When the Stars Align

The sky’s the limit - if you can reach it before time runs out • In progress interactive novel

[whenthestarsalign-if]

• When the Stars Align •

You’ve made a grave mistake.

One that has you on the run with no escape in sight, the dead end creeping closer and closer.

You’ve pissed off one of the gangs that rule Renna from the planet’s underworld. And, to make things even more interesting, you’ve just stumbled into the den of the Shooting Stars, Renna’s most infamous thieves, and a certainly dynamic group.

As you attempt to untangle yourself from the vice-like web you’ve found yourself in alongside your impromptu friends, you start to realise the sky just may be the limit - if you can reach it before time runs out.

• Info •

When the Stars Align is an in progress interactive novel following the player as they navigate the criminal underworld of Renna, a small planet within the Kindle system.

The world of Renna is split between the wealthy and the poor, the self-righteous and the disgraced. Meet people from all walks of life as they attempt to survive the cutthroat, deadly city of Icaron and all its hidden depths, and even romance a few.

The world is your oyster, or so it seems, when technology is aplenty and you have allies at your back. But there are just as many people waiting to cut you down where you stand, and soon, not even they seem like the biggest threat.

Can you make it off this planet of secrets in one piece? Or will the stars align in a deadly omen?

• Features •

- A fully customisable MC, in gender, sexuality, presentation, appearance, background, and personality

- A range of choices and story options, including ending variations

- Male, female, nonbinary, and gender customisable ROs, with additional route combinations available

- An action and intrigue filled sci-fi setting, with futuristic and complex tech and culture to explore

• DEMO (in progress) • ROs • to be up updated •

<3 @offtopicoverload <3

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Sharing Clothes

Prompts about fictional people sharing their clothes.

enveloped in their warm jacket, with a soft blush

always stealing their cap and putting it on their own head

wearing their jersey, proudly displaying their name

sharing gloves, so both of them don't freeze

wearing their worn shirt to have a better sleep

wrapping their scarf around their neck, breathing in their smell

no one knows who the piece of clothing belongs to, because they're both wearing it

drowning in the other's clothes, because they are way too big, but loving it

loving to see their partner drowning so cutely in their clothes

having the same size, so strangers couldn't tell that they are sharing clothes, but they know and feel warm thinking about it

finding their own clothes in the other person's appartment

using the other's clothes as a pillow

wrapping the other person in the hoodie or jacket they are still wearing, so both of them can stay warm

dressing the other up in their own clothes, feeling a tiny bit possessive, but both loving it

[whenthestarsalign-if]

mini fic prompt 16 for Eden, my beloved 🥺

Thank you for the prompt! <3

Things you said with no space between us from this prompt list for Eden

~500 words

-

The future seems as bleak as ever, the city’s haze of pollution and the perfectly astute drizzling rain doing nothing to appease your worry. The grey smog stretches for what seems like the entire galaxy, until it melts into the lighter greyscale of the clouds and sky, the very atmosphere tainted with the worst of humanity.

Though, maybe there’s still some good.

Like Eden, you think. Wherever they've ended up.

The thief disappeared two days ago, and although the Shooting Stars have assured you it’s far from abnormal, it still nags at your gut, snaps at the guilt in the back of your mind like a rabid dog.

December can tell you it’s not your fault a thousand times, and she probably has by now, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is.

You got too close. Too honest, too vulnerable. You placed your heart on a silver platter and begged Eden to accept it. You did the one thing you shouldn’t have - you promised.

You kick a can out of your way, frustration bubbling beneath your skin as it skitters across the soaked and cracked pavement. You huff, stuffing your hands in your pockets to fight the chill night air, and kick it again, letting the sounds of the cheap and forgotten metal fill your senses until nothing else can remain.

Over, and over, and over, and over again you kick the can down the street, past storefronts and windows that house far more than the inconspicuous goods they offer. You kick it past a desolate and decrepit alley, a shadowy gap between Icaron’s neon.

And it stops.

Halts right there, just a step away, caught beneath a heavy boot. Stops in time under a rain-slicked heel.

You glance up, apprehension and instincts each fighting to move, until you freeze altogether, paralysed in damp streets.

“Hey,” a gruff and tired voice mumbles, the greeting slipped through the curtain of shadow hiding their face.

“Hey,” you breathe back, careful not to blow away this dream, to snap back to reality.

Those moonlight eyes, the ones you could paint from memory, shift and glance about uneasily, the weight of the city’s secrets too much to bear. Agile fingers wrap around your sleeve, tugging you further into the alley.

Eden’s slim frame covers yours, melts against you and thrums with an energy you feel mirrored in your own heartbeat. From this close you can see past the chipped and worn-out armour they’ve thrown up, to the heart of Eden cast in decaying yellow lights.

For the first time you notice - really notice - the darker specks in their eyes, the obsidian in silver irises. The shadows that haunt behind them, and the light tucked away in the corners, as if for safekeeping.

You can see all of them, every crack in every stone that walls them off, every broken promise and every heartache, every hesitancy and fear. So much fear it shines, glints in the low lights from neighbouring buildings.

“I’m sorry,” they whisper, breath a promise on your skin.

“I know.”

[whenthestarsalign-if]

One 5 form the mini fic prompts with December, please? ❤

Hi! Thank you for the prompt

Things you didn’t say at all from this prompt list for December

-

December’s alone beneath the Rennan sky, some semblance of quiet sitting with her. The city’s noise and lights envelope her in a wary embrace, the stretch of skyscrapers and the echo of back alleys seeming to go on forever.

The back door creaks on its hinges, the frame shaking as it falls shut. You step out onto the balcony, the silhouette of December luring you like a siren to the solitary meteorite.

Her eyes, as dark as the sky and as warm as the suns, meet yours when you reach her, a gentle smile resting in the corners of them. “Hi,” she greets, barely a ripple in the great sea of the city surrounding you.

“Hi,” you whisper back, resting beside her against the railing.

Her eyes don’t leave you, and yours don’t leave her. They trace her hair, the way it frames her face. They trace her nose and cheeks, and the tiny scar below one eye. They trace her lips and the smile lines lightly lifting them.

She takes your hand, slow and careful as if you might spook. She takes your hand, with all the kindness and grace you know she contains. She takes your hand, with a silent plea for you to stay.

It echoes in her eyes when you meet them, a need she can’t quite verbalise, but shines in dark irises all the same, quietly desperate. But you’re happy to be there for her, to hold her hand.

You’re happy to stay.

[eversncenewyork]

send me a pairing and one of these and i'll write a mini fic

things you said at 1 am

things you said through your teeth

things you said too quietly

things you said over the phone

things you didn’t say at all

things you said under the stars and in the grass

things you said while we were driving

things you said when you were crying

things you said when i was crying

things you said that made me feel like shit

things you said when you were drunk

things you said when you thought i was asleep

things you said at the kitchen table

things you said after you kissed me

things you said with too many miles between us

things you said with no space between us

things you said that i wish you hadnt

things you said when you were scared

things you said when we were the happiest we ever were

things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear

things you said when we were on top of the world

things you said after it was over

things you said [make your own]

inspired by this

[bagelswrites]

I thought of more (because I really needed more?), so I’m adding them here:

24. things you said when we were alone 25. things you said in front of other people 26. things you said in writing 27. things you said through a closed door 28. things you said in the dark 29. things you said in the rain 30. things I wish you’d said 31. things you said right before goodbye 32. things you said right after hello 33. things you said from across the room 34. things you whispered in my ear 35. things you said at the top of your lungs 36. things you said but didn’t mean 37. things you said through someone else 38. things you said when I was (you were) sick 39. things you forgot to say 40. things you interrupted me to say

[whenthestarsalign-if]

RO quiz

So. I made a uquiz. I can’t promise it’s great, but I can promise that you get more information on the ROs and a look into the darkest recesses of my brain :) whether you want that or not, that’s up to you

Okay so like. I know I’m meant to be working on the demo. And I *am*. But like. This is fun too ajahkj

[whenthestarsalign-if]

Since the demo is still a way’s off but I want to offer something story related, here’s some information on the solar system Renna can be found in

• Kindle •

The System, Kindle, is made up of 12 planets revolving around two suns. Each planet has its own history and culture - even the long forgotten ones. Here's a breakdown of a few of the major ones in When the Stars Align.

• Pherion •

Pherion is the closest to Kindle's dual suns, and the warmest. Previously uninhabitable, civilization is now limited to climate-controlled zones, and primarily made up of wealthy politicians. Kindle's political heads, the Board, often reside in the capital, distantly dictating the planets' governments.

• Walsh •

One of the largest in the system, and contains the largest population. Diverse ecosystems and climates pattern the planet, forests and oceans and deserts all scattered with cities and villages. The most Earth-like, and considered the blueprint for System life.

• Limmerith •

Smallest in The System, Limmerith is a largely uninhabited forest planet. At most seen as a vacation spot, the planet's precious and ancient forests are strictly protected and gently cared for. It's overlooked and inconspicuous nature also make it a hotspot for smuggling.

• Callia •

The only planet without a moon, Callia's vast oceans have low tides and extreme seasons. Archipelagos and a single, small continent sustain the planet's population, many of whom live as fishermen. Callia's far more relaxed daily life provides a sharp contrast to its neighbor planet, Renna.

• Vale •

A dead, frozen planet, relegated to the very last reaches of Kindle’s suns. It’s sole moon erupted, half of it crashing into the planet while the other half continue to orbit the desecrated, lifeless husk of Vale.

• Renna •

Renna, the second smallest in The System, serves as the centre of most of Kindle's crime. The planet is divided into seven major cities, with the dull and desperate urban streets contrasting against the sprawling countrysides just outside of them. But not even the greens and blues of wealthy estates are wiped clean of the underworld's dealings, as much as they may try to pretend otherwise.

The decent into lawlessness wasn't immediate, but rather the consequence of government greed and moral disregard. The rise of organised crime was lead by corruption, a desire for power centralising in the disregarded and oft overlooked Rennan cities.

• Icaron •

One of seven major cities on Renna, Icaron is the home of the Shooting Stars and some of their enemies too...

The city boasts a large tech trade hub, with a market and port forming the city centre. Tall buildings glow with neon adverts - many outdated - and lights to illuminate the nightlife that pumps like a heartbeat through the street. Clubs and shifty dealings dot the storefronts, the gangs that have carved up Icaron for their own greed using the night as a cover, missing valuables and blood splatter as common as litter and puddles.

The Shooting Stars occupy a small, forgotten store on the dead and decaying outskirts, with a softly glowing window front that offered safety and a warm meal when safety still lived in the city.

[whenthestarsalign-if]

Meet the Shooting Stars, Renna’s most infamous thieves

They’re here one minute, and gone the next

The Brains - December Hive

She/Her

35, 5’6”, and the eldest of the Shooting Stars, December is hardheaded, clever, and almost suspiciously kind. Her dark brown, almost black, waist length hair and eyes combine with a straight nose, high cheekbones, and a dazzling smile, to provide a striking appearance and brilliant leadership to the gang. With bronze skin and thick eyebrows, she’s hard to miss. Even more so when she begins commanding attention and hearts with a bold tone and gentle words.

The Brawn - Pax Hive

They/Them

Standing at 6’2”, the 26 year old Pax is the younger sibling to December, and the impressive muscle of the team. Their warm, amber brown eyes, filled with a kindness and adoration for the world, contrast with their chiseled features and firm expression. A short beard covers their strong jawline and blends with cropped, deep brown hair, but their large frame draws eyes most. Although they are far more likely to offer a hug before taking a swing, a soft smile over shapely lips to match the gesture.

The Skill - Eden Riker

They/Them

The grey-eyed, silver-tongued, and sticky-fingered 33 year old is the most intimidating of the thieves, with a sharp demeanor and a biting wit to match. Grey locs fall past the shoulders that make up their 5’8” silhouette, the colour matching the thin oval frames that rest on their wide nose, a septum piercing resting just below it. Matching piercings dot their ears, cool toned like their cynicism, and lead to the shape of a square jawline beneath rich russet brown skin, the warmth of their appearance rarely reflected in their attitude. Lighter patches of vitiligo pattern their skin, centralised on their chest, neck, and face.

The Distraction - Petey/Penny Junebug

Gender Customisable

Youngest of the group at 20 and also the most outgoing, P’s dark green, shining eyes are as engaging as their beaming smile. Only 5’3”, their larger than life enthusiasm more than makes up for their impulsiveness. Black hair beneath a billed hat is their staple, casting shadows over their round face and the soft curves that make it up. For Petey, his hair reaches his ears, flopping messily over his forest green irises. And for Penny, it slips down to her chin, brushing her jaw with stray strands needing to be pushed behind her ears every now and again.

The Supplier - Callum/Cassie Wiles

Gender Customisable

At 25, cool umber skin and midnight hair styled carefully mark C Wiles, the most crucial member of the Shooting Stars, even if the others would never admit it. The mysterious supplier to the gang stands at a lanky 5’11”, with eyes the colour of the starlit sky above shining with a hard to place curiosity beneath long lashes. Wild curls and carefully painted lips characterise Cassie, the stretch of her lips sweet as sugar. Callum differs with a stubble along the smooth curve of his jawline, as well as short curls falling from his head. Small scars knick their upper lip and nose, promising hidden depths to their delicate demeanor.