Love And Leases
Love and Leases is a slice-of-life interactive novel. Where drama, romance, and betrayal intertwine to create your story. With a focus on relationships, drama, healing and found family. Rated 18+ for language, optional sexual content, drug/alcohol use and more.
Synopsis
With everything seemingly falling into place, life decides to throw you for a loop. After losing your fiancé, sister, perfect apartment, and beloved dog in rapid succession, you're left shattered and directionless.
Caught between the past and present, you grapple with the choices ahead: to rebuild your life or forge a new one, to reclaim what was lost, or to let it go. As you navigate the unfamiliar terrain of your new surroundings, you're faced with opportunities for love, friendship, and self-discovery.
As the year unfolds, you must decide whether to cling to the past or embrace the future. Each decision you make shapes not only your immediate future but the trajectory of your life moving forward, and those around you. Will you seek revenge or reconcile with your past?
Are you ready to sign your lease?
✦Warning✦ This WIP is rated 18+ for language, sexual content, drug/alcohol use and more.
Features
❥ Customize your MC: gender, appearance, and history with some of the characters.
❥ Start your new career: choose to work with one of the six RO's of your choice.
❥ Romance one or more character: will you find comfort in familiar gaze of a friend, pick up the pieces of a relationship of your past? Or do you just think the landlord is hot?
❥ Fix not only your relationships but those of the people around you.
❥ Get back your dog!?
Characters
This list only cover's characters you can develop further relationships with. Romantic or platonic. All character's are romanceable. There is one poly romance, and two of the character's are gender selectable. These are not the only character's you will become familiar with in the story.
❥ The Best Friend: Cameron “Cam” Clarke [M] – Cam has always been by your side; you have known each other since you were in diapers. His "impulsiveness" is part of his charm. One look in your direction is all it takes to soften him up. Cam is confident, sarcastic, and some would say rude. Yet never to you. You can’t help noticing how he looks at you, has it always been this adoringly? Link to character profile.
❥ The Rival: Gage/Garnet Kim [M or F] – G was one of your closest friends/rival in college, now just a sore reminder of the bad choices you’ve made. Getting close to one another was inevitable. Your chemistry undeniable. That was until a fight one night at the dorms. Now G barely looks your way. No witty comment, no stolen glances when they thought you weren't looking. Can you fix the fracture in your relationship? Link to character profile.
❥ The follower: Kara Clarke [F] - Kara is the younger sister of Cam and Chris. She knows what she wants and how to get it. She got the best attributes of her siblings, loyalty and undeniable charm. She is spunky yet sweet, outspoken, confident, and mainly competitive. Always willing to lend you a shoulder, and maybe even more. Link to character profile.
❥ The Writer: Markus | Melody Wilkens [M or F]– M is the ideal type to bring home to your parents, or to your friends, or anywhere. M is sweet, considerate, and extremely overworking. Always lacking sleep, that doesn’t dampen their smile. Yet from time to time you notice a sadness that doesn’t belong to their kind face. Not to mention that glimmer of mischief in their eyes. golden retriever cinnamon roll. Link to character profile.
❥ The Delivery person [redacted] : Isaac Allen [M or NB] - Isaac is the resident flirt/jokester. Are you having a bad day? Well, you better believe they have a well timed comment/joke ready to make you blush or laugh. Though you've never met prior, you can swear you've seen them before. Will you be the one who finally gets Isaac to give love a chance? Link to character profile.
❥ The Landlord: Ardent Pine [M] - You know the last person on Earth you would ever want to be stuck with, yeah that’s Ardent. He is rude, inconsiderate, self-entitled. Everyone has a bad word to say about Ardent. Even his cat (who is the cause of the scars on his arms). Surely, he can’t be that bad right? There must be a good bone in him somewhere, are you willing to find it, and find what has hardened his heart? Resident dilf. Link to character profile.
Credits
- WRITING AND CODING: By me.
- TEMPLATE. Used Vahnya's Twine Template II.
- MACROS. Chapel for several macros, (notify, live update, etc.) Link to their macros here. Dynamic stat by Anonymous.
Development log
- Lil update~Sep 09, 2024
- Demo released.Sep 04, 2024
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Lea, I am absolutely in love with your writing. Cam is by far my favorite, although there characters are other characters who are trying to steal my hear (Ardent, despite the limited interaction). I'll be keeping a close eye for further releases, and I am looking forward to it! Thank you for your creativity and excited to see what else you have in store for us <3
Well, this game is good. Great angst and drama potential, promising ROs, and you obviously can write.
But I have some complaints. First, I'd noticed a problem with gender-selectable characters' pronouns:
Second, sometimes I'd feeling that MC wan't a guy, but a girl with different pronouns. Like, why is their fiance always fiance and never fiancée? Or some odd reactions, like here:
That's clearly not what a guy would think.
Or in this scene — kinda weird that Kara goes with MC into men's bathroom without comments:
And that scene with Quint feels female-coded. I think it should be something between MC's current reaction and what Cam would do to Quint if that asshole tried harass him.
It's not everything, but I can't pinpoint what wrong with other few moments where I had this feeling.
Feel like it's specifically written for women MCs ngl, especially with the emphasis on the closeness with Cam and them being male.
Um, not just for women
I disagree
I love this game already and I just played the first chapter. Hoping the author can take their time to perfect this game but I'm already also itching for the next update too. I'd love for the MC to have some funny, sad, happy, angry and down right heartbreaking dialogue and arguments with characters in the game especially Chris, Jade and their parents.
It's been a fun read and I can't decide whether to romance Cam or M... Romancing anyone that's not Cam feels like a divorce.
I'm literally SO HAPPY I found this game. Thank you for making this! ♡♡ 10/10 Chef's kiss! Waiting for more updates ><
even if I gave my boy glasses he still can't see how obsessed Cam with him.
Loved the demo, will be waiting for update, thank you!
I need to marry Cam. like i NEED him fr 🙏 Chris and Jade can get lost, I wish I had the choice to send them to hell honestly.
Do you know when the next update will be? I just cant get enough! this is SO well written and I truly couldn't put it down!
I'm currently working on it! No official date yet, but it's being worked on. I have a small demo update to push through that has a few more choices in the character creators, as well as a few changes in some scenes. Including an addition of the Aunt's dog!
Hi there! Just wanted to say that I was pleasantly surprised by your work! In the beginning I wasn't too gripped, but it progressively got better and the characters started to grow on me. The only issue I can point out is that the grammar needs some polishing. I can't wait for more Cam and Ardent content!
Keep up the lovely work and stay safe ❤
Also, just a side tip: I think the game's page here on Itch.io would benefit either from a different coloured background or font; the contrast between the two colors makes the text a bit hard to read.
(❁´◡`❁)
Thank you! It will be getting a little update relatively soon to fix some of the grammar that was missed by beta and to add in some more customization. Also, noted on the itch page. I've just yet to get to it, hope you have a good day!
hello, I liked the story and am halfway through it. However, I took a peek at the side stories, and after returning back it completely restarted my progress. I clicked on resume game several times but it didn't work. I checked character and relationships, and they are still set to what I chose earlier. Can you check on this bug? thanks!!
Oh first time I've heard of this bug. I'll look into it as soon as I can., see if I can figure out what's wrong with it.
ooooh, i like,
GOD. Let me punch that bich Chris and Jade
im investeddd
the writing is really good
Omg Cam is so precious I also like Gage but I'm gonna go for Cam he's just too perfect ☺️ And I cannot wait to get revenge on the two garbage starting with a J and C
That was
like, really good.
omg i remember this! so excited to see it on here :D
I loved all the characters, so excited to read more!! Cam and Ardent are my favorites so far <3
CAAAAAAAAAAM- bestie I would die for, honestly... truly. And Angela the rat is a perfect name! Can't wait for the next update
A lot of interesting RO's but my favorite so far is Cam. I couldn't flirt with other RO's because I couldn't bear the thought of cheating on Cam. He's sweet and loyal and I'd do anything for him
I adore this, but holy hole in a doughnut, Batman, it is hard to choose an RO. I'm so torn, Cam is like MC's other half, there is a history and such a deep connection. But.... Isaac... Enigmatic... I'm so curious.
Great writing, I feel like I can relate to my character and I do feel immersed when I read.
Can't wait for more :)
This is great! I can't wait to read more. I'm all about these love interests, but so far my favorites are Cam, M, and G. I am sooo ready to cause chaos for Chris, Jade, and the parents.
Finished the demo last night and I am coming out of this as a Cammie lover. I am also a Jade and Chris hater and I have a theory about Kara and I think my MC will N O T like it🧍🏾♀️
I like this alot, the demo is great. The ros are writen quite well seeing how im stuck between the follower, rival and the writer. Not exactly sure who I will go with for the first play through. Also really wanting to throw hands with jade and the family. Not sure if you plan on adding something like that but definitely would fight jade given the choice.
It's great people to be stuck between!
So the MC will be able to break their relationships with certain characters for good or mend them, and also effect relationships of some of the other characters. If you want to throw down with Jade it's not off the table!
I like it, was a pretty thorough demo. Looking forward to the next update.
ok but the MC is soooo oblivious are u not seeing how awkward Cam is? he obviously likes u cause no if that was me i would overthink every single thing he did. and the side story? MC rly is blind maybe i should've given them some glasses...
Not Cam's side story I can't lmao!!!!!! He's such a waffle I love him <3
Oooh I'm sooo giddy about Marcus's interaction with us! Love the story! Gonna follow this🤧
Yay M has another fan! Glad you enjoyed them and the story :D
oih my gosh, that was so so amazingly good, so well-written, fun and bittersweet. I hope we can have a chance to get revenge on our sister and ex-fiance. I wish you the best for writing and have a great time with it <3 I'm looking forward to more <3
Thank you! There will be ways to mess with Jade/Chris/ even MC's parents. It's possible to repair relationships of MC's and other characters or just completely wreck them. :D I'll take the wishes!
Ugh, Garnet my love! I absolutely cannot wait for more of this!
I love the story already
may I ask, who is apart of the poly route?
Kara and Isaac
Loving this, for some reason I like playing on difficult mode so going for Mr. Grumpy for my first main play, but Cam is so adorable, I already playing the alt version 1 and 2, because my shy and need to tease will battle each other, so need they their own saves. Favorite character is Aunt Emma all the way. I'm super excited to see where this goes and getting MC the best life and getting her dog back .
Well just played the Demo and enjoyed. I am also interested in how the story would develop. Currently Kim and Wilkens have my interest as ROs but that may change. Kim because of their past history with the MC and Wiklens because they are cute and I want to see where a relationship with them would end up.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I know it's hard to decide currently because you're still getting to know the RO's. It's going to be a journey thats for sure.
Yeah, I have that, too with the switch of pronouns. If you choose a female dog it was one time referred as a "he". Chris is referred to as "they" several times.
I really love Cam and everything feels really fluid and over all satisfyingly balanced!
I have an issue though with the ex. I decided to make them an ex-friend and I don't get their reasoning. How can a simple friend feel such deep betrayal for the MC getting together with Chris? I get why we got no direct reasoning in the demo for the suspense alone but sadly with the choice for them to be no ex whom MC had a relationship with it kinda....irks. After the confrontation I was seriously thinking "wtf is their problem with MC and why ist it automatically narrated through MCs thought process that we feel guilt??" The last bit regarding the guilt felt forced upon the reader... No friend would turn to such extremes on a friendship simply cause they hate the partner? I believe there is a good explanation for it. Still. With what limited information WE currently got with the demo that whole affair feels...i dunno how to describe it. Before I was so throughouly invested in the story and then I was kinda kicked Out of this trance, If you get what I mean. It was a tad bit confusing.
Sorry that I needed so much words to deliver what I meant, hope it conveys what I meant to say.
And don't get me wrong, I was one of the first lurkers to your Tumblr account, I anticipated this demo for a long time and I truly love everything about it to pieces. The described situation above irritated me cause Im autistic af and have a hard time not knowing why someone hates me/ has a problem with sth I did - it deeply concerns me and that results to overthinking -and it kinda always bleeds through my reading experience in interactive fictions 😅 As one can guess I tried several times to reach a sliver of understanding...to no avail.
I love how strong Cams character was portrayed, If I had to choose what I enjoyed the most in your story it would be that. He just feels so complex and...well, real. Simply amazing work!
I loved the route of Cam even before the demo, you delivered this expectation and more. Repect. Not many interactive fictions can do that and captivate their readers like that.
To add to this if you select the flirt options with the "ex friend" choice prior it is worded as though you were in a relationship previously and I think that is how the ex friend without the flirting comes off as well, it reads like there was an invested romantic relationship that the MC potentially cheated on as opposed to friends. That being said I did enjoy the game so far but I agree with the OP that this particular thing feels off. As does the shirt with Cam even if you are his size lol
This story is amazing! just wanted to add that there might be a bug with pronouns. When choosing Chris and the dogs pronouns the game kept referring to them as they.
Thanks for the heads up I'll give it a look and fix it.
A total blast. Want more Cam please and thank you
:D Noted!
I thought for sure I’d want to go for the ex. I’m a sucker for that trope. But Cam!!!
Lol Cam won another one eh!
Amazing amazing amazing!!!!
Amazing x infinity!!!!!
Aaahh, 🤭 thank you so much.
I haven't finished the full demo yet but i just have to say holy shit i love this sooo much. Just absolutely fabulous, i need more
😊 Thank you for the kind words. Glad you're enjoying it so far.