#Gonzague's gender

[gonzague-if]

Hi Oscar! I was thinking about f!MC’s situation recently and had a few qs if that’s ok. Is her gender identity well known publicly or do people outside her close circle assume she’s a man? If he’s aware, why would Aurore’s controlling & sexist father would want to marry off his only daughter to a woman? Is same sex marriage possible and common? And if so, what did f!MC have planned for heirs if she’s afab and planning on marrying another woman (obviously before the reveal)?

Hi!

These are all questions I've given a lot of thought when I decided to make Gonzague's gender up to the player's choice.

First of all, I obviously took a big liberty here from the historical context, although it's not entirely without precedent. I recommend Kaz Rowe's video about the Chevalier d'Eon if you want to know more. In Gonzague's context, a woman or afab person taking the title of a man is uncommon, but not impossible. Historically, it probably would have made a lot more waves than the way I plan on treating it in the story, but it was not entirely impossible either. I decided to normalize it somewhat for the sake of the story.

Same sex marriage was not a thing at the time, at least not in theory. But if you are able to pass as the opposite gender, who knows? I'm not an historian so I wouldn't be able to tell you how likely and/or how often a scenario like thtat could have happened. But again, for the sake of the story, I chose to make it possible, if exceptional.

When it comes to heirs, Gonzague (regardless of their gender or agab) isn't interested in having any for several reasons. The first one is because they're mainly focused on their survival. Then there's their history with their father. They're not interested in repeating what their father have done for the sake of perpetuating a bloodline that has only caused them misery. Of course you can headcanon whatever you like about Gonzague wanting children, but in the story it won't be a goal for them at all for these reasons.

For the rest, it's somewhat up to the player's interpretations. It's possible that most people ignore Gonzague's true gender and/or agab. It's possible that Aurore's father ignores it as well. It would make more sense for a man as sexist and controlling as him, as you pointed out. But I don't want to impose that, because depending on how each player imagine their Gonzague to look like, it might not be easy/possible for them to hide their agab. So I leave it vague for that purpose, it's up to you what makes more sense for your version of Gonzague. After all, people can be contradictory. You could imagine other reasons why Aurore's father is overlooking Gonzague's sex and/or gender. Maybe the title of Prince is too appealing. Maybe it's another way of controlling his daughter. If he doesn't give her away to a man, maybe he feels like he still owns her? Sexism isn't logical after all.

#asks #Gonzague's gender

[jpriest85-blog]

Some fashion references for @gonzague-if of my Prince Médée. I tried to keep a similar color scheme for her masculine and feminine attire, red, blue, and yellow/gold, although they are a lighter shade for the gown. Also, considering certain fashions were both popular with men and women at the time, like long hair, heels, cosmetics, ect. Médée prefers to go with a more natural appearance when dressed in her suits, just a touch of rouge on the lips and cheeks, her natural shoulder length waves half tied back with ribbon, simple pearl earrings and her insignia ring bearing the de Gonzague crest. It helps a lot when she wants to give off a more professional persona, as many people tend to take her more seriously when she presents herself in masculine fashion. She does still have more feminine wardrobe, too. Partly out of spite for her father, forcing her to impersonate her brother growing up, she's free of him now she can dress up in pretty gowns whenever she wishes! Granted ladies' fashion tends to be more time-consuming and elaborate, but it also has its share of uses. Médée has found it easier to get people to trust her when she presents in feminine attire, and their are advantages to having people underestimate her. Also, women's cosmetics and shape wear make it much easier for Médée to alter her appearance when she wants to avoid being recognized. A different wig or concealing her natural hair color with powder, changing up her usual clothes and makeup, adjusting her stays to make her décolletage more noticeable. Médée knows most people can be easily distracted by a pretty face and cleavage.

Médée is naturally a tall woman with an athletic build and square jawline, and combined with her father raising her to be "Phillippe" throughout her teens and young adulthood, add a sharp suit and stays fitted to minimize her bustline, Médée can easily convince the Marquis de Caylus she's a wealthy man of title and education seeking Aurora's hand. Although it is interesting to imagine Chartres and Nevers reactions when Médée shared with them her real name and Pronouns. Chartres probably had an inkling early on, after all his own father used to dress in feminine attire at court, and considering his fondness for Opera and the theater, he'd be familiar with Julie d'Aubigny, and possibly may have even seen La Maupin preform at court. Nevers most likely was taken by surprise at first, believing Gonzague was just a very pretty man.

#gonzague if #Prince Phillippe de Gonzague aka Médée #fashion ref #character lore #Médée dresses how she pleases #but her horrible father helped her learn their are advantages to playing folks on their gender biases

[gonzague-if]

Hey, I just finished your demo, and I really love it so far! ^.^ There is one issue though, I was really confused when I got to the part where my mc undresses and looks at their chest. Before that point, I was under the impression they were a man, not a woman?

Did I happen to miss some gender choice somewhere?

Hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the story so far!

You may have missed it but there are several gender-related choices throughout the demo.

The first one is a cycling link at the very beginning of the prologue, when the MC is looking at themself in the mirror. You have to click through it until it shows the gender you want to choose for the MC.

EDIT: this is actually wrong, it's not a cycling link but an actual choice lol. I suppose it might not be clear for everyone that the person in the mirror is in fact just the MC?

Then next passage you have another cycling link to choose their pronouns.

The choices that are available when MC is undressing in chapter 1 are to decide the MC's AGAB (male, female or intersex).

The MC is bestowed a masculine name and title by their father no matter what, but you can still choose your MC's actual gender identity and a real name that reflects that if you wish.

I hope this clears things up!

(I may need to make the cycling links more visible somehow, I would appreciate it if you could tell me if you used the dark mode or light mode design!)

#asks #philippe de gonzague #gender

[gonzague-if]

Gonzague is an interactive fiction game made with Twine, based on the novel Le Bossu by Paul Féval. It is a court intrigue and swashbuckling story set in early 18th-century France. The game has two versions: one is rated 16+ for violence and suggestive content, the other is rated 18+ for explicit content.

The demo currently stops after chapter 1.

Story

You are the Prince de Gonzague, a title you acquired thanks to your ruthless ways. Your bloody past haunts your every step and you have taken measures to ensure a prosperous future as well as put away your blades and poisons for good.

You have made some rich and powerful friends in the persons of Philippe de Nevers and the King’s nephew. Now you just need money. Thankfully, the marriage you have arranged with the Marquis de Caylus’s daughter should provide you with the fortune you need.

Unless some unexpected revelations put your plans in peril…

Features

Play as the villain of your story and live with the consequences of your terrible deeds.

Choose your gender, pronouns, and appearance.

Make choices that will put you on the path of redemption — or damnation.

Make friends, enemies, or lovers throughout your tribulations.

Links

Demo | Characters page | FAQ | Support me on Patreon or Ko-Fi | Join the Discord server

You can find the link to the 18+ demo in this post.

#interactive fiction #twine game #le bossu #paul féval #swashbuckling #court intrigue #gonzague if #intro post