The space is white, and empty, and there is a disembodied voice.
”Hello! Unfortunately, you have died. The good news is that you have been chosen by The Will of the Multiverse to reincarnate into a generic otome game in the role of the villainess! As a new special package, one of you will be a villain instead!
“I… gl… wha?”
It is fairly obvious that this person is significantly more awake than they want to be!
It is also fairly obvious, shortly thereafter, that this person is not alone.
"...what? Is this- am I-"
Erica shuts up, because talking back to God (or ...Satan?) is exactly the kind of thing she always wished she could do, but that it's just stupid to actually try.
“Now, do you have any preferences on who is who? The Villainess will be the ‘main antagonist,’ while the villain will be the supporting antagonist! This does afford them more freedom, and they’re more likely to not be punished by the narrative!”
Elina appears to have quickly processed that this is not her bed and instead a really worrying situation.
She sits up, glances over at the other person.
“I’d think I’d prefer to stay, er, female? If you don’t mind too much? I don’t know about the villainess part, though…”
"-I don't- mind, no. Why do we need to be 'villain' and 'villainess'? You can't have two villainesses? Or even better, two heroes? Heroines, whatever."
“Unfortunately, I’m not in charge of creating the scenarios - that’s above my paygrade. The ineffable Will of the Multiverse and their assistants are!”
The voices stays cheery, but it almost seems subdued. Well, relatively, anyway.
"-right."
Erica ignores the cheery assist of the ineffable Will of the Multiverse to focus on the person having the same bad day that she is.
"I'm Erica. What's your name?"
“Elina, it’s very nice to meet you, just wish it was under, ah, more normal circumstances? This is very weird!”
"It's very weird," she agrees. "Did you also, you know...die? She says we died."
“I… I don’t know? The last thing I remember was falling asleep. I suppose if I died I probably wouldn’t remember it.”
”Do… you remember?”
"Not- all of it. It was a seizure. I had them all my life, but this time I fell- anyway, I'm glad there's something after. Thanks, ineffable Will. Speaking of which-"
Erica turns back to Satan's receptionist.
"What is this Will of the Multiverse shit?"
“The Ineffable Will of the Multiverse is an ineffable being! They have many avatars, and are more powerful than you can imagine!”
The voices gets a little quieter, like a stage-whisper. “They’re also my boss.”
Elina turns to Erica and just shrugs.
"Fine. Villain, villainess. Tell me more about this special package."
“Traditionally, The Ineffable Will of the Multiverse only offers the Villainess role! The Villain role is a very new option!”
“If it’s an option, does that mean we can reject it?”
“Unfortunately, that is non-negotiable!”
"-can I be a hot guy? If I can be a hot guy, I'm down for anything."
“By default you will both be quite attractive, yes!”
“Well that’s… good? I suppose?”
”Er, so, what exactly are we doing?”
“Your task is to customize your experience, world, and even yourself! To the limited extent allowed by the parameters given.”
"Do you have a brochure?"
“We should work together on these, right? Does your have such a… um, focus on hair?”
"No, thank God. Let's just compare them side-by-side."
So they do.
"Okay. I don't know about you, but I would really love magic."
“Absolutely. High Magic, then?”
"Agreed. You should pick the tech level, I think it matters more if you'll be a girl.
I'm not going to have epilepsy as a villain, right?" she asks of the obnoxious woman who's giving them infinite magical power. She's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she'll try to be polite. A villain with epilepsy is a pretty lame villain, if you ask Erica.
“No, you will not.”
“So, I was thinking, um, either Faux-Medieval or Space Opera? Because Faux-Medieval sounds fun, but I would miss modern tech? But choosing modern era just seems boring. So, what do you think?”
"I could see myself as Han Solo. Space Opera it is."
Erica hums as she continues, before stopping at a particular section.
"Does yours have this?"
Erica points to the part of her brochure which explains the restrictions placed on the villainess- notably, that she cannot take the perks Early Start, Scientific Revolution, or Surprisingly Useful Skill, that she must take the flaw In Character, and that she may not take the flaws Ghost in the Flesh, Late Start, Not a Fan, or Unprepared.
“Oh! Yes, see, they’re crossed out, it looks like. And…”
The Voice suddenly chimes in.
”Apologies. These brochures are old, and do not accurately not reflect current procedures in all ways. Canon Challenge Mode is in place, but as a variant. Drawbacks selected for it must be to a total of three between both of you, and In Character is not mandated, although it can still be chosen as one of the required drawbacks. Additionally, you are in Hard Mode. Thank you, and apologies for the inconvenience.”
The brochures are old. This is getting embarrassing for the Will of the Multiverse, but Erica really doesn't want to argue with the dispenser of magical powers in case they get snatched away from her. Okay. Erica reads the thing again.
"If you don't want to take any, I could have some fun with Cruel Streak and Meathead, with Infatuated to keep him from doing anything too much like every jerk jock I've ever met."
“Uh, In Character should be alright, if you want to drop one? Are you sure about Cruel Streak?”
"If In Character is going to cramp your style, I can handle it. I've always been a bit of a bitch in sheep's clothing, I don't think it'll change me all that much."
“Well, it doesn’t stop me from doing things in secret. I could be a secret protected, that might be fun! If you don’t mind, er, being in love with me, though, that would make sense?”
"Think you'd make a good girlfriend? And what's your type?"
“Uh. I don’t think I did too badly at it previously. Er. Tall? Is good?” She looks incredibly embarrassed.
"Hey, you have a chance here to build your ideal man- don't waste it. Give me deets."
“Um. If- you don’t mind? Just? Appearance, or? Don’t you want to choose this kind of thing?”
"I can look out for me, don't you worry. I'll customize whatever you don't care about."
“Um. Alright. Uh, tall, and muscular, and- loyal? Hmm, longer hair, I think. Do you have any you don’t want at all?”
"When I have thought about what kind of guy I'd want to be, I never got much further than 'hot'. Flirtatious but not serious with anyone until he falls for you? Blond, I think he should definitely be blond. Good smile...do you want him toned or thick?"
“Mhm, toned, but a bit stocky?. Your description seems very nice…”
"See, now we're getting somewhere. We'll make a vixen out of you yet. Anything else about him, or do we think we've built the perfect man?"