[spoilers below]
I really liked this update. Elsa and Edward's talk at the coffee shop was brilliant! It's my favourite scene in the game so far. He's finally starting to grow a backbone, but she is relentless. She can see that Edward is still ruled by his insecurities and cheap machismo, and she's not willing to coddle him or validate his feelings. Edward is woefully unprepared for what it would take to realize his ambitions in EO's corporate world, and Elsa knows that the only way to really get through to him is trial by fire. She has to be harsh; otherwise he won't listen.
Elsa's ego, cynicism and misanthropy are deeply,
deeply alluring to me. She's my favourite VN character. Edward is clearly fixated as well. On some level, he has seething contempt for her, but can't quite bring himself to walk away. Because he knows she is right, and he has nowhere else to turn to. He really opens up to her in the coffee shop, and that's the first real sign of growth on his part.
And finally,
finally, she calls him out on the whole Alice thing! He claims to be in love with Alice, which is clearly bullshit as he knows almost nothing about her. Elsa suggests - not so gently - that what he's feeling might not be love. Unfortunately, Edward isn't ready to hear that. He tries to deflect and retreats to his safe space, questioning her motivations with sarcastic retorts.
I
love this shot. It telegraphs the whole scene. She is so tiny, and yet has such a commanding, domineering presence. She looks so confident, knows exactly how the conversation will go, and what she will say. Contrast that to Edward, who is lost in his own world, tormented by his ego. She's always ten steps forward, and is frustrated by Edward's repeated attempts to slow down and demand explanations.
Seriously, exceptional work
sqwl!
