So,
Arisushi and
JuniorTheJunior's
One Night Stand has finally reached its end. I've written about it
once or
twice, but this latest chapter deserves its own post. Spoilers below.
---
First, the "normal" route.
After the previous episode, David and Elena finally make their way to a hotel. The place is cheap and shady, like David; and not very memorable, like a one night stand is supposed to be.
Stepping into the room, Elena is aware of what she wants, perhaps on a near-unconscious level, but she doesn't understand
why. The
why is what frustrates her so, and makes her question herself at every step. Why is she here, with a much older stranger, who readily admits he just wants to fuck her? The answers to that are hinted at throughout the game, but they evade her still.
> She simultaneously felt like a woman who was being lied to, while also being treated just right.
That right there is a one sentence summary of the entire game. It's this little dance they are having, of desire and passion, but also of manipulation and fear.
Meanwhile, David is also conflicted, but for a different reason. He knows this is nothing more than a one time encounter with a stranger, and has to resist the temptation of trying to make it something more. His inner conflict is palpable.
> A part of him wanted to follow and join her.
> But that was not what tonight was about.
> Not for her.
After the act, they both find what they were looking for - clarity. Elena, having achieved her goal, moves to leave. David is melancholic, but tries to do the right thing.
D: I won't forget tonight for a long, long time. But YOU should.
E: Aren't you the guy who said this night was to be remembered forever?
D: Well... Maybe I just realized YOU don't need these kind of memories as a crutch to live your life. So forget everything.
I felt this was true to life. An older, lonely, and troubled man like David has much different expectations from a night like this than Elena, who is so young, vibrant, and full of life. The temptation to ask her to stay is immense, but he knows that wouldn't be the right thing
for her, so he lets her go. It was all quite touching and beautiful!
Alas, this route also contains my first and only criticism of the game - the epilogue. I'm not a fan of epilogues. They almost always cheapen the story and are used as narrative clutch for a Hollywood-esque happily-ever-after ending. It's not
quite that here, but it's close. I feel the game would have ended on a much higher note at the hotel.
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Now, the "corruption" route. I use scare quotes because that's not exactly what's going on, not in an AVN sense. But it's what the devs use, so let's stick to that.
> Altruistic as his words were, his strong grasp on her shoulders told a completely different story.
Like I said in
my previous post, the theme of this route is David's repulsiveness, teetering on the edge of acceptability, and Elena's scared and excited submission to him. Even the most sweetly of his words are calculated and disturbing. The game is relentless with its infliction of tension here. Both to Elena, and to the player.
Apropos, the sex scene is very different from the other route. It's much more violent (though, crucially, not rapey) and focused on David's urge to use and consume Elena. We get hints that, for him, this is a reenactment of a previous encounter, which is yet another disturbing point in a night full of them.
Post nut clarity is a thing on this route as well, but differs quite significantly. Elena realizes that she was looking for liberation, to violate her own boundaries and become someone else, just for a night. The whole experience was degrading for her, but as long as it's limited to this one night, she can make peace with it.
On the other hand, David's aim is much darker. He is not satisfied by merely having used her body. He wants to mark her, damage her. Not physically, but mentally, and he gets quite frustrated when he realizes he can't read her reaction. How could he let her go if he doesn't know if it worked?
Elena leaves hurriedly, not willing to spend another second with him. In a bone chilling scene, he runs after her and catches her at a bus stop, in the rain, all alone, in the middle of the night, and the curtain falls.
Now
that, is a much stronger ending than the other one. Thoroughly repulsive, but very well done.
---
I'll end this like my other posts, with some of my favourite screenshots from the chapter. Thank you
Arisushi and
JuniorTheJunior for your amazing work, you've really created something special here
❤
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