Author:somemaycallmesunshine Pairing: Matt Cohen x Reader Reader Gender:Female Word Count:2k Warnings: fluff (is that a warning?), swearing, reader has self-confidence issues, mentions of anxiety/depression
A/N: Hi, everyone! Sorry this took so long. I first want to thank everyone who liked or followed this story and for everyone who still is reading it despite my absence. It means so much to me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! (Internal thoughts are in italics)
Summary: You had long dreamt of meeting your hero Matt Cohen and thanking him for changing your life. But now with SPNCon rolling around, you finally get your chance, and it’s more than you could have ever imagined.
You checked yourself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. You didn’t have anything to wear for a day out with your hero so you asked your friend Cecelia, who, just like friends do, let you borrow a cute sundress she brought. But not without the price of grilling you on the details.
“Come on! At least show me a picture of your mystery date!” She pouted.
“It’s not a date, Cece.” You insisted.
She snorted, “Yeah right. What kind of guy asks you on a whim to eat lunch with him alone and tells you how special you are? Not to mention he just met you. Face it, Y/N. He totally asked you out.” She sighed as she flopped onto the hotel bed. “God, why don’t these kinds of things happen to me?”
You hesitated for a moment, fiddling with your hands. “Cece, what if it’s not all it’s cracked up to be?” You asked, your voice low and hands shaking. “What if this is just a game? What if he’s just using me?”
Cecilia frowned, “You know he’s not.” But your unconvinced expression told her otherwise. “Y/N, you’ve gotta be a little more hopeful about this. This is someone new, this mysterious and probably hot and handsome stranger asking you out on a friggin’ date for god sakes! It’s like a dream!”
“And what if that’s all this’ll be? Just some stupid dream that ends up being a complete nightmare?”
“I don’t think that’ll happen.” She replied. “Not everyone is like Barron, you know.”
You sucked in a deep breath, knowing that what she said was true but the doubt still lingered in your mind. You weren’t one for fairy tales and happy endings. They just didn’t happen to you. And you weren’t going to start believing in them now just because some gorgeous guy supposedly asked you out.
You turned away from the mirror to face her, changing the subject. “How do I look?” Truthfully, whatever your friend said, you felt a little strange. You never dressed up for anything really and it was one the first times in your life you ever put that much effort into make up and hair. Your reflection almost made it seem like you were a completely different person.
Cece gave you a wink, “Rawr.” She made a sound similar to a purring cat. “Trust me. He won’t be able to resist.” You grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it into her face.
“Hey! What the hell?”
“You’re crazy.” You snorted.
She smirked and kicked at your heels, “Yeah but you love it. Now get going or you’re gonna be late for Prince Charming!”
Matt fiddled with his collared shirt and tried combing his unruly hair once more before turning back to his friends, Richard and Rob. “There. How do I look?”
“Like a friggin’ archangel.” Richard snickered and pinched Matt’s cheeks. Matt swatted his hand away and Richard’s snickers turned into full on guffaws.
Rob shook his head, “I still say it’s a little weird. You met her yesterday, right?” Matt nodded his head and he continued, “So what – do you like her or something? I mean, it’s not like you to wanna just pick girls up on a whim.”
“Um no. Girls wanna pick him up. I mean, have you seen the ass on this guy? He’s fucking blessed.” Rich snorted.
Matt rolled his eyes and ignored his friend. “It’s hard to explain. It was… It was a feeling, you know?” He paused for a moment, biting his lip to help collect his thoughts but they all traced back to your smiling face. “It was like God was opening this door of opportunity and I had to take it – seriously, you’re a fucking perv, Rich.” He scoffed as he watched his friend collapse in tears.
“Face it. You walked right into that one though, dude.” Rob smirked.
Sometimes Matt wondered why he was best friends with those psychos but he couldn’t help but love them. He sighed and glanced at his watch and his eyes widened, “Shit! I’m gonna be late!”
As he bolted out the door, he heard Richard holler, “Use protection, Matty!” And he flipped him off.
You couldn’t stop the thrumming in your heart as you waited in the lobby. You tapped your toes on the ground and checked your phone to try to calm yourself down but it still didn’t seem real. Matt had asked you to lunch and half of you thought it was a dream you were more than excited to experience and the other half thought it was too good to be true.
Maybe I was just dreaming it all up. You thought as your heart sank but just as it had, it lifted and raced as you spotted the all too familiar face enter the lobby.
Several heads turned as they saw him and some folks who had gone to the convention gasped and squealed upon seeing him but once he spotted you, yours was the only face he saw. He dashed to you, bypassing the spectators nearby and that was when you realized you hadn’t dreamt it at all. It was a reality and you were about to live it and you didn’t know whether you were bursting from excitement or trembling from that nagging fear that you would mess it up.
“Y/N, hey. Sorry for being late.” Matt remarked, giving you a quick hug. “Rich and Rob kept me but hopefully you didn’t wait too long.”
You shook your head, “No I didn’t.”
Matt’s nervous expression turned to one of relief as he sighed with a grin, “That’s good. I would’ve hated it if I worried you.”
“Truthfully I’m surprised you remembered.” You admitted.
His eyes grew wide before he frowned, “And forget about you and our special day together? Keep dreaming, Y/N.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Speaking of that, I made us a reservation in an hour so shall we go, m'lady?” He drawled in a fake British accent, holding his arm out.
You hooked your arm in his and nodded. He squeezed your arm against his as you both headed for the parking lot.
You were dreaming. You had to be. There was just no other explanation as to why Matt not only asked you to have lunch with him but followed through with his plans and took you to the quaintest restaurant you’d ever seen. It was like a little slice of Italy with pictures of olive groves and Tuscan villas decorating the walls and the sweet smell of garlic and tomatoes wafting through the air. They had the sweetest staff and you both wound up in a corner booth a ways away from the other customers.
“Any friend of Rob’s is a friend of ours.” The owner, a tiny Italian woman who looked like a grandma grinned at you as she took your orders.
“I’ll have the special.” Matt remarked before turning to you, “What would you like, sweetheart?”
You blushed at the nickname but Matt didn’t seem to notice the effect he had on you. Nevertheless, the waitress was awaiting the response and you didn’t want to keep her waiting. You glanced at the menu, hiding behind its pages before ordering the same thing and the woman left you both alone.
“I don’t think I said this yet but you look beautiful.” Matt grinned.
You almost thought it was his goal that day to make you blush constantly. You fiddled with your sleeves as heat rose into your cheeks, “You’re just saying that –”
“Trust me. I’m not. You really do look great today, Y/N.”
You ducked your head, feeling even warmer, “Thanks. You – you look great today too –not that you don’t look great everyday! Im sure you look amazing everyday – oh God, I’m digging myself in a hole aren’t I?”
Matt chuckled, amused. “I’m glad you think so, sweetheart.” He winked.
You were pretty sure your face was now officially on fire so you hid your face behind your hands. “I just need to shut up. I’m such an idiot.”
“Hey, no, Y/N.” Matt frowned, “Look at me.”
You shook you head and he sighed. “Y/N, please.” His voice grew serious and you peeked behind your hands for the briefest moment before relenting and letting them drop. Then you lifted your gaze and met his green orbs as he replied, “Thank you.”
You nodded, feeling your throat run dry as he continued. “You’re not an idiot, okay? I know we don’t know each other much but trust me when I say you aren’t. And for the record, I didn’t mind the rambling. I thought it was adorable.”
You flinched, reliving the words that made you feel humiliated. “Sorry about that…”
“You don’t have to apologize, you know, for anything. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But –”
He put his hand out and placed it over yours which easily shut you up. “Y/N, it’s okay. You have nothing to apologize for. Alright?”
Your throat seemed to swell and your eyes sting from the unshed tears that always seemed to appear at the drop of a hat. But Matt didn’t seem to mind. He tilted your chin up, allowing you to gaze once more at his handsome face. His eyes searched yours, awaiting a response so you nodded your head.
He beamed and his whole face lit up. “Well alright.”
Before you could say anything, the waitress returned, bringing over your plates of food. Upon seeing you both, she rushed with placing the plates in front of you before disappearing with a knowing wink. And just like that, you were blushing all over again.
“Man, Rob wasn’t kidding when he said this place was good.” Matt sighed, patting his belly as the both of you walked out of the restaurant.
You nodded, “I don’t think I can even eat dinner.”
“Tell me about it. I’m not even sure I could eat breakfast tomorrow, but do you know what sounds pretty good right now?” He asked and you shook your head. “A nice, cold pint. I could go for a pale ale or something to cool down after all that chow.”
You gestured in front of you. “I saw a bar a few blocks down if you wanna check it out.”
Matt’s eyes sparkled as he turned to you, “Only if you check it out with me.”
You wrinkled your nose in displeasure, “Okay, but… I’m not much of a beer person.”
“You’re kidding.” He deadpanned.
“It tastes like piss.”
He snorted, “Only if you haven’t tried the good stuff.” You didn’t look convinced and he smirked, “That’s fine. I’m up for the challenge. I’ll school you on good beer and in return, I’d like you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to stop speaking so negatively about yourself.” He replied and though you opened your mouth to object, he continued. “I know it’s hard and I know you don’t want to do it, but it would make me really happy if you stopped criticizing yourself when you’re a strong and beautiful woman. Okay? So can you do it? Please? For me?” He batted his lashes at you and you turned to mush.
You bit your lip, wishing you could not only refuse him but stop yourself from turning scarlet again but it was as though your mouth betrayed your mind. “So you really think I’m strong?”
He nodded, “And beautiful.”
“… Fine.”
Matt grinned and his eyes twinkled with glee. “Perfect! And for every negative comment you say about yourself, you gotta find five things you like about yourself.”
Your eyes widened, “Hey! Wait a minute! I didn’t sign up for that!” You hollered but he was already bounding ahead of you, skipping like a child.
“You’re not gonna regret this! I promise.” He called out as you chased him into the bar.
Some icons/emotes with my favourite ROs from Blood Moon. I imagine that when really happy werewolves’ upper and lower fangs sharpen, hence I drew Marco that way, haha Feel free to use them as long as you credit me!
“He looks at you, and there is something in that look you don’t think you’ve ever seen on Ed’s face before. Something tentative, hopeful, and unsure all at once.“
We need more appreciation for Ed so I made a tall queen for our short king
“He looks at you, and there is something in that look you don’t think you’ve ever seen on Ed’s face before. Something tentative, hopeful, and unsure all at once.“
We need more appreciation for Ed so I made a tall queen for our short king
Someone told me that wlw was unnatural. So I drew my favorite wlw couple out of spite Also Ellie my baby, feeling gay panic whenever Aurora even looks her way Honestly can relate.
Speaker IF and it’s characters belong to @speakergame
You are a young adult adrift in life, suffocating under the yoke of your oppressive society and relationships. Feeling out of sync with the rest of the world, you are looking for connection, freedom, a change of scenery at the very least.
You find it in the form of a long-lost city, calling out to you across space and time. Something is beckoning underneath the city’s glimmering white tiles, something ancient and powerful.
Will you resist the call beyond the veil and its seductive promises, or will you embrace the path destiny has set out before you?
A world not your own lies ahead.
Features
· Play as cis male or female, trans male or female, or non-binary—with options to be straight, gay, or bisexual.
· Find romance with two different supernatural companions, either individually or in a polyamorous triad.
· Rich in lore and set in the same world as The Soul Stone War , long after the Battle for the Soul Stones is resolved.
· Overcome the crippling anxiety, depression, and hopelessness of your home life and forge a new path for yourself.
· A story of coming into one’s truest, authentic self, focused on overcoming demons that come both from within and without.
· The story is romance-centric, and as such, there will be no friendship-focused routes. The two romanceable characters can be either male or female—you get to decide which.
Warnings
The main character starts out depressed, anxious and trapped in an unhealthy environment. Later on, the game will contain adult themes, explicit adult content (which as always can be skipped), and brief mentions of suicidal ideation. At that point, the demo will be moved to the adult section.
The romanceable companions:
There will be two companions that the MC can romance in this game, either individually or in a polyamorous triad.
Zach is a cynic with a dry sense of humor, and they somehow always show up when the MC least expects them. Confident and easy-going, Zach fiercely is loyal if you prove that you deserve their dedication.
Cy is a strong-willed but grim individual who is completely oblivious to humor. Any attempt to joke with them will fall flat, but they make up for it with their passion for life and everything in it. Stubborn and territorial, Cy will do whatever it takes to draw the MC to them.
The game is romance-focused for story reasons, and as such, there will be no content that is focused solely on friendship.
The game will feature many, MANY small chapters, and that will allow me to update it frequently. Timeline-wise, the game is set after The Soul Stone War series but BEFORE the series that will come after.
Everything out here in Gaile is dirty—that is a fact you can no longer deny. Dust continues to invade your nose, the fog hinders your sight wherever you go, and there is a distinct smell that no one can seem to get rid of. A smell stronger than the muck that spills on its grounds. More repulsive than the scent of sweat. Of stagnant water. Of the decaying leaves and grass.
It’s the underlying scent of blood and death that somehow wafts over the air, pushing its way to your insides with such familiarity and haste.
Deeper. And deeper.
And deeper.
They call you Ripper.
It’s a horrendous name to give to a detective like you, and definitely not one you chose for yourself, but you suppose it’s to be expected given your reputation for putting powerful people behind bars. Businesses feared you. The other cops hated you. Local gangs despised your entire existence. Yet, despite all of that, you remained untouched.
Until that day, when all the lies and the deception and the foolish mistakes turned your life upside down.
Now, as you attempt to rectify what happened and fix your honor, you find yourself entangled in webs of conspiracies and betrayal with each step you make, and you will have to make wise decisions to discover the connections among the events disturbing Gaile City once more.
A grisly murder. Enigmatic hallucinations plaguing certain people. Recurring explosions. And the one thing that troubles even you and your overprotective brother–your strange, vivid nightmares(or are they?) and an ominous group that may be behind them.
Find the truth. Protect whomever you can. Survive. Remember.
But beware. In this forsaken city, the truth is everyone’s enemy. Just as it may be yours.
Customize your character - gender, pronouns, sexuality, appearance, and motivations
Reclaim your honor or be viewed as another corrupt socialite, while having the choice to hide your true intentions.
Cultivate your relationships. Romance, befriend, or turn the closest people around you into enemies.
Let past sins be forgiven or slowly go down the path of revenge.
Deal with a shady government, haughty politicians, and ominous groups who may not have your best interest in mind.
Have the choice to delve deeper into the Ripper’s nightmares and turn them into an advantage (at the cost of something else).
Solve a murder, though you might not like the answer.
Save. Sacrifice.
See it. Hear it. Feel it.
[Please bear in mind that this is a story that focuses on the concept of grief, family issues, loss, death, and heavy emphasis on corruption, which might not be suitable for some people’s tastes.]
F. Wesley [M/F] - A friend. A lover. No matter what role they had in your life before all this, it is the case no longer. Still, while the recent events that transpired have set you apart, the young journalist pushes on, all alone amidst a crowd of questionable connections who might end their life anytime they falter. Change the city; destroy corruption; create a better world–they will reach for those goals no matter whom they have to approach. They will keep on chasing, broken and lost as they are, to prove that every decision they once made has been worth it. To prove that leaving you was for a right reason. Was it?
E. Alonzo [M/F/NB] - Hatred fills their eyes whenever they meet with yours, and you haven’t the slightest idea why. There has to be a reason, though. There has to be a reason why despite the small, vulnerable moments you share with them, it is as if a switch is flipped every time and their gaze grows cold all over again. One thing is clear–they have a plan. A plan against the marshal, the very person they’re working for, and your existence may or may not become a hindrance on the steps they’ll have to take. What that means for you, that is the question. Can you handle the truth?
Owen Russell [M] - Selfless, responsive, family-oriented. A resident doctor at the hospital your father built, Owen is one of the few people in Gaile City who made a conscious choice to be there, a decision he made without a sliver of regret. But of course, no one can be ever spared from the cruelty that the city brings upon its dwellers. As Owen gets entangled in the vicious cycle of crimes, as he witnesses the struggles of the same people who’ve been plagued with mysterious hallucinations, his ideals will be tested; and you can either stay beside him to help him remain the way he is, or become the reason for his tremendous change.
Jade Stein [F] - A reporter who restlessly roams the city for stories to tell, or at least she used to be. You don’t actually know what she’s been up to the past few years. There was a time when you thought she was like you, seeing her lack of reservations in targeting powerful politicians, until it was revealed that she did so by planting rumors of her own. Despite that, despite the mistakes she once made and the festering relationship she has with her brother Richard, she’s coming home. She’s coming home, secrets lying underneath the apparent bluntness, and she will do anything to ensure that the only family she has will survive.
The new demo currently has the revised prologue uploaded. Chapter 1 is being edited as of the moment with over 60k words, and Chapter 2 is halfway done. There will also be a small update during the weekend–mainly pertaining to some lore content that will be on the stats page.
I hope you enjoy the game the way it is right now! And do join the discord!
Your father disappears seemingly without a trace, your brother knows more than he’s letting on, and you’re meeting acquaintances, friends and perhaps a bit more with every day that passes. Can you find your father before it’s too late?
If you were wondering when that new Our Life feature of changing your relationship status during the same Step might come up, these screenshots are still from the prologue. Qiu runs a hard bargain, haha.
Our Life: Now & Forever is a nostalgic Visual Novel where you create your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with your two closest neighbors. It’s currently in development by GB Patch Games.
We’ve been making good progress on improving the little character icons. Opal got hers redone, the icons can close their eyes to match the sprite, and more options were added for the MC!
Our Life: Now & Forever is a nostalgic Visual Novel where you create your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with your two closest neighbors. It’s currently in development by GB Patch Games.
The two leads both have a bonus pose with an object that’s unique to them, a notebook for Qiu and an umbrella for Tamarack
Our Life: Now & Forever is a nostalgic Visual Novel where you create your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with your two closest neighbors. It’s currently in development by GB Patch Games.
yo, so i’ve been dumping all what i have so far to @lost-kiwi-dev (thank you for enabling me for the past few months lmao), and i’ve came up with more! gonna write this down later, assuming i won’t forget.
instead of 12 characters like the maniac i am, i cut the lineup down to 5. i’m still keeping the esper concept. here are the 5 characters:
the runaway (m/f/nb): they’re the strongest esper out of the 5. however, they’re not used to their powers due to discovering them recently — a late bloomer. for this reason, the runaway is tricked by the big bad to join their ranks, thinking that they can learn how to control their powers. in reality, the big bad wants to unleash their full potential to destroy the whole world. inspired by okkotsu yuta from jjk.[timid, unconfident, friendly]
the outcast (m):once revered as the best detective in the city, he’s reduced to the laughing stock of justice by screwing up an important case. he’s able to stay through shady means by an influential friend, resulting in continuous insults from his co-workers. he’s willing to redeem himself by taking up a case that concerns the big bad — behind his captain’s back. inspired by katou haru from fugou keiji and lauren sinclair from purple hyacinth. [passionate, composed, quick-tempered]
the convict (m/f/nb): they’re considered to be the most dangerous outlaw ever to date because of their powers. once a member of the big bad, they realized that the city they envisioned of wasn’t it and tried to leave. the big bad senses their wavering faith and betrays them by turning them in to the police. seen as a valuable asset to a secret investigation, the outcast and nova (main character) are tasked to break them out of jail, though reluctantly. they act as the mentor and older sibling figure to the runaway as they were both victims of the big bad agenda. inspired by kieran white from purple hyacinth. [charming, flirtatious, playful]
the tycoon (nb): they’re the most influential figures in the business world. what people don’t know that they deployed their bodyguards all over the city to obtain intel that can be used for suspicious means — in other words, money. behind the scenes, they’re helping the former star detective with his investigation of the big bad. initially dealing with the matter themselves, they anonymously bribed the captain to keep the detective upon hearing that he’s looking into the same thing. inspired by kambe daisuke from fugou keiji. [unfazed, crafty, smug]
the healer (f): prone to sickness during her childhood, she dreamed of being someone who can heal people. now working as a doctor in the hospital owned by the tycoon, she’s recruited by them and the outcast to investigate the motives of the big bad upon seeing a rapid growth of patients. she’s determined to save them from whatever the big bad has inflicted on them, but at the cost of her life. inspired by ieiri shoko from jjk. [serious, straightfoward, laid-back]
OKAY SO… as a psych major who likes writing creatively on the side, the psychology of characterization is so intriguing to me. for instance, why do so many people like “villains” as opposed to “heroes”, and maybe vice versa? what’s something about “villains” that appeal to the audience? with that, i aspire to create complex characters for my if, nova.
speaking of heroes vs. villains, that’s the main trope of my if. to be more precise, it’s “hero” vs. “villain”, or it could be anti-hero vs. anti-villain, which brings me to this rough idea:
a battle against (adoptive/sworn/along those lines) siblings who are morally gray but on opposite sides of the spectrum (if that makes sense lol) and mc who’s named nova who kinda acts like a side character winds up in it lol.
it’s heavily inspired by this quote: “a hero would sacrifice you to save the world but a villain would sacrifice the world to save you.” the concept of espers will still be kept. there will be angst opportunities, but you didn’t hear that from me oop—
I just finished working on the second ‘sneaking out’ scene, and I think the next general demo update should be ready by Thursday or Friday. This will be the last update for the general demo, and the rest will be available on Patreon, and then, in the closed beta.
The first two 'sneaking out’ scenes (Marco and Odyss) are already in the Alpha Build, as I update the build whenever I finish a scene. There is also a poll you can vote in, a post about the history of the Hidden Sanctum, and a Twine mini-game about Sky.
There is also a more detailed update post if that’s something you’re interested in. I note my progress there every day.
As you can see, my Patreon page is finally up and running. The first posts are already available, and you can check the Table of Contents to see my plans for the rest of the month, as well as for 2022.
For those of you who might not know me, I write interactive fiction (something between a game and a novel), and so far, I managed to finish and publish two games.
The first one is called Temple of Endless Night, and it was published through Hosted Games LLC. The game is a mixture of adventure and horror (and some romance!), and it takes place in a magical version of Ancient Egypt.
The second game is called The Alchemist, and you can play it for free on Itch.io. The Alchemist is an episodic game, but every episode has a separate storyline, and there are no cliffhangers.
I’m currently working on a new project called The Hidden Sanctum, as well as on the next episode of The Alchemist.
Why Patreon?
While I am able to write and create without Patreon support, having to constantly worry about my own well-being and survival takes a big toll on my writing. I have to rush into things, and that’s never good for any creative projects.
With your wonderful support, I’ll be able to fully focus on writing and giving you content, which will make my games more complete. There will be more romantic moments, more friendly conversations, and more choices for your MCs to make.
When you become a patron, you’ll get access to:
Weekly updates on my progress, more detailed than the ones I post on Tumblr. Some will include teasers.
All kinds of polls.
In-depth post about lore (magic, religion, geography, history, etc.)
Twine short stories and mini-games.
The Hidden Sanctum Alpha Build (AB will include Ch. 5-10). (Min. 30k new words per month.)
Personalized short stories with your MC and one of the ROs. (Two highest tiers, limited number of spots.)
Access to other Alpha Builds when they come out.
There will be some other things (maps, extra content for the game), and you can read about them in the goals, right below “About Dariel Ivalyen” on Patreon.
If you want to check out my Patreon site, click here!
If you love my work, but can’t become a patron, do consider sharing this post with other people. It would mean the world to me, and I’d be eternally grateful! (Just like in that Mariah Carey song.) ❤️
As you can guess from the title and from yesterday’s post, the new update is out, and you can play it right now on Dashingdon. While it doesn’t add that much to the number of words per playthrough, it does widen the game by a significant amount.
The biggest thing that comes with the patch is the addition of four new path events (Sun, Mind, Sound, Mischief) to Chapter 4. The Ice path event will come in early April.
While the update mostly focuses on adding new content, it also fixes a pretty big bug in Chapter 2. When your MC was helping Odyss unlock his power, it was only possible to see the end of the scene if your MC was on the Sun path. Now, all other paths have their own versions of the second part of that scene.
The update also fixes some typos and deletes unnecessary commas throughout the game.
As you can guess from the title and from yesterday’s post, the new update is out, and you can play it right now on Dashingdon. While it doesn’t add that much to the number of words per playthrough, it does widen the game by a significant amount.
The biggest thing that comes with the patch is the addition of four new path events (Sun, Mind, Sound, Mischief) to Chapter 4. The Ice path event will come in early April.
While the update mostly focuses on adding new content, it also fixes a pretty big bug in Chapter 2. When your MC was helping Odyss unlock his power, it was only possible to see the end of the scene if your MC was on the Sun path. Now, all other paths have their own versions of the second part of that scene.
The update also fixes some typos and deletes unnecessary commas throughout the game.
The new content update is here, and it adds everything I mentioned in my previous post (ca. 11.000 words). Since I won’t be able to finish Chapter 4 by the end of March, the next update (about 20k words) will come near the end of the month, and the last part of the chapter will be added to the demo in early April.
I should probably remind everyone that Chapter 4 is the last chapter that will be available in the public beta. To read chapters 5-10, you’ll have a few options.
PATREONYou’ll be able to gain access to the new content (as well as lots of bonus content) on Patreon. (Coming in early April!)
CLOSED BETA There’ll be around 10 spots for the closed beta that will happen when the first draft of the whole game is finished. It should happen around September.
OFFICIAL RELEASE Of course, you can also buy the whole game from Hosted Games after its release.
Minjoon romance note: You need to stay as long as possible at the end of Chapter 3 and then, in Chapter 4, when you get the option to confront him, you have to pick romantic answers. Otherwise, he won’t trust you in the long run.
Redoing my Writeblr Introduction for 2022 since a lot of my projects and publishing goals have shifted slightly in the last year.
First of all, let’s get the ‘hello’s’ out of the way! My name is Ari! I’m a fiction writer in her thirties based in the South-East of England.
I live with my mother and my cat, and spend my days wandering through the fantasy worlds that I’ve created, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
While Tumblr is my primary social media platform I’m also on Instagram, Facebook, and reluctantly Twitter. If you’d like to follow me on any of those platforms, you can find links to my profiles via my website; www.aristaholmes.weebly.com
My planned projects can be found below the cut. If you’d like to be added to my general tag list, or one for a specific project, please let me know! Either drop me a message on this post, or shoot me an ask. My inbox is always open <3
I’ve also created dedicated side blogs for each project, where I reblog any project specific content, world building notes, prompt fills, or snippet shares etc. Links to those side blogs can be found below.
Seasonal Novella - Once Upon A Fey Touched Holiday
The Fey Touched Trilogy is a Portal Fantasy and planned to be my debut novel series. I’d ideally like to publish Book One, Changeling, in the first quarter of 2023, so I’ll be focussing on completing the entire trilogy in 2022 so that I can follow a rapid release schedule for the series.
Assuming no delays or unanticipated crisis cropping up, I hope to have my Newsletter up and running by October 2022 to offer the free prequel short story to anyone who signs up.
Tag List:@/jezifster
Changeling Blurb
Fey go missing in the mortal realm. Everyone knows that.
When Lizzy’s mother is the next to vanish she is expected to grieve and move on. Instead Lizzy wants to find out what happened, but the answers she seeks can’t be found in the fey realm of Arbaon. With the help of her best friend, Booker Reed, Lizzy is determined to retrace her mother’s final steps, straight through an illegal portal and into the mortal realm.
Whatever leads she expected to find, it wasn’t an academy of vampires, and a world stalked by their rabid cousins, the kavians. Forced to rely on the vampires for protection, and secluded away behind the high walls of Speculo School, it quickly becomes clear that not everyone is pleased with Lizzy and Booker’s investigation.
With danger building the further they dig, the two fey need to decide if the answers they seek are worth risking their lives for. The longer they remain with the vampires, the more Lizzy begins to suspect that her answers instead lie amongst the deadly kavians.
I finally cracked it. The placing of Lena’s scene, the exposition on the clergy, a moment on how things unfolded in the past.
Funny thing too, since Lena’s scene almost ended up exactly where it started. It just needed some foundational work, a little nudge to remind the reader of where MC came from, and where they are going. It sounds so simple in hindsight, but it was driving me insane for the longest time.
It only took a restructuring of my entire outline, a hard look at the actual themes I wanted to introduce this early, how it weaves together with the rest of the story, changing the reveals I cherished so dearly… My brain turned to goop. But! I am so satisfied with how it looks now. And with the first draft of the update having grown legs, sprinting ahead of me, I have so much to work with now! Tonight I start on the second draft, the one I will be sending to betas. (Don’t worry, I haven’t announced the need for them yet!)
I feel like I’m finally tooting the boat-horn and shouting full speed ahead!
Spoilers for chapter 2 beneath the cut:
[ID:
“An obedient army, I’d say. I visited Oakwerth just before the release, the Draman job, do you remember?”
“If I remember, Leith? You came back with the skin peeling off your arms. I remember.” You shudder.
“The scourge had already started, then. The commoners turning into mindless, slithering things. Their eyes… Their eyes multiplied like blisters forming all over their bodies, blinking open. I think the clergy wants us to keep them safe from their self-made consequences.”
You scoff. “Short of controlling us into fighting for them-”
“Well..” Leith takes a seat next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, pressing you close. A shiver runs down your spine as le_he sighs. Your hands are covered in tiny cuts, in dried blood and dirt. A thorn is lodged in your thumb. Folding your hands together, you ignore the sting of weeks of unrelenting work. “What are you saying? Do they have the tech for that, to… to actually control us?”
Leith runs a hand over le_his face. “It’s possible.” END ID]
Long time no chat, beautiful humans! I’m so excited to share with you that today my first fully original piece of interactive fiction has been released and is up for you to read!
As many of you know, this past year I have been writing interactive fiction professionally and it has been truly phenomenal. Being paid to put stories to paper is such a dream. The only downside is I have been adapting existing romance novels into interactive fiction pieces. While I love it, it’s not the same as being able to write from scratch, but for the past few months I have been working on a fully original story and now I can share it with you!
Billionaire Match is a new interactive story available on the maybe app. This story is a whirlwind romance where you play the role of fake fiancee to a sexy tech billionaire. It’s got a lot of fun choices and tension. It’s sexy and sweet. And I think you all will really like it if you like my writing in general.
If you want to support me and my work (and read a wonderful story at the same time) you can download the maybe app for android or IOS.
Billionaire Match is such an exciting moment for me. I love fake dating plots. I love some good romance and interpersonal drama. And I especially love exploring how relationships develop, despite our pasts. I hope you all will enjoy it.
The wonderful team at Cinamon has done such a fantastic job with art and animation. It’s such an immersive experience.
If you read it, please let me know your thoughts! I would love to hear from you
All the love,
Lia
Also, only two more weeks left in this pregnancy! I get to meet my daughter so soon, so lots of exciting stuff going on here. Sorry I’ve been MIA. This year is crazy.
My fourth novel with Chapters comes out on Tuesday! This one is a really adorable and sexy friends to lovers tale with an absolutely swoonworthy LI.
I love this story and can’t wait for you all to read it.
❤️❤️❤️
Download the app Chapters to read. You can also read my previous works Bossman, Under Covers, and Thd Mafia Prince, all of which are finished for you to binge.
![Made some doodles of my favorite were[redacted] and their goth gfSpeaker IF and it’s characters be](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a6255e109cba9d7dc2e3a4a464f62f28/d3e405b99362a8e3-da/s1280x1920/b75df8fe1388198d531314b186139c271991eb8c.png "Made some doodles of my favorite were[redacted] and their goth gfSpeaker IF and it’s characters be")
