Writer's Blog: Grayday, Grayday, Our Romance is Sinking (Patreon)

Word Count: I don't actually know at this moment? Most of Chapter 15's scenes are scattered across different documents.

Next Update: Gray's romance will go up as soon as I'm done with it (this will also include Sally's scene if Button is at Aeon). I had to tweak some things, like turning Aeon's elevator into a panic (lower case b) button.

(I say that "I had to" as if forced at gun point by Andy's trembling hand, but in truth I just decided that the scene would work better this way.)

I’m still wrapping up Gray’s kiss scene and the end of Noh’s Nick-hunt (so many variations!). The good news: Caleb's interrogation is fully written! (Just need to finish Isaiah's, and then it's onto Chapter 15.)

Due to the delay in Gray's romance scene, I figured that I might shed some insight into what to expect and why. Chapter 14 marks the true start of a relationship with Gray, after all, so I'm trying to treat his moment in the sun with the appropriate TLC.

(Beyond this point lie spoilers!)

Those wooing Grayson will get two choices to continue his romance route:

1) Go for the kiss! Who cares if their brother may be dead, Button has a British booty to tap. (As much as I adore Nick, this is the option that I’d personally choose because Gray. So no judgement.) 

2) Hold your horses and just let Gray hold you. This is arguably as intimate as smooching since he can still read your mind, but it’s perhaps the slightly more tasteful option? As in, it comes across less like Button jumped Nick’s best friend as soon as Nick was no longer playing mental chaperone. Despite the lack of lip-locking, this also continues Gray’s romance (and is quite sweet, if I do say so myself, which I just did).

The last available choice is . . . different. Gray’s romance scene comes at an arguably inopportune time for Button, in that they just recently were forced to confront a Ment terrorist.

Gray isn’t a terrorist, but he is a Ment—a Ment who, unlike Sally, can read Button’s thoughts. Which leads to option three . . .

3) Button can pull away. Because “after everything that’s happened, I don’t think that I’ll ever be ready for a relationship with a Ment.”

My trouble writing this option is that, although it doesn’t explicitly tell Grayson to keep his lips to himself for all eternity, it does permanently end his in-game romance. Because he hears Button think that, and it echoes every single doubt that he’s ever had about a potential relationship with Button.

I’ve talked some about what the stats would be for various characters if they were the main character. Nick, for example, would be Confident/Humorous and extremely Accepting. Gray, though? Gray would get that “Guilt” variable checked off almost immediately. Even without having protagonist status, Grayson still struggles with a lot of self-recrimination over his ability to make Button potential uncomfortable. Button’s withdrawal will essentially confirm his deep-seated belief that Button would never want to be with a Ment (there’s a reason the boy is so dense to Button’s crushing).

I’ve second-guessed myself a lot as to whether it needs to be clearer that this option will end things with Gray. Currently, though, I’ve arrived at the mindset that the ROs shouldn’t necessarily be winnable no matter what. Gray has his own insecurities and doubts, and if Button’s behavior reinforces those doubts, then it makes sense for him to stop seeing them as an option. It’s not necessarily fair, but writing otherwise would be an injustice to his character.

(Ideally, of course, I’d love to make nuanced pathways for every reaction. But ultimately, IF needs to have constraints in order to get completed.)

The fourth option has Button deciding not to jeopardize their friendship with Gray, and instead choosing to simply remain friends. This ends Gray’s romance as well, although there will probably be some wistful-flavored text sprinkled near the game’s end to recognize the route. I have a fifth option written as well where Button randomly decides that they’re just no longer that into Gray, but I’m not sure that I’ll ever add it to the actual game. Since Gray’s route has thus far defined by longing, it feels jarring to me for Button to be on the verge of kissing by him and suddenly going “You know what? I’m good.”