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Yoh this gave me a fright

…. I don’t fear God, but I do fear the automatic stapler in the staff room

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I am, once again, thinking about N Sewell and one of their favorite books, Great Gatsby (which is also one of my favorite books). This is also partially inspired by the bonus content that was posted a few days ago! It's been on my mind ever since. Because of that, and because it’s more of a ramble than anything else, I’m putting the rest of this post under the break. 

One big part of N’s character that intrigues me is the way they cling to their humanity. Or rather, whatever is left of it. They’ve spent so much of the last three centuries holding on as tight as they can to what they used to be, and it carries over into their love for reading and stories—which is also one of the main themes of Great Gatsby: holding onto the past, even when it kills you. Gatsby has spent years stubbornly holding onto the memories of the relationship he used to have with Daisy that his perception of the truth has been completely skewed. All he cares about is stopping time and turning back the clock. (There’s even a quote about it. “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!” And the tea scene, which is a personal favorite.)

He’s hung all of his hopes on having her again; we all know she’s the green light he keeps reaching for. (And the color green symbolizes so many things: wealth, prosperity, envy, to name a few that fit.) To Gatsby, Daisy is the living embodiment of all his desires. He isn’t in love with her so much as he is in love with the idea of her; she’s become a sort of status symbol to him. Something to project his desires onto. If he can have her, it means he’s achieved all he’s ever wanted. The wealth, the high-class life, the privilege, all of these things he’s been hungry for and has devoted himself to obtaining. 

Similarly, turning was something that N never wanted. Having their mortality taken from them is a wound that has never healed, even after all these years; partially due to their own avoidance. N enjoys cooking. They eat human food. They lose themself in their books and the stories they adore so much, and all because they can’t handle the truth of their reality. N dives into their beloved stories with so much romanticism because it’s easier than facing what’s real, just as they play at still being human. 

Which is part of what makes their relationship with the Detective in the romance route so interesting to me. Time and time again, we’ve seen the way N latches onto the Detective’s humanity. N makes off-hand (and presumptuous) comments about the Detective becoming a vampire in the future, and yet at the same time admits to themself that they don't want them to turn. N treasures their mortality and it’s easy to interpret part of that as them projecting onto the Detective; they don’t want what happened to them to happen to their partner. It is, in a way, N’s own method of stopping time and fixing the past. That isn’t to say that N doesn’t love the Detective, because they do, but there are definitely some parallels between the relationship they share with the Detective, and the one Gatsby and Daisy have. Green is even N’s color; we see them wearing it all the time. 

N’s inability to face the truth is also reminiscent of our iconic narrator, Nick Carraway. Though he claims to be “one of the few honest men he has ever known,” he has an enormous blind spot when it comes to himself and to Gatsby. Despite how he insists on giving an unbiased opinion on the events that unfold, there’s an undeniable favoritism to his neighbor. Nick also plays a hand in setting up the affair between Gatsby and Daisy, and judges the people he interacts with throughout the book. Setting himself up as “honest” and unbiased—merely an outside spectator, nothing more—in the beginning only makes it easier for him to swallow everything that happens later on, even when they become unacceptable. Especially when this clearly isn’t the case, and he’s involved far more than he’s willing to, or capable of, admitting. 

That kind of denial can be dangerous—not unlike how the idealist and romantic parts of N are equally enchanting as they are a concern. In their own way, N is just as unreliable as Nick. (Remember the, “Not with my own hands, no,” answer they give the Detective, after being asked if they’ve ever taken a life?) N prefers the dreamy notions found between the pages of their books and the denial of the part they ever played aboard The Queen’s Sabre over the cold and unsavory truth, even three hundred years after it happened. Just as they continue to pretend to still be human. 

But you can’t hold onto the past forever, and you can’t keep lying to yourself. Blatant denial can only go so far, especially not when you have an eternity to live. Sooner or later you have to let go—or they will drown you. I’m just very interested in seeing the path N’s route takes in the future books. Their intentional avoidance could very well lead to their undoing (or at least a very fun read). They can learn how to face the truth, face the facts of what they’ve done and what they are… or they can let their stubbornness destroy them, and bring the Detective down with them. 

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i hate that most fandoms have a huge gap in the ratio of m/m fics and f/f fics with the sapphic ones having barely any

i do however love that the cw supergirl fandom said fuck that and flipped the trend

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I've seen people share their IF MC picrews and i wanted to do one too, hehe! My MC for @soulmatesinc-if (seriously, it's such a great IF, check it out post-haste).

My MC's name is Valentine Jones (Valentine being super on the nose but i swear, it's the first name i usually use for all the IFs i play, it just really works this time lmao).

She has it prettyyyyyy bad for Amber Wyatt hehe, especially after they did the charity art event when they teamed up.

She also put the heart next to Amber's name on her phone and did the ungraceful body dive to hide it lmao. She's good-humoured and usually pretty easy-going but also quite shy when it comes to her own romantic entanglements and feelings.

She believes in love, maybe not quite soulmates but that if ya put two compatible people together in the right conditions, they can build something lovely and lasting from that basis. So she likes weaving together the right conditions for connection.

She's also quite uneasy to learn about a potential dark side to Soulmates Inc. and so was receptive to finding out more from Romero - if there are potential troubling consequences to her work (which she usually approaches with enthusiasm and 'heart', if you'll excuse the pun) then she wants to know about it.

The picrew maker i used.

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Because they are kin 🥹

she destroyed all of the stuffed animals except for this one

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i cannot hate myself into a version of me i will love.

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Circling back to the agenda till you create a death spiral of doom

How do they keep making later and later stages of late-capitalism

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Maddie being introduced as this literal ray of sunshine and then being the first to beat along to Piltovers turn to martial law. Her interactions with Vi mystifying her as “one of the good ones.” One of the good Zaunites. She was always discriminatory toward Zaunites, they just didn’t make it overt at her introduction. The turn to fascism and discrimination can start with anyone. Including a literal ray of sunshine.

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Sigourney Weaver tries out the flame thrower for Alien (1979)

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Oh my goddddddd i am really liking this IF, it's giving gothic romanticism/almost wuthering heights/haunting of bly manor (minus actual ghosts atm) vibes - i am so hooked

Welcome to Blackwood Manor

Most recent update: 14 November 2024

A choose-your-own-story kind of game where you can pick your own gender, sexuality, lover(s) and much more.

The Blackwoods are a wealthy noble family in Victorian England, and they seem to have fallen in a streak of dark, unexplainable events. You’re their new Housekeeper— how will you move in this complex scenario? And how will you interact with the four love interests, none other than the mysterious Blackwood Siblings?

It’s up to you!

Meet The Siblings:

Alice/Arlen 🍷 The Eldest

cold • gallant • commanding • unapproachable

A is the eldest child and heir of the Blackwood fortune. They seem to be extremely distant and aloof, although never impolite. The recent loss of their ex spouse certainly doesn’t seem to make them any more approachable. The Family’s reputation is what matters the most to them, and they will go to any lengths to maintain it intact.

Rose/Rowan 🍁 The Rebel

considerate • passionate • charming • cunning

R is what one might describe as a fox made human. Their silver tongue and quick wit make them exceptional at playing games of all kinds. Their tendency for partying and romantic affairs, however, don’t make them a subtle individual in the eyes of the English nobility.

Sabrina/Sebastian 🦋 The Artist

vain • creative • extravagant • sensitive

Renowned in England for their handcrafted and designed capes, they’re an admired yet shadowy figure when it comes to their fame, as their frail health doesn’t allow them to partake in social events. In reality, S shows to have a bit of a complicated and pompous personality, with an obsession with perfection, especially when it comes to themselves.

Helena/Hector ❄️ The Recluse

protective • unpredictable • dangerous • intense

A big mystery of the Blackwood Family. H was only ever seen by people outside the Manor when they were a child, and everybody would describe their looks as angelic. Now that they’re grown, for some reason they refuse to leave their side of the manor, preferring solitude even over the company of their own siblings. One thing is for sure, though: be careful when you do end up meeting them.

Get to know them, choose how to act towards them, and fall in love with one, two… or all of them. All the while, trying to find out what exactly happened to the previous Housekeeper.

—

If your curiosity has been piqued, you can play the first couple of chapters of my dark romance game here:

and here, where you can also save your game:

CoGDemos

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I need this trans diva in league of legends now

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For anyone currently using Twine or planning to use Twine to create interactive fiction, I wanted to point out that the developer of Twine, Chris Klimas, has a Patreon you can pledge to if able!!

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Small romance things that make me go FERAL

A very totally incredibly non-delulu list by Writerthreads

arm/shoulder/waist/SMALL OF THE BACK touches

HANDS BRUSHING, BUT TOO NERVOUS TO DO ANYTHING MORE

calling them by their name ("What's your opinion on this, X?") (they way they say their name makes their heart do funny things)

the way their voice goes heavy/breathy

CHIN RESTS ON THEIR SHOULDER

whispering into their ear and the way their breath tickles

non-affectionate nicknames just for them

recognising their laugh and trying to make them laugh just to hear it again

little private smirks/winks, watching their reaction when someone makes a joke

sniffing their hair/recognising their on their shampoo

eye contact so deep they feel like sinking

SMALL PECKS ON THE CORNER OF THEIR MOUTH/CHIN/FOREHEAD

recognising the sound of their footsteps

co-existing in the same space, acknowledging their presence and feeling safe

CARESSING THEIR CHEEK WITH THEIR THUMB

recognising their nervous ticks and comforting them, like putting a hand on their bouncing leg

tracing scars, freckles, moles, lines of their muscle, you name it (SCREAMS)

grinning when they blush

watching with pride as the other does a presentation/leads a mission/takes charge

making up private signals for each other

HAND KISSES

NECK KISSES

playing with their hair/brushing their hair/braiding their hair

Ah, love. That lingering warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest. I love love.

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Loving this!

The Prologue is here!

DEMO - Public Release - 11/15/2024 - 90k words.

In this update you will...

Lose your temper.

Struggle with the job market.

Have a day that's somehow not the worst day of your life.

Meet a group of weirdos.

Get into a fight!

Get handsy with your boss?

In this update you'll only meet 4/6 romances. Rebel and Harper are not in this chapter.

If you run into any issues or errors please send me an ask about it.

Content warnings can be found at the start of the demo. God Syndicate is a romance interactive fiction novel meant for mature audiences.

Thank you all for waiting patiently as I write this! I've learned exactly what it takes to write an IF (Hint: It's a lot.) Though I'm not satisfied with where it's at now it's alright because getting through this has energized me and made me so excited to continue! I hope you all enjoy reading it even half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've already begun on Chapter 1, but it's very little so expect a while longer before the next chapter. This is my first real writing project so please be patient, and thank you again :)

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i know i wouldnt survive in an austen novel because someone would be britishly, discretely rude to me and i would be completely unable to restrain myself from calling them a cunt to their face

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rb this and tell me what ur accent is. this has no purpose except the fact i just realized i could have like... mutuals with cockney accents or newfoundland accents or something and thats just wild