#decacycle

[sapphire-phantom]

Small drawing I did of my oc, Cerise. The blue is meant to be red, but I don't have a red pen

[savagechickens]

Cycle of Innovation.

And other inventions.

[sapphire-phantom]

Aight, so I definitely flew too close to the sun trying to make my own card game for decacycle. I've just not been making any progress because I'm stuck on making a card game. For now, I think the cardfight vanguard system is the best to use for this now. I was originally using yugioh, of course, and was making the decacycle card game heavily MTG inspired, but I think cardfight vanguard has a really good mix between using generic staple cards between decks and having the yugioh-like character specific archetypes. I want to have a case where it is believable for multiple people to use the same deck theme and share some combos between them, while still allowing for the decks to feel unique. Vanguard also has the idea already built in that the player superimposes themselves onto the unit they're using, so that works out really well with how I'll be using the card game Also, among the three, I think vanguard's system is just maleable enough to be able to make custom cards do really interesting things while still being rigid enough to have *some* kind of restrictions to make creative solutions for Maybe some day, I'll make my own card game to put into decacycle, but for now, I'd rather make something with this story than nothing, even if it's not as original as I'd like.

[sapphire-phantom]

Prompt Flip Fest - Unrequited Apathy

Using this prompt list by @thepromptfoundry

Erden approached the old chapel on the south end of town carefully. It stood, foreboding, near the shoreline at the edge of where the grass would stop growing. Spots of sand and mold had festered along the walls of the stone structure. Nobody was sure anymore why it had fallen to disrepair initially, they just know nobody with the equipment to clean it was willing to get anywhere near it.

The people of Esleth told stories of the haunted chapel down by the shoreline, of people who had supposedly gone missing nearby, and those who went there to escape it all. Intrigue filled Erden’s mind as she stared up at the stone arches which once may have invited in communities of people to worship beings they couldn’t confirm the existence of. Could the rumors really be true?

Inside, moss had taken hold across the floor where benches once sat, leaving only stone brick, sand, and rocks where it used to be. The floor was lit, not by the few pieces of stained glass in the walls that hadn’t been covered by dust and debris, but by a large hole that had opened up in the back corner of the room. From where she stood, it just looked like any other dilapidated church from ages past that would have been demolished, save for a stone throne that stood where a preacher’s podium might have otherwise been.

From her long, fluffy, brown hair full of randomly placed, short, neon highlights and feathery hair extentions, her clothing comprised entirely of printed merchandise for various shows and games, and her small size in such a large building, Erden looked about as out of place as one could in a space like this. She held up her phone and walked around to take pictures of the various features around the place.

She found a few small statues of people she couldn’t possibly recognise, a box of spray paint cans sitting just outside of one of the broken windows, and some sort of armaments area full of short swords and knives. It felt out of place in a chapel, but it looked old enough to make her assume she just didn’t know enough about old chapels, so she told herself she’d look it up later, knowing she would not.

On her way out of the chapel, something caught her eye in the wall. what had looked like a brick from the front of one of the interior walls was actually a strangely well-preserved book wedged into the wall.

“What in the world?” she muttered to herself as she began to pull the book out of the wall. She had only barely moved the book by the time a booming, feminine voice rang through the building.

“What are you doing here?”

Erden froze in place. She thought this place had been completely abandoned. That’s what her friends said at least. She couldn’t let her otherwise spotless reccord be tarnished by a tresspassing charge, but what could she even do? Her hairstyle was so distinct, anyone in the city would be able to recognise her , even from behind, and even if they had only seen her once.

“I’ll ask again. What are you doing here?”

The voice seemed to come from everywhere all at once. There was no running away from this. Erden hoped with all her might that whatever officer had found her would be kind and let her off with a warning.

She slowly turned around and raised her hands, but when she looked up, there was no officer looming over her. Instead, sitting on the throne in the back of the room was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her hair was asymmetric, both in the way the hair on her right side reached halfway down her torso in the front as it flowed like a wave from over her face, and in the way the outside was a pure white, leaving the inside layer a deep crimson. Her face followed a similar pattern, with her skin as pale as death and her irises bright red. she wore a fitted white suit, black dress pants, black gloves, and a red tie. All of her body seemed to have a red tint to it, like an aura made visible.

“I won’t ask a third time. Answer or leave me.” The woman said in the same booming voice from before.

Erden shook her head quickly and looked at the woman with awe. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, pinching her cheeks a little. The woman raised an eyebrow, bored by the strange motions her intruder made.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to be here, let alone someone so… angelic” Erden said, relaxing more with every word. “May I ask your name?”

“Cerise.” The woman answered flatly “Why are you still here? Do you not fear me.” She asked, projecting her voice to all sides of Erden.

“Ah, nice nice~” Erden said, trailing off as she put her hands on the sides of her head. “I’m Erden, uh. One- one moment while I wait for my ears to stop ringing hehe”

“My apologies, but in case you didn’t pick up on my hints, I do not wish for you to be here. Please leave.” Cerise responded.

Cerise smiled. “Since you’re so angelic…” she put up her hands in finger guns “Did it hurt when you fell from heav-”

“Yes, it is exruciatingly painful to fall from heaven. Are you done?” Cerise interrupted.

“Ah, yeah yeah.” Erden said, dejected.

“I’m sure you didn’t come out here just to hit on me, so why are you here? Thought it was ‘haunted’ or something?”

“Oh, yeah, something like that!” Cerise answered enthusiastically.

“And yet you’re not scared”

“Correct as well, Cherry!”

“Cerise.” Cerise corrected. “So for one last time, what are you doing here?”

Erden looked around the room in case there was anyone else nearby to hear. “I, uh, heard people go missing here?”

Cerise stared at her sympathetically for a few moments. “I see… so you lost someone and hoped to find them in the place people get lost at. I’m sorry, but you won’t find what you’re”

“Oh no no no!” Erden interrupted. “I was hoping to disappear!”

[sapphire-phantom]

It's getting there! The playlist is slowly becoming a book les fuckin goooo!!!

[sapphire-phantom]

Prompt 1: Cursed to Lie

From this set of prompts by @thepromptfoundry

Cerise was on her way to her friend, Cynthia's, house after classes had finished for the day when she heard a strange sound coming from in her bag, like someone was trying to talk but their voice was muffled. She tried to ignore it at first, but the sound seemed to nag on and on. She knew she didn't want to annoy Cynthia with this when she got there, so she decided to check out what it was.

As soon as she opened her bag, the voice got clearer.

"Hey, hey you" said a vaguely masculine voice "Yeah, in the deck box. Open the deck box"

Cerise was obviously suspicious of this new found disembodied voice asking her to take out her cards. She quickly rifled around through the contents of her bag, just to be sure.

"No, nobody put a speaker in your bag, just open the deck box!" The voice said, mildly annoyed.

Cerise looked around her. Nobody was nearby on the street. Nobody was looking at her over any back yard fences. Unsure if she should audibly address a voice that possibly only she can hear, she quietly opened the deck box.

Immediately, the small hand of a translucent figure shot out, and pulled itself out of the box. What emerged was a small, red man wearing a two piece suit and what looked to be a cheap hairband with devil horns on it. His hair was slicked back, reminiscent of Phoenix Wright. He was translucent to the same degree as some privacy glass, where you can see light and vague shapes through him, but can't see any details. The only thing opaque on him were his green irises, which made for a very strange look on the 15cm tall man. He held a briefcase with his left hand and straightened his tie with his right.

Cerise looked at him with confusion and slight disgust as she opened her mouth to ask one of the many, many questions she had.

"Ah ah ah" The small devil interrupted with a waggle of his finger "I will be doing the talking here."

He slightly opened up his briefcase and pulled out a shining ball of light.

"What in the- gah" Cerise began, interrupted once again, but this time by the ball of light being thrown directly into her throat. While trying not to choke on the ball, she ended up swallowing it.

"Oh god that..." she said, grimacing "was so delicious."

She was suddenly taken aback. She knew she had meant to say that it was disgusting. No part of her would have ever thought to call that even positive, but she can't deny what she heard herself say.

"Ha haaa! I see you have already started experiencing the benefits of the wonderful curse I've put on to you!" The small devil said to her "For a limited time offer, you, our lucky customer, will recieve the benefit of only being able to lie! Isn't that amazing?" He asked enthusiastically.

Cerise looked at him, a multitude of emotions running through her mind. She could only lie? She had to be at Cynthia's soon to hang out with her and Sapphire! Of all days for this to happen, why did it have to be one of her few days off?

"You know, you're gonna have to say something." he said, a little annoyed.

Cerise thought another moment then looked at him smugly and said "This is great! Thank you!" before her expression returned right back to confusion and concern.

The small devil shook his head and waggled his finger again. "Ah haha, no. Intentional lies do not 'double negative' themselves into telling the truth." He said, gesturing air quotes, then added, "We had to patch out that one on our third client who was a little too clever for us."

"Hey Cerise! Over heeere!" A voice sang from down the street.

Cerise turned her head to see Sapphire waving to her from two houses over.

"You get lost again? You managed to make it a lot closer this time before giving up!" Sapphire added

"Welp, that's my cue! Good luck!" The small devil said, tipping his cheap devil horns headband before disappearing in a puff of fine, red dust which soon dissolved into the air.

"Oh hehe, yeah. Hi, Sapphire!" Cerise said, picking her words carefully.

"You alright? Why are you talking so weirdly?" Sapphire raised an eyebrow.

'Should I tell her? If my friends know I'm cursed, they'll know I mean the opposite of what I'm saying' Cerise thought.

"Oh, yeah! I am not talking weirdly because nothing is wrong!" Cerise said cheerfully, cursing at herself in her head that her intentions still aren't getting through.

"...Right well Cynthia and I have the show all ready to go, so come on!" Sapphire said, gesturing to the house.

Cerise just nodded and walked up to the house with her.

Cerise walked through the door and Cynthia immediately hugged her "Hey hey Cherry! How are yooouu?" Cynthia cheered.

"Hello! I'm doing fine! How about you?" Cerise answered, thinking 'Okay, neutral words and simple questions work fine'

Cynthia jumped in place a little and said excitedly, "Dude, you ready for the new season??"

Cerise looked to the side coyly. "Oh no, not at all!" She said somewhat flatly, hoping her expression would carry her sarcasm.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow and muttered "But you've been looking forward to this for... months..." while narrowing her eyes.

Suddenly, Cynthia's expression changed to realization. Cerise hoped with all her being that Cynthia was seeing this as an obvious lie.

"Right! We don't even have any snacks yet! I'll go to the kitchen!" She exclaimed, skipping off.

Cerise and Sapphire walked into the living room area and plopped themselves onto the couch.

Sapphire looked over to Cerise with concern. "You sure you're okay? You look super stressed."

Cerise gave a soft sigh. "My head is cube-shaped."

Sapphire nodded "You're so real for that, dude"

Cerise looked over to Sapphire, confused, and concluded Sapphire must have thought her attempt at a blatant lie was just a nonsense way of communicated. She blamed the current state of the english language for her problems and mentally moved on.

Cynthia came back with a charcuterie board and a cardboard fast food drink holder with 3 glasses of differently colored sodas. She set them both on a coffee table in front of the couch and sat back in the middle of Cerise and Sapphire.

"Alright, you girls ready for the show we've been waiting months to see?" Cynthia asked excitedly.

"Absolutely!" Sapphire answered quickly.

"I'm not... not not ready!" Cerise replied, hoping she could trick the curse with a double negative.

"God, why are you acting so weird today, Cerise?" Sapphire complained

"Uh, I uh. I am not acting weird and you should not think about what I am saying"

Cynthia started to look a bit disappointed and said "I mean, we can reschedule if today isn't a good time"

"No!" Sapphire cut in "We've waited so long for this!"

Cerise tried to think quickly about what she could say. "I- we- I- Your bathroom doesn't exist!" She said, quickly getting up to go to the bathroom.

"Dang, if you had to go you could have just said that" Sapphire managed to say before Cerise closed the door.

Cerise looked in the bathroom mirror. 'Think, Cerise, think. What could I possibly say that could tip them off to what is going on?' She stood there for a few moments longer before an idea hit her.

She left the bathroom and proclaimed "I am only capable of telling the truth and never lies" she said

Cynthia looked at her, incredibly confused "What, like some sort of truth serum? You're not making any sense, you've been sarcastic at best all evening"

'Yes, yes she's getting it! And now for the kicker' Cerise thought.

Cerise raised her hand and pointed at Cynthia. "You are alive."

Cerise was incredibly confused. Wasn't her curse supposed to force her to tell lies? This seemed to be her telling the truth.

"Um, yes, I am, Cerise. Why do you look so... devistated?" Cynthia asked as she began to understand. "You, uh, didn't think you were going to say that, did you?"

[sapphire-phantom]

Decacycle Update

About 1K words in on chapter 1. I have started developing a new card game for this, which I have plenty of time to flesh out the details on because it'll be a bit before it actually shows up beyond casual mention.

Gonna be doing some writing prompt stuff this month as practice, as my brain runs on novelty, so not much actual Decacycle progress will be made. I just got in 1K words as I was hoping to get chapter 1 done for Halloween :P.

I also put together my multiple Decacycle playlists into one single playlist to figure out pacing, which is really interesting because the songs are, of course, not 1:1 with how Decacycle is actually paced (for example, there are some events covered by multiple songs which are much shorter than other events which are covered by only 1)

[sapphire-phantom]

Over time, from casually changing things about the story in my head, I've gotten to the point where Decacycle has only 1 thing taken from yugioh.

I would only need to change 1 thing to make decacycle something that's completely my own

And that one thing is the entire fucking card game

The one thing standing between me and calling Decacycle a novel/novel series instead of a yugioh fanfiction is making my own entire fucking card game

Like I've wanted to make a card game of sorts for a while and I already have notes of what it would look like if I made one, but damn