VN Ren'Py Our Red String [Ch.14.1.4 Beta] [Eva Kiss]

[NewSeal]

I don't know what country you live in, but where I come from a lot of girls won't even blow their boyfriends.

Not a western country, I take it? It sounds like your country is pretty strict and conservative when it comes to sex. And to expand on this point;

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I think it's dishonest too look at ORS through this point of view, since they're western people, in a western country. It's not uncommon in these countries for young people to talk openly about what they're into or not in bed, even with people they don't know all that well, in casual conversations. The level of how much they share/how crudely they talk about it varies from each country.
So yeah by eastern standards, an average person with an active sex life in their 20s is a sexual demon, going by their preferences and amount of sexual experience they have.
This logic just doesn't apply to ORS though because none of the characters in the game come from a radically different culture with strict views on sex and relationships.

 

[JM24]

It's from the United States National Institute of Health:

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Well I had a quick look at it and it says they analyzed 884 ppl, which is a pretty small sample and by no means representative of the masses. And in such a vast country as the US different demographics will probably show very different attitudes towards sex, I'd imagine. In some areas where people are very devout Christians you may actually find it hard to find couples who perform anything other than missionary sex, which you claim is impossible. That's just my projection of the States though, correct me if I'm wrong.

It's hard to say, but a lot of what people say in public (especially when it's worldwide level of "public") is performance intended to create one's certain image. If, like you say, oral sex is perceived as "freaky" where you live, then people could be naturally reluctant to admit to such activity and condemning it could be considered some sort of "virtue signaling". On the other hand in groups where it's considered a norm acting differently could be presenting oneself as edgy and unique.

If you wanna go that path then there's really no point arguing coz there's no way to actually know what people do in their private lives unless you install a camera in their houses, which is a crime and should not be done. And no oral sex is not perceived as "freaky" where I live, it's just that there seem to be a lot more girls who like to speak about sex these days and they clearly say that they don't like giving blowjobs because they feel repugnant about it this and that. I see no reason to lie on their part coz if you look at the comments below (some are on insta and some are on threads) they actually attract a lot of hate from certain viewers for saying that.

I kind of overlooked it, sorry. I don't know statistics concerning it, but there's probably difference between how many people do it more or less regularly and how many of them tried it. Lena would be in the latter category -- as a player you can actually develop her experience with and/or preference for anal sex through a number of choices which cause her to warm up to this idea. It's only in the most recent chapter where Lena can note that she's, much to her own surprise, learned to enjoy anal sex as much as vaginal.

So no, i don't personally see this as some sign of Lena's particular freakiness in the past. Much like the threesome, i imagine she'd potentially agreed to give it a go at Axel's insistence.

Fair enough because Lena did say they didn't go all the way so I don't think it counts as a fetish on her part. But the fact that she got persuaded by Axel to actually try it still says something, but I blame Axel more than her in that regard.

 

[StrawberryCheese83]

u played which paths?

Yeah Bro...how could i not???

 

[JM24]

Not a western country, I take it? It sounds like your country is pretty strict and conservative when it comes to sex. And to expand on this point;

No it's in Asia and no I won't say it's strict but some are certainly very very conservative. A lot of ppl are still very hostile to the LGBT community but we also have a lot of open-minded groups of ppl. And it's not like there are laws against being in a homosexual relationship or anything like that. So it really depends.

 

[Eleanorduval]

Yeah Bro...how could i not???

I play Lena/ian path,cindy/ian affaire and ian/minerva.How about u?

 

[SerHawkes]

Hawke's single path: Ian-Ivy/Lena-Holly. Everyone else is dead.

 

[NewSeal]

Hawke's single path: Ian-Ivy/Lena-Holly. Everyone else is dead.

Our Dead String?

 

[Zara Scarlet]

if u made choice to not ignore Gillian ch13,Ian will not be able to keep a stable relationship with the others girls.

When you say a 'stable' relationship, what exactly do you mean? Are there any truly stable relationships in this game currently? But obviously, if you chose for Ian to go down that route with Gillian, it's going to cause a lot of issues for him, which I'm sure most people who made that choice, were hoping for anyway.. But having said that, you can still have Lena fantasise about Axel, and even go through a sexually charged photoshoot with him and then later reject him at the 12th hour. So I don't see any reason, why Ian won't be able to do something similar with Gillian, if the player so chooses?

 

[Maccabbee]

When you say a 'stable' relationship, what exactly do you mean? Are there any truly stable relationships in this game currently?

Yes, my run is Ian/Lena, and is pure and stable.

 

[Zara Scarlet]

Yes, my run is Ian/Lena, and is pure and stable.

You say it's stable. But even if Lena completely rejects Seymour and Axel, and Ian rejects Gillian. All of them are still firmly in their lives, stirring the hornet's nest. Ian is still irrationally jealous of Axel, and Seymour is still malevolently trying to ruin Lena's life, as well as their relationship. The way I see it, Seymour is the biggest threat to Ian and Lena on the faithful route, because he has the potential to destroy Ian's hopes of becoming an author. The guy totally covets Lena, and he doesn't accept being told 'no'. So we all know at some point, he's going to try to blackmail them. And Ian will be faced with a choice, sacrifice Lena or sacrifice his career. Or vice versa, he'll give Lena the same choice, give up Ian or Seymour will ruin him. The only way out of it, that I can see, is that Ian eventually gets his book published by the rival publishing group, currently being established, by the guy who wrote 'The Fall of Delbaeth', that Ian (or Holly) reviewed earlier in the game?

What I'm saying though, is that every relationship in this game, is faced by potentially catastrophic challenges, whatever choices you make. So saying it's currently stable is an illusion, because it's not supposed to be plain sailing. That only comes when the game ends, and the respective partners have resolved their personal issues and overcome all the obstacles thrown in their paths.

 

[Gicoo]

I don't get this discussion.

ORS plays in a fictive city resembling spanish big cities like Barcelona, possibly even american ones to consider the main target audience. Western countries and big cities tend to be sexual and culturally open-minded. EvaKiss allegedly traveled a bit and studied likely in big cities as well, so they have a open minded mindset if not plenty of experiences with a liberal view of sex.

That some non-western countries are noticable more conservative just doesn't factor in. In EvaKiss games, almost everyone had plenty of sexual experiences, even awkward people like Perry or Holly. Or a ugly caricature like Rosa, who goes out in clubs in ORS and GGGB and was seen with a potential partner. You need to be at the bottom and ugly AND shy to be a virgin, like Stan.

So this comment that spawned this discussion:

I don't know what country you live in, but where I come from a lot of girls won't even blow their boyfriends.

Doesn't apply to GGGB and ORS, which has (fictive) american college levels of sexual liberty.

 

[Markel100]

You say it's stable. But even if Lena completely rejects Seymour and Axel, and Ian rejects Gillian. All of them are still firmly in their lives, stirring the hornet's nest. Ian is still irrationally jealous of Axel, and Seymour is still malevolently trying to ruin Lena's life, as well as their relationship. The way I see it, Seymour is the biggest threat to Ian and Lena on the faithful route, because he has the potential to destroy Ian's hopes of becoming an author. The guy totally covets Lena, and he doesn't accept being told 'no'. So we all know at some point, he's going to try to blackmail them. And Ian will be faced with a choice, sacrifice Lena or sacrifice his career. Or vice versa, he'll give Lena the same choice, give up Ian or Seymour will ruin him. The only way out of it, that I can see, is that Ian eventually gets his book published by the rival publishing group, currently being established, by the guy who wrote 'The Fall of Delbaeth', that Ian (or Holly) reviewed earlier in the game?

What I'm saying though, is that every relationship in this game, is faced by potentially catastrophic challenges, whatever choices you make. So saying it's currently stable is an illusion, because it's not supposed to be plain sailing. That only comes when the game ends, and the respective partners have resolved their personal issues and overcome all the obstacles thrown in their paths.

Eh I doubt it unless u atongonize Seymour when playing as Ian I think if u reject Seymour as lena and keep it neutral as Ian u should be fine

 

[Eleanorduval]

You say it's stable. But even if Lena completely rejects Seymour and Axel, and Ian rejects Gillian. All of them are still firmly in their lives, stirring the hornet's nest. Ian is still irrationally jealous of Axel, and Seymour is still malevolently trying to ruin Lena's life, as well as their relationship. The way I see it, Seymour is the biggest threat to Ian and Lena on the faithful route, because he has the potential to destroy Ian's hopes of becoming an author. The guy totally covets Lena, and he doesn't accept being told 'no'. So we all know at some point, he's going to try to blackmail them. And Ian will be faced with a choice, sacrifice Lena or sacrifice his career. Or vice versa, he'll give Lena the same choice, give up Ian or Seymour will ruin him. The only way out of it, that I can see, is that Ian eventually gets his book published by the rival publishing group, currently being established, by the guy who wrote 'The Fall of Delbaeth', that Ian (or Holly) reviewed earlier in the game?

What I'm saying though, is that every relationship in this game, is faced by potentially catastrophic challenges, whatever choices you make. So saying it's currently stable is an illusion, because it's not supposed to be plain sailing. That only comes when the game ends, and the respective partners have resolved their personal issues and overcome all the obstacles thrown in their paths.

Even in stable relationships there is a up and down.The most important it is they don’t cross the red line.In my opinion Ian/lena have stable relationships despite all people trying to corrupt them.

If u want a real unstable couple there is wade/cindy,no one put pressure on them.The real reason of breakup is wade have weak personality,all he do is playing games and he isn’t enough strong/smart to fight axel.

Louise/jeremy another example of unstable relationship.He isn’t too smart to fool with 2 girls who hate each other,was obvious ivy would take her revenge.Instead using his intelligence like Ian,Jeremy try to use relationships connection (with Billy to impress the girls) and flirting.

Lena/ian are less chaotic relationship.

 

[Zara Scarlet]

Eh I doubt it unless u atongonize Seymour when playing as Ian I think if u reject Seymour as lena and keep it neutral as Ian u should be fine

Are we talking about the same person here? The guy who blacklisted Lena with virtually every source of employment, that didn't involve him. That threatened to get her removed from Peoplegram. And suggested Ian's novel could either definitely win the competition and get published or disappear without a trace. All because she wouldn't agree to let him photograph her.

If Ian and Lena are in any form of faithful relationship, Lena HAS to reject Seymour. Because she cannot allow him to get his claws into her. He is an extremely clever and manipulative person, who cannot be trusted. And the best way for Lena and Ian, not to get trapped in his scheming, is to have as little to do with him, as possible. Lena especially cannot be involved with him. When she rejects him, he shows his true colours, and what a nasty piece of work, he really is. Everything Emma says about him is true. He's a parasite, who is sucking Baluart dry. And there is no depth he wont sink to, to achieve his goals.

 

[Zara Scarlet]

Even in stable relationships there is a up and down.The most important it is they don’t cross the red line.In my opinion Ian/lena have stable relationships despite all people trying to corrupt them.

If u want a real unstable couple there is wade/cindy,no one put pressure on them.The real reason of breakup is wade have weak personality,all he do is playing games and he isn’t enough strong/smart to fight axel.

Louise/jeremy another example of unstable relationship.He isn’t too smart to fool with 2 girls who hate each other,was obvious ivy would take her revenge.Instead using his intelligence like Ian,Jeremy try to use relationships connection (with Billy to impress the girls) and flirting.

Lena/ian are less chaotic relationship.

I think you're avoiding the obvious elephant in the room. You know, the megalomaniac property billionaire who has become utterly obsessed with Lena, and has told her in no uncertain terms, that he means to have her, and won't take no for an answer. The same guy who holds Ian's future in the palm of his hand and did his level best to sabotage her modelling career and force the cafe out of business, just so Lena would have to accept his proposal. Besides that, the problems that all the other couples have, pale into insignificance, because they involve mainly reasonable people, who can resolve their differences reasonably. But Seymour is not reasonable, he won't take no for an answer. And the only way I see Ian and Lena getting passed him, is either by leaving Baluart or finding some way to take this guy down. Because he's never going to see reason, and he'll keep coming at Lena until she gives way or he get's taken out of the equation.

I'm assuming there will be a way to take him out of the equation, before the end of the game. Probably with Emma's help, since she's heavily involved in the fight against him and others, who are gaming the system to artificially inflate rents and property values.

 

[SerHawkes]

In EvaKiss games, almost everyone had plenty of sexual experiences,

-Cough cough Ian and Ivy COUGH- You were saying?

 

[fatpussy123]

-Cough cough Ian and Ivy COUGH- You were saying?

Well both of em had plenty of sexual experiences. Just not with each other. And in Ivy's case, not on screen.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

You say it's stable. But even if Lena completely rejects Seymour and Axel, and Ian rejects Gillian. All of them are still firmly in their lives, stirring the hornet's nest. Ian is still irrationally jealous of Axel, and Seymour is still malevolently trying to ruin Lena's life, as well as their relationship. The way I see it, Seymour is the biggest threat to Ian and Lena on the faithful route, because he has the potential to destroy Ian's hopes of becoming an author. The guy totally covets Lena, and he doesn't accept being told 'no'. So we all know at some point, he's going to try to blackmail them. And Ian will be faced with a choice, sacrifice Lena or sacrifice his career. Or vice versa, he'll give Lena the same choice, give up Ian or Seymour will ruin him. The only way out of it, that I can see, is that Ian eventually gets his book published by the rival publishing group, currently being established, by the guy who wrote 'The Fall of Delbaeth', that Ian (or Holly) reviewed earlier in the game?

What I'm saying though, is that every relationship in this game, is faced by potentially catastrophic challenges, whatever choices you make. So saying it's currently stable is an illusion, because it's not supposed to be plain sailing. That only comes when the game ends, and the respective partners have resolved their personal issues and overcome all the obstacles thrown in their paths.

I'm not sure Ian's jealousy toward Axel is entirely irrational, considering how Axel behaves around Cindy, Lena, or Cherry. He seems to enjoy stirring up drama, provoking jealousy, seducing girls, making them emotionally attached or even dependent on him, and then moving on to the next target. The only exception seems to be Lena, with whom he appears genuinely obsessed.

Axel and Seymour are clearly the two main antagonists in the story and have a negative influence, something that’s even reflected in-game through willpower loss in the stats, if I’m not mistaken. I think the latest developments in the update only reinforce that impression, both in Ian’s situation with Cindy and in Lena’s case when she’s under Seymour’s control.

Even if you avoid Cindy with Ian, or keep Axel and Seymour away from Lena, both men still have a lingering negative influence on the story. Whether it’s Axel and Seymour’s presence in Lena’s life, or Axel’s involvement with Cindy and how it poisons the dynamic within Ian’s friend group, their impact is still clearly felt.

 

[Maccabbee]

I'm not sure Ian's jealousy toward Axel is entirely irrational, considering how Axel behaves around Cindy, Lena, or Cherry. He seems to enjoy stirring up drama, provoking jealousy, seducing girls, making them emotionally attached or even dependent on him, and then moving on to the next target. The only exception seems to be Lena, with whom he appears genuinely obsessed.

Axel and Seymour are clearly the two main antagonists in the story and have a negative influence, something that’s even reflected in-game through willpower loss in the stats, if I’m not mistaken. I think the latest developments in the update only reinforce that impression, both in Ian’s situation with Cindy and in Lena’s case when she’s under Seymour’s control.

Even if you avoid Cindy with Ian, or keep Axel and Seymour away from Lena, both men still have a lingering negative influence on the story. Whether it’s Axel and Seymour’s presence in Lena’s life, or Axel’s involvement with Cindy and how it poisons the dynamic within Ian’s friend group, their impact is still clearly felt.

I would also include Ivy in the antogonists, though not directly. She definitely is a "bad influence" on everyone.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

I would also include Ivy in the antogonists, though not directly. She definitely is a "bad influence" on everyone.

I'm a bit torn when it comes to Ivy. Sure, If we're talking about negative influence, it's pretty clear on Holly's route, where Lena letting Ivy take the lead ends up hurting Holly. With Ian, though, it's less obvious, it often comes across as playful teasing or flirtation that Ian is free to resist or shut down. As for Lena, despite Ivy’s chaotic nature, she does seem to genuinely care about her best friend, even if she doesn’t always handle things in the right way.


I wonder if there are routes where Ivy can be calmed down or become more "reasonable." However, I doubt Jeremy is a good match for her, even though he does seem to have a real soft spot for her. Then again, both of them tend to play around in relationships. I’m not sure if there will be future options for either Ian or Lena to actually get Ivy into something more stable that would have a positive impact on her.


So in the end, she’s definitely chaotic, but not really so"evil." And she doesn’t quite come off as a true antagonist, even if she sometimes does things that are highly questionable.