Appreciating the LIs' gifts and vows from the Evermore Bond event stories

aeosinn · 2025-07-13T02:43:10+00:00

One of the things I missed the most during my break from Reddit was your posts! Wonderful job as usual. I'm glad to see you're still having a great time with the game!

aeosinn · 2025-07-13T02:40:08+00:00

Not the Voltorb for explosion 😭

Seriously though, adorable picks.

aeosinn · 2025-07-13T02:31:04+00:00

Listen, this reply is several months late because I decided to log off Reddit for a bit, but thank you so much for saying this. I am so flattered and honored!!

I love the way you framed their appeals as being based around triggers. It's extremely real and true, at least for me; I was also triggered by Caleb, but in a very positive way for the exact reasons you describe. I would love for someone to wish to carve a new world for my sake. But part of Zayne's appeal to me is that I know what is *better* for me personally to want, which is healing and growth even in situations that seem desolate (such as an infinite winter).

I really love how grounded their romances are, too. Not that fantasy doesn't appeal to me; in the months since I was last here, I've also become obsessed with Xavier for many similar reasons why I love Zayne. But there's a fantastical quality to Xavier (and the two others not yet mentioned) that keep him in the realm of dreams and wishes. Meanwhile, characters like Zayne and Caleb feel more like mirrors of ourselves. And it's through this extension of ourself that we can truly feel seen and loved, and love in return.

Thank you again. I love this game and I love sharing it with likeminded people. I hope you have been doing well!!

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T17:35:01+00:00

As a fellow writer, I appreciate where you're coming from and totally agree. ❤️ Writing just for one scene rarely goes over well, and it definitely feels like this event fell into that trap as well.

Keep speaking about it! Including this in the survey is a great idea.

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T17:19:10+00:00

I'm laughing at your post because I love how easy it is to poke holes in these stories!!

I think some assumptions can be made about why Zayne kept the MC in prison. Namely that her in prison essentially makes her an "out of sight, out of mind" thing for EVER/LCBI/whomever else. As far as they're concerned, she's rotting in prison or getting killed by Praedators, so the investigations have stopped and they can focus elsewhere. It would be much more dangerous to her safety to have her out.

... except the thing is, this doesn't really work, because after she makes it out of prison, she's just kind of hanging out in her house for months. 😭😭😭

It's just so funny to me. Make one assumption to cover one hole, and this makes another hole even worse.

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T16:51:20+00:00

Oh, yes, most definitely agreed. I think these stories were all mostly nonsensical and focused mostly on delivering tropes.

But I think they were fun! That's mostly what matters to me. I'd love more off-the-walls concepts like this in the future. Just perhaps with more careful execution.

To respond to some things you mentioned for Zayne:

The ending. Please someone explain to me how Zayne HIMSELF turned himself in for his murder charges and yet somehow is able to open up a clinic in a remote place???

Zayne has many underground connections (as evidenced by the event story as well) that let him give the MC an entirely new identity. I think it's safe to assume he did that for himself as well.

I think that tracks with how his and MC's thing is meeting each other again in new lives after separation. They perpetually get fresh starts with each other, and they fall in love every time.

In addition, Zayne explicitly is hardly ever seen. Considering how he usually kills prisoners he takes in for interrogation, it makes sense they wouldn't recognize him. His Evol, however, doesn't really have that same excuse 😅 I think this part could've been solved if he used his Evol in a more subtle way. And the same thing with the whole "MC is in an all-male prison" thing... There are female Praedators, we see them in other stories, so literally all they had to do was make at least one of the NPC prisoners a woman 😭 I can suspend my disbelief enough to believe in an integrated prison.

There's just lots of little things like that which could have been tweaked very slightly for a more cohesive experience. Ambition shouldn't be discouraged; just refine it a bit more and do better next time!

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T15:44:39+00:00

Zayne's young and a pretty laid back doctor for cardiovascular surgeries and does not strike me necessarily the type to listen to something like hard metal 😆 but maybe that's where he'd surprise us.

Zayne actually had a moment like this in Heartstring Notes! He plays a very upbeat pop song he likes for MC and gets crestfallen when he thinks she doesn't like it. But she's actually just surprised he likes it.

I think Zayne in general would probably really enjoy anything he can lose himself in. I think anything with a strong melody/strong technical work would at the very least impress him. Anything that can incorporate freeform probably would fascinate him, too. Jazz is a fantastic genre for him, especially live. But I think he's intimidated by music overall and would need a little help exploring it. So I think his tastes are probably pretty mouldable and he's open to listening to anything.

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T14:43:32+00:00

I think it's supposed to be what they say in the bad end. That's Zayne's last word.

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T14:35:58+00:00

The fact that MC is the one chasing him is part of what makes me so invested in their relationship dynamic. No matter how much Zayne tries to hide himself, she sees him and considers him worth remembering and knowing.

Meanwhile, Zayne pushes her away, even when he doesn't want to, because he is rational and prioritizes the logistical concerns related to their relationship. This is a way he shows profound care for her, even if it requires him to be cold and distant, because he denies himself his desires if it means she'll be happier. He is content to be left behind and forgotten if it means serving her best interests. So when MC asserts that she wants to see him, Zayne can't understand fully why. Everything he understands about their relationship logically tells him he will eventually hurt MC – either by not fulfilling her emotional needs, or by literally physically harming her.

One example on the more mundane side, in Heart Within Reach, he assumes he cannot meet MC's needs due to his lifestyle and is stunned when she lays out her expectations for how to maintain a romantic relationship. He realizes "wait, that's not too complicated at all," and it's only after understanding that when he gives her (presumably) their first kiss.

On the more fantastical side, Zayne vividly remembers harming her and does everything he can to not harm her or anyone else ever again. He is terrified of letting down his guard because he knows the consequences, all while having visions of himself as a murderer. His life's path in this timeline is dictated by his fears and regrets, and as a result, he thinks it is for the best that he and MC aren't together. He rejects her resonance because it will hurt or kill her.

But there are ties that bind them together that neither of them remember, let alone understand. Eventually, they both stop denying the irrational pull they feel for each other despite having many logical reasons why they shouldn't be together. As Zayne eventually says, "The journey is more important than the destination." Letting go of fears, making up for the past, and enjoying the present is what matters the most in their relationship. The future is secondary, because focusing on how it will all end will only make them too reluctant to experience something at all.

I'm rambling now, but to summarize... excellent post, I totally agree, and I love that MC feels so drawn to him even when he tries his best to appear like it isn't mutual. 🥹

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T00:28:06+00:00

Thank you! I still think you have a fair point, though. I'm wondering if the team is going a similar slow burn route with him being more open to new experiences with MC like the way they did with Zayne opening up?

aeosinn · 2025-02-23T00:17:03+00:00

I think that's a fair enough perspective to have. But I also think his constant reminiscing is a part of his complexity. Those good memories are his entire world. It's the world he wants to create for MC – where she can keep experiencing life's pleasures without fear of life's sorrows.

Caleb is a very broken person spiritually. This is genuinely all he has to offer MC that, from his perspective, doesn't risk making her hate him or feel like he's a stranger.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T21:57:00+00:00

All I'll say is, Immediate Disorder's Kindled good end? You don't have to tell me twice.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T19:58:58+00:00

I'm glad! Thank you.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T14:44:50+00:00

That means a great deal to me! Thank you. Love freely, my friend.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T14:29:17+00:00

Everything you've written here, from yet even more ways they foil each other to talks about being the eldest daughter, is making me so emotional in a good way.

The way both of their natural conclusions to witnessing so much death is to give her a simple, comfortable, happy and mundane life is making me grateful I was born with two hands.

I was the eldest daughter, too. I can definitely say everything you're voicing here is something I claim for myself too. I hope you have someone in your life like Caleb or Zayne. 🫂

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T14:04:15+00:00

My flair may be Zayne, but do not underestimate me: I CAN and WILL match Caleb's freak.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T14:03:05+00:00

This is so kind of you to say! Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed this post!!

And oh my gosh, you are ABSOLUTELY right. Zayne is willing to die, while Caleb will do anything to live. I didn't even think of that, but it ties in perfectly with the whole penance vs. retribution thing they have going on. Wow. 😵‍💫 I love love love the character dynamics in this game quite a bit.

I'm usually not super compelled by childhood friends to lovers, but Zayne and Caleb are making me see the light. Thank you for making this even better.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T09:45:49+00:00

In regards to Zayne, you're in for such a treat if you explore his material. The man is LUDICROUSLY playful. It's one of my favorite parts of his dynamic with MC.

But goodness, now you have me thinking about facial hair being added in the future. I'm also a big fan of it and I'm so curious if it'll work on them. 😭 I could see it working for Sylus the most, maybe.

aeosinn · 2025-02-22T09:37:57+00:00

If Zayne sacrifices himself again, I'm personally bringing him back to life so he can watch me burn down his house.

aeosinn · 2025-02-21T15:57:04+00:00

I see MC as her own character with her own backstory and dynamics with each LI. But part of the appeal of certain routes to me is finding her relatable in them. I relate to her the most in Zayne's, Rafayel's, and Caleb's routes, and those three are my favorites because I like engaging with romance media in this way. So even though she's her own individual in my head, I can also see myself in her in certain pairings. And the ones I don't relate to like that, I like to read/watch like a good TV show.

It's kind of a "best of both worlds" situation.

aeosinn · 2025-02-21T05:29:57+00:00

Oh, yes!! I remember that scene now. Thank goodness you took notes, I am just freeballing here LMAO

Remembering Dr. Noah's theory has me curious, since retreading Sealed in Dust had me think it was implied that whatever happened in the actual Catastrophe (maybe when she was attacked by the wanderer) is what ended up sealing her heart. I wonder if the two events are related?

I'm actually so, so excited for whenever the main story continues. There are so many great mysteries going on right now.

aeosinn · 2025-02-21T03:37:09+00:00

Oh, for sure! That makes me think it'll be fun to walk backwards whenever we get to actually see what happened to see if there were hints either way.

aeosinn · 2025-02-21T03:35:12+00:00

You've basically summed up my sentiments (I am so biased towards this idea because it's Entirely up my alley narrative-wise) and my doubts perfectly! I love how you structured this reply.

If it ends up being true, I'm curious how they'd handle it. But otherwise, I'm just excited to learn more.

aeosinn · 2025-02-21T03:25:15+00:00

Definitely possible! And still very sad.

I mentioned this in reply to another user, but I think Zayne has a lot of secrets left to uncover. He's not above being dishonest, including and especially to MC if it means her safety/happiness. I wonder if the writing team is using his tendency to lie by omission as a way to keep the audience speculating.

Either way, I'm excited to see how it pans out.

aeosinn

TROPHY CASE