leo-interactive-fiction

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Dashingdon Shutdown

Hey all, I appreciate the large number of you that came here to let me know of the impending shutdown of the hosting site and your well wishes to see my game preserved. Rest assured I've already taken measures to backup my files and I'll be transferring them to the cogdemo site with hopefully little complication haha.

Dashingdon has been a cornerstone of this community not only for the readers eager to see the upcoming growth of new content, but for aspiring writers like myself. Without it, my work may not have reached a good number of you, and I wouldn't have had all of the insight and encouragement that I do now.

So, while this may be an ending chapter for dashingdon, it was a damn good run, and I'm grateful to have had a place as part of it. Once I've transfered my files and ensured they're properly working, I'll replace the links for Triaina: Academy.

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What are the types of governments that Triaina, Hospur, Vestia, and Orden have?

Triaina is a collection of independent city-states, with each major town/area primarily run by the leading aristocratic family there. The only exception is the Academy, that maintains an independent functioning as a kind of central hub zone where many important figures congregate.

Hospur has a council based system, with all major primary functions of the country distributed to chairman and chairwomen who are deemed to excel in that particular field. Only the highest scoring in the biannual Hospian Standardized Intelligence Exam is allowed to try out for the finalizing test to become a member of the council, which is kept strictly confidential.

Vestia functions as a militant meritocracy, where each individual is given a ranking tag upon their coming of age rite of passage. You can claim the rank of any tag so long as it is in your possession, and any means are allowed to claim a tag legitimately, be it murder, bartering, or stealing. Most tend to stake their ranking tags through duels to rise up the ranks honorably. Only those with the highest ranking tags can take positions of commanding authority.

Orden is an autonomous territory sectioned and claimed by several different corporations due to the vast amount of resources found within its desert, including precious metals, fuel, and lost pre-collapse artifacts buried in its sands. Beneath the shadow of the towering walls of the corporate facilities that house production and workers, are the slum Dens made out of disposed and stolen materials. These Dens are communally ran, with everyone in the community expected to pitch in and share what they have for the benefit of the whole.

Frenza is a nation that has claimed its independence from Triaina during its early founding. It's a monarchy lead by the royal family, which was the aristocratic family that founded Frenza. F and their two brothers would be the third generation of this royal family.

Thanks for the ask!

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If it's not a bother, could I ask the reaction of the RO if the MC, who was a terrible cook, try to cook them something.

Thank you

Haha, let's see....

E: Their smile looks almost fixed in place as they use their fork to pick through the charred, ashen remains of the dish. Still, they do their best to take several bites, keeping that same well-meaning smile in place.

"Hey, you're getting better at using an oven!"

You cross your arms, "I didn't use an oven though?"

"O-Oh, w-well, that's not a bad thing..."

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R: They don't let the trial before them dissuade their natural assured expression. After all, years of practicing the slight of hand necessary to slip away cards unnoticed has prepared them for this life-saving moment as they pretend to eat, upturning their fork at the last moment to allow the burnt piece to fall into their sleeve.

"You've really outdone yourself, truly. Keep it up, and I may end up having to hire you on as a personal chef," R slips away, tossing all of the collected bits of food into the trash without you noticing.

"Sometimes a little white lie is a necessary evil..." they murmur to themselves.

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L: They glance down at the plate of "food" tentatively, "W-Well, perhaps a small bite? I am not particularly peckish at the moment..." They claim a delicate morsel, giving it a try. The color in their face seems to gradually fade as they continue to chew and chew, unable to fully pick it apart.

"I-It might be... a little too tough?" They say apologetically as they cover their mouth with a hand.

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V: They glance down at the plate for a moment before beginning to eat. Their grip on the fork is almost barbaric, holding it in a closed fist and stabbing down at the food as if executing the meal.

As you watch them wolf down the meal, you tap your fingers together, "How is it?"

"Crunchy..." They murmur with a mouthful of food, the lack of decorum lost on them as they continue, "I like it..."

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P: "Not again," They sigh as you set the plate in front of them, "What did I tell you about going into the kitchen?"

"H-Hey, I've gotten better! I think!"

They pick apart your dish, their nose scrunching slightly, "How is this raw and burnt at the same time...?"

"I tried my best!" You return defensively, "I poured my heart and soul into it..."

"Good to know you're that dedicated to poisoning me..." They shake their head and return the plate to you, "I guess it really can't be helped... If you're going to keep trying to put food in front of people, I may as well teach you something. It'll look bad on all of us if you start killing people with your shit cooking..."

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M: They glance down at the plate full of partially edible food for a moment before slowly lacing their fingers together. "I'm on.... a diet..."

You blink in surprise, "Oh, you never said anything about that..."

"I... just started... right now..." M claps their hands in finalization as they get up from the chair, "After all... it wouldn't do... if I couldn't... show off to you..."

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K: They look ecstatic as they rush through the dinner you've prepared, scarfing it down as if someone else may come along and steal it at any moment.

You peer over at them expectantly, "How is it...?"

"Horrible!" They say delightedly, chuckling with a soft smile, "But... even if you gave me the world's most lethal poison, I would still gladly eat it. Knowing that you made it for me is all I need... Plus, this isn't as bad as some of the leftovers I've found in dumpsters!"

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S: They glance around as they're presented with the smoking pile of charred coal. Thinking fast, they wave their hands around uncertainly before pointing behind you, "Ah, what in the hell is that?!"

As you glance behind yourself, S takes the plate and flings it like a frisbee across the room. The sound of shattering porcelain brings your attention back.

"What was that?!"

S gives their best attempt at confused nonchalance, "Eh... I think there's a draft... yeah..."

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F: The royal wears a disconcerted expression, as if you had just handed them a bowl of dog food. They don't even deign touch the plate, using their fork to push the dish back towards you, "Perhaps... it would behoove you to perform a taste test."

You look slightly disappointed, "But... I made it for you."

"Oh, I insist... As a matter of fact, you should be rewarded for your efforts. The first serving is yours, and I would not have you leave until you finish all of it."

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Thank you for the ask! It was fun to write out haha. Work has kept me a bit busy as I've gotten a promotion, but means I have to work 12 hour shifts that tend to bleed into overtime haha

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I need to romance Vin and Raven together I'm on my knees /j

Are you trying to cause a massacre, because that's how you cause a massacre

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Progress Report 10/2/2024

Hello all! I hope you're having a good week so far. For my part, things have been calming down a bit, and I've been enjoying the small extra free time developing the upcoming scenes.

They are turning out well, as I've progressed about 1/5 of the way as I'm finishing up one of the father's scenes, with 3 more to go, along with Rachael's specialization scenes.

I'd like to go a little more in depth on these scenes, as they will basically flesh out the MC's personal development going forward. I wanted to give some hints at how the MC's S.T.E.M. ability will generally progress going forward. To this end, all of the scenes have a combat oriented focus, but I also wanted to focus on giving a bit more story and lore to the fathers and the organizations they occupy.

For MC's that have chosen to follow their military origin and hone their swordsmanship, your father will request a duel to see what you have learned from Lin, and determine whether or not you are ready for the path ahead. It will not be the practice and training you have undergone with him before. You will have to bring your all to bare against the full martial prowess of a seasoned war hero.

For MC's that have chosen to follow their scientific origin and seek to research S.T.E.M. in Rosaline's facility, your father will conduct his own tests to see if this newfound power is worth the risk, or an endangerment to you. Though this isn't the peaceful, carefree life he wished to give you as a father, he will spare no cost to at least ensure your safety against every unknown he could think of, even if it means disregarding protocols.

For MC's that have chosen to follow their performing heart and find themselves ingratiated in Simon's troupe, your father will be interested in seeing what new tricks you've come up with in his absence. With less and less guards to patrol the city, opportunists have set their sights on raiding and stealing from the seemingly defenseless Bermuda troupe. They could not have expected the troupe to contain its own secrets.

For MC's that have chosen to follow their parent's legacy of covert operations, Hoft leads them to the underground catacombs where a final initiation of the Faction of Beggars takes place: The Lightless Gauntlet. Overseen by a faceless jury, your actions will be the determining factor on your placement as either a clandestine Operative or a lethal Agent.

And for MC's that have chosen to pursue Rachael's offer, the fathers will be present as Rachael conducts tests to push the MC's limits and fully measure the potential of the S.T.E.M. product she's developed, even should there be pain and possible chance of dysmorphia involved. Depending on the father present, they will comment or even intervene in different ways. Thankfully, Rachael is not so crazed to risk everlasting harm or death to their subjects! On a good day, at least...

I'll be very interested to see how these new scenes will be recieved. I've also thought to implement some new stylistic choices in the writing with giving the character's named skills. It gives it a bit more of a gamey feel, and I will have to see how it feels going forward, I'm mostly using this as a test. I will probably cover that at a later date once it is closer to release haha.

I hope you enjoy what I have in store!

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Leo, I just broke up with my gf of two years (that isn't a joke), can you make me feel better by giving us one of your fabulous art pieces?

I'm very sorry to hear about your breakup, but I hope with each trial and set back there may always be new doors that open for you...

The fish may be plenty in the sea, but always remember you are a fish as well, now ripe for the catch!

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me when i constantly switch from unironically wishing to bark for F to wanting to misalign their jaw

F brings the bipolar personality swings out of us all

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Hypothetically can you give us a scenario where a poly between M, P and MC would be like?

I can hypothetically recommend you the best sized box for M and P to put you in together when they realize you can't make a decision between them

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Has the Orphan MC ever killed anyone prior to getting a job from E's parents?

Sometimes you do what you must when you're the only one who can keep you safe...

I'll leave it up to you haha

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Raven doesn't need therapy, they are perfect the way they are S2

I'm sure one day psychiatrists will thank me for creating a simple and easy way to tell who requires their services. I expect a kickback from any new sign ups!

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Ok but can we let MC make some bad decisions that hurt themselves and/or everyone else around them? Because I want, and I mean this with only love and care in my heart, to destroy MC's life ♥️

Don't worry, the world around them will do that plenty haha

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ROs being teleported to the past and finding MC as a cute child

Haha, let's see...

E: Your wide, saucer like eyes look up at the smiling figure as they squat down to your level.

"Hey MC... It's been a while... since I've seen you like this..."

"You look familiar..." you murmur quizzically.

"I know... you don't have to recognize me now, but always know..." They envelop your small hands in theirs, "I'll always be by your side, so please don't forget me... okay...?"

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R: You see them brush a strand of golden hair from their face as they stoop down.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this..."

"Who are you...?" You tilt your head obliviously.

"Oh, me? You don't have to worry about it for now," R looks into your eyes for a moment, finding something in it that makes them chuckle before standing back up and turning away, "Yeah... just forget about me for now, okay? I want our first meeting to be just as it is..."

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You have to crane your neck to look up at the towering figure before you.

"A-Ah, that must be uncomfortable... my apologies," They awkwardly move to sit on the floor with you, "My curiosity got the better of me, and I wished to see..."

"Who are you...?" You ask, still having to tilt your head slightly to look at them.

"I am, um..." L tinkers with the small silver hairpin that catches your youthful fascination, "Oh! Would you like to see? Be careful though... it's important to me..."

As you grasp the elegantly crafted spiral shaped hairpin, you sense a vague, foreign feeling welling up within you.

L continues softly, "Maybe... you would like to keep it? I truly believe that someday... it will find it's way back to me..."

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You watch as the silver haired figure sits down next to you, taking in the world around them.

"This is... where you came from..." They draw their legs to their knees, as if trying to shield themselves, "There's no gunshots... no smoke... no death..."

"Who are you...?" You ask hesitantly.

"I will tell you... next time..." They look at you for a fleeting moment before turning away, continuing quietly, "When you see me again... tell me that I'll be okay..."

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You gaze up at the brutish redhead standing before you.

"So it's actually you, huh...?"

"Do you know me...?" You wonder aloud.

"Yeah, something like that..." They huff and crouch low to look you in the eyes, "Don't worry too much about it. Eventually we'll see each other again."

"When?"

"I don't know, but when we do... try to ignore what I tell you."

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Your attention is taken by the humming redhead crouching in front of you, wearing an amused smile.

"Oh... you're so... adorable... as a kid..."

"Do you know me...?" You wonder aloud.

M taps a finger to your lips, hushing you playfully, "You shouldn't... ruin... the surprise... Just look forward... to when... you're ready for it... okay...?

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K: You feel a sense of overwhelming unease as the unkempt stranger reaches towards you, gripping you by your shoulders in a tight claim as they look deep in your eyes.

"You are important. Do you understand? So very important..."

"W-Who are you...?"

"Me? You want to know... me?" A strangely sharp smile creeps onto the strangers face, "I am... the only one you need... Promise me... that you will remember me..."

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S: You yelp as the homely stranger suddenly picks you up.

"What! Ya got so small! I could throw ya!"

"W-wha-- AH!" You scream in fright as S does a small practice toss of you up in the air, nearly dropping you onto the hard floor below before finally catching you.

"Oop! That could'a been bad! Nearly pancaked your head there!" S merely laughs it off as you are striken with unrecoverable childhood trauma.

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You instinctively shudder under the frigid gaze of the stranger before you, even as they bend over to look at you more closely.

"Oh...? How wholly unremarkable... to think you would grow to be..." They pause, seeming to silently berate themselves.

"Do you know me?" You murmur hesitantly.

"That is correct... though it appears you do not know me... rest assured, though, that will not be the case for long..." A devilish smile creases the thin line on their face as they pat your head, "Perhaps if I start feeding you information from a developmental stage, it may expedite our process later... I look forward to seeing how you internalize this..."

F chuckles darkly and settles in as you are subjected to everlasting mental trauma.

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Thank you for the ask! I had a lot of fun with it haha

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I can be an unapologetic little shit and wanna call P “My Little Flame” at least once at some point in our relationship…

How much damage can i expect from this if I can’t outrun him?

Plan to never run again, because you'll be paralyzed from the neck down

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Both E and P have mom friend tendencies vis a vis food but the difference between them is that when E found out about MC’s magic blood powers they went to Costco and got capri suns and miniature bags of teddy grahams so they could carry them around in a fanny pack for emergencies and when P found MC passed out on the ground from hypoglycemia they whipped a homemade protein bar at their unconscious body and left

Why do I suddenly get the mental image of P tossing protein bars at an unconscious MC with the same voracity of raining dollar bills at a strip club and tossing up deuces

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Leo! Hope things are going well for you! I was wondering if you've considered what the RO's handwriting looks like / have an idea of it in your mind. If so, could you describe it? I've been wondering about it off and on for a while. (Although, I'm pretty sure that if I skimmed through the code, I might find some references to specific characters' penmanship in flavor text that I end up missing in a normal playthrough ...)

Hmm, it's very interesting to think about. Let's see...

E: Their handwriting would a quickly jotted print, but still fairly neat. Their handwriting is naturally nice looking, and be the type to dot their I's with small hearts, or have small doodles beside it, attesting to their restless nature.

R: Their handwriting is a neatly done cursive, and they write almost everything in cursive. It was less of a choice for them to learn it in the first place, as such writing is often needed when they handled aristocratic business, but it has since become second nature.

L: They write in very small, well-defined print, as if a computer had typed it onto the paper. They've grown a habit of writing small, in order to fit all of the thoughts -- and any coherent tangents they may have -- onto the paper.

V: You could imagine what a small infant would doodle onto the page, and come relatively close to the outcome that V would manage if asked to write, not assisted by the fact they hold a pencil like they're gripping a knife. Though, they do manage a very primitive writing of their name. It seems someone had attempted to begin teaching them at one point, before their situation led them to the academy.

P: Their handwriting is somewhat careless and utilitarian, not caring how neat or tidy it looks as long as it's legible and has whatever information is needed. In some ways, you can imagine this is what V's handwriting would look like if they had learned to write.

M: It is a mix of print and cursive, as if too lazy to pick up the pen when transitioning between letters. This leads to a slightly illegible jumble, although M can read it just fine.

K: It is a scrawling chicken scratch, as if written frantically. Much like a doctor's note, it is almost entirely illegible, although sometimes you can make out certain words in places where they seem to have slowed down. They are almost always related to you, and often traced over multiple times with emphasis.

S: Their writing is rough, messy, and unorganized, often dipping through or extending off the printed lines, requiring substantial erasing or scrunching of the lettering to fit the last word. Although it's fairly legible, it's often a rare sight to even see it, as most notes generally taper off after the first couple of lines as they give up, filling the rest of the page with idle drawings and scribbles.

F: Their writing is an ostentatious, almost unnecessarily elegant cursive. It could even be considered an artful calligraphy, clearly designed to attract the eye and outdo any other writing it may be compared to. If questioned, F will say it is simply how they were taught, belying the countless hours they've spent in their own study attempting to perfect it.

Thank ya for the ask! It was very fun to think about how their writing can subtly represent each of them haha

[leo-interactive-fiction]

A CHILD?!?! i didnt know we were gonna adopt one

I suppose it is less of an adoption, and more of a forced housing of a runaway, but what's the difference haha

[leo-interactive-fiction]

Heyyaaa~ loving the update!

Just a small request, would you entertain us by giving us more save slots? Eheheh, I'm planning on trying everyone's route so... Yes, more saves (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

Hey there! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the game so much!

Unfortunately, there is no way for me to add anymore save slots to the game. Although I have attempted to set it to a varying degree of slots, Dashingdon only allows for 8 saves. It is unfortunately the hosting website's limit that I have no control over, but I am glad to know my game has the problem of wanting to be replayed too much, rather than the alternative haha