#i could ramble on and on but its just so thought provoking and nostalgic and makes me cry and i love it love it forever n ever

[ember-owlet]

25 days of agere moodboards

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ day 14 : a song that reminds you of regression  -> to the sky ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

♪ Birds-eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you Wide eyes will always brighten the blue Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery 'Cause after all those wings will take you, up so high So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind And take to the sky (you take to the sky) ♪

[merrycrisis-if]

reading the Qiu reunion while listening to a playlist with "Break my Heart Again" by FINNEAS was a risk I took and boy did it not pay off 🫠

I had barely recovered from hitting the bridge:

"So don't pretend that I'm the instigator You were the one, but you're born to say goodbye Kissed me half a decade later That same perfume, those same sad eyes"

as Qiu arrived to the party and then you hit me with

"You can see [them] wonder how much to ask for, and you find yourself wondering how much to give."

a few screens later and as cheesy as it sounds I genuinely needed to just stop and take a couple minutes to process the feelings it all brought up, especially as someone who lost a super important person in my life because I was a 'bad influence' (read: queer and helping her as she came to discover and accept she was as well despite an uber conservative christian upbringing).

And on that note if I could just ramble for a bit - Between Merry Crisis and CT:OS, I'm realizing that what I appreciate most about your writing is how real it feels. Like, in the niche of interactive fiction where most works are at least somewhat heightened, whether its the MC being a Chosen One, the setting being a heightened version of reality or outright fantasy, your writing is so grounded in reality that it almost feels biographical by comparison - and I mean that as a compliment I promise! It's just so real and relatable it feels almost nostalgic rather than escapist, which is something I think a *lot* of realistic fiction writers try to do, but so few can actually pull off in a way that feels genuine like yours do. Where most IF's leave me imagining what my MC's and their supporting casts would be up to after the final scene, yours always seem to leave me reflecting on my own past with how relatable your characters' experiences are.

Anyway idk if that actually makes any sense but thank you so much for the incredible update and I cannot wait for more <3

I am so AMAZED by the idea of you listening to that song while playing the update! Those lines are absolutely PERFECTLY IN SYNC. Crazy. I can only imagine how awesome that experience must've been!

Please keep telling me all the songs that you guys listen to as accompaniment to Merry Crisis, because it's so INTERESTING to know you guys' soundscapes/soundtracks to the game.

I'm sorry you had that experience of losing that really important person to you, and yes, it sounds a lot like what happened between Qiu and MC. It's so tough to be ditched by someone with an ultra conservative upbringing, but it also sucks to have gone through that kind of upbringing. If you're reading this and you belong to either of your groups, you have my love!!

And finally, thank you so much for your praise regarding Merry Crisis and CT:OS! It's really cool that you think they're both relatable and thought-provoking. I love that the IFs make you reflect on your own experiences. I do hope to reach a point in the writing that sparks readers to imagine what MC and the cast of characters get up to together off-screen as well though! :D

Sending you so many hugs.