all to himself. He doesn't want us to fall for anyone but him.

Okay, the prologue alone shows he's a Yandere (Obsessive in this case). Considering he's an option this route, of course they play up his feelings for us. Of course, some things are still the same: He thinks you're like him, and he wants you as his assistant and companion, as well as he thinks he's doing what's best for you.

I'm not going to go over every instance we interact because then we'd be on this post forever, so instead I'll focus on the instances he shows the most attraction to us.

Most of the time in the first few days, he's passing himself off as a game developer. Yet, he starts to show more and more his affection for you.

One of the first calls you can have with him he mutters at the end of it that it doesn't matter how you interact with the characters or which one you're interested in at the moment because you're just going to end up with him in the end. This is the first instance of him showing shades of being a possessive type Yandere.

Why does he like you so much? In the other route he may have gotten interested in you because you were his useful little tool, but it seems different this time. He says himself that he cherishes you because you are his precious "tester." You are essential to his plans being pulled off. He also says he likes you because you trusted him and listened to him, you didn't betray him. Of course, what does this mean about the prologue, where you haven't done that yet. According to his journal, he was really hoping to bond with this person he'd be working closely with. He must've become heavily attached to the idea of you, being his trusted companion to replace his brother. Yet, during the route he's less of an obsessive Yandere, and more possessive Yandere. This is probably because he has actually gotten to know who you are, and thus he's not obsessed with the idea of you, but instead doesn't wish to let you go.

During the route, you can be seen as friendly, as kind, as good-hearted, and even if you don't play her like that, you're still helping Ray out with his plans. Just like in the other routes, because you're useful to him, he takes an interest in you.

Back to the examples: You can ask him about his ideal type in a phone call. He says he was never really interested in that until you came along.

Unlike his brother, who is pansexual, it seems Saeran is asexual or at least on that spectrum. If I had to guess, I'd say he's grey-sexual. Which means he can be attracted to people, but it's very rare. Considering his sometimes sexual feelings he has for the MC in some routes, I say he's grey-sexual, and not just a grey-romantic-asexual.

At the end of the day, he visits in your room. He asks you which of the characters you like the most. Pretty much whomever you say, he points out their flaws and tells you not to pursue them, especially with Seven. I've only seen Seven and Zen, but I could take a guess on the others because he's pretty much summarizing the character arcs of the other routes. Jumin may be dark and mysterious but has a passionate intensity towards the things he cares about; Yoosung may be cute, but he tends to have trouble letting go his cousin. Jaehee may be dutiful and hard-working, but she also has trouble accepting and loving herself. Zen is plenty handsome, but he's a contradiction, because he also loathes himself. As for Seven, he acts goofy, but he's actually cold-hearted and aloof. After any of these descriptions he tells you you will probably get hurt pursuing these characters, he tells you not to pay them much mind, because they're all fake and he's the only real person around us.

He was already lying to us, but at this point we're noticing how realistic the game seems. This is straight up gaslighting. He's trying to manipulate us into thinking he's the only true viable option.

He then ends the conversation by saying he's felt so good and has been so happy ever since he met us. It's been a while since he felt that way. Meeting us was the best thing in his life.

Over the next few days he does nice things for us. For starters, he makes us breakfast. He says he wants to make nice memories with us, already having plans for future weather: ice cream when it's hot, tea when it's cold. He also wants to be our best friend. At the end of the day, he gives us flowers, as he wants us to wake up to nice smells. He talks about the joy of touching our delicate hands, either as a flower being touched by us, or by giving us the flowers directly into them. (Shades of his obsessiveness). He has done the deed before, taking our hand as we entered the complex, leading us while we were blindfolded. He must've liked how it felt. (Also it happened in the prologue bad end.)

After this his affection starts to grow more for us. He calls us 'his,' 'his precious' as well as 'his princess.' He also talks about how he desires to hack our mind, so we'll only like him, and we'd be happy forever. It's around here he starts to consider our induction. He tells us a story of how he saved a weak plant by sacrificing the strong one as a sense of justice, in a way, giving us a bias towards his personal story before it was heard. He takes us out into the garden, talking about that if we wish to stay, he'll whatever he can to help us. He gives us many reasons, such as "if we have to take care of things at home, we can take care of that and come back." As well as, "Sometimes money isn't enough to save people, sometimes you need to do more." He hints that the end of the game involves saving the characters, and by joining we can find a way to save everyone. He also hints that if that party were to really happen, he'd like to go with us as a date because we're his, and bring a special drink for everyone. He's finalizing his plans, as well as solidifying a place for us in them. He's not even listening when we tell him we might not stay with him. We're too good in his eyes, we won't betray him, we won't leave him. He'll do anything to make sure we don't leave him, including drugging us; in his mind we'll be so happy we won't want to leave, but in truth is we'll be so dependent on the stuff that we'll be compelled to stay, not to mention the fact we'll be brainwashed into thinking their way is better. At least he's going to make it taste good for us...

The bad ending for the route is where we barely entered the chat-rooms, so all he knows of us is his meetings with us in story mode. He begins to wonder why we haven't been paying attention to the chat-rooms. Are we sick? Are we bored? (He breaks the fourth wall a little here and asks if we played the other version) This makes him think you're abandoning him, which he can't take from you. He then decides to teach you his pain so you won't ever think to leave, so you'll know why he doesn't want you to leave. He also discusses his desires of making you his assistant. This is where is Unknown tendencies come forward, but for a different reason than before.

This is where Ray could go either way. He's rather manipulative, but he's also rather affectionate. Unknown wasn't a Yandere, but he did like us. Ray in this route is almost as if Unknown was a Yandere, but more on the Dere side than Yan. He wants us as his assistant, his companion, a sort of replacement for his brother, but if the chips are down he will use force against us.

Let's look at V's route first: If you tell him you wish to be with him, he expresses delight at how much you're listening to him and obeying him. Of course, if you tell him you wish to go home when you're done, he asks you to at least look at what he's prepared. When you continue to question him, he murmurs to himself "My Savior said sometimes we need to force salvation." He takes you to his room in order to make the contract, which is done by ingesting a special elixir made there. The next scene is rather mesmerizing: You know it's bad as the player, the MC can tell it's bad in her gut, but Ray sounds so sincere.

He hands you the special elixir he made for you, saying if you take it you can stay with him forever. His excuse is that this company he works at also makes medicine, the goal of the place is to make people happy. If you comment on how the medicine seems suspicious, he says it's only that way because you haven't seen it before; there is no way he would make you sad, as he only wishes for your happiness. The elixir gives you a glimpse of paradise, of true happiness, realizing it little by little. If you express disinterest in drinking, he questions your hesitance, saying it's how you'll stay there. "You put your faith in me, and came all this way here." He's asking you to trust him again, saying he only wants to make you happy. He asks if you enjoyed staying staying with him? You played his game for him, you talked and chatted with him, and made happy memories with him. He tells you that you and him made such a connection, because we're similar to him in some ways. He could see all of the anxiety, sadness and loneliness within us and that's why he wishes to make us happy. He does not want us to suffer like he has. He promises us many entertaining things if we drink the elixir. If we drink the elixir, the next morning promises a world flooded with happiness. He promises to be there for us if we're scared and that we're not alone. He begs us not to let the anxiety and fear get to us. Of course, if we still hesitate, he tells us he understands. He knows we're afraid and how we feel. We're scared because we don't know what will happen to us. He tells us it's okay, and there's no need to hesitate. He will stay by our side. He's always been alone, but we won't be. He'll no longer be alone if we drink the elixir, because we will become his companion. He offers us it's sweetness, and then invites us to paradise. I'm certainly tempted. (This entire part is done in whispering, so that doesn't help)

Luckily, we're interrupted. He's confused because he told everyone to stay away, wanting the moment alone with us. Once he stops whispering and goading us on, that's when the mesmerization ends we can come back to our senses. That's when V comes in, issuing his fake emergency, and we can tell Ray he should probably go. Of course Ray gets suspicious so V takes action. The bottle gets smashed and V reveals himself to us, queuing us in that Ray had been lying the whole time about the Game and everything was real. V tries to escape with us, but this causes Ray to freak out. He does not want to loose us. He's grown too attached to us. He's lost a lot, but he's not loosing us. When V tries to run with us, Ray grabs us away from him. He claims that V's the liar, and that he's not getting us. Now he needs to catch V, not only to secure the traitor, but to keep us safe too. We confront him on his lies, and he says he had no choice, for it's what his savior told him to do. He's concerned about our well being after that event, sure, but he's also concerned over the fact he couldn't drug us. He just wanted to be happy, he wanted us to be happy, he wanted to be happy with us.

You could either continue to confront him, or you could be concerned for him. He asks if you don't trust him anymore if you continue the confrontation, all he wanted was for you to see his side and agree with him. If you show concern, he gets happier, saying he won't cry because you're with him by his side. He asks you to wait for a new elixir and to rest off what just happened. Meanwhile he needs to go tell his savior what happened, whom you will meet soon. He doesn't want to leave us, but he must. He chooses to trust the fact we won't betray him, even if we choose not to trust him. This hurts, he apologizes saying he doesn't even know what to say or what the right words are. He trusts his savior will hold the answers, and he grows determined to catch V to "protect" you, asking you not to be sad while he's gone. Interesting note, if you do tell him you trust him, he's ecstatic. He calls you his angel, and says that no matter what V and the RFA do they can't take you away from him, because you trust him.

He tries to lie to you in the next chat-room (the gall), saying the man was just deranged, V's not real, although he looked and sounded just like the guy you were talking to before. Ray gives up because he figures V is going to call you anyway. He wants to keep you away from the messenger so he can't, but a party has to happen. You demand to know why he lied, and he says "I needed you" More specifically, he needed someone for his plan, someone to be apart of the RFA. He says them being real or not doesn't matter to them, because they don't matter to them, everything he did was for us, we wouldn't be here if he didn't lie, he's begging us not to leave him. He also tries to reassure the elixir is not bad when talking about getting a new batch. You ask him not to hurt V, he says he needs to get him to protect you, but what happens to him depends on you. You have to promise not to leave him, and to become one of them, and to not say anything to RFA for his sake, for all that he'll be a better man for us, even better than all the RFA members. He begs us not to go against him. He tells us that if we try to leave, or if we tattle the secret, he'll never forgive the demon who made us like that, and so he'll become the devil himself to fight that devil and then who knows what he'll do to V and the RFA. If we recognize the threat, he tells us it's for the protection of both of us. He can't let the hypocrites take us away, because we're safer with him. A later phone call has him try to justify keeping us isolated for a bit; we tell him he's imprisoning us, and he says he has to limit us in order to keep us safe. Despite everything, he still likes hearing our voice. Of course now he's super paranoid of the RFA trying to take us away from him that he forgets his mission and tries to delete us from their server. Luckily, Seven stops him.

Of course this doesn't stop Ray. He tries to prove to us how easily the RFA can fall apart, and show everyone that V is a liar and a hypocrite. He tells his savior about us, of how we're so good, and so innocent, so he's worried we'll be won over by the RFA. This is where Rika starts to get interested in us, in cleansing us herself and even reminding Ray we're not his yet.

There is something to pay attention to here: both Unknown and Ray want to convince us that the RFA is full of no good people but also need us to arrange a party. With Unknown, he drops us off with the RFA, of course we get to know them more personally, and of course think Unknown is a bad person as we've never met him before. Unknown would be willing to torture us or "re-educate" us that Mint Eye are the Good guys, despite placing us in a situation where we believe RFA is good. Ray brought us to Magenta so he could personally keep an eye on us and our progress, also it would be much easier to sway us over to his side. What Ray didn't account for was V would sneak in and try to save us, thus ruining his charade. It's hinted in the other routes that Unknown knows about V getting into Mint Eye's business (this knowledge allows Unknown to know that V will recognize any implied threat to our safety), which must be an in story reason for why he didn't attempt what he did in Another story. Also, Unknown is a little more rough around the edges; most people go through "training" anyway, so what's the difference if we do.

Ray takes us to his Savior, and we don't see him for a while. The way Rika talks about him, she makes it sound like he's messed up for lying to us and smothering us and is not a good romantic choice (She's right, but she made him like that). V gets taken captive and Ray takes full responsibility of watching over him. He actually explains his plans to V. He says why he brought us to Mint Eye (needed a third party agent), and that soon we will become one of Mint Eye. He also reveals that he likes us so much, as does his savior, which concerns V. He then forces V to take the elixir in order for him to see us, which was designed specially to make him suffer after a bit. V accidentally triggers Saeran into strangling him. Of course he goes a little too far, so he calms himself down by thinking of us, and maybe seeing us soon.

We then come upon Bad relationship ending 1, in this one Ray actually does see us again. In fact, we've been so out of it, Rika decided we'd probably be happier back with him. He tells us how much he missed us, and how it hurt to be away from us. On the way back, he tells us his savior said he could "have" us. I believe this just means as a significant other. He tells us he's choosing to believe he earned someone as shiny as us (I think means pretty or pure). He also tells us about the other side of himself, and that he wants to meet us. When we're back in our room, he offers to get us a gift, but that's when the conversation breaks the 4th wall. (It seems the two brothers break and lean on the 4th wall the most). He's angry and wants to hurt us to punish us, but has trouble with the idea, so he decides to lock us in our room until he can come up with something.

My statement before applies, this seems like Unknown is a Yandere, but he's a soft Yandere. Instead of distorting his voice with his promise of happiness, he's whispering it with sincerity. After which, he becomes a bit of a different person where MC is concerned, threatening to tear their group apart and attack them violently if she doesn't stay with him. Of course, she's able to calm his more brutal aspects of himself. It's almost as if we're his tether, or his crutch.

When we make our escape, Ray is desperate to track us down. Rika tells him that we must be saved from V's lies. Ray believes we fell for those because of how innocent we are. He gives us a call later asking if we're just playing a game with him, begging for us not to be leaving him. A later call has him snap at us for comforting him but not being with him. He's determined to save us, and tells us that if we're suffering we can come back at any time, or if we're locked up so we can't escape we can just tell him our location and he can come get us. One chat-room has him reveal Mint Eye's plans to us, on how their plan is to drug everyone invited to the party, and since we like RFA, he'll induct them as well (He thinks we'll be on his side if we hear his plans) [In the other routes, the plan was to induct the whole RFA from the beginning, but in Another story he makes it sound like he's only bringing them in because we like them; I'm pretty sure this was the plan from the beginning either way.]

One of the last chat-rooms with him before he snaps, he tries to convince us that Mint Eye is good. If we thought they were bad we could've run away but we didn't, we trusted him! He asked us not to abandon him! Pain is needed to induce pleasure, has a dark side that needs to protected, he will gladly protect our "devil." He should have told us earlier what V was really like, he knows V is bad because V betrayed him in the past. Rika does not want us confusing him by trying to convince him he'll be accepted outside of Mint Eye, and after much discussion with us, gives up on us.

Shortly after this, Ray snaps and turns into Saeran, or as we know him in this route...Unknown. He tells us that everyone is too soft, basically telling us he would've taken drastic measures, such as locking us up and using us as his assistant. He tells us if we come back to Mint Eye he'll show us what fun really is. After this is the phone call: he says he's impressed if we show courage. He's tempted to blurt out his plan to us, of how he will destroy all of his enemies, V and the red-head, and he'll take us. He suddenly changes his tune and says he wants to "have" us, no matter what, something Ray also mentioned. Ray mentioned having us as a girlfriend, if Unknown wants to lock us up I'm not sure if he wants the same thing. Then Unknown goes on to say Ray looks tame, but we don't know what he's thinking. If we come back to Mint Eye he'll show us what he means. Probably getting into NSFW there.

Sometimes he calls us just to talk to us, specifically telling us not to respond and just listen. He finds us interesting, and likes the idea of playing with us. He doesn't like Ray at all, but there is a difference between how he regards us in V's route vs Ray's route. In Ray's route he apparently doesn't like us either, mainly because we like Ray. In V's route, he likes us well enough, because possibly in his mind, we agree there are parts of Ray not likable. Of course, in V's route he doesn't know exactly who we are. Of course, his plans for us are...still iffy.

In another phone call, he talks about his plans to make us "a mascot of the place," whatever the heck that means. He said as Ray would treasure us, he'd give us a hell of a time. He certainly isn't soft. He says we can come back at any time, but in the end he's going to find us and bring us back anyway, so it doesn't really matter what we do. We should just prepare to be his. He also calls us his #1 toy candidate.

Would he treat us as he did in the Ray Route? Maybe with less insults? Still bad though...

He wants you spend time with him, probably jealous of how much time Ray's spent with you. He wonders if you also think Ray is a whiner. He says you'd go along much better with him. When you disagree, he says you should be cleansed, and he'll be rough about it. He says he'll pay you back for treating him like a toy.

Of course he also calls you pet names like 'sweetie', still he's probably just teasing you. He likes the idea of freaking you out, like telling you he's going to go after the RFA.

In the only other chat-room he's in, he talks about keeping you entertained, how he'd love to bring you back himself, and how it's probably your last night of freedom. He says he's the type of guy who likes to bite things off when given the chance, whatever that means. He says he'd like to start over with you, without fighting. Of course, if you're not in the chat-room, he mentions how he'd like to keep you as his doll, whatever that means!?

Based on all of this, we can tell that Unknown here just would like you around. He's not afraid of hurting you, no sir. In fact, when Ray snaps back he reveals if Saeran was allowed to act we might've gotten hurt. I believe Unknown here regards us similarly to how Saeran regards us in the Ray route, as someone to "play" with. He could vent to us all he wishes, mess around with us, even hurt or scare us if he's frustrated. I think he wants a "companion," someone to sit in the room with him, maybe help him should he require it.

Shortly after that however, Mint Eye is defeated. Ray has no hope left, so he decides to commit suicide. Of course before he does, he talks to us. In the chat-room he asks us not to forget him. In one phone call, he tells us about a unique habit we have when we talk, but decides to keep it to himself so that it will always be something he only knows about us (also so the game developers don't give us any distinguishing qualities). He talks about how he'll never forget the time he spent with us, and how we always made him feel. How we opened up a new world for him, and he thanks us for that. He tells us that his love for us was sincere, and that we must happier than he ever was. In his call to us, he tells us when we were with him it was the happiest moment of his life, so pure, so happy. He misses us, and he wanted to see us one last time. He dreamt of being happy at Mint Eye, even being with someone he loved romantically. They were dreams too good for him, we were too good for him. He doesn't ask us to remember him here, because all that matters is that we're happy. He then calls us his first and last love. Before he hits the switch, he remembers us one last time.

He did love us, in his own way he did.

The after ending shows he's okay, but it seems to overlook the fact he had feelings for us. The only possible hint is that he treats our child as his, according to V, but so does Seven. The after ending wasn't perfect.

So in V's Route, you can say that Ray appreciates someone helpful and trusting, someone who won't betray him. He obsessed of the idea of us, but as he got to know us more he became more possessive over who we really were. We were a new friend for him, someone who would help him and listen to him and care for him.

[Part 3]

[duskerot]

i disappear inside myself / my friends don't know it can't be helped

[Pure You - Nothing But Thieves]

[harbingersecho]

I don't feel pain I never escape I'm under the bed I'm licking the floor

[xelasrecords]

Still the funniest thing to ever happen in Saeran's AE

[astral-bish]

idk why i did this

[cephydeluxe]

6th day of V’s route:

707: hey v i decoded the coordinates you sent-

v: cool, im gonna save mc now

707: wha, rIGHT NOW?

v: yep, im moving as we speak, so im about to lose connection

707: wait a sec, you’re there w no backup, just wait and we can save her together-

v: nope im good 👍 i’ll call you later luciel *hangs up*

*proceeds to get absolutely folded and kidnapped*

707, watching it unfold from satellite footage:

og from tails gets trolled

[natasha-in-space]

All Good Things Must End

Ray/gn!reader;

From the beginning, you trusted Ray with all your heart. He was the embodiment of your fairytale dream come to life. Your respite from all the unappealing troubles of the outside world. But all fairytales have an ending to them. And yours is not as happy as you expected.

CW: brief mention of violence, erratic behavior, depiction of a codependent relationship. This is a Danger Ray fic! Set during V's route. Loosely based on the 7th day outgoing call to V (11:51 AM, after the 'Provoke' chatroom).

Lovely dividers by @/saradika-graphics!

Ray was a good man. A kind man. A fragile man, even. His entire appearance would remind you of a beautiful but delicate flower. So starved for love and warmth, yet so sensitive to every harsh touch of the wind, even the slightest of pushes against its soft petals would make it start to wilt. A flower that needed nothing but some gentle care and love for it to come into bloom. And, of course, you were willing to give him just that. After all, why wouldn't you be? Ray has been nothing but kind and caring towards you, ever since you stepped foot into this strange place, guiding you along the way while holding your hand and not minding any of your clumsy mistakes. He was understanding. Attentive. Curious. Always checking in with you and eager to hear about your day. Never ignoring you or making you feel stupid if you didn't understand a thing or two.

No wonder you found it so easy to open up to him in your short time here. You trusted that he would do no wrong by you. Just as he promised.

At least... that's what you thought. And appearances can be deceiving. Oh, so very deceiving. Now, it felt downright humiliating just how much of a blind fool you really were. How stupidly determined you were to deny and rebuke anyone daring to challenge your views on Ray.

You loyally refused to trust Rika's musings about Ray's 'darkness' during your brief stay with her, dismissing them as nothing but her twisted philosophy that you couldn't even begin to comprehend. You impulsively denied V's numerous warnings not to trust in Ray's sugary words, reassuring yourself over and over again that surely his affections for you must be true and earnest. You turned your back on every nagging suspicion buzzing at the back of your mind during short moments of unrest. You knew in your heart that Ray was a kind, tender boy. He was simply confined to an environment that would exacerbate his worst traits.

And he was only human, right? No one is immune to harmful outside influences being forced down upon them. Anyone could end up in his place one day, even you. It was no reason for you to be hostile and distrustful of him.

Then again, maybe that was just your mind trying desperately to keep you calm in the midst of a horrible storm you found yourself being forcibly thrust into. After all, accepting just how truly bad and out of your control things truly were here... How utterly helpless and vulnerable you were, with no one there to come save you if you needed it... How trapped and isolated you were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but miles and miles of lush mountain forests, with no civilization in sight...

Just the thought of it would make a heavy lump of acidic bile rise up to your throat. The sad truth is... Ray simply provided you with feelings of solace and comfort that some deeper, weaker part of you was so desperate for. Losing that was something you were not ready to face yet. He was there by your side from day one. He had a better understanding of you than anyone else did. Of course you would cling to his familiar presence for this brief feeling of stability you yearned for so gravely.

In retrospect, it was always a losing battle for you to try and win. You could have done better. You really, really could have done so much better. Yet it still hit you harder than a sledgehammer to the back of your skull, when the bitter reality has finally reared its ugly head to you, without any regard for your fragile heart.

You resent yourself for hitting that call button despite your gut screaming at you not to. You were already well aware that you would regret doing that, somewhere on the back of your mind. But, in the moment, your worry for your friend overpowered your lingering anxiety. Maybe out of some sense of duty. V made it all the way here, just to save you. You played a big role in his capture, in a way. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be in danger. And not knowing a single thing about his whereabouts or even his state was... daunting.

So, you dialed his phone number.

You anticipated that he wouldn't pick up. Maybe you would receive a very brief phone call with him begging you to keep yourself safe, like he always would. Or even just a quick exchange of words between you two that would maybe give you even the tiniest of clues on his whereabouts. Something you could then relay to Seven. Make yourself useful. Actually do something, instead of just sitting there and driving yourself mad with dozens upon dozens of anxious thoughts clouding your mind.

What you received was worse than you could have ever imagined.

It was one thing to hear pained groans, gasps, and raspy coughing on the other end of the line. You already had an expectation that V would not be okay when you hear his voice. It still left your knees feeling weak and your heart lurching in your chest with a dizzying intensity, but you could handle that, to an extent. What you couldn't handle was also hearing a familiar soft-spoken voice that has become an unstated but undeniable source of comfort for you. A voice that was now sounding so cold and angry, that your brain had a hard time comprehending what was happening, seemingly shutting down completely, as you remained deathly quiet for the whole duration of that cursed call.

Ray just was not supposed to be there.

You have heard him get angry before. You have heard him lose his grip on reality before. You have heard him say things you couldn't truly agree with, despite you still going along with them regardless, to avoid causing him any disturbance. Those were all aspects of him you were not blind to. You just actively chose to overlook them whenever they would come up. Something that you probably shouldn't have done.

-But you never heard him be so downright cruel and vicious before. Seemingly not at all disturbed by the very real sounds of suffering from the other living person there with him. Even getting angrier at them.

Like it was something completely normal. Not at all worth getting upset or worried over.

You couldn't wrap your head around the fact that this was the same man that worried himself sick over you simply scraping a knee. He was so caring, so empathetic to you back then... over a small cut, of all things. And now, that very same man was not at all disturbed by such grave suffering happening right in front of him.

No, by the sounds of it... he was actively causing it.

And that's not something you could live in peace with.

The call lasted for a maximum of two minutes. That's the time that your phone would display to you whenever you mindlessly return to it, anyway. But it felt way longer than that. For those two horrible minutes, your ears were ruthlessly subjected to the merciless reality you were so desperate to avoid facing up until that very moment.

The bitter truth was that Ray is not a fragile flower. Nor is he a prince from a fairytale. For, fairytales are not reality. No matter how much you want them to be. He was a man, a human being, just like you. Just like every other person in this building. And much like any human being, he was more than capable of causing harm by his own two hands if he so chooses. In fact, he would do so purposefully. And a victim of his spiraling wrath was no longer some faceless unlucky believer that you could forget about in a matter of hours, despite you genuinely feeling bad for them. No, it was your friend. A friend who fought so desperately to save you, even at the cost of his own safety. A friend you have come to care for in the short time you have known each other.

A friend, you knew for sure didn't deserve to be suffering in the way that he was. By the hands of your other friend you cared for just as deeply.

Such reality was just too cruel for you to bear.

So, you do the most foolish thing of all.

You confront Ray head-on.

"-Y/N, you must be confused... I've done no wrong. I do admit that I... did loose myself for a moment there, but- but it was his own fault! If he just kept quiet and drank the elixir like my Savior has instructed, I wouldn't get so upset with him. And he kept saying his stupid lies... He wouldn't shut up. My head hurt so bad... You have no idea."

You are left feeling sick to your very core by the soft apologetic smile reflected on Ray's face, once you do have a chance to finally face him again. No matter what you say, how hard you try to show him how wrong and cruel his actions really were, it was all completely pointless. For someone so seemingly skittish and subservient, Ray was frustratingly stubborn in his beliefs. It was like throwing a tennis ball at a wall. The more force you put into your throw to get your point across, the harder it just bounces right back into your face, leaving you with the painful sting of your failure.

You shake your head, an ugly mess of emotions steadily clouding your sense of judgment. At some point, you lose track of your location and position. All caution goes out the window. All that remains is a debilitating feeling of betrayal, clutching at your insides like metal rods slowly puncturing your very heart. "It is still wrong, Ray! How can you not see that!? He was suffering, and you just- just-"

The words don't come out of your mouth, obstructed by the suffocating lump stuck in the middle of your throat. You were going in circles now. You have been trying to get through to him for almost ten minutes straight, and still no results. You have to take a moment to try and regain your breathing. A soft glowed hand rests gently upon your chin, causing you to tilt your head to meet Ray's gaze instead.

You are disgusted by the genuine concern etched onto his delicate features. By the unfeigned emotions of nothing but genuine care and affection swimming in his eyes as he looks at you. By the tender touch warming up your clammy skin. All of it is sincere. You know he is not lying to you. Not right now, at least. And that is a sickening realization to come to.

More than anything, you are disgusted by the simple fact that you cannot perceive him as a monster or an angel. Ray is no perfect prince from a fairytale, no matter how hard he may try and appear to you as such.

He's a human.

Just like you.

And this implies that he is capable of all the atrocities that any human being is capable of. As much as he is kind to you, he can also be cruel to others. As much as his hands soothe and tremble when they brush up against yours, they can also hurt and sully those he harbors hatred for. It's not all black and white, as you would like to delude yourself into thinking.

And his actions were truly appalling to you. You couldn't live in your fantasy world anymore. It was sullied. Destroyed beyond repair. Your Wonderland has been corrupted from the start, and you just denied each and every sign of it, until it was too late.

"My prince/ss... It pains me to see you in such distress. Though, your tender heart is another trait of you that I adore," Ray whispers to you softly, his thumb lightly brushing over your cheekbone. He was touching you so gently, it's almost like you were made out of glass. And yet, just a few hours earlier, these exact hands were causing so much suffering to someone you care so deeply about. The thought prompts you to swallow hard and clutch your hands together as they start to shake. He continues, seemingly undisturbed by your lack of a positive response. "-But believe me when I say that that villain is not deserving of your compassion. He tried to take you away from me... To ruin what you and I have built together. I cannot stand by and watch him do that to us. What if you got hurt because of him? I would never forgive myself, if that were to happen."

You shut your eyes, refusing to accept the reality unfolding before you. Everything was wrong. So very wrong. One part of you wanted to scream and shout at him, to make him see the twisted nature of his words by pure unrelenting force if you have to. But there was another part of you that contemplated just giving up and concluding this interaction altogether. The debilitating feeling of helplessness was just too much for you to handle.

You are not allowed to do either of those things, however. Instead, another hand lightly rests on the small of your back, pulling you in towards the source of your distress. And you don't fight it. You feel your forehead come in contact with Ray's chest, his flowery scent filling your senses, as both of his arms are now circling around you. You hear a happy sigh fall from his lips. It all seemed like a very cruel joke on you. A moment that seemed so sweet and touching, bringing you nothing but more hurt and anguish.

Did he really not see anything amiss with any of this?

"I missed you so much, my flower... You know, when I heard that liar try and talk to me like he knew you better than I do, I felt like I might just strangle him right then and there. Make sure he never utters your lovely name ever again." Ray's voice is slightly gruff from how quiet it is against the side of your head. A low hum vibrates in his throat as he nuzzles into your hair like an affectionate cat would, breathing in your scent with all the longing you could possibly ask for. Though, the only thing that comes from his affections is a sickening feeling of dread for you.

"-But I thought of you. I thought of your lovely smile... Your eyes, your voice. I know I shouldn't think like this, but... You gave me more strength than my Savior's words ever did. What I did... I did for you. For us, Y/N." He continues, taking a step back from the hug to look at you. Your gaze is cast low, as you don't reciprocate the gesture. You can't bring yourself to look at him right now. It's hard to even keep yourself from putting your hands over your ears to avoid hearing it all. He gently tilts your head up, however, making it clear that he wants you to look at him. "Please don't be upset... It breaks my heart to see you sad because of that villain."

That's when the dam inside of you finally shatters, all repressed emotions spilling out in a violent wave of hopelessness you cannot bring yourself to stop. You wrench yourself away from Ray's arms, your own hands now clenched into tight fists as you look him directly in the eyes. There's a fire burning ever hotter inside of your chest, and you make no attempt to put it out. You let it take over you completely, consequences be damned.

"Villain?Villain!? Ray, he did all he could to save me! And you locked him up and tortured him for that!"

Your mind is screaming at you to stop. To stop and fix things before they spiral too out of your control.

You're being too aggressive. Too blunt. Too disobedient. Staying safe requires you to be both calm and smart about this. And you are neither of those things right now.

But you don't care.

Even as you see the emotions in Ray's eyes shift from that suffocating affection to a mix of desperation and frustration you know well. He makes a step towards you. You make two steps back. This makes his brows furrow in what you could only assume was dissatisfaction.

You never backed away from him before.

"Save you...? No. No. Y/N, he tried to steal you from me. Poison you with his lies, like he has done to my Savior. He did it to me, too! I'm the one who saved you. I did what had to be done to protect you!" You can actively hear his voice changing from the shaky disbelief at your denial of him to rough desperation to prove you wrong. It's borderline scary how quick those changes are occurring right in front of your eyes. Almost in a blink of an eye. It's yet another blaring warning for you to stop.

One that you ignore.

Instead, your frustration boils up inside of you, making you sneer at his stubborn refusal to see reason: "By hurting him!? By making him choke and gag in pain? What was the point of-"

Your angry line of thought is instantaneously interrupted by a small yeep that slips past your lips, as Ray closes in on you in just a couple of quick steps, grabbing at your wrists with a tight grip. Tight enough to cause you some discomfort. His eyes are wide, and his breathing is noticeably shaky. Like he's fighting to get enough air into his lungs and failing miserably. He yanks you close, making you stumble into him without much time for you to struggle or push back against him. Mostly due to your state of pure disbelief. You never expected Ray to actually do anything to you. And while he wasn't actively hurting you, this was still shattering your perception of him to bits and pieces. Or, what remained of it.

"That was nothing, Y/N. He deserved all of that. He deserved that and more. You feel sad for him? You wish mercy on him?" You are suddenly pushed back against the wall, and Ray's slim form keeps you trapped in this makeshift cage you created for yourself with your reckless actions. Ray's voice grows shakier, yet also significantly lower. It sounded dangerous. Angry. His nose brushes up against yours, as he's leaning so close to you, you can't focus on anything but him. Your breath hitches as you instinctively press yourself up against the wall, the panicked pounding of your heart echoing in your temples. "You have no idea how badly he hurt me. What pain I went through because of that- that-"

You can't help but wince in pain as his grip on you tightens. An action that seems to immediately shake Ray out of his temporary fit of anger, as he gasps and quickly lets go of you, stumbling backwards with a frightened expression painted over his features. You don't even have to look at him to know that he is probably in a less than stable state of mind. You are left staggered, betrayed and confused, as you stand there, eyes cast low, rubbing at your wrists. They didn't hurt. Not much, at least. It's the psychological aspect of it that left an impact of you.

Ray's voice feels muffled as it reaches your ears through the constant flow of thought in your head.

"I- N-No, Y/N, I'm sorry, I didn't want to- Are you hurt?" You can see him taking a step back towards you, hand reaching out for yours, probably to check on your wrists. You can tell he's scared. And upset. Probably guilty. Which makes this even harder for you to grapple with.

Either way, you cut him off, not wanting to hear any more of this. Partially because you understand that staying to listen will only cause you to break further, if it was even possible at this point. Because he sounds so genuine, nervous, and miserable, it makes your heart ache for him despite yourself. Makes you want to look up, smile, and say that you're okay. That you two can figure it out together.

And you don't want to repeat the same mistake twice.

"Just... Leave, Ray." You mutter out quietly, not raising your eyes at him. You sound a bit too soft for your liking, but it'll do. Swallowing, you repeat yourself for good measure. "Please. Leave."

There is a prolonged pause between the two of you. It's almost too lengthy for comfort. Neither of you say anything for a while. But the tension in the air is thick, and it does not fade with time. It only grows. Crawling over you like snakes. There is a fear within you that prevents you from looking at him. A fear of seeing the pain in his eyes. Or, instead, to come face to face with that same anger that felt so alien to you.

Ray finally speaks up. His voice is barely audible.

"...N-No..."

He moves closer to you still. For the second time today, you are finding yourself backing away. But now, you turn your back on him and keep your hands locked where you can see them. You can feel them shaking. With a sigh, you repeat: "Leave."

And, as you soon learn, that was not a very wise choice for you to make.

You're quickly spun around before you can think to act, and Ray's fingers are digging into your shoulders with a disturbing intensity, leaving you little time to react. He's observing you as if you were a wounded animal that was left behind after being hit by a car. Like you're the saddest creature he had ever seen. And, for some reason, that look scares you more than the previous anger he showed you.

"I can't believe this..." He murmurs under his breath, his eyes darting over your figure, almost like he was searching for something physical on you that could be visible to the human eye. But he doesn't find it, and that seems to upset him further. You try to pull away from him, only to get jerked back in again, his hold on you tightening.

Only this time, he does not pay any attention to your visible discomfort. He was too occupied with his own thoughts that you were not aware of. It's like he doesn't even see you. Not fully, anyways.

He holds your chin and tilts your face to examine you more closely. As he does, his shaky breath sneaks over your cheek and causes you to shiver in place.

"He... He poisoned you, didn't he...?"

The hushed murmur sounds so utterly ridiculous that it almost makes you forget about the disturbing nature of this situation for a good moment. Yet, he was completely serious. And he wasn't even talking to you, by the looks of it.

"What? Ray, I-"

"-That's why you are saying all these things to me... That's why you don't trust me anymore." Ray cuts you off as if you were not there, his brows furrowing into a deep scowl, but not one aimed directly at you. One of his hands grips onto your chin, while the other finds your hand and takes it into his own, his fingers sliding between yours. He grasps it tight, in a hold that would feel reassuring, if it wasn't for the circumstances. "My Y/N wouldn't tell me to leave. I should've guessed..."

A shiver of fear runs down your spine. As your outburst of frustration subsides, you slowly start to realize the seriousness of this situation for you, as the fire of anger and betrayal subsides. Now you wish Ray was angry again. At least then he still listened to you. But how can you fix things when he doesn't even acknowledge you?

"-Don't worry," You are brought back to reality by a warm and assuring smile on Ray's face. One that only makes you feel nauseous. He leans in and presses a kiss to your forehead, making your breath hitch. Staying there, he whispers onto your skin, like a secret promise only for your ears to hear. "I will fix it, my prince/ss. I shouldn't have been away from you for this long in the first place... My Savior is far too busy to give you the care and attention you need. But now, I'm here. And I'm not leaving your side again. I promise. I'll make sure you are smiling again."

He does not let go of you again. While your fairytale might have been broken, his has only begun its story. And his happily ever after is not something he will give up on. Even if you did.

[trickostars]

gay friend groups sure are crazy

[anas-tasiaa]

Though I'm supposed to escape as well..

I have nowhere else to go.

Goodbye.

[rfa-princess]

😬😬😬

[wolvenfarts]

after years, i get back into cg editing to bring forth the v kiss scene we're still robbed of smh

[antiochean]

another procrastination meme. im on a roll today. im basically doing a draw this character in different styles challenge at this point

spoilers for a route. not saying whose. you know who you are

v be like nooo don't get the woman who just held you hostage for a week in trouble over this haha. i'm just sweating and throwing up and exploding for attention. for funsies

[rockyybbowo]

should i play mysme again....

[yanderefan-kimi]

"You won't leave me, right...?"

[marshmallowprotection]

If an MC did V's route but platonically, do you think (in theory) we would still able to pursue Ray romantically?

I mean..;;; I know I'm not the only one whose heart was utterly SHATTERED at the 'end' of Mint Eye, to put it lightly;; 😭😭😭😭

What would happen once we realised RAY WAS CAUGHT WITHIN IT????

Would we be able to see him again?? How would we reunite?? Would we be able to??

Would he want to be with us again if he learned that he was the one we truly loved, not V? Would he believe it? And actually;;; would he still love us like he did before, despite everything? 😭

I would burst into tears at the sight of his burns. I would want to run to him and hug him and nurse his scars from any stinging or pain that might still flare up every now and again

I'd cry so hard at it all ;; 😭

I want him to feel safe and secure and loved, because I love him, and I want him to know that I'll love him no matter what - and that I never stopped, despite, the uh. V route. IT WAS NEVER WHAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT, RAY.!!!! 😭😭😭

IT WAS ALWAYS YOU 😭😭

I mean, I do think it's possible to play it that way because it's up to you to decide how you imagine your fantasy scenario. You don't have to follow the games canon to make yourself a happy ending. You can make up anything you want once the curtain's closed, and you know, even before that, you can diverge away from it and explore new and exciting possibilities! 

If you want to view V as a friend and aim to love Ray in V's timeline, there is nothing holding you back from doing so!

I think the most important thing to understand is that you are his first love, and his last love. He can't imagine falling in love with anyone ever again, because you are the one who defined what the world could be like if he believed in something stronger than the torture that was forced into him. You helped him see that there could have been more, but when everybody abandoned him, he felt like there was no chance for him to ever see those days.

Now, the way I like to play this situation out if you romance him instead, is to go with the angle of Saeyoung taking you out of Mint Eye despite your protests to save Ray. 

Because, I do think if you tried to tell them that you wanted to find Ray, they wouldn't let you do it at the time. You made a promise to V that you wouldn't say anything about the fact that the hacker is Seven’s brother, too. So, you are constantly at odds with yourself to reveal the truth to save Ray, and trying to hold yourself together for the sake of everyone around you because you need to be strong for your friends.

I think even if you were able to tell Ray that you wanted to come back for him and you never wanted to leave him, he would still fear that he wasn’t good enough. He won't blame or be upset with you for it. He never is, because he always blame himself when he doesn't think he's good enough. 

He thinks that there was always something more he could do to make it better, even if there was nothing he could do with the hand he’d been dealt. Even if you fought tooth and nail to get back to him, you wouldn’t make it in time. But, make no mistake, you will remain in his heart forever, and he will not be able to go a day without thinking of you and the light you inspired in him. 

But, you're right to be wary of what will happen when the day of the reunion comes. It probably would have taken him that long to not only grow accustomed to the fact that he would have to see his brother again, but the fact that he would have to face you after putting you in a situation where you believed him to be dead.

He would feel so much guilt and shame overdoing that to you. He made you listen to what he assumed might be his last moments, and even if you promised to be there for him because you cared about him, it doesn't change the fact his doing so put you in a precarious situation of pain.

There's a lot you would need to talk about during that reunion, but his biggest fear would be that you would turn him away, not just because of the scars, but because he hurt you in an unimaginable way. 

He would be beside himself if he thought you were dead for that long only to realize that you were safe and sound. He knows he's not entitled to have an opportunity to come back into your life, but if you throw your arms around him the minute you see him that day, he will cry like a baby, and think whatever God that is out there for giving him the opportunity to feel your arms around him once more. 

[password-door-lock]