Was Walter actually in love with Cynthia?

[hiale]

I suppose this post is pointless but i always wondered if Walter had a crush on Cynthia and why, apparently it´s what the Crimson Tome tries to show us and also she rejecting and humillating him for the audience to sympathize him, to show he´s always been a victim with not support, not even from his parents. I guess that´s the only reason Cynthia is in the game, to make Walter out to be more miserable somehow and an anti-social weirdo (and to complete the 21 sacraments of course;D).

But i just wonder anyway, how could a guy like him be interested in someone like Cynthia who acts so bitchy always? I´m not against the character at all because i like her, but she acts like a hooker, i don´t know how a guy so deep into the Cult from childhood could be interested in someone so obvious and simple like her. And i don´t believe either that "theory" that he already envisioned the 16 sacrament in her back then when he was a kid and hence his interest. So should we suppose he really was in love with her? I don´t know... it´s quite a stupid question but it bothers me whenever i play the game. The plot of SH4 contradicts itself.

[Mephisto]

I think you answered your own question... Walter had a "crush" on her because she was beautiful and, someone so "simple" like her was different than the others he met. Hence the interest.

[The Adversary]

Sometimes guys want to have sex with attractive girls. It's crazy, I know.

[teosoleil]

Walter was a young man. Young men/women tend to fall in love with extremely attractive and promiscuous ladies. He probably did have a crush on her, though he was probably not "in love" with her, so to speak. Maybe her cruel rejection of him had a part in him choosing her for a sacrament.

[SilentWren]

Sometimes guys want to have sex with attractive girls. It's crazy, I know.

This was equally as true as it was unnecessary.

But yeah, pretty much what everyone else has said...I think if Walter had a deeper, lingering obsession with Cynthia there would be something more concrete about it in the game. It was probably just a surface love/hate type of fascination. But it's totally free to speculate on. I wish I could forget all about them, but there were some pretty graphic fanfics that took Walter+Cynthia and ran with it.

[chounokoe]

Well it was said that "by the Temptation through sin you will return to the great Origin" in the 21 Sacraments (Return to the Source through sin's Temptation. in the English version).
So one could argue that it was destined by the prophecy that Walter would become fascinated with Cynthia. He did keep seeing and watching her since she was 3, every time he was on the train to South Ashfield. She either became a sacrifice because Walter was tempted by her or Walter was tempted by her because she was a chosen sacrifice...works either way.