springsaladgaming

[springsaladgaming]

The Best Medicine

Hey, all! I have for you all today a snippet! This was written for @grapecaseschoices as her prize for the Interactive Fiction Raffle for Palestine. Thank you so much for donating to a good cause! And thank you also for giving me permission to post your prize for everyone to enjoy! 🧡

This is a non-spoilery snippet featuring @grapecaseschoices's MC, Bianca, and Ansel.

The Best Medicine

July—the middle of summer. The perfect time for short sleeves, outdoor sports, and, apparently, one killer heatwave.

That last one is a particular kind of torture that has you seeking out the shelter of Undercover as the early afternoon rears its head. You aren't the only one; patrons, both new and returning alike, have decided to spend their day within the air-conditioned confines of the café. The place is busier than usual, enough that Teagan has stepped in to help Cherry manage the workload, even though he doesn't actually work here.

Strangely enough, Ansel, who would normally jump at the chance to help Cherry through her shift, is nowhere to be seen. You catch eyes with Teagan as he passes off a drink to a customer. The two of you have an easy understanding that rarely requires any words to pass between you; he nods toward Ansel's office, guessing at the question in your eyes before you have to speak it.

You step toward the back of the café, dodging and avoiding the clusters of people around you. The area around the door to Ansel's office, unassuming enough to escape the attention of visiting patrons, is secluded and quiet. As you lean you ear to the door, however, the sounds coming from within are less so. Even with an inch or two of solid wood between you, you can hear Ansel's grumbles clear as day.

The two of you are past the point of you needing to announce your presence, but you do anyway, giving the door a slight knock before you open it and step inside. Ansel is sitting at his desk, one hand against his temple, while the other clicks away on his computer. He looks up and smiles when he sees you, but not quickly enough to mask the furrow between his brows.

"Bianca. Good morning," he says. There's a slight strain in his voice that he's trying to hide, but you know him well enough by now to recognize it.

"It's past noon," you mutter as you continue studying Ansel and his surroundings. His hand isn't just resting on his temple; it's held against it with some pressure. And the lamp on his desk, which normally serves to illuminate its surface, is angled away.

"Is it?" Ansel removes the hand from his head to check his watch, wincing as he does so. "I hadn't even realized." He stands and shuffles about with some urgency, clicking a few more things on his computer and organizing some scattered papers.

Even knowing the answer he'll probably give you, you say, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he says, and you can't help but roll your eyes at the obvious lie even as he keeps speaking. "I just need to check on Cherry. Lucia should be here soon to relieve her for lunch, but I should make sure everything is okay."

You step over to Ansel and put a tentative hand on his arm. "Teagan is helping her. And you're obviously not fine."

Ansel places a hand, soft and warm, over yours. "I am," he says, putting on a forced smile that somehow makes his wincing all the more apparent.

"You have a migraine," you accuse.

His smile falters. "I'm fine," he says again. "I've just been dealing with this shipping company all morning that lost several orders and—"

"And now you have a migraine."

Ansel sighs and smiles—wryly this time. "Is it so obvious?"

"It is to me," you say. "You should take it easy and get some rest."

"Work isn't going to do itself," Ansel mutters.

You raise a brow and give him a reprimanding look. "It will still be there tomorrow. Come on, let's go." You shift your hand to grab his and tug him toward the stairs. He hangs his head slightly and fidgets with your fingers between his, as if embarrassed to be caught in this state by you. To his credit, though, he follows without more fuss.

Once out of his office and inside his home proper, you lead him to the sitting room, which is thankfully draped in curtains thick enough to block out the blazing sun outside. Your hands only part when you sit him down and leave to get him some water. When you come back, Ansel is already lying boneless against the back of the sofa, rubbing small circles against his forehead with his fingers.

You sit down next to him and offer him the glass. He takes it gazes at you sweetly before taking a few sips. He seems to have left behind any pretense of being "fine," and now you can see the fatigue around his eyes and in his expression. "Thank you. I suppose trying to power through a migraine wasn't one of my better ideas."

You can't help but smirk at him. "That's assuming any of your ideas are good ones."

He laughs, though lightly enough so as not to jostle his brain. "Do you mind if I lay down against you?"

You shake your head and seamlessly take the half-full glass from his hands to place on the coffee table as he lays his head on your lap and gets comfortable. He's tall enough that he has to prop his feet on the arm rest to stretch out, even with you scooted as far as possible to the other side, but he doesn't seem to mind. He even kicks off his shoes over the edge of the sofa as he adjusts. Ansel closes his eyes, and a contented sight leaves his lips once he's settled.

You take the liberty of sliding his glasses gently off his face and setting those down as well before asking, "Comfortable?"

He nods, at least as much as he can with his head in your lap. "I didn't realize how much I needed to be horizontal until this very moment," he mumbles, his voice still slightly strained.

Rather than add to his migraine with more noise or discussion, you slip your fingers into his hair and rub gently at his scalp, which earns you something from him that sounds almost like a purr. The sight of an untroubled smile falling across his lips makes your heart flutter in your chest. You almost can't believe sometimes that he's this comfortable around you now, not when he used to keep such a polite and reserved distance—always kind, but never close.

He must be thinking something similar, even through the encroaching fog of his migraine, because he mumbles, "Love that. Love you."

You continue running your fingers gently through his hair, smiling even though his eyes aren't open to see it. "Love you, too."

[springsaladgaming]

hello!! just saw the OC ask game, could i get 💤 and 💚?

hi, anon! of course!

💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits?

Alex - Heavy sleeper. Pretty consistent sleeping habits, otherwise they would never make it to work on time every morning. 😂

Ansel - Light sleeper, very inconsistent sleeping habits. Despite Teagan's insistence that Ansel needs more sleep, he stays up late all the time.

Teagan - Light sleeper. He tries to keep his sleeping habits consistent but isn't always successful.

Cherry - Light sleeper and inconsistent sleeping habits due to chronic insomnia. (Honestly, relatable.)

Lucia - Heavy sleeper. Pretty consistent sleeping habits. She actively strives for a healthy lifestyle.

Rene - Somewhere in the middle between heavy and light. He'll wake up for things he knows he is supposed to, but he can sleep through other things. Somewhat inconsistent sleeping habits; sometimes he just can't get his brain to shut up before sleep.

??? - Light sleeper with inconsistent sleeping habits. She has a pretty full schedule most days that keep her up later than she'd rather.

💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside?

Alex - Inside; the kind of entertainment they prefer is typically held indoors.

Ansel - Somewhere in the middle. Ansel enjoys staying inside and reading a good book, but he also enjoys taking late-night strolls.

Teagan - Kind of in the same camp as Ansel. Teagan likes taking walks around the neighborhood, but he doesn't really spend much time outdoors otherwise.

Cherry - Mostly inside unless it's a place very close to home that she's familiar with (like a back yard, for example). Plus, the more people she avoids the better.

Lucia - Outside. She likes doing outdoor sporty things like walking, hiking, canoeing, etc.

Rene - Middle of the road. He likes doing art, and sometimes that's better inside and sometimes that's better outside;.

??? - Outside. Usually, when she's indoors, she's dealing with people for her family's business. She likes to relax outdoors and get some fresh air when she has free time.

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE <- for all of teh ros please!

whenever i'm answering these asks, i'm always glad that i made extensive character sheets for the ROs forever ago to reference

except one doesn't exist for ??? because she wasn't originally going to be an RO, so I had to think about hers for a bit

🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities?

Alex - No mental disabilities. As for physical ones, Alex's power actually prevents them from developing physical disabilities.

Ansel - Mild PTSD. No physical disabilities.

Teagan - Chronic depression, may be somewhere on the autism spectrum. No physical disabilities.

Cherry - Chronic insomnia, mild agoraphobia. Asthma.

Lucia - Atypical depression. Not a physical disability, but she was born intersex and takes HRT.

Rene - I was ready to say "no mental disabilities," but then it occurred to me that I'm pretty sure he's ADHD. Type 1 diabetes.

??? - No mental disabilities. Similar to Alex, her power can prevent physical disabilities.

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc’s neutral/questionable traits?,💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc’s negative traits?, 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? <- all of the ros, please!

ooo, a triple threat!

Alex - 🤍- Frequent lying (usually white lies). Fake it 'til they make it attitude. Not good at regulating their alcohol intake. 💔- Low self-esteem. Occasional flippancy about serious situations. Generally not caring about the well-being of other people unless it's someone in their direct relationship circle. 🧡- Alex has people that they hang out with on a casual basis, but not many friends that they are especially close to besides the MC. In this regard, MC is more like family to them than a friend, and they prioritize family more.

Ansel - 🤍- Avid coffee drinker. His motives are often unclear. Good at masking sadness. 💔- He sometimes has the tendency to poke fun at other people's insecurities. He can be vindictive. He can also hold quite a grudge. 🧡- Friends. Some of Ansel's family weren't great to him, and the rest are dead.

Teagan - 🤍- Tends to be extremely honest. Bottles up his problems. Pretty impulsive. 💔- Has a short temper. Can be pretty rude. Is a social smoker? (Maybe most people wouldn't really consider this a negative trait? I dunno.) 🧡- Friends. He left his family behind and doesn't plan on ever seeing them again.

Cherry - 🤍- She ignores problems if she thinks she can't do anything about them. She is afraid of being alone. She often appears as pretty mellow or blasé. 💔- She too can be pretty rude. She spies on people's emotions a lot (on purpose). She's generally pessimistic. 🧡- For the most part she prioritizes friends, but her dad is a special case and will always come first.

Lucia - 🤍- She probably works out a little too much sometimes. She is scared of rejection more than anything else on the planet. She's pretty confrontational. 💔- Outbursts of anger from her tend to resemble a toddler throwing a tantrum. She's really pushy. Sometimes she doesn't know how to stop. 🧡- Firmly in the middle. She loves her family, especially her immediate family, but they don't live in Hansboro, so right now her friends typically come first.

Rene - 🤍- Struggles with routine. Is a nervous nail-chewer. Can be a bit emotional. 💔- I don't know if it's because he hasn't been in too many of the written parts of the story yet (not at all in the rewrite) or because it's just how I designed him, but most of Rene's "flaws" seem to be more neutral that negative. I can't think of what to put here for him. 🧡- Family. The whole reason he's in Hansboro is for his sister.

??? - 🤍- Very good at masking. Can be a little emotionally detached. Usually very money-minded. 💔- Tends to see people who aren't with her as obstacles standing in her way. Picks the wrong choice in the Trolley Problem all the time, so to speak. Willfully blind to the misfortunes of others. 🧡- Family. Or, at least, one family member in particular.

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

Hello!! I can’t wait for the update! But please take your time 💕 I’ll still be waiting here patiently excited to play the full game no matter how long it takes for it to come out! I hope you’re doing well! 🩵

thanks so much, anon! i know what it's like to be an IF reader eagerly awaiting updates, so it means a lot to me to have such supportive patience!

i've been doing well. i hope you are too! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

i'm atrocious at doing regular status updates on this blog, but you'll be happy to know that i have been working on the chapter 3 rewrite

for those who are newer to this blog—or just as a reminder to those who have been around a while—like 98% of chapter 3 will be rewritten when compared to the choicescript version. the original antagonist motivation hasn't changed, but the introduction to the situation was too coincidental for my liking, so the rewrite will put the MC more at the center of what's going on and also make Sungjae's involvement make a lot more sense later down the line

there are a lot of reasons why it's been taking so long, but one of the major ones is that i'm just a better twine coder now than i was when i started moving Ninelives into twine. i'm encountering a lot of issues with the way i've coded certain things, and i'm having to go back and fix things that were just... coded stupidly

also there's a very high chance that, at some point, i will move the whole game onto to a different template, because the one that i've been using, while very lovely, has given me a lot of problems trying to get it to switch to portrait mode for mobile readers (i've mentioned this before, but it bears reminding)

the massive changes to chapter 3 will majorly affect a couple of scenes that take place after, but large chunks of chapters 4 and 5 will remain the same as what they were in the original choicescript, so chapter 3 is really the big hurdle right now (as it has been for a while)

so i promise, it's coming eventually, i just won't promise when or how much—but i think i'll do an update before the chapter is finished, just to give y'all something

also, it's the first chapter you'll get to properly meet our lovely ???, so that will be exciting ✌🏾🧡

[springsaladgaming]

details about ocs!

send an emoji/description of emoji to learn more about a writer's oc! many of these are taken from my munday asks meme, because i thought it would be fun to make a version for characters too! the prompts are categorized by emoji type and given descriptions in case anyone can't see the symbols. can be used for roleplayers and any general writers alike! for roleplayers, these can also be used for your interpretations of canon characters if you so desire as well!

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒. 💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)? 🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies? 💍 RING — does your oc have any piercings? do they want any (more) piercings? 🖊️ BALLPOINT PEN — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos? 📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)? 🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐒. 🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. 💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits? 🔱 TRIDENT EMBLEM — can your oc swim? do they enjoy swimming? 🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons? 🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise? 🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄. 🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use? 🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday? 🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets? 🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends? 🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal? 🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature? 🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school? 🌴 PALM TREE — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? 🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. ❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits? 💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits? 💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them? 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? 💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any? 💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside? 💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world? 💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background? 🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒. 🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs? 🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)? 🍰 SHORTCAKE — what is/are your oc's favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🍦 SOFT ICE CREAM — what is/are your oc's favorite ice cream flavor(s)? 🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer? 🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast? 🥪 SANDWICH — what does your oc's typical lunch look like? do they usually eat lunch? 🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner? 🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink? ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. 😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life? 😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved? 🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? 🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional? 🤓 SMILING FACE WITH GLASSES — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy? 🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions? 😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool? 😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge? 😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone? 🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

[springsaladgaming]

What are the tropes for the ROs?

Hi anon!

It took me a while to answer this because this one is such a toughie! Whenever people talk about tropes, I never know if they are talking about like generic and easily recognizable tropes or more deep-dive tropes (like what you can find on the TV Tropes website). Also, I didn't write any of the ROs with specific tropes in mind, so I kind of have to pick them apart as if I'm a reader and not the writer. 😂

So I'll do my best here, and I hope these answers are what you're looking for. Some of these tropes apply to situations that occurred before the start of Ninelives. If you aren't sure what a trope listed is, you can probably find it on TV Tropes. (Also, if I really did a deep-dive, I could go on all day, so I'll just list a few big ones for each of them.)

Alex - Childhood Friend Romance (if romanced), Beneath the Mask, maybe just a little Blessed With Suck, I Just Want to Be Normal

Ansel - Honor Before Reason, It's All My Fault, Meaningful Name, Only Known By Their Nickname (😉)

Teagan - Calling The Old Man Out, Sugar-and-Ice Personality, The Stoic, Brutal Honesty, I Owe You My Life

Cherry - Aura Vision, The Cutie, The Empath (obviously), Missing Mom

Lucia - past Destructive Romance (subverted because Lucia ends it before it gets bad), past Clingy Jealous Girl, Casting a Shadow, Stepford Smiler

Rene - The Determinator, Badass Normal, I Will Find You

??? - The Caretaker, possible Moral Event Horizon, Declaration of Protection, The Dark Side Will Make You Forget

There are some of these I could have gotten even more specific with, but then they would have entered major spoiler territory. 😅

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

Hello all!

I hope you are having a fantastic July. It has been a bit quiet on the Wayfarer front recently, but there are many things happening behind-the-scenes.

Episode 3 is reaching its conclusion. While the episode is far from finished, it is finally approaching an end. I can’t say when the alpha will be complete or when it will be available to play publicly, but I am very glad that it is progressing. This is likely going to be the most complex episode to date and there are many variations within it to explore and replay.  

Episode 3 was last updated on July 5, 2024. Currently, it includes:

Two starting routes (this is dependent on your Episode 2 ending—you need to have gotten either Aeran's romance or friendship reconciliation ending, Aeran's low romance ending, or Veyer's ending in order to continue)

A large exploration sequence with multiple options of how to proceed

New lore and new mysteries

A new flashback sequence with your mentor

"Quality" time with Aeran (whether this is a good thing or not depends on your approval levels, but I can promise that low approval routes are a treat)

The episode is sitting at approximately 480,000 words for all total content (individual playthroughs will vary drastically depending on your choices).

If you’re interested in checking out the alpha build, now is a great time to join my Patreon. Annual subscriptions come with a 15% discount.

Please note that the alpha build is only available to the Recruit, Apprentice, Wayfarer, Master, and Grandmaster tiers.

Additionally, subscription billing is now available for monthly memberships. This means that the old Patreon format of charging on the first of the month is no more—subscription memberships now renew on the same date you signed up for that membership (i.e. if you signed up on July 10 then your next charge date would be on August 10).

More information is available here.

Creating Wayfarer is a full-time commitment and its development is solely funded through Patreon. It covers my bills, living expenses, and other costs to improve the game’s quality. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported my work over the years.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! 💖

[springsaladgaming]

i have one more ask sitting my drafts, but i don't have time to get to it today, so i'll aim to answer it tomorrow! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?

Alex - Answered here.

Ansel - In theory, he's very good at it. In practice, he has a horrible track record. The things that were broken about his only other past significant relationship are still very broken.

Teagan - He doesn't avoid it but probably isn't very good at it either unless the other person involved is very patient and willing to tolerate any possible social blunders. He'll try his best, but not being the best speaker inhibits that a little.

Cherry - She is more likely to avoid trying to fix relationships because problems in a relationship usually involve a lot of strong negative emotions that are hard for her to deal with. If she can work past that, however, she has a huge advantage because she can tell how the other party is feeling and reacting to things that she says or does.

Lucia - She's okay at it, mostly because she's definitely going to try if she can. It depends a little bit on the other person too, though, because Lucia can come off a little strong sometimes, and that might put some people off.

Rene - Probably the best of the bunch. He'll always try to fix a relationship, and he's pretty good at it because he's kind and patient and a great listener.

??? - Not good at it and might not even try because she's likely to assume that it's the other person's fault before admitting to any herself.

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

💘 HEART W/ ARROW - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?

Alex - They look for someone who would accept both them and their family. (If a person doesn't get a long with their family, that's a huge deal-breaker.) Other than that, they are pretty flexible. They don't believe in love at first sight, but they do believe that people can fall in love pretty quickly, which is about the closest I think we can get.

Ansel - After a previous blunder, one of the main things he looks for is someone with a strong moral code that matches his own. He cannot tolerate someone who is either malicious or complacent for their own benefit. He has never believed in love at first sight and thinks it's a foolish concept. After all, you never know what someone is capable of until you really know them.

Teagan - He looks for patience, understanding, and willingness to communicate, which might be ironic considering he's not the best communicator, but he saw enough fights between his parents to know that you can't have a relationship without good communication. He does not believe in love at first sight.

Cherry - She looks for serenity and/or cheerfulness. That's not to say that Cherry could never be in a relationship with someone who tends to be more morose, but it would be hard for her. She benefits more from a person who is upbeat and/or who can remain calm in stressful situations. She has no clue whether or not she believes in love at first sight; her empathic abilities really muddy the waters on that kind of stuff. If not for her empathic abilities, she might have said no, but she knows that some people believe it enough to feel it, so doesn't that make it true?

Lucia - Does the hopeless romantic believe in love at first sight? She absolutely does, but she also believes you have to actually work at it to keep it afloat. It's not something that just happens and is easy from then on. The main things Lucia looks for in a relationship is someone who is really willing to go the distance; she wants marriage and kids and the whole shebang. Someone who won't even consider that level of commitment as a possibility is gonna be tough for her to get invested in.

Rene - He looks for someone who cares about family and who is generally passionate—about hobbies, about their career, about the people in their life, whatever. To be clear, this doesn't mean he looks for a person who wants to start a family, but a partner who is keenly interested in the well-being of their family, whether birth or chosen, is a big plus. He does not believe in love at first sight.

??? - She looks for someone who is willing to put her before anything else in their life—not in a toxic way or anything, but she's been surrounded by people for most of her life who always put other things first, like their careers or their money. For once it would be nice to be around someone who wants to spend time with her on her birthday, for example, instead of setting her aside so they can appease a boardroom of investors. Antithesis to Ansel, she also looks for someone who has a bit of a gray moral compass. It would be hard (though not impossible) for her to manage a relationship with a "goody-two-shoes." She does not believe in love at first sight.

thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

💗 GROWING HEART - if they have a crush, is it noticable? what changes when they’re in love?

hi, anon!

I reblogged those oc question lists so long ago that I was surprised to get more asks for them. Thanks for including the questions with them and saving me some time!

Alex - I think this depends on so many factors! On the one hand, if the crush is on someone they are very close to, it might be less noticeable because Alex tends to act flirty even in purely platonic situations. On the other hand, they may have other tells that an especially observant person might notice. In general, it's more noticeable if they have a crush on someone they don't know well because they will flirt with them and would not otherwise. In general, Alex might be more touchy or go out of their way to spend more time with a person they are in love with, and these are probably better tells than general flirtatious behavior.

Ansel - When Ansel has a crush, it is not obvious assuming he is actively trying to hide it—he has a pretty superb poker face when he wants to. That said, he wouldn't see much reason to hide a crush on someone unless he thought pursuing anything with that person was a bad idea for whatever reason. Ansel is nice to almost everyone, but he'll be especially doting on someone he's in love with, always checking in during free moments to make sure they are comfortable, fed, and generally taken care of.

Teagan - It's not obvious to anyone else because it's probably not obvious to him either—further complicated by being demiromantic. Teagan generally doesn't experience the 'crushing on someone' phase of emotion, at least not like most people. When any such phase happens, it probably just looks like he's being a good friend, because close friendship is kind of a requirement before he can feel anything romantic for someone. It will be obvious once he's in love, though, because he'll want to spend the majority of his free time around the person he's in love with.

Cherry - Highly variable, I think, depending on who she's crushing on, how badly she wants to hide it, and how badly the other person wants to hide it assuming they reciprocate. Cherry can not only read the emotions of others, she can also adopt them to a certain point. So, for example, if she was crushing on a person who was not interested in her romantically whatsoever, it would be pretty easy for her to just mirror whatever emotions that person has when they are around her and hide her crush that way. So, yeah, highly variable. Figuring out how she feels can sometimes get very sticky and messy. If she's in love, though, I think her own emotions would supersede any that she picks up from the other person, so it would be pretty obvious because she'd often be blushing and awe-struck.

Lucia - She's a bit of a hopeless romantic, so it's probably obvious to everyone. It would take a lot of effort for her to hide a crush if she wanted to, but she probably wouldn't want to anyway. When she's in love with someone, she tends to devote herself wholly to their comfort and happiness—to a fault, really. It's definitely gotten her into trouble in her past major relationship where she was clearly more invested than the other person.

Rene - Middle of the road I guess? If he is crushing on someone, he's likely to just ask them out on some dates to test the waters, so it's obvious in the sense that it's not going to stay hidden for long regardless. When he's in love with someone, he's likely to do a lot of acts of service—little things like making them dinner, cleaning up for them, etc. As an ace-spec person myself, I think that it would all be pretty obvious, but I suppose some people might be looking for clues of sexual attraction, and those won't happen with Rene, so I guess it also depends on what a person considers "big tells."

??? - Assuming the person isn't a threat to her or her family, a crush would be pretty obvious because she is used to "taking what she wants," in a sense. She would make that crush known and only stamp it out entirely if it was unwelcome. She can be a very intense person, so her expressions of love can range from as mundane as "I will make dinner for you (or pay to have someone make dinner for you)" to "i would literally blow up a building for you." If she cares about someone, you'll know it.

thanks so much for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

to the anon/anons who sent in some character asks this past week, don't worry! I've got them!

it's been a long week and I still have a lot to do, but I'll try to get to them this weekend when I have more time! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

Who are the big spoons and who are the little spoons out of the ROs?

Hi anon!

I've been picking through my brain trying to remember if I've answered this question before, but I don't think I have, so here goes!

Alex - Either spoon. Alex is pretty touchy and just enjoys contact with their partner, so they would be happy being the big spoon or the little spoon.

Ansel - Despite his height (which might normally make him a good candidate for big spoon), Ansel likes being the little spoon more. It gives him a security that he didn't have a lot of chance to feel growing up.

Teagan - Big spoon, but... If he's willing to spoon with someone at all, he must be extremely comfortable with the person.

Cherry - Little spoon, mostly because she would be too embarrassed to ever try being the big spoon.

Lucia - Big spoon, hands down. She really likes getting to hold her partner in her arms.

Rene - Either spoon, likely deferring to whatever is more comfortable for his partner.

??? - Depends on the nature of her relationship with the other person. She is more likely to be the big spoon if she feels like the more dominant one.

Thanks for the ask! 🧡

[springsaladgaming]

i did the cover art for the steam release of @chrysanthemumgames !! with a preview of it available on steam wishlist (and if you're interested, go throw it on your wishlist it if you haven't yet!!!) i thought i'd share the whole thing :') was a delight and dream come true to illustrate this!!!!! ❤️🤍

and some of the earliest design concepts as a bonus!

[springsaladgaming]

What's New In IF? Issue 8 (2024)

By Erika, Marjorie, Axelle, and Noi

Now Available!

Itch.io. - Keep Reading below

Due to Internal things, the June and July issues will only update on events and games. We hope to resume regular activities and include more pages by August. Note: while Axelle is mentioned, they are currently on a break.

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : RAFFLE FOR PALESTINE ~

The IF COMMUNITY RAFFLE FOR PALESTINE is a charity drive spearheaded by Kit from “The Northern Passage” (@northern-passage) to raise money for Palestine families trying to evacuate Gaza.

To participate in the raffle, you must provide a receipt that you donated 5€/$5 to one of the five selected GoFundMe to receive one ticket for the raffle.

Each further 5€/$5 donation (to the same or one of the other 5 GFM) will grant you another raffle ticket.

Prizes will be assigned to valid raffle ticket at random, using a generator. These prizes include portrait of characters (bust/full, coloured/sketched, background/clean), as well as writing snippets (500+ w/) or playable in- character micro-IF. The list of the 50 participating artists and authors can be found here.

You can redeem tickets for the raffle up until the 21st of June. Winners will be contacted shortly after.

~ CONFERENCE ~

While you cannot register for the Narrascope in person, you can still do so for the online option until June 17th! The event is happening June 21-23. It is also possible to participate in their game jam even if you are not attending! You can already submit now!

~ ONGOING (VOTING) ~

With this edition of the 🔥 Fuck Capitalism Jam 2024 🔥 being ranked, the jam is currently in its voting period until next week. If you did not submit an entry (and thus, cannot vote), you can still share your thoughts in the games comments!

The Rayuela (Spanish IFComp) is also still in their voting period. If you are Spanish speaking, come support the entries!

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

Still ongoing is the ParserComp, which are looking for parser games, both with a classic feel or a more experimental approach.

If you are looking to make a Visual Novel, the Otome Jam will be looking for entries until July 1st. There is also the Josei jam running parallel to it.

While it is not IF-focused, the Anti-Romance Jam is once again looking for anti-romance submissions!

Love/Violence is another unranked game jam looking for entries dealing with Love and Violence and all the things in between (also accepts non IF)

Come submit to the Neo-Twiny Jam for charity! Until the end of June, every 500-word micro IF will help raise money for LBGTQ+ causes. Reach out to the organisers (@neointeractives/@neo-twiny-jam) if you want to donate instead!

From now until the start of July, you can participate in the Fix the Worst Visual Novels Jam.

Can you write something in French? Or use Google Translate? The annual Nouvim3000 is an unranked francophone IF jam where you need to write between 500 and 3k words. This year's theme is “INCOMBUSTIBLE”.

~ ENDED ~

The Tomatoes bitsy jam ended last weekend. Check you the cool half-dozen entries!

~ OTHER ~

The Interactive Fiction Showcase is still running! If you have completed an IF piece this year, consider submitting it! It is happening only on itch!

~ NEW RELEASE ~

The Zen of Kayaking (Z-code) is a text adventure game inspired by 1980s Infocom games, where you go on a Kayak trip on a Sunday morning. @pixelturkey

Goodnight Molly (Ren’Py) is a short visual novel about stories and how we don't always remember them the way we think we do.

Blank Canvas (Ren’Py) is a visual novel where you play as an illustrator asked for a time-sensitive comission.

What Grackle Told the Stranger (Twine) is a short mystery game based on D&D.

Don't forget about the cool games released in the events mentioned in the previous pages! There were a lot of really cool games! (Erika really liked the Neo-Twiny entries.)

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance (CScript) is a cosmic horror where you inherit a creepy manor. @darielivalyen

A Rose by Another Name (Twine) is a Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet inspired project with a queer twist. @triscuit-writes

Text Your Life (Ren’Py) is a romance mobile phone chat simulator.

Stygian—Elves of Darkest Night (CScript) is a high-fantasy project.

Project Xavier (CScript) is a high-fantasy project where you play as a hunter.

~ GAMES UPDATES ~

Burning Academia (Twine) has released its second chapter. @burning-academia-if

The Bureau (CScript) has updated its demo with 40k+ words. @morbethgames

One Knight Stand (CScript) is releasing the next update at different Patreon tier. @oneknightstand-if

Honor Bound (CScript) has released its seventh chapter on Patreon. @hpowellsmith

Stygian Sun: Total Eclipse (Twine) has released the first part of Chapter 1. @stygiansun-totaleclipse

The Night Market (Twine) released Chapter 5 on its Patreon. @night-market-if

Dimension Jumper (Twine) added Chapter 11 to the demo. @dimension-jumper-if

Shattered Eagle: Fall of an Empire (CScript) released its third chapter.

Saturnine (CScript) added a new chapter of 36k words. @satur9-if

~ OTHER ~

The Queer Games Bundle (@queergamesbundle) is now live on itch.io. Support a bunch of queer creators (including Interactive Fiction authors!) by purchasing the bundle!

We apologize if we missed an update or a release. We are but volunteers trying to find as much info as possible, but sometimes news pass through the cracks.

Please, let us know if something should have been added to the zine, and we will shout it out next week!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXELLE, AND NOI

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 8