#and had ro rewrite the whole thing

[maagisterpavus]

yeah I’m like 90% on my way to making him a rogue

it wasn’t a phase, mom.

having a crisis and thinking about retconning Rowan into a rogue instead of a mage

[milaswriting]

Update. — 3rd October 2024

Well, helloo. If you're following me and reading this then...you must really hate me for my lack of activity on this blog. I apologise for that. Doing a masters degree really kicks my ass, and leaves me with no time to write. But Golden has never been dead or abandoned, it's very much always at the forefront of my mind.

And, for that pure reason, I know it's a story I haven't been 1,000% happy with so the story is going through some major changes. Probably, the first is that it's being rewritten. A (somewhat) new plot written with whole new software—we're making the move to Twine.

My reasoning; I've spent over a year learning the coding which makes me want to rip my hair out. I get to have a lot more ownership over my work, the customisation options are stellar, and you guys will get to read it for free.

The reasons for rewriting has been because I want to fix the cringey writing from when the story's first demo was released. It's mostly from the earlier chapters, but then the thought of plot changes came to me and I wanted to implement those. Realistically, the majority of what's being rewritten is what I had planned for book two—so I'm just bringing that forward. I'll update the synopsis closer to the release of this rewrite.

The changes (which can be subject to change): I'm getting rid of the university idea (though you can still choose careers that are related to those degrees from the options that'll be given) (e.g., if you liked the nursing student option, then your MC can work as a nurse). I'm thinking that the MC will already know about the supernatural world to some extent—there'll still be a lot of suspense and mystery and things to unravel, that was always going to remain. And, in this rewrite, my thought is that the MC and the gang will be working at a multi-agency organisation — called The Everbrook — where the aim is to bridge the gap between humans and supernaturals. To make the world run smoothly, so to speak.

The ROs are the exact same! No changes to that—the only change is that them and the mc will somewhat know of each other already. The genre is the same. MC is still as they are, a Lehsian socialite with a pretty (yet peculiar) birthmark. The parents will have much, much less of a role, but they'll still be mentioned here and there.

This seems like a load of word vomit, but I feel like these changes will improve the story. I'm hoping that it'll make MC less of a spare part in the story, allowing them to have more autonomy in the supernatural universe, especially with their enhanced skillset.

I've done the customisation in terms of the UI layout for Twine already, and it should be mobile friendly too. With that done, I've started writing and I'm a few thousand words in. A lot of what I've written in the ChoiceScript version can still be used, but also getting back into writing a story from scratch is something I'm looking forward to.

I feel like this is a bittersweet thing because yay to a new and better story, but also the time it's going to take to get it out. I'll debate whether to release the whole ten chapters, or do a few chapters at a time, like splitting it up into chunks (releasing three chapters now, and three chapters later on).

Another reason as to why I've taken so long to mention this, other than learning code and the rewrite, is just the whole process of this being a little nerve-wracking. The whole thought of a rewrite of something I've put so much effort into is scary, but it'll be worth it.

I'll accept any questions you've got, and I'll create an FAQ regarding all of this too. But, most importantly, you're in the loop of how this is progressing. I really appreciate everyone's kind words about this story: loving the ros, re-reading it, still sticking by my writing—it means a lot. So, thank you and I hope the future of this story is what you want and more.

PLANS.

Finish introductory scenes.

Finish chapter one.

WORD COUNT.

2.2k (rewrite)

[kingdoms-and-empires]

Hello there! I want to say, I LOVE your story! Fantastic world, fantastic characters, and plot. I can't wait for more (please, give us plebs some food! I mean more chapters and updates.) And by the way, I am happy to hear you are back on your feet. I noticed something in the RO options: Why does the M!MC have 1 Gay romance and the F!MC 1 Lesbian and 1 Bi? Don't you think that is a bit limiting? Is there a narrative reason? Thank you, and I wish you the best. :D Good Day!

It's supposed to be a surprise, but since im close to releasing the public update... in the Great Rewrite, all the ROs are playersexual now. They're open to be romanced no matter what!

Im telling you since your words made me smile <3 and cause i cant hold it in anymore!

I'm aiming for a more grounded romantasy feeling for KaE since romance will be very important to the story. Especially the whole potential-

-problems that'll happen once a certain point is reached.

(I recently rewatched the Revenge of the Sith in the recent rerun lmao)

I've always thought of my work as being inspired by

Homeric Epics (i was always a fan of Greek and Roman myths and stuff since i was young.)

Nordic Sagas but mostly Beowulf (only got into them cause of Vikings the show lololol, but I found myself increasingly engrossed by the Sagas)

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires on the Xbox 360 introduced me to the series and ive been in love since lol)

And because of the above, the game series Nobunaga's Ambition.

Plus isekai and reincarnation manga/anime in general!

I feel like what makes worlds and stories interesting isn't the worldbuilding (though that helps alot, and is without a doubt my crutch atm) but the human emotions that can cause characters to act out, crash out, and do the things they do that can throw a wrench in any well-laid plan.

The new version is far more character driven than before as a result, and I love it. And what's more emotional than love?

The geopolitics, intrigue, war, kingdom building, and the rest of what makes KaE KaE is remaining, of course! Hell, I'd say there's even MORE now, as some of my Patreons would most likely agree with.

It's just that romance is being elevated to be more important to me.

I made this decision a while back because I felt the narrative and restrictive reasons of before no longer hold up with the rewrite changes I made to the world and story.

Cause I changed ALOT.

And we never really even met a majority of the ROs in previous versions so... it's not like im doing something like changing characters yall know and romanced lol, which btw, is ironically a bonus with all the rewrites and time ive taken to find my bearings with this story ;-;

Who helped me reach this decision a while back?

Why...

@when-life-gives-you-lemons-if thank you for putting up with me!!!!!

@leiatalon also helped me reach this decision (also thanks for putting up with me)!!!!!

Both are published authors with multiple titles below their belt that focus on romance, so they definitely had my rapt attention. They were especially kind enough to share their experiences and some advice when it comes to that area with me, and its thanks to their encouragement that I felt this was the right decision.

Please, check out their Tumblr blogs and look at the games they've released! They might interest you!!

What may also interest you?

You can actually see all the progress reports ive given on Patreon! They're free, and you can start from oldest to newest. Plus other articles that detail what im adding to the new version that's soon to release to the public. After all, this upcoming update is the last one that ends our childhood! And it'll be the one that finally makes it so everyone of you can read what I've worked on.

Once my Patreons test out the epilogue for the arc and give me the all clear, the public will get it!

That's all from me for now. Im still busy at work with the epilogue!

[interact-if]

Our fifth edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series, features Mila (@milaswriting)!

(Mila’s game Golden is one of the games I fell in love with when I first got into Interactive Fiction, and it feels like such a dream to be able to interview her now! It’s so interesting to interview someone who’s been in the IF community for a while now, and see how stories—and their authors—change and evolve as time goes by too.)

Author: Mila

Hello! I’m Mila, a twenty-three year old woman from the UK. Something readers may not know (or probably do considering how much I complain about university), I crave academic validation. I got 90% on an essay I did this year and I was so proud of myself that I’m considering doing a PhD. We’ll see if Dr Mila ever becomes a thing, haha.

Games: Golden (Fantasy, romance, mystery, supernatural)

Short blurb: You work for The Everbrook. A multi-agency organisation in the city of Lehsa that bridges the gap between the human and supernatural world. You’ve been working there for three years now, and you’re suddenly forced to work with a group of allies to solve mysteries that have landed right in the palm of your hand.

Quote from the interview

I wish I could say I’ve had amazing encounters with vampires, magical beings and werewolves to inspire Golden—but that isn’t exactly the case. I’ll let you know if that ever happens though! I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, more so as a young adult than when I was much younger, but usually the portrayal of poc characters in media wasn’t always shown in a positive light. Or poc characters, when it came to romance, weren’t given the lead roles where a swoon-worthy romance story was played out. To, sort of right those wrongs, and have other black readers like myself, be able to see themselves in the characters of stories—I created a diverse cast of ROs.

Read on for the full interview!

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

I’m currently working on a fantasy supernatural interactive fiction, Golden. Officially, Golden is five years old now. I released it in December 2020 and was regularly writing and working on it for a couple of years. And then I noticed that as I grew from an eighteen/nineteen year old teenager, the ideas I had for my story were different, thus I wanted to make a few changes. A few changes turned into a lot of changes. And now I’m in the process of a whole rewrite, alongside moving to Twine. 

Covid was in 2020, and that’s ultimately the year I got into reading interactive fiction too. I first read fanfics of an interactive fiction game, then read the original story itself, and got really into the process of the reader being able to make meaningful choices that impact their reading experience. That was a supernatural story too, and that’s how I ended up creating my own. 

When it comes to the changes I’ve made to Golden, the inspiration came from a lot of things. One being my love for mystery, crime and psychology—I wanted that incorporated into the story I’m writing. I love the element of lore and world building, so that’s how I knew the fantasy/supernatural element would be in there. Additionally, my love for found family and complex characters also inspired me to write this story, but to also make the changes I have. Lastly, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, I adore the stuff! So reading and writing good romance is everything to me. 

How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?

I wish I could say I’ve had amazing encounters with vampires, magical beings and werewolves to inspire Golden—but that isn’t exactly the case. I’ll let you know if that ever happens though! I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, more so as a young adult than when I was much younger, but usually the portrayal of poc characters in media wasn’t always shown in a positive light. Or poc characters, when it came to romance, weren’t given the lead roles where a swoon-worthy romance story was played out. To, sort of right those wrongs, and have other black readers like myself, be able to see themselves in the characters of stories—I created a diverse cast of ROs.

B Holden was the first one I created. I already knew they were going to be a werewolf, and I wanted them as a character to be the complete opposite of how a werewolf is usually described and portrayed. Aggressive, animalistic, dangerous—yet, I’d like to think that B is, and comes off as, someone who is the sunshine that lights up a room, someone who’d make you feel good on a bad day, a kind of person you’ll always want around. From my own personal experiences, I’m a nursing student and I’ll be graduating this year and going into a working environment. I think the changes to Golden emulate that, instead of being a student, the MC is navigating the supernatural world themselves and they’re very immersed into it.

What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

Oh! So, the background is that I love The Naturals series and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and I got to meet her at a book event in my hometown. And during her talk, she said that she writes with a ‘Writer’s Hit List’. On that list, the writer jots down all of their favourite things that they love about characters, or elements they want their story to have. It’s a bit like a word dump, for example, ‘loves characters that enjoys baked goods’ or ‘loves when character speaks multiple languages’. 

Then you end up with a super long list of traits you’d like to give your characters or factors you want your world to have. And you can get your inspiration from literally anything, so that’s something fun to have. You can add to it when you’re not thinking about writing, and then when you have writer’s block, or just want some inspiration, you can open your notes app and see what you wrote down.

Currently, whilst juggling uni and personal life, on my days off/working from home, when I get a burst of inspiration I usually open up my laptop and write in my bedroom or the living room. And whilst writing, I put on ROs’ playlists that I’ve made on Spotify. My new RO, Ireland Monroe, their playlist has been extremely helpful in motivating me to write.

What’re you excited to tackle/implement/work on next? Or anything you’re looking forward to in the year ahead?

I’m excited about getting this rewrite out! I’ve felt really guilty about keeping readers waiting so long for content from me, or just disappointed in myself that I haven’t been able to produce content as quickly as other authors. I know it’s a terrible thing to compare yourself to others, but sometimes it’s one of those things you can’t help. We’re into February now and I genuinely think that I’m getting better at telling myself to just work as best as I possibly can. 

But, yeah, I’m excited for people to read and see how Golden’s developed with me as an individual. It’s interesting considering the story has grown up with me, and it’s sort of taken its own shape and whispered to me, “I know you want to change me, don’t be afraid to do so”, and now my nerves about that are near enough gone. 

I just want it to be a good writing year overall! So, I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that the story ideas that play in my head everyday are able to be transferred to screen so others can enjoy them.

If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be? OR If you could change one thing about the interactive fiction community, what would it be?

My advice to readers would be that as writers, we definitely write our stories as an escape and whilst it’s important to write for ourselves, we write with the hopes that you enjoy it too. If there’s a particular scene or character or story that you love, definitely tell that author. It’ll make their day, their week, even. It’s such a wonderful feeling to hear from you guys. And also, just continue to consume the content that’s put out. And just a personal thank you to the readers I have for being patient with me. 

For authors, I’d say to have fun writing. If, in your gut, there are changes you’d love to make to your story, then do so. Remember that, no matter what, there’s always going to be at least one person that loves what you write. Always. So, if it’s motivation you want to continue putting words onto paper (or a screen), then that’s it. I also think it’s fun adding a little bit of yourself into your story.

Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or which changed your life (or perspectives on something)?

I read The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and it’s absolutely changed my brain chemistry for the better. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery with a romantic side plot. I love YA murder mystery books, so A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, books by Karen McManus. I also love Taylor Jenkins Reid. And, as its black history month, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is my favourite black author and she writes queer mystery/thriller books. My favourite of hers is Where Sleeping Girls. 

Music: I adore Billie Eilish (Hit Me Hard and Soft should’ve won a Grammy, I will die on this hill!) Noah Kahan and Sam Barber are artists I’ve really been loving at the moment. Gigi Perez as well, Sailor Song and Fable are songs I can never skip. 

This-or-that segment: (red = Mila's pick)

Coffee or tea?

Early mornings or late nights?

City or countryside?

Angsty or Cozy romances? (Or enemies-to-lovers or best-friends-to-lovers?)  

Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?

Summer or Winter?

First drafts or editing?

Introvert or extrovert? (Gosh, I’m SUCH an introvert)

Plotter or pantser?

Characters or plot first?

Write your own “either-or” pairing: vampires or werewolves? (don’t tell B or K I even asked… I can’t pick between my faves, so I’ll let you guys choose :D)

[deuxadeux-if]

ahem

hi hi hi

i have been reworking the outline and whatnot as i mentioned i would hopefully do in time. my goal is tentatively to have the outline solidified with beat-by-beat details structured nicely by the end of July. so far it’s looking good on that front, but i’m not rushing it terribly as i’d rather begin an actual draft again once i feel very secure in the plotting/planning than begin drafting before i feel confident in the story as a whole.

i dont really have anything else to share at this time but just in case anyone was wondering yes i have picked this back up (albeit slowly) once more. i will be redoing the prologue and chapter 1 (which is unforch and tragic), not because i truly desire a rewrite—i actually am not terribly dissatisfied with what i’d had written at first, and if i had written those drafts in line with the new changes i’ve made to the outline and general structure of the story, i would certainly have kept it. however, i have elected to make big changes, which fall roughly into one of the following two categories.

i am going to be stricter with my word count goals, and limit it a good amount so the project doesn’t become unwieldy. the plan is to have a short prologue, 8 chapters (each averaging about 50,000 words, i THINK—but this may change a little, not super sure yet), and a short epilogue. branches will go wide at some points, but aside from the endings (which will, necessarily, be somewhere between moderately and very different from one another) the story will come together after major branching until the very end. that is to say, there will be plot points serving as “anchors”/bottlenecks to keep things moving relatively in the same direction, despite any flag- or stat-based variations that branch things out differently at times.

the nitty-gritty of Deux à Deux has changed quite a bit in the name of keeping a more precise/purposeful storyline AND more manageable variables on my end. characters, settings, PC (to some extent), ROs, and general plot stuff has been tweaked significantly. the new/different things are roughly as follows:

NEW & DIFFERENT THINGS...

Erin and Theo are no longer ROs (sorry—i love them too but it’s a necessary evil i fear)

PC is no longer a boxer. this is mostly because it just was another variable/personality thing that i didn’t really need to be there, and combat isn’t going to be as big of a Thing as i initially dreamed of

There are new people & figures in the world of Deux that matter. not much more to say about this for the moment, but this is mostly a vague stand-in explanation that will make more sense relatively early in the story

R Burns is now Ronnie Burns for all genders. Ronnie is still gender-selectable by player. only thing with the name is if they’re a woman in your playthrough then Ronnie is short for Veronica—otherwise it’s just Ronnie all around!

M Nguyen is now Minh Nguyen for all genders. same situation as with Ronnie. really this is just because i do not want to deal with the name coding variations. also i really like the names Ronnie and Minh and want to leave them for all genders AHA

The reason the Lyonses and PC initially get drawn together is going to be a little different. not too much for me to say here, because luckily for me i didn’t end up releasing ch. 1 before the hiatus the past few months, but basically PC will have more agency here. or like…PC will be a standalone person, and will not be inherently reliant on the Lyonses in the sort of pseudo-sugar-baby-but-not-quite kinda way it was initially planned to be

so…yes! things will be different to how i initially sort of expected, in terms of plot but also a little bit in terms of tone and theme. but i like it a lot, and i think it’s getting pretty decent. we shall see, but regardless i hope we all have a great time on the journey AHAH (and i think we will!!)

i’m super excited to start drafting again with a real real real plan for the story, i think it will give me a lot more confidence to like. write well! lol. also—the patreon will not be returning because i don’t think it’s necessary for this project. any random drabbles/POVs/other stuff will be posted for free on here or somewhere else tbd. but the actual game will be like…basically my only concern.

so yes. a new demo is TBD, but the project is on again for sure. in the meantime, if anyone wants to check out the pinterest and whatnot there is some new stuff on there (some VERY new stuff, i might add….like. VERY new. intriguing and unfamiliar people, places, and things. ahem.) the boards aren’t like 100% polished on there, but i’ve kept this in drafts for like ages now and it’s starting to make me antsy so idgaf i’m posting anyways

talk soon<3 ray

[black-flag-if]

Just gonna stick a quick note here ‘cause I’ve had lots of messages about changes and stuff. Don't panic. 😅

Ryder’s route. No, you’re not missing anything. It does actually just end with “However, at the end of the day…” That’s intentional. It's not a bug. I get why some people think there’s more, but the idea was kinda a fade-to-black moment. I know that can feel a bit like something’s missing, but for me, that’s the point. Still, if you wanted more, I’ll take that as a win.

Re: Lane – they’re fine if you move on. They’re not in bits anymore. So if you’re feeling someone else, go for it. Lane’s a slow burn. I know some people won’t have the patience for that, and that’s okay. There’s a lot going on with them, and a quick apology isn’t gonna suddenly fix everything.

Ryder and Lane still seem to get the most attention, but maybe their fans are the loudest? Hard to tell sometimes.

Also seen a lot of “I liked RO until…” stuff. Which, fair enough. Not all of the ROs are gonna be for everyone. But I’m not gonna sand down the edges just ‘cause a few people didn’t like something about them. That’s just who they are. And yeah, I’m sure there’ll be stuff in the rewrite that someone somewhere finds cringe. Not changing it. It’s not meant to be smooth. Already made peace with the fact that this won’t be everyone’s thing. And honestly? That’s fine. If it’s not your story, that’s alright. Still appreciate you gave it a go. ❤️

And now the changes – didn’t really wanna say anything but my inbox has just been one question after another, so. Here we are.

The whole “friendship to romance” thing – no, there’s still not a separate route for that. Well, not quite. What has changed is that even if you pick a character as just a mate, there’ll still be flirty or romantic choices but there won't be romance-y scenes/vibes. If you go for those flirty choices while on the friend path, it might open up stuff later on, like them saying, “We’re friends, yeah? Doesn’t really feel like it.” That’s your window, if you wanna go deeper.

But if you double down and say you’re friends, that’s it – no switching later. If you pick crush/flirty early on, then you’ll get more romance-y stuff, obviously. It doesn’t lock you into their route, but yeah, you might end up in a love triangle. Or square. Or something worse. And that’s intentional. Consequences are part of it. I like it that way. Think a lot of players do too.

If not, no worries. Your story, your choices. Do what's right for you.

Rivals to lovers? Popular question. Still not 100% on that one if I’m honest. Might try the points system with it, see how it plays out. Could open up a few flavour texts and scenes that way. Not promising anything though, so don’t hang your hopes on it just yet. At least with Lane – they wouldn’t fall for it. Not really their thing. Ryder though? Yeah, bigger chance there. They like tension. Kinda live for it. So if that’s your angle, give it a go. Might pay off.

Gender roles. Do they matter? Yeah, when it comes to how the ROs and the world around you treat you. People will react based on your gender, how you come across, how you carry yourself – all that. But no, when it comes to relationships.

Lastly, stats. Don’t worry, it’s not gonna be super heavy, but they’ll matter for stuff like personality, how the media and public perceive you. You’ll notice it in little flavour text changes, that sort of thing. It’ll add some depth, but nothing too complicated. But there will be a stat for winning. Might be tough to hit, not sure yet. Still figuring it out, but it'll be there.

And of course, whatever I’ve said here – take it with a pinch of salt. I’m not done yet, but this is where things are at right now, and I don’t think it’s gonna change ‘cause, for one, I’m not rewriting anymore. And two? I’m bloody tired and I’m not gonna bend over backwards to fan service just to shift my vision.

Stay safe.

[replicabetweenblogs]

FIRST POST-HIATUS WRITING UPDATE WOOHOOO. ALSO I NEED Y'ALLS HELP.

30.12.2024 // this is not a chapter update yet! As promised before, an update to reveal what I have been up to regarding RBU.

;-; catching up on age old asks that got thrown into my inbox while I was away on hiatus and. Yes- always made me smile reading those, but also made me quite sad for leaving the story at such a cliffhanger.

All the people hoping for a happy ending with the ROs do make me giggle- all those people pointing out all the angst make me feel quite evil for the stuff I have written down in chapter 9 already. ANYWAY!! the update!

A few lill snippets because why not.

over the past years of total and utter silence with this project gone through a never-ending hiatus, I have gotten alotta more confident(yay) yet no-where to put these skills of mine into, as my struggle in real life right now is the fact that I can’t find a proper game design job where I can flourish - I decided to try and keep said skills sharp and fresh by writing stories. so here we are again. I have been quite busy rewriting and re-defining the overarching story, and I cannot wait to have everyone see the eventual endings.

Kept it all hush hush not wanting to come back with nothing- hence the ask compilation above c:<

the chapter is going to be a BIG one. I am at 91k words, fully written out and basically done aside from one (1) path remaining. WOOHOOOO NEARLY THERE :D running towards the finish line, hence the teaser. Anyway --

FEEDBACK FORM, TEASER, REQUEST FOR EDITOR UNDER CUT!

***Feedback form! Help me reach the finish line!!***

I need your help c: for anyone who still has their saves or new players who have reached the end of chapter 8, I like to know what your stats are! I require this for proper balancing in chapter 9 as this is the chapter where the story gets split into many paths depending on some of those questions. Thank you in advance!!

what can you expect from the next update, coming up SOON?

91k wordcount so far (total, all branches, excluding code)

19k words for one single run

Romance lock-ins with Ash and Ha

consequences of your past major decisions/Character personality traits starting to finally catch up by taking the players onto whole different branches and locations altogether.

trigger warnings: implied mental and physical torture, determined character deaths

Some additional flashback sequences across chapters 6, 7 and 8 to some see things from companions' povs

The story of RBU is dark. this game has a dozen "bad" endings planned, only having one "good" ending for each individual Character/MC and main story in general. It's not for just the sake of drama and shock value, as I want this game to reach a very specific "lesson" which effect will be taken away if everything ended in a too-good-to-be-true way. Just a gentle warning!

main story lock-in!! Coded out some branches already for the next chapters. Chapter 10 will be the end of part 2, and part 3 will be more of a 2-chapter endgame with a chapter dedicated to an epilogue afterward. So we are really getting close to the end if I keep this up, and will stop updating the public link once reaching part 3. Will be making an announcement for private betas by then probably, but that'd be like... when I am on my deathbed at the age of 92, most likely.

I really hope you guys will be enjoying the absurdly long chapter. Did a few bold moves regarding the direction the story is going towards which I had been planning and iterating for since the very start of RBU regarding final revelations, hoping some puzzle pieces will be satisfyingly falling into place.

RBU is really about regret and acceptance regarding our decisions and mistakes, and how different types of people deal with it (badly).. so there are no "good" or "bad" endings or choices, really. BUT there is always a "worse" and "worst" so uh. Beware :')

Looking for a paid/voluntary editor!!

To help with the reconstruction of weird sentences, taking out grammar mistakes, eliminating the bad spelling, and bonking teenage-firefly on the head for her bad storytelling. plus points if you could help with the phasing even, perhaps like some kind of a beta reader- yet not too focused on it right now, as I'm just wanting to make the old chapters flow nicer.

shoot me a message if you are wanting to help out! Either on the forums, over here, or shoot me a DM! as I am @fireflyy on the official COG discord server.

For the sake of consistency, I am hoping to get help from one available editor for now. so please do let me know of your experiences if you are wanting to help out!!

You shall be credited within RBU's main screen

See you all soon <3 and a happy new year!!

[clivestitsdaily]

Can I pretty please have a fluffy CidClive moment where Cid, frazzled and overworked, accidentally says "I love you" to Clive as he's leaving, only to realize while he's out what he actually said and gets embarrassed/groans in mortification. Later on, Clive sits with him and Cid is about to apologize but Clive shyly says "I love you too" and kisses!

Ahhh fluff! This was really fun, thank you so much for making me try to do something that isn't angst. Hope this is enjoyable enough <3

Cid didn’t realize his mistake. Not at first, in any case. He might have noticed the way Clive lingered a moment, hand on the doorframe before disappearing. His own head was full of somewhere around a thousand different thoughts though, and he could only assume the other’s just about the same. 

It wasn’t until Jill had come to him some short time later that he was able to put the pieces together, a puzzle he didn’t know he was solving. She lingered at the doorway too, a little longer. And then she asked him an odd question— had he said something to Clive? 

He liked Jill. He liked her calm exterior and the way she simmered beneath the surface. And he liked that she could keep an eye on Clive when he couldn’t. He also appreciated the way Clive seemed to relax around her, where he was edges and eggshells more and more when dealing with Cid himself. That could be a problem, and not just because Cid felt jolts and shockwaves if he looked at the lad for too long. Not like he was going to say— much less do— anything about it.

Except, as it turned out, he may well have said something after all. It struck him as he was giving the letter on his desk a quick once-over before stuffing the envelope and sending it off. It hadn’t closed with the ‘love you’ he had intended. It closed with a ‘thank you, Clive’. Which meant…

“Well, bollocks,” he sighed and pressed his face into his palms, gave a good rub and pull until the stars prickled beneath closed eyes. So much on his mind, so much to do, it was only natural that something would get scrambled. That he would misspeak— and miswrite— and apparently turn Clive troubled. ‘Off’ was the way Jill had put it. He seemed ‘off’. And could Cid blame him? An apparent confession of love from someone who was much more apt to take the piss than share his feelings. This could be trouble.

The trouble, though he wouldn’t know it for another moment or two, was knocking at the solar door some hour or two later. Cid had been stewing, chewing on it since figuring out where he’d gone wrong. He didn’t dare scratch out the letter— he’d rewrite it with the awareness that if anyone could find a way to dig out the real words, it would be Mid. So he’d started rewriting and strongly considered telling whoever had come calling to piss off for a bit. 

“Come in,” he called instead. No use locking himself up in here, especially not if he’d truly said those damnable words to Clive. They weren’t untrue, not by a long shot, but they also weren’t the sort of thing he was about to admit. He knew better. He’d been putting the lad on edge one way or another, more and more with each day. This would doubtless have sent him teetering over. A part of him wondered if he might leave.

“Cid…” Clive slipped in, closed the door behind him, flipped a locking latch. It made Cid’s chest tighten— private conversation time, then. He’s flipped through a few explanations in the time between his realization and Clive’s arrival. The truth was the easiest one, though he had no intention of giving the whole of it. He did love Clive. He loved those puppy dog eyes and that perfectly chiseled body. The smile he didn’t see enough of and the voice that was thick and sweet like honey. He loved the parts of him that weren’t visible even more, though that was something he wasn’t ready to reckon with.

“This is about earlier?” He sighed, set aside his quill and rose to his feet. Maybe he should keep the distance between them, but he was never one to do what he should. Crossed the room and clamped a hand on Clive’s shoulder when the younger man nodded. “Right. Sorry about that. Brain’s a little scrambled. Never you mind—”

“—you didn’t mean it?” The way Clive interrupted to ask brought another one of those electric jolts through his chest. Not the kind he summoned up courtesy Ramuh, but something a lot more dangerous. He swallowed, throat bobbing, and gave Clive a good bit of eye contact. He wasn’t sure he knew what he saw in the baby blues, but it didn’t help his boiling blood.

“Didn’t mean to say it, more like,” And if Clive wanted to draw his own conclusions from that, he was more than welcome to. He gestured back to the desk where the letter sat, as if Clive would see the letter from across the room and know what he meant. Know that it was just a mix-up. Say what you mean to write, write what you mean to say, simple as that. But he was still being a shade too honest. Clive didn’t deserve half-truths, nor the way Cid danced around the words. But dammit, it was hard.

“Right. Of course,” Cid could see Clive’s weight shifting uncomfortably from one side to the other. He looked quite like he wanted to say something so Cid squeezed his shoulder and let his hand fall, gesturing for him to go on.

“Don’t think on it too much,” he forced a smile, “no need to fret about it. I can show some restraint from time to time, believe it or not,” those times may have been rare, but they did exist. Often enough, it was for times like this. Times where he said too much, went too far, bewildered and alienated. He was good at that, but he was good at smoothing things over too.

“I’m not fretting,” Clive murmured. It seemed quite like a lie, and Clive was not good at lying. Maybe the only thing that didn’t come naturally to him. It made Cid’s chest warm and guilt rise. He’d done a number on him, all over a misunderstanding and an emotion he’d never meant to share.

“Then what are you?”

He hadn’t expected Clive’s hand to come to his cheek. He definitely hadn’t expected the rough of stubble to follow, or lips that were softer than in the fantasies that made bedfellows far too many nights. Slip of tongue, bumping noses, scraping teeth. That wasn’t a lie, nor was the fire in Clive’s fingertips when they traced along Cid’s throat.

“In love with you,” he breathed the words to Cid’s lips when they parted.

“Well in that case, I take back the apology,” Cid flashed a smirk, his heart rising and soaring and sticking in his throat just a touch. He restrained himself from stealing another kiss— the passionate, heated kind he dreamt off. The kind that ended with clothes on the floor. A bit soon for all that, after all, “but let me say it proper, then.”

Clive nodded. The look in those pretty eyes was a new one to him. It was one that he wanted to draw out more, to lose himself and live in.

“I love you, Clive. Have done for a while now. I take it that’s not a problem?” It drew a tiny smile and a press of their foreheads together— hot breath and hotter skin mingling.

“Of course it’s a problem,” he felt Clive’s smile on his own lips, “but I think we can bear it together.”

[kathrinesadventures]

After searching through the forum black hole, I finally managed to see a portrait of Alex!

A year ago I think, I had asked if Alex was a RO and you had said yes and eventually you were going to post his picture, after a while, since there was no portrait in the Tumblr post, I thought the idea of Alex being an RO had been scrapped because of the whole rewrite thing, which I was completely devastated about :'D

I really like Blade, he's really adorable but I'm just too obsessed with Alex to give him up. So I looked on the forum and saw Alex's post, which made me feel more at ease, but I wanted to be absolutely sure, so I looked in the game codes and saw that apparently it was marked as RO along with the others.

So, I wanted to know if we'll soon have a reunion with Alex, like, face to face. If this occurs in chapter 5 or later.

I'm absolutely dodging any flirting from the other ROs, I'm completely loyal to Alex 🫂

Oh, one thing. In a scene of Alex's inner thoughts, he apparently feels attracted to MC too, so it's not a one-sided crush, right? I mean, when we meet him again, Will he still have some kind of feelings for MC, or will we have to rekindle them?

Like, MY MC WAS GOING TO CONFESS! This is completely depressing :')

They're still an RO! And yep! The moment you meet them, (well it's gonna be a bit heart breaking, but that's just the moment ahaha- Please don't kill me) you'll be able to rekindle your relationship with them.

They love the MC (If relationships are above 50 ofc) and yeah, I'm at chapter 5.1 and they'll come around chapter 5.3 so about 20 something thousand away >:3

Sorry for the long, LONG wait for putting back Alex! Also here's the official portrait of the character!

[beeanca-writing]

That other anon was being an asshole, but I am curious about what you had planned for EfC? Not gonna lie, I'll miss the cast—would be nice to know what happens to who!

I'm still unsure what I'll do with EfC. I might come back to it once this current period of my life is over, though it'd likely be very different. First of all, it'd be a shorter story. I'd either get rid of some of the ROs, or find some way to better integrate them into the narrative (compare Harry, who you can have this huge, important backstory with vs Val, whom I love but is also just some guy, I guess?). It'd also probably be more focused on romance since that's usually what interests me the most in IF anyway.

I also might scrap a lot of it and stick to the storylines that interest me the most—mainly the Harry stuff. A shorter game dealing with The Hedonist returning to Court and having to face Harry sounds really fun to write, and it'd be a lot less complex to plan than this whole mess. Also, Harry is definitely a more developed character than some of the other ROs. For example, I love Camila to death, but she doesn't have much significance in the story other than "The Hedonist's friend" and I was never able to find her some meaning.

I'd also make The Hedonist even more of a fixed character by getting rid of all personality stats and focusing solely on their actions instead of worrying about personality. The stats were all carried over from CoG, and it's never been something I enjoy in their brand of IF. I was going to do this anyway when I first transferred the game to Twine, but stupidly asked Tumblr what they thought and, since most people preferred keeping the stats, I did that even though I didn't really want to.

As for to what would happen to the cast... In case I do come back to EfC, I don't think this would change much, so I'll put it into a read more in case someone doesn't want to know. If anyone has any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Grandma would die. Sorry!

Also, Cordelia was The Hedonist's twin who drowned in front of them, but that was a bit obvious, wasn't it? I'd definitely remove that from any rewrites, it's so unnecessary and cliché.

Henry would divorce Elizabeth to be with Nicholas. The Hedonist could either support him on this or not.

Due to the divorce, the rest of the family would be disgraced in Court. Evie's reputation is a little less affected if she's still with Harry.

As I mentioned in the past, The Hedonist can choose whether to stay in Court or not at the end.

The Hedonist and Evie can repair their relationship or not. Evie eventually makes an effort to become friends with The Hedonist, and you could choose whether to play nice or not. If The Hedonist romances Harry and you manage to have a good relationship, she forgives you, but asks for some time away from both The Hedonist and Harry.

I didn't really plan Camila's character arc well. She becomes a Republican rebel and can either still be friends with The Hedonist or have distanced herself a bit if they continue to be an asshole.

Sabina can choose to no longer be a nun if encouraged either by a friend or romanced Hedonist. If you romanced her but didn't encourage her to leave the convent, she dumps you. (Note: You later find out she was forced to become a nun by her family.)

Similarly to Sabina, Narcissa can choose to break things off with the Emperor if, again, encouraged either by a friend or romanced Hedonist.

Calvin's ending is the wildest one, actually. He finds out he's a father after the boy's mother passes away. The Hedonist can either tell him to abandon the boy or tell him to raise him (if Calvin is romanced, they kind of become a step parent).

Val can be encouraged to start studying to become a librarian. Also, his whole thing is that his father is the Emperor lol

Lastly, horse boy Harry will want to divorce Evie if romanced and marry The Hedonist instead. If you refuse to marry him, he divorces her anyway but doesn't stay with The Hedonist. A friend!Harry stays with Evie, I think? I don't know.

[soulsisterif]

Progress Update 18/12/2024

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating, and Happy Holidays for those just enjoying the season.

Wow, I look back at this past year and I wish I'd had more time to write because I have certainly not achieved as much as I had hoped.

I've been scrolling through the blog and, girl, so many things have changed as I developed the idea... When I first started writing this game I thought I would release the demo in, like, a month tops, and that it would be about 5k or 10k words.

And yet, here we are in December, 80k words in just counting Chapter One's file. To be fair, I could probably have released the demo as a teaser many months ago, but at that point the only character you would have interacted with is Dawn, and there would be no romance in sight, so it felt kind of better to just wait. Still, I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I haven't managed to finish Chapter One.

The demo has changed a lot since May, particularly in the last three months. Most of the changes revolve about how I wrote Abbie into the story, and I must say that I personally like it better now.

I've played games that give you your bestie as an RO before, and some of them left me a little indifferent. Even when the routes were well written and interesting, they didn't feel any different from the others. That made me see that I had to do a rewrite because I realized that there was no point in offering a best friend to romance if the character was presented the same way other ROs were. I had to give you snippets of Abbie's shared past with MC during the interview with Dawn, and more interactions with her during the process of signing up to enter the show, all of that before meeting the rest of the cast. If their bond rings hollow, what's the appeal in a friends-to-lovers route, right?

Unfortunately, this also meant taking some scenes out altogether, and changing the way I introduced stats, since I needed to know your MC's personality early on so that I could write her behaviour in flashbacks accordingly. Basically, the way I first structured Chapter One was unusable.

Some of the scenes I added are short, and others, considering all variables and flavour text, are like 4k words. You can even unlock special interactions or references, later on. Unique tattoos, inside jokes, specific gestures, fond memories, special places... The kind of thing that you would share with someone who's been close to you your whole life.

With that out of the way...

What's new:

• Some choices will block romance. You can choose to be shown which ones they are and they'll be marked with an x. As an example, the first one you'll encounter very soon into the game. If your MC is in her 40s, Vega's romance will be blocked.

• You can pick some family background for the MC.

• There were initially unique scenes for each pre-set names and the custom name. They now share the same scene that gives you another glimpse of Abbie and MC's past, as well as Abbie's relationship with her mother. The deleted scenes will be used later on in the story. I like them too much to let them go completely LOL

• I've added two new stats: Empathetic/Clueless & Easygoing/Hardass. Stats have changed, if slightly, since the first posts I made about them. Right now, things are:

• Since she has a nickname for your MC, MC will now be able to give one to Abbie, too.

• Abbie and MC can be roommates.

And that's it. I'm so sorry that it's taking me sooooo long to write this game. Thank you all for sticking with me, despite my lack of posting!

I'll also try to answer some of the asks that have been sitting in my inbox for a while. I might not answer all of them but they always mean a lot, so thanks for sending them in :D

[girlfromthecrypt]

I finally got to read the update!! Don't mind me rambling a bit about everything I loved about it...

I really enjoyed the beginning of this chapter.  Being playful with Basil in the van is super cute. It was interesting to see Reem and Basil not getting along a little bit, it makes me intrigued about if there will be any cracks in our little friend group's foundation that might start to show. And if so what that might mean when things start going bad.

Also, Anita is adorable!! It had me giggling when she called everyone attractive--I loved getting to tease her about it afterwards. I chose to room with her and the siblings--though the thought of Basil sleeping alone makes me nervous for the future...

Definitely Looking at Anita's comment about how your sanity starts slipping when you go without sleep. I'm SO eager to reach the horror. Though the slightly slower, cheerful beginning is so great. I love getting to know everyone and seeing them happy and bonding, knowing that there's horror on the horizon...

Javier talking about his mom marrying his dad straight up made me snort laugh. I work with kids and they truly do say the most out of pocket things. It's very true to life. And ooooh, Basil and Gabriel just...staring at the woods got me so hyped. Reading that scene gave me a proper thrill, that little 'heart-pounding-faster' feeling that makes me love horror so so much.

Hell yes at getting to tell the kids a scary story!! I remember being a kid and hearing classics like Don't Turn on the Light and being scared out of my socks. It's sooo fun to be able to play at passing that on to a whole new generation!! I'm 100% in to romance Basil, but this update makes me want to do a run where I romance Anita. She's so so cute. And the siblings both are great in their own ways... I'm sensing that I'll end up doing runs for each of the ROs, you've made such fun and sweet characters!

Aaah that ending!!!! Genuinely terrifying, and made me so anxious about the kids!! I KNOW my MC is going to be hard-pressed to keep them all safe. I can't wait to see what comes next!! I love how you write characters, they're all so likable and distinct!! This was such a good update, it makes me really eager for more.

HI (omg it's that cool person) HIIII <3

Thank you so much for this. I'll have you know I reread this ask like three times and I'm probably gonna read it all over again tomorrow bc it gives me life. I can't express how happy I am that you cared to write such a long ask bc of my IF if all things. Thank you, it made my day.

Basil and Anita's on-the-road scenes in the van were my favorite to write!! And yes, there's certainly a bit of tension in the group. MCs with high sociability or perception will be able to pick up on this, also on George's fondness for a certain colleague--- but don't worry, no one's at each other's throats. Yet.

And yay, some Anita appreciation!! Cut her some slack, she's not used to being around hot people and between a possibly cute MC and the FUCKING MALAKS of all people... yeah. It's not easy for her.

Ok so you know that you can also sleep in the van with Basil if your relationship stat/his approval of you is strong enough? I hope that was clear from the dialogue options and you just chose the cabin despite of it, bc if not, I might have to rewrite the choice. Furthermore, while I can see why you'd be worried for him, I'd be more concerned for an MC who chooses to sleep alone ;) [yes, this is me hinting at a future horror scenario possibly unique to that route].

Ah yes, Javier, my son <3 lol. Nahhh I don't favor any of the campers. Though, if I had to pick which one I liked to write the most, it'd probably be him.

Now I feel bad haha. Ok but srsly, kids can be VERY outspoken, and Javier especially has noooo social filter. You might notice that some of the campers' traits specifically correspond to some of the ROs' characteristics... Looking at Gabriel and Basil here.

Both campfire stories are also really close to my own heart, so I jumped at the chance to include them. As for the ROs, I do hope you'll do a run for each of them! I'm trying quite hard to make it difficult to choose between them ;)

I love that the ending hit the way it was supposed to. If you want to know what's up next, I have one word for you: confusion. Lots of confusion.

See, I need to give this story a slow, slice-of-life start, bc purely from a narrative standpoint, it wouldn't make sense for the horror to come out guns blazing. That's why the MC will at first be the only one to experience the horrors and for the horrors to (seemingly) originate from one of the kids, bc if it was more dramatic and the threat was to come from an exterior source, everyone would just pack up and flee and then the story would be over. That's what I figure.

Anyhow, I'm so glad I still got you hooked with this project. Thanks so much for this super long message.

[fanfictiongirlie]

HP: Forbidden - Chapter Six

Click here for masterlist

Parings: George Weasley x Female OC (Slytherin)

Description:

Rosalie Riddle lives in the shadow of her father, going to Hogwarts made her feel safe and happy and when she meets George Weasley she feels a whole new emotion. Follow her story from the beginning of her Hogwarts Journey.

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Can fluff be a warning? Little bit of angst. Fred still dies, sorry.

P.s. So this is a rewrite from a fanfiction I originally wrote when I was roughly 16. It was awful, truly awful, but I adored the story so I decided to rewrite it ten years later. Enjoy.

My third year at Hogwarts could not of come sooner. I spent the summer at Riddle Manor, with the Carrows, and this year they were more horrid towards me. I felt like a personal beating bag. 

Luckily my Hogwarts robes covered the remaining bruises, I had more classes this year to focus on, which I was so excited for. 

I walked into the Library, three books already in arm, most tables were full and the students weren't exactly quiet. 

Luckily I spotted a table at the very back with only one boy sitting at it. A Hufflepuff who looked a lot older than me, but his table was quiet, so I walked towards it.

I walked over and cleared my throat, he looked up at me, and I suddenly felt weak, he was beautiful, I shook the thought from my mind.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked

"No, go for it" He replied, smiling wide at me, it made my stomach flutter. It was annoying, I couldn't work out why. 

I placed my books on the table and sat on the chair, I opened my Potions book and started to study the Potions for the year. 

"I'm Cedric by the way" The boy said, I looked up and he was smiling at me, and holding his hand out. I reached over to shake his hand, not releasing my sleeve showed my arm as I extended my hand. 

He suddenly grabbed my wrist and started to examine my arm. 

"Who did this to you? Are you okay?" He asked, I pulled my arm forcefully back. 

"Nothing" I mumbled.

"I have some bruise paste in my bag if you would like some?" He offered, I eyed him up, why was he being so nice? Maybe because he was a Hufflepuff and some of them can't help themselves. 

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small pot handing it to me, I nervously took it.  

"Apply that before you go to bed, and I'll make you some more if you need it" He smiled. 

"Why are you being so nice? " I asked. 

He looked confused for a second. 

"I'm just a nice person er- you never said your name" He grinned. 

"Rosalie" I answered. 

"Oh, right you're well, his daughter, right?" He asked, I nodded waiting for him to run off screaming, but he didn't, he chuckled and started to read his book once more. 

Confused, I smiled to myself and started scanning my own book again. 

_______

"How's our favourite Slytherin?" A voice asked, I turn around to see Fred and George, I actually found myself smiling when I saw their grins. 

"I'm your favourite?" I asked, I looked around to see if my friends near, I knew they wouldn't like me talking to Gryffindors. Luckily I was alone at my tree near the lake. 

"Well you're the only Slytherin we speak too" Fred smiled, they both sat in front of me and grabbed their books. Reading or studying with these two was becoming a normal thing now. 

It was relaxing. 

"Are you coming to watch our Quidditch game today?" George asked, I looked up from my book and into his eyes, I could feel my cheeks redden, why was that happening. 

"No, I think I'll pass today" I answer smiling, not able to take my eyes away from his. 

"Can't bare to watch us beat Slytherin?" Fred teased. 

I finally looked away from George, and laughed at Fred. 

"No, I just have no interest in Quidditch, I think I'll spend my time in the Library" I answer. They seemed happy enough with my answer. 

We stayed quiet for a little bit longer, until Fred jumped up and ran off, yelling something about leaving something in the Great Hall. Probably something to do with a prank. 

"Rosalie" George spoke 

"Yes George?" I answered, smiling sweetly at him, I played idly with my hair, it was getting far too long now. 

"Would you want to go with me to Hogsmeade on Saturday?" He asked, it shocked me, I hadn't even thought about Hogsmeade. I had never been. I was beyond excited. 

"I'd love too" I smiled, my entire was was completely red now. 

"Brilliant! It's a date then!" He grinned and sped off in the same direction as Fred. I hadn't moved, I felt frozen. 

A date?!

I had never been on a date, was I ready for that? I couldn't believe it, I packed up my books and things and jumped up, speeding to my common room to tell Daphne and Pansy. 

Something stopped me before I got there though, my thoughts. 

They would ridicule me for even thinking of going on a date with George, a Gryffindor and a Weasley.. Unfortunately the two things Slytherins didn't like. 

I hated it, maybe I should of been in Hufflepuff, I just wanted everyone to get along.  

I liked George though, I think. He made me smile a lot, and blush... A lot. I wasn't sure if I liked him romantically, and maybe I was overthinking this slightly, my feelings were making my head hurt. 

But I think I was excited, and I only wanted my friends to be excited for me too. 

I stepped into the common room and by the window were Daphne and Pansy giggling about something. I strolled over trying not to smile too much. 

"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" I ask them, they both nod and turn to me. 

"If someone we knew, decided to go on a date with someone from a different house, what would you think?" I ask, nervously, I felt my palms sweating. 

"Honestly" Pansy started,  "I would be disgusted everyone from the other houses are gross" 

I frowned, I knew it.. Pansy walked off, leaving me and Daphne. 

"If it makes you happy Rosalie, go for it" She smiled at me. 

"Thank you" I whispered.

[omc-if]

Heyyyaaaaa. I really enjoyed your demo. The story intrigues me alot.

There are a few typos and grammatical errors that need to be polished up but you stated that yourself so i won't harp on that at all.

There were 3 choices that wouldn't work. Incase you weren't aware.

1. Was the very sarcastic reply to Klaus when he remarks on MCs speech.

2. When you ask oliver if he's okay or want to take him to the infirmary i think. One of those.

3. Choosing to follow the shadowy figure at the festival.

Those all didnt show any variables and had errors. But i still enjoyed the story.

I have a few questions, tho don't know if I'm stupid for it. Please bare with me 🤣🫣

1. But who exactly are we marrying? Or is it just any one of the ROs?

2. Is it one you choose at the festival?... bt i doubt that because not everyone is present there...

Or is it a specific heir?

3. And if it is the crown prince, how does that affect us if our MC is male, seeing as they can only be romanced by a female MC.

4. Also how does being the same sex as any of the ROs actually affect us? Is same sex marriage a thing in the world building or are we gonna be forced to marry someone else as a cover up?

5. Can you romance any of the ROs even if they aren't our fiance?? Or do we lock a specific RO in the beginning as a route?

Sorry if it's too much. I just have a lot of questions after reading the demo because i want to know exactly how the routes will work. If some of the questions are spoilery, please leave em out. I'd understand, but I'd like to at least be able to know how exactly the Romance option is gonna play out in the game, seeing as it's such a big part of it. 😇

The explanation on this one is going to be long, bear with me 🤣 and yes I plan to rewrite the demo a whole lot. I'll fix the bugs ASAP when I get home from work.

2. Would it be alright if you send a picture of where you get the bug from Oscar's scene? That'll be helpful, sorry for the inconvenience!

3. As for the shadowy figure in the festival. It is selective on your choices. So yes you'll only see 3/4 choices in the festival.

Also thank you for trying out the demo! I'm glad you somehow liked it, there's no such thing as stupid questions!

1. You can marry any of the ROs

2. Yes it is the one who you will choose at the festival, they're all present! But only Clemence didn't have a POV, the choice for her to be your fiancée is still there though.

3. Régis cannot be entirely romanced by M!MC nor pick in terms of route, but you can have a situationship with him, it does not count as romance though.

4. Same sex marriage is frowned upon, that will be further discussed as I go down the world building but yeah, it will be covered up just not in a 'marry someone else' stand point.

5. Yes you are locking in RO route early game 🙇 and yes you can romance any RO, but the end game will always be the route that you are locked into.

[catt-nuevenor]

First I would like to say that you’re an amazing writer, your dissertation-esque research you’ve put into this project is unmatched, and you’ve been exceptionally kind and gracious in regards to accepting feedback. Second- I personally don’t mind the ROs having lives outside of the MC and their own relationships(I can see people are already getting touchy about it), but adding a number of ‘side characters’ does make it feel a little convoluted, and too much happening in the background that may detract from the story. Of course I can’t say for certain, as the story perhaps seems to be changing as well? It feels to me like instead of a rewrite, an almost- new story completely. If that’s what you intended and we’re unhappy with the past setup of the story, I understand. I wouldn’t want a creator to continue working on something they no longer felt passionate about and I don’t think people have the right to demand you make something you have no desire to continue or bend to their every whim. It just feels a bit jarring, I suppose. Especially with the silence and then all these changes coming at once.Definitely will take some time getting used to and I hope to get over the feeling and return to enjoying your work because like I’ve said, I really have enjoyed it immensely in the past and the detail you put into your research is unmatched. Also gotta respect what a bold move it all is! ❤️

Thank you for your praise and your appreciation of my nerdy research. Not sure whether to be proud or worried you compare it to dissertation research. I suppose if I make a challenge for myself on world building, I commit to it?

Anyway, though you don't bring this up directly in your ask, I think it's best to address the old story vs new story fears that seem to be emerging. Regardless of the changes I am making to the story, the old version's demo with which you are all familiar is staying up and accessible and will not be taken down unless it is no longer possible to do so, be that for hosting reasons or legal complication down the line should I be able to get the fixed narrative story published.

The new version will be a separate demo.

Onto a few of the points you do bring up in your ask...

Cast size was already pretty big in the first place, considering I had well over 100 townsfolk knocking about. That said, yes, making sure our new folks are balanced in their influence on the story and 'page time' will be a challenge, but one I hope to rise to. The aim would be to avoid them feeling convoluted or detracting from the plot. I do plan to use these new folks to enhance the story and flow.

The changes will be big, no question, a lot of this is down to me refining the world building behind the scenes. I'm dragging Myrk Mire out of the patchy world building this whole project began with and into the newer, firmer setting, because I want it to have a place there, to be consumed alongside the fixed narrative pieces without readers having to hold two different but similar fantasy universes in their heads at the same time.

I should have been updating the blog more regularly than I have, just to keep you all in step with the development of things. I'm really bad at juggling tasks, and the last year's been devoted to the fixed narrative story and background world building, not things easily shared while avoiding spoilers. I'd like to say I'm going to keep on top of it in the future, but I'm reluctant to make such sweeping promises. Besides, I want this blog to remain devoted to writing, not my wandering rambles for the sake of putting a post up every day.

There will be time to get used to things, all of this moves very slowly, there are only so many hours in the day for me to type in. But, when things are ready for public consumption, I hope you'll let me know what you think, and if I've managed to keep the spirit of the original story in the new iteration.

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So readers coming along later to this discussion know what we're all talking about, here are links to the posts that started it all off:

Changes to the Main Character - Myrk Mire

Location Change

[imgoingtocrash]

Hi there, it's your Secret Santa :) Hope you had a wonderful week! Two questions for today: 1) When reading a longer story, do you have a preferred chapter length? 2) What did you think of Andor (the TV show)? What was your favourite story arc?

Hello again!

1. Not particularly? I trust the author to know what’s up lol. Most often I find I like a 20k words with ~5 chapters sort of mid-length oneshot sort of thing. Like it has spaced out beats so that I can take a break between chapters if needed, but overall it’s a singular story, if that makes sense. But I’ve also read 20+ chapter fics that update with 2-5k words every week or so. The fic always dictates that kind of thing for me lol.

2. My feelings toward Andor are…complicated. Which I think is a familiar sentiment in the fandom.

Like, I wanted more Cassian Andor, and I got it, and there are some really great pieces of story and writing in there. The score is absolutely incredible. I hope it makes it into at least a couple of Emmy categories.

(Particularly I watched Luther: The Fallen Sun right around when No Way Out aired, and Andy Serkis has some damn RANGE this year and he deserves some supporting credit for sure for that or Andor.)

The cinematography, direction, and set design is INCREDIBLY unique for modern Star Wars. The choice of not using The Wall and doing as much practical set construction as possible SHOWS. It has an intimacy I think the new movies strayed away from, and it benefits what Andor as a show is trying to do. Not to mention that the RO/Rebelcaptain fandom has feasted on scraps for like 5 years and we actually got a lot to play with from the show. (When/If Cassian says Jyn’s name in s2 I will need to be hospitalized ❤️)

But. The Kenari/Kassa thing. The Maarva and Clem “adoption” situation. Some lack of decent reputation. It’s not really my place to elaborate on some of it as a white person, but I’m keeping up with those conversations in the fandom and I find myself agreeing with a lot of them.

Have I proposed AU ideas about Maarva meeting a RO!Lives team with Cassian? Sure. Do I think the way people are writing Cassian’s POV on the canon is really interesting? So far, hell yeah.

As usual, I’m willing to deal with the sandbox I’ve been given and play around in it, but I do think there’s room for improvement, and I’m an OG Rebelcaptain fan, so I’m always down for anyone that chooses to ignore the rewriting of Cassian’s Festian history. I’ll pretend the show doesn’t exist any day of the week and ride whatever vibes the author is putting down.

But as for favorite story arc, I did really enjoy the prison arc (and the kick in the ass of Cassian building the thing that kills him, because we love an awful full circle moment.)

Also, the beginnings of Rebellion Intelligence! I think Mon gets a bad rap sometimes when it’s like…she and Bail literally clawed this whole thing out of nothing. The Padme BFFs Club had a bunch of credits and a hope and eventually saved the galaxy by being true to what they always believed was right. They rule imo.

Also, my favorite scene is the end where Cassian is like “kill me or recruit me bitch” kebdnsn his eyes are so SAD and WET that’s my poor little meow meow spy 🥹