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Question for everyone tonight:

When playing IFs, do you have a preference for how sexuality/attraction is presented? Do you prefer to explicitly state your MC's identity (i.e. fully stating 'I'm bisexual' or 'I'm asexual'); do you prefer to keep it a little more vague (i.e. 'I'm interested in women' or 'I'm not interested in anyone'); or do you prefer not selecting in-game at all and simply choosing whichever options you choose?

Since I'm currently writing the first conversation that includes gender & queerness in-story, this has been on my mind quite a bit.

The specific framing is something I've gone back and forth on, and now that I'm at a ~point of no return~ on the subject, I figured I'd reach out and see if anybody had specific thoughts!

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yes i am still writing the prologue- i have been avoiding tumblr bc it’s my biggest distraction lol. prologue soon but im not going to set dates anymore bc i think it just jinxes me lmao. thank you for your patience everyone! :)

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🕳️ What to Write When You Have No Idea What Happens Next

aka: you’re staring into the creative abyss and the abyss is not only staring back, it’s asking for a rough draft

hi writer. welcome to that fun little liminal space in your project where ✨absolutely nothing✨ makes sense. you wrote the last scene. you know you’re not at the end. but suddenly your characters are just standing there like NPCs waiting for a quest marker and your brain is doing the spinning beachball of death.

so. what now?

let’s break down some actually useful strategies for when you hit That Point™️. not vibes. not ✨manifest your way out✨ energy. not the “just keep writing” slog. here’s what to do when your story is refusing to tell you what happens next:

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zoom out: do a “scene audit” ———————————————

you don’t need a full outline to do this. take five minutes and sketch a bullet list of every scene that’s happened so far. not just what happened, but why it mattered.

like this:

MC lied to their boss (sets up stakes re: trust/power)

antagonist shows up at cafe (establishes tension + location crossover)

best friend gets suspicious (emotional complication, adds pressure)

this gives you a birds-eye view of what you’ve set in motion. often you’re stuck because you’ve lost sight of the threads you were pulling, your own story has momentum, you just need to feel it again.

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try “ghost drafting” (aka fake writing) —————————————————————

open a doc. start typing what would happen, if you were writing. super casual. something like:

“okay i think the next scene is maybe them at the train station?? or wait--maybe we need to see the fallout of the argument. i don’t really know what x character wants rn but i think y might be planning something…”

this trick works bc it removes pressure. no fancy prose, no perfect structure. it’s literally you telling yourself what might happen. and weirdly? your brain will often finish the scene for you without asking. (the number of times I’ve ghost drafted myself into 800 usable words… witchcraft.)

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pin your characters to a corkboard and interrogate them ——————————————————————————

not literally. (unless you're into that. i don’t judge.)

but seriously: when you’re stuck, it’s often because your character has no immediate goal or emotion. pause and ask:

what does this character want right now? like, in this moment?

what are they trying to avoid?

what’s keeping them from getting either?

character-driven scenes are rarely static. even if it’s just an awkward dinner or walking to the store, someone’s always trying to do or hide something. if everyone in the scene is just reacting or waiting, you’ve got fog. bring in the fire.

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don’t skip the “boring” stuff--weaponize it —————————————————

sometimes we’re stuck because we think the next scene is dull. like “ugh i guess they just… travel to the manor” or “they regroup at the safe house.” but these slow beats are GOLD if you embed purpose.

try giving the “boring” scene:

a time limit or interruption (they’re hiding but someone knocks)

a secret (someone is lying about something small but important)

a reversal (what they expected is the opposite of what happens)

even if it’s a quiet scene, layer it. conflict isn’t just yelling or action. it’s discomfort. it’s misalignment. tension between what’s said and unsaid.

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when all else fails: write the next emotional beat —————————————————————

strip it back. forget plot. forget pacing. ask yourself:

then write that. a monologue. a journal entry. an outburst. a line of whispered dialogue.

sometimes it’s not that you don’t know what happens next. it’s that your character hasn’t processed what just happened, and until they do, the story can’t move forward.

✨✨✨

the void is normal. getting stuck doesn’t mean you failed or picked the wrong idea or that the muse packed up and left for a better writer’s house. it just means your brain needs space to regroup.

writing isn’t linear. stories aren’t built in perfect lines. they loop. they stall. they circle back. and that’s okay.

if you’re in the middle of nowhere, here’s your sign to sit on the side of the metaphorical road, open your weird little notebook, and write anyway. write wrong. write messy. write ghost drafts. the path shows up when you start walking.

🕳️ you got this, writer.

tag me if you end up crawling out of your stuck scene with a little victory paragraph. i’ll bring snacks for the next one 🧃✨

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

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Writing Spotlight: Infamous (Interview)

We had the great pleasure to interview Amy, author of the massively beloved IF Infamous (@infamous-if). She shared some tips, tricks, and insights on her approach to writing.

One of the most notable things about Infamous is how quickly readers get sucked into its world and invested in its web of characters — be it Orion or Blake or G or Victoria or the slightly controversial Seven. They are all incredibly multi-faceted, complex, and sometimes heartbreakingly real.

Amy says:

“I’ve read something by a writer once that I’ve followed faithfully: you should always know what’s happening in the other room. Even if it won’t be available to readers, it helps establish the world and characters as real, tangible things that don’t just poof out of existence once they walk ‘off-screen’ so to speak.”

Here’s the full interview:

1. What drew you to interactive fiction as a storytelling medium? Did you have any experience writing in other formats before, and if so, would you say there’s any differences in the way writing for IFs should be approached?

There’s so much about writing interactive fiction that I love, but I think the main one is the freedom that comes with it! There are so many ideas I can explore, so many endings and storylines. It’s just as fun for writers as it is for readers to push the limits of what their world and characters can do. You can truly sink your teeth into it and develop the story in ways you don’t see often. 

Coming from writing traditional fiction and having never written an interactive story before, I did need to change my mindset a little. You have to learn to be flexible. Very often, I’m writing routes I wouldn’t particularly take as a reader, and it’s interesting to go against my gut to offer a varied experience. I’ve discovered a lot of fun things about Infamous and its characters from routes I would never take if I were reading it in another IF!

2. What does your writing process look like?

I am a plotter to my core! I am endlessly envious of writers who can pants their way through a scene or a chapter. I need to outline every single beat, every scene, every conversation. The plot comes to me first and then I slowly build the main character around that and ask myself what kind of story I want to tell with that main character.

The MC in Infamous leans heavily into the ‘underdog’ trope. That’s how I got much of MC’s personality from. The main thing I ask myself when building the main character is: what do they have, what do they want, and what do they need? I use that to inform the rest of the cast and the stats. My main goal is that every piece works in tandem with the others. They all make sense in my head! 

3. What does good writing / good characters / good world-building etc. mean to you, and what are some central tenets or principles you follow to achieve that? 

A story that gets me invested is a success in my eyes. I want to care for the characters and feel like the world is one that truly exists somewhere. I’ve read something by a writer once that I’ve followed faithfully: you should always know what’s happening in the other room. Even if it won’t be available to readers, it helps establish the world and characters as real, tangible things that don’t just poof out of existence once they walk ‘off-screen’ so to speak. The characters had lives before the story started, people they knew and things they’ve experienced. It informs their personalities and builds them what they are once you meet them on page.

The world is still turning even while the main character is asleep. Things are still happening everywhere…even when we don’t see it. That’s how I try to approach every story to bring it to life. 

4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out in interactive fiction?

Be firm! It’s so easy to get swept up in the excitement of having an audience and wanting to keep that audience. It’s not uncommon to make the mistake of overpromising to please every reader. You won’t be able to, trust me! You’ll only write yourself in a corner. It’s healthy to find a good balance between sticking to your gut and accepting/being open to suggestions. 

A tinier one but: know your endings! It’s best to know what you’re writing toward. It’ll be so much easier to stick to the story and avoid meandering through the plot if you know how each route ends. Everything I write is to get to that ending in one way or the other.

5. Where do you find your ideas or inspiration for new stories or mechanics?Where did your story idea originate? Has it strayed far from that concept/evolved during the writing process? 

I guess it’s quite on brand to say that almost every story idea I’ve had came from a song, Infamous included. My head is always thinking of songs as potential needle drops or playlists as movie soundtracks. Infamous in particular, was formed from Brie Larson’s cover of Black Sheep in the Scott Pilgrim movie. It features a Battle of the Bands sequence that made me want to read a story with the same concept. I scoured and scoured for a band IF that scratched that particular itch but didn’t find any. Eventually, I gave in and did it myself! That’s one of the best parts of the community; you can just do it. 

Surprisingly, this is one of the few stories of mine that hasn’t strayed far from the original idea. I think it helps that I’m writing exactly what I wanted to read once upon a time.

End of interview

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A big thanks once again to Amy for her insightful answers, and @veswrites-if for taking the time to coordinate the interview. Hope that this was a fun and interesting read.

Stay tuned for more of these interviews :)

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writing update #2

so i did not make my goal of an early May release- basically I was almost finished the prologue and realized that it was way shorter than i thought. so i’ve been adding some chapter 1 scenes to it- the main scene being 1:1 time with an RO of your choice. these scenes will actually end up being pretty important, and set up the ‘volunteer route,’ where you get to choose which RO you will get extra scenes with in each chapter (or you can have the ROs be randomly selected for each scene, and get time with all of them!)

anyways- i’m sorry that it’ll be later than expected, but I do think it’ll be out in the month of May- with a lot more content than originally planned!

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Recent IF updates (because if writes have fed us well lately)

Blood of the living (chapter 4) - fields of asphodels book 2

College tennis origin story (chapter 7) - in love

The Eternal Library (chapter 4)

Adoriel's Tears (part of chapter 2) - delicious

Love after death (chapter 3) - I am not ok

Apartment 502 (chapter 2)

The Bastard of camelot (chapter 4 + part of chapter 5)

Press play (chapter 3)

The soulforge order (chapter 2 part 1)

Stygian sun: total Eclypse (chapter 1 part 3) - I am not ok again. Don't touch my sibling

When Twilight strikes (chapter 12)

Burning Academia (chapter 3)

The trials and tribulations of Edward Harcourt (completed game) - criminal that I still have to play it, a bit afraid of the bad endings

Where they wait (VN, completed game)

The Woods Hungers (chapter 3)

Moonlight (chapter 1 part 2)

The Night Market book 2 (chapter 7)

Cantata (chapter 2) - there is lots of food because the author also has another completed if: Viatica

The Sovereign's Ring (new content)

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Step into a new world with the release of Chapter 12 of When Twilight Strikes, out NOW on Itch.io !!

IN THIS CHAPTER.

Comfort [A] and/or be comforted by N

See (yet another) new side to Blane

Attempt to understand K and try to see past Rylan's masks

And, of course, meet Eliana, Queen of the Fae !!

STATS. 572,090 words (+60,665)

LINKS. Patreon & Ko-Fi

As always, thank you for being patient with me in the months between the last chapter and this one. This one was difficult for many reasons, but I'm extremely proud of the final product; I hope you're satisfied with it too. This game has come so far since the initial demo, and I'm incredibly grateful that there are so many of you who are here to watch it grow.

Please let me know what you think! Bug reports can be sent as an ask or to my email (evertidings@gmail.com). Happy playing !!

NOTE: Those who played the early-access version may find that there have been some (small) changes, mostly grammatical fixes and reworded sentences for flow/plot purposes. The core of the chapter remains the same <3

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About the Prologue -- It's Up

Hi guys! I have some important news about the prologue. While I had originally planned for it extend further into the actual murder that will take place, I realized that it fit better for the pacing for the murder to occur in chapter 1 instead. As a result, the prologue will not have the murder.

With that being said, I siphoned off the part of the prologue that actually still fits, and will not be a part of chapter 1, so you can play through it now.

It's not very long (only 9.4k) words, but I hope that you still enjoy it! You can play it here:

Please do let me know if there are any bugs, typos or other issues!

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Play the prologue + Chapter 1 (9k+ words) here!

Features

have a peek as to why shapeshifters exist

customise your features

pick your animal form

find out about your current living situation

get... attacked?

It's finally here!!! The prologue and Chapter 1 is on the shorter side, unfortunately, but hopefully the later chapters would be longer! Please do submit any bugs (here) because although i've tested it, there may be a few i missed out on...

I hope you enjoy the IF so far <3

@interact-if

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what are some casual things the MC could do unwittingly that would accidentally get the ROs all hot and bothered? And how would they actually act in the moment?

Arden: any amount of taking care of them. Arden hasn’t had anyone take care of them in…. a long time. like at all. so anything like, filling their water for them, asking how they slept, giving them a granola bar. genuinely MC could do the bare minimum and it would probably be more than they’ve experienced in a long time lol. or when MC is like super stubborn about something.

Early on they’ll be like “oh. cool. thanks” and then avoid MC’s eyes. As their feelings progress they’ll give a more heartfelt thank you but then straight up exit the situation lmao. their heart is poundingggggg

Spencer: friendly, casual touch. one of the first things that makes Spencer realize they have feelings for the MC is that they start reacting differently when the MC touches them- they’ve touched a million times, but now Spencer feels all the air is sucked out of the room when MC so much as brushes past them.

If MC were to look closely they’d realize Spencer is perfectly frozen still. Internally Spencer feels annoyed at themselves and is focused on trying to make sure MC doesn’t notice they’re acting weird lol

Noel/le: any slight implication that MC has thought of them when they’re not around- like “N i saw xyz and it reminded me of when u said xyz!!!” or, if MC has long enough hair, when they play with it- pushing it out of their face, twirling it around their finger, running their hand through it, putting it into a ponytail. if MC has a buzzcut or bald head, when they skim their hand over it.

Early on, N has to look away. They’re embarrassed. As the feelings progress they might look, maybe blushing a tiny bit, looking away if MC notices

Kit: knowing any sort of random impressive fact. like something no one else would know. or when MC leans on their forearms on the bar. they go crazy for that. OR when Kit and the MC are making fun of each other, like teasing each other- especially when it’s like almost flirting, but not quite.

Kit has a hell of a poker face, MC will have no clue. Inside, they feel a bit of a thrill- they’re scared of these feelings but also feel kinda like someone might feel when they go skydiving

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SNEAK PEEK #3: BLANE REKNER.

— 4 days until Chapter 12.

Alt Text: "The table watches as the two have a silent conversation. It lasts no longer than a few seconds. No words are spoken, only the calm steadiness of N's eyes and the nervous anxiety rolling off Blane in waves. But while N's reassurances should be enough to convince Blane to speak, for once, it's not.

In a moment of sheer panic, Blane's eyes dart to mine."

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How do the RO's feel about MC leaving hickeys/ giving MC hickeys :p

TY for the question :) answer under the cut

Arden I think they’d prefer leaving them versus receiving. not visible ones, though. Lower abdomen, hips, thighs most of all. they would LOVE to find them later. The more i think about it the more i think they’d be kind of obsessed with leaving little hidden hickeys on the mc lmao

Spencer I think they wouldn’t mind giving or receiving them, visible or not!!

Noel/le: Hidden ones!! on the thighs & chest. Noelle would LOVE hickeys on her chest. They would prefer to leave hidden ones, too. NEVER visible!! they’d be soo self conscious if anyone saw them lol

Kit would love to leave hickeys on the MC- wherever MC wants!!

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I was wondering how experience are the Ro's with romance and sex?

Also, how do they feel with a Mc who never had any experience?

Answer under the cut!! ty for the question :)

Most to least sexual experiences:

N, Spencer, Kit =Arden ?

Most to least romantic experience:

Arden, Kit = Spencer, N

Arden: Arden rarely has had sex outside of relationships, but I think it’s probably happened once or twice. Arden has been in one longer relationships from age 17-19. They also had a shorter relationship in their early twenties, but it ended because of…. things to be revealed. And has not had any romantic experiences since. Arden said ‘i love you’ in both relationships but they were never fully sure.

I think Arden would be a bit nervous about making it a good first experience and I think would do a very good job at making the MC feel extremely safe! They’d be very observant of the MC and responding to their little reactions. I think they’d be extra observant with an unexperienced MC

Spencer: Spencer’s never had a long term relationship, but a few shorter ones- less than 6 months each probably. Not for any bad reasons they just… didn’t work out. Probably mostly Spencer ending them. I think they quite want to be in one but also want to be very sure they’re the right person. As far as sex goes, they’ve had a decent amount of sex both in and out of relationships.

They’d be so happy to share this with you- they’d be completely focused on you, helping you figure out what feels best- they’re very eager to please!!! and they’ve always been most eager to please MC.

Noel/le: Surprisingly, N has never been in a relationship. (Not for lack of opportunity!!) However, they are probably the RO who is the biggest romantic! N has also slept with a fair amount of people. This was before Tatum- they haven’t had any romantic or sexual experiences since then (like 4-5 years). Tatum’s other parent, Harper, is a long time friend of Noel/le’s. This will all be explored of course :D

N is not only kind and gentle but extremely confident in their skills- they would make sure it was the most perfect experience ever for the MC. genuinely i don’t think there’s a better person to have your first time with.

Kit: Kit has had one relationship in their mid twenties. They’ve had a bit of sex outside of that, but I see it as mostly being with friends? Like here or there after a night out or something. Somehow I also feel like Kit is really good at making it not awkward after. They’re quite charming :) it’s hard to make Kit feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Kit would be honored to share this experience with you, but also intimidated. I think that that pesky fear of commitment might be trying to set off alarm bells in their head- making them feel weirdly guilty, like they aren’t worthy? They’d make it very special though! They’d be good at matching the mood- being a little silly, or serious, or romantic depending on what the MC seems to want.

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I was wondering how experience are the Ro's with romance and sex?

Also, how do they feel with a Mc who never had any experience?

Answer under the cut!! ty for the question :)

Most to least sexual experiences:

N, Spencer, Kit =Arden ?

Most to least romantic experience:

Arden, Kit = Spencer, N

Arden: Arden rarely has had sex outside of relationships, but I think it’s probably happened once or twice. Arden has been in one longer relationships from age 17-19. They also had a shorter relationship in their early twenties, but it ended because of…. things to be revealed. And has not had any romantic experiences since. Arden said ‘i love you’ in both relationships but they were never fully sure.

I think Arden would be a bit nervous about making it a good first experience and I think would do a very good job at making the MC feel extremely safe! They’d be very observant of the MC and responding to their little reactions. I think they’d be extra observant with an unexperienced MC

Spencer: Spencer’s never had a long term relationship, but a few shorter ones- less than 6 months each probably. Not for any bad reasons they just… didn’t work out. Probably mostly Spencer ending them. I think they quite want to be in one but also want to be very sure they’re the right person. As far as sex goes, they’ve had a decent amount of sex both in and out of relationships.

They’d be so happy to share this with you- they’d be completely focused on you, helping you figure out what feels best- they’re very eager to please!!! and they’ve always been most eager to please MC.

Noel/le: Surprisingly, N has never been in a relationship. (Not for lack of opportunity!!) However, they are probably the RO who is the biggest romantic! N has also slept with a fair amount of people. This was before Tatum- they haven’t had any romantic or sexual experiences since then (like 4-5 years). Tatum’s other parent, Harper, is a long time friend of Noel/le’s. This will all be explored of course :D

N is not only kind and gentle but extremely confident in their skills- they would make sure it was the most perfect experience ever for the MC. genuinely i don’t think there’s a better person to have your first time with.

Kit: Kit has had one relationship in their mid twenties. They’ve had a bit of sex outside of that, but I see it as mostly being with friends? Like here or there after a night out or something. Somehow I also feel like Kit is really good at making it not awkward after. They’re quite charming :) it’s hard to make Kit feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Kit would be honored to share this experience with you, but also intimidated. I think that that pesky fear of commitment might be trying to set off alarm bells in their head- making them feel weirdly guilty, like they aren’t worthy? They’d make it very special though! They’d be good at matching the mood- being a little silly, or serious, or romantic depending on what the MC seems to want.

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So... Who's ready to meet Eliana? Prepare yourselves to enter the Realm of the Fae in Chapter 12, releasing May 9th at 9 A.M. EST. 

Early access on Patreon starts on May 4th for the Midnight Tier, and May 6th for the Twilight Tier.

IN THIS CHAPTER.

Reassure [A] that everything will be alright (because it will... right?)

Discover some new nervous habits from Blane

Reveal a new side to N (or has that always been there?)

Attempt to analyze K's thoughts

Wonder why Rylan is being... quiet for once?

Additionally, Chapter 12 includes three (!!) one-on-one scenes with the RO of your choice in anticipation of the upcoming romance lock

STATS.

Game Total: 572,090 words (+60,665)

It's also been a while since I've done this, but I'll be posting sneak peeks from the chapter up until release date, starting tomorrow.

I'm so excited for everyone to read this! Thank you all for being so patient and I will see you very soon <3

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Hellooo again!!

Just wanted to ask you some more questions!!

For the ROs, who is clingiest and who is not at all from a scale of 0(being the least) and 10 (being the most )

And what’s your favorite part about your game?

🌃

Sky

Hi!!

Most to least clingy:

Spencer, Arden = Noel/le, Kit

Spencer is easily the clingiest- they enjoy things more when MC is around, and I think when MC is around they’d always love to be touching them in some way! They would invite MC everywhere and be like “it’s a date”!!! “come with me to the grocery store mc it’s like a date :) i’ll get you something from the bakery section :)”

Noel/le is pretty clingy i think but also has a lot of responsibilities- mostly Tatum- that take up their time so the clinginess would mostly come out when it’s just them and MC! It wouldn’t be “i want to spend all my time with you” but instead “when i get to spend time with you i want u with me every moment”

Arden, specifically early on in the relationship, loses themselves in the MC a little lol- they won’t be able to get enough. They’ll want to be with MC as much as they can, stealing them away to kiss where no one can see, pulling them back to bed in the mornings when MC stays the night, etc. I put them lower bc I think this will lessen as the relationship continues but they definitely still have a bit of a clingy side!! They would be soooo embarrassed by this being acknowledged tho. they’d (mostly jokingly) sulk but it’d be a ploy to get MC’s attention lmfao

Some of the why for Kit’s answer is spoiler-y but they aren’t as clingy for ~reasons~! They still love and crave the MC, it manifests in different ways though!!

My favorite part of the game is the romance system, it’s very much tailored to me TBH hahaha i hope everyone likes it- i’m going to put out a post explaining it soon i think!!

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Hellooo again!!

Just wanted to ask you some more questions!!

For the ROs, who is clingiest and who is not at all from a scale of 0(being the least) and 10 (being the most )

And what’s your favorite part about your game?

🌃

Sky

Hi!!

Most to least clingy:

Spencer, Arden = Noel/le, Kit

Spencer is easily the clingiest- they enjoy things more when MC is around, and I think when MC is around they’d always love to be touching them in some way! They would invite MC everywhere and be like “it’s a date”!!! “come with me to the grocery store mc it’s like a date :) i’ll get you something from the bakery section :)”

Noel/le is pretty clingy i think but also has a lot of responsibilities- mostly Tatum- that take up their time so the clinginess would mostly come out when it’s just them and MC! It wouldn’t be “i want to spend all my time with you” but instead “when i get to spend time with you i want u with me every moment”

Arden, specifically early on in the relationship, loses themselves in the MC a little lol- they won’t be able to get enough. They’ll want to be with MC as much as they can, stealing them away to kiss where no one can see, pulling them back to bed in the mornings when MC stays the night, etc. I put them lower bc I think this will lessen as the relationship continues but they definitely still have a bit of a clingy side!! They would be soooo embarrassed by this being acknowledged tho. they’d (mostly jokingly) sulk but it’d be a ploy to get MC’s attention lmfao

Some of the why for Kit’s answer is spoiler-y but they aren’t as clingy for ~reasons~! They still love and crave the MC, it manifests in different ways though!!

My favorite part of the game is the romance system, it’s very much tailored to me TBH hahaha i hope everyone likes it- i’m going to put out a post explaining it soon i think!!