Ahhhhhh thank you so much for playing, Pri!! It really means so much! And I'm so happy you ended up enjoying the finale! 😭💕
Also that you liked the final message. It was something I was thinking about a lot even throughout production, both as how the ending in my head evolved a bit, but also like, how exactly I would handle everything afterwards (helped a lot by working on OC). But I felt like a big part, or maybe at least one of the themes of this game in general, is that 1) things aren't perfect, that's just not realistic, and even if you get close to all the things you want, it still won't be perfect, and 2) that life in general is oftentimes beyond our control, but we still have to just do what we can. And I thought that by showing that, even with them remembering small bits, they would still go on to make some of the same mistakes or have some of the same things happen is precisely because no matter what you do, you can't control everything. You can try to be as calm, as cool, and as levelheaded a person as you possibly can, but even then you might still snap at someone if you're stressed. You might still get flustered and make a mistake. And the idea behind life isn't to eliminate these mistakes but to figure out how to better respond to them and act after the fact. (Obviously this doesn't like... adhere the same to like, all things, but still.)
At any rate... I'm really happy you liked Genzou's ending (and Orlam's too but lol). "(plus it just hurts me too much to see Genzou sad dksjgbksjb)" --> LKDJFALDSKFA NO REAL SAME. It made parts of working on the finale a bit difficult for me tbh because I kept having to compartmentalize parts of it in my mind because I would feel too sad otherwise 🤣 Maybe because as much as I love all the ships, Genzy will always hold a special place in my heart. And also the fact that I think Genzou hurts the most if Iggy doesn't choose him. And maybe also because I feel like the other two have like real strong supports and relationships with others in their own endings even if they're not chosen -- and Genzou does, too! Like I really wanted to show that him actually not focusing on Iggy and making more friends outside of the group and more general connections is what really helped him to be happier with his life. But at the same time his does feel the most like it's missing an Iggy-shaped piece lakdjfasdf 💦 (maybe that's just my heart talking though LOL)
I'm happy you liked the little ace themes woven into the endings, too sob 💕 I included it in different ways no matter the ending. Whether in the form of Iggy coming to terms with himself or in the way he interacts with others. But I really enjoyed how it ended up taking shape in the Genzou ending. Maybe because thinking about the two of them like, having this really trusting way that they experiment with things, and like, Genzou just being always so kind and patient and understanding and never once judging Iggy for anything, and thinking about that kind of love and support, it just makes me really soft and weepy... 😭💕 It makes me want to actually write about it in more detail and what it could look like and also with some silliness and warmth idk. I don't know if I ever will though.
"It will forever be one of my favorite games and I'm so happy to have played it and met the characters and read their story." --> WEEP this really means so much!! Thank you so much for all of your kindness and support and just wonderful friendship over the years, Pri! And thank you for playing the game and for always being so encouraging about everything! It means the world!! 🥺💕