VN Ren'Py Realm Invader [Ep.2 P2] [Invader Gary]

[Meiri]

Gave up on waiting for the 4k version of e2p2 and downloaded the 1080 version. And since saves are apparently broken anyway, decided to just start over. Is this Cadence we see way early on?
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She turns her face toward the glow, so it's almost impossible to see it, or even much of her hair, but those sure look like cat ears.

And damn, Stella's just adorable. Is that the hint of a blush when she first meets MC?
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Sure, she blushes beet-red later on, but...

Yeah, I think it is her as well.

 

[danb35]

Probably not a blush, just her make-up--or she keeps the same low-grade blush for quite some time.

But is this a result of player choice, or a change in this update? Stella scanned as bisexual before, now she's straight:

 

[danb35]

I believe Ronald is genuine.

Having replayed through MC's first two days with Stella, I think I'm more inclined to agree. The first scene at Ronald's home, he's very protective of her ("if you hurt her..."), thinks well of her ("she's a good girl"), and is almost apologetic of her quirks ("she's sometimes childlike"). Very much like a father, and maybe even one who wants to give a green light to MC to pursue Stella.

Next time he's over there, Stella teaches him, he gets her number, and he texts her later that evening. Whereupon she tells Ronald, "I got a text from a boy" (why she didn't just name MC at that time is unclear). Ronald's initial response sounds angry, but after she confirms it's MC, his later lines are "I'm so proud of you," "are you in love with him" (which, as she correctly notes, is entirely premature), and "keep talking to him, this is your chance." I think we can infer from this that (1) she has some concerns/frustrations/disappointments with boys, (2) she's shared those with Ronald, and (3) they both perceive MC texting Stella as indicating his romantic interest.

Still leaves a lot of questions, though; foremost in my mind are (1) how would she have had a lack of male interest, and (2) what's the best-case goal of the relationship? On the first, she's awfully cute, she's sweet, and she seems entirely likable. It's hard to imagine that she wouldn't have had male attention, unless she has just been sheltered enough to not have encountered boys/men (other than Ronald, of course) previously.

But the second is the bigger one IMO. Both she and Ronald are clearly thinking "relationship," not "casually date." Fine, but relationship leading toward what? I know I'm repeating myself, but according to the lore we're given in-game, slaves can't marry. So if she is actually a slave (and MC's seen the collar/chain), it seems the best case is she becomes MC's slave (rather like Cadence), not Ronald's.

But also on this play-through, I'm noticing Ronald's cough more. I wonder if this is headed toward "Ronald's health is much worse than he's letting on, and he's concerned about Stella's being taken care of when he's gone (which he expects to be soon)."

 

[danb35]

Yeah, I think it is her as well.

So at the end of Ep 1, we're back in... whatever that place is. Dark, glowing columns. Last time we were there, we saw what I thought was Cadence. This time, it's definitely her--which, in my mind, further supports that it was her at the beginning of the episode as well. Why? Don't know, other than to emphasize that meeting Cadence was the main point of the episode.

 

[Eternamite]

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[danb35]

A couple of questions about slavery, as it exists in this world:

• What's the status of the children of slaves? Either of two slaves, or of one and her master? I don't see this addressed in the in-game lore, but since sex is a recognized (and apparently accepted) use of slaves, it seems pretty likely that pregnancy would result in some cases--unless there's something about the binding that prevents pregnancy. In historic American slavery, of course, the children of slaves were themselves slaves, but the in-game lore tells us that slaves must consent to the binding (or explicitly recognize the binder's dominion over the bindee), which wouldn't seem consistent with this rule.
• The in-game lore also tells us that binding ends only at death--is that death of the slave, or of the master (whoever the current master may be, since it's transferrable)?

I'm naturally trying to sort out what's going on with Stella, both the "how she could have been bound and in a slave market at age 5" and the "why is Ronald trying to hook her up with MC?" On the first, though I don't think this is the answer, "children of slaves are also slaves" would explain her situation, or at least part of it.

On the second, I'm suspecting Ronald's health is worse than he's letting on, to the point where (he thinks) he's dying, and he wants Stella to be taken care of when he goes. He could transfer Stella's binding to MC as one option, but if it expires on his death, Stella and MC can have a "normal" relationship.

 

[Big_Bad]

Love the slow pace, love the dynamic with Chloe and Grace.