i still have the demo of my overly ambitious first "serious" visual novel, plus the first tests i made to figure out renpy. they're not for the public eye, but i keep them close in my files, because they're part of history. as much as some of it may feel too silly, i still think it's worth it. i showed those games to people at the time, and when the topic of "which was your first visual novel project" pops between my friends, i can still show them my characters in all their messed glory. and we play and we laugh. i think it's a beautiful thing. all these years and they, somehow, can still bring joy.