One Thousand Blooms — (ON HIATUS)

Actually given the story so far I wonder how much longer until the main plot happens. Given the summaries, they’ll be a young adult (and since they’re still a child, looks to be quite a while before there) which begs the question:

Will Datura possibly kick the bucket first – jumpstarting the main plot – or is he framed for a murder (also jumpstarting the plot)?

And what role does our the baby sib have in all of this :))

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Kyaaaaaa… shouting, rolling off the bed. You make my day@Lycoris. TQ. TQ. Love it.

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I’m really, really loving this so far! I really like Choice of Romance-esque games so this takes the cake for me.

I hope Datura is okay and nothing [too] bad will happen to him :cry: I love my fictional dad already. He is soooo nice. I already feel like he doesn’t deserve all this but he looks like a victim of his own choices. But really, I like him a lot already. Even if I try an “evil” playthrough, I don’t think I can be an ass to him.

The relatives were all interesting. I can feel the tension and hear their awkward fake laughter already as they all pretend like they don’t hate each other that much.

I’m curious how you’ll go about it though. So far, the mother has been the only one who I find very disagreeable. I’m curious to know whether you’ll go the “they’re all ~evil garbage jerks~ so pick the lesser evil” route or you’ll make them “rich jerks but still kinda sympathetic enough that you don’t want to run them over a truck if you could”. if you’re opting for the latter, i wonder what you’ll do to make the mother more likable. there have been merits to the others so far but none for the mother who appears only to ruin things lol

i don’t know what to make of the baby. the parents don’t really seem to have time for each other + always quarreling so i think there may be a chance that the baby is a bastard.

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what do you think that’s going on with the aunts and uncles? What kind of impression do they give you (their personality, if they hate some of the other in-laws, why, any theory, etc.)? I’m asking mostly to see if I managed to show what I wanted (what kind of man do you think Adonis is, for example? And Petunia or Clematis?), and if I managed to portray their relationship with each other properly.

Adonis and Stephanos both seem to be quite apathetic but Adonis more as a result of bitterness while Stephanos has more of a…neutral apathy, if we can put it like that. I said before I didn’t like Petunia but reading more closely, I prefer her over Clematis and Lawren who seem really and suspiciously manipulative. Petunia is manipulative too, of course, but Clematis and Lawren are just too explicitly fake for me to trust them.

It’s clear that basically no-one really likes anyone. E.g. Petunia calling Adonis’ offspring “spawn” and Clematis eyeing our bracelet: “and that’s when you know that there’s an untold story between Clematis, Lawren and who gave you that gift.” Maybe it’s a special family heirloom?

I think there’s a summary of the relationships at the end of the dinner: “From what you can see, Adonis and Clematis don’t get along even though they are siblings, while Lawren resolutely remains in the sidelines, minding his own business. Petunia doesn’t seem very fond of anyone but her close family, either; her husband is following Lawren’s example and mostly staying out of any conversation.”

Also, there’s obviously something going on with Lawren and his title, with his response being “well practiced and non-committal” in regards to his great-aunt. Petunia says that it seems unlikely he’ll be the Head of the Mallow Family…so I’m guessing this means his great-aunt wants someone else to be the Head?

On another note, I totally forgot last time but you asked us for the stats in the game, so here they are:

Charming/Naive MC

56

42

Graceful/Reclusive MC

43

47

Last thing: is there a specific reason Datura is so nice and sweet while Petunia (and the rest of the Society) is obviously not? Is it because of his upbringing/parents/etc…?

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Humans are complex creatures; what doesn’t make sense to some may be a very logical move to others. Plenty of people out there with a poor marriage (or in a relationship) have kids for several reasons, whether is to “save” said connection, an underhanded motive or something as rational as more pros than cons.

Although yeah, like @Phoenix_Wolf pointed out, Ava/Aaron are adopted by Datura. If they had been a biological child, the MC would have met them as soon as they were born or told the very same night, when things calmed down. The MC meets Ava/Aaron when they are 2, and the MC is seven. @Phoenix_Wolf, @Mxm124, you are spot on :wink:

But! @Logan3000x, @anon4518890, I’m glad that you pointed out that she looks pregnant in the party; now, the question is, where’s the biological baby if Avaron is adopted? She wasn’t crying, though; I think you’re mixing scenes; in the party she’s angry, and later on there’s the other event where Aquilegia and Datura scream at each other late into the night.

Datura’s… shame (his disgraced state, to call it something) only keeps him from inheriting the Nightshade title, which is in Petunia’s possession as for now. He would need to do a terrible, terrible job in order to lose his children’s custody (like failing to provide for them or actively hurt them). Just because they think that he may be unfit to raise them, doesn’t mean they (familiars and/or The Society) have the power to take them away; if things were like that, Adonis would very much not have Sid (he’s not an awful parent, but his methods are… peculiar, at best. A lot of people don’t agree with him having a kid under his wing, and he lives on The Borders, which are not the best place for raising children).

You don’t have to worry about Aquilegia, she has no interest in getting close to the MC and estranging them from Datura; not even out of spite. She clearly doesn’t want to be around them.

:slight_smile: :smile: :grin:

I don’t want to give spoilers, but I’ll say this: I try to leave hints here and there :wink:

In this kind of game, (almost) everyone has ulterior motives :wink: And yep, Petunia’s husband is Stephanos :ring: Clematis and Lawren are nice, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t currently scheming anything or are any less capable of it :candy: :lollipop: :chocolate_bar: Adonis, as a character, is meant to stand out in these kind of events: he doesn’t quite understand social cues, and doesn’t know how to make a good impression (or even wants to try), so I guess I achieved my goal? :smile:

Petunia is just not interested in being friends with the Crowfoot family (Aquilegia, Clematis and Adonis) so she doesn’t bother too much playing nice. And Adonis, regarding Clematis and Lawren… it will appear later on the game,but if you want spoilers: he has some serious beef with his sister, all of it because of Lawren. Adonis used to be married to the latter, but because of some complications in Lawren’s family (the heiress to the Mallow title died), they were forced to get an annulment so Lawren could marry a woman and continue with the family bloodline. If that wasn’t enough, Lawren married his sister Clematis; this made Adonis quite bitter towards them, and they are very much aware of it. Clematis is specially concerned about Adonis, because she grew up with him and knows what he is capable of.

As for now, the prologue, chapter 1 and 2 (the MC’s childhood and teenhood) will help me set a lot of variables that will be important for the whole game; in chapter 2 there are more hints and events, but the big stuff will start in chapter 3-4, when the MC is 18-21 years old :smile: I can’t tell you anything more :speak_no_evil:

What, I can’t give the MC a little sibling just to be nice? :slight_smile:

@xXOtakuKonekoXx, @Anya_A I’ll make it possible to have a lot of mixed feelings regarding the sibling; from loving them the very moment your MC meets them, having a hissy fit because they aren’t an only child anymore (but learn to love them), to hating their guts. And of course, Datura will be consequent to the MC’s actions/attitude :wink:

Mmm… what do you mean with this? :thinking: I like it when people specify why they feel certain way about a character; it helps me write them better, because then I know how people may interpret some of their actions and such (or if I’m managing to write them like I originally intended to).

Glad to see that you like the Crowfoot-Mallow family (Clematis and Lawren’s surnames, respectively); they are a nice couple :wink: And it’s not like Stephanos appreciates a deceptive MC; he’s kind of thick and only perceives what’s on the surface, so he likes the polite smile because he doesn’t realize what the MC is thinking.

You can be quite sure of that; you have not seen the last of her; she can get even nastier. @Beaterxys I have a scene in mind where she slaps you, and you can slap her back.

Currently, the demo already has someone dangerous in it (you can try and guess who), and not even then they (I’m not giving away who :wink: ) would do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Committing murder just because the MC dislikes someone is not enough of an incentive; the MC has to have something they want/may be interested in, or do something in exchange of said favor (or they could do it if they owe the MC big time).

There’s a wide variety of servants, I’m sure you’ll find some you’ll like :smile:

@Sau_Mei_Ng thank you! :hugs:

You know, I really like this line; it sums up his character quite nicely :astonished: Can I use it in the game? :thinking:

Haha, I really wanted to make the father a lovable character that the player would get easily attached to, for… reasons :smiling_imp: Mostly because I wanted to make a really strong contrast with what the MC grew up with (Datura’s personality, attitude and teachings) with what they would find in the outside world once they left the nest. I really like the idea of Datura keeping their child in a bubble, safe from any kind of harm and horror, but at the same time keeping them in the dark of what’s truly going on (so even if his intentions are good, in practice it’s not the best course of action).

And if I do both or mix them up, so you never know which is it? :smiley:

The thing about characters is that no one is 100% good or bad; they have their charms, their faults and their redeeming traits (even Aquilegia, though she doesn’t bother showing them). Even Datura himself has some serious flaws; he’s too trusting for his own good, too idealistic and naive for an adult (so it’s kind of a good thing that he doesn’t go to many social events; they would eat him alive there).

Oh! Is it possible to adopt your own bastard? :wink:

Yeah, you’re spot on! Stephanos has pretty much a lukewarm/indifferent attitude towards a lot of things because that’s just how he is, but Adonis’ sourness has its roots (there’s a spoiler as to why he’s like that, look around the answer I gave squarelyblue :slight_smile: Though his bitter-less personality isn’t much better, either). Clematis and Lawren weren’t meant to look so blatantly fake, so I’ll tone it down a bit/make them more genuine (it’s because they gave the MC marshmallows? :thinking: )

The bracelet isn’t a family heirloom, but simply a nice present from Adonis, who does some trading with gems from The Borders. It’s not about the gift itself, but who gave it to the MC; the spoiler I mentoined earlier is connected to it.

Mmm… maybe I’ll remove the summary and let the player make their own conclusions/suppositions.

Petunia was being a bit mean and taunting Lawren, wondering if he would actually inherit the title or not, because in case he didn’t, that would make some of his sacrifices meaningless. These comments don’t make much sense for now, but as the MC grows and the game progresses, the player will learn a lot of things that will make them look back and realize what’s truly going on.

Thanks for the stats! It will help me balance out some *ifs and checks :smile:

There are several factors that make Datura the man he is today, and why Petunia resents him.

Datura has always been like that; good-natured and caring and with a heart too big for his chest, yet too naive and utopian and never thinking things through before acting. He was a bit advanced for his time, thinking that Thorns should be treated as people who work for you instead of slaves, that marriage should be a thing of love and not business/duty, same with children, among many other things.

Petunia was also a sweet girl, though her kindness was a different brand (she would be “stern-but-for-your-own-good” while Datura would tend to indulge), diligent and much more logical and in-control of her emotions than her brother, striving to be the epitome of propriety. She wasn’t cold-hearted at all, but could do whatever was needed or asked of her, making her the perfect daughter for The Society’s standards; responsible, dutiful and compliant to her parents’ wishes.

They didn’t have the (exact) same education: as the oldest, Datura was raised to be the heir to the Nightshade title, while Petunia was only prepared with the minimum (since she was the spare), in case anything happened to him. He also got more attention from their parents because of it, but in exchange, he did his best to not make her feel estranged. Petunia has never held a grudge against him because she understood how things worked in The Society, of how things should be; this gives us a clue of how much she values it.

Had Datura not married Aquilegia, things would be really, really different between the two of them. But he did, and that’s what made them drift apart a great deal; her brother went against what Petunia believes (marrying someone out of love rather than duty was a very rare thing, even more so if someone is the future Head of the Family), and for what? A miserable marriage and a life of almost poverty even though he works himself to the bone everyday?

This made Petunia, who wedded Stephanos Bane (not because she loved him, but was a good candidate), and dutifully did whatever was needed of her as the holder of the Nightshade title, think that Datura was an imbecile. She hates that he risked so much for nothing, and at the same time is a biiiiiit envious of him, of how he tried to be happy regardless of what The Society dictated, even if the outcome wasn’t what he expected. Petunia couldn’t believe he was happy with the MC even though his situation was so… precarious.

Had Datura been like the rest of The Society, he would have raised the MC said way, leaving little room for them to be different or have their own beliefs (and little choices in the game); Datura gave the MC the freedom to be their own person rather than another pawn of The Society. To quote myself: I wanted to make a really strong contrast with what the MC grew up with (Datura’s personality, attitude and teachings) with what they would find in the outside world once they left the nest. And I liked the idea of a nice and sweet dad; plenty of stories out there have the fathers as jerks/missing/emotionally distant while the mother is the gentle and caring one, so I wanted to change it a bit :smile:

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do you mean she…had an abortion or a miscarriage and Datura decided to adopt a baby in order to coup with the situation? or am I reading too much into it, @Lycoris?

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@Logan3000x nope, you aren’t :smile: What’s more, there’s a scene where the MC can accuse him of very much what you’re saying, of adopting Ava/Aaron to “replace” his dead child, and… it’s not pretty. Avaron’s (how I call Ava/Aaron) situation is delicate at best, and Datura hates it when people try to scrutinize it, because he didn’t plan anything grand or macabre with it. To him, having Avaron is just as if he had sired them, because Avaron is not a substitute, but his third child.

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Thats all i ask. And also, if datura dies, be prepared to be surrounded by rivers of my tears.

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Damn fucking straight. I’m very in tune with the eye for an eye since I was ten when my sister was assaulted and I felt helpless about it. Do wrong by me and I come at you with equal force.

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Oh god, I’m not ready for our fictional dad to die on us. I just love him and his personality so much! :cry:

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I would have a hard time forgiving @Lycoris if that happens.

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I’ve noticed some typos and grammar errors but I’ll have to post those later since I was dumb and print screened them into a word document :sweat_smile:Do you want them PMed so they don’t clutter the thread or is it okay to just create another post?

Stats for child affectionate to Datura, polite at the family gathering and sneaky during argument


NIGHTSHADE—CROWFOOT HOUSEHOLD:
Datura Nightshade, your father: 80%
Aquilegia Crowfoot, your mother: 20%
NIGHTSHADE—BANE HOUSEHOLD:
Leander Nightshade, your cousin: 37%
Petunia Nightshade, your paternal aunt: 37%
Stephanos Bane, Petunia’s husband: 40%
CROWFOOT—MALLOW HOUSEHOLD:
Clematis Crowfoot, your maternal aunt: 44%
Lawren Mallow, Clematis’ husband: 44%
CROWFOOT HOUSEHOLD:
Sid Crowfoot, your cousin: 37%
Adonis Crowfoot, your maternal uncle: 35%

Humorous: 1
Serious: 0
Ironic: 0

Sweet: 4
Acerbic: 0

Meek: 2
Manipulative: 0

Mischievous: 2
Polite: 5

Outspoken: 3
Reserved: 1

Haughty: 0
Humble: 0

Agitated: 0
Composed: 4

Phlegmatic: 0
Passionate: 0

Caring: 0
Blase: 0

Affectionate: 8
Cold: 1

Stoic: 3
Sentimental: 2

Demure: 1
Cordial: 5

Brash: 1
Rational: 2

Courageous: 1
Craven: 3

Trusting: 2
Skeptical: 0

Forgiving: 0
Resentful: 0

Selfish: 0
Charitable: 0

Jealous: 0
Wasteful: 1
Thrifty: 0

Practical: 1
Idealist: 0

Diplomatic: 0
Bellicose: 0

Compliant: 1
Rebelious: 4

Stormy: 0
Temperate: 0

Determined: 0
Unsure: 2

Self Reliant: 1
Unsustaining: 0
Stubborn: 0

Vain: 0
Curious: 3

Possible error

At the Winter Solstice, after you ask about religion and expend all the questions from there then choose “Ask something else” it skips to our dad pointing out the different guests, without us asking anything Is it supposed to do that? The code for that section is probably kind of confusing with all the hide this and allow reuse that

My interpretation of the family interactions

So far with my limited world knowledge I’m going to guess that the whole barbaric slander about one of them being near the borders (I can’t remember who) probably means that the move was forced on them, perhaps because land was cheaper so they could retain their quality of life maybe? Or that they act really high and mighty when in reality they are on the borders which are not fancy at all and do not suit their view of how powerful they are?

Clematis and Lawren are probably poorer compared to the others since during the hug, Clematis looked at the bangle kind of… as if she was ashamed of her own gift? And the candy was the only thing they could give the MC without turning bankrupt? Idk, unlike some in the thread I like them the most because our relationship jumped by 14% just through one simple interaction, which is past the roof compared to the other family members and if characters are fake then the relationship% tends to remain unchanged. I’m going to pray that the stats don’t lie and we’re actually liked. Not that it means I’m going to trust them but they could be easier to persuade if they like us better.

Our uncle Adonis seems like he’ll be more amiable towards us as we grow older although I’m not really expecting that either :no_mouth: I don’t blame him for needing to be drunk in order to sit thorough a meeting with that family. He’s like the resident grump who will just look down upon everyone and I feel as if his lack of effort put into interactions is a way of showing his scorn towards society. It kind of makes sense to me since the Society is what annulled his marriage to Lawren so he could have some bitterness shown in this way?

Aunt Petunia was what I expect from family interactions, especially if it’s my family :joy: Just the little barbs aimed at my father during our conversation,her unwillingness for close contact and general holier than thou attitude. Her husband seems like an idiot while Petunia probably shouldn’t be underestimated. I don’t like their child much better either. Probably because our cousin was so… haughty. It’s probably to be expected I guess.

SID THOUGH?? OMFG I LOVE THAT KID. NEVER CHANGE!! They probably will and they will hate us just like everybody else and I wouldn’t be surprised if Uncle Adonis drugs Sid since they’re so hyper but theyaresocuteandwholesomeandIjustwanttoprotecttheminthisdogeatdogworld gasps for breath

ANyway, your characters are really well written and fleshed out so they actually felt like real people. So much so that I felt awkward for our MC when interacting with them. Terrible experience :scream::stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Questions

1: If Sid was ever forced to marry, would they have to be paired up with someone of their opposite biological sex or is it more murky for non binary persons? Idk, would society care that it seems disrespectful to just disregard their identity like that and see them only for their reproductive parts when pairing them up?

2: Did Adonis give our father such a warm welcome because he tolerates him the most out of everyone at the gathering or is trying to make a show in front of Lawren? Does Adonis regard our dad as a possible more-than-friend?

3: If Datura and Aquilegia got married for love then where did it go? Did they marry fast without knowing each other well enough? Did Aquilegia realise that she would lose all her privilege? It’s the only reason I can think for them being like this. Or was it our birth that ruined everything?

Sorry for the mass post! I haven’t been here since your update with the doctoress appointment and I’m really glad to have found this again after the name change. I really don’t expect to answer any of this, at least, not in one go because I realise it is a lot. Keep up the great work :heart:

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GDI @Lycoris! Don’t kill our father!!! >:(((

I knew something happened between these three… more specifically happened between Adonis and Lawren. You’re really good at dropping hints tbh. Adonis trying to be affectionate when welcoming the two but his actions rebuffed, Datura recognizing Adonis’ delicate situation w/ the couple, Adonis’ glancing at the two a lot, etc. Lawren/Adonis as a couple was just fangirl-y wishful thinking for me but apparently it was canon! I hope they find a way to be together :–(

I would be honored :relieved:

narrows eyes at you Don’t you dare kill our father!

…or do. Go make our MCs suffer for that sweet, sweet angst. :wink:

GASP Oh my! That’s… oh my indeed. But if it is a bastard, I wonder whose. It can’t be from Datura, I think. He’s too pure for his own good and really values family so I don’t think he’ll sleep with another while he’s married. If he does/did though, I think it could be because he’s too exhausted by his relationship with Aquilegia. If it’s his, maybe it’s a one night stand (thus an “accident” he isn’t keen on repeating) or maybe from an old love/friend of his. It’s more probable that the baby is Aquilegia’s though. It’s very clear that she hates that she’s stuck in this loveless and not-so-advantageous marriage. Maybe she has a true love somewhere that she had to leave because of ambition? Maybe she sleeps with others because she really just can’t deal with Datura and that brat anymore? idk.


Reading their descriptions, I think Datura and Petunia sound like my two main MCs right now. My male MC is like Datura who doesn’t care much for The Society™ and just wants “everyone to be nice and get along gdi!” He really loves his family (even his mother) but is more likely to make his own decisions and not follow society dictates. He’s more on the idealistic and forthright side too but he’s on his way to become an Adonis if The Society™ “corrupts” him. Meanwhile, my female MC is kind but she doesn’t necessarily have to be nice. She does play nice a lot though. Her loyalty is to herself and her father foremost and she’s willing to be cutthroat if she needs to be. She also doesn’t care about social rules but she’d follow them when it’s convenient to her.

I think they’d be on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the baby. M!MC would be super happy that he’s a big brother now while F!MC would be jealous and very suspicious [of the baby’s origins and of Aquilegia’s role in this] because she has this whole “Dad and I against the world” mentality :man_shrugging:


re: Datura and Aquilegia marrying “out of love”
I’m curious about this though. At the moment, it isn’t really evident that they married out of love. Hmmm… you did mentioned though that Datura was the one who married out of love. Could it be that Aquilegia used Datura’s love for her and married him because she thought it’ll be an advantageous marriage? She seems the type who likes putting on appearances so I wouldn’t put it past her.

Though what if they did both love each other? Maybe they even had a Romeo and Juliet love story and that’s why Datura’s wealth and social standing suffered because of their marriage. They weren’t prepared for any of this. They were just kids who thought that loving each other is enough.

Hmm :thinking:

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OH NOOOO! I can think so many ways that you can remove Datura. :cry:

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So actually telling off mother dearest will have to wait :stuck_out_tongue:

I wonder if the game will be contained in the family or we will meet more people outside of it. If RO’s are involved, can’t wait to see the reactions of everyone if the MC takes an interest in someone “insuitable” ( like father like child :)) )

No. You can’t :)) THE BABY HAS A PLOT PURPOSE (and very skeptical as to what that is) //brick’d

Hopefully though, MC can develop a positive relationship with them :)) as you said they can learn to love their sibling later on but still. I wonder how positive/negative the first meeting will go.

Beyond screaming at father dearest of course

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I think, by the time this game is done, every reader would have developed paranoia for at least 20 different things.

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well to me it makes no sense someone who doenst love her child go for another one, and since you said she will never love the mc no matter what is just even more senseless to me.

I suppose if mother had another child, maybe she might use them as leverage over Datura? Maybe she was fulfilling a societal expectation for heir and spare? Which is why Datura adopting would be a blow to her pride

In any case, her having a child has nothing to do with loving the baby

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I just tried to play the game to see the changes since the last time I had looked at it and got this message:

“Error: prologue line 1: invalid character (ChoiceScript text should be saved in the UTF-8 encoding)”

Has anyone else had this happen.

whats the point in having another child if u dont love them, for me it seems stupid

she already have one child doenst need another one , is just pointless