“Trust me.”
Ferro’s words cause you to hesitate. Most of his plans that begin by soliciting your faith end with, at very least, a sternly-worded lecture from Kim.
That being acknowledged, the way that he’s looking at you right now, with sideways smile and heavy-lidded brown eyes, causes you to accept his outstretched hand before you’ve fully talked yourself into compliance...
2021-08-10 21:49:57 +0000 UTC View Post“Trust me.”
Talia’s words cause you to hesitate. Most of her plans that begin by soliciting your faith end with, at very least, a sternly-worded lecture from Kim.
That being acknowledged, the way that she’s looking at you right now, with sideways smile and heavy-lidded brown eyes, causes you to accept her outstretched hand before you’ve fully talked yourself into complianc...
2021-08-10 21:49:09 +0000 UTC View PostThere's a critical error bug that quicktest isn't catching in Sally's route, but with two minutes to midnight I wanted to at least update the bits that I've got working correctly! I'd planned on updating Rosy's route as well, but have spent the past several hours combing through Sally's scene look for extra spaces. (It took me about twenty minutes before I remembered that Microsoft Word has the...
2021-08-10 05:00:17 +0000 UTC View Post
After a vigorous round of Discord campaigning (from where I got the above propaganda pictures), it's official. The winners of August's Interview are . . .
Antigone and Cassandra.
That's right, Kenzie's shih tzus, whom I included as a last minute joke when creating the poll, are the actual winners. My joke ended up being on Reese, I suppose, since their ego will never recover.
...
New Length: 350,000 words, now including
1) Sohvi's entire intervention with a new exclusive path for Buttons who are guilty but not necessarily depressed. If the intervention doesn't trigger for you, the scene will play out as a check-in where you have the option of going to the intervention by selecting the option "Strong? Hardly." I wanted to allow for...
2021-08-09 03:44:53 +0000 UTC View PostCurrent Wordcount: 365k
Next Update: August 8, will include the rest of Chapter 12
Mind Blind is the first interactive fiction that I’ve ever written, and I’d be lying if I claimed that there hasn’t been a steep learning curve. There are several major plotlines in the game, all of which I’m attempting to juggle. A differe...
2021-08-07 02:35:14 +0000 UTC View PostGray’s leather jacket is silky beneath your tentative hands. He reaches back and grabs your wrist, wrapping your one arm securely around his waist. Your other follows suit without further persuasion, and you officially have your arms wrapped around Grayson Black.
He throws you a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “It won’t be quite as good as Aladdin’s magic carpet ride, but I’ll ...
2021-08-05 23:35:13 +0000 UTC View PostThe stench of vomit and lye assaulted my nose as soon as I opened the door to Emilia’s room. Her chamber adjoined my own, albeit significantly smaller in size. The décor, however, rivaled that of any noblewoman’s boudoir, filled as it was with castoffs luxuries gifted to me by members of Court. Emilia had cooed over that lacquered armoire in the corner, its black doors painted with twining...
2021-08-04 15:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostI currently have my nose to the grindstone finishing all the variations on Chapter 12's "dates" (parenthesis because there are also platonic versions). My favorite scene so far is probably Glitch's, if only because bookstores are my happy place. Glitch's date also became surprisingly deep and heartfelt after I switched the locale from a carnival, although I do mourn the elephant ears.
As ...
2021-08-04 02:51:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe ROs are officially back on the list! I've also realized that minor and newer characters need to be double upped and share interview slots in order for them to have a fighting chance against more easily kissable characters (which, I mean, fair).
If you choose "RO Repeat Interview," you're drawing a bit of a wild card. If that option wins this poll, I'll select an RO based off how many ...
2021-08-01 22:12:19 +0000 UTC View PostA spotlight shines on Nicholas Wiseman, wearing a formal suit and with his hair neater than usual. He sits on the edge of his seat with rigidly correct posture, staring at the two empty seats in front of him.
He clears his throat and addresses the camera with a stiff smile.
Nick: Greetings all, and welcome to today’s behind the scenes interview! ...
2021-07-31 23:22:46 +0000 UTC View PostI’m dealing with an inner ear infection that has thrown off my balance and left the world pleasantly spinny, so I’m going to keep this blog post short(ish) and then go and curl up with the newly-released game Bustafellows in bed. (One of the best things about writing IF is that I can technically claim that playing a romantic visual novel qualifies as, ahem, “field research for ga...
2021-07-31 03:40:10 +0000 UTC View PostPrecogs make up almost 1% of all Ments, or 0.01% of the general population, and have the ability to predict the future with near total accuracy.
Precognition relies on the processing and analysis of data by the Precog’s subconscious mind. Visions are uncontrollable and usually limited to disasters, most of which turn out to be unavoidable. Thus, precognition does not so much allow...
2021-07-30 01:51:19 +0000 UTC View PostDemo Length: 340k
Average Playthrough: 87k
Notes:
First off: it's only half of Chapter 12 (which turned out to be a BEAST of 43,000 words total), with the rest coming later this week. I reworked the intervention scene after having a therapist friend read it over and give feedback. Basically, my first draft more resembled...
2021-07-29 01:52:49 +0000 UTC View PostYou stand at the front door of your new townhouse. Sally's dads sold you the renovated home at cost, claiming that the month they spent rebuilding the place was their wedding gift to you two. It’s your first day after moving in, but your wife is nowhere in sight despite her bicycle chained to the stand outside.
“Sally?” you call down the hallway.
A faint, familiar giggle repli...
2021-07-26 00:48:02 +0000 UTC View PostDemo Word Count: 357k
I admit, most of what I’ve learned in college has faded. I was a night-before crammer, which means that while I did well on tests, I retained knowledge very little after that do-or-die test period hour. Technically, sure, I majored in Creative Writing. But I would argue that I spent the next years recovering my naturally irreverent style afte...
2021-07-24 01:43:52 +0000 UTC View Post“Happy seventeenth birthday, little sister!” Theo’s voice boomed from directly below my uplifted chair. “Enjoy your present!”
Suddenly, there was music, a stream of it, all flowing through the doors. A flute player trilled a fast-paced melody. Three acrobats followed in her wake, leaping over delighted guests on nearby couches. Human waterfalls, silver and blue ribbons streaming...
2021-07-21 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostJuly's 2nd short story! I wanted to it to be serious and insightful, but well . .
This happened.
Something is wrong with your best friend.
Sally didn’t show up to Aeon today, and over the weekend her texts had become more and more curt. The last time you texted her, asking what she thought of your all-black outfit i...
2021-07-17 21:50:16 +0000 UTC View PostDemo Length: 348k! I'm almost done writing the first draft of this chapter.
Those of you who decided to take the metro in Chapter 1 may have encountered an individual of dubious and overly dramatic nature (aka Noh). If you haven’t played through the metro route, I would recommend doing so now, because otherwise this post won’t make much sense and will contain lots of ...
2021-07-17 00:32:22 +0000 UTC View PostFrom the Rewritten Journal of Lady Vitrula Rhys: The Fifth Death
Of all the things my deaths have stolen from me, I miss the stars the most.
After the duel between Loren and Theo resulted in my fourth death, I concluded that avoiding my engagement was no longer a viable path to survival. I needed to marry Loren to stay alive. My family would be content ...
2021-07-14 15:01:04 +0000 UTC View PostIntroducing Zane Etienam (Detective, Fairy Negotiator)
Zane’s last name means “Good Person,” which is appropriate given that they’re the only Delivery RO without a body count. The child of Nigerian immigrants, Zane is the eldest of five siblings and fits many of the firstborn stereotypes: they’re dutiful, protective, and cursed by a fairy.
This fa...
2021-07-13 00:47:50 +0000 UTC View PostAU where Button is a bad, bad Ment and Gray is . . . still Gray. Contains minor spoilers for Grayson's powers.
You’ve always considered membership to the Art Institute of Chicago to be one of the primary perks of living in the city. Back in high school, you and Sally made weekly pilgrimages. Sally would lecture you on the brushstroke technique of this or that ...
2021-07-11 22:14:50 +0000 UTC View PostNote: I'm currently writing the alternative date scenes for Buttons who don't trigger the intervention, so all the bloopers are from romantic scenarios.
“Let go of the handlebar!” Glitch yells over the rollercoaster’s roar.
You think about what Glitch said earlier, about transforming fear into freedom. Then you recall that video clip you saw ...
2021-07-11 04:24:20 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm a random person. Not in the way that my junior high students used to be or the way that art films idolize (I'm no manic pixie dream girl), but establishing habits has always been difficult for me. My key never lands in the same place despite having installed a hook on the wall, milk often gets left out (or accidentally put in the pantry instead of fridge), and I forget to check my mail.
... 2021-07-10 02:27:24 +0000 UTC View PostEmpaths make up 39% of all Ments, or 3.9% percent of the general population. Among Ments, Empaths are unique in that their primary ability of sensing emotions isn’t inhibited by other people’s mental shields.
Unlike telepathy, empathy is a power derived from supercharged observation and inference (similar to precognition). While there is some level of Z-wave engagement between t...
2021-07-08 23:49:39 +0000 UTC View Post“Happy birthday, my lady!” Emilia’s voice, usually inoffensive, was today obnoxiously shrill and cheery. She flung open the window’s drapes. After the fire, I’d done away with my bed’s canopy, leaving me defenseless against the piercing sunlight.
I pulled the sheets up over my head.
“Come now,” she scolded. “It’s well past the hour you normally rise. Are you not ...
2021-07-07 17:38:58 +0000 UTC View PostThe following short story was written at 4am after a burst of absurd inspiration (you can find receipts for this on the Sanctum Discord). There will be another Mind Blind short story later this month as well which will be slightly more serious, but I wanted to share this one as well because the concept made me giggle. I adore Valero so dang much.
STEPHANIE
...
2021-07-07 00:36:31 +0000 UTC View PostThe following short story was written at 4am after a burst of absurd inspiration (you can find receipts for this on the Sanctum Discord). There will be another Mind Blind short story later this month as well which will be slightly more serious, but I wanted to share this one as well because the concept made me giggle. I adore Valero so dang much.
STEPHANIE
...
2021-07-07 00:34:46 +0000 UTC View PostI did a complete rewrite of this second half in order to amp up the danger level, and honestly am still a little shocked that I managed to finish it all in time (considering the decision to change things was made at the last live Q&A on June 30th). There may be some typos and miscoding (since there's a lot of branching pathways), but still! I managed! Whoot!
Also included: yo...
2021-07-06 01:37:19 +0000 UTC View Post