VN Ren'Py Our Red String [Ch.13.3.4] [Eva Kiss]

[BlandChili]

I think GGGB did a pretty good job of keeping the story forks within the cutlery drawer for the endings though. Ash basically has - besides a few blind alleys such as the one where the literally dies - basically a "job" and "romance" ending showing what she ends up doing for a living and who, if any, she romanced. Then it shows other NPC's and optionally Ash alongside them if she's still fucking them by the game's end.

I don't see Ian and Lena as being too different, even in spite of the dual protag thing. Like Rob said though the alley of choices we traverse this time feels more narrow because there are two balls this time and they intersect paths here and there constantly, bouching against each other too. I'm faily certain Eva will end up doing something similar still, what do each of them do at the end of the game, are they dating and if not who're each of them with if any, who's still fucking and what happened to the rest of the cast.

I like these metaphors. The story being an "alley" feels nice and dirty.

 

[ffive]

Hawkes is curretnly looking for a cliff to jump off of so.

Nooo, keep the hope alive. You've held onto it for so long, what's one more year. Or two. Or three...

 

[Hungover00]

I do kind of wonder how the story will string Ian and Lena together after the beach house if they broke up. If they were just friends before hand and had committed to other people (or any and all people), I can see how things could stay friendly. But if they blow up, rather than commit to any of the different relationship flavours, it seems kind of too far gone at that point to salvage.

I am getting more of a ~16 chapter vibe from the story at the moment, not a ~20 chapter, but there is a hell of a lot of plots to wrap up. Model shoot, living situation, book competition, battle of the bands, Ian's new job, MMA tournament, and the approaching end states for every character (especially Gillian, Axel, and Ivy). Things could definitely slow and spread if the late introduced characters get focused on. This red string is a winding.

 

[BlandChili]

I do kind of wonder how the story will string Ian and Lena together after the beach house if they broke up. If they were just friends before hand and had committed to other people (or any and all people), I can see how things could stay friendly. But if they blow up, rather than commit to any of the different relationship flavours, it seems kind of too far gone at that point to salvage.

I am getting more of a ~16 chapter vibe from the story at the moment, not a ~20 chapter, but there is a hell of a lot of plots to wrap up. Model shoot, living situation, book competition, battle of the bands, Ian's new job, MMA tournament, and the approaching end states for every character (especially Gillian, Axel, and Ivy). Things could definitely slow and spread if the late introduced characters get focused on. This red string is a winding.

Easy answer is that they'll become mindless fucking machines. No processing power to be bitter then!

 

[Lolicon Kami]

I do kind of wonder how the story will string Ian and Lena together after the beach house if they broke up.

Wait is it confirmed that Ian and Lena will get together in the end no matter what

Holly's my fav chara so I put Ian and Holly together, and I'm making Lena hook up / flirt with literally every other dude under the sun to keep her far far faaaaar away from Ian. I want a Ian/Holly happy monogamy ending

(Of course, if the gamer is actively selecting choices that put Ian and Lena together, there should also be a happy Ian/Lena ending.

 

[GokutheG]

Wait is it confirmed that Ian and Lena will get together in the end no matter what

Holly's my fav chara so I put Ian and Holly together, and I'm making Lena hook up / flirt with literally every other dude under the sun to keep her far far faaaaar away from Ian. I want a Ian/Holly happy monogamy ending

(Of course, if the gamer is actively selecting choices that put Ian and Lena together, there should also be a happy Ian/Lena ending.

No they're talking about how the story will go for the pair if they were together and split on bad terms.

They don't have to interact at all. The only ties between them would be Holly and possibly Emma and Perry and that's only if he helps at the cafe.

 

[ffive]

They don't have to interact at all. The only ties between them would be Holly and possibly Emma and Perry and that's only if he helps at the cafe.

Also Jeremy if Lena indulges in her BBC fetish. And Ivy if Ian manages to impress her.

 

[GokutheG]

Also Jeremy if Lena indulges in her BBC fetish. And Ivy if Ian manages to impress her.

I underestimated just how intertwined Eva is trying to make their lives. I guess that be interesting for the people who enjoy that pairing.

Although I doubt if they had a bad split Ivy would be on the side of Ian and vice versa.

 

[Erectosaurus]

Game is called "Our Red String" but I still haven't seen any red strings.

Explain this.

 

[Hungover00]

Game is called "Our Red String" but I still haven't seen any red strings.

Explain this.

I've always assumed it's passion, lust, perhaps romance. That's what ties this story, and the characters, together. Everyone is passionate about something or someone. Though it is often tainted or frayed.

 

[Blurpee69]

Game is called "Our Red String" but I still haven't seen any red strings.

Explain this.

The title is a reference to the Red String of Fate, an ancient Chinese or Japanese (I don't remember which) belief that people who are destined to find love and marry each other are bound by an invisible red cord. The cord can become tangled and bind with other cords, but will never break, so these cords can create a great web of fate at times. Hence why all these characters lives are interconnected and they seemingly keep running into each other even when they don't plan too.

We're seeing a snapshot of Lena and Ian's lives. Perhaps they have a red cord that binds them, or perhaps their red cords just got tangled with each other the night they met in that ally. How we play them will likely determine that, but for now they are bound by fate to at least be near each other.

 

[Hungover00]

The title is a reference to the Red String of Fate, an ancient Chinese or Japanese (I don't remember which) belief that people who are destined to find love and marry each other are bound by an invisible red cord. The cord can become tangled and bind with other cords, but will never break, so these cords can create a great web of fate at times. Hence why all these characters lives are interconnected and they seemingly keep running into each other even when they don't plan too.

We're seeing a snapshot of Lena and Ian's lives. Perhaps they have a red cord that binds them, or perhaps their red cords just got tangled with each other the night they met in that ally. How we play them will likely determine that, but for now they are bound by fate to at least be near each other.

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(thought I'd heard this theory before, but couldn't recall/wasn't familiar with the source)

Does EK state that ever? Or is it the community consensus?

 

[redoubt27]

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(thought I'd heard this theory before, but couldn't recall/wasn't familiar with the source)

Does EK state that ever? Or is it the community consensus?

It's alluded to in the story prologue... and throughout the story.
Do you believe in destiny?
Do we keep meeting by coincidence or is it fate?

 

[Geigi]

In my country, we tie on newborn's wrist a small red string to ward off evil.

 

[Maviarab]

Game is called "Our Red String" but I still haven't seen any red strings.

Explain this.

The Red String Theory, a belief from East Asian mythology, believes that people who are destined to be present in each other’s lives are connected by a red string, and life will bring them to meet again despite time, circumstance, or distance. Some people call it a coincidence and say that the world is small, but one can’t help but think that we’re all connected.

 

[Blurpee69]

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(thought I'd heard this theory before, but couldn't recall/wasn't familiar with the source)

Does EK state that ever? Or is it the community consensus?

I have posted on the Red Thread of Fate before in this forum thread. EK has never directly said it was the case to my knowledge. I don't even know if it's a community consensus, because we so rarely discuss the title or the Red thread theory.

But as redoubt27 said, it's strongly alluded too throughout the story with the characters often referencing fate or coincidence of running into each other. It is also a cheeky way to respond to complaints about, specifically in the earlier days of the game, why the cast is so small and keeps running into each other. Funny that just a page back people complaining about the size of the cast in the opposite way.

 

[Hungover00]

It's alluded to in the story prologue... and throughout the story.
Do you believe in destiny?
Do we keep meeting by coincidence or is it fate?

The Red String Theory, a belief from East Asian mythology, believes that people who are destined to be present in each other’s lives are connected by a red string, and life will bring them to meet again despite time, circumstance, or distance. Some people call it a coincidence and say that the world is small, but I can’t help but think that we’re all connected.

Just replayed the prologue, and yes the idea of fate is hinted at, but nothing specific towards the red thread of fate.

Even if that is the basis, it seems either random or appropriative, as nothing else in the story points to a Chinese or Japanese connection or mythology. If it is the source of the title, it kind of feels like it was taken from a thesaurus for fate, kismet, destiny, etc. Which feels a bit thin.

 

[Gicoo]

Red string is a common phrase in my language, usually pointing to the most central and important aspect of something. So I didn't gave the title a second glance.

Generally, the red string in literature is the

(figurative) thread, common thread, golden thread, central theme, throughline or clear structure

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Just as the game has Ian and Lena and their turbulent, intertwined lives as the focus.

 

[Hungover00]

I have posted on the Red Thread of Fate before in this forum thread. EK has never directly said it was the case to my knowledge. I don't even know if it's a community consensus, because we so rarely discuss the title or the Red thread theory.

But as redoubt27 said, it's strongly alluded too throughout the story with the characters often referencing fate or coincidence of running into each other. It is also a cheeky way to respond to complaints about, specifically in the earlier days of the game, why the cast is so small and keeps running into each other. Funny that just a page back people complaining about the size of the cast in the opposite way.

I can definitely see it being a thread that ties the characters and stories together in a skein that becomes the warp and weft of their lives in this 6+ month period of their lives. The connection to a particular East-Asian mythos when there is only one character that seems of Asian descent in the whole game, and he's a random club rat and minor character from GGGB, seems like a stretch, or a weird choice.

But, it's cool to hear the discussions and history of them, especially that EK hasn't weighed in with a 'voice of god' moment. I don't know EK's biography, but I thought they were from Europe, maybe Spain or Portugal? But I'm basing that off of echoes of a perhaps memory.

Red string is a common phrase in my language, usually pointing to the most central and important aspect of something. So I didn't gave the title a second glance.

Generally, the red string in literature is the

You must be registered to see the links

Just as the game has Ian and Lena and their turbulent, intertwined lives as the focus.

Oh, that's kind of cool. Multi-faceted interpretations make it a bit more interesting to me. I'm still leaning towards lust or passion, especially since there are lust points in game, but a sort of fated lust Gordian Knot fits the story very well, with how many playthroughs and combinations are possible.

Alternate title possibilities: The Gordian Sploosh, The Dripping Red Knot, The Fuck Weaving, heheh

 

[Erectosaurus]

So ORS was an anime all along...