I think in most games its simple right as they’re usually humans so its like this skin colour, this hair colour, this eye colour and this build and height.
In this game its a bunch of new fantasy creatures with strange shapes, sizes and colours. But hey this is an interesting game, I never knew I could romance a mist like creature lmfao
Y’know, I need more opportunities to be both snarky and pun on Id. MC casually, “Oh, I am sorry, I must have mist-ed you.”
Sorry sorry, I will see my way out.
Seriously tho. I love that MC can have thoughts of one thing and then act another. Because that is how life is sometimes. You want to be a good and nice person and then someone just brings out the snark in you.
My sentiment exactly! Or sometimes you just act one way to mask how you’re actually feeling. It’s great when a game allows it!
Yes snarky and sarcastic responses are great, Wayhaven and The Exile does it brilliantly and it makes interactions funnier. Hope this game implements that in the future, its always a blast to rile up cold or angry characters with an annoying MC lol
Hey everyone! I hope you had a great easter. Myself, i’m still contorting myself out of the pretzel position I assumed after spending the greater half of my vacation as a passenger princess on a roadtrip (My highest listed quality on a CV) :] It was so worth it, with many conversations on game development, writing and life in general…And great food. I got to cook on a sizzling lavastone! And there was so much poppyseed cake… I can’t look at it any more.
Reprieve aside, it brought some helpful momentum on things I have been thinking about. But more concise thoughts on that with the progress report coming at the end of april/start of may, depending on how much time I have to spruce it up…
Anyway! I hope you are doing well and that the turn of the quarter has brought you some hope for the future, too.
@reyn.ag
Thank you so much for your feedback! It is always great to hear from invested readers, even though (nudge, nudge) the feedback can be very subjective sometimes. I get that you think that the pacing is slow; it is! The start is very introspective. And it is meant to be. This world is big, and I want to introduce it gradually. In my personal opinion (which is going to influence the story to a fault-) I love stories that have slow starts, with action that ramps up either through gradual subtlety or big, surprising moments (slingshot scenes, as I call them).
So, I’m going to ask you:
(These are all things that make feedback easier for me to implement, and is directed at anyone else that might feel this way- replying gives me really valuable, actionable, feedback.)
Where exactly did you get bored? What caused it? What would you have liked to have seen?
And your second point, purple prose. That hurt my feefee’s. 
(I’m kidding… You’re safe. For now. )
Saying someone has purple prose is a very harsh way to put it, to me, as it sounds like my writing is like vogon poetry from hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
Do you really think it’s that bad?
I obviously don’t, and I’ve never heard criticism like that once since I posted my work. Ive only jokingly, self deprecatingly, said it, but not really meant it: I like my writing style, it has been cultivated from years of me rabidly devouring poetry and a vast array of literature until I was dizzy with words. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement… But I like the blueprint, so to speak. So again with the questions: Where is the specific point in the scenes/ on page that you start to roll your eyes, and skim read the rest?
I’m biased so I might have a hard time getting it, even resist it, but I’m really grateful for honest feedback. As much as I would like to believe that I am, I’m not writing this book for only myself. I want you to enjoy it! More than anything on some days… To have you involved with the process is a great deal to me, one that honestly keeps me going on rough writing days.
Re:the pronouns, I know :’) I sometimes miss to mark the variables, or put them in entirely (and they are all male-based because there’s one less letter between he and she lmao 
) I try not to worry about it too much at this stage, as I will go through the acts with a fine tooth comb once it is time for editing. I hope you can see past those annoying typos when they do appear. Sorry!
I’d send you a rasberry pie if I could. Honestly, thanks for giving me the time of day :]
Oof… This is getting long. Sorry! Just a few more things.
I’m working on this, actually! If you don’t follow me on tumblr, I posted this:
[TEXT ID. A slice of a digital portrait of Selene, showing her with white, billowing hair and ornate, gold glasses. The image is cut off just above her secret smile, showing her gaze instead; the thin Y-shaped pupils directed at the viewer. END TEXT ID]
I’m working on portraits for the whole crew, both F/M gender presenting, and I’m about halfway there, maybe a little less. I have Selene, Sene, Auryn (both genders); take a peek but it isn’t adjusted for monitor colors, I paint on an ipad… It’s wonky as all hell.
The rest of the crew is there too, but in rough sketches that I’m taking my time to develop. Id is hard. What the hell. Rude. Why is painting a mist-person so hard?
What I’m saying is, I want this to be a feature too, both in art and in writing. It is coming, at snails pace… But! It is coming.
I think that’s it. @Radiantbliss , @LiliArch , you rule. End of statement.
Have a great day/night!
I love this description oh so much.
I come bearing sneak-peeks and a question. 
I need help, but I also reserve the right to change my mind as the muse might tug me one way or the other. As it is now, it hasn’t happened, and I’m reaching the point that I really need to get this over and done with. (Because yes, I am procrastinating.)
Currently I’m working on finalizing the RO 101’s and when it comes to Yor/Yana, I have to decide whether your hunter meets them in the Highlands, or the engine room for the Hedge. Here are the opening lines for both:
If that wasn’t enough to convince you the next thing you see certainly does. Silhouetted against the low sun is the shape of a ${yo_man} on the back of a draft horse, a stately image, only enhanced by the swinging lasso ${yo_he} wields above ${yo_his} head. Even from this far, you see the flex of ${yo_his} muscles as ${yo_he} swings— and tosses the rope with near magical precision. $!{yo_he} catches a young bull by the horns, reeling it in with a gentle sort of strength that has your mouth watering. For reasons you’d rather ignore, that is. Enraptured, you watch the show of quiet determination until $!{yor} has the bull settled and taken care of by a bustling body with feet on the ground. Auryn sends off a shrill whistle to catch ${yo_his} attention from somewhere behind you. With a turn of ${yo_his} head and a sharp Yah!, ${yo_he} digs ${yo_his} heels into the horse, and rides over to you with a thundering beat of hooves on hollow ground.
Your neck almost develops a chink as you lean into your heels just to get the whole view of $!{yor} approaching. Though you squint against the light and $!{yor} is cloaked in shadow, you think you catch a faint smile on ${yo_his} lips, smug in its quirk. Almost as if ${yo_he} enjoys the view before ${yo_him}, of you struggling to take it all in.
“Hunter.” $!{yo_he} states, and inclines ${yo_his} head. “Everything alright?”
It looks as if you have arrived in some sort of maintenance tunnels, a network of paved roads lit with stubby electric lights along the walls in perfect lines; some of them flicker ominously.
You walk towards the only one with a completely lit up path, forgoing the ones that are so darkened that walking in those directions would feel like descending into the maw of a sleeping beast.
Your steps echo along the walls as you make your way deeper, following nothing but your curiosity. Beats the oppressive atmosphere of your quarters, at least.
You come up to a large door, standing slightly ajar. There’s a terrible ruckus coming from there, the sounds of metal scraping, the heave of massive pistons firing and… A guttural grunt as someone lifts something heavy. You recognize the voice as it swears. Metal clatters again.
You venture a peek inside, greeted with the gust of mechanical heat and— a view of a half-naked $!{yor}, ${yo_his} back sweaty and gleaming, streaked with motor-oil. A towel hangs over ${yo_his} shoulder.
You swallow, throat thick.
I knock. “$!{yor}?”
$!{yor} swivels on ${yo_his} feet to see where your voice came from, and though ${yo_he} squints disapprovingly at first, ${yo_his} lips quirk into a light smile as ${yo_his} eyes settle on you.
“Hunter,” $!{yo_he} says, and inclines ${yo_his} head, spreading ${yo_his} arms invitingly; not even bothering to hide the vastness of skin presented to you. $!{yo_he} wipes $!{yo_his} hands and you can’t help but to linger on the sheer size of them. $!{yo_he} grabs the door and swings it open. “How did you end up here?”
sobs I can’t choose, and I can’t keep them both. Help!
0 voters
Thank you if you vote. I truly can’t decide and I can’t have it this way anymore. I have to finish this path if it kills me.
Aaaaand a sneakpeak of a bold!MC and Auryn that I shared on tumblr earlier:
#“Burdened? No.” I laugh. “I was enjoying the view of you working up a sweat.”
Auryn’s eyes widen in surprise and amusement, and ${au_he} chuckles softly. “Oh, is that so?” ${au_he} asks, a hint of playfulness in ${au_his} voice.
“Mhm,” you hum, shrugging, though a bold smile plays on your lips. “I couldn’t help it. You have a way of…captivating people.”
Auryn’s smile turns into a grin, and ${au_he} shakes ${au_his} head. “I didn’t know I had that kind of effect on people,” ${au_he} says, teasingly.
You scoff, feeling a warmth in your chest that has nothing to do with the sun. “Well, now you do,” you say, almost believing ${au_his} diffidence. And then you challenge it: “So what are you going to do about it?”
Auryn’s eyes sparkle with amusement, and ${au_he} leans closer, until you can feel the heat of ${au_his} sculpted chest brushing against your arm, ${au_his} breath ghosting over your lips.
“I might have to explore this effect a bit more,” ${au_he} says, voice low and intimate.
Catch ya later!
Not sure if its been mentioned before but the images seem broken to me. Specifically ouroheader0.1
Oup! Yeah, that is my bad. Sorry! I should’ve removed it completely but never got to it. It looked like dogshit, to be frank, which is why I never actually completed the link and let the banner show.
I fixed it with a temp image (as I’m still working on a complete set of art within a set style; but it will take some time!) and updated the demo. Have a look!
I uploaded the proper picture for the first chapter as well;
A face with a glowing eye, half submerged in murky waters, a finger to their lips in a hushing gesture
so you can enjoy it while it lasts (not for long!)
Please let me know if there’s anything else I missed; I’m getting very tired and my eyes and brain are not being cooperative at all. Cheers!
Too bad for cowpoke Y; I was hoping that one would win because it would be their favorite place to be. They love working on the fields, right? Ah, well. Both scenes are lovely, so the eventual update will be something great!
Completely unrelated: That weird red strawberry with the 8 legs, and prominent chelicerae on your blog… Please tell me that’s not an unusually HD pic of a clover mite; I’m led to understand that’s a near impossible task, though they ain’t that tiny imo. 
:]
It still is, no matter where their 101 is. If you take the refused path in the beginning, Auryn notes on how ‘Y’s precious cows can snug up in the brig, and the brig gets a better use.’
lol.
The pastures, for sure. I don’t think their knees would fare well with the sowing and the reaping. But they do love it up there, the freedom. The open air. Reminds them of home.
And, to circle back to which version to go with, though it wastes a lot of text (but all that writing still taught me a fair few things about the characters, so saying it’s a waste is just harsh, I guess), I think I have found a way to meld the two together. Still working on it though…
I am… hmm. I do know I started following a macro-wildlife photographer not long ago and reblogged his images. I am fairly certain one was of a red velvet mite.. Precious (HUGE) critters.
If it is the photoset I think it is, they were amazing photos indeed! (Loved this tangent, lol, thanks for bringing it up! Bugs are dear.)
Take care! 
Hello yes i have been turning this post around in my head like a costco rotisserie chicken. I went to replay to see if it was just in the poly route; but he says he feels betrayed that the hunter left even when you’re not on the poly path, which surprised me. I can’t imagine the complicated feelings Id went through, first in being angry enough to try and kill mc and then feeling abandoned because for better or worse, they got what they “wanted” and mc is gone (even though they’re alive, technically). Like the absolute complex that must give them. It’s absolutely delicious.
I do wonder if we’re seeing glimpses of how Id used to be; putting in books spine-side in, bringing a burlap sack for the bit. I wonder if mc recognizes those little bits of who Id was now that they’ve reunited. Also how when he’s talking to Lyselin he says “now you won’t read to me anymore” and like! He likes being read to! That is so cute!! My mc definitely softened a bit when she overheard that, and might even read out loud to her plants secretly hoping (but never admitting to herself) that one day Id stops by. But you didn’t hear that from me.
Also love how Id is casually reading in the meeting like they’ve had this shiny new armor for ages and not like, 2 days. Show off.
That being said: I am SO excited to hear the whole cast’s backstories!!! I think my top right now is Sene/Selene, since they would have presumably known about the well and the royal family’s corruption. What kinds of heinous experiments did the royal family sign off on!!! What does this willowy fuck in their open poet shirt know!!! They know something!!! What do they know about our blood!!! And why are they so enamored with us when so many have tried to capture their heart and failed!! WHAT DO THEY KNOW-
Tied with S is Auryn because there is absolutely no inkling as to what their backstory could even be. There’s been like. One or two mentions of their mother on the blog and I am intrigued.
And then there’s L, who if you put foreshadowing in the smut scene I’ll never forgive you because that would be too incredible “promise me that you’ll always stay the same and I can always come back to you” hey babe what the FUCK ARENT YOU TELLING ME-
I think I have a good read on what Y’s backstory might be but I’m keeping my theories to myself for now.
Anyway. Just love the whole story. Can NOT wait to see how it’s all connected.
Well wasn’t this a treat to return to! Thank you :> You are very perceptive and I’m living for it.
In my first notebook, they are only known as the character of mist & mischief lmao 
Id loves to read, but since they were intangible until they got the armor, their hands just passed through every book, unable to flip the page. This goes for all other objects too; imagine forgetting the texture of things!
Their utter boredom together with now being an outcast, losing everyone and their own place amongst them nearly drove them mad…Or into a mad depression, at least. Anyway.
Id, before they confessed to Lys that they would like to be read to, would devour every opened book that would be left open in the archive, page by carefully flipped page. The whole ordeal of reading was a strenuous one; they’d blow a breath to flip the page, end up flipping three and having to go back, flipping back five. It was enough to drive the sanest person mad. So yeah, Lyselin reading to Id was a piece that lead to them having hope again, beginning to heal. It was a huge deal to even ask, to pass that threshold of accepting help. (This is only going to be showed in the story as subtext so I’m not putting a spoiler. Just “fun” (devastating) trivia!)
I love your MC with my whole heart.
yay me too! I have been agonizing over the best way to show it for months, telling enough but still leaving a bit of mystery within. I will resist posting any sneakpeeks because it changes constantly, but all their stories are indeed intertwined in a very fun (horrible for everyone involved) way!
“if I did”
You are too kind! And all-seeing. 
You made my day with your kind words and infecting enthusiasm. I can’t wait to show you!! I swear you are the reason I managed to pump out 3k of words on a worknight yesterday. Thank you for taking the time to drop by here on the forum! I hope you like it here :>
If you are waiting for THE progress report: I’m still working until the 9th of June, so I have postponed it until then because of the Announcements I’m going to make, which to me are pretty life-changing so I don’t want to be tied up when it goes live. Keep an eye on this space!
Hello! So I did a little challenge today and I thought I would preserve it here too, since I am moving blogs soon (oop! 
)
Here is the initial prompt (me writing the first gay pairing comment), and here is the incredibly cheesy, waxing poetic result:
this was written as a challenge, under an hour.
Their paths had crossed again on a day when the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon reigned over the sky, casting its pale glow on the world below; on the world that Ida had come to know to mean more than rocks and trees, now including the slope of a nose and the curve of a hip. Lady Leith, lost in her thoughts, found herself seeking refuge beneath an ancient willow, a sacred space where the presence of love was ever palpable for the inhabitants of Riven, who sought such things in the face of everything horrid. Summer was fading now, the chill of the breeze enveloping the hesitance that lived within them both. Here, Ida watched as Leith ran fingers over her lips, contemplating. It had been only a month since they parted on that mission, where everything went wrong and blood had colored their clothes with rust and stain, and yet the kiss they had shared in the face of death had washed it all away.
Would she remember? Was it nothing to her?
Would nothing change?
It was there, beneath the weighing branches, that Leith’s eyes met Ida’s again, and it was as if time stood still, and the universe conspired to bring their hearts together, yanking, violently, refusing to settle for a hazed dream behind closed eyes.
In that moment, the weight of their yearning pressed against their chests, like the longing for a season that had yet to arrive.
“Your cherry blossom lips, dewed with the honey I fed to you beneath the tombs of Oakweth,” Ida let her voice float on a cold wind, tender and tentative, “away from the pressures of what yesterday had wrought. How I miss the taste of them.” Ida smiled as she approached, hiding her trembling hands with a voice as delicate as the branches that she pushed aside to venture closer.
Leith laughed, her heart caught in her chest. “Your poems had a way of making me… survive.”
“So I hoped. I couldn’t imagine a world-”
“We lived.”
“We did.” And as Ida stepped closer, her hand reaching out to gently touch Leith’s cheek, a surge of energy coursed through their veins, igniting a flame that could not be extinguished.
“Lady Leith, my persimmon. I yearn for autumn in your arms,” Ida confessed, half poem, whole truth, her voice trembling with raw desire. “Have me to hold, as I will with you. For whatever time we have, for forever; for now.“
In that moment, beneath the sacred tree, their lips met once more, sealing their vows in a violent kiss that transcended any spoken or written word. Their love, forged in the crucible of yearning, would endure, unyielding and steadfast, like the ancient goddess of union who presided over their love.
Happy pride! (said in the most obnoxious corporate tone, ever. Please don’t forget to kiss your pal on the lips though!) 
gag cough cough …the syrup of it all…so…damn…sweet
expires
I dont understand. How can leith and ida be a ROs for the mc if they are already a thing.
The first poly route that comes up is an L & I one that takes place during a flashback. Tends to be the route that I pick because I don’t want MC to be too alone with the guilt of what happened to them both. I’m reasonably certain it’ll bite me in the ass sometimes soon. Hopefully MC is into that kind of thing.
you know, reading it back I’m honestly surprised I survived writing it. Feels like I was possessed by molasses. Glad I could take you down with me
@Staffed Hmm, well, I do enjoy putting my fictional characters in different scenarios. Even if the story would have been about Yana and Auryn smooching under a tree, it doesn’t affect their relationship with MC in the ‘canon’ story. Just a bit of fun for us to imagine :>
First off, the title.
Ouroboros becomes all capitalized OUROBOROS.
Idk. It’s neat. Next!
The things I am slowly working on:
Art. Whew. I didn’t think I could draw like this anymore- drawing has been more of a struggle than writing has been, forever, always- it was something I really strived to become good at, for a time. And I gave up. Only to pick it up again when I started ouro, and ever since I released that pressure, something just clicked and I have been churning out art like never before. I don’t know if this is a fluke, a stroke of luck or if all that hard work I once did slaving away with menial art practice… but I’m grateful nonetheless. (A note on official art: I lost my ipad pencil somewhere on the lawn, lmao. I haven’t been able to get a new one yet, so there is a slight delay here.) I am hoping that I get to make some commissions too, in the near future.
And a final one of Yor, out in the open.
Onto the hellscape that is coding! I have been growing more proficient with CSS and html with the help of the ones that run so that we can walk; I have studied and researched and tested and tinkered until my eyes crossed, finding my way into this medium with the incredible guidance of the giants of whose shoulders I stand on. I will talk about this in detail on a later date.
But, I think it’s finally time to reveal that yes, I am working on a twine version of ouro. I will develop it in tandem with choicescript; the porting over from one to the other isn’t the herculean task I thought it would be.
Why am I doing this? Because I need to have a save system. I am continuing to write the whole alpha draft in choicescript in hopes that CoG will announce the ability to have a native save/checkpoint system, but if that doesn’t happen, I can’t publish this story without one. Unfortunately, I am not willing to code in a savesystem in choicescript myself, because this will be a large game, with far too many variables for that to be sustainable. Trust me, no one is more disappointed by that fact than me. If it comes to the point that twine publishing will be what I do, I will set my sights on writing a smaller game for hosted games.
Alright, we’ve had some appetizers. Now onto the main dish!
New Socials!
This is the new, exclusively OUROBOROS blog where I will share all announcements and sneak-peeks, future updates and of course, answer questions. I worked together with the dev of the theme and made it oh, so pretty and functional. It was very exciting. Please check out their portfolio, if you are ever in the market for sprucing up your (desktop version) of tumblr. They were a pleasure to work with. Amongst other things, it has a gorgeous header (again, only if you visit on web and not mobile) where I am showcasing fanart and official art. Go check it out!
This month, I am showcasing a truly breathtaking art from KAIRELART, and you can find the full art here,
or follow the links in the “FEATURED ARTIST” tab in the top bar of my new tumblr.
I hope you enjoy this new haven for OUROBOROS! I will be answering questions once a week (saturday) and ramping up as I adapt to this new schedule, more on that further below.
My old tumblr, honeypeabrain, will revert back to being my personal blog. Feel free to keep following me there, but know that it will be inundated with shitposts, crass humor and the occasional poetry dump and personal post. You’ve been warned!
Discord!
By the good graces, this was ROUGH to set up. Working with discord bots is akin to wrangling code, and it was well and truly, a war. But with the help of many, it is finally all done and ready for anyone to join and talk to me and others about OUROBOROS and anything else between heaven and earth.
I will also greatly appreciate if any future bugs and feedback are submitted through here, so I can keep easier track of it.
Come join us! (18+ ONLY.)
Patreon & Ko-Fi
Yep! Ko-fi is just a place to toss me a coin if you wish to help me towards the goal of new PC parts to make testing easier, or to just show appreciation for those that have it to spare. Patreon however, already has a multitude of posts and will be a hub for exclusive NSFW side stories that you get to vote on, regular-pegular sidestories, loredives and extensive sneak peeks, Q&A’s, polls and weekly dev logs.
Amongst the tiered content, there is a (free) NSFW story with female MC and Idren to read there right now, if you want to check it out!
It is not mandatory to help me by any means, so if you do choose to support me, you have my eternal gratitude. I don’t know how to properly express it, but I am damned sure I am going to give it my all by throwing every piece of extra content I have planned, and others that I think of on the fly.
And finally, onto writing: The best news out of this whole bunch is that I have worked so hard on editing and writing, that in the past month I have all but finished a two chapter update and some edits! I have a chunk of about 7-8ish thousand words left to write, and I am going to buckle down over the weekend to see it through. I wanted to have it done so badly for today, but I lost three days of writing time last week due to still being weighed down with work. I hope it isn’t too disappointing to have to wait until next week for the demo update! I am going to post a link to an as-I-write updated demo on Patreon and Discord, if you want to see the ugly face of raw wip drafts. I am literally posting it as is, unfinished branches and all. It is only at the end of the last two major scenes (meeting the Vicar and then weapons kitting) that are scuffed, but scuffed they are. I haven’t had a single second spare in the past days to work on testing, or writing/editing. If you want to read the more polished version, I will post the demo update here next week with a comprehensive post!
And now! the biggest news is…
YES, you heard that right. Can you also hear me trembling in my boots? This is what I have been tossing and turning about every night ever since Easter. It started as a silly idea while talking to some friends and family about how I was looking for a change in career. And then, little by little, that idea whittled down to a plan, carefully carved by my partner and his whispers of a happy future, a finished dream project, and something to be proud of until the day I wither and die. Somewhere between then and now, I grasped a tiny sliver of bravery and held on for dear life.
I quit my job as a teacher (my last day just a few hours ago!!), and instead of accepting a cushy office job, I started behaving as if OUROBOROS and writing was my work (for all the moments I could afford). I have researched and tried different methods from week to week, and although I was still tired from work, I felt like I was onto something that could build into a sustainable future, step by small step. But, it all has to start with this enormous leap.
I have no doubts that this journey will be bumpy and uncertain. It might all crash and burn and fail in a spectacular way, or with a whimper, but then I will know that I have tried. I will know that I gave myself the chance to be who I want to be, work on what means so much to me. And, it means that OUROBOROS will become a finished project somewhere down the line, and not just a hobby idea to tinker with.
The draft will get a bit rougher around the edges as I will dedicate work-time on it, and not fiddle around with edits and rewrites as I did when I was left with little to none energy at the end of the day, but that is about as far as it will affect you as a reader. (On the positive side, this means more updates!)
And that’s it. I think the hardest part of formulating this post (I’ve written about 50 versions of it!) is getting to the point; the kernel of what makes it so special to me. So, in my heart of hearts, what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m gonna give it my all- and while I know the road to having a sustainable career in writing is rough and ever winding, I do know for sure that I am ready for a challenge, to pour my heart and soul into it until the day I rush out of the office screaming IT IS DONE. IT IS DOOOOONE!!! And I cannot wait for that to happen.
If you decide to join me, I will treasure your company like a lantern in the dark. Hand in lovable hand, let’s do this.
New tumblr!
patreon is still under review because of silly me being hesitant to launch, but I will post the free NSFW short so that you can access it anyway,
Come join the discord! And if you want, see the update in it’s raw form while I work on it this weekend to post the update come monday. Also I quit my job to write full time. Yahoo!
Many of the games here have a checkpoint system. You mean the authors were coding that in themselves the whole time? 
