NPC ROMANCE EXPANSION PACK
Dating With States (Not Delusion). Compatible with Neville, D&D, ADHD, and all known forms of modern dating nonsense.
(Or, Get your coffee, buckle your seatbelt,Β hydrate your shadow self and watch out for cupid… he is a drunk Sagittarius and we all know what that means)
INTRO: What This Expansion Pack FIXES
People date with:
β’ trauma scripts
β’ attachment reflexes
β’ pattern-memory
β’ autopilot assumptions
β’ βchemistryβ thatβs actually nervous system chaos
This pack rewrites dating so you choose from your state, not your wounds. NPCs (non-player characters = people acting from old assumptions) are everywhere.
But you do not become their side-quest.
Chapter 1 – Identify Who is a Player Character (PC) and Who is an NPC
Player Characters (PCs) feel like:
β’ reciprocity
β’ consistency
β’ presence
β’ clarity
β’ nervous system stability
β’ emotional literacy
β’ βof course this person likes meβ vibes
PCs talk to your state β not your insecurity.
NPCs feel like:
β’ cravings
β’ pull-push cycles
β’ inconsistency
β’ chemistry that burns but does not build
β’ confusion
β’ bread-crumbing
β’ βcharacter developmentβ trauma
NPCs talk to your old state β not your new one. If someone activates your old state β they are an NPC.
Full stop. Do not collect $200. Do not engage further.
Chapter 2 – Your State Chooses Who You Date
Neville 101: You do not attract people. You attract versions of people that match your state.
Example:
If your state is:
β’ chosen
β’ safe
β’ adored
β’ valued
β¦then the only people who βshow upβ are the ones who treat you accordingly.
NPCs who cannot vibe with that state simply exit your timeline.
(Usually loudly, with drama, because they run on chaos energy.)
Chapter 3 – Before the First Date: The State Check
Before you flirt, swipe, or daydream:
Ask: βWho am I being right now?β
β’ The Chosen One
β’ The Afterthought
β’ The Fixer
β’ The Therapist
β’ The Prize
β’ The Placeholder
β’ The Disaster Goblin
β’ The Goddess of Zero Tolerance
Who you are determines what shows up.
Date as: βI am adored and it is normal.β
Not:
βI hope they like me.β
βI hope I do not mess it up.β
βI hope they are not like my ex.β
βI hope this trauma bond feels different this time.β
Chapter 4 – Chemistry vs Compatibility (aka: Your body is a liar.)
Chemistry = recognition of an old pattern.
Your nervous system going: βAh yes. This feels familiar. This is how we suffered last time.β
Compatibility = recognition of a new state.
Calm. Warm. Safe. Predictable. If it feels too calm β that is healthy. You are bored because you do not know how to live without adrenaline yet.
The solution is NOT to run. It is to upgrade your state.
Chapter 5 – Green Flags Are the Only Flags That Count
NPC dating culture worships red flags like they are PokΓ©mon to collect. In this expansion pack (sorry, I could not help myself): Green flags β real, Red flags β storyline exit points
Green Flag Examples:
β’ You do not overthink after the date
β’ They text when they say they will
β’ You do not have to explain basic empathy
β’ They do not try to trauma-dump their character sheet at you
β’ They do not want free therapy
β’ You feel like yourself
If green flags feel βunsexy,β that is a state issue. Not a them issue.
Chapter 6 – The Golden Rule: If it is confusing, the answer is NO.
Confusion is the Shadow State whispering: βLet us go back to what we know.β
Clarity is the Future Self saying: βNo, darling. We level up here.β
Chapter 7 – The Consent Mechanic
You do not just consent physically. You consent energetically.
Ask:
βDoes this person have access to me in this state?β
If your state is:
β’ tired
β’ dysregulated
β’ ungrounded
β’ spiralling
β’ nostalgic
β’ lonely
β you have disadvantage on all dating rolls. NPCs feel this like blood in the water.
If your state is:
β’ rested
β’ grounded
β’ delighted
β’ fulfilled
β’ secure
β you auto-filter out NPCs without effort.
Chapter 8 – First Date Rule: Evaluate the Timeline, Not the Person
Most people evaluate: βAre they good enough?β
Wrong expansion pack.
Instead ask: βWho do I become around them?β
If you become:
β’ smaller
β’ anxious
β’ over-accommodating
β’ unsure
β’ self-editing
β’ Deer-in-headlights Sexy-Muppet Mode
β that is an NPC-triggered state drop.
If you become:
β’ relaxed
β’ charming
β’ funny
β’ curious
β’ warm
β’ a more grounded version of yourself
β that is PC-compatible.
Chapter 9 – NPC Categories (for field identification)
NPC Type I: The Trauma-Bonder
Feels like destiny. Actually cortisol.
NPC Type II: The Walking Projection Screen
Dating you for what they want to fix in themselves.
NPC Type III: The Therapist Hunter
Wants emotional labour, no reciprocity.
NPC Type IV: The βBut I Never Meant To Hurt Youβ Bard
Sings remorse, offers nothing concrete.
NPC Type V: The State Leech
Your stability is their oxygen.
NPC Type VI: The Upgrade Blocker
Everything gets worse when they enter your timeline.
If you can categorise them, they are not your person.
Chapter 10 – Final Boss Rule:
Love does not hurt when it is healthy.
If dating someone makes your life:
β’ smaller
β’ heavier
β’ more chaotic
β’ more self-doubty
β’ more dramatic
β’ more confusing
β’ more unsettled
It is not love, it is a dysregulated nervous system.
