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Imagine an MC saying sumthing like "I should've romanced X instead" to Chase lmao

MC: I knew I should have kept your romance points at 15 🫤

Chase: what

MC: what

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Rehosted minigames! 🫡✨

All on itch

All in Choicescript

Working saves (as far as I have seen)

Mobile friendly

Free

💖

[malavies]

As many of you know, When Twilight Strikes is coming up on its anniversary. I like to celebrate the event on the day I posted my intro post, rather than the day the first demo came out, purely because it feels like that was the day the concept of WTS was birthed into the world. Which means on February 24th, this project will officially turn 4 years old!! Crazy.

To celebrate, I toyed with the idea of releasing extra stories as I've done before, but I didn't want to be put off track of Chapter 12 again, so, instead, I'll be hosting an artist event where you can post your creations to be entered to win some prizes!!

RULES

Limit two entries per user. Winners will be decided in a draw.

The entry must fall under one of the prompts listed.

The entry must be tagged under #WTS4Year.

All forms of art count, including (but not limited to) drawings, paintings, comic strips, fanfics, music creations and more. Feel free to message me for clarification!

PROMPTS

CHAPTER: Give your version or interpretation of an existing scene. For example, portray meeting Mirai from Chapter 7 in a visual form or from another character's POV.

FRIENDSHIP: Display the friendship between your hunter and one or more ROs, canon or non-canonical. It could be a comedic approach or something more heartwarming.

ROMANCE: Depict a romance between your hunter and an RO. You could show a domestic scene further into the relationship or your interpretation of how they'll get together.

FREEFORM: If none of the prompts speak to you, feel free to come up with something else <3

PRIZES

1st Place (1 Winner): A personalized drabble with an RO of your choice + a 1-month subscription to the highest tier on my Patreon*

2nd Place (2 Winners): A 1-month subscription to the highest tier on my Patreon*

3rd Place (2 Winners): A 1-month subscription to the second highest tier on my Patreon*

*If the winner is already subscribed, an alternative prize can be discussed.

I look forward to seeing all your creations! Thank you for all your support throughout the years. I'm so incredibly grateful for everything and what this story has become. Talk to you soon <3

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The End of an Era, and the Road Ahead

Hi everybody, the recent news about Dashingdon shutting down feels like it's a bittersweet turning point for many in the ChoiceScript community. Before Don stepped up and took things into his own hands, volunteering his own money, manpower, and time to create and maintain the site, there was no good way for people to host ChoiceScript demos and games in one place: I think the previous solution had been different Dropbox links (which was eventually nuked by security changes in how they hosted files) and possibly separate Neocities sites? Without the Dashingdon site, none of us would have had such an incredible space to gather, share and explore and experience games together, or--for some--even feel motivated to write a ChoiceScript game in the first place, not without an easy and intuitive way of sharing it with others in a playable format. The Dashingdon site significantly lowered the barrier of entry for anyone wanting to make or play or share games; more than that, it was a place of memories, creativity, and connection, and I fully believe that it served as a vital backbone of the ChoiceScript community for many years. A lot of that community relies on the efforts of volunteers--including the creator of CSIDE and the moderators on the forums--and, as with them, I can only thank Don wholeheartedly for his generosity and his 10 years of tireless, selfless, and often thankless work. The fact that a lot of people didn't even know he was a volunteer shows his altruism!

However, all of that work could have only fallen on the shoulders of one person for so long. It's a sad loss to see, though, and I'm very sorry to everyone mourning the loss of the community space, old or inactive WIPs, and save files that will be lost when Dashingdon goes dark at the end of the month. I do wish that there could be an official, stable, company-supported place for authors to host their games in one place, but at least there are alternatives for people to migrate to! (Thank you too to @hpowellsmith and everyone in the community who's taken it upon themselves to spread the news and try to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone surprised by this announcement. And thank you to the volunteer who's taken up the banner at cogdemos.ink!) I don't know if cogdemos.ink has a page set up to help defray costs, but Dashingdon himself has a ko-fi if you want to leave a tip or thanks for his years of service to the community!

To that end, I want to reassure you all that Shepherds of Haven is safe and isn't going anywhere, and that this change won't affect the game's future. The news has, however, sped up my announcement of something I've been working on for a long time: transitioning away from ChoiceScript and moving Shepherds of Haven to Twine.

Granted, this wasn't how I originally planned on sharing this news. Patrons have known about this move since I decided on it, but I'm a dogged perfectionist, possibly to a fault. I wanted everything to be absolutely polished before unveiling the Twine build, but this unexpected news has been the nudge I needed to take the leap sooner. It's always been my habit to polish my work to an extreme degree: I will rewrite entire novels five, seven, however many times it takes before I send it to my agent or editor... or even before I show it to my own fiance! I still haven't let him read Shepherds, or the novel that I've been talking to him about since 2019, because it "isn't ready" yet, not in my own mind. A common refrain I've always heard from career associates is that my work is "unusually impeccable" by the time it hits their desk. When I do share something, it's usually done. But if I'm learning anything as I grow as a writer, it's that progress matters over perfection. The sudden closure of Dashingdon has made me realize that no one moment will ever feel perfect--and that’s okay. I have to accept that things will never be as perfect as I want to make them before I let them out into the world. Instead of holding myself to an impossible standard, I’m embracing this opportunity to push forward and bring you something I'm truly proud of. (However nerve-wracking that may be!) So, instead of reuploading the ChoiceScript demo somewhere else, only to take it down again later, my efforts are going to shift entirely to getting the Twine version ready for release. It’s a huge task, but it ensures I’ll have complete control over Shepherds of Haven and its future. If I drop everything and focus entirely on this for the next several weeks, my best estimate is that it will take 3-5 weeks of full-time work to make that final push and finally get everything caught up and ready.

Why Twine? There were a lot of reasons behind my decision to move. The biggest of all was that, as the game's wordcount grew, so too did my creative vision for it, and I found myself longing for a version of ShoH that could be just as visually rich and mechanically engaging as I was imagining. Codex entries, interactive maps, infinite saves that can be downloaded directly to your device! Moving to Twine removes the limitations of ChoiceScript's simpler engine, and allows me to honor the game's creative potential and deliver on it in a way that feels true to the journey we've shared so far. It's also a platform that offers greater flexibility and independence for both me and the game: I've put so much work into this project that I'd prefer for its success to rest more in my hands, even if that means taking on the monumental task of publishing it myself, rather than anyone else's.

So. Both the public demo and the alpha build will be released in Twine as soon as I can make that happen. The majority of the work's already done--I just need to get the alpha build caught up with some lingering day off interludes and Chapters 8.5 and 9, and I need to address a queue of lingering quality-of-life questions and tweaks. I want to also note that, while there are very exciting additions to unveil, everything foundational to ShoH remains exactly the same. The story, text, and original functions have been ported in their entirety to Twine, outside of basic edits and refinements that would have happened in the normal course of revision, anyway. I have even taken pains to implement a visual "classic" setting that will replicate the font, colors, and general simplified look of the original version, if players want to use that instead. :) But otherwise, this thing is stuffed to the gills with awesome new features. Custom music soundtrack! Clickable maps! Actual trading card collectibles! Stunning new art! Revamped codex and store and inventory systems! Helpful tutorials and autosave points! Important quality of life improvements, like being able to select pronouns separately from gender and change them any time! This doesn't even touch the surface of it, but needless to say, I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Thank you all for your patience, encouragement, and support so far, and please give me some time to get my ducks in a row. A new version of Shepherds of Haven will be ready for you to play soon!

[malavies]

I may have to romance K just for the (hopeful) inevitable scenes of them kissing MC's neck and wrist, knowing MC trusts them enough to let them kiss those vital spots.

Sure, I think if K's feeling playful they may skim their fangs across MC's skin but it's the vulnerability and acceptance that I'm really simping for right now.

You don’t know how you got into this position. Actually, that’s a lie. You do.

You invited K over to your house, and their arm circled around your waist before tugging you forward lightly. You’ve noticed this with K, a silent need, a longing, to be in your space. To be closer to you, in a way. For the two of you to be as one. Because, truly, it’s the way K would describe the meaning of comfort to them.

“You’re awfully…” you begin, legs carrying you to the sofa with K a step behind.

“Charming?” K questions first. “Irresistible? Breathtaking?” They smirk as they take a seat next to you.

Confidence remains. That always remains.

You snort. “No to all of those,” you say playfully.

“You wound me,” they shoot back, their voice lacking malice. “But if not those adjectives, then what?”

You ponder for a moment. You’re always sceptical when pointing out K’s changes in personality; with the fear that they’ll suddenly feel embarrassed to reveal the real them to you. But you got for it anyway.

“Soft,” you utter, your eyes staring into theirs. “You know, just…gentle and relaxed.” Those are the words you come up with, and you notice after each once is said that K leans in closer and closer.

Their nose hovers over yours. K’s gaze goes from your eyes, to your mouth, to your eyes once again. “I would’ve used the word steady,” K whispers, and that’s exactly how they capture your lips with theirs.

You’ve kissed them before, multiple times, but this one possesses something entirely different that you can’t put your finger on. The way their hand cups your cheek, the way their kisses move from your jaw to your neck. Your eyes fall close; finding pleasure in action.

“Do you trust me?” K asks, their breath against your neck, a soft kiss placed in a sensitive spot.

You nod.

K pulls back a bit, your head still held gently in their hands. “No. I need to hear you say it,” they utter. “Do. You. Trust. Me?” There’s a beat between every word, the sentence said in a tender tone.

You swallow. “Yes.”

You can feel K grin against your neck. A kiss comes after that. And then—then a sharp yet gentle graze comes after that. The sensation similar to a fingernail gliding across skin, expect, that wasn’t a nail. That was a fang.

The major difference between you and them. And yet, beneath all the kisses, it’s a silent promise of what you mean to them. That, whether in a moment of vulnerability or anger, K will never let your blood spill. You trust them. They trust you.

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hi! I'm going to try not to be as active on here this month because I really really want to focus on finishing chapter 4 I say this all the time and I end up being active lolol but my New Year's resolution is to be more intentional with my time (and more productive) so im going to try that!

going to give myself the month of January to bang out this chapter (+ Patreon stuff) so wish me luck ! (if u see me active pls yell at me in my inbox)

see u then!

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don’t be fooled, he likes it ☀️

got this wonderful commission by the talented @wonderingcheese , orion is from @infamous-if and that’s my mc (sol)!

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i always forget how much of a hell getting up in the morning during the cold months is until im trying to get dressed taking frost damage like ough augh ugha oagh uagh

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Hellooo December! Christmas and New Years are my favorite times of the year so I'm really pumped. I get super productive and hyper near the end of the year so I'm hoping that translates into writing lol (Usually people relax, no? I'm the opposite. I'm always convinced I'm going to change my life in like a month before the next year commences).

Chapter 4 is going well. This month I'll likely be dropping the sneak peek and hoping to test and release chapter 4 at the beginning of the next year. I've also been chipping away at chapter 5 so that's fun. There's also another thing I want to release in December but I won't say it until I'm pressing publish on that so as not to repeat history…lol

November was spent writing that chapter and planning out the next. I suck at keeping track of word counts and things I've done and achieved so I never have actual concrete data for you guys sorry lol but yeah, that's all I've been doing.

Happy Holidays <3 December will hopefully be an eventful month for Amy Infamous and Infamous readers 🫡

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I am a WHORE for “the love is requited, they’re both just idiots”

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Could you clarify what is canon about mcs personality ? 💞 Like for example i feel like no matter how we play them, they are naturally kinda insecure (which makes sense) !

people pleaser (kinda), they dont really go against their friends (yet) due to their fear of abandonment, they tend to think the worst sometimes but you can change that with your choices (more positive choices will slowly influence MC's monologue to lean more positively and vice versa)

it obviously varies based on the kind of MC you play and the intensity of those personality traits changes but yeah there's sprinkles of that everywhere, it's deliberate on my part

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they were so crazy for this

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can i get a lil hint about O or their route in chapter 4 i miss them so much ❤️😫

You will start to see a different side of them! I think they’ve secretly been drinking between scenes because who the hell is that what did u do with our manager /j

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Which ROs prefer to be the one to ask someone out, and which would prefer to be asked?

be asked: seven, victoria, Sebastian, O

ask: August, G

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We know Seven-mancers will never catch a break but other than that, who do you think will have the best time in Chapter 4? 👀 O-mancers perhaps?

I think everyone (including 7mancers?? maybe??) will be (hopefully) happy!! :)

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THE WAY RAYYAN ONLY STAYS IF YOU STAY FOR SLEEPOVER MWAH MWAH

Hurhur. Rayyan is anti-social but definitely not anti-MC ;)

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anyway! mini update is out with a shiny chapter selector screen (which can be found when you first open the game) and a new (not repeated) title for chapter eleven. smh.