Oh, this update is just SO GOOD! I love Duri's introduction, especially since I kinda really thought they're a wolf trying to eat the PC. I only just realized they're an RO when their golden eyes were emphasized throughout the narrative and when I checked the list of ROs and found them there. But besides that, I'm enjoying Oswin's overprotectiveness towards the PC.
Plus, the honey cakes scene. It made me grin like an idiot. 😆
Yay! I was hoping to make it a fun surprise. It's been hard to keep their nature under wraps for so long, lol. I debated about putting it in their description but wanted it to be more of a little bonus fun thing. Glad you are having a good time, my dear! ^_^
I literally started foaming at the mouth when I saw the update. I love your writing so much!! Was about to go to bed but I decided I no longer need sleep tonight <33
Hello friend! There will be more than 3 chapters for sure. Chapter 4 is nearly done as we speak. That's what I've been buried in for the last couple months. The whole story, I anticipate, will be around 12 chapters with my current plan. There is a basic outline for the entire story and I make adjustments and fixes as I write. It may end up being longer, but I can't say yet. It is already huge and just keeps growing! ^_^
just finished a first run of this game—I love it so much!!!! The writing is lovely and Oswin is my beloved. I kept accidentally calling him Oswald in my head, lmao. Just learned about the name reactions—gonna try and find as many of those as i can!! I love a good Easter egg
Thank you, my dear! Glad you're enjoying it! You know, Oswald is not a bad name for him - close enough. ^_^ Good luck with the easter eggs, I don't even remember half of them without looking, lol!
i played this for the first time recently, then i replayed it again, and again, and again.. i love this!! its really well written and immersive and its so fun how much character customisation u can do!! and i discovered that if you choose ravi as your new name, oswyn will comment on you choosing the childhood nickname he gave u, i didnt anticipate it being recognised at all so it was such a cool and lovely detail!!! im rlly rlly looking forward to updates on this! now back to replaying it again..
I am so glad you loved it, my dear! Our dear swordsman has a warm spot for that name. I'm glad you found that and are enjoying your replays. Chapter 4 is making great progress, so I hope to update in the near future. ^_^
Gods, of course I will be hooked on the reculant and not-so-secretly caring childhood friend... to be frank, I'm gonna read the heck out this story for him.
I adore mc's dads. And my true bbf. I am also very invested into mc's health. Good job onto spiritual things, I liked the worldbuilding and more to come!
wow!!! i haven't read anything THIS good in a while, i can't believe it's only demo so far 😭 i'm genuinely so invested in the plot and the world that's being set up. also not only the ROs but all characters are so endearing and lovable :') our fathers and our best friend have especially warmed my heart
Thank you, my dear! I really appreciate that. I can't wait to share more of it with you! Chapter 4 is making great progress and the remaining moments for 3 are in the oven, lol. ^_^
love this sm !! and omg, is that a zelda reference if you name your mount "epona" haha?? if so, i love the little detail + it makes me wanna input all sorts of stuff to see if there are other little references.
Yay! You noticed! It is a Zelda reference! There's a few little references in there. A couple are a bit obscure. Let me know if you discover any others! ^_^
Hey dear, would you mind making a summary of all the Easter eggs you put into the story at some point? I didn't even know there were Easter eggs before reading the comment section. I follow you on tumblr too. That would be lovely for my sixth re-read of the story. Thank you
Absolutely, my dear! There aren't that many, but it's something I'd like to add more of as things develop. I'll try to pop them on Tumblr when I get some time. Sorry for the late reply. I apparently got logged out of itch on my phone. I was wondering why it had been so quiet lately! >_<
HELP WHEN I SAW THE END THAT SAID "end of demo" AND THEN THE OTHER "chapter 4" I THOUGHT I WAS SAFE AND HAPPILY CLICKED IT ONLY FOR IT TO SAY NOTHINGS THERE😭😭😭WE NEED TO CONFESS TO OSWIN
I haven’t actually gotten in yet, but this seems cool. Absolutely gonna check it out when I have time. In the meantime, I just wanted to say, I hope there are some real good options for apathy. Not many things let you have “I don’t care” as a valid option that doesn’t just mean that you skip over things, and so when I can have apathy, I always like it, because it feels realistic to me. (I’m really apathetic, for better and worse.) Maybe even I can have some moments of pure stoicism, where something horrible happens, and I show no sign of reacting, and when someone gets confused why I don’t seem upset, I just answer with “I’m good at compartmentalizing. I’m actually very distraught, but that doesn’t help, so I just turn it off.” I dunno. It’s the kind of thing you don’t see often, but it’s how I react to lots of bad situations, and I’ve been in some REALLY bad situations. Sorry for the tirade. I’m writing this at midnight, which turns off all my mental filters. Thanks for reading this nonsense. ✌️
Thank you for popping in, my friend! I hope when you get a chance to check it out that you have fun with it. Sadly, I don't think much of the choices will be quite apathetic. A couple are probably in the vein of stoicism though, so I hope those are at least satisfying for your MC. I tend to write with a lot of emotion so stoicism and apathy are weak points for me! Either way, I hope you do find something to enjoy about your MC here. ^_^
this was great, the writing and story are amazing and I'm highly looking forward to hopefully being able to use the lumberjack background in combat, Oswin has great interactions and leaves you wising to learn more and to find the reason to his changes, and Zahn has a great personality, that's sweet and bubbles with kindness. both of their stories are gut-wrenching and it's great. I can't wait to see what future chapters hold and wish you the best going forward. (I also wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about Shadow, the interactions in the story with him were amazing. I loved every moment that included him and its never easy to lose someone close. i wanted to offer my condolences and just wanted to say to take your time, take care of yourself, and not to press yourself into doing more then you are comfortable with
Heck yes, my friend! I am excited to get MC into a real battle, especially the axe-wielding ones. I am so happy you enjoyed the story and characters so far. I can't wait to reveal more of each person's story as we go and I hope I can tell it the way I feel it.
Thank you for your kind words and condolences, I really appreciate them. I've been sure to let myself grieve the way I need to, and I do feel that I'm healing and doing a lot better now. :3
I started and finished the demo today. It's incredible! I feel so connected to these characters, and find myself tearing up at the emotional interactions between Oswin and MC. Wondering why it is he has become distant from her. Perhaps, he was so afraid to lose her because he feels so much for her, so to protect himself he distanced himself? That is my theory for now. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Just wanted to leave a comment about how much I really love your work!
I love how you give your characters depth without launching into index pages with 20 paragraphs of backstory nestled away in a link, within a link, within a link. In some other stories, the characters you interact with feel like they melt into the code when you stop talking to them, but I don't feel the same when I'm playing this IF.
I also love how you write about some heavier themes without being overly gratuitous, or needlessly explicit about certain details. Think it really helps some people who have bad experiences with those topics not settle into the scene too heavily, and at the same time, leave readers who don't share the same experiences with enough detail to interpret the scene accurately.
Lastly, I wanna say that I'm really sorry to hear about Shadow :( I already love story!Shadow to bits, and promise to love him forevermore. I think it's a lovely gesture to immortalise his memory in this IF!
All the best for the future chapters, and remember to take care of yourself while working on this amazing project :)
I am so glad you enjoyed the story and like my style. Your comments have really warmed my heart and given me an encouragement boost - these are the things I fret about. I wanted to do a heavier IF that wouldn't leave readers bereft at the same time - life is hard enough! I am hoping that those connections with the characters will carry both the reader and the MC through those difficult moments as we progress.
Thank you also for your condolences. Shadow was a one of a kind kitty, and sometimes I wondered if he was a little angry wizard trapped in a cat's body, lol. It seemed fitting that he travel my imaginary little world with an equally odd merchant for company. ^_^
I finish the demo today and for now i'm loving it so much!
I really like the form you write and the characters are very likeable, Oswin is so funny when you're playful with him, and Zhan is so sweet, I wanna take care of them (even if i'm a little cautious of them)
But in my top of characters for now are the MC parents, I love them so much, they feel so warm? Idk how to explain it, just they feel like home.
Also I love the mule, I have to try the others horses but for now my girl Epona is winning.
For resume, great job! I will waiting happy for more!^v^
And my condolences for you loss, I hope you and your husband get well soon
Thank you so much for the kind words, my friend! I am thrilled that you are attached to the MC fathers, and I think I know what you mean that they feel like home. There are more antics in store for Oswin and Zahn, so I hope you will enjoy them as they develop. I'm glad you used the name Epona! The Legend of Zelda is near and dear to my heart, so it's only fair to have a faithful friend like her to guide you! ^_^
It seems I have regained my love for IF's after reading this one (as I typically avoid WiPs for fear of discontinuation). The characters have captured my attention and I actually care about what happens to them. The parents are so endearing, I particularly like the dynamic that you set up for them. ALSO YES, finally, gay dads. I would die for them.
The RO's typically bore me in other books, but you managed to make my cold frigid heart FEEL with this one. I love the background that you gave them, it got me emotionally invested. I know we haven't been introduced to the rest, but as it stands, I would also die for Zahn and Oswin.
The story itself is interesting, though I'm not gonna lie it reminds me a little bit of 13Leagues' ToA, which is also another IF that I absolutely adore (with the similar theme of the MC's death-curse and the involvement of gods). I absolutely love your writing and your work is at my "most awaited" list. Thank you so much for creating this world and sharing it to the rest of us. It has been a joy.
May Shadow live on in your work, I would like to see more of the little guy in the story. I hope things are well!
That is beyond awesome to me, my dear! I know that feeling, those discontinuation woes. I keep shoving mine in a closet marked with caution tape, lol. All the more reason, I do not want to let you or any other IF lover down.
I am thrilled that you've taken a shine to the family and friends I've made for the MC and the world. I have read Superstition (every season like 7 times) from 13Leagues, but believe it or not, I haven't read ToA yet! It's on the ever-growing list of things for me to catch up on. Maybe I will hold off just in case, I don't want to be under the influence while I'm writing, lol.
You've made me giddy with delight at your kind words, my friend. I am also hoping to wiggle in my favorite kitty cat as much as possible. He'll be there to demand to be held and get fur on your clothes. Thank you for reading! ^_^
I really enjoyed the story! It's so well written and you can clearly see that your choices do matter. Wish the author a lot of motivation and time to write. Looking forward to more!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much; I am hoping to really make those choices shine through the story. It gets a bit taxing but it's still so much fun to add those flavors. ^_^
I'm elated that you loved it! I'm working on a small update to chapter 3 as we speak. Just a few extra optional moments, nothing major, and some fixes of course. ^_^
LOL, I am glad I could get a cackle from you, my dear! That's a long-standing joke for me. I have used that name while reading other IFs for a laugh, and it drives my bestie insane. If you're adventurous to choose that as your MC's name, there will be some extra flavor-text here and there. Is it worth naming your character after pasta though? Debatable.
I'm glad you love it! And I'm excited to bring you more! ^_^
Gods I loved this story so much, living with a chronic illness made me relate so much to the MC and really enjoy to the point of tearing up multiple times
It was quite funny to pick the mule as mount and name her "Yarrow" after a certain RO I'm totally pinning now, I'm weak to childhood friends to lovers
Thank you! I am glad you are loving it and that you were moved (not that I'm dancing in your tears or anything)! I hope that as the story progresses you feel a strength and hope through your resonance with the MC. ^_^
My spouse play-tested this for me and chose the mule as well so he could, "travel with his two asses." Cracked me up so much that I am trying to work that line in for the MC to say at some point, lol. I try not to favor the mounts, but mule has a special flair.
Thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate your kind words and I am happy that you are loving the story! (your username has sparked joy, by the way, lol) ^_^
Aaaahh, this new update is everything I've wanted: more time with Oswin and reaffirming of their friendship (my MC has feelings for him). Also Zahn is so perceptive and sweet, a good but surprising combo! Nathaniel and Oswin 😌👌🏻 so funny Nathan thought that, Oswin is fun to tease i geddit.
I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it! Zahn is a whole new world for me to write, I haven't made characters quite like them before. They're craftier than most would give them credit for, but super loving. And Nathan is that stray cat that keeps walking the line of the fence to irritate the dog (Oswin) lol. Finding ways to irritate our poor swordsman is fueling my life.
okay i havent read the story yet but after reading some comments concerning male player being called beautiful i gotta say this; if someone calls me beautiful when im masc presenting id instantly get them a bff bracelet and name my first born after them lmaooo
also my ex- a sportbike rider with beard covering half of his face -literally giggled and was absolutely giddy for a whole night after i called him beautiful :" he also looks gewd in pink and jasmine is his favorite flower :D
so yeah besties pls dont let old stereotypes cage you in <3 beautiful is merely an adjective not some spell to instantly turn your balls into vajayjay lmaoooooo <333
Yes! Thank you, my friend! That is how I feel about it. These words just mean what they mean, they're not gendered! ^_^ Very well said, lol! You've made my day!
*Also, totally squealing over your profile pic - speaking of beautiful! Cove <3
Thank you for this. Although I hope I was not misunderstood. If you enjoy being called beautiful thats great. Nothing wrong with that. I do struggle some with some of the old stereotypes I was raised around. But I also was never good at being a conformer regardless of before or after came out as trans. Nor do I feel like people should be pushed to conform.
Let people be themselves, like what they like. But I hope that also goes for people like myself who like anyone has aspects that could fit any of the labels, even if I consider myself more masc leaning in many areas. But would prefer being called handsome, or rugged, etc lol Not that I would be unfortunately in rl. Not in my current condition anyways.
Anyways writer has right to write it how they wish. I may not have understood what they meant with it at first but I do now. It may not be my preference for character appearance but it's a good story and there is a lot they do that others don't even consider. I was pleasantly surprised when read though it the first time as far as the majority of it. I look forward to seeing more.
Absolutely, your wants and needs for who you are are completely valid. We are all just people and different things will call out to us all. I wouldn't want to push my own preferences on to you. I appreciate you sharing this part of yourself with me. I am glad you're here and I cannot wait for you to experience more of this story. ^_^
This is the family I wish I had, reading scenes with Da or Pa healed a little piece of my soul. I do find it funny that I named my MC Ravi because I found it more fitting for him than the full name so when Oswin accidentally said Ravi it was just his name- XD
I am so glad our new dads can do that for you! Part of why I wanted to write in good parents was because I didn't really have that myself and IFs have plenty of...difficult parents. So it's been healing on my end as well! You are the first other than my own spouse to tell me that they used the name Ravi! I literally thought 'nah, no one will want to use that...' jokes on me, my own spouse betrays my thinking! He was one of my two play-tester/proof-readers and even warned me about that bit with the name. I totally forgot to fix it before making the story public! It'll be adjusted in the next update, though, so no worries there! ^_^
Ah! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I'm plugging away at chapter 3 right now. Fingers crossed it will be out by the end of the month for the Amare Games Festival! ^_^
Feels like this was written for female MCs in mind, no women characters who are important in their early life, they're all men, and the MC shy about their chest. Called beautiful no matter your characters gender, also Oswin hugging me while I'm naked, and forced to go with him and think about him all the time?
You are entitled to think they way you choose, but as such, I am entitled and compelled to tell you why I disagree with your assessment and even take offense to it. Apologies if it's long, but I'm not going to sit back and let it slide.
It's ignorant. You do not have to like this story, that is a-ok with me, but don't make assumptions based on your own projections of what you think is happening. You are clearly searching for bias.
We are two chapters in (for a work-in-progress demo) and literally the only RO introduced yet is a man because I wasn't going to force every RO into 1 chapter. And, no, this was not written for female MCs exclusively. I take personal offense to such drivel as I am an a-gendered writer who uses she/her pronouns to simplify my personal life, but I identify as leaning more masculine. I play almost exclusively male MCs when I read IFs and I do not have any particular gender in mind while writing. Quite frankly, I believe that assigning genders to certain things like actions, clothing, or even speech is ridiculous - and it's on you as the reader if you do such things. People should just BE so that is how I write.
It might be you're projecting your assumptions onto what you're reading, we all tend to do that. Just because women are not directly showcased in the early life of the MC means literally nothing, but you are assuming that it means something. There are supportive male characters up front NOT because of what you assume is for a female MC (which, also, I do not get why this equates to 'written for female MC'), but because I want there to be male characters in a story (like 2 dads and a soft-hearted bestie) that allow for men to just be what they want without fitting a particular niche in literature (like a big strong bear of a man that cries openly or another man who hunts and fishes but also cares if his throw pillows match his curtains). I've said this before, the MC "shy about their chest" applies to men too! Good grief, I know more men who are shy about their chests than the women I've met. I wasn't going to write that and assume "just because man, means they are just not shy about anything north of the border." I'm also writing for 3 gender selections and it is better to just error on caution and not have to ham-fist programming in for something so benign.
If you read the list of warnings, it specifically says that this is not written with touch-aversion in mind. If your MC does not like the hug, then consider that Oswin simply reacted, you know, like humans tend to do - without thinking. I am not out to write these characters as inhumanly as possible and make everything perfect - it is not possible to account for every single thing that people will not like - hence the warning that there are limited instances where the MC can choose for or against a touch. If you feel "forced to think about him all the time" consider that maybe you are doing that to yourself? He's the only one introduced so far and is literally the path to the other parts of the story, so yeah, your MC is "forced to go with him." He plays a huge role in getting the MC from A to B. And again, 2 chapters.
Lunan, thank you for saying everything that I wanted to. I never got the feeling that it was geared towards women, and I play as a guy. I really enjoy this story, and I'm eager to see where you wanna take this adventure. :)
I agree with YellowYello's point, since I also play as a guy and didn't find it geared to any specific gender. I am am especially big fan of a-gendered IFs. Although there's plenty of good IFs out there who aren't which is okay. Anyways I just wanted to say I'm very much enjoying the story. Keep up the good work Lunan!
Thank you, my dear! I really appreciate that you are enjoying the adventure. I didn't set out to do this for any particular gender, and like you, I enjoy IFs regardless of who they may have in mind, if anyone, when they were written. My goal is to continuing making this story just enjoyable for what it is and for who I am as a human. ^_^
Good Lord, I love your reply, Lunan! That is exactly what I think. I go by she/her because in the French language there are mostly gendered names and adjectives, so it is complicated to use non-gendered words even though I identify myself as NB. I don't personally like the "they/them" English alternative as I am single not plural, but I get it for those who use it.
Likewise, I personally like to think that before being a gender we are an individual and I despise the fact that societies and many religions tend to force us to fit a box labelled according to a physical, non-chosen aspect of our bodies. Furthermore, I feel the same way regarding words and expressions that seem to be used more for a gender than another. I like to use "beautiful" instead of "handsome" or "good-looking" as a personal choice because I think that it can be applied to all and any genders, and it holds a more powerful meaning to me.
Just like you, I also almost exclusively play male or NB MCs when I read IFs using if I can my own set of pronouns (zhe/zhim/zhir/zhers/zhimself). Therefore, I totally get what you say when claiming that "people should just be". That's what I like the most about IFs, we play as we want, choosing the choices, names, preferences and how we interact with others. I have read your demo the most of all the IFs I have read so far, and that's just saying how much I love it and feel connected to the characters.
Thank you, Lunan for your commitment to your story and offering us regular updates. You can even imagine how conforming it is to know that we'll get a continuation to your beloved story.
Yes! I totally get that. I appreciate your support and that you understand where I'm at with these things. I know that these things are highly personal and subjective and it has been so lovely to connect with others that know my heart. And I appreciate readers like you who are hanging in there with me and having fun! ^_^
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Oh, this update is just SO GOOD! I love Duri's introduction, especially since I kinda really thought they're a wolf trying to eat the PC. I only just realized they're an RO when their golden eyes were emphasized throughout the narrative and when I checked the list of ROs and found them there. But besides that, I'm enjoying Oswin's overprotectiveness towards the PC.
Plus, the honey cakes scene. It made me grin like an idiot. 😆
Im with you about Oswin. God, the man has an iron will. I would crawl into mc's lap after this for sure!😔🤣
Yay! I was hoping to make it a fun surprise. It's been hard to keep their nature under wraps for so long, lol. I debated about putting it in their description but wanted it to be more of a little bonus fun thing. Glad you are having a good time, my dear! ^_^
Absolutely adored this update! I am so excited for the next chapter!
So glad you enjoyed it, my friend! I am also so pumped to get chapter 5 going! ^_^
"Have you known people outside your church to be wicked?"
"Yeah."
That felt like a really heavy "yeah." If someone hurt Zahn, I'm going to have words with them. And by words, I mean fists.
*clears throat* Yeeeaaahh, about that... 😬
I literally started foaming at the mouth when I saw the update. I love your writing so much!! Was about to go to bed but I decided I no longer need sleep tonight <33
I hope you eventually got some rest (and maybe a napkin for the, uh, foam), lol. I hope you enjoyed, my dear - thank you for checking it out! ^_^
Are there going to be only 3 chapters to this game? If so, are you currently working on more chapters??
Hello friend! There will be more than 3 chapters for sure. Chapter 4 is nearly done as we speak. That's what I've been buried in for the last couple months. The whole story, I anticipate, will be around 12 chapters with my current plan. There is a basic outline for the entire story and I make adjustments and fixes as I write. It may end up being longer, but I can't say yet. It is already huge and just keeps growing! ^_^
just finished a first run of this game—I love it so much!!!! The writing is lovely and Oswin is my beloved. I kept accidentally calling him Oswald in my head, lmao. Just learned about the name reactions—gonna try and find as many of those as i can!! I love a good Easter egg
Thank you, my dear! Glad you're enjoying it! You know, Oswald is not a bad name for him - close enough. ^_^ Good luck with the easter eggs, I don't even remember half of them without looking, lol!
I loved when oswin called me a lazy asshole for naming my mule "horse"
LMAO, I am so glad you discovered that! There's a few names that yield special responses, and I'd like to add more when I have some time. ^_^
i played this for the first time recently, then i replayed it again, and again, and again.. i love this!! its really well written and immersive and its so fun how much character customisation u can do!! and i discovered that if you choose ravi as your new name, oswyn will comment on you choosing the childhood nickname he gave u, i didnt anticipate it being recognised at all so it was such a cool and lovely detail!!! im rlly rlly looking forward to updates on this! now back to replaying it again..
I am so glad you loved it, my dear! Our dear swordsman has a warm spot for that name. I'm glad you found that and are enjoying your replays. Chapter 4 is making great progress, so I hope to update in the near future. ^_^
Gods, of course I will be hooked on the reculant and not-so-secretly caring childhood friend... to be frank, I'm gonna read the heck out this story for him.
I adore mc's dads. And my true bbf. I am also very invested into mc's health. Good job onto spiritual things, I liked the worldbuilding and more to come!
Oswin thinks he's being all sneaky, but he is so bad at it - terrible liar too - it's cute though. I'm thrilled you're enjoying it, my friend! ^_^
I love this so much!
Glad you enjoyed it, my friend! ^_^
wow!!! i haven't read anything THIS good in a while, i can't believe it's only demo so far 😭 i'm genuinely so invested in the plot and the world that's being set up. also not only the ROs but all characters are so endearing and lovable :') our fathers and our best friend have especially warmed my heart
Thank you, my dear! I really appreciate that. I can't wait to share more of it with you! Chapter 4 is making great progress and the remaining moments for 3 are in the oven, lol. ^_^
love this sm !! and omg, is that a zelda reference if you name your mount "epona" haha?? if so, i love the little detail + it makes me wanna input all sorts of stuff to see if there are other little references.
Yay! You noticed! It is a Zelda reference! There's a few little references in there. A couple are a bit obscure. Let me know if you discover any others! ^_^
Hey dear, would you mind making a summary of all the Easter eggs you put into the story at some point? I didn't even know there were Easter eggs before reading the comment section. I follow you on tumblr too. That would be lovely for my sixth re-read of the story. Thank you
Absolutely, my dear! There aren't that many, but it's something I'd like to add more of as things develop. I'll try to pop them on Tumblr when I get some time. Sorry for the late reply. I apparently got logged out of itch on my phone. I was wondering why it had been so quiet lately! >_<
HELP WHEN I SAW THE END THAT SAID "end of demo" AND THEN THE OTHER "chapter 4" I THOUGHT I WAS SAFE AND HAPPILY CLICKED IT ONLY FOR IT TO SAY NOTHINGS THERE😭😭😭WE NEED TO CONFESS TO OSWIN
Same 😭
Hang in there! ^_^
So sorry, my dear, had to leave that little tease in, lol. Don't lose hope, though, chapter 4 is making great progress! ^_^
Same!! I loved Oswin so much!
No words
10000/10
You have no words, and I have too many - let's make a deal, lol. Thank you, my dear, I appreciate your kindness. ^_^
More of oswin>>>
easily one of the best IF omg...
You are much too kind, my friend. I don't know what to say! ^_^
I haven’t actually gotten in yet, but this seems cool. Absolutely gonna check it out when I have time. In the meantime, I just wanted to say, I hope there are some real good options for apathy. Not many things let you have “I don’t care” as a valid option that doesn’t just mean that you skip over things, and so when I can have apathy, I always like it, because it feels realistic to me. (I’m really apathetic, for better and worse.) Maybe even I can have some moments of pure stoicism, where something horrible happens, and I show no sign of reacting, and when someone gets confused why I don’t seem upset, I just answer with “I’m good at compartmentalizing. I’m actually very distraught, but that doesn’t help, so I just turn it off.” I dunno. It’s the kind of thing you don’t see often, but it’s how I react to lots of bad situations, and I’ve been in some REALLY bad situations. Sorry for the tirade. I’m writing this at midnight, which turns off all my mental filters. Thanks for reading this nonsense. ✌️
Thank you for popping in, my friend! I hope when you get a chance to check it out that you have fun with it. Sadly, I don't think much of the choices will be quite apathetic. A couple are probably in the vein of stoicism though, so I hope those are at least satisfying for your MC. I tend to write with a lot of emotion so stoicism and apathy are weak points for me! Either way, I hope you do find something to enjoy about your MC here. ^_^
I hope there's gonna be a book 2 and maybe 3 loved it ^^
Me too! LOL I have no idea how big this will end up being, but I'll do what it takes to get the whole story out there. ^_^
this was great, the writing and story are amazing and I'm highly looking forward to hopefully being able to use the lumberjack background in combat, Oswin has great interactions and leaves you wising to learn more and to find the reason to his changes, and Zahn has a great personality, that's sweet and bubbles with kindness. both of their stories are gut-wrenching and it's great. I can't wait to see what future chapters hold and wish you the best going forward. (I also wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about Shadow, the interactions in the story with him were amazing. I loved every moment that included him and its never easy to lose someone close. i wanted to offer my condolences and just wanted to say to take your time, take care of yourself, and not to press yourself into doing more then you are comfortable with
Heck yes, my friend! I am excited to get MC into a real battle, especially the axe-wielding ones. I am so happy you enjoyed the story and characters so far. I can't wait to reveal more of each person's story as we go and I hope I can tell it the way I feel it.
Thank you for your kind words and condolences, I really appreciate them. I've been sure to let myself grieve the way I need to, and I do feel that I'm healing and doing a lot better now. :3
I started and finished the demo today. It's incredible! I feel so connected to these characters, and find myself tearing up at the emotional interactions between Oswin and MC. Wondering why it is he has become distant from her. Perhaps, he was so afraid to lose her because he feels so much for her, so to protect himself he distanced himself? That is my theory for now. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Thank you so much! I am thrilled you enjoyed it! There's a lot to unpack with Oswin's fickleness, so strap in. ^_^
The mini update with Oswin was adorable and I loved it!
I'm glad you loved it! It was fun to write too. It's good for Oswin to feel like a kid again sometimes. ^_^
Just wanted to leave a comment about how much I really love your work!
I love how you give your characters depth without launching into index pages with 20 paragraphs of backstory nestled away in a link, within a link, within a link. In some other stories, the characters you interact with feel like they melt into the code when you stop talking to them, but I don't feel the same when I'm playing this IF.
I also love how you write about some heavier themes without being overly gratuitous, or needlessly explicit about certain details. Think it really helps some people who have bad experiences with those topics not settle into the scene too heavily, and at the same time, leave readers who don't share the same experiences with enough detail to interpret the scene accurately.
Lastly, I wanna say that I'm really sorry to hear about Shadow :( I already love story!Shadow to bits, and promise to love him forevermore. I think it's a lovely gesture to immortalise his memory in this IF!
All the best for the future chapters, and remember to take care of yourself while working on this amazing project :)
I am so glad you enjoyed the story and like my style. Your comments have really warmed my heart and given me an encouragement boost - these are the things I fret about. I wanted to do a heavier IF that wouldn't leave readers bereft at the same time - life is hard enough! I am hoping that those connections with the characters will carry both the reader and the MC through those difficult moments as we progress.
Thank you also for your condolences. Shadow was a one of a kind kitty, and sometimes I wondered if he was a little angry wizard trapped in a cat's body, lol. It seemed fitting that he travel my imaginary little world with an equally odd merchant for company. ^_^
I finish the demo today and for now i'm loving it so much!
I really like the form you write and the characters are very likeable, Oswin is so funny when you're playful with him, and Zhan is so sweet, I wanna take care of them (even if i'm a little cautious of them)
But in my top of characters for now are the MC parents, I love them so much, they feel so warm? Idk how to explain it, just they feel like home.
Also I love the mule, I have to try the others horses but for now my girl Epona is winning.
For resume, great job! I will waiting happy for more!^v^
And my condolences for you loss, I hope you and your husband get well soon
Thank you so much for the kind words, my friend! I am thrilled that you are attached to the MC fathers, and I think I know what you mean that they feel like home. There are more antics in store for Oswin and Zahn, so I hope you will enjoy them as they develop. I'm glad you used the name Epona! The Legend of Zelda is near and dear to my heart, so it's only fair to have a faithful friend like her to guide you! ^_^
It seems I have regained my love for IF's after reading this one (as I typically avoid WiPs for fear of discontinuation). The characters have captured my attention and I actually care about what happens to them. The parents are so endearing, I particularly like the dynamic that you set up for them. ALSO YES, finally, gay dads. I would die for them.
The RO's typically bore me in other books, but you managed to make my cold frigid heart FEEL with this one. I love the background that you gave them, it got me emotionally invested. I know we haven't been introduced to the rest, but as it stands, I would also die for Zahn and Oswin.
The story itself is interesting, though I'm not gonna lie it reminds me a little bit of 13Leagues' ToA, which is also another IF that I absolutely adore (with the similar theme of the MC's death-curse and the involvement of gods). I absolutely love your writing and your work is at my "most awaited" list. Thank you so much for creating this world and sharing it to the rest of us. It has been a joy.
May Shadow live on in your work, I would like to see more of the little guy in the story. I hope things are well!
That is beyond awesome to me, my dear! I know that feeling, those discontinuation woes. I keep shoving mine in a closet marked with caution tape, lol. All the more reason, I do not want to let you or any other IF lover down.
I am thrilled that you've taken a shine to the family and friends I've made for the MC and the world. I have read Superstition (every season like 7 times) from 13Leagues, but believe it or not, I haven't read ToA yet! It's on the ever-growing list of things for me to catch up on. Maybe I will hold off just in case, I don't want to be under the influence while I'm writing, lol.
You've made me giddy with delight at your kind words, my friend. I am also hoping to wiggle in my favorite kitty cat as much as possible. He'll be there to demand to be held and get fur on your clothes. Thank you for reading! ^_^
I really enjoyed the story! It's so well written and you can clearly see that your choices do matter. Wish the author a lot of motivation and time to write. Looking forward to more!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much; I am hoping to really make those choices shine through the story. It gets a bit taxing but it's still so much fun to add those flavors. ^_^
I just finished playing through the demo and I'm so in love with the writting! I can't wait for more!! <33
I'm elated that you loved it! I'm working on a small update to chapter 3 as we speak. Just a few extra optional moments, nothing major, and some fixes of course. ^_^
I can't wait!!! <333
Please, I cackled! xD
-Noodles: "Noodles"
Anyway! I love the story! I am excited for more of this! <3
LOL, I am glad I could get a cackle from you, my dear! That's a long-standing joke for me. I have used that name while reading other IFs for a laugh, and it drives my bestie insane. If you're adventurous to choose that as your MC's name, there will be some extra flavor-text here and there. Is it worth naming your character after pasta though? Debatable.
I'm glad you love it! And I'm excited to bring you more! ^_^
10/10
No, you! 🥰
oswin PLEASE just let mc hug you. please i'm literally begging. you need a hug so bad. they need a hug so bad. its a win-win situation.
I agree! We'll get him softened up with time, and he'll be ripe for the hugging. ^_^
I love this story and the update was amazing! My condolences on your cat's passing 🫂
That's wonderful! I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your kind words, that means a lot to me. ^_^
Gods I loved this story so much, living with a chronic illness made me relate so much to the MC and really enjoy to the point of tearing up multiple times
It was quite funny to pick the mule as mount and name her "Yarrow" after a certain RO I'm totally pinning now, I'm weak to childhood friends to lovers
Thank you! I am glad you are loving it and that you were moved (not that I'm dancing in your tears or anything)! I hope that as the story progresses you feel a strength and hope through your resonance with the MC. ^_^
My spouse play-tested this for me and chose the mule as well so he could, "travel with his two asses." Cracked me up so much that I am trying to work that line in for the MC to say at some point, lol. I try not to favor the mounts, but mule has a special flair.
I just finished reading the third chapter and in my opinion this is easily one of the best novels in this site. Keep up the good work!
Sweet fancy Moses, that is very high praise, my friend! I'm not sure I know how to respond to that, lol. Thank you so much! 🥹
I really love this story, and I'm so sorry to hear about your cat Shadow. Hope you and your husband are doing okay.
Thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate your kind words and I am happy that you are loving the story! (your username has sparked joy, by the way, lol) ^_^
Ha ha thank you! I certainly thought I was being extremely clever with it when I was a kid.
I am very much an adult and I would argue it's still clever, lol.
Rare moment of brilliance on my part.
woah, don't know how i missed this until now, its really great so far!
I'm glad you found it, my dear! There's more fun things to come that I can't wait to share with you. ^_^
Aaaahh, this new update is everything I've wanted: more time with Oswin and reaffirming of their friendship (my MC has feelings for him). Also Zahn is so perceptive and sweet, a good but surprising combo! Nathaniel and Oswin 😌👌🏻 so funny Nathan thought that, Oswin is fun to tease i geddit.
I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it! Zahn is a whole new world for me to write, I haven't made characters quite like them before. They're craftier than most would give them credit for, but super loving. And Nathan is that stray cat that keeps walking the line of the fence to irritate the dog (Oswin) lol. Finding ways to irritate our poor swordsman is fueling my life.
The way your story has me so invested in it and the way you write the characters it's literally so beautiful /gen /pos
Thank you so much! I often fret about if I'm conveying their personalities well or not, this makes me feel more at ease about it! ^_^
okay i havent read the story yet but after reading some comments concerning male player being called beautiful i gotta say this; if someone calls me beautiful when im masc presenting id instantly get them a bff bracelet and name my first born after them lmaooo
also my ex- a sportbike rider with beard covering half of his face -literally giggled and was absolutely giddy for a whole night after i called him beautiful :" he also looks gewd in pink and jasmine is his favorite flower :D
so yeah besties pls dont let old stereotypes cage you in <3 beautiful is merely an adjective not some spell to instantly turn your balls into vajayjay lmaoooooo <333
Yes! Thank you, my friend! That is how I feel about it. These words just mean what they mean, they're not gendered! ^_^ Very well said, lol! You've made my day!
*Also, totally squealing over your profile pic - speaking of beautiful! Cove <3
Thank you for this. Although I hope I was not misunderstood. If you enjoy being called beautiful thats great. Nothing wrong with that. I do struggle some with some of the old stereotypes I was raised around. But I also was never good at being a conformer regardless of before or after came out as trans. Nor do I feel like people should be pushed to conform.
Let people be themselves, like what they like. But I hope that also goes for people like myself who like anyone has aspects that could fit any of the labels, even if I consider myself more masc leaning in many areas. But would prefer being called handsome, or rugged, etc lol Not that I would be unfortunately in rl. Not in my current condition anyways.
Anyways writer has right to write it how they wish. I may not have understood what they meant with it at first but I do now. It may not be my preference for character appearance but it's a good story and there is a lot they do that others don't even consider. I was pleasantly surprised when read though it the first time as far as the majority of it. I look forward to seeing more.
Absolutely, your wants and needs for who you are are completely valid. We are all just people and different things will call out to us all. I wouldn't want to push my own preferences on to you. I appreciate you sharing this part of yourself with me. I am glad you're here and I cannot wait for you to experience more of this story. ^_^
This is the family I wish I had, reading scenes with Da or Pa healed a little piece of my soul. I do find it funny that I named my MC Ravi because I found it more fitting for him than the full name so when Oswin accidentally said Ravi it was just his name- XD
I am so glad our new dads can do that for you! Part of why I wanted to write in good parents was because I didn't really have that myself and IFs have plenty of...difficult parents. So it's been healing on my end as well! You are the first other than my own spouse to tell me that they used the name Ravi! I literally thought 'nah, no one will want to use that...' jokes on me, my own spouse betrays my thinking! He was one of my two play-tester/proof-readers and even warned me about that bit with the name. I totally forgot to fix it before making the story public! It'll be adjusted in the next update, though, so no worries there! ^_^
THAT WAS THE DEMO??? THAT WAS SO GOOD OML,,,, I CAN´T WAIT FOR THE FULL GAME!!!! ^^
Ah! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I'm plugging away at chapter 3 right now. Fingers crossed it will be out by the end of the month for the Amare Games Festival! ^_^
Feels like this was written for female MCs in mind, no women characters who are important in their early life, they're all men, and the MC shy about their chest. Called beautiful no matter your characters gender, also Oswin hugging me while I'm naked, and forced to go with him and think about him all the time?
You are entitled to think they way you choose, but as such, I am entitled and compelled to tell you why I disagree with your assessment and even take offense to it. Apologies if it's long, but I'm not going to sit back and let it slide.
It's ignorant. You do not have to like this story, that is a-ok with me, but don't make assumptions based on your own projections of what you think is happening. You are clearly searching for bias.
We are two chapters in (for a work-in-progress demo) and literally the only RO introduced yet is a man because I wasn't going to force every RO into 1 chapter. And, no, this was not written for female MCs exclusively. I take personal offense to such drivel as I am an a-gendered writer who uses she/her pronouns to simplify my personal life, but I identify as leaning more masculine. I play almost exclusively male MCs when I read IFs and I do not have any particular gender in mind while writing. Quite frankly, I believe that assigning genders to certain things like actions, clothing, or even speech is ridiculous - and it's on you as the reader if you do such things. People should just BE so that is how I write.
It might be you're projecting your assumptions onto what you're reading, we all tend to do that. Just because women are not directly showcased in the early life of the MC means literally nothing, but you are assuming that it means something. There are supportive male characters up front NOT because of what you assume is for a female MC (which, also, I do not get why this equates to 'written for female MC'), but because I want there to be male characters in a story (like 2 dads and a soft-hearted bestie) that allow for men to just be what they want without fitting a particular niche in literature (like a big strong bear of a man that cries openly or another man who hunts and fishes but also cares if his throw pillows match his curtains). I've said this before, the MC "shy about their chest" applies to men too! Good grief, I know more men who are shy about their chests than the women I've met. I wasn't going to write that and assume "just because man, means they are just not shy about anything north of the border." I'm also writing for 3 gender selections and it is better to just error on caution and not have to ham-fist programming in for something so benign.
If you read the list of warnings, it specifically says that this is not written with touch-aversion in mind. If your MC does not like the hug, then consider that Oswin simply reacted, you know, like humans tend to do - without thinking. I am not out to write these characters as inhumanly as possible and make everything perfect - it is not possible to account for every single thing that people will not like - hence the warning that there are limited instances where the MC can choose for or against a touch. If you feel "forced to think about him all the time" consider that maybe you are doing that to yourself? He's the only one introduced so far and is literally the path to the other parts of the story, so yeah, your MC is "forced to go with him." He plays a huge role in getting the MC from A to B. And again, 2 chapters.
Lunan, thank you for saying everything that I wanted to. I never got the feeling that it was geared towards women, and I play as a guy. I really enjoy this story, and I'm eager to see where you wanna take this adventure. :)
Thank you, so much my dear. I really appreciate that, and I can't wait for you to see how it all unfolds! ^_^
I agree with YellowYello's point, since I also play as a guy and didn't find it geared to any specific gender. I am am especially big fan of a-gendered IFs. Although there's plenty of good IFs out there who aren't which is okay. Anyways I just wanted to say I'm very much enjoying the story. Keep up the good work Lunan!
Thank you, my dear! I really appreciate that you are enjoying the adventure. I didn't set out to do this for any particular gender, and like you, I enjoy IFs regardless of who they may have in mind, if anyone, when they were written. My goal is to continuing making this story just enjoyable for what it is and for who I am as a human. ^_^
Good Lord, I love your reply, Lunan! That is exactly what I think. I go by she/her because in the French language there are mostly gendered names and adjectives, so it is complicated to use non-gendered words even though I identify myself as NB. I don't personally like the "they/them" English alternative as I am single not plural, but I get it for those who use it.
Likewise, I personally like to think that before being a gender we are an individual and I despise the fact that societies and many religions tend to force us to fit a box labelled according to a physical, non-chosen aspect of our bodies. Furthermore, I feel the same way regarding words and expressions that seem to be used more for a gender than another. I like to use "beautiful" instead of "handsome" or "good-looking" as a personal choice because I think that it can be applied to all and any genders, and it holds a more powerful meaning to me.
Just like you, I also almost exclusively play male or NB MCs when I read IFs using if I can my own set of pronouns (zhe/zhim/zhir/zhers/zhimself). Therefore, I totally get what you say when claiming that "people should just be". That's what I like the most about IFs, we play as we want, choosing the choices, names, preferences and how we interact with others. I have read your demo the most of all the IFs I have read so far, and that's just saying how much I love it and feel connected to the characters.
Thank you, Lunan for your commitment to your story and offering us regular updates. You can even imagine how conforming it is to know that we'll get a continuation to your beloved story.
Yes! I totally get that. I appreciate your support and that you understand where I'm at with these things. I know that these things are highly personal and subjective and it has been so lovely to connect with others that know my heart. And I appreciate readers like you who are hanging in there with me and having fun! ^_^
Small editing note: when determining the MC's romantic feelings you missed a '<' on the 'feelingsnophys' option so it didn't work properly.
Thank you, my friend! This has been fixed and is ready to roll for the next update! ^_^