The Villainess Doesn't Want to Deal With This Shit

Prologue

I picked up the game box Kate set down on the counter as she squeezed around me in our tiny kitchen. Japan was a great place to live in many ways, but it did not allow for very roomy houses. Nothing like the one we rented together back in Kentucky. "Another one?" I asked her in amusement.

Kate had a bit of an addiction to Otome games. And by a bit, I meant a huge addiction to them. She glanced back at me and shrugged before opening the fridge and sticking her head in. "I heard this one is really good, and pretty different." She defended her purchase. "Do we have any of that ramen you made left?"

I grinned at the memory of the two of us arguing over the simmering pot of the broth about what to add to it. That shit took ages to make. "Top shelf on the left, I had some earlier but saved you a serving."

"You are an angel." Kate breathed as she reverently retrieved the red lidded Tupperware container. I laughed and looked down at the box in my hand again, taking in the art on the cover. It was fairly standard, a blonde girl surrounded by men with two other women hovering above them. At least I thought the one absolutely covered in darkness was a woman. The one whose features I could see must be the villainess, with her sharp smile and mass of black hair.

While Kate danced impatiently at the microwave, heating her ill got gains, I opened the box and pulled out the information booklet. It had the same picture on the front and I flipped to the first page, which held the introduction to the game.

I was going to be spending the foreseeable future watching Kate play this thing. Might as well know what I'm in for, right?

~~~~

Welcome to the world of DeVine Lovers! Taking place in the Empire of Chitrel on the planet of Pelorilla, you play as the main character, Solaria Argenta Christe!

You, as Solaria, are an orphan taken in by your uncle, who is acting as the Count of Fief Christe until you can step into your rightful place! But before you can do that, since you awoke your magic at a young age and gained your familiar (a Chitrellian Mourning Dove named Tyrus) you must attend the Imperial Magic Academy!

There you will meet a variety of young men, each extremely handsome and each drawn in by your sweet demeanor. The wild and haughty Crown Prince, Henry, the rebellious and brooding son of the Chief Justice, Vincent, your childhood friend and closest ally, Nathaniel, the dark and mysterious Marcus, or the caring and compassionate manservant Elijah.

But each young man has a dark secret and a deep connection to your beautiful but deadly classmate, Duchess Celeste Aurelia Blackthorn. She is Prince Henry's fiancee, the adopted Lord Marcus' younger sister, and Elijah's master.

And the hold she has on each man she meets is more than attraction to her beauty! Her magic, a cruel and twisting mental control, is called Creeping Vine.

It is up to you, using your unique power Mending Vine, to save your intended from the power she has over him and expose her other sins, or find yourself controlled as well!

But a dark power is rising in Chitrel, and after you rescue your intended from Celeste and have her face the consequences of her evil actions, you must then turn and face this evil, using your Mending Vine to fight your way through the masses of mind controlled monsters to the source.

The Enchantress. Her power is much like Celeste's, but with further reaching consequences.

Will you defeat these villains and live to take the hand of your intended and head into your future together, or will you fail and doom the country? Only you can decide!

~~~~

I snorted at the flowery description. "Hey, this Celeste character sounds pretty interesting. And it mentions 'familiars', are you going to be a witch in the game? That's pretty neat." I commented to Kate, who was shoveling her food into her mouth. She didn't even bother sitting at one of the available bar chairs, and I shook my head fondly at her.

She swallowed, probably remembering all the times I told her off for talking with her mouth full, and said, "Yeah, right? I don't think they're called witches though. But I've heard it has a really cool magic system. And I think I've already chosen a favorite." She tapped the character on the box, leaving behind a greasy fingerprint.

I laughed as I looked at the character. "I would have never guessed, he's totally your type. Do you even know his name?" The character was the broody looking one with several not very historically accurate piercings in his ears.

"Nope." She popped the 'p' obnoxiously. "But I already love him."

"Well, I think Celeste is going to be my favorite. I love her design." It felt like the 2-D character was looking back at me, her green eye focused on the camera intensely.

"You would, you disaster bisexual." Kate quipped before slurping at the broth left in the container noisily.

I wrinkled my nose at the sound. "I am a distinguished bi, thank you very much. If either of us is the disaster, it's you."

"Yep. Speaking of-" She dropped the container in the sink and kissed my mouth, tasting of ramen. Kate pressed me back into the counter and trapped me between her arms and I set the box aside to wrap my own around her neck.

Our relationship was like that, kind of friendship+. We dated other people, but always found ourselves drifting back to each other.

When we broke apart I was breathing heavily and Kate was grinning. "You know what I'm in the mood for?" She asked suggestively. I opened my mouth to respond but she cut me off. "Cookies!"

I chuckled and peeled myself away from the counter, libido still simmering but it could wait. "Yes your majesty."

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(Author's notes: So... Not only a prologue, but a reveal of Megan/Celeste's sexuality! It won't really come into play in the main story until much later, but I wanted to give anyone who had a problem with it a warning now. Celeste swings both ways, sometimes wildly with a sword!)