#Choicescript game

[merrycrisis-if]

Merry Crisis Chapter 5

In this chapter:

Nat arrives in Singapore!! Things come to a head!

Attend Nat's conference panel discussion, then head for lunch along the river 🍛

Make dumplings for dinner with Qiu (and sleepover at their place) 🥟

Watch a Malay horror movie and have dinner with Shay (and sleepover) 👻

Go for a bike ride 🚴‍♀️or hang out at the winter funfair with Nat 🎪 (then head to their hotel room for the night) 🛏

Commit to your RO of choice + some rejections (though the full suite of consequences for your actions will come over the next 2 days)

Word count: Around 50-60k with code depending on how ruthless my eventual editing is

This update will also come with some edits to the previous chapters, which may or may not improve the continuity between routes...*

P.S. with this chapter, we are now 6/8 chapters in (counting the prologue and epilogue)!

*I am still going through a herculean combing-through of stats and branching paths with the help of my wonderful beta testers. Things should be sorted out soon!!

Release dates:

Ko-fi Non beta tested: 29 Dec (~10pm GMT-5)

Ko-fi Beta tested: 1 Jan same time

Public release: 8 Jan same time

[soulmatesinc-if]

Demo Update

Here at Soulmates Inc we specialize in chance meetings!

As a soul-link, your job is to guide two people entrusted in your care to one another in a fateful meeting, for they are each other's soulmates. Aided by the soul-link powers, you will craft a story that will be told over and over to others, changed and misremembered or kept as faithful as humanly possible. Without your help, they would not find one another.

P.S.: a regular reminder to refrain from referring to yourself or your coworkers as Cupid.

|| LINK to the demo || [119k +30k]

In this update:

plan how to save your career

it's also high time to involve the management (that's always pleasant)

potentially make a life-altering decision

flex your game over texts

reveals and speculations, but do you find the sources trustworthy?

Reblogs are much appreciated! ♥

[heavyisthecrownif]

Intro

The Emperor is ill; the people of the capital whisper with varying degrees of concern or delight; he has completely fallen into the clutches of madness, as the most insidious tongues allege, the truth is, to their ignorance, considerably more urgent.

The Emperor, Airlar the Unifier, responsible for the greatest modifications to the constitution and State in the entire history of Ehyla, a living testimony to the existence of a civilization buried by the sands of time as well as oblivion, is irremediably, undeniably dying.

And so your life undergoes an absolute change overnight by nothing less than imperial decree. As the only one of your siblings of the right age, you are not only heading to a nest of conspiring vipers that you should never have dealt with, but every second, implicitly and explicitly, you are being judged and evaluated for a purpose that escapes your knowledge. Truth be told, at least it's not all bad; you have your very competent and loyal assistant at your side, and with your sister relatively close by, your experience shouldn't be so terrible...

Unless...

CW: This is a dark romance, and what this entails—things like possessiveness, stalking, manipulation, jealousy, and dependency will be seen in varying degrees in all routes. Sexism, transphobia, and homophobia will be briefly mentioned, as well as religious trauma, abuse of power, graphic violence, and optional explicit sexual scenes.

This list is subject to change as the game progresses.

HITC is only for an audience of +18.

Demo: Prologue: 11k last updated on 2/21/25

Since HITC is a wip all blog content is subject to possible changes in the future.

•Customize your Crown; personality, appearance, gender, pronouns, independent of the chosen gender, magic type, and where the foreign half of your bloodline comes from.

•Build friendships, romances and/or enmities with 5 diverse characters, all of selectable gender (with ace options).

•Find out why you are in demand in the capital and why you should study at the "Saint Elizsea Academy for Illustrious Young People" side by side with the cream of the crop of Ehylian society.

•Have a familiar! With options, so far, to choose from a wolf, a ferret, a raven, a snake, a crocodile, a deer and several types of dogs and cats.

Choose wisely! They all possess consciousness and at least a degree of magical attributes and some are...sassy.

•Shape the narrative with your decisions, every choice matters.

•The Crown: You! As the fourth child of a marriage between a former general promoted to king for his illustrious strategies against the rebellion against the fae and a foreign scholar, your outlook is, to say the least, peculiar. Not only are you the product of a marriage of love, with the confidence of genuinely and willingly counting on the support of your brothers and older sister again, but also, well known for their almost barbaric customs, your parents have the audacity to allow you to decide what to do with your own life, from coveting and collecting knowledge to learning the art of war or venturing into any of the five arts, you have a place nothing less than privileged, so far from being the firstborn and with an older brother more than capable and willing to take charge of the kingdom, your future is, to say the least, very promising, until an edict of the dying, and extremely capricious emperor demands that every young people of marriageable age who is not taking charge of the administration of their jurisdiction at the time, must go to be evaluated at The Academy in the heart of the capital, with your first brother discarded, your older sister engaged, your second brother in the borderlands doing pilgrim work and your younger siblings too young to attend that leaves you alone as an option.

•The one who left (RO): Asterion/Astrya Dellamort. With silky midnight waves and expressive eyes that evoke the memory of the moon in their hue and roundness, they possesses an astonishingly delicate and pretty face, for someone who has been classified with little variation as a rigid, cold, arrogant, difficult and even bitchy person throughout their young life, Azzy, the nickname with which you baptized their and, unbeknownst to you no soul is allowed to use without going through severe verbal reprimands and/or public humiliation, was, at least until the age of 13, your best friend, with their mother being a strong ally, and more importantly, a supporter of your parents, it is no wonder that you two were brought together to be playmates since before you could remember.

Truth be told, Azzy was never easy, despite knowing you all their life there is something about you that bothers they deeply, they can trust your reasons, your transparency, but they can't understand your affection, because as the only child of the Queen, Azzy they was much more exposed and at a much younger age to the cruel machinations of politics, so, with an almost supernatural ease they developed a capacity with words as bewitching as it is deadly, cruel if you will even, not that you have witnessed it first hand, of course, for many complaints, frowns and playful reluctance, you probably have the rare honor of knowing and living with the kindest version of Azzy, which in turn gives you the merit of being the person who knows they the most and the least, being a witness to they gentleness but mostly ignorant of their cruelty.

It's not until a tragic occasion, when your relationship breaks down, abruptly, suddenly, with the roughness of a wound that hasn't healed properly even five years later, that you wonder why Azzy decided to cut off all contact with you, but, unbeknownst to you, they despises and belittles anyone who tries to gain their favor by putting you down.

Tropes: Friends (with the possibility of a friendly rivalry...or not) to "rivals" to lovers/ Attachment issues, let's say Azzy is fine keeping their distance, (they're not) but if you come back into their life there's no turning back/ The ice king/queen's weak point/ Misunderstandings/ Forced proximity.

The one who takes care of you (RO): Kaihlan/Karonthe Agrapolli. Strictly speaking, Kai is your bodyguard, but over the years they has taken on far more than their fair share of responsibilities, and no matter how much you and your parents have asked them not to overexert themselves, the satisfied gleam in their amber eyes whenever they do something to make your life easier, along with their unbeatable stubbornness, means that you can count on Kai as your shadow more often than not.

As the eldest of your father's right-hand twins, Kai has been two things to you: a constant and a teacher. With their undeniable combat skills and their minds as quick as their feet, it is not only an honor to have them defend you, but also teach you.

Kai is loyal to you to the core; in order to ensure your happiness and safety, they is capable of acts that go against morality and even the laws of man and god.

Kai is probably the tallest person you've ever met, so tall that when you were younger and cheeky you asked them if they weren't part giant, they laughed but otherwise didn't answer the question. With sun-kissed skin glowing a shade reminiscent of honey almost as much as their eyes Kai is not only tall, they're broad and rough, with large scarred hands that extend all the way to they forearms you'd expect they to behave like a bull in a china shop, and they do in a way, but when you're around them, they seem incapable of anything but the most dedicated and delicate care. Both M!Kai and F!Kai have hair brushing their shoulders in a fluffy reddish-brown mess, with the back of their necks longer than the front and scattered freckles from spending so much time in the sun.

Tropes: Puppy love/They look like they could kill you and potentially will if you're not MC, but they're actually a cinnamon roll, long-term crush, himbo/bimbo, surface only, gentle giant, wolf in sheep's clothing.

The one who admires you (RO):???. You're not sure how, but you've somehow managed to get a hold of a stalker.

What you know so far is little and downright mediocre, they either have enough power or influence to bribe someone into getting their letters to you within the castle grounds, or more unlikely, they're stealthy enough to slip past Kai's ever-watchful eye, so all things considered, there's most likely magic involved, which brings you back to the first point, or they're rich enough to hire or own a wizard themselves or they're powerful enough to conjure their presence into your chambers without raising suspicion.

Tropes: Loved you from the moment they saw you/secret admirer/strangers to ???/would burn the world down for you.

The one who does not show up(RO): Secret route! You'll know when you meet them...maybe.

Tropes: Love-hate/they despise loving you/they want to live in your heart... literally/the love that was never meant to be/they are doomed. to love you? to exist without you? not even they know.

The one you impressed (RO): Elysse/Eylarion Kurayoi.

If there is one word to define Ely it is scandal, with their elastic golden curls bouncing with the sound of their thunderous laughter, they would not readily admit how much they love to impress, but the mischievous sparkle in their mahogany eyes says otherwise.

You know little to nothing about them other than the rumors that proclaim that they have no standards regarding who they share a bed with, but for some reason you intrigue them, if you were to ask them they would say little more than that they are curious that you are so different and little else.

They happens to be your roommate at the academy and as someone who for better or worse seems to be extremely transparent and understands how everyone who has an important name in the capital acts, it might be convenient to have them around, but be careful not to leave them too close to the warmth of your home because they might not want to leave.

Tropes: Master/Mistress of seduction until they flirt with someone they really like/ Bad reputation or justified prejudices?/ the capital's rebellious child/ The most beautiful at the ball/ The beauty and the beast

Feel free to ask me anything! And thanks for reading!

[hpowellsmith]

Honor Bound: Guard students and secrets at an elite school!

Steam | Google Play Store | Choice of Games on Android | Choice of Games on iOS | Choice of Games on Amazon | Webstore

Protect an exclusive boarding school and rebuild your life after scandal as a military bodyguard for the children of the rich and famous! Return to the world of Crème de la Crème, this time as a military officer in the Republic of Teran.

Honor Bound is an interactive novel by Harris Powell-Smith where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based, 595,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

You've built a promising career in the Teranese military, a force which has not seen major engagement in decades but which holds vast influence. Thanks to an injury, you're no longer in the field. Thanks to the complicated (read: scandalous) circumstances of that injury, you've been quietly reassigned as a bodyguard for the teenage child of a famous scientist. This should be an easy assignment: your charge is at boarding school in the wilderness, an exclusive sanctuary where the children of the rich and powerful become artists and scientists of the future. The school sits close to your own hometown, so you'll be familiar with the area. Finally, you can recover your health and get your career back on track.

But danger is closing in, and peril can come from inside as well as out. What secret projects are your colleagues pursuing in the dead of night? What is your commanding officer not telling you? Bandits lurk in the wilderness—including one of your childhood friends!—and natural disasters constantly threaten the fragile environment. And then there's the danger to your heart, from the complicated feelings that come from returning to your birthplace, and from adjusting to the new reality of your life. Can you really go home again?

Build a warm community and bond with your colleagues, or impress everyone with your aloof competence. Chase ambition to receive glowing reports and get your life back on track—or become such a disaster that only bandits will tolerate your presence. Or, just maybe, you will have to risk it all for the sake of doing the right thing.

Play as male, female, or nonbinary; cis or trans; gay, straight, or bisexual; asexual and/or aromantic; allosexual and/or alloromantic; monogamous or polyamorous.

Customize your age: play a junior officer in your 20s, a mid-ranking officer in your 30s, or a senior officer in your 40s.

Befriend or romance a severe military officer; a bold, easygoing outdoors expert; a determined and overworked priest; an earnest but scatterbrained fellow bodyguard; a childhood friend turned disgraced bandit; or the anxious, serious widowed parent of your charge.

Pet the dog, the cat, or both.

Meet the main characters of Crème de la Crème, Royal Affairs, and Noblesse Oblige, and find out what their lives are like now!

Shape the school life of your teenage charge: encourage her to make friends or sabotage her rivals; let her slack off or push her to achieve; and get caught up in boarding-school drama.

Unearth and thwart shadowy schemes—or join in the scheming for your own gain.

How far will you go for ambition, duty, and your country?

Steam | Google Play Store | Choice of Games on Android | Choice of Games on iOS | Choice of Games on Amazon | Webstore

[alistarascendance]

❝𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧?❞

— in which, fabled legend Alistar returns from the Chasm decades after their descent, only to find themself faced with an issue: humanity, in their absence, has created a world of suffering, dilapidated by greed, and Alistar’s presence only continues to fuel their selfishness, as a living legend must kill… or be killed.

Alistar: Ascendance is a cyberpunk, dystopian romance interactive fiction that was originally intended to simply be a story, before its writer (me) decided to be impulsive and turn it into an IF.

DISCLAIMERS

this story will contain depictions of alcohol, smoking, blood, violence, profanity, mild gore, yandere behavior, toxic relationships, suggestive themes, discrimination, self-hatred, mentions of emotional and physical abuse, suicidal thoughts, an oppressive government, fictional languages and religions, real world philosophies/religions including but not limited to: cynicism, nihilism and atheism; a corrupt world, discussion of morals and human conscience, as well as other mature themes. this list will be updated as the story is written.

please keep all of this in mind while reading!

A gender-selectable MC, who you choose the name, personality, sexuality, appearance, and morals of.

A wide variety of choices to choose from that will impact your story, and the need to keep your MC sane (or just go batshit insane. That works, too).

5 male love interests + 1 secret RO, all of whom you can maintain a simply platonic relationship with if you wish, or you can just continue to flirt with them endlessly (+ a FWB relationship for some).

An enriching world and story, set in a cyberpunk dystopia (we know all of you are here for the romance though).

A powerful MC 😔😔

ROs (romance options, also referred to as LIs or love interests).

THE SURFACE DWELLER:

Seven. 21, Chaotic Good. Mechanic.

“The HIVE needs to fall. There are no exceptions—not even for you.”

The first person you meet once you arrive on the Surface, you and Seven have a unique bond. He’s got a reputation in the slums and Neon for being great at parties, but his friendliness can easily be read as something more.

Is it something more? Further observations will have to be made…

THE SURVIVOR

Saturn. 23, Lawful Evil. Bartender.

“Keep your head down, and you’ll survive.”

The quiet bartender has a curious perspective on things. He seems to have no problem with the HIVE members patrolling his bar, even serving them drinks like they’re normal customers, despite their heavy armor and edges that are too sharp to be humane.

He also doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in you in the slightest. Why’s that?

THE DIPLOMAT

“Is it better to live in quiet solitude, your voice stripped and taken—or would you rather have died, knowing your voice was the loudest amongst them all?”

Chain. 23, alignment unclear. Current occupation unknown.

He’s someone to keep an eye out for. While he hasn’t practiced his craft in years, he may still prove to be dangerous. Just as friendly as Seven, but far more difficult to truly befriend.

Obtain new information as soon as possible…

THE PUPPET

Judge me if you must. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m up here, and you’re down there.

Orion. 25, Lawful Neutral. HIVE operative.

The HIVE member patrolling Saturn’s bar. Part of something greater than he is, but he’s a part of it, regardless. Keep him around…

OTHER ENTITIES

Argos: Neutral Good. Age unknown. The deity whose spear you brandished, after his passing. He was a good man, but the fact only makes your sins rest heavier in your heart.

Teacher: True Neutral. Around ~200 years old. The chasm-dwelling shadow who taught you all you know of the Chasm and its residents.

Alistar: alignment unknown. Around ~200 years old. That’s you! You’re Alistar. At least, that’s what the world has been calling you ever since you ended the war and revitalized humanity, so that is what you will be referred to as throughout the entirety of the story. However, if you’d like to change your name (as Alistar is the default) you may!

As I am primarily an author (as in I literally have done nothing else with my life) I am new to coding (I took ONE coding club in fourth grade) and am trying to write out and perfect a chapter before converting it into typical IF form.

Once I manage to get things situated, I’ll started to code. I’m currently almost done writing chapter 4, so I’ll start working on coding once I finish it.

If anyone wants to read the chapters I’ve written until now, just shoot me an ask or message :)) I’d be happy to show you. otherwise, here are the ones I’ve posted so far:

CHAPTERS

CHAPTER ONE: COURTING DEATH CHAPTER TWO: THOSE WHO REMAIN CHAPTER THREE: TARNISHED DREAMS

asked to be tagged for new chapters!

[pressplay-if]

Press Play Update Time! Part 2 of Chapter/Track 1: "Sounds Like Singing"

Features:

dress up and visit a soiree

secure a gig

spend time with your friends/love interest

work on a new song

endure

Chapter 1 now sits at 56.000 words (code excl.).

Click here to play!

Edit to add: special thanks to my dear friend @thelonelyshore-if and the lovely @elegantunknownphantom for beta reading!!

[girlfromthecrypt]

Discontinuing work on Such Happy Campers for the foreseeable future

This is to inform you guys that I will drop SHC for the time being. I don't know if I'll pick it up again anytime soon; right now it seems unlikely. The reason is that another author (whom I do genuinely admire and look up to) has contacted me privately implying plagiarism. They were polite about it, so no hate there or anything.

Any resemblance between SHC and any other projects is unintentional, but I think knowing that Such Happy Campers is being perceived that way (and by an author whose IF I really like, no less), has and will continue to taint my own perception of it.

I just can't imagine going on with the story right now. I know that it might be early to make such a decision, especially since that just happened and I'm still kind of in shock about it, but continuing with the IF after this is kind of unthinkable to me. Plus, I don't want to invite drama or beef with anybody, so this is also a preventative measure. I'm admittedly fragile about my writing. Right now, I really want to forget Such Happy Campers ever existed.

To those who liked this project, I'm sorry <3 I really am. I'll still be working on my other project, so no worries there, and I hope you guys will understand.

ETA: the author in question didn't ask me to take down my writing or anything, that's my own decision. Don't wanna make false claims here.

[bubblegumrabbitwriting]

Interactive fiction stuff

Hello!

Welcome to my blog for interactive fiction stuff written by me (Pip!). Here you find dev updates, asks, updates for the below and sometimes random things that infect my sleep-deprived mind.

All asks for the games below are welcome!

(Please note the below games and content on the blog are intended for a mature audience! 18+)

---------------------------------------------

Blink (WIP, Main project)

Last updated: 22/02/25, Prologue and partial Ch1

You were born in a concrete prison and sharpened into the perfect superpowered blade, made to appear and disappear like a shadow, leaving nothing but loss in your wake. But you broke your leash, thrust into a city of noise and shady undergrounds, concealed beauty and dangerous company. Will you burn it all away for revenge or break the cycle for a peaceful life? It's your choice, operative.

Demo | Intro post | COGforum

---------------------------------------------

Devil you know (WIP, Side project)

Last updated: 26/01/2025, Partial ch1

A disgraced angel and devil are tasked with the job of tutoring and protecting a young witch as they come into their power while carrying out their day job of protecting the supernatural from humanity. Welcome to BEC, devil.

Demo

---------------------------------------------

Wandering of a god (WIP, Side project)

Last updated: 11/04/2025, Prologue

Born a god and created for singular duty, you carried out without a compliant or glimpse of change. Unchanging and perfected to the design of the unknownable, you compliancy turns to bordem and want. Then one day an escape appears as a portal fulled with promise, the only catch your hand in marriage.

Demo

[gildedbirdcage-if]

Hello! I see that some of the ROs have platonic/romantic specified… does that mean some aren’t romantic?

Hello! Some have the option to not be romantic. Here is more of a breakdown:

Alek: Alek is, above all else, MC’s friend and that trumps the romantic love they feel for the MC. Alek is a firm believer that the MC doesn’t or could not feel the same way they do so they are after the MC’s hand in marriage so that MC has someone they know and trust- someone that has their best interest at heart. They are a completely platonic route and a romantic route- totally up to how you play your MC. There will also be a poly route for them with Orion.

Orion: Orion is not a platonic option primarily due to not being a suitor and having no station. Orion has a romantic route and a poly route with Alek. Orion can remain just your friend, it’s important to note, there is just no ending for that.

Cyrus: Cyrus is a completely a romantic route only.

Irvine: Irvine is a bit of a different case with what your options are. Irvine wants your hand whichever way they can have it- friends or lovers. Irvine will be a completely platonic option and I’m not fully sure what best to call their “romantic” option. Irvine loves people but does not fall in love with people, falling somewhere into the aromantic spectrum, however they do not fall into the asexual spectrum and do have sexual desires. If the MC falls in love with them, that’s okay, but that’s not something they can reciprocate in the same way and they would hope the MC would understand that they love them but are not in love with them. Friends with benefits would massively undermine the MC’s relationship with Irvine but I’m at loss for better words for it.

Blaire: Blaire is purely a romantic option. Similarly to Orion, they can remain just your friend but there is no specified ending for the MC in that.

[fivefve]

Thicker Than: Power and Abilities by @barbwritesstuff

Picture version of Beast and Shadow:

[the-oracles-codex-if]

Hello everyone. Briar here! I need 3 beta testers for my IF novel, The Oracle's Codex, to ensure the game runs smoothly when presented to the public.

The job of a beta tester:

➤ Making sure there are no errors in the code

➤ Looking out for spelling mistakes (optional)

➤ Giving feedback that they think is necessary (optional)

Note: A beta tester will be handed the game (new chapter) to review before it is played by the Patreon subscribers and the public. So, they cannot discuss it with anyone. This is a rule that needs to be followed.

After you're done filling out this FORM, I'll add you to the Discord server. Thank you!

[allieebobo]

College Tennis: Origin Story

Tennis x College x Slice-of-life x Found-family x Coming-of-age

Demo | Main post | Dedicated blog

COG forum | Developer's log

Merry Crisis

Non-Euro-centric x Romance-focused x Slice-of-life x Queer x Coming-of-age

Demo | Main post | Dedicated blog

COG forum | Developer's log

Author corner

Other WIP ideas | Support me on ko-fi

What I'm currently listening to on repeat: Daisy by Jack Symes

What I'm currently reading: The End of Drum Time, Jade War

What I'm currently watching: Eh, nothing particularly good-"Reacher" with my family, Blue-eyed samurai

[soulmatesinc-if]

Demo Update

Here at Soulmates Inc we specialize in chance meetings!

As a soul-link, your job is to guide two people entrusted in your care to one another in a fateful meeting, for they are each other's soulmates. Aided by the soul-link powers, you will craft a story that will be told over and over to others, changed and misremembered or kept as faithful as humanly possible. Without your help, they would not find one another.

P.S.: a regular reminder to refrain from referring to yourself or your coworkers as Cupid.

|| LINK to the demo || [79k +40k]

In this update:

one soul should be enough to solve this, so get digging

immediately break a rule or two

partake in the company poker night

go out for field work where everything goes well

pay a visit to a certain vinyl store

finally, assemble the full house

Reblogs are much appreciated! ♥

[heavyisthecrownif]

Wait… Did Azzy ghost Crown because they developed an obsession of sorts over Crown ?

Uhhhh, I'd love to be able to give a more detailed answer but *spoilers* the short answer is that the whole Azzy ghosting thing is more complicated than that

Thanks for the question Nonny!

[hpowellsmith]

Non-monogamy options in The Earth Has Teeth

Some of the romanceable characters in THE EARTH HAS TEETH can be romanced non-monogamously. This is the most complicated non-monogamy setup I've written so far in a game, so I'm looking forward to how it plays out once I get there!

More about non-monogamy - and the kinds of connections the romanceable characters are interested in - below:

Armell is monogamous and they're happy to romance someone who doesn't want to sleep with them; if they are sleeping together, they want to have an emotional connection.

Kiriyak is happy to romance someone who doesn't want to sleep with them; they're also happy to sleep with someone non-romantically. Although they enjoy sex, they're not particularly motivated by it. They don't require a strong romantic or emotional connection, but they do require a mutually respectful one. Kiriyak can be romanced monogamously or non-monogamously.

In most cases Nikita is monogamous and they don't want to be in an open relationship or in a V relationship, although they can be non-monogamous under some circumstances. Currently they're avoiding romance, but can grow close with a PC over the course of the game. They're happy to romance someone who doesn't want to sleep with them, but it would be important to them to be physically close with their partner.

Roschin can be romanced monogamously or non-monogamously. They're happy sleeping with someone outside of a romantic relationship; sex is important to them, but if they're close with a PC who doesn't want to sleep with them, they'll romance them if the PC's happy with Roschin sleeping with other people.

Val can be romanced monogamously or non-monogamously and they're happy with a casual or romantic relationship. In general their default approach is non-monogamous, but they'll happily be monogamous with a PC with whom they've formed a strong connection.

Possible non-monogamous connections

Nikita/MC/Val can happen under pretty specific circumstances that I'm keeping under wraps for now. They're romanceable as a triad, romancing each other as well as the PC.

Kiriyak/MC/Roschin can happen, either as a V or a triad. In the case of a triad, they'll romance each other as well as the PC.

Kiriyak/MC/Val can happen as a V: Kiriyak and Val aren't interested in each other.

Roschin/MC/Val can happen, either as a V or triad. In the case of a triad, they'll sleep together with or without the PC, but aren't particularly romantically connected.

Kiriyak/MC/Roschin/Val can therefore happen as a polycule; Kiriyak/Val don't romance each other or sleep together, and Roschin/Val may sleep together but don't romance each other, but the PC is romancing and/or sleeping with all three.

All these relationships are of course contingent on the PC's actions within the plot! There are lots of chances for the PC to break romances, or for the PC's actions to mean that the NPCs aren't on good terms, with varying levels of drama surrounding the situation.

And when I say "drama", I mean "the PC will be able to become enemies with some of these characters, ruin the life of and/or kill at least one of them, and all of them will be at risk of death by the end of the game".

At the moment I don't have plans for NPCs getting together if the PC doesn't romance them, or for the PC matchmaking. I'll see how that feels down the line, though: it might be that it feels like the characters have a lot of chemistry if the PC gives them a nudge.

[alistarascendance]

this is going to be an IF (interactive fiction)! for more information, check out this post.

prev - current (ch3) - next

this chapter ain’t my best work, but it’ll get fixed up eventually. until then, take this :)

“Seven!” You started to breathe quickly, ceasing your screaming to give him a sharp look, the wind whipping at your face, causing your cloak to flutter wildly, “a little warning next time?!” You grabbed your cloak, tugging the silk closer to you, not wanting it to rip.

He let out a muffled laugh and slid one of his hands over yours, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’ll be fine!” He insisted, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead, dangerously swerving past piles of rubble and fallen architecture. “I’ve done this a thousand times! Was just makin’ my typical rounds when I stumbled across you, y’know!”

He hit a ramp, making you scream again before burying your face in his shoulder, trying to muffle your terrified cries. “We’ve got a little bit more to go ‘til we reach a charging station for my bike!” He added, the electrocycle tearing through the air to land back on the ground, the harsh impact causing the vehicle to judder and you to wail. Seven simply laughed again, sounding incredibly gleeful. “M’bike don’t got much charge left, but it should be enough to take us there!”

“So you don’t even know?” You shouted over the rushing winds, the backdrop a blur against the speeding electrocycle. “How can you be so confident?!”

“How did you live in the Chasm for two hundred years with that kind of attitude?” He called back mirthfully. “You jus’ gotta believe, and then practice some, and by the time it matters, you’ll know what you’re doin’!”

“You’re crazy!”

“A good kinda crazy, don’cha think?!” He burst out into laughter as he revved the electrocycle, taking on a burst of speed to zoom down the street. “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands!”

You simply groaned, letting your limp body fall onto his in defeat. Upon entering rockier terrain, where each inch of the road was covered in bumps, you tightened your grip on his jacket, clutching at his sleeves for dear life. Don’t scream, don’t scream, don’t scream…

“Holy shit!” You wailed. “Why isn’t it over?!”

Seven seemed to register your panic, and he quickly patted your thigh. “You’re okay!” He shouted. Despite it being a yell, the firmness in his voice was grounding, and, slowly, you managed to ease into a non-hyperventilating state.

Your heart was already pounding in your ears from the sheer adrenaline pumping through your veins, but his closeness wasn’t helping, either. The slight hitch of his breath as you pressed yourself closer, the ripple of his muscled shoulders and back with each graze of your fingers against his skin, the way his dark hair looked, tousled in the wind—all of it was so human. He was human. You were human.

For once, you felt like you belonged.

When the initial shock of the situation faded, the bike ride seemed more enjoyable than before. The wind, the speed, the sound. It was gratifying. All of it. And having a real person here with you made it all the more real.

“You might wanna keep y’er eyes open, y’know!” Seven’s voice jolted you out of your thoughts. “It’d be good to take in some o’the land!”

You glanced around, trying to see what he was talking about, but only frowned. “This place is a wasteland!” You shot back, craning your head to the side to give him a pointed look, “what am I supposed to be looking at?!”

“Don’t know!” He grinned, taking a sharp turn to drift into a new street, “all I’m sayin’ is that if ya get lost n’ can’t find y’er way back, none o’it is my fault!”

The wind howled in your ears as Seven sped up the road, the rockiness of the path making you groan. “If I don’t die on this bike, sure!” You hissed, wrapping your arms around him and holding on tightly like he was your lifeline. “If you kill me, I will haunt you in your sleep!”

“Sure, love!” He snickered. “I wouldn’t mind seeing your face for the rest of my life!”

“Oh, fuck you!” You spat, the words accidentally coming out in Aayixa, though Seven didn’t question it, instead chuckling some more.

“Whatever you said just sounded pretty menacing!” He teased. 

“I hope you get eaten alive by rabid wolves, you feral pig!” Your teacher had once taught you how to use menacing phrases in Aayixa—though, you weren’t sure he expected you to use them like this, but if the shoe fits, it fits.

“Whoa, calm your ass down! You sound like you’re planning out my murder right now!” Seven raised his arm as he spoke and pointed at something glowing in the distance, “that’s the charging station! Damn colorful, ain’t it?”

You lifted your head up to peer at the station. It was fairly large, with a large, neon green sign resembling a battery resting atop its roof, and there were several different charging stations, each separated by a short black partition, along with what seemed to be an array of tools and equipment to go with an electrocycle. “How much is it to charge a bike?!”

“About a hundred!” He shouted, the droning of his bike slowly coming to a standstill as he pulled into the driveway of the charging station, turning the electrocycle into one of the stations. “Here we are.”

“Wait, you said it’s a hundred?” You tapped his shoulder rapidly, gaining his attention.

“Yeah, why?” He smiled.

“A hundred what? Dollars?”

“Nope, bytes.”

You squinted at him. “The fuck is that?”

Seven chuckled, recognizing not your words, but instead your upset tone. “Bytes are a type of digital currency. Every citizen has an identification card that carries their information n’ bank shit on it. I mean, some people still use coins n’ dollars, but that’s mostly them uncertified people.”He got off of the electrocycle and helped you down, extending his hand out to you. You took it gratefully and carefully climbed down.

“You gotta tell me more about those bytes later,” you remarked. “Sounds like I’ll need it if I want to get by.” You cleared your throat a second later. “So,” you began, watching as he clicked the disc around his neck, causing the helmet to retract, “you just… charge it here, huh?”

“Mhm.” He tousled up his hair, running his fingers through his dark locks idly. “There are other things you can do, too. Like paint it, replace the parts, upgrade it, blah blah blah. But that all costs money, and I’m happy with how my bike is now.” He patted the electrocycle lovingly. “You can also get someone to do it for you, but… if you’re gonna have an electrocycle, you might as well be good with your hands. Otherwise, those bills are really gonna rack up.”

“Sounds about right,” you muttered. As Seven plugged in his bike, your eyes started to wander, and you noticed something painted on the wall of the building the charging station had been built against, and you took a few steps closer to get a better look.

“Wow.” You stared at the mural in disbelief, admiring the hard work that must’ve gone into creating such a beautiful piece of art. It was large already, but there were even smaller details hidden inside what you see at first glance. The longer you looked, the more you were impressed. 

Your hand reached out towards the mural, but you pulled it away last second. You didn’t want to accidentally ruin it. “Seven, look at this.”

The male looked up when you called his name, and he came over to you, his eyes shifting over to the mural. “Oh, a mural.“ His eyes followed the patterns with interest; the swirls and zag-zags and line-less shapes. “Yeah, these things have been painted all around town as of late. Specifically on government-owned property, which… is nearly everything, but it does help brighten the place up a little.”

“By the government, or…?” You looked back him curiously, and he shook his head. 

“No,” he mused. “By some graffiti artist. It’s technically vandalism, so the government’s been trackin’ ‘em down, tryna get ‘em to cough up some cash to compensate for it all, or just throw ‘em in prison if they got none. Probably gonna do both, to be honest.”

“Oh,” you mumbled. You tried to soak in the entirety of the mural and etch it into your mind, but you simply couldn’t. It wasn’t the same, to not have those vibrant colors practically jumping off of the wall at you, and those big, curled letters that brimmed with energy. “How… cruel. For something like this? Really?”

He pursed his lips. “Unfortunately.” 

Your eyes followed the lines of the mural, and your gaze eventually fell on one letter, drawn unlike the rest: an S, drawn in charcoal black, with a similarly dark line dissecting it in half. Compared to the other writing, it was sharp and thin, not bright and bubbly. “So, one artist is drawing all the murals?” You murmured. “Are they all signed with an S like this?”

Seven followed your gaze. “Think so. I ain’t really a big art guy, but they are nice’ta look at, I s’ppse. The so-called ‘s’ looks more like, uh… two pieces of metal to me, though. With some sword snappin’ it in half or sumthin.”

You smiled mischievously. “What, are you suddenly a master interpreter? Or…” you raised a brow, “are you secretly the one making the murals?”

“Pfft. Naw, I don’t got the time for that,” he snorted, waving his hand. “I’ve got other shit to deal with. Ain’t gonna get the government on m’back just f’er somethin’ easy on the eyes, ya hear?”

That got a chuckle out of you, and you glanced at him over your shoulder, watching as he ambled back on over to his electrocycle. “You say that, but I’d bet you’re pretty popular with the ladies.”

He chuckled. “Maybe, but I’m ‘bout as popular as any sensible lad with an electrocycle is.” However, his lips parted into a cheeky little smile. “Though, I have been with my fair share of ladies, even before gettin’ m’bike. Gentlemen, too. But I’ve got m’eye on someone, so I ain’t really lookin’ for anything.”

You noticed the way his eyes lingered on you as he spoke, making you snort. “Funny,” you said dryly. “Humor really has changed since 2900.”

“Just a bit,” he said playfully, leaning his arm onto the partition that separated his bike from all the others. “I’m surprised you were so eager to agree to me showin’ you ‘round, though. Thought you’d must have some sort’a reason f’er bein’ up here in the Surface. What’s that ‘bout, anyways?”

You pursed your lips together. “Not really,” you confessed. “I was just hoping to live a life on the Surface, I guess. And see how the world has changed. Clearly, it’s… different—not exactly in a good way, but…” your eyes shifted over to him, and your voice grew soft. “At least there are still good people in this world.”

Something in his expression changed. “You’re right,” he nodded. “Things have changed. For the worse. But you know, you being here gives me a good feeling.” He managed a wry smile. “You saved us two hundred years ago, so I ask that you save us again.”

“Now, that might be a bit much,” you joked, making him chuckle. “But, really, I’ll… try my best.” You paused. “How do you make money, anyways? Do you work somewhere?”

“Not quite,” Seven smiled. “I partake in an underground fighting arena. I get paid for every win. It’s an unsteady income, but whenever I do go down there, I get paid plenty. Enough to have me coming back, anyways.”

Your brows drew together. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Only when ya don’t know what y’er doin’, love.” His smile broadened into a grin. “It’s enough for me to keep my electrocycle in top condition, n’ have a nice place t’call m’own.”

You eyed him carefully. “Well, I suppose experience is everything. Still.” You huffed quietly, turning your back on the mural to come to him. “Try not to die on me.”

He burst into laughter. “I can promise ya that much, love,” he breathed. “Don’t worry, I won’t make ya worry none.”

His response still got you grumbling a bit, but for the most part, you had faith in him. “My god, how long does it take for your electrocycle to charge?” You sighed. “What’s it at right now?”

Seven glanced at the screen at his station. “Almost done. Just wait a lil’ bit more.”

“Fine,” you mumbled. For a moment, you were silent. “You ever gonna bring me to that arena you fight in?” You asked. “I’d like to see what you’re getting up to in the dark hours of the night.”

He smirked. “I could show ya.”

You held up a hand, refusing to look at him. “Nevermind. Don’t even.”

“What, you aren’t interesting in spending a night with a suspiciously handsome and charming stranger you’ve just met today, who also happens to be two hundred years younger than you?” He laughed. “What a shame.”

“Uh, first of all, I am not two hundred years older than you,” you said quickly. “Not physically, anyways. Time works differently in the Chasm.” Seeing the way Seven raised an eyebrow, you continued, “and I barely did anything at all down there, anyways, aside from the occasional spar or lesson in Aayixa. Can’t even claim that my mental age is two hundred or so.”

Seven raised his other eyebrow. “Speaking of Aayixa—you’re… what, a fluent speaker?” He grinned. “Mind teachin’?”

“Sorry,” you sighed. “But Aayixa can only really be grasped once you’ve been in the Chasm. It’s… different, there. Not just in how time and space works, but also the way your mind works. Being in the Chasm changes a lot about you. I’m lucky to have a mostly positive experience down there.”

“Well, damnit.” He kicked at a pebble, scuffing the heel of his sneaker against the ground. “At least you can speak it, though. You sound pretty fuckin’ cool whenever you’re speakin’ it.”

“Aayixa is practically a way of life.” You gave him an amused glance. “Its more than sounding cool.”

Seven shrugged. “I know,” he said breezily, “but sounding cool is a bonus.”

“Well, when I learned it, I was more concerned about being eaten alive by the furry things that crawl around in the shadows than sounding cool.” You smiled regardless. “But yeah, I guess it does work pretty nicely as an intimidation tactic.”

“Yeah, and if you taught it to me, we could secretly communicate!” He beamed. “See? Teaching me can be practical, too.”

You chuckled. “But it’s mostly not.” You quickly shook your head, ignoring the pleading look he was giving you. “Sorry, Seven. That’s a hard no.”

“Aw, shit.” His head bowed dramatically. “Fine, fine, whatever, I’ll drop it.” He paused, and then added, “wait, so if you haven’t aged at all in the Chasm, you’re… what, twenty-five? Same as when you left?”

You squinted at him. “I see you’ve dabbled in my life story.”

He winked. “Only a bit, love. Can’t help it, really. After you leapt into the Chasm, that’s all they were talkin’ ‘bout for months.” He sighed, setting his hands on his hips. “Alistar this, Alistar that. Occasionally, there was talk about some dude named Argos… don’t remember who he is, but probably important, eh?”

You quieted. “Argos,” you began, “was a very kind man.”

Seven raised an eyebrow. “A lover o’yours?”

“…No,” you murmured. “He was a deity. The one killed in the war.” Your eyes swept over your surroundings as you fell into rumination. “He descended when we were in a state of crisis, with no food to eat and no water to drink, much less with a roof over our heads and somewhere to sleep. He used his spear to bestow life upon our lands, and grant us tools that we could use to provide for ourselves.” You swallowed. “Alas, we grew greedy. Argos was slain days later.” You squeezed your eyes shut. “He wanted nothing but the best for us.”

Seven exhaled slowly, and you could see the cogs in his brain turning. “…Well, that’s one thing they left out in our textbooks,” he whispered. You knew he was trying to make light of the situation, but it only made you laugh bitterly.

“Yeah. Bet it would’ve been better if they had kept it in,” you muttered. “From there, you know the rest. I took the spear. Helped humanity, but refused to hand it over to the government, because any fucker with half a mind knows they would’ve used it for a lot more than helping the environment.“ 

You pursed your lips. “The day after, I plunged into the Chasm, hoping to ease the burden of his death on my soul. All I found was the emptiness of the void, and the guilt that follows greed.”

“And now, you’re here again,” he nodded. “Back where you began.”

“Back where I began,” you mumbled, the words a ghostly whisper. “Yeah. That’s where I am.” You sighed, rubbing your hands over your face wearily. “Is your bike done charging, now?”

Seven gave you a sheepish grin. “Yeah, it finished a little while ago, sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt your… reflecting.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s go.”

“…Let’s just go.” You followed after him, watching as he quickly unplugged his electrocycle from the station and climbed on. You followed suit, and the familiar drone started up as Seven twisted the handles, causing the neon borders of the bike to light up. He tugged on the collar of his jacket, clicking the disc to prompt his helmet to slide over his face before pulling out of the driveway, starting down the road.

The world was silent for a minute, the only sounds being the hum of the engine and wind blowing in your face. Finally, Seven spoke up, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.

“You doing okay?”

You blinked, snapping out of your daze. He didn’t look back at you—even he wasn’t reckless enough for that—but his concern was noticeable in his voice alone.

“Just fine,” you muttered. “Just… fine.”

His fingers tightened around the handlebars, prompting the electrocycle to pick up speed. “Alright,” he murmured. “If you say so. My bad.”

You didn’t exchange another word with him for the rest of the trip.