passerine-hills-if

[passerine-hills-if]

--The hungry mouth of Bridehall Manor lets out its clarion call. You have been compelled to answer.

DEMO OUT NOW!

You play as the youngest child of the Simonson family, born out of infidelity-- a perfect Victorian scandal. Due to your unfortunate birth circumstances, your parents have decided to send you away to take up a position as household manager at the remote Bridehall Manor after the previous one's untimely (and altogether strange) passing. You expect your time in the mansion in the Catskills of New York to be uneventful and isolating.

You'd be wrong.

The longer you stay at Bridehall, the more secrets you find hidden behind its mahogany doors, beneath its ornate wallpaper, under its rich hardwood floors, and especially within the denizens of the house themselves.

Just be careful not to drown in the deep, deep black of its shadows.

+ Customize your MC-- what's their attitude towards society? How do they feel about working at Bridehall? What are their thoughts on the supernatural?

+ Also, choose your gender,* interests, personality, name, and more.

+ Discover more about the (troubling) history of Bridehall and the people that have lived in it.

+ Experience the world's most uncomfortable carriage ride.

+ Romance 1 of 5 ROs-- the matriarch, the minister-in-training, the runner-up, the major, or the phantom.

+ Befriend those who live there, or make enemies. Connection is a fragile thing, especially in a place like Bridehall.

+ Blood sacrifices! If you're into that sort of thing.

TW: Gore (not extremely descriptive), mentions of infidelity, violence, brief suggestive content, mentions of animal death, mentions of drug use. This IF is recommended for those 16+

================================================*Disclaimer: Because this IF is inspired by the 1880s, gender roles are still sort of a thing. There is an option to play as femme/masc non-binary, but based on your presentation, that affects how you are treated in society and some additional world aspects. However, there will not be any transphobia/intentional misgendering in this IF. It's just not something I want to write. I'm not non-binary myself, so I'm very open to suggestions on things to change relating to this topic.

================================================

🌑Harriet Margrave -- the matriarch -- (she/her) {FMCs only}

| Assured. Respectable. Intimidating. The wife of Amos Margrave, although she doesn't like it when people bring it up. She runs the house, some might say with an iron fist. She seems to have taken a dangerous liking to you.

| However, beneath her strong, cool exterior, she's not all that she seems-- you catch glimpses of something dark and curious lurking. It's up to you to decide whether it should never see the light of day or, perhaps, to be consumed entirely by it.

| Harriet is in her late 40s, with ash brown hair always kept in a neat, complex updo and deep blue eyes that shift with tones of green in different lights. She has a light but rosy complexion and stands at around 5'7. She tends to wear a lot of black, as if she's in perpetual mourning, although she doesn't mind an occasional blue accent.

"Low and deep Spake in mine ear her voice: "And didst thou dream, This could be buried? This could be sleep? And love be thrall to death! Nay, whatso seem, Have faith, dear heart; this is the thing that is!" Thereon I woke, and on my lips her kiss." -- snippet of Assurance (1887) by Emma Lazarus

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🌒Ansel Margrave -- the minister-in-training -- (he/him)

| Flighty. Devout. Gentle. A hopeful future Methodist minister, he's recently been plagued by supernatural visions (or so he says,) and your arrival and the circumstances surrounding it do nothing to calm his worries. You may be able to reassure him otherwise.

| As you get to know him, he may reveal that he has far better reasons to be afraid than you might think. Will you walk with him through his troubles, or leave him to wander the solemn corridors of Bridehall on his own?

| Ansel is in his early 20s, and he looks much like his mother with his ashy brown hair and pale complexion, although due to its lack of rosiness it sometimes borders on ghostly. He'd like to dress more vibrantly but fears reprisal from his clerical peers, thus, he usually sticks to muted greens and browns. He stands at around 5'9, and wears spectacles.

"In solitude profound, As shadows fall, what memories, Thick as dew-drops on sun-risen meadows Troop around thee!" -- snippet of Night In Egypt (1880) by George Vaughan

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🌓Cecil/ia Blumenthal -- the runner-up -- (gender selectable, he/him or she/her)

| Independent. Scrappy. Creative. C's been working at Bridehall for practically their whole life, climbing the ranks until they could finally reach the position of head butler/housekeeper they deserved-- until you came along. In their eyes, you have everything you want on a silver platter, and how much work have you done to get it? None. In short, they've got a real bone to pick with you. Will you play into the feud, or maybe try to change their feelings? Honestly, best of luck on that one.

| Because of how long they've been at Bridehall, C knows more about its history and secrets than they let on. Much, much more.

| C is in their mid-20's, with shiny brown curls that F!C keeps in an artfully rushed bun and M!C keeps just a bit too long. They have coffee-brown eyes and warm, tanned skin dotted with freckles. They stand at 5'6. They prefer to dress for convenience rather than style, but they always wear a tarnished silver brooch in the shape of a bird-- F!C pins it to her collar, while M!C pins it to his lapel.

"I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I waterd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears: And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night. Til it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine." -- snippet of A Poison Tree (1794) by William Blake

================================================🌔 Marshall Ward -- the major -- (he/they)

| Outgoing. Empathetic. Perfectionist. A new arrival at Bridehall like you, he's an old family friend of the Margraves who plans to stay for the autumn. He's the perfect picture of polite society-- porcelain smiles and impeccable manners. Despite the divide between him as a guest and you as the help, he insists on making a connection with you. One that may be a bit too strong for his own good.

| Now, you don't know much about the military yourself, but it is a bit odd that a non-retired military officer was permitted leave for an entire season, and whenever you ask questions surrounding his arrival, you only get heavy silence in return. It's as if there's a tight wire of secrecy underlying his sunny veneer, and the more you press, the more it's likely to snap.

| Marshall is in his early 30s, with short, coily black hair and an impeccably combed mustache. They have light tan skin and have a small scar running across their cheek, and he stands at 6'2. He is very meticulous in the way he dresses and is particularly fond of red ties with embroidered patterns on them.

"Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. -- snippet of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854) by Lord Alfred Tennyson ================================================

🌕Annabelle -- the phantom -- (she/her)

| Mysterious. Quiet. Ethereal. Every so often, out of the corner of your eye or the reflection in a mirror, you catch a glimpse of her. Is she even real, or is she simply a product of your own mind, spiraling ever deeper into instability? Whatever she is, you feel an indescribable, intangible pull to her that may become very hard to resist.

| Annabelle is inextricably linked to the house and its history. If you dig to learn more about her, you may unearth the very roots that Bridehall stands on. Roots that it would very much like to keep underground.

| Annabelle appears to be in her mid-20s, although the semi-translucent, filmy aspect to her makes it a bit hard to tell. She has very dark skin that glitters and shines under moonlight, and she seems to be perpetually wet, as if she had just been thrown in a pond. She wears a pale pink dress a decade or so out of date, and stands at about 5'3.

"For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling-- my darling-- my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea-- In her tomb by the sounding sea. -- snippet of Annabel Lee (1849) by Edgar Allan Poe

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[passerine-hills-if]

So, hi, I'm here just to say that I had to take a tiny break from editing things up but I'm back on track today. I'll leave you with a screenshot of the beginning of scene 8 (Breakfast Club) - see it under "read more" if you'd rather wait. See you soon with some better news, I hope!

[passerine-hills-if]

small FAQ post

Hello hello! This post will contain some of the basic info about Passerine Hills, just so we're clear on everything. It will probably get edited later on if I get questions that should be added here. Before you read, consult the intro post.

Will there be character customization?

The story is relying on Tiffany being Tiffany. However, you can imagine the student that finds all the writings to be whoever you want them to be. Go wild.

Are the sidestories canon?

All of them.

When you say that "Just a Bite" is an introduction, what do you mean?

"Just a Bite" is the first in the series and it's there to introduce you to the world and the characters. I plan three more entries: "Golden Apple", "Golden Arrow", and "Golden Cage", all of which are following Tiffany throughout her first year in Passerine Hills.

How long will "Just a Bite" be?

I'm still in the process of writing and editing and I tend to add words when editing. Truth be told, I hate obsessing over wordcounts and I usually don't pay attention to them, unless I want to keep the routes somewhat balanced in length. If you really want to know, I estimate the entire JaB to be around 70k words in length. I will probably be wrong because a few months ago, I estimated it to be around 50k. That's why I don't get too attached to wordcounts.

How many routes are there?

Five. Three solo (Clare, Holly, Izzy) and two poly (Kaja+Tara, Emmeline+Vi)

Will we have a possibility to turn a solo route into a poly one/poly route into a solo route?

I don't plan anything like this. Five routes is already a lot for me to write.

Will there ever be a route where you can date a man?

Not planning to do that.

(Not even Mark the Receptionist?)

I'm so sorry.

How old is everyone, anyway?

Passerine Hills is, more or less, a university. The first years tend to be in the age range of 18-20. You need to keep in mind that many of those people had their regular education messed up due to their careers or other life events, hence the age range being a bit wonky. All of the main cast are around 20.

Will there ever be sex scenes and such?

I don't think there'll be anything explicit - fade to black makes way more sense narratively (I mean, it is someone writing about their own life, right). There will be some... steam, though.

There's something you missed in trigger warnings/I think something was handled in an insensitive manner/I found a typo

Shoot me a message and we can talk it out.

[passerine-hills-if]

small FAQ post

Hello hello! This post will contain some of the basic info about Passerine Hills, just so we're clear on everything. It will probably get edited later on if I get questions that should be added here. Before you read, consult the intro post.

Will there be character customization?

The story is relying on Tiffany being Tiffany. However, you can imagine the student that finds all the writings to be whoever you want them to be. Go wild.

Are the sidestories canon?

All of them.

When you say that "Just a Bite" is an introduction, what do you mean?

"Just a Bite" is the first in the series and it's there to introduce you to the world and the characters. I plan three more entries: "Golden Apple", "Golden Arrow", and "Golden Cage", all of which are following Tiffany throughout her first year in Passerine Hills.

How long will "Just a Bite" be?

I'm still in the process of writing and editing and I tend to add words when editing. Truth be told, I hate obsessing over wordcounts and I usually don't pay attention to them, unless I want to keep the routes somewhat balanced in length. If you really want to know, I estimate the entire JaB to be around 70k words in length. I will probably be wrong because a few months ago, I estimated it to be around 50k. That's why I don't get too attached to wordcounts.

How many routes are there?

Five. Three solo (Clare, Holly, Izzy) and two poly (Kaja+Tara, Emmeline+Vi)

Will we have a possibility to turn a solo route into a poly one/poly route into a solo route?

I don't plan anything like this. Five routes is already a lot for me to write.

Will there ever be a route where you can date a man?

Not planning to do that.

(Not even Mark the Receptionist?)

I'm so sorry.

How old is everyone, anyway?

Passerine Hills is, more or less, a university. The first years tend to be in the age range of 18-20. You need to keep in mind that many of those people had their regular education messed up due to their careers or other life events, hence the age range being a bit wonky. All of the main cast are around 20.

Will there ever be sex scenes and such?

I don't think there'll be anything explicit - fade to black makes way more sense narratively (I mean, it is someone writing about their own life, right). There will be some... steam, though.

Are NSFW asks okay?

I have nothing against NSFW questions but I'd rather not receive them. Some of the characters have a complicated relationship with their sexuality that I want to explore in text first. You can ask if you really want to but I reserve the right to not answer.

There's something you missed in trigger warnings/I think something was handled in an insensitive manner/I found a typo

Shoot me a message and we can talk it out.

[passerine-hills-if]

plans and progress update #1

So, hi everyone! This post is a little update about what's coming and how's the progress going.

The current version of Passerine Hills: Just a Bite - The Amare Fest Version - consists of 7 out of 14 total scenes of Just a Bite. A month ago, I have given my Inner Circle - friends who are here as testers - access to a special Anniversary Edition, which had 10 out of 14 total scenes.

What it means is that I have things already edited up and coded in up to scene 10. However, I don't think it would make much sense to release this version to the public for a variety of reasons, most of them being plot-related. Therefore, I started working on The Lonely Week update (don't worry about the name, it surely doesn't mean anything), which will be the next public update and will include 12 scenes in it, leaving the grand finale (scenes 13 and 14) of Just a Bite for last.

I'm currently editing scene 11, which is a branching scene, and I'm done with 2 branches out of 5. I'm not a big fan of keeping wordcounts but by my estimates, scene 11 alone with all of its branches will add at least 27k additional words, which is almost twice as much as the entire Amare Fest Edition, and that's not counting scenes 8-10. Needless to say, the upcoming update will be quite big and that's why it's taking me so long.

Just a Bite is just an introduction. As soon as I send the last testing build containing all scenes to my Inner Circle, I'm getting to work on the second part, The Golden Apple, which will be even longer. It's all already outlined and just waiting for me to get to it.

So, yeah! I'm sorry, I never really wrote a proper update post before. Either way, hope you're doing great, I'll see you at the next update <3

[passerine-hills-if]

Burning Academia [Play Here]

Demo Updated: May 9th, 2025 (Prologue-Chapter 3)

Current Word Count: 166.5k (w/code)

Word Count per Play Through: ~54k

F.A.Q | Navigation | Bonus Content | Pinterest | Spotify | Character Quiz |

You never thought you'd go to college, due to your circumstances. But you especially didn't dream you'd be forced to attend the prestigious Vales Grove University after being attacked by wraiths in their library. What started as a visit to a long time friend, ended with your hands burned, your innocence questioned, and the startling realization magic is real. To apologize for what's happened to you, or more accurately, to keep an eye on you, the Headmaster himself offers you enrollment with all fees waived. With no real choice in the matter, you become a student, and try to ignore the suspicion everyone throws your way. Besides, you have worse things to deal with. Like how you've started to attract ghosts and other dead things, or the fact that there is a very living thing inside your head, waiting for you to lower your guard and take control. And most pressing of all, managing your obligation to a family that hasn't been such a thing in years. Tread carefully, if the ghosts don't devour you, the university certainly might.

Customize the MC; gender, appearance, personality, etc!

Romance six questionable love interests, or not!

A morality system which changes how your story will go. Do you belong to the day, the night, or somewhere in between?

A complicated family, which you've been shackled to your whole life. Will you ever be able to escape them? Do you even want to?

Survive college, your job, and attempt to not have a quarter life crisis.

Avoid getting devoured by all the things that go bump in the night.

Retain your free will.

Dawn: The world has never been kind, but that hasn't stopped you from giving up. You'll run through the night and embrace the rising dawn. A path of becoming hope.

Day: There's light in the world, if one only knows how to look. As long as you hold on, the light will find you, too. A path of finding solace.

Dusk: All you've known is suffering, and you won't stand for it any longer. Regardless where that leads you, or the choices you need to make to save yourself. A path leading to freedom.

Night: There's no hope here, not as things stand. You'll change it all, even if you must stand in the darkness. A path of destroying everything which has sought to destroy you.

More simply: Dawn/Day: traditional good paths, Dusk: anti-hero path, Night: "villain" path

Rook Bellerose [M]: A "best friend" you've known for almost a decade now. He's never let you get close even after all this time. He's the king of jokes and immaturity, but after the events which led to your enrollment at Vales Grove, something's changed. Maybe it's the guilt, or maybe it's the mask finally slipping.

Beck Castro [M]: Rook's detested roommate, although you aren't sure why. He's the kind of guy who likes to hear himself talk, and he's pretty good at it. He can captivate a room or get himself out of any situation. For whatever reason, he's taken a keen interest in you, and has offered his help for whatever you might need.

Rhea Windsor [F]: The Headmaster's daughter. Everyone who talks about her often complains that she's the traditional prim and proper young woman one would expect from a Headmaster's daughter. However, the more you talk to her, the more you realize she's the exact opposite with a dorky personality and a streak of clumsiness.

Zoe Ripley [NB]: A loner who hides in the library to avoid people. They saw what went down the day you were forced to attend Vales Grove. Despite their prickly attitude, you get the sense they aren't a bad person, and despite how they act, they've never refused to help you. If anything, you seem to be the one person on campus who doesn't get on their nerves, professors included.

Lars Angel [M]: The most exhausted person you've ever seen, and that's saying something. He's a grad student, and one you keep running in to. He can't stand you, and you can only guess at why. With a sharp tongue and a bitter disposition, he tries his best to avoid you. Too bad you both keep running into each other. It looks like fate has other plans.

??? [M/F/NB]: The thing which haunts you. You have no idea how the two of you got connected, but you can feel it in your blood, organs, neurons, synapses. You know it's evil, you know it wants to consume you, but tell me? Has anything ever cradled your soul so gently before?

Poly Route options:

Beck/Rook [triad]: Dawn or Day Path

Rook/??? [triad]: Night Path

Rhea and Zoe [V]: Dawn or Dusk Path

[RO Portraits]

CW: Gore, violence, discussions and depictions of death, parental neglect, emotional abuse, parental abuse, alcoholism, depression, classism, mtc

RO Route CWs (contains spoilers): Read here

[passerine-hills-if]

plans and progress update #1

So, hi everyone! This post is a little update about what's coming and how's the progress going.

The current version of Passerine Hills: Just a Bite - The Amare Fest Version - consists of 7 out of 14 total scenes of Just a Bite. A month ago, I have given my Inner Circle - friends who are here as testers - access to a special Anniversary Edition, which had 10 out of 14 total scenes.

What it means is that I have things already edited up and coded in up to scene 10. However, I don't think it would make much sense to release this version to the public for a variety of reasons, most of them being plot-related. Therefore, I started working on The Lonely Week update (don't worry about the name, it surely doesn't mean anything), which will be the next public update and will include 12 scenes in it, leaving the grand finale (scenes 13 and 14) of Just a Bite for last.

I'm currently editing scene 11, which is a branching scene, and I'm done with 2 branches out of 5. I'm not a big fan of keeping wordcounts but by my estimates, scene 11 alone with all of its branches will add at least 27k additional words, which is almost twice as much as the entire Amare Fest Edition, and that's not counting scenes 8-10. Needless to say, the upcoming update will be quite big and that's why it's taking me so long.

Just a Bite is just an introduction. As soon as I send the last testing build containing all scenes to my Inner Circle, I'm getting to work on the second part, The Golden Apple, which will be even longer. It's all already outlined and just waiting for me to get to it.

So, yeah! I'm sorry, I never really wrote a proper update post before. Either way, hope you're doing great, I'll see you at the next update <3

[passerine-hills-if]

Reblogging this because it's important for me. I was also scared that my story won't be seen or read at all because of the same reasons. I need to say that this was completely an unwarranted fear because there is an audience for stories like these, even though you might think there isn't because of the general representation of gender-customizable MCs capable of romancing any gender.

In the end, you need to remember that writing needs to feel right to you, too. Forcing yourself to write something else when you want to write WLW games won't feel right for you. Including something just to meet some imaginary standard won't feel right for you - and possibly, will be picked up by readers.

Hey IF-seal, so i have had an idea for writing an IF where the MC is genderlocked female and her love interests are female too. I am very concerned and anxious that if I put out this project people won't be interested as there isn't much agency when it comes to the gender of the MC and the LIs but I have been so passionate about writing a wlw story with a choices format and I really want to pursue it, I don't have a big reason for making the MC gender locked other than the fact that I have always wanted to write female characters that are different than usual like see them in contexts in which usually males are seen in and making female LIs is because that's the only romance i feel comfortable writing. Should i go for it or dump it?

Dear WLW-writing Friend,

I am taking your hands in my flippers and entreating you:

Please write your F/F story.

I do not wish to be contrary but I will gently contradict you when you say you do not have a big reason for your MC to be gender-locked. In fact you have at least three which you have said to me already!

writing female love interests is where you are comfortable

you would like to write female characters in contexts in which male characters are typically seen

you are passionate about writing a WLW story

And if you only felt the final bullet point, that would be enough.

There are other ways in which players can be given agency in these types of games than the gender of the PC or romanceable characters. (In fact, there are plenty of decisions to be made about the types of agency you want to give players too - which is perhaps for another longer post.)

It is true that there are people who will not want to play as a female character - I will not dispute that - but there are also plenty who will. And there will be people who will be immensely excited about the fact that you are specifically writing a WLW game. They are your audience for this story!

Best of luck with your writing, friend.

[passerine-hills-if]

Read through the first half of the game (scenes 7/14, approx. 14k words with code) here || Check out the side stories here || Detailed TW/CWs in game(s) description(s) || FAQ post

Yes, that influencer - I’ll spare the introduction, you probably know who I am. If you’re reading this, you probably were searching for something in the Passerine Hills Library and accidentally found this instead of whatever you wanted to find. Sorry about the disappointment. You can put it down and we’ll forget about the whole thing, I won’t be mad.

But do you really want to miss out on a storytime?

---

Passerine Hills Academy opens its Golden Gates every year to those who are rich and famous, and sometimes, driven by ambition to become rich and famous. Hidden away in an undisclosed location, it quickly became a refuge for those tired of endless scandals, being in the spotlight, and running from relentless paparazzi. And as the saying goes, what happens behind the Golden Gates, stays behind the Golden Gates: spilling the secrets of others will lead to your own secrets being spilled.

In 2024, Tiffany Ragnell - one of the top influencers - entered the Academy. Whatever happened to her clearly changed her as a person; faithful to the rules, she refused to speak about it. For years, nobody but the people involved knew about those events... until you, a new student in Passerine Hills, found an account of what went down, written by none other than Tiffany Ragnell herself.

---

Just a Bite serves as an introduction to the longer Passerine Hills series. It's meant for more mature readers due to potential dark themes - consult the trigger warnings. While the intended genres are slice of life and, later down the road, romance, more mystery- and thriller-like elements might come up.

Read through Tiffany's story and decide where it goes.

Find tiny hints of big secrets.

Learn about the life behind the Golden Gates.

Get to know the Passerine Hills girls and Izzy and decide who you'd like to know better...

...I mean, who knows what can happen down the line?

Don't think about anything too much.