Daleko Writes @dalekowrites - Tumblr Blog

Hi lovelies! ♥

I'm an author of traditional and interactive fiction, and I'm currently working on two projects in ChoiceScript. One is a science-based apocalyptic horror, while the other is a romantic drama set in Naples, Italy. This blog will mostly be about my works in progress!

I have, however, already published a short introspective drama in ChoiceScript, which can be found here.

I will soon set up a page for each of them on here, but in the meantime, here is a brief introduction:

After Dark

While the heavy industry is more active than ever, the effects of global warming are evident, with higher temperatures, dying bees, and animals acting weird. After Dark is a scientifically accurate apocalyptic horror. You’re tired of zombies rising from the ground for no reason? You don’t believe in ghosts? Glittering vampires aren’t for you? Then you have to try one of the three different stories that unfold in After Dark. When a global pandemic starts to transform people into dangerous monsters, which path will you choose? Will you fight for humanity? Will you stay for your family? Or will you run away in search of a better future?

The In-Between

You’re an introverted college student, studying modern languages at a famous university based in Naples. You live a seemingly ordinary life with your parent and younger sibling, as no one knows the truth about your past side business—a dark, illegal one. You thought you had finally escaped that world, but when your younger sibling falls seriously ill, your only hope is your wealthy ex-lover: an attractive mobster, charming and dangerous in equal parts...

Tell me, which one appeals to you most? 😁

📰 July 2026 Newsletter is here! 📰

This issue includes:

A quick summary of where we are in After Dark and The In-Between;

The last part of the spotlight about After Dark's "horror rules";

An exclusive The In Between side story;

A recap of all the Q&A of June.

This issue will be available for 30 days only—no back issues!

Check it out on Patreon!

(P.S. – As a Tireless Reader, you don't just get newsletters and side stories! This tier also includes all the perks from previous tiers, like previews of future updates and works-in-progress, early access to everything a month before public release, and access to a private Discord channel with priority news, exclusive polls, and more ☺)

I have to say I love Evil Ale’s delusional narcissism of trying their own birthday FIRST as MC’s password when they've literally cheated on, blackmailed, and threatened the MC 🤡 lmao

I love that you noticed that, lol!

Yeah, that’s just how Ale is, and he probably didn’t even give it a second thought…

Hello, dear author <3

We all know that Evil Ale is a jerk but...if the MC choses to romance him despite everything happening, i was wondering if there are still some genuine intent to his actions/feelings (even for a little bit) while they're still being an manipulating asshole.

Personally, Raff is my chosen RO but i'm still curious about the possibility of MC's might or not fix Evil Ale. (Sounds hopeless even while writing lol)

Hi! ♥

I appreciate your curiosity, but honestly I don’t feel comfortable answering outright as if I were the god who shapes their lives. In theory, yes, that’s what an author is, but I’d prefer the characters to speak for themselves when it comes to such fundamental aspects of their personalities.

I have, however, suggested this in the past: have you seen Ale’s profile in the Stats? It’s not a universal rule, but usually when someone lets you see what they’re really like, it’s a good idea to believe them...

Hey, sorry to bother

But I've encountered a bug in the last 3 chapters if I'm not mistaken

Cause I'm playing as a F!MC and all ros are women, but the text keeps referring to Evil!Ale as He/him

I was so confused at first, like who the f are you talking about?? 🫪🫪

Anyway, have a good day, love your game (I'll personally see Evil!Ale to their demise)

Hi! You’re not bothering me, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid it’s a cache issue. Try clearing your browser’s cache or using a different browser!

[NSFW+Pregnancy] I saw that condoms were mentioned in the sex scene with male Raf, but I don't think it was ever mentioned with male Evil!Ale, so does the latter just not use them? Is the MC expected to manage protection themselves?

I hope a F!MC is not gonna have to worry about accidental pregnancy/being baby trapped by Evil!Ale on top of all the other horrors they're going through 😭

Also I know a lot of IF authors aren't comfortable with pregnancy asks so please don't feel like you have to answer this, it was just something random that occured to me whilst playing

That’s a very interesting question, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness, so I’ll tag the post with the appropriate tw/cw!

MC knows Ale very well. They were a couple for quite a while, long enough for MC to see through his façade and come to detest him so much that she ran away from him.

Ale isn’t the kind of person who cares about others; he’s the type who’d rather pay to get rid of any nuisance the moment it arises.

F!MC, of course, learned long ago to protect herself; the only potential issue she might face would be STDs, but Ale is also very picky about who he sleeps with and closely monitors his own health.

I don’t know how it works in other countries, so just to be clear: birth control and medical checkups in Italy are very inexpensive! (I think condoms are among the most expensive ones, but don’t take my word for it—I should ask my girl friends about the other birth controls' prices lol).

HI HI HI HI!!!!

I just read the In-Between and I had SO MUCH FUN!!!! I love love love ur writing sm, it’s so peak omg 😦

ALSO, I went into it blind…. MAFIA???? I was lowkey almost as surprised as Raf when it was revealed. All bc i heard hacker and… nothing else. Teehee. Not ur fault at all, lowkey just me being dumb and not thinking abt it LMAO

My fave book series also has surprise !!! Mafia. I guess I’m just a magnet for these stories fr.

I LOVE (RIFF) RAFF SO MUCH !!!!!!! They’re so cutie <333 I did a run w them while being lowkey entangled w Evil Ale. Ermmie. 🥹 WHATTTTTTT.

Evil Ale u will pay and rue the day and I HATE U 😭😭😭 (I say, still choosing the “💕” option every time.)

Evil Ale lowkey reminds me of Lestat. From Interview w a Vampire. If u don’t know, he’s a legendary crash out, big time cheater, and even more massive hypocrite. <333 I STAY DEFENDING HIM AND IÑL STAY DEFENDING EVIL ALE !!!!! While also praying for their downfalls. Obv‼️‼️‼️

Raf… my love… I’m sorry.

ALSO GIO NEEDS TO DIE!!! 😒😒😒 HES SO DKDBSLDBWODHDOXBDKDHWIWHWOWYDDI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He got on that balcony w a little too much practice. IM WORRIED FOR HIS MOM. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I stand w Chiara, she’s never done anything wrong ever. “Good” Ale can kick rocks tho idk 🤷. Cinzia is gorgeous and also has never done anything wrong ever in her life so yeah.

MC IS GOING THRUUUUUUUUU IT IM IRRITATED AT EVERYONE IN THE STORY 😇😇😇 MC u don’t deserve this… neither does ur poor sibling. Take their pain, double it, give it to Gio 😭😭 ‼️‼️‼️‼️

Oh! Also! Bc this ask isn’t long enough already (I’m so sorry), would Evil Ale ever have manufactured a scenario to drive MC back to them? Like, going even further than spreading stuff abt MC, and like fully committing to the Yandere bit they have going on. “Noooo MC, u def need me for this predicament u find urself in mwahahahaha”? Curious, but sorry if this has been asked before!

OKAY TOOTLES BUT ONCE AGAIN I LOVED READING THIS IM SO GRATEFUL 🥹 I CANR WAIT FOR MORE IM SO EXCITED THIS IS SO LOVELY AND PERFECT 🤗‼️‼️‼️

Hi!! ☺

Thank you so much for this ask, it genuinely made me smile. I'm really glad you had so much fun, and reading all your reactions was honestly a delight ♥ (also, going in completely blind and getting hit by the mafia reveal is incredibly funny lol. Poor Raf indeed!)

As for Evil Ale... well, I'm afraid you're in very good company. Plenty of people love them while simultaneously wishing terrible things upon them. I don't know how y'all can even just tolerate them but ok 😭

Regarding your question: yes, absolutely. If things had continued to go against them, Ale would've kept escalating. They're perfectly capable of manipulating people and circumstances to make themselves look like MC's only safe option, and they would've done whatever they thought was necessary to get what they wanted.

The only reason things never reached that point is because fate ended up helping them instead. (Unfortunately.)

Thank you again for all the kind words! It really means a lot to know you're enjoying the story, and I hope you'll have just as much fun with what's coming next! ♥

You always blend in with the crowd: nothing in you stands out, from your ordinary appearance, voice and behavior, to your distant but courteous attitude towards anyone who approaches you.

Is this an accurate description of the MC, or more of a reflection of low self-esteem?

I noticed that they think a lot less about their appearance than the other characters, and put less effort in too. They don't compare themselves to others like Good Ale & Chiara do, they don't stare at themselves in the mirror or wear expensive clothes like Evil Ale does, they don't wear makeup like Cinza or Chiara do, they don't use Evil Ale for free clothes like Mirko/Mika does lol, they tend to wear basic outfits, etc.

Admittedly they have way more going on in their life...but they come across that way even before everything starts (Evil Ale finding them, their sibling's illness, etc.)

That’s a great question!

It’s both an accurate description of how MC presents themselves and a reflection of their own perception. It’s true, the story begins before Ale appears and before the sibling’s illness, but it’s still after the death of one parent and while the other is constantly struggling.

Let’s just say MC has been in a bad place mentally for quite some time before the story even begins, and obviously, they don’t particularly want to be noticed by people (I guess that’s a trait of unethical hackers!).

I'm curious how the Camorra & Evil Ale’s boss will view the stabbing? Because the beating up was one thing, but this was reported in the news and has opened a police investigation. Doesn't that bring unnecessary risk to their group? Especially since it was over a purely personal matter to Evil Ale, not business related.

(Sorry if this is too spoilery to answer, I was just curious about the organised crime angle of it all!)

It depends! Even a stabbing doesn't have to be that big of a deal if it can be framed the right way, and there's no guarantee Ale's bosses even know it was him, precisely because it was personal rather than business related.

However, if the culprit were ever identified, or if the whole thing got linked back to organized crime... then yeah, I'd say Ale could be in some serious trouble.

dalekowrites

I see you have a height chart for After Dark characters. Could you do the same for The In Between characters??

Absolutely!

Here are the charts, they're separated based on MC's gender and their ROs' gender.

Female MC, male ROs:

Female MC, female ROs:

Male MC, male ROs:

Male MC, female ROs:

You can also find everyone's heights in the Stats tab, but hopefully these charts make it easier to visualize them!

dalekowrites

I've fixed the charts!

Character genders, gender combinations, heights, and everything else are now exactly as they should be ✨

On your neck are the marks of two hickeys, and a yellowish bruise just above your shoulder blades. Your thighs, upper arms, ribs, and chest are equally battered, in blooms of different colors

Didn't Raf notice all of these if the MC slept with them not long before this? I'm surprised they didn't react or comment on it. Or that MC wasn't self-conscious about it.

Also lucky this story is set in winter, I imagine covering all these up in Naples summer would be tough.

Hi!

No, there's only one scene where MC and Raf can sleep together so far, and at that point Ale hadn't started abusing MC in that way yet, as he usually takes care of that kind of sexual urges with Mirko instead. You can see his violence escalate the more Ale feels he needs to tighten his control over MC, and MC's interest in Raf (whether real or just something Ale imagines) certainly doesn't help...

Summer in Naples is absolutely unbearable now (it's 11:00 p.m. as I'm writing this, and my bedroom has a feels-like temperature of around 109.5°F / 43°C), but I can assure you that back in the mid-2010s it was much more tolerable. To be honest, back then I could even sleep under a quilted bedspread in August! Now, by the middle of June, I already feel like ripping my skin off 😭

Looking at the height charts you just posted (https://www.tumblr.com/dalekowrites/822062437162483712/i-see-you-have-a-height-chart-for-after-dark), are female MCs always supposed to have Mika in their game? As in Mika is meant to be the same gender as the MC? Because I've always had Mirko in mine (with female MC/male ROs)

I'm sorry, I'm an idiot and I ended up making an incorrect chart. The individual character heights are correct, but not their possible combinations.

Evil Ale is written as a character whose attraction goes beyond gender. He doesn't care about the gender of his lovers as long as he gets what he wants from them and is satisfied by whatever situationship he has with them. I wouldn't even describe him as bi or pan, he's just... Evil Ale. This is never stated outright in the story, by the way, but it should come across through the way he interacts with other characters.

In the original story, MC, Evil Ale, and Mirko are all men. In the IF, I tied Mirko's gender to Evil Ale's, which means Ale can never end up as a strictly heterosexual character. I did this because I was worried that if Mirko's gender were tied to MC's instead, the queer undertones would disappear whenever the cast happened to be heterosexual. At the same time, making Mirko simply the opposite gender of MC, and therefore always implying that Evil Ale is at least bisexual, could lead readers to interpret the m!MC, m!Ale, and female Mika option as though Mika were a cover for Ale's homosexuality, which isn't the case.

I hope that explanation makes sense! It's been a long and stressful day, and I should have taken more time to think through the charts. I'll remake them tomorrow and upload the correct versions. Thanks for pointing it out!

I see you have a height chart for After Dark characters. Could you do the same for The In Between characters??

Absolutely!

Here are the charts, they're separated based on MC's gender and their ROs' gender.

Female MC, male ROs:

Female MC, female ROs:

Male MC, male ROs:

Male MC, female ROs:

You can also find everyone's heights in the Stats tab, but hopefully these charts make it easier to visualize them!

I just caught up with the last few chapters of The In-Between, and damn…Evil!Ale was really like “actually, I'm not living up to my name enough” 😭. I know they've sent goons to beat up Raf before, but have they done anything like that before (assault/attempted murder by their own hands)?

Also poor Raf getting caught up in all this and suffering via their association with MC…they just wanted to shoot their shot with their cute classmate, who rather unluckily turned out to have a possessive murderous ex AND be mixed up with organised crime. Raf is so lovely, MC deserves someone who treats them so sweetly 🥹💖

Haha, yup. We didn't nickname him "Evil" for nothing!

As far as we know, no, this is the first time happening. Ale isn't exactly the type to get his hands dirty personally... Do you even have any idea how much his clothes cost??

Don't worry about Raf, he will get his chance to take center stage again in your story. You definitely haven't seen the last of this cutie pie!

please tell me Raffa is okay I miss my baee I'm sick of evil Ale at first I was romancing her...but then as the story progressed she became unsettling and was the devil compared to Raffa I miss Bae when is Bae coming back 😢😢

#theinbetween

To put it with as little spoiler as possible: for now, Raffa is exactly where it's been said she'd be for the foreseeable future! But don't worry, MC definitely hasn't forgotten about her ♥

Hello!

Recently, i started playing After Dark and it's just amazing!

I don't know if you've answered this before but i was wondering how many chapters are you planning for this story...because it does seems like a massive work? Also, after scrolling through your blog, i saw the amount of variables in this game and it just blew my mind away! The amount of effort you put in this game is just shocking and it shows!!!

Hi there! ☺

Unfortunately, it's really difficult to determine (or even just predict) After Dark's final length. As you said, it's a massive project, and by now it's almost certain that it will require at least one sequel.

I have a specific plan for the monthly updates, though, even if it isn't organized into fixed chapters or releases like The In-Between is. For After Dark, I've put together a series of increasingly detailed documents: the overall lore, the plot, a synopsis of the story, an outline of this particular section of it, a day-by-day breakdown, and finally a division of each day into its various parts. Naturally, that last level is the least defined, and I write it in small batches as the story progresses.

Thank you for the compliments! You have no idea what a balm for the soul it is to see your efforts appreciated and recognized. I care deeply about this project and about its replayability ♥

Only god knows the amount of strokes i had while playing The In Between lol. Evil Ale is such an ass but there is this certain evil charm to this character that i can't really explain. He is so incredibly annoying but i guess that is his allure. And i hate that the only help my MC can get is from him...

Maybe i am sensitive, and that's fine to me, but this story affects me deeply. The things that MC goes through and the people they have to deal with just makes my heart ache.

So, to torture myself some more...i'll go and smooch that Evil Ale again. Bye, dear author. Hope you're having a good day!

You have no idea how happy your message has made me! It's important to me that the characters resonate with readers, that they make you rejoice, grieve, reflect... I really want them to stay with you even after you've finished reading.

Thank you, and I hope you're having a wonderful day too!

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