I read through the scene written by
The Observer, and something about the scene with Antonina and Thalia at the fragmented memory of the Wayfort almost brought me to tears with how well-written it was. Some of the things in the story aren't really my cup of tea (not because of the game, but I feel like the writing is a little lacking on lore details and player agency could be a little higher), but the scene with Antonina defeating the shadow of her past, The Feathered Fiend, also mirrors the Berwyn scene where Berwyn gets to choose what they want to be called, which I think is the sweetest thing. Speaking broadly and personally, I wish there were more moments (I'm aware of most of the others) like these, or times where the PC could comfort others.
I know it's an NSFW adventure RPG, but the scene where Antonina faces her worst enemy, her past self, and all the failed mistakes that could have made her a better person, with the apparition telling her that she's going to fail, and that there aren't any good endings, is kind of touching in a shockingly wholesome way. When trying to 100% the game in a given route, there's a lot of stuff that I think outshone the main story.
There's even a Defense of Fiction when you can retort to the Feathered Fiend (framed as the PC) where the character says something like "Screw You! I can change my own future", and the Feathered Fiend seems to address the player that kind of feels like something Future Trunks or some 90s anime arc character would say as an act of defiance. The Vision Quest plotline feels so retro and so cool because you can kind of (accidentally) have three characters which would understand or at least be able to glean everything the PC did.
Also, I think there's kind of a weird sense of Deja Vu and a very short interaction which could be added here, if you have the orb that contains Kiyoko in it. I beg the devs to add an interaction with Kiyoko, Antonina, and the Feathered Fiend here, if it's some dialogue after the fact, if you summon the three.
When this happened, my mind made this scenario up:
"
W-who's this?" Stammered Antonina.
"My wif- friend." Not the one in real life.
"What does Alante or Atani think?" she responded.
As she did, you heard a discordant, reverberant echo from her words. The Feathered Fiend's echo repeated what she had said.
"I haven't told her about that." I stammered.
Kiyoko's foxlike grin shone embers into Thalia's eyes.
"Here to recant your mistakes, [Player]? Don't tell me that you don't know all those... Lustful timelines that were folded into the main one."
They looked at the Feathered Fiend.
It stared back at you.
"What about you? How many horrible things have you done to other people, Traveler, while trying to get to this point now? How many of those choices were done by yourself?"
Nina cringed, feeling the oppressive aura.
"What's it talking about?" she gawked. "To my knowledge, you've never done anything evil."
"No..." you speak.
"There's no undoing that past. The ghosts of our previous actions will live forever as our thoughts "
I don't know what this option actually does either, but it seems like such a decidedly moral choice that could reflect right before the fight with the Feathered Fiend. The Fiend, being a patchwork recollection of Antonina's memories, should have this memory intact from the Vision Quest.
If you selected Loyalty: Despite the horrible things that he did, you choose to remain by his side, even if it means standing against the whole world. Intriguing
If you selected Virtue: My my, how noble of you. How lofty your aims and ambitions. You are not the first one to try to change the world. I look forward to adding your tale to the list of failures.
If you selected Neither: Indecisive as always. Can't bring yourself to kill your beloved Mentor. Ho...oh. Or is it that you feel no sense of justice inside that hollow, iron-hearted cavern inside your soul.
If you selected Sacrifice: My! Martyrdom. Do you value your life not, or are so you quick to defend others? {Your actions prove contrary, you seem to use others as your tools.} Prepare for the enormity of your sacrifice to be misunderstood or in vain. Maybe they'll downplay it or you'll just be another nameless martyr.
Praying that this doesn't get buried under loads of forum posts. It might come off as a little haughty to say that but I feel like the story has a lot of unresolved potential.