whatlovelybones-if

[whatlovelybones-if]

DEMO TBA | my substack (for free, non-IF writing), KOFI 🎈🎠 Circus : Eyes of God is a horror interactive fiction story with dark fantastical elements. It is written with an 18+ audience in mind due to heavy themes and topics such as body horror, non consensual use of drugs, swearing, violence, sexual content etc.

The Circus doesn’t come in town often. Never, really. Only when it needs to be fed.

On the outskirts of a decaying town, a mysterious circus arrives overnight. It seductively whispers of never-seen-before acts, and ardently promises healing for those that are desperate enough to bind themselves to the circus as performers.

That sounds right up your alley, doesn’t it? Well, They know what happened to you as a child, why you keep your face hidden from the world. You remember too, don’t you? The darkness, the shadows, a voice as old as time asking you to follow it, and clawing at your face when you refused.

They think that you have kept your sweet face hidden under those veils for long enough. They will heal you, they will heal your scars. They will let you take the veils off. But They won’t do it out of the kindness of Their heart, no. You must give Them something in return. They want to know—what are you willing to sacrifice for it, for taking your veils off? For healing? For beauty?

You just need to whisper it, and They will give it to you. They will know. Because the Eyes of God are always watching.

Customizable MC (including name, gender, pronouns, sexuality, physical appearance, personality etc).

Create relationships with one of three eclectic characters : one male, one female, one … fish? mermaid? siren? oh, come on!

Hone your contortionist skills to perfection. Remember, you have to put on a good show! Otherwise, They will have to pay you a visit.

Lots of uncanny masks and always-smiling faces, too many mirrors, and … wait, is that guy juggling with an eyeball?

Discover the secret of the Circus and the secret of your childhood incident. Could they be connected?

H̸̬̖͔̮̻͉̪̲̾̌̋̽̿̾̿̕͘E̴̯̥͕̓A̸̡̺̳̮̫̬͊̀̉̑́̈ͅL̷̡̡̛̺̄̈́̽̈́̎̀̋ ̶̢͎̪̘̹̱͊̔́͜Ḫ̷̩̼͚̤͂Ḗ̸̙̰̭̲͖̯̪̝̬̯̉̎̈́A̷̖͙͎̘̱̣͇̱̒̄̅̅͘L̸͔̟̮̣͘ ̸̛̫͎͇͚͚̪͇̞̋͌̆͠͝ͅH̴̛͚́̔̀̕Ẹ̶̣͙̪̖̀͆̅̍̉̋͆̃̚͠A̶̱̙̽̂͐͑̑͜L̴̛̖͌̀̆̈́̓̏̉

THE RINGLEADER — Pharo's face is the first one you see as you step inside the Circus, lit by bright and colorful lights. He doesn't need all that, though. His skin dark, his teeth sharp — it's all gleaming on its own, glitching, barely holding Pharo at the seams. He sees all, he knows all. And his smile gets wider and wider with each secret he learns.

THE BURLESQUE DANCER - Odessa's red lips, with a cigarette between them always, ache with demands every time she opens her mouth. Yet no one is able to keep their eyes off of her when she is on stage, moving like water on land and between thin and hanging fabrics. Odessa doesn't seem keen on talking about anything before the Circus, but she will make sure to get you talking about it soon enough.

THE ATTRACTION - Vesper is the newest addition to the Circus, one that has never been seen before. Or you haven't seen anything like it, at least. Vesper is quiet, almost unnervingly so. The tail and gills and twisted arms with sickly green-grey skin are to make a profitable attraction for sure. Just ... don't ever lift up its tank's lid.

[whatlovelybones-if]

MADE A BACK-UP ACCOUNT/BLOG!

since tumblr won’t stop shadowbanning me, i’ve made a back-up blog so y’all don’t miss out on the updates! the account is @if-childrenofcain and the intro post is up now.

[whatlovelybones-if]

DEMO: 𝕾𝖊𝖕 2024

Wealth. Power. Death.

The Ballad of the Young Gods is a dark academia interactive fiction story, with dark fantasy and psychological thriller themes. Some of the romances also contain tropes and storylines which may be disturbing to some readers.

It is rated 18+ for depictions of swearing, sexual themes, gore, violence, and death.

Getting into an Ivy League school is a dream that thousands of American students nurse from a young age. Luckily for you, that dream is your reality. Four years of continuous hard work and pressure have made you a proud freshman at Yale University. And as if that wasn’t enough, you have been handpicked to attend Rathore College, whose selection process is revered across all the nation’s top educational institutions. But you should’ve known this stroke of luck came with a catch.

Yale is a crucible of power, where secret societies wield arcane magic and the dead are far from silent. The illustrious House of Styx wants you and this is a situation that not even your money can get you out of.

They are powerful, elite, and most of all, controlling beyond recognition. They are also the heart of the eight secret societies that attach themselves to Yale. From the White House to Hollywood’s most acclaimed stars, their influence reaches farther than anyone can dare to imagine.

A sinister conspiracy brews under Styx’s watchful gaze, one that threatens to unravel the fragile balance between the living and the dead. But in a graveyard of secrets, you and your accomplices are the ones with the shovels. You’re now in a world where the past is never truly dead, and the lines between life and death blur with each passing day.

But some secrets are better left buried, and some prophecies are destined to drag you to hell.

Cédric Armand Lacroix / Céline Armelle Lacroix (M/F)

Vindictive. Conniving. Ruthless.

As the heir to the Lacroix fortune, C is every bit as arrogant as their bloodline demands them to be. Even after the messy divorce of their parents which further led to their disownment by their father, Alain Lacroix, they refuse to give up on their dignity. They've vowed to destroy him one day and claim their rightful place as the heir apparent. The world bent to C's whims, what money couldn't buy them, those pale green eyes probably did.

There is nothing that they can't have, especially if they set their mind to that. That is until you came along and stayed one step ahead of them every time in everything that mattered. It wasn't just the fortune or the legacy at stake; it was the bruising of their pride, the constant reminder that someone—anyone—could outmaneuver them. But beneath the layers of resentment and anger, there's something more—something darker, even more dangerous.

An obsession takes root, one that blurs the line between hatred and fascination. And they vow to spend their whole life despising you for everything.

Romance trope: Enemies / Academic Rivals to Lovers.

Vance Kasper Næsholm / Vanessa Karina Næsholm (M/F)

Pious. Haunted. Disillusioned.

Raised under the oppressive influence of a rigid, fire-and-brimstone faith in a Danish Catholic orphanage, they were taught to see demons in every shadow and sin in every touch. Forever haunted by the visions provided by a wrathful God they can neither fully grasp their mind around nor escape from, their only reprieve came on the day they got adopted at the age of six and diagnosed with schizophrenia. But the truth of their ‘psychosis’ may be far more sinister than any medical diagnosis could account for.

As the tides become even stormier and their medications become ineffective when they arrive at Yale, all V can do is hold on to the last threads of control over their lives. Your first meeting almost makes them teeter over the edge.

Now that they’re your roommate, they’re bound to you by fate or folly, but whether they’ll be a stable ally remains to be seen.

Romance trope: Roommate Romance.

Wilhelm Johann Ostendorf / Wilhelmine Johanna Ostendorf (M/F)

Exhausted. Abandoned. Lost.

What does the world think of you when you’re a product of brilliance and neglect at the same time? With an Oscar-winning filmmaker for a father and a mother ensconced on the American board of directors at the Louvre, their pedigree is undeniable, yet it is a legacy more hollow than it appears. While their parents sculpted their careers into masterpieces and amassed accolades, they left W to be raised by their paternal aunt and uncle. A sizeable trust fund and periodic checks served as their parents’ only gestures of care, a shallow substitute for the love and attention their only child so desperately craved.

The only times they had felt more than someone who was deeply unlovable were the summers you spent on rusty swingsets and fast bicycles with training wheels. But the swingsets have long been dismantled, and the bicycles have been traded for cars.

The only questions remain—are you the same kid who saw them, really saw them, beyond the reality of being unwanted and the suffocating looks filled with pity that came with their name? Or will this reunion only serve to confirm their deepest fear—that they are, and always have been, truly alone?

Romance trope: Forgotten Childhood Friends to Lovers.

Dumitru Constantin Diaconu / Dumitra Constantina Diaconu (M/F)

Charismatic. Reckless. Guarded.

D’s name is the one that comes up in almost every conversation about Yale’s wildest parties. A natural-born rockstar charmer with a magnetic presence, they effortlessly draw people into their orbit, collecting hearts and bodies with the ease of someone who’s always been in the center of the gold rush. Despite the countless admirers and the trail of broken hearts left in their wake, you’ll always find them with a Marlboro between their lips and a new person in their arms to warm their bed at night. Their smile is a promise, and their laughter a siren call. In the haze of flashing lights and the thrum of bass that pulses through the walls, they are a heartbreaker in every sense of the word.

Feelings are a complication they don’t allow, a line they never cross. They’ve perfected the art of detachment, of keeping their connections strictly no-strings, because to let someone in would be to risk the vulnerability they’ve long since sworn off.

Will you be the only person they'd let peel back the barbed wire surrounding their heart? Or will you be left with nothing but the faint scent of cinnamon and a tale that wasn't meant to be?

Romance trope: Friends with Benefits / Sex First, Feelings Later. [You will only be able to unlock their romance route through a hookup.]

Maxwell Edmund Whitlock-Singh / Maxine Edythe Whitlock-Singh (M/F)

Duty-bound. Noble. Untouchable.

Politeness and decorum are second nature to M. They are the embodiment of manners, a living testament to the art of subtlety in a world where spectacle often trumps substance. They are the sort of person who commands attention without seeking it, a product of both royal blood and rigorous self-discipline. Dubbed the “Paragon of Styx,” M is a modern Plato, someone who finds as much solace in philosophical debates as in the classical texts they’ve devoured in multiple languages. As the second-born child of the Crown Princess of Wales, they have always understood that their life would be one of service with every action scrutinized, and every word weighed.

Their intellect is vast, but it is their passion for the esoteric that sets them apart. For all their convictions, there is a restlessness within M that even they cannot fully articulate. It is the paradox of their existence—a life of privilege that feels at times like a gilded cage, a role that demands both reverence and obedience. Indeed, heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Will you make them realize that life is more than duties and expectations? Or will you become yet another figure in the background, another reminder of the golden cage they were born into?

Romance trope: Forbidden Royal Romance / Secret Relationship.

Step into the shadows as the wealthy heir apparent to a billion-dollar industry who is just starting at Yale University as a freshman.

Be a part of Yale’s most enigmatic secret society, the House of Styx.

Fully customize your character including: pronouns, gender, physical appearance, personality, sexuality, and more.

Romance 1 out of 5 love interests (all of them are gender-selectable). Or not. Platonic relationships are valid too.

Study forbidden knowledge, practice dark magic, and try not to fail at your actual coursework.

Test your mind, body, and soul in rituals that blur the line between reality and nightmare.

Learn about the secrets that your mother took to her grave. Is she really the same woman you remember so fondly from your childhood?

Will you rise to navigate the sinister plans brewing under the nose of the House? Or will your actions drag you and your companions to the fiery depths of Hell.

W̶̗͖̝͆h̷͕̲̑̎̓̍̄̎͠͝a̵̢̛̫̾̓͗t̴̙̫͛̐͆̾̀̓̔̊͝ ̴̪́́̈́͛̂̉̀͒̊́ạ̸̗̯̲̘̬͗̀ͅr̸̢̪̜̭̼̠̟̜͚̂̈́͋͋̅͑̉́̎͝e̸̩̯͉̿̊̔͛̃̎͝ͅ ̵̢̹̜̤͍͙̩̬̰̜̏̃͝͠y̷̢̨͇̘͍̌́͐̍̆̓̑̐ǫ̶̢̧̡̛̥̤͉͎̟̃̏̍̓̒ͅu̷̓̂̾̇̇͜͝,̸͎̖̮̲̳̻̱̬̎̒͑͝ ̸̡̛̰̌͐c̶̛̪̗̰̻̜̲̘̺͗͊h̴̡͔̦̘̤̖͊̿̓̇i̵͉̘͙̥͍̼̜̐̐̄̅͝͝ĺ̶̡̧̧̼̦̦̗̰̝̼̓̊̀d̸̡͎͔͔̰̖̿̐̈́̓͊̌̃̓͜?̷̩̗̲̫̮͕̍̈́́̽͜͝͝

DEMO (Sep ‘24)

SPOTIFY (for RO playlists, click on their names in the cast section)

PINTEREST

WRITTEN BY: axel (he/him)

CODED BY: @albywritesfiction (they/them)

[whatlovelybones-if]

Can we get a scenario of J getting jealous? It is pride month and I'm in need of fluff

👀

J PARK

they watch with their teeth clenched as the cashier shamelessly checks you out instead of the groceries. you, being preoccupied with transferring the goods on the counter, don’t notice their gaze burning a hole through the cashier’s head.

jae hated working like a slave for a minimum wage job in this cheap ass convenience store. but they wanted to make themself useful to you by at least earning a little bit of money, especially now that you were living together. they figured their music career wasn’t going to take off anytime soon and that working part-time would probably be ideal so they could pull their own weight in the house until their big break.

you had tried to talk them out of it, told them that the extra income really didn’t really matter to you since you’re earning enough to support a family of six. but, of course, the stubborn musician wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. you had to wonder if they had bullied the store manager into giving them the job too.

“oh well,” you had thought to yourself, “at least it means i get to see them whenever i come by to get some stuff during my shift.”

it turns out to be a very bad idea as the cashier seemed to instantly find you extremely attractive and tried to make not-so-subtle moves on you whenever you came over. it was only jae’s first week but this person was already grating on their nerves.

their eye twitches in anger as they see the cashier fake laughing, while you just smile nervously and wonder what in the world was so funny when you only asked them where your partner was. this was the worst smoke break that jae had ever taken. they leave the counter for a few minutes and that cashier is already ready to sink their claws into you.

your eyes meet jae when you turn around, feeling someone staring at your back when you finally decided to give up and walk out of the store. they see your face lighting up as you walk over to where they were standing. leaning on the wall with a cigarette between their lips, you are reminded of the times you caught them skipping class to smoke beside the gym entrance.

the sight of your smile has them calming down, and they send you one of their own. their anger has been suppressed, but it threatens to bubble over and burn up everything around them.

they would take care of that thieving snake once and for all.

---

the kitchen is quiet, save for the sound of cutlery and the voices of you and jae as you tell them about your day.

it was the usual routine of your household, you’d come home and jae would have already made dinner. they’d welcome you home with a kiss, heart-eyes on display as you tell them how much you missed them.

everything about you drove them absolutely crazy. they only wanted you. your love. your affection. your heart.

and they would make sure that no one was going to take you away from them.

“and he said he didn’t even like chocolates!” you exclaimed, dramatically for emphasis. “how ungrateful can you be, really?”

jae laughs before quickly morphing their expression as to one of pity as they shake their head. “you poor thing, it’s almost as if you didn’t even try to ask him what he would like to eat.”

you pout at the jab. “hey! are you on my side or his?”

your partner simply leans over to give you a kiss. “you, 내 사랑, always you.”

you blink, a little flustered by the suddenness and try to divert your attention back to your food. while chewing the hamburger steak, you can’t help but frown a little at the unusual taste. even with the sweet sauce poured over it, there was a slight bitterness that you didn’t expect from minced beef, and there was a certain stringy texture to it too. it reminded you more of veal, honestly.

on seeing your confused expression, jae lets out a little giggle. “what’s wrong? is the food not to your liking?”

“no, that’s not it,” you shake your head, trying not to make a big deal out of it. “it just tastes a little different from beef.”

“well, that's because i didn’t use beef,” jae winks at you like you’re both involved in some esoteric joke. “i thought we both could use something to expand our meat tasting palate from the usual beef and chicken. i, personally, liked the new meat i used.”

you stare at them, still frowning slightly. you couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy about the smile that takes over their lips at the word ‘new meat’. shaking the feeling down, you continue eating and try to ignore the queasy feeling in your gut.

“it’s a pleasant change, i suppose,” you lie easily, smiling at jae as you finish up eating the food and drink some water. “it must be hard to find veal in this area, i wasn’t even aware that the local butchers sold it.”

“veal?” your dark-haired partner asks, cocking their head to the side and sending you a grin that seems to split open their face. the uneasy feeling comes back tenfold and your stomach churns uncomfortably.

“i never said it was animal meat, 자기야.”

[whatlovelybones-if]

man I can't stop laughing, that anon is so funny like 😭😭😭 straight couple??? are they talking about the video you posted an hour ago? there's blood right at the beginning of it, hello????

"ah, 'whatlovelybones-if', a true believer they must be, spreading heterosexuality on this sinful website. I shall see more of their content. oh- oh Lord..."

if their definition of an ideal heterosexual couple is MC and their cannibalised RO, they’re not going to the pearly gates of heaven anytime soon either 💀

[whatlovelybones-if]

I was so happy to see a straight couple until I scrolled down and found your other posts This is not how the world was intended and youre going to hell with the others hear for going against what God wanted

[whatlovelybones-if]

Hey this might be a silly question but how do you decide on the kind of MC you want to use for the edits, also the ROs. I love your game btw, I play it religiously and pray for an update soon 😭

it’s not a silly question, don’t worry. i get the MC ideas from my friends on discord, along with the ROs they want it to be with! i also take into account some of my readers’ requests in my tumblr inbox. editing is just something which motivates me to write and it also helps that it helps add visuals to the story, alongside meeting the MCs that everyone has created.

thank you so much for your support, bonnie! i promise i’m working on updates but additional projects + my final year of uni is really kicking my ass 💀 updates will get regular when i’m finally done with my undergraduate degree for good tho so that’s something to look forward to

[whatlovelybones-if]

Wait wait, cannibalism? Eating an RO? I feel like I missed so many chapter WTF

lmao it will only show up during a particularly bad ending since the game is tracking the invisible sanity stat. as long as you don’t pick the options of the MC going absolutely batshit crazy and unhinged overtime, you’ll escape it. i can’t exactly let the MCs be absolutely vile without giving them some consequences to their actions 😶‍🌫️

[whatlovelybones-if]

pov: your lover, who is also your patient, ends up eating you (you couldn’t fix him)

🎵 ethel cain // strangers

[whatlovelybones-if]

Yes, you're right, "I'd kill for you – please, ask me to kill for you" is a fun relationship dynamic, but where's the love for the classic attack-dog power dynamic reversal? I'd have thought Tumblr would be all over that one, too. The old "I'll kill for you – and kill, and kill, and kill, if needs be – but first you have to tell me exactly what it is you want. You are not permitted moral distance. Tell me what you need from me and admit your soft hands are just as bloody as mine. Say it. Say it."

[whatlovelybones-if]

Why are the comments turned off in tlt

because i’m getting a brain aneurysm from people who can’t seem to read + the random real name drop scared the shit out of me

[whatlovelybones-if]

Is this still being worked on

yep, i’m focusing on WLB right now since i just released another project and i want to get another chapter done for this IF before march arrives

[whatlovelybones-if]

i’m calling mickey on you 🚨

your– your mom!

[whatlovelybones-if]

Are you part of the IF author clique?

what the hell is even that

[whatlovelybones-if]

What was the ROs "When you know you know" moment 👀

i’m gonna assume you mean the lana del rey song cause i don’t know what else it could possibly be

for context:

j park: while they had feelings for the MC from the moment they met as kids, the moment they knew was when MC gave them their lunch after defending J from the bullies. it was MC’s favourite food, yet they gave it away because J had told them earlier that they skipped breakfast.

t kaufmann: when they started getting hints that the killer’s next victim will probably be someone from the hospital, all they could focus on was keeping the MC safe and close to them. all those occupants and employees in the hospital and the only person the detective truly wanted to protect was the MC.

vivienne malhotra: she’s the type of person to journal a lot when her feelings spiral too much. you can only guess how she knew when she tried to write down what she felt for the MC but she started rambling and listing out everything she loved about them 😭

sebastián navarro: similar to J, he started having feelings for the MC from the moment they met. the moment he knew was when he visited the hospital to get a prescription for meds and couldn’t stop subconsciously smiling when his eyes landed on the MC.

[whatlovelybones-if]

Disney is coming for ur ass bro 💀

[whatlovelybones-if]

I can't find the demo for TLT, was it deleted?

i had to take it down for editing since i did not have any desire to lawyer up with disney. i am happy with the edits for now and there will be more of that in the future. for now, i tried to add + modify the pre-existing original material of the lightning thief in a way that does not damage its integrity and also provides ample amount of my own storyline in the future for the MC since they can choose to be the child of someone other than poseidon like percy.

you can play it here, but make sure to read the warnings i’ve already listed at the end of the description.