A HEART-SHAPED DIME

18+ Content | Minors DNI

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

Welcome to A Heart-Shaped Dime!

DISCLAIMER: If you are under the age of 18, you must not engage with this blog; while no explicit imagery will be displayed here, the conversations will have strongly NSFW subject matter, mature themes, and graphic horror. I won't reblog any borderline frisky art from here onto my main blog, either, but there is some soft corn here.

I want to strengthen my writing skills when it comes to romance, but horror is also just an inescapable genre for me; so, this project somewhat packs the two together for a dating sim visual novel that will be in the works for a good while.

There is a lot of work in progress but the playstyles and basics for the storyline have been confirmed, now it's a matter of fleshing into this in my spare time, so this blog may be a bit barren until then!

You're welcome to ask the characters questions, suggest frisky prompts or ideas, and so on.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

Executioner Profile: The Malignant

Name: The Malignant // Ricarda/Richie Age: You are what you eat. Gender: "Transgender" Male (He/Him/They/She/Her) Sexuality: ??? Species: Unseelie Fairy // Leshy

Likes:

Guarding the forest; Reaping flesh; Eating, he's very foodie; Thriving on vengeance; Fairy gardens and rings; Animals; Warm temperatures; Being outdoors; Setting traps for humans and creatures alike; Hunting & fishing; Mauling and devouring threats.

Dislikes:

Deforestation & pollution; Blatant disrespect; Challenging him in a deal; Gender-based violence; Iron tools & objects; Wooden stakes; Religious items; Open, uncontrolled fire.

Personality:

The Malignant is a creature from the forests surrounding the Town of Dimehurst, having protected the area well before the town came to be constructed, and looking after the area thereafter. He used to be a more actively influential force in nurturing the settlement, but had been forgotten to time as a woodland folktale. This only becomes a problem when it leads to the townsfolk trespassing and disrespecting the forests which he has continued to promise the growth of around and through the place, but those are problems that Mali is eager to solve himself with equal or more malicious compliance.

It can be difficult to define Mali as being a malevolent or benevolent woodsman, with him being more willing to act on whims or for his own entertainment. He has a vile and opportunistic mindset, taking petty matters and resolving them with fateful extremes while having pleasure in the process and "the hunt". Plenty times is he the cause of missing persons cases, though it uniquely appears that he targets insufferable, belligerent, or violent men.

He has a crude, snarky attitude when he feels bothered, becoming sarcastic, threatening and boastful to test others into becoming irrational or startled before he may go forward with a sadistic verdict.

The Malignant tends to escalate situations and raise stakes quite rapidly to disorientate and manipulate outcomes to always be with his own benefit in mind, declaring that that's the mercilessness of nature and survival of the fittest. His justifications tend to be rooted in misanthropic bitterness, but to some degree he does tend to play fair if negotiated with.

Mali can be summed up as a strategic trickster of the woods with an agenda that falls into a grey zone at best, but he is also open about his values and what he protects. He honours himself as a protector of the wild and demands freedom for the marginalised, so his hatred towards mankind's hierarchies and pecking orders that lack the logic of food chains is evident. He is honest towards those who he feels are deserving of it from him, but his definition of that narrows unbendingly in the favour of women and children alike.

Depending on the company, The Malignant can behave bestial or human-eqsue; being bound to instinct-driven behaviours like a prey drive and zoomies, to acting exactly like a Dimehurst resident. That's a given, though, with him being a shapeshifter fuelled by flesh.

Backstory:

The Malignant is the product of a young woman who had been murdered by the outskirts of Dimehurst, recklessly discarded on a fairy ring. Her body was claimed as a vessel by the Unseelie Fae, and The Malignant assumed her energy and flesh to become a manifestation of what she was while embodying the forest. Mali's early life involves many tales of revenge, feasting on wrongdoers to ensure that no innocent blood would be fed to his forest again. He used to be known as "The Woman with Dog Teeth" in his early times of existing.

Naturally, he has become quite addicted to the hunt and has carried on with this simple tradition of his ever since. He also began to assume a more masculine form over time, given that it offered him an opportunity to become strikingly more intimidating for other men. Commonly, he shapeshifts to look like the woman who had died within his ring and uses the form to lure perpetrators when he, quite dismayingly, discovered that it seemed like the easiest method to target what he regards as a "woman's natural predator."

Extra Info:

The Malignant is at odds with The Puppeteer, but they have a silent decree to protect Dimehurst from the unruly that they have to share under order of The Executioner.

It could be accurate to describe The Malignant to act on mechanisms that are similar to The Thing and some descriptions of the Wendigo; being able to assume the forms of animals and people that he has devoured, but also needing to eat his weight in servings to maintain his size. "Eating" can also be defined as him merging his flesh around someone else like he is some sort of living suit.

He always needs to restore his flesh by means of eating organic matter; animal, plant or human. He's unable to stomach synthetic materials., He oftentimes wears a brown cloak and wields a scythe, he makes jokes that he might be the Grim Reaper if prodded about the resemblances.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

It's always important to cuddle your bnuys.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

I sorry is okay I pat you.

I sorry as well is okay I lick you. :(

The little lass belongs to @minkiepinkie-dreamgirl, and they are so sorry, is okay. :(((

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

Executioner Profile: The Puppeteer

Name: The Puppeteer // Masque Age: The soul is immune to time; spirits hold eternity. Gender: Male (He/Him/They/It) Sexuality: That is an interesting word. Species: Fallen Guardian Angel

Likes:

Stargazing; Learning about mortals; Meaningful company; Privacy; Collecting corrupted souls; Empowering the defenseless; Peace and tranquillity; Religious items, symbolism, and stories across many faiths; Candles; Chess games; Complex labyrinths; Classical music; Gift-giving; Poetry; Theatre.

Dislikes:

Destructive behaviours; Fear; Bright environments; Violent ignorance; The manner and motivations of war; Misinformation and lying; Acts done in the name of discrimination and marginalisation; Apathy and the products of it.

Personality:

The Puppeteer is an Angelic entity from the interliminal realm where Divine Intervention between the Mortal Realm and the Cosmic Realm is performed. He has since fallen from these duties and wanders on Earth with a lost sense of actual purpose, but still stands as a gentle, curious and justice-driven beast. He has adapted to hiding in a labyrinthic cave system beneath the Town of Dimehurst and visiting the forests at night, living as covertly as possible but following his self-imposed agenda to "cleanse the corrupted souls".

He goes about these nightly prowls by imitating mortal voices and puppeting his human body from a distance to give the perception of a person, attracting the ones who he has deemed immoral and harbouring of the souls of the "Opposite" to devour them and use them for his next voice, processing their souls to learn more about how they behave to refine his hunting skills. This usually means he is relentlessly tracking down traditional sinners that fall into the categories of bad actors to murderers, even if it is not an Angel's duty to act as anything beyond a messenger, and he works on his own judgment instead due to being unbound from a higher power.

It can be difficult to assume much of The Puppeteer's intentions until he acts upon them, making him appear quite formidable; but he isn't exactly surprising if one hears how literally he speaks; saying what he means with blunt directness.

He may appear out of touch from mortal antics as much as he holds a drive to understand them, but he is still deeply attuned to and swayed by emotions, becoming easily overwhelmed by the feelings of mortals. He is quite gentle, more willing to provide undivided attention and devotion to others who surpass his distant, aloof barrier.

The Puppeteer seems to become easily obsessed with anyone who he feels a close connection with, such is the nature of a former Guardian Angel to attempt to invest all of their energy into a person to make sure they don't feel alone in the world. This can lead to overprotectiveness that can lead to him loving just a little too much to the point he could consume their soul in fear of losing them if this behaviour is left unchecked.

While these descriptions might paint him as threatening, he often appears to be curious and well-intending. He views humans with unconditional fondness; finding them incredibly adorable and developing a level of cuteness aggression over them. The Puppeteer is aware that humans are naturally fallible, and he has lenience to a degree, unless you do unto others what you wouldn't do to yourself.

Backstory:

Angels thrive as an indefinite constant that were created by a higher power, the role of Guardian Angels is for them to devote their entire existence in surrounding a soul that they have selected and vowed their life to. Masque was a Guardian Angel next to Diaziel and Noct, a trio that all chose the same soul to protect. They followed this soul timelessly through its lifetimes, ensuring that the holistic journey would always be fulfilling until its next cycle through life and rejuvenation from death.

At some point, Masque started to love this soul so deeply, that his empathetic adoration shifted into possessiveness and the need to feel an even more visceral connection with the spirit - and the best way that he could achieve this was through consuming Diaziel and Noct, which lead to a gruesome amalgamation of their forms. The act of devouring his fellow Angels caused the higher powers to banish him and unbind his connection from the spirit he used to protect.

Lost from the soul he had devoted his existence to; he now wanders the Earth as The Puppeteer. The chances of finding that soul, empty of Angels to guard it, is slim, but not impossible. He certainly has hope to find that soul again one day.

Extra Info:

The Puppeteer's real voice seems to come from the mask planted on its snout, and the jaws do not move when he speaks unless he is operating a stolen body's voice - then his jaws will be agape to echo their voice from his throat.

Taking off The Puppeteer's mask will cause the total loss of his dragon body, causing it to stumble and collapse like a lost fledgeling until the mask is reconnected. It is difficult to remove the mask though, unless he grants you permission to take it.

Wearing his mask can allow him to possess you, at the cost of you.. Having this funky mask on your face until he decides to let you go.

After he has consumed a body (often via dragging them kicking and screaming into his mouth with appendages hidden in his jaws) they become crystalised and are stored "backstage", to become select puppets for him to operate later. Puppets who he has no use for end up being regurgitated and used like decorations in his cave system.

Because The Puppeteer says what he means, he tends to believe that you will do the same, so figurative language and deception confuse him deeply.

Some little concept doodles. c:

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

The way that a Guardian Angel chooses you is like looking at a basket of puppies, and while you are choosing which one to adopt, and while you love all of them, there's always just that one puppy that really resonates with you enough for you to keep and share your heart with. They select you before you are even born, regardless of your faith, and intervene passively in your life to make sure you live one that is fulfilling to your needs.

They're loving creatures that become deeply emotional beyond the vow they make in protecting your soul. They share emotions with you and feel what you feel alongside you, taking on burdens with you. Because Guardian Angels are soulbound to you, they will remember you from your past lives, they know the real you that doesn't become bound by a physical form or cultural narrative, their eternal love is completely unconditional.

Guardian Angels want to be communicated with and bond with you, but only through little ways like dreams and gentle interventions.

Yet the Puppeteer stands as an example of a Guardian Angel who loved too much, and the consequence of breaking such rules caused him to be separated from the soul he had been overseeing for centuries. He must start anew, or find another miracle.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

Relinquish your snacks to the Fallen Guardian Angel. He might not be able to eat, but he would still love to try. :(

[proj-alterwood]

College already has me stuck in the mud, so I decided to be nice to the river girl and draw her with a figure that would be willing to protect her if they met.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

He has a tendency to take your words quite literally.

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

"What… Do you care about?"

His voice was monotone, etched with a guttural rake that sharpened his articulation. A single eye followed from one Condemned face to the other, browsing them with gentle, effortless disdain. There was no response from the conglomeration, nothing but poised tension against the watchful, icy demeanour of the entity who belittled them with soft scrutiny.

He prompted again.

"What are you mad about?"

They were castrated of their tongues when they watched him approaching, his head tilted unnaturally, a curious approach. They wanted to back away from him, but dared avoid inviting themselves into any greater encounter than what they were bearing witness to now.

They watched how his body dragged forward when The Puppeteer drew nearer, how the head severed with a wet crunch that sounded as comical as vomit hitting concrete. The entity inspected the decapitated head in his palm, just briefly, before his attention shifted back to the group.

Once more, he prompted.

"What makes you sad?"

[proj-aheartshapeddime]

The Puppeteer's techniques surround this concept of erasing everything about identity and purpose.

The Puppeteer will literally consume you to keep and change you; his body stores the souls of his victims inside to imitate that he embodies the Eth crystal.

Those that he devours are forced into conscious paralysis inside of him. He can reach in through the semi-permeable openings down his abdomen to pull out puppets who have become bound to him by their souls for his bidding.

When the Puppeteer keeps victims, he can inherit their voices to imitate them and learns how they behave and why.