A Group Of Rough Looking Boys Walked Past Me Today And All I Heard Of Their Conversation Was “he’s

Stay?

an interactive fiction game from E. Jade Lomax (ink-splotch / dirgewithoutmusic), the writer who brought you Beanstalk & the @sortinghatchats quiz

Come explore the magical valley of Elaia through a choose-your-own-adventure game. It's got dangers to circumvent, morality to ponder, and folks of all sorts of genders for you to befriend and fall in love with.

What is Stay?

An interactive fiction story

A dating sim wrapped up in a fantasy adventure puzzle

A quest to find your own happy ending in a world where you always get a second chance

How to play?

It's free to play and doesn't require any downloads. Just go to ejadelomax.itch.io/stay on your mobile device or browser & hit "Run Game."

07/19

Art by Camille Andre

when w. h. auden said “evil is unspectacular and always human” and ursula k. leguin said “this is the great treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain”

i hate it when i cant even write a poem about something because its too obvious. like in the airbnb i was at i guess it used to be a kids room cause you could see the imprint of one little glow in the dark star that had been missed and painted over in landlord white. like that's a poem already what's the point

Whenever people try to tell me to ship "moral ships" I like to think about how inherently immoral it is to flirt with service workers at coffee shops where they're obliged to be nice to you so... many coffee shop AUs are like. Immoral. But given that they are a fantasy where this is instant romance without the fear of trapping a service worker in an uncomfortable situation that's tantamount to workplace sexual harassment, I enjoy the cutesy coffee shop AUs immensely.

And that's basically my attitude towards all fantasy. There's lots of things I enjoy in fantasy that wouldn't work IRL. Enemies to lovers. Sudden kisses. Miscommunications in relationships. Codependency. Fight sluts who physically assault each other while emotionally connecting.

Once you start ascribing your morals to the fiction you consume, you tend to miss the issues in even the most innocuous, innocent seeming scenarios. It's easy to judge other people's fictional enjoyment until someone points out your innocent coffee shop AU is romanticised workplace harassment.

But it's all fiction. It's a fantasy. That's why it's fine.

A lack of education around things like consent, healthy relationships, self respect and respect of others, bodily autonomy, etc, has made people think they can rely only on fiction to tell them what right - but that's dangerous. And unsustainable.

things the signs love

Aries: To feel wanted. Baby animals, (especially kittens). Corny gifts. Stability. Forehead kisses. Red lipstick. Deep and meaningful conversations. Vodka. Mutual feelings. Drunk texts. Holding hands. Hot showers. Comedy movies. Someone that will make them better as a person (although not always what they settle for) Milo.

Taurus: Traveling. roller coasters. commitment. neck kisses. fun dates. comfort snacks. peanut butter. watching horror movies with a significant other. warm, fluffy towels. buying pointless things. late night tumblr sessions. stuffed animals. meaningful letters. getting dressed up. bubble baths. forest. rain and storms.

Gemini: make out sessions. instagram. feeling wanted. cute dates. tall boys/short girls. fluffy rugs. romance movies. collecting random things. messy rooms. wine. conversations about sex. being made feel special. driving with the windows down

Cancer: smalls animals. silk pyjamas. pretty things. flowers. cute lingerie. vanilla milkshakes. buying expensive makeup. stuff that smells good. fan-girling over celebs. late night netflix. pizza. roller skating.

Leo: night drives. fairy lights. soft, worn in hoodies. stars. instagram. fireworks. soft cheek kisses. bear hugs. stomach butterflies. giving advice. salted caramel. champagne. amusement parks

Virgo: face masks. commitment. dogs. turning up music loud while driving. disney movies. feeling acknowledged. sound of rain. music. shooting stars. black and white photographs. fashion. 

Libra: candles. fireworks. bonfires. commitment. romance novels. big animals. warm houses. skinny jeans. drinking with friends. salt and vinegar chips. sending ugly picture to friends. lip syncing beyonce or justin beiber. smell of books. dogs. the milky way. 

Scorpio: Cold drinks. full bank account. adrenaline rushes. deep, passionate kisses. warm socks. inside jokes. staring. hand written letters. sarcasm. movies (scorpios are movie freaks) soapy showers. 

Sagittarius: horror movies with friends. weed. photography. architecture. gossip. classy outings. sarcasm. face and body products. reaching high levels on video games. sassy remarks. traveling. cactuses. piercings. adventure. croissants

Capricorn: expensive makeup. feeling wanted. photo booths. clean houses. clouds. sarcasm. dirty jokes. sparklers. green grass. festivals. drunk texting. pretty underwear. boy bands. late night tumblr sessions. dark lipstick. passionate kissing. 

Aquarius: aquariums (who knew) beach bikes. long strolls on beach. sundresses. innocent gossip. booty. late night texting. blasting music in car.  exotic drinks. trampolines. rock jumps. books. christmas lights. pretty views.

Pisces: old movies. heart shaped sunglasses. the universe. knitted blankets. shimmery eyeshadow. learning. smell of rain. daydreaming. chill songs. sea shells. drawing. brand new pens. 

i love the pedestrian-to-car staredown when you see them go from a rolling stop to a full stop. like that's what the fuck i thought. vehicularly manslaughter me about it