every girl is perfect in their own unique way
That's what I love about Eternum. It's a story about self-acceptance. You befriend 6 lonely souls, who have all hidden or rejected aspects of themselves and been rejected for them by others. Annie's felt ashamed for years of being obsessed with you, having no other friends, and being close to you for selfish reasons. Nancy's refused to allow herself pursuit of any of her own desires out of always putting her daughters first. Dalia's trained furiously in order to stand up to competition she's always perceived as superior to herself. Penny's lived a publicly curated life without much space to be herself, to take up more than a one-dimensional identity. Nova's self-worth is founded upon her skills and achievements, the nature of which buries the luxury of identity for her in the first place. Luna's kept everyone at a distance because she can't help but continue bearing responsibility for her mother. Alex has been enslaved to her family name and doesn't have anyone she can be that little girl who dreamed of being a star with, or show any weakness to.
Through your relationships with them, and importantly, the friendships they develop with each other, they are nurtured and encouraged to receive love and acceptance, from self and others.
You can play Eternum inside the head of Orion. You'll learn about what it means to be a man, to be a good friend, to be brave, to put your loved ones before yourself, and to be understanding and respectful.
You can also play Eternum inside the heads of the girls. What do you reject about yourself, that you wouldn't share with anyone unless you trusted them with all your heart? Have you felt ashamed for who you like, or your powerlessness over your infatuation for them, when they might not even return those feelings? Have you lived a long time believing that your personal needs and desires are invalid or unimportant, to the degree of feeling guilty for even having them? Have you pushed yourself day in and day out, your emotional survival depending solely on the flame of tomorrow's hopes of proving yourself, because today you're worthless? Have you lived beholden to an image to maintain, while being constantly stereotyped and needing to be wary about the intentions of anyone approaching you? Have your greatest personal achievements been experienced in quiet somberness, with no one you can share them with, no one who can relate with you, no one
who even knows? Have you had a hand in a terrible incident that's left you traumatized and on a hair trigger for letting anyone come near you, lest you cause them harm? Have you refused to acknowledge your own weakness, emotion, or genuine care for someone, because in your experience everyone is fake and best dealt with through a strong, opaque front?
You wouldn't want to change anything about Annie, Nancy, Dalia, Penny, Nova, Luna, or Alex, would you?
Then you shouldn't want to change anything about yourself either.
Spending time with the one you love, prioritizing your responsibilities, training to make yourself stronger, upholding standards and appearances for the sake of a goal, making sacrifices for your craft, wanting to keep others from harm, wanting contact to be genuine...these are all good things. But what causes suffering is when they are pursued out of the pain of rejection, rather than out of simple enjoyment or love.