Crown of Hearts, a wildly popular YA series fulfills the conditions for any classic fantasy. There's a brave protagonist to save the day, a smoldering love interest (or two) to kiss, and a great evil to defeat in order to return peace to the land.
Perhaps you slipped through chinks in the fabric of the universe. Perhaps some cruel god is playing by some grand, cosmic joke upon you. Regardless of the reason, you've stepped into the role of a side character with a grand total of three lines of dialogue.
Trapped between the pages of the novel, the executioner's axe hangs over your shoulder. Because of course, how else would an epic story be complete without a best friend that dies at the very beginning of the series?
features:
A customizable main character, including appearance, gender, and background
A relationship-driven storyline
Reignite your hatred for academia.
Five characters to befriend (or romance)
The opportunity to become an absolute societal menace
romantic options:
SOLA RAITHOS (female): The protagonist of the series. With an unwavering moral compass and a sarcastic, witty personality, her passion and drive to protect her home shines through no matter what. A beacon of hope even in the most miserable of times.
ALEKSANDR KAZARIN (male): The star-crossed lover and heir to the Night Throne. Stoic and closed-off from years of brutal training and education, his power has the ability to turn the tides of war. The most loyal of both friends and partners.
NICAI SKYDYNE (male): The youngest prince of the human kingdom, he was portrayed as an incorrigible heartbreaker. Beyond the ink and paper demoting him as just the second male lead, Nicai shows flashes of the potential to become a great ruler.
MALIS REGIN (non-binary): An enigmatic court magician, Malis was hailed as a fan-favorite. Initially cold to strangers, deep down they are a kind and genuine individual. Being both sharp-minded and intuitive has allowed them to be devoted to their studies.
REN (gender selectable): A seemingly unassuming royal attendant, they make no appearances in the book. Despite this, you have your suspicions about their identity. A quiet demeanor and gentle countenance does little to hide trained reflexes and a wide breadth of knowledge.
Long time no see everyone! I hope everyone is having a good winter season and is staying safe and healthy. It's been nearly a month since my last post and I have to make an apology about going radio silent without warning.
I had a lot of financial problems and other health-related things got in the way, so I had to take a step back from my blog and writing to get myself settled. I do still plan on releasing Pale Imitation, but I probably won't be as active on the blog for a little while longer 😓
I did originally make it to be able to connect with you guys and talk about my game, but too many things happened to be able to run it properly. I'm really sorry for that, and I'll return again at a later date (with the demo in hand).
I'm really excited to read your story!!! The few snippets you've shown made me even more eager KSKSKSK could we know more about Malis' "gender feelings"? (If you're comfortable talking about it) As a nonbinary person myself I love when authors talk about their nb characters identity, since it's a vast term and helps us get a deeper understanding about them.
Sure! Under the cut for length and mentions of mild gender dysphoria.
So when I first created Malis, they were a young teenager that still identified with their binary gender. I think the more I learned about gender expression and gender identity, and the more I wrote about them as a character story, their identity slowly took shape.
Malis grew up being sort of rigidly boxed into this perception of gender stereotypes and gender roles when they were a kid, and hated it. At that point in their life they didn't really have the proper understanding or terms to put their feelings about gender into words other than a "I don't like this and it makes me uncomfortable."
When they received their Jurisdiction and entered the Tower as a teenager, they got to experience somewhere that was completely different from what their hometown was like. One of the first things you're told at the Tower is that control over your magic and mana comes from understanding yourself and being able to manage your feelings well.
They got to meet a lot of good role models and all sorts of people from different backgrounds who were figuring out their gender identity, people who were comfortable with the gender identity, etc. The Tower mages definitely played a huge part in mentoring them to help figure out what worked for them and what they didn't like.
For their gender expression that ended up meaning that at the moment, they prefer to express themself through androgyny and gender-neutral pronouns. Malis isn't opposed to being perceived as leaning towards more masc or fem, it really just depends on how they feel that specific day.
They're still a young adult so there's definitely aspects of their identity they're still figuring out as they age, but they have a lot more confidence in experimenting with their gender.
heyheyhey you gotta put respect on glacier freeze. like do i know the names of any of the other colors? absolutely not. is glacier freeze the best flavor and therefore worthy of being known by designated name? YES
I stole this from another blog, but of the ROs that would look back, what's their reaction to seeing that their Eurydice was there the whole time?
MY TIME HAS COME! (on a personal note i watched dune and drank like a liter of glacier freeze gatorade while writing this on my phone, so apologies for all the incoherence. hans zimmer took my brain with his soundtrack and left behind Mush)
sola
She knows. She knows.
The moment she turns, you’re gone. She’d lost you once, and she pressed the words of never again, never again into your skin, an oath, a promise, a vow. Her word to keep you safe. Her word to love you to the end of the world and beyond.
You’re intertwined with her heartbeats, the breath within her chest. The savior, they called her. The saint. The one to bring them from the brink of perdition to salvation. The warrior who did not know fear in the face of death.
And it was true, she did not fear her demise. She feared losing you.
And now you’re gone.
Sola is inhuman in her rage.
aleksandr
It’s almost as if his eyes have fogged over. His vision is blurring, and the image of you, the you he would raze cities for, the you he would do anything for is vanishing before his eyes.
He won’t let you go. He can’t let you go.
"No." His voice is quiet. "Bring them back."
"You knew the rules."
"It wasn't a request."
malis
They're only three steps away.
There's an old wives tale that they once read while still in the Tower. A mage who had made a deal with Death himself to bring her wife back.
And in the end, not only had the mage failed, both of their souls were both scattered to the four winds. Gone, only to be immortalized within pages of a storybook as a warning. To keep a level head.
The memory comes unbidden to them, but Malis thinks they can understand the mage's feelings now. The desperation love brings is enough to topple nations, and bring the strongest of people to their knees.
Had they told you? Had they ever put aside their pride to tell you?
Three seconds too late, three steps too far.
nicai
It's instantaneous.
You're there, almost like he can reach out to bring you into his arms again. Nicai is already moving, reaching out to touch you.
Then you're gone. You fade away, ink being dropped into water, and he's drowning, suffocating in place. The grief overtakes him like a blow. He's alone, and he knows it's his fault.
He feels like the world has slowed down, the ground crumbling away beneath his feet and he's gone, gone, gone.
hii! i’ve been obsessed with your wip lately and was wondering about a few things:
1. how does nicai die exactly? if it’s too spoilery I completely understand! just very curious to see how all of that plays out in the book
2. how is MC’s “best friend” character perceived in the COH fandom? despite only being in the novel for a bit, are they still popular or at least talked about?
i am so so excited for the demo!!
1. Nicai died along with most of his family—their demise ended a temporary peace treaty and became the spark that ignited an all-out war. It was a very strategically planned event that was meticulously carried out to ensure that their deaths were very publicized. He fought valiantly to the end! (If that’s any consolation.)
2. They’re not perceived at all if I’m being honest. Only the really die-hard fans would remember them in the first place. And even then, they’d only pop up in a “Sola’s been through so much 😔” type of scenario.
Hey Yohan! (Really hope I got that right or it'll be so embarrassing😅) I love the concept of your game! It's something new and I am definitely devouring the game the moment it releases lol. I had an RO ask, since I think this one hasn't been done before: How would the ROs react to MC holding their face in their palms and saying that they can hold the entire world in their hands, since the RO is their world? (Cheesy to the bones, sorry for that😅)
Sola: Looks at you in a really adoring manner... and then proceeds to call you an idiot. (Because obviously, you're the entire world.) She's very pleased though.
Aleksandr: Leans in and kisses you on the forehead. He wouldn't really know what to say in that situation but he'd be all mushy on the inside. Very much a "I'm so glad I met you" moment.
Nicai: Tries very hard not to crack a smile. Caves almost immediately and just starts laughing in a fond manner. He's so used to getting flirted with subtly in court, straightforwardly cheesy lines like those would charm the hell out of him.
Malis: Flicks you on the forehead, and then sort of buries their head in a book. You can absolutely tell they're flustered over it though. And they're not exactly subtle about gifting you planetary motif jewelry the next time you see them lol
Ren: Gives you a little smile, but then they'd brush it off and move along with the conversation. They'd be surprised at how happy it made them to hear that, and later that night they'd just stare at their ceiling like ohhhh shit I'm really in it now.
In light of Mr. J*son von CoG endorsing NFTs and doubling down on why destroying the environment through cryptocurrency mining is good, actually, I've decided to make the move to release my full game for free on Twine. (And yes, XRP ledgers are terrible too. Suck my dick.)
NFTs are awful point blank. @if-eventhorizon and @northern-passage both have more comprehensive explanations in posts that are definitely worth a read if you have the time.
So! The more important logistical things for my games. Considering I haven't released anything publicly yet, this makes the leap a lot easier for me. For now, I've decided to go ahead and finish what I have planned for the demo on ChoiceScript, while the final product of the game itself will be on Twine.
This will make sure that I won't have to push back the currently planned release dates at all, and give me space to port the game over for a more polished version. Rest assured that everything will come in a timely manner.
And again a big thank you for sticking with me! 🙇♂️
i love working out! not sure if this is really a fun fact but going to gym is one of my favorite things to do in my free time. just me n the bros getting gains 💪
i'm a libra. i also don't know how astrology works
english isn't my first language. or my second (if you couldn't tell from my, ahem, interesting choices of grammar.) i love talking about languages though!
former niconico utaite
one of these facts is a lie. it could be this one which makes it a paradox and therefor–
Okay I love the angst this question creates. How would the ROs reac to the MC saying; "You're cute!" then pausing to look at them smiling and asking; "Why are you single?"
Sola: Honestly, I don't think she would even get hurt by this. She'd be nonchalant about in a sort of "Yes, I know I'm cute." way. Probably even hits you with a "Why are you single?" Reverse uno moment 😅
Aleksandr: Poor Sanya. He'd fumble on his words a little bit because his brain totally short circuits trying to process being called cute by you and also being like :( over being asked why he's single. Changes the conversation to save himself.
Nicai: "Because you haven't asked me out yet." Ball is in your court.
Malis: Sputters. Very much a "Hello???" sort of scenario where their mood is somewhere between "They can't be this dense" and "I'm in love with an idiot." Lots of incredulous staring.
Ren: Answers with "Yes." Doesn't clarify what they mean at all, but you notice them acting a little more distant than normal the next time you see them. (They're a liiiittle hurt by it. Only a little.)
yes!!! a thousand times yes!!! i adore listening to people talk about their ocs. at the risk of sounding like a madman, ABSOLUTELY send them my way so i can gush over them.
