The Veil: Whispers Between Worlds

Feather, she/her. 18+ NSFW content in story. Welcome to my space, I will be posting updates here occasionally

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₊⊹Q&A₊⊹CW₊⊹CoG₊⊹ FEEDBACK & IDEAS

⚠️This story is 18+. And will contain NSFW content. Reader discretion is advised ⚠️

The Veil is an urban fantasy tale of identity, destiny, and the blurred lines between two overlapping worlds. You finally made it to the city you have been dreaming of escaping to. The one you swore would fix everything if you could just get there. New key, new apartment, new life. On your first night, you stand in the middle of your too quiet living room, surrounded by boxes and the hum of the air conditioner, and realise you have never been this alone in your life.

Back home, everybody knew you. Here, you have no one. No neighbour who remembers your birthday, no barista who knows your order, no friend who can show up with takeaway and a bad movie. Just you, a strange new skyline and a growing sense that something is off in a way that has nothing to do with missing your old corner store.

Then the city starts looking back.

A stranger watches your window like they have been waiting for you. Your drink spills and refuses to behave like liquid. A voice from an unknown number speaks to you like you are the middle of a story you do not remember joining. The apartment feels wrong in your bones. The building tilts in ways your eyes cannot see. Reality itself seems to breathe when you are not looking.

You find out there is a barrier between this world and another, a thin, fraying skin that keeps the ordinary and the impossible apart. It has a name. The Veil. It is weakening, and for reasons no one wants to explain properly, you are standing right where it is thinnest.

You came to this city empty handed, convinced you would have to build everything from scratch. Friends, routines, a life that felt like it belonged to you. Instead, the moment you arrive, people begin to circle. The boy you grew up with who disappeared without warning and now acts like keeping you breathing is his full time job. The beautiful stranger who looks at you like you broke his heart in a life you do not remember. The elegant warden who would rather lock you away than risk losing you. The immortal who laughs her way through eternity so she does not have to scream. The careful optimist who jokes through disaster and always has a plan. The sharp eyed fighter who treats caring like a liability and still steps between you and danger.

You spent years feeling invisible. Now every room you walk into holds at least one person who seems to know more about you than you do. They are all a little cracked around the edges from living too close to the Veil for too long. They all have opinions about what you are and what you should do. None of them agree. You wanted a fresh start. You got a front row seat to a very old war with your name scribbled in the margins.

You have to decide who to trust in a city where even the shadows feel opinionated. You have to decide whether to cling to the ordinary life you thought you wanted or step fully into the strangeness that has been waiting for you. Every choice pulls you closer to someone and further from the person you thought you were when you packed those boxes.

TLDR you finally escaped to the city you always wanted only to find the walls watching you the Veil is falling apart and a collection of dangerously devoted strangers who suddenly act like you are the one person they cannot afford to lose.

FEATURES

❥ Play as male, female, trans or nonbinary with customisable appearance and any sexuality

❥ Discover your true nature as a being caught between worlds

❥ Strengthen the Veil to protect humanity, or tear it down to free what’s trapped behind it

❥ Harness your unique abilities that become stronger as the Veil weakens

❥ Ally with the Network’s mission to maintain separation or join the Harmony Seekers’ vision of convergence

❥ Navigate relationships with beings from both sides of the Veil, each with their own agenda

❥ Choose between using your growing power for protection, understanding, or dominance

❥ Uncover memories from past cycles and break the pattern… or fulfill your destined role

DEMO It’s currently the prologue and started chapter one with unfinished choice paths. Roughly ~20k words. And about 15k per playthrough.

ROMANCE OPTIONS

Male — [Profile]

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I can see it — same look you get right before you shut everyone out. Guess I just hoped this time wouldn’t include me.”

Male — [Profile]

“It’s strange, feeling everything so sharply after being numb for so long. You make the world hum again.”

Gender Selectable — [Profile]

“You carry noise in your heart. That’s not a bad thing. Let it echo.”

Female — [Profile]

“There you are. I was about two seconds from causing trouble without you.”

Male — [Profile]

“Yeah, I'm dead. But at least I have an excuse for not texting back.”

Female — [Profile]

“Some endings burn brighter than beginnings. Guess that’s the price of starting over.”

Hello! This is my first game and I’m still learning but I’ve been studying creative writing at university and have almost completed my degree.

It’s my first time coding and using .txt files for a story, so any feedback would be appreciated—from initial impressions to any found mistakes or coding errors.

If you read it, thank you for your time.

Lots of love, Feather x

LINKS If you’d like to support my work, feel free to buy me a virtual coffee! Ko-Fi Patreon (Coming soon. When I have more to share)

@interact-if

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LIFE UPDATE TW: Pet Loss and Experience

So last night my family and I had to say goodbye to our cat Dotty who was 21 years of age. No one can ever prepare for how scary it is to walk into the vet room and leave without your best friend that has grown up with you. 

I have this little voice in my head that keeps telling me we made the wrong choice she was fine, she was eating she was even walking quickly, but she had many moments where she was in pain. Laying down in her litter box and cleaning herself because she couldn’t pee and sleeping constantly because she was uncomfortable. Projectile vomiting and difficulty peeing happened once a month and she would wonder around the house aimlessly confused all the time and forgetting that we had fed her 5mintues ago and begging for more food that she couldn’t eat because she was full. 

We got a photographer in yesterday hours before she would leave me forever and I hope I got some photos that I can keep with me forever. I will never forget her as she been in my life as long as I’ve been alive. The house is quiet without her and lastnight I thought I heard her pacing the hallway. 

I can’t eat, I can’t sleep and I feel horrible because every time I open my phone and go on Instagram there’s a cat that looks just like her that’s 20 years of age in far worse condition than my cat was. I regret that I let my cat go, when I see this cat is a year younger and is wandering around in pain as it walks and all the comments are cheering it on and that cat is still alive in pain. Then I have to remind myself I made the right choice for my cat and I don’t know these people they’re cruel for not letting go but I understand why they’re keeping her alive. Because I would have done the same. 

But I just love my cat so much that she wasn’t my cat anymore. She was a shell, she was a ghost. She was so dependant on us and stressed it was difficult to see her like that. But I keep feeling like I’ve made a mistake, I want her back. I want one more cuddle. 

I can’t write, I don’t know when I’ll be back but I can’t finish chapter 1. I was going to finish it this month but I can’t even open my computer because she’s my lock screen I’ll just be filled with guilt.

Please if you have any pets that have left us please show me them. I hope they’re taking good care of my baby.

I’m so sorry you’ve had to read this, I can’t say all this out loud because I can’t even speak. If you read all this, thank you, I’m sorry. Thank you, I love you. You are loved and cuddle your fur babies extra close. 🩷

REST IN PEACE DOTTY, January 2005-May 2026

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Who Are You Choosing?

Male — [Profile]

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I can see it — same look you get right before you shut everyone out. Guess I just hoped this time wouldn’t include me.”

Male — [Profile]

“It’s strange, feeling everything so sharply after being numb for so long. You make the world hum again.

Gender Selectable — [Profile]

“You carry noise in your heart. That’s not a bad thing. Let it echo.

Female — [Profile]

“There you are. I was about two seconds from causing trouble without you.”

Male — [Profile]

“Yeah, I'm dead. But at least I have an excuse for not texting back.

Female — [Profile]

“Some endings burn brighter than beginnings. Guess that’s the price of starting over

[theveil-if]

Hi! Sorry for the bother again, but more technical issues this time around. The WIP forum page doesn't exist or seems to have been broken in the link somehow. There's also no option to save the game, quick save or 'back'/'undo' (they seem to have not been enabled) – a little problem of mine and others, as COGdemos likes to reset everything at the slightest update with saves being broken, and the only way back is redoing the whole game or hoping the author has a 'skip to' option. Figured I'd let you know; hope I could help :)

Hey! Thank you so much for the reply, you are not a bother at all and I really appreciate you flagging this. On the WIP link, I am not sure what is going wrong there either. Is it not linking correctly in the demo itself? I will go have a look and fix it.

On the back button, that is strange because it is working on my end. Could it be your device or browser? I will check it across a couple of different devices on my side just in case there is something I am missing.

On the save slots, I am not worried about it just yet. There is not enough content yet to properly break your saves, and every time I edit or change something I do accidentally break them anyway while the chapter is still being written. It will get to a point where updating your character every single time you want to read new content gets genuinely frustrating, but by that point chapter one should be finished and I will not be touching it anymore. The saves will stay stable, I promise. Until then it is honestly one of those things that is just out of my control, which I know is annoying and I am sorry about it.

Thank you again!

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[UPDATE 26th OF APRIL 26]

Hello!

So. I tore the prologue apart and rebuilt it from scratch. The old one was fine. This one is better. You are dropped into month eight with no warning, no context, and no one coming to help you.

The rest of the story is you watching yourself become someone who made that necessary.

I also want to say: a second path is in active development, and there may be a third for players who are paying very close attention to things they were not supposed to notice. As always, thank you to everyone who has been sending feedback, leaving comments, and generally being the reason this project keeps growing into something I am genuinely proud of.

You are my unofficial beta testers and I adore you. If you have thoughts, feelings, criticisms, or questions, my inbox is open and I read everything.

I have a dedicated feedback section so nothing gets lost. Leave feedback or ideas here

With love and approximately four open tabs of choicescript documentation, Feather xx

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[UPDATE 21st OF APRIL 26]

Hey there!

Just a quick update on how things are going: I've gone back and fixed the prologue and the current Chapter One based on what you all (my wonderful readers and unofficial beta testers) said.

I'm also very happy to have been able to add options for our trans community. Please keep sending in your support, ideas, and feedback.

They really help shape the story. You can ask me questions by sending me a message, and if you have any suggestions or criticisms, you can leave them on my CoG forum post.

In fact... I'm also going to make a separate section for feedback so that it's easier to find and keep track of everything.

Give me Feedback or Ideas here

With love,

Feather xx

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This space is for feedback, ideas, and general thoughts about the story. I’m actively using reader input to refine and expand the project, so anything you share genuinely makes a difference.

Feel free to leave:

❥ feedback on what’s working (or not working) ❥ ideas you’d love to see included ❥ kind compliments or complaints ❥ suggestions for accessibility or inclusivity

Please be extra kinda with your phrasing to myself and others—I am super sensitive. 🩷

I read everything and really appreciate the time you take to write it!

[theveil-if]

Beautiful story so far; I'm very interested to see where this goes! The writing is beautiful with a few fix-ups that could elevate it even more, and the pacing is quite good.

As for my critiques, I hope none of this is read in anything but a respectful tone for you, but there seem to be quite a few run-on sentences, where two independent clauses are joined together without proper punctuation or conjunctions. Learning the structure of a sentence, which is composed of a subject and a predicate, and the types of run-on sentences, which are majorly comma-splice, fused sentences and polysyndeton. These aren't complicated by any means, don't worry.

Second critique: Teetering on the edge of purple prose. The candles, shadows and rain are mentioned repeatedly; this would be fine if it weren't already repeating closely mentioned sentences. Some sentences aren't needed; trust your reader to understand. I know it can be hard, but not doing so can throw off the writing by a massive amount. I recommend researching this too; it can be harder to spot while in the process of writing, but when you know what to look for and get in the habit of correcting that, it can be a breeze. Remember: never be afraid to edit or wait and reread. I do this with my art, be it writing or drawing; your brain and eyes get so used to what you put down it can obscure mistakes, especially without experience. Many a time have I experienced just that.

Besides that, a very delightful start for me! Also, I have a question; this is more so for my satisfaction and is not needed in your story. Will there be an option to be trans (I'm a trans man)? And would it be recognised, such as what some IF stories do with sexuality, race or gender? Be it negative, neutral, or positive, I always find that bit of realism and extra reassurance that your choices matter so lovely. It speaks of true care in their creation and player satisfaction. Allowing extra or less dialogue when needed and for the right MC. This is also a story that includes sexual content, which could explore such themes even more in that case. Though this can also require research on terms, reality, or the varying experiences of being trans (which I'd love to help in that regard if you wish) or queer in general.

Keep up the great work. Hope all is well, and lots of love from me. <3

Thank you for your feedback and your question. Your comment is very kind and I appreciate that you invested so much time in writing it out!

Your use of gentle phrasing and thoughtful criticism indicates you genuinely care about me and want to help me grow as a writer. I can't tell you how much that means to me. I'm especially sensitive and sometimes have difficulties interpreting tone in writing. Knowing that your feedback is respectful helps me greatly.

I definitely agree with your comments about the run-on sentence issue and leaning toward purple prose. You are correct that things like repeated image use and lengthy, meandering lines detract from the emotion/meaning behind the writing rather than add to it. I am actively working on this and will be doing another pass on the draft with your input in mind (especially regarding sentence structure, deleting repetition, and trusting the reader) because these are the three things that would significantly improve my writing. I have actually lost most my files so it's back into the planning stage and my first chapter is almost a year old so i'm hoping my writing has changed since.

My answer to your trans question is that this story is intended to serve everybody. When I made this story, I wanted to have a place for many different identities and experiences in it as far as I could and that certainly includes trans players. So far, I have approached this by either not including gender-based pronouns in the text at all or by creating a code framework to allow the game to identify and acknowledge how the player has identified their gender and how they would like their gender to be represented in the game. I’m confident it won’t be very complicated to do this correctly; it just requires that everything is done carefully and consistently from the beginning.

If you would like to contribute, I would truly appreciate your ideas—particularly for:

Adding 2 more options as trans-man or trans-woman? Or should I just leave it as the three so you can be male, female or non-binary.

Ensuring that being trans is appropriately represented (e.g. through smaller acknowledgments, optional dialogue, or choices reflective of the MC's background); and

Appropriately depicting intimate scenes/sexual - content in a manner that is inclusive, validating, and reasonably ambiguous when necessary and does not exclude individuals with unique experiences.

If you are someone else who reads this post and wants to give me feedback, share examples of your opinions, or discuss how trans representation should be addressed in general or during sexual/romantic interactions, I would greatly appreciate it! Respectful and purposeful depictions of things are what I'm trying to accomplish as opposed to turning on a "toggle switch" because it sounds good.

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I’m really loving the story so far!! How are we meant to pronounce the characters’ names?

That is such a good question, thank you for asking!! I always forget people are silently guessing in their heads (I would have ignored this question because I like the names to be interpreted, but it's important to some people).

Here’s roughly how I say them :

Ashen Driftwood – ASH-en DRIFT-wood

Ciaran Damaris – KEER-en duh-MAR-iss (or KYE-rən if you prefer the Irish “Ciarán” sound)

Lyric Konanui – LEER-ik KOH-nah-noo-ee (Lyric like the word “lyric”)

Nirith Mandalay – NEER-ith MAN-duh-lay

Riven Pestle – RIV-en PESS-ul

Safiya Gould – SAH-FEE-yah GOLD (The ‘correct’ pronunciation of Gould is closer to ‘GOOLD’, but I personally say it like ‘gold’ because it just feels right for her.

If you say them a little differently in your head, that’s okay too – I kind of love that everyone ends up with their own version.

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Reading about the distortions is SO, so interesting! The rain patterns on the glass, the way it suspended off of the ground, the howling ARGHHHH!!! 🐣 How did you come up with them?? They set the mood so perfectly, I was glued to the text!

I really appreciate your feedback, it makes me really happy to know that all of the weird parts and weird rain details were enjoyable enough to keep you reading.

Many of the images I have used to help illustrate the game came from a real place I was fortunate enough to visit a couple of years ago, called The Rain Room, which is an art exhibition room of falling rain, and if you move slowly enough, there are sensors that follow you so no rain falls on you at all. You can imagine being able to create a dry space within a storm, being the reason that you have affected the flow of water just by existing within it, and I found myself becoming completely fascinated with this experience. When I was writing the demo, I kept thinking about that experience, about the way water and glass act around you and created something that was even more weird and disturbing than that.

So, if you ever find yourself needing some inspiration for your own work, seriously go to a gallery or exhibition somewhere and let others' weird and brilliant ideas sink into your mind for a bit. It’s one of the fastest ways I know to come back to your own projects with fresh, slightly unhinged images to play with.

Thank you again for taking the time to send this ask – it genuinely made my day!

[theveil-if]

Any facts about MC?

I'll give you 3 fun facts about the MC

The MC is an only child

The MC is estranged from their adoptive parents

The MC has very, very, bad communication skills

[theveil-if]

[UPDATE 13TH OF APRIL 26]

Hi again, It’s been a while… a lot has happened over the past year, and I ended up stepping away from The Veil: Whispers Between Worlds for longer than I expected. Now that I’m a year older (and hopefully a bit wiser!), I’m coming back to this project with fresh eyes and a much clearer idea of what I want it to be.

[theveil-if]

I’d Love to Hear Your Questions ❤︎⁠

Ask me anything about the world, the Veil, the factions, the ROs, process, themes or future plans. You can be serious, silly, thirsty, or hyper specific. I’ll answer as many as I can in separate posts so things stay easy to read.

You’re welcome to:

❥ send questions in asks or replies ❥ address characters directly or ask me as the writer ❥ ask spoilery things in general terms (I’ll tag and answer carefully)

Seriously, please keep asking things – it makes me think about the story and pokes me back into working on it. At this point my routine is: open Tumblr, see asks, then wander over to my planning doc and throw more ideas in. Even a few lines is better than nothing.

Plus it means you get a steady drip‑feed of brain crumbs instead of just the lonely half chapter I’ve already yeeted at you.

@noirnuclear asked: Any facts about MC?

@doodledoos111 asked: How did you come up with the surreal rain and distortion imagery (like the rain on the glass, the suspended ground, and the howling) because it set the mood so perfectly?

@meow-out-loud asked: How are we meant to pronounce the characters’ names?

@cyberfreako asked: Will there be an option to be trans?

[theveil-if]

Spoilers Below

Currently in Story:

I got nothing, sorry. You're safe... for now.

Not in Story Yet:

Mentions of suicide

Family neglect

Fictional drug abuse

[theveil-if]

Safiya Gould ―"The fiery edgelord." AKA: Saffy Species: [Spoiler]

click to view spoiler ↗

Safiya has an unapologetically luminous beauty, a mix of human and something deeper, older, and rooted. She has warm medium-brown skin with golden undertones, like sunlit honey, and Egyptian Arabic features: a gently defined nose with a graceful bridge, full cheeks, and a delicate jawline that flows into a long, elegant neck. Her eyes are large and almond-shaped, a deep, rich brown with tiny flecks of gold that catch light like sunlight on water, framed by thick, dark lashes. Her brows are full and perfectly shaped, giving her a naturally confident, serene expression. Her lips are full and expressive, curling easily into radiant smiles that feel like they’re pulling you into her orbit. Her hair is long, dark, and wavy, usually worn loose or half-pinned, with the faint suggestion of leaves, petals, or tiny gemstone beads worked into the strands as if nature can’t quite keep its hands off her.

There’s a subtle, almost liquid grace to the way she holds herself, as if water or wind is always nudging her into motion, and it’s very obvious at a glance that she is not just beautiful, but dangerously enchanting. She carries herself the way other people carry weapons, which is fitting, because she usually has at least three.

If Riven is the sunlight in the group, Safiya is the shade that keeps everyone from burning out. Where he laughs things off, she writes down the worst case scenario and then adds a few more for luck. You are pretty sure she has a contingency plan for your next breakdown already filed, and she will never admit it lives under the same label as “friends.”

Safiya is not impressed by your destiny or your feelings about it. She is impressed by the fact that you are still here, still trying, still stubborn enough to argue with entities that think in centuries. She will criticise your life choices, your risk taking and your coat, and then step in front of you anyway when something reaches for your throat.

You can play Safiya as the reluctant ally who keeps saving your life while swearing she does not care, or as the person who understands your worst impulses a little too well. Either way, you are going to have to decide whether you are pushing her away for your safety or pulling her closer for hers.

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Riven Pestle ―"Nothing yucks his yum." AKA: Ven Species: [Spoiler]

click to view spoiler ↗

Riven has the kind of beauty that looks like it took time and bad decisions to settle. He has deep brown skin, rich and cool-toned, with faint scars and fine lines that speak more of time than weakness. His features are angular: a strong, somewhat narrow jaw, hollowed cheeks, and a nose with a subtle bend. His eyes are soft, storm-cloud grey, almost icy, made striking by the contrast with his skin, framed by dark lashes and thick brows that give his resting face a serious, contemplative weight. His hair is a crown of short to medium-length curly locs, styled close to his head but with enough length to show texture and movement. Threaded with tiny beads and stones that probably all have a story you will absolutely get one day. If you ask. Nicely.

With family ties that run through Guadeloupe, North and West Africa and the parts of Europe that never really wanted to claim him until they needed something. So he just says he's French and that shuts anyone up. The combination of his dark skin, textured hair, and quiet, steady gaze makes him look like someone carved out of earth and old stories. He’s the one who shows up with snacks and a plan, the guy who can explain world-ending cosmic horror in a way that makes you snort laugh halfway through. When everyone else spirals, Riven’s first instinct is “okay, but what’s our next step?” followed by “and who needs tea?”

Riven looks at you like you’re the twist ending to a story he’s already read. That’s the problem: he knows you. He knows the way you run, the sound you make when you almost laugh, the precise moment your courage kicks in. You, on the other hand, have never seen this man in your life. Which is awkward, because he seems to be halfway through grieving you for things you don’t remember doing.

He and Safiya have a grumpy-sunshine duo that runs on pure chaos physics: she threatens to stab things, he reminds her of the legal implications, you stand between them hoping no one hands either of them a match.

You can play Riven as the beautiful danger you should absolutely stay away from or the familiar stranger you keep leaning toward anyway. Either way, prepare to be stared at like a walking déjà vu with a pulse.

[theveil-if]

Nirith Mandalay ―"Sunshine with teeth." AKA: Niri Species: [Spoiler]

click to view spoiler ↗

Nirith looks like she stepped out of a painting titled something comforting and expensive. Her body is soft and curvy, all generous lines and inviting warmth, the kind of presence that makes “goddess” feel like a factual description rather than a compliment. Her hair falls in loose golden curls around a round, expressive face, cheeks that dimple when she smiles, and a gently pointed chin that keeps her from ever looking merely cute. Her eyes are large and bright, clear green or blue that catches the light when she laughs, framed by thick lashes that make every glance feel like a secret shared. Her nose tilts up just enough to add mischief to her expression. Her lips are full and pillowy, the sort of mouth that turns every smile into an invitation and every smirk into a challenge.

On the surface, Nirith is a festival in human form. She knows exactly which bar has the best music, which kitchen has the best food, and how to get into both without waiting. She is the one who presses a drink into your hand, adds glitter to your face, pulls you into a dance, and has you laughing before you can finish saying you are fine. Her dresses swish, her bracelets chime, and her laughter fills every corner of a room until it feels impossible to be lonely while she is in it.

When she turns that attention on you it is never casual. You are another bright risk in a long line of them, another mortal she has decided to believe in despite knowing how fragile that choice is. She will hype you up and tease you, make the end of the world feel almost like a party, and quietly, relentlessly plan what to do if this version of you does not make it. Being loved by Nirith feels like standing in the middle of summer. It takes a while to realise how much winter she has walked through to get here.

You can play Nirith as the chaotic good friend who drags you into trouble to keep you alive, or the dangerous comfort you should not lean on but do anyway. She will dance with you at the end of the world and still be ready to burn something down if it tries to take you first.