#Sherlock Holmes: an affair of the heart

[rinriya]

Oh wow Mr Holmes, what are you doing to them? I also want to be able to drive men crazy like that. I need to learn that from my Sherlock.

[duch-mirach]

POV: Watson sees H dancing with Sherlock

@doriana-gray-games

[arrapso]

For best girl @doriana-gray-games c: , year 2

[anxietytwist]

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒎𝒆𝒔

“𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒚”

[ 𝟸𝟾 | 𝟻'𝟷𝟷" | Agender | Demi | ❤︎𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 ]

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⊰𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬⊱

ᴄᴏᴘɪɴɢ ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪꜱᴍ: Experimenting ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴꜱᴛʀᴜᴍᴇɴᴛ: 𝐶𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜 ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪᴛʏ: ... ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ: Knowledge ʙᴀᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ: Strength & Speed

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⊰𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞⊱

𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝘌𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴/𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 “𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴” 𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 & 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

“𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵”

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𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿

𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬, & 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘺; 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘰

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𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁

“𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝑴𝒚𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩, & 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”

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⊰𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬⊱

ꜱᴇx‣ AFAB ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ‣ They/Them ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛʏᴘᴇ‣ 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑦 (w/ wider shoulders) ꜰᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ‣ 𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑠 ᴅɪꜱʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ‣ 𝐷𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑒 (they like it just fine, it's society that has an issue) ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴄᴏʀ‣ 𝐶𝑜𝑧𝑦 ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ ᴏɴ ʟᴏɴᴅᴏɴ‣ “𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.” ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄᴀꜱᴇ‣ “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦” ꜰᴀᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ɪɴꜰᴀᴍʏ‣ “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 & 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯.” ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ᴏɴ ɴᴏᴛᴏʀɪᴇᴛʏ‣ “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, & 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦�� 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺.”

They REALLY like birds, especially pigeons/doves 🐦

𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒏 is part of their family, almost as close as a sister they grew up with would be 🥺 (she provides them with a lot of comfort just by being at their side)

They always keep some chocolate on hand for 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒏 (to help with her hangry moods) 🍫

The matching lockets are modeled after compasses so that the 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒎𝒆𝒔 siblings “can always find each other in the end” 🧭

Occasionally, smokes (typically when they're experiencing intense emotions) 🚬

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌'𝒔 voice can best be described as “rich & husky” 🗣

Despite being exceptionally observant they have a blind spot when it comes to their own “feelings”, it takes them a while to realize that they like™ 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 ... & even longer to understand that he actually likes™ them back (𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒏 just watches the 2 of them, flustering each other, on the sidelines like: 🤭)

They enjoy teasing 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆, all in good fun, of course, NEVER with any intended malice 😘 (𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 is a dear friend & hopefully more to them)

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 is considered “unconventionally attractive”, despite viewing themselves as the EXACT opposite (“monstrous” enough that they avoid their own reflection unless deemed absolutely necessary 😔)

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 has severe body dysmorphia, independent of their pre-existing gender dysphoria 🏳️‍⚧️ (these both contribute to their utter disbelief that 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 truly reciprocates their “romantic” feelings)

For breakfast, they always have apple-cinnamon-porridge & a cup of coffee (with milk + sugar) 🥣☕

They always wear flat or low-heeled footwear, as they're an extremely clumsy individual (they have a very hard time succeeding when feats of finesse & coordination are required 😵‍💫)

As someone who already suffers from intrusive thoughts & suicidal idealization, 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆'𝒔 careless words at 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯 deeply wounded them (harsh words from strangers can easily be brushed-off & forgotten ... but those delivered by “friends” always leave a lasting scar on their heart) 🥲

When in public or around those they're uncertain about 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 is extremely mindful about how they're perceived (ALWAYS trying to be viewed as perfectly “proper”), however, when in private with those they truly trust they relax & allow their true personality to shine through

𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 is very passionate about their sense of fashion (it's really the only part of their “apperance” they find little fault in) 👗

They have only a theoretical understanding in the “ways of the flesh” (they've NEVER been attracted/familiar enough with anybody to actually awaken such feelings... until 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 😳)

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𝐼𝐹: @doriana-gray-games

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⊰𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆⊱

⚝ Her 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦

Character creator used: @ummmmandy

[if-rambling]

My mc for “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”

Name: Anthony “Sherlock” Holmes

Pronouns: He/him

Orientation: Gay

Build: Chiseled

Attractiveness: very attractive since I like playing pretty mc’s

Romancing: John Watson

Vice: Risk taking

Good With: speed and strength

Bad With: sciences and technologies

Anthony is very friendly and tries to be as helpful as possible. He mainly likes his job because he’s able to go to new places and meet new people. He’s also often shocked when people recognize him

One thing he likes about himself is his eyes and one thing he doesn’t like is the dark under eyes. I’m not too sure how good a job I did with that in the picrew. Also it can’t be shown in the picrew but let it be known he has an ample backside

He just wants to be friends with Gregory but after the incident I think Anthony will try to interact with him as little as possible or just be all work with him

He got the red rose but hamish I’ll be real with you. you don’t have a chance my guy

He tends to mask or hide how upset he is at times but he tries not to with Watson. He’s pretty oblivious about how he feels about Watson but he does know he wants Watson all to himself and he’s admitted to it.

Truly Anthony believes as long as Watson stays by his side he’ll be fine. Also the scene where Watson comforts Sherlock after telling him about the interaction with Gregory was amazing. I may be aromantic but it’s so much fun to read romance stories.

Kinda feel bad for anyone who has to deal with Anthony and Watson because Anthony is so oblivious to his own feelings but won’t shut up about how he always needs Watson there to function properly and gets distracted by Watson so easily

When Anthony gets upset he just shuts down says as little as possible and tries to leave the scene as fast as possible then he’ll just mask to try to hide how upset he truly is until he’s either alone or if he’s with Watson

He likes birds very much and named his bird “pearl” he wanted to name her Watson but wasn’t allowed to

He may be pretty oblivious but he’s very experienced because of his desire for knowledge

Quick fuck you to the guy who dumped Anthony after he got bored with him

Also I believe for the ball I want with a peacock suit. It was between peacock and Zeus but felt drawn to peacock since Anthony likes birds

Again I may be aromantic but I truly do enjoy romance stories and this game has been such a good one. The customization, characters, and story are so good. I am interested in seeing more of the mystery since mystery genres are also another favorite of mine. I think I replayed this game about 3-4 times now or so. I have a couple save slots to replay my favorite scenes

The picrew I used for Anthony

[morbethgames]

February 14th, 2024 Update!

Hey all, I'm gonna be trying to do this weekly now. So, quick update on things, first and foremost the book as that's what most of you come here for! I am 11k words in and about a little halfway done with the path that lets you participate in the next part with Lance and Alvarez. There is going to be quite a bit of variation in how a PC can choose to approach this scene; those Combat Stats exist for a reason!

As for things going on with Patreon, I have decided on a schedule!

Patreon content will release on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

I am going to attempt to stick to that schedule as consistently as possible, and I'm off to a good start on that! Part 1 of The Bureau Audiobook went up today and part 2 is going up on Thursday. Not to mention the small short story introducing the character Buck Marcellis went up last Thursday! The story is around 2.5k words long, if I remember correctly. An extra little thing going up today as well is the Poll to see what Interactive Fiction I will be reading as an audiobook next. That's right:

You will get to pick the next audiobook reading!

I've gotten a bunch of different author's consent to make audiobooks of their work, so anyone who is a subscriber to the Patreon, you will have a direct say in what Audiobook goes up alongside the one for The Bureau! Options include things like:

Kingdoms and Empires

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart

When Life Gives You Lemons

Honor Amongst Thieves

The Operative: Fires of Revolution

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian

Along with a couple of others that are on the list for possibilities!

Over the next few months, I will be more active for sure, and you can expect the update for The Bureau to come out before the end of March (I hope). Thank you all so much for sticking with me, and I hope to see you over on the Patreon, which, thanks to hyperlinks, you can conveniently find

RIGHT HERE! <-

The Forum Page for "The Bureau"

The demo for the game itself!

Thank you all so much for reading this update and for sticking with me and continuing to do so for the future! You are all awesome! Also big shoutouts to @when-life-gives-you-lemonssss, @kingdoms-and-empires, @theoperativeif, @leoneliterary, @doriana-gray-games, @defiledheartsblog for giving me permission to read their work on my silly little attempt at Patreon content; you guys are awesome!

Stay Brilliant,

-Vi

[praise-suns-and-chill]

Just for reference, how I imagine "my Holmes" so far :3

Ludia "Sherlock" Holmes

While a natural redhead, she prefer wearing a wig of black hair, as it doesn't stand out as much. Her hair, one way or the other, tied in a bun. Her eyes are grey and sharp, and the dark rings below them are evidence of the many long nights she has had during cases. She also has a beauty mark below her right eye.

She may seem delicate, while of average height her features make her look smaller, but she can very much hold her own if needed. Though her strength is, of course, her sharp mind and knowledge of... nearly anything that could ever be useful. Even religion, some murders do have a religious motive, after all! It helps to know at least how to tell a catholic and a protestant Church apart.

She also knows a lot about birds, probably had some as pets before, back in her childhood. At least, she cared sometimes for carrier pigeons and also liked to observe bees and help out their beekeepers when she was out in the countryside.

Both more reliable than any human she knows, with maybe two exceptions.

On that note, she does get better along with animals than with humans. Luckily, animals don't care if you have the charm of a sack of potato's. They also tend to act more logically than humans anyways. While she is good at acting, she prefers to not take any role that requires too much charisma. Someone more subtle suits her better.

Would never wear a dress if it isn't absolutely necessary. And even then, she will only do so with obvious apprehension. Her usual clothes are simple pants, white shirt and copper waistcoat. She is not one for accessories, though she does sometimes wear earrings. She also always carries a ring she got from her brother, of course not just a normal ring. "For self defense". She also wears gloves quite often, not just because of her work, but also because her hands have some chemical burns and discolouration from her occasional experiments.

These are not her addiction though. Those are drugs of all kinds. She does sometimes justify it by noting that, in her profession, it is useful to know all kinds of poison and early on, she excused her habit with "building up a resistance, just in case". Watson didn't buy it.

Her apartment, as opposed to her more distant and calculating personality, is quite cozy, if a bit messy, her piano fitting in nicely. At least as long as you didn't ask Mrs. Hudson, who needed to hear more than once Ludias experimental playing on the piano strings. First time, she nearly thought she was hearing a Banshee screaming in the middle of the night. God knows how she tolerates it.

[contact-guy]

I was seized with a fervor and could not rest until I illustrated one of my favorite scenes from Sherlock Holmes: the Adventure of the Devil's Foot. While Holmes and Watson take a holiday in the Cornish countryside for Holmes's health, multiple people in the nearby village are found driven mad or dead from horror. Holmes deduces a substance that was burned in their presence is to blame. With a bit of the mysterious powder and a gas lamp in hand, he proposes an experiment to Watson...

content warning for drug use!

I'm not sure if it's supported by the canon but in my mind this is the first time Holmes ever apologies to Watson and he is so overcome with emotion that he immediately makes it weird

Text under the cut:

"It is not for me, my dear Watson, to stand in the way of the official police force. I leave them all the evidence which I found. The poison still remained upon the talc had they the wit to find it. Now, Watson, we will light our lamp; we will, however, take the precaution to open our window to avoid the premature decease of two deserving members of society, and you will seat yourself near that open window in an armchair unless, like a sensible man, you determine to have nothing to do with the affair. Oh, you will see it out, will you? I thought I knew my Watson. This chair I will place opposite yours, so that we may be the same distance from the poison and face to face. The door we will leave ajar. Each is now in a position to watch the other and to bring the experiment to an end should the symptoms seem alarming. Is that all clear? Well, then, I take our powder--or what remains of it--from the envelope, and I lay it above the burning lamp. So! Now, Watson, let us sit down and await developments."

They were not long in coming. I had hardly settled in my chair before I was conscious of a thick, musky odour, subtle and nauseous. At the very first whiff of it my brain and my imagination were beyond all control. A thick, black cloud swirled before my eyes, and my mind told me that in this cloud, unseen as yet, but about to spring out upon my appalled senses, lurked all that was vaguely horrible, all that was monstrous and inconceivably wicked in the universe. Vague shapes swirled and swam amid the dark cloud-bank, each a menace and a warning of something coming, the advent of some unspeakable dweller upon the threshold, whose very shadow would blast my soul. A freezing horror took possession of me. I felt that my hair was rising, that my eyes were protruding, that my mouth was opened, and my tongue like leather. The turmoil within my brain was such that something must surely snap. I tried to scream and was vaguely aware of some hoarse croak which was my own voice, but distant and detached from myself. At the same moment, in some effort of escape, I broke through that cloud of despair and had a glimpse of Holmes's face, white, rigid, and drawn with horror--the very look which I had seen upon the features of the dead. It was that vision which gave me an instant of sanity and of strength. I dashed from my chair, threw my arms round Holmes, and together we lurched through the door, and an instant afterwards had thrown ourselves down upon the grass plot and were lying side by side, conscious only of the glorious sunshine which was bursting its way through the hellish cloud of terror which had girt us in. Slowly it rose from our souls like the mists from a landscape until peace and reason had returned, and we were sitting upon the grass, wiping our clammy foreheads, and looking with apprehension at each other to mark the last traces of that terrific experience which we had undergone.

"Upon my word, Watson!" said Holmes at last with an unsteady voice, "I owe you both my thanks and an apology. It was an unjustifiable experiment even for one's self, and doubly so for a friend. I am really very sorry."

"You know," I answered with some emotion, for I have never seen so much of Holmes's heart before, "that it is my greatest joy and privilege to help you."

He relapsed at once into the half-humorous, half-cynical vein which was his habitual attitude to those about him. "It would be superfluous to drive us mad, my dear Watson," said he. "A candid observer would certainly declare that we were so already before we embarked upon so wild an experiment. I confess that I never imagined that the effect could be so sudden and so severe." He dashed into the cottage, and, reappearing with the burning lamp held at full arm's length, he threw it among a bank of brambles. "We must give the room a little time to clear. I take it, Watson, that you have no longer a shadow of a doubt as to how these tragedies were produced?"

[notsogreatdion]

✶ INTERACTIVE FICTION RECS ✶

✶ Project Hadea - @nyehilismwriting (wip)

✶ The Exile - @exilethegame (wip)

✶ Vendetta - @vendetta-if (wip)

✶ When Twilight Strikes - @evertidings (wip)

✶ The Northern Passage - @northern-passage (wip)

✶ Merry Crisis - @merrycrisis-if (wip)

✶ Diaspora - @diasporatheblog (wip)

✶ Infamous - @infamous-if (wip)

✶ Fields of Asphodel - @chrysanthemumgames (wip)

✶ Eyes of Shan - @eyesofshan-if (wip)

✶ A Comedy of Manors - @sviyaginthegreat (wip)

✶ Wolf Set Free - @wolfsetfree-if (wip)

✶ Honor Amongst Thieves - @leoneliterary (wip)

✶ Thicker Than - @barbwritesstuff (wip)

✶ Soulmates Inc. - @soulmatesinc-if (wip)

✶ Crown of Ashes and Flames - @coeluvr (wip)

✶ Virtue's End - @virtues-end (wip)

✶ You Live and Fern - @beetlebethwrites (wip)

✶ Attollo - @attollogame (wip)

✶ Wayfarer - @idrellegames (wip)

✶ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart - @doriana-gray-games (wip)

✶ Superstitions 1, 2 - @13leaguestories

✶ Seven Days in Purgatory (I don't think this one is ever getting finished, but it has a special place in my heart)

⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣ ✶

VN'S

✶ A Date with Death - @twoandahalfstudios

✶ 14 Days With You - @14dayswithyou (wip)

✶ Blooming Panic - @robobarbie

✶ ERROR143

✶ The Good People - @moiraimyths (wip)

✶ Our Life: Beginnings & Always - @gb-patch

✶ Our Life: Now & Forever - @gb-patch (wip)

⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣ ✶

if recs 2.0 & if recs 3.0 & new projects recs

[eaglet-if]

IF Recommendations

Tired of waiting for updates from me? Just go play something else in the meantime!

For example, one of these:

Birds of a Rose (or any other of his projects, they're all good) by @reinekes-fox

Just Kiss Me (Forum post)

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian ( @defiledheartsblog )

Remember, You Will Die by @vapolis

Drink Your Villain Juice ( @drinkyourvillainjuice )

We Wretched Creatures by @darkfictionjude

Such Happy Campers by @girlfromthecrypt

Fox of Sunholt ( @foxofsunholt )

Spellbound (Forum post)

Infamous ( @infamous-if )

Apartment 502 ( @apt502-if )

When Twilight Strikes by @evertidings

Mind Blind ( @mindblindbard )

Whiskey-Four (Forum post)

The Flower of Fairmont (Forum post)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart by @doriana-gray-games

Soulmates Inc. ( @soulmatesinc-if (I can't tag properly because I'm blocked for some reason ;_; )

Parasitical ( @parasitical-if )

Eyes of Shan ( @eyesofshan-if )

Vendetta ( @vendetta-if )

The Abyssal ( @theabyssal )

Folksaga ( @folksaga-if )

These are all*, in no particular order, my favorites, so if you're seeing this because you're following me because you like my project(s), there is a high chance you'll like these as well. Which means it's the most logical course of action for you to go play them. The fabric of the universe basically demands you to.

*except, knowing my brain, I probably forgot a few :/ if I suddenly remember something else, I'll make an addendum...

[allieebobo]

Do you have any if recommendation?

Ooh! I have really, really bad memory(!!) but these are current faves that I have played/replayed recently that I can think of. A lot of the authors are also THE BEST HUMAN BEINGS EVER. So, double recommendation.

I probably missed a bunch out, so take this as a non-exhaustive list! In no particular order:

(Edit: Added some descriptions but yeah I got a little unhinged so I'm sorry nothing makes sense or if the quality of the write-up went down over time/did not actually give you any useful info)

WIPs with demos

Citadel, @bouncyballcitadel (I think of all the IFs on this list, this one makes me sweat the most. And I've said it once and I'll say it again: the dialogue is so snappy and well-written, and characters are SO DAMNED LOVEABLE.)

Infamous, @infamous-if (I've been manifesting Band/Musician IFs for the longest time, and then this popped up! I've even played Choice of a Rockstar, that's how desperate I was... Anyway, this is legions better than that. Angsty ex routes are my kryptonite, and Seven is just. Inevitable.)

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian, @defiledheartsblog (I went into this wanting something juicy and fun/historical—and it's all of those things, but I didn't expect it to be so damned funny, too. The ROs are all impeccable.)

Raiders of the Caravan and Apartment 3-3, @leftski-if (A'ight listen, fantasy slice-of-life is my fave genre, and these are IT. Like, everything I never knew I needed in my life, and SO cozy/wholesome, with a cast of characters that I want to befriend in real life.)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: An Affair of the Heart @doriana-gray-games (First off, the customization in this game is INSANE, and the branching too. I've replayed a couple of times and the little variations I discover each time just blows my mind. Secondly, it's so funny and written so well. Ngl I'm not a Sherlock fan but that's just testament to how amazing this IF is.)

When Life Gives You Lemons, @when-life-gives-you-lemonssss (Modern slice-of-life with an adorable kid, a bunch of hot ROs, CC. Hill's humor, what can I say?)

Golden @milaswriting (Really interesting world-building, one of the coolest fictional cities I've read in an IF, AND I'm obsessed with the ROs, in particular K de la Renta. Also Mila is such an awesome writer, I'm beyond excited for @beyondthegame.)

A Tale of Crowns @ataleofcrowns (This game is beautiful, polished, and SO exciting. Honestly, it looks like the kind of game created by a whole-ass game studio and would cost $50 to buy, it's that good. I really got swept up by this IF—probably played it all in one go.)

Rougi @rougi-if (Again, another game with scrumptious visuals/UI and also is just so well-crafted. I love the premise too, it's so original and fresh.)

Scout: An Apocalypse Story @anya-dev (Unfortunately this one might be on hiatus but I am/was really, really obsessed.)

Wayfarer @idrellegames (Love the game mechanics of this one, and the visuals. Probably controversial, but I like the D&D / random dice effect. And I also like the fact that it feels like an old-school RPG.)

Chop shop @losergames (The premise is all I needed to be sold, really—I'd always wanted to buy GTA as a kid but my parents were like NO WAY. Anyway, this IF did not disappoint, and let me live all my childhood dreams.)

Edit: AHH! How could I forget, one of my recent faves, Folksaga @folksaga-if (Lush atmospheric writing, super unique premise—norse mythology, plus I'm head over heels for Katla).

Completed IFs

Butterfly Soup 1 and 2 @brianna-lei (these are completed and I will never not promote them. Honestly the most adorable, wholesome, funny sports/coming-of-age IF I've read)

Elsinore: After Hamlet @lapinlunairegames (Insanely cool premise, insanely cool execution)

The Thick Table Tavern @manonamora-if (I love bar/tavern games, and this one actually lets you mix drinks! Instant fave.)

Other HGs/COGs I love: Slammed, Tin Star, Fallen Hero, If it pleases the court, A Player's Heart (these last two are so underrated, though I guess cause it's mainly wlw)

[holylulusworld]

Mr. Holmes Maid (3)

Summary: You’re his maid.

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x Maid!Reader

Warnings: angst, power imbalance, dub-con (just in case cuddling/sharing a bed), master-servant relationship, the reader was an orphan, inappropriate behavior

Mr. Holmes Maid (2)

Mr. Holmes’ maid masterlist

The red dress is even more opulent and expensive than the others. You feel like an imposter standing in front of your master in a dress that shouldn’t cover your body.

“Wonderful,” the needlewoman coos. She clasps her hands together and smiles at you. “She looks so beautiful, doesn’t she, Mr. Holmes.” She wants to hear a compliment for her handiwork, not how you look in the dress.

“Mr. Holmes,” you dare not complain, but you don’t feel comfortable wearing a dress made for a lady, not a peasant. “Isn’t that too much? I can’t clean in this kind of dress.”

“It’s for special occasions,” he hastily says while pushing a few looks out of his face. “If we receive guests and such.” The lie easily rolls off his tongue. He straightens his back and looks at the owner of the shop straight in the eyes. “Right, Mr. Stevenson.”

“Oh, of course, Mr. Holmes,” the man almost cowers in front of your master. If he’d lick Sherlock’s polished shoes, you wouldn’t be surprised. “She will look lovely while serving your guests.”

No one at the shop believes Sherlock wants you to wear this dress for his guests. He wants you to wear them only for you.

“Wonderful,” your master finally says. “We will take them all. Maid,” he sternly looks at you. “You can redress after I paid for everything. I’ll be waiting outside for you. Don’t waste time, we need shoes for you too.”

“Shoes,” you murmur while watching Sherlock with curiosity. He’s so different now. Moments ago, he was all soft on you and placed his hand on the small of your back. And now, he orders you around.

“Yes, shoes, maid,” he grumbles. “Let’s proceed then.”

You wrinkle your forehead. What else does he want to buy for you today?

Sherlock leaves you and the needlewoman alone to talk to the owner about payment, and another order.

“My dear,” the woman whispers so no one can hear her. “He’s charming, smart, and very handsome. But be careful. You’re only a maid. If anyone finds out about your affair,” she looks around the shop, “you will be the one to blame.”

“I—no,” you gasp at her bluntness. “I…we…no. We never... I wouldn’t dare…” You shake your head. “Mr. Holmes never did such a thing, madame.”

“I’m not a madame, my dear,” she chuckles lightly. “I was you not so long ago.” She dips her head to watch her husband and Sherlock talk. “My husband saved me from ending up on the street after my master promised me love and devotion.”

You don’t know what to say, so you remain silent.

“After he stole my innocence, he tossed me out on the street like a stray cat,” she whispers. “If you ever need help,” she grabs your hand, squeezing it, “come back here. We have a spare room.”

You nod and give her a quick smile. Your heart is racing, just like your mind.

Is that what Sherlock wants? Steal your innocence and kick you out. Is this his way to remind you of your place? Maybe he tries to fool you, believing you’re just a dull maid, unable to think for yourself.

“Thank you,” you utter and ask her to help you redress. You need to get the expensive dress off of your body, or you’ll faint imagining all the things Sherlock could do to you if you let him…

“Are you unwell,” Sherlock watches you fidget in your seat at the carriage. “What is it, Y/N?”

“The dresses and all that,” you dare not to meet his gaze, “I can’t wear them. It’s inappropriate. I got my clothes and…guests wouldn’t want to see me in such a dress. It’s too…pretty.”

“I bought them,” he sternly replies. “So, you will wear them.” Sherlock’s features soften when you choke out a sob. “Y/N, you helped me so often while I was lost in a case. You made sure that I ate properly and got dressed. You even brushed my locks. Consider the dresses and coat a gift to thank you for your assistance with my cases.”

“I did my duty, Master Holmes,” your voice trembles when he looks at you with soft blue eyes. “Helping you and taking care of you is my honor.”

He smiles at your words. “You’re so…” Sherlock swallows the sweet words he wanted to say. He cannot say them. This would confuse you even more. “Caring and selfless.” He says instead. “If I offer a gift to you, I expect you to take it.”

“Yes, master.”

Sherlock sighs deeply. His words came out wrong, and now you shy away, believing you did something wrong. He wants to take the words back, but that’s just not him.

“We will be home soon, maid,” he softly says. “We should rest soon. It was a rather long and exhausting day for you.”

“What about dinner? I can still prepare everything,” you try to make things up to Sherlock. He bought all these nice things for you, and you could only think of the things the needlewoman said to you.

Sherlock brushes his hand over yours, gently touching it for a moment. “We have leftovers from last night. You need to rest. Tomorrow, we need to talk about a few things.”

You nod and drop your gaze. “Will you send me away now? Did I anger you?”

“What?” He gasps at your words. “No…I…” Sherlock grabs your hand to hold it tightly. “I would never let you go. And you did not anger me, Y/N.” He murmurs. “It’s late and we should not think of anything but to rest.”

Your heart races feeling his large hand hold yours. He doesn’t let go and interlaces his fingers with yours. Sherlock breaks another rule, but there is no one but you and him in that carriage.

Who shall judge him for wanting to hold your hand?

You pace back and forth in your bedroom. Sherlock said goodnight and tried to read some papers while he sent you to bed.

Now the words of needlewoman echo in your mind. What if she’s right? Maybe he tries to charm his way into your bed. You heard stories from other maids. Their masters did the same.

Sherlock never made any promises. He just came to your bed and slept next to you, seeking your warmth and closeness.

It’s all so confusing and you don’t know if you can resist his advances. Your heart, and maybe your soul too belongs to Sherlock for the longest time.

The moment he took you to his maid, you were lost, and you don’t know if that’s a bad thing…

Part 4

Tags in reblog.

[wings-of-ink]

Hey ! I can't wait for the next chapter ! Any Ifs to recommend in the meanwhile ?? :)

Hello dear! I am also excited for the next chapter, lol.

I have lots of lovely IFs in my itchio collection here. Most are listed there, but sometimes I forget to add them, so it's not an exhaustive list of all I enjoy.

I don't have an easy way to link my CoG ones since I tend to just bookmark them on my browser, but I'll link some of my favs individually below, in no particular order. We'd be here all day if I linked all I had, lol.

Drink Your Villain Juice, When LIfe Gives you Lemons, The Bureau, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart, Vendetta, Obsolete Stars, College Tennis: Origin Story, Parasitical, Mind Blind, The Abyssal, The Bar on the Abyss, Wolf Set Free, Virtue's End, After Dark, Deerbourne, and MANY MORE.

[dalekowrites]

What would your favourite choice of the games interactive stories be? Would you have a favourite type? Romance, Fantasy etc. and did any of the inspire you with the ones you are currently writing? 😁

Oh boy! This is going to be a long answer, brace yourself lol

Let me start by saying that I have a degree in English literature (in fact, I'm going to do a PhD on it), so reading, in general, is one of the core activities of my life.

As for text adventures, even if not from Choice of Games Ltd., I'd like to mention a few inspirations: my passion first came from the original Choose Your Own Adventure series, and I still remember which numbers obsessed me as a child: Mountain Survival #28, The Dragons' Den #33, and more than any other, Space Patrol #22! (The latter may have also fueled my unhealthy obsession with Star Trek TOS, actually). For those unfamiliar with this fantastic book series, the genres of the three books I mentioned are, respectively, adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi. This gives you an idea of how varied my tastes are...

Later on, I discovered interactive fictions and text adventures. Dude, it was a dream come true. I started with Adventure ('76, never finished it, of course) and Zork ('79, never finished that either… of course. How damn hard were they?!). Then Mystery Mansion ('78), Castle Adventure ('82), and too many, many others. I'm a sucker for Sorcery! from inkle, and I deeply loved Magium (RIP Chris, you won't be forgotten). For my Italian-speaking friends, I also really enjoyed the Fra Tenebra e Abisso series (although its current status is unknown).

But back to CoG-related things. I've read a lot, and I'd probably be faster telling you what I didn't like! As you may have figured out by now, I don't have any particular genre preferences as long as a story is well-written, though horror-thriller stories usually grab my attention more easily.

Important note: I've read a lot of stories and, with a few exceptions, I liked most of them. To avoid writing a too-long list, here are the published stories that really impressed me:

A Crown of Sorcery and Steel,

A Midsummer Night's Choice,

Blood for Poppies,

Blood Moon,

Broadway: 1849,

Choice of the Cat,

Choice of the Vampire,

Donor,

Doomsday on Demand (1 and 2),

Gilded Rails,

Golden Rose: Book One,

Jazz Age,

Lies Under Ice,

Life of a Mercenary,

Life of a Space Force Captain,

MetaHuman Inc.,

Noblesse Oblige,

Paradox Factor,

The Evertree Saga (all four books),

Rent-a-Vice,

Revolution Diabolique,

Siege of Treboulain,

Tally Ho,

The Daily Blackmail,

The Dragon and the Djinn,

The Fernweh Saga: Book One,

The Fog Knows Your Name,

The Gray Painter,

The Grim and I,

The Ghost and the Golem,

The Lost Heir,

The Midnight Saga: The Monster,

The Parenting Simulator,

The Play's the Thing,

The Soul Stone War (1 and 2),

The War for the West,

Tudor Intrigue,

Vampire Regent,

Vampire: The Masquerade (all of them),

Way Walkers: University (1 and 2),

Welcome to Moreytown,

Werewolves: Haven Raising,

Zombie Exodus,

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven.

And now, onto works in progress! There aren’t that many because I barely have time to follow my own (heh…), so here, in alphabetical order, are the ones I'm following with the most interest:

Adoriel's Tears (@adoriels-tears-if),

A Father's Love (@kal-down),

Crown of Ashes and Flames (@coeluvr),

Dawn Chorus (@dawnchorus-if)

Disenchanted (@disenchantedif),

Dragon's Edged (@dragonedged-if),

Elysium (@elysiumcircusif),

Fallen Lights (@fallenlightsif),

For King and Country (@forkingandcountry-if),

From The Ashes We Rise (@kal-down),

Hubris (@hubris-the-if-game),

Kingdoms and Empires (@kingdoms-and-empires),

Return to Misty Cove (@fluorescent-if),

The Abyssal Song (@ri-writes-if),

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - An affair of the heart (@doriana-gray-games),

The Lonely Shore (@thelonelyshore-if),

The King's Hound (@the-kingshound),

The Reaper Watches Me (@thereaperwatchesme),

The Bureau (@thebureau),

The Unseelie (@theunseelieif),

Van Helsing (@vanhelsing-if),

When Life Gives You Lemons (@when-life-gives-you-lemons-if).

Okay, that was… a lot. As for direct inspirations, I don't have any direct ones, but I can say I felt like writing a post-apocalyptic story after reading Doomsday on Demand! Other than that, I guess the collection of narrative, text adventures, and interactive fiction I've read have led me to where I am now.

Damn, it took me hours to write this answer. I hope it's satisfying at least! Thanks for asking ☺

[calithia]

My Sherlock for the amazing IF "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes -An affair of heart" by @doriana-gray-games

[twc-thoughts-you-didnt-ask-for]

Hi ^^! I hope you’re doing well 💖 I love your Wayhaven takes so I was wondering what other IFs you enjoy?

Honestly TWC opened up a massive can of worms and I’m like drowning in them at this point.

Anything @pdrrook touches is absolute gold and I heavily recommend checking out Perfumare. I’m a Reed stan myself

The Golden Rose by @anathemafiction Is another big, big favorite of mine. The world building, the characters, the options, it’s all *chef’s kiss*. Couldn’t even tell you who I simp for most because I love all the ROs so much. Also one of my absolute favorite subscriptions on Patreon :)

The Soul Stone War by @intimidatingpuffinstudios is another big favorite. Book 1 and book 2 are out, with book 3 in the works! Such a great author, the writing in this is so fun

Viatica by @fir-fireweed is a new one that I’m recently obsessed with as well. Such a unique story and I can’t wait for more updates

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: An Affair of the Heart by @doriana-gray-games is also such a fun one. The writing is fun, the characterization is fun, and who doesn’t love a mystery. Would give my life for Watson

Not an IF necessarily and more of a VN but I’m on my knees begging anyone and everyone to play Our Life: Beginnings & Always by @gb-patch