It's interesting, in a way, even the 'good' ending feels somewhat bitter. Given the gender coding going on with predators and prey, it almost feels like a betrayal for Rain to take up the mantle of the breadwinner, the man of the house while the formerly strong bunny returns to her nature, as a peaceful docile creature.
I'm not sure if that dissonance is intentional or not.
Despite that, I really love the two main characters. Both of them are fascinatingly messed up in their own ways.
i really liked reading your perspective on this! id say its half intentional. the main point of the "good" ending is that rain chooses to create their own version of predatoriness (or in this context, masculinity). they become safe by being dangerous to those who impose danger onto nina. the intention of it was to show that rain could embody their own ideal of what a wolf could be. as for nina, it was moreso for plot reasons, finally giving her the peace she has (debatably) earned. because rain is butch, their gender identity and expression are also tied to the theme of "protection."
another thing was my intent to make it clear that even in the "good" ending, theres still dissonance between who the two are and want to be vs who they are forced to become due to their circumstances, especially rain. while this is the "happy" ending for rain, theyre not a reliable narrator — they still went against their core beliefs and ideals due to ninas manipulation and "training." rain has changed irrevocably into someone they once would never recognize themself as, but after everything that happened, they see this as "a good change." the ending is still supposed to have toxicity baked into it, just like the entire game, although a different brand compared to the other ending. change into someone you swore youd never be, or imitate the toxic love youve been taught is "love" and end up perpetuating the cycle of abuse. because nina was never a healthy partner, and this relationship was never healthy, even if rain feels safe with her (due to her acceptance of them and their gender), that doesnt erase the effect of what she did to them.
basically, even the good ending is meant to be uncomfortable and toxic! i didnt particularly think of it in terms of gender dynamics like you put it (which i really like!) but moreso like this. thank you for your perspective, and for playing too. it actually made me pause and think. -kan
