Salutations

riddle rosehearts is already a horse name now that I thought about it.

ref image below:

silly little swap au (which ended up mostly being an excuse for me to draw mersnake jamil. lol)

ANYWAY. drew up that lil diagram there before reaching book 6 so. shrugs. might change things might not we’ll see. BUT you get the rotation order at least. most importantly its also entirely based on rule of funny so. it’s legit just whichever pick makes me chuckle the most. (....which keeps changing GHJAKSLG)

+ bonus close-ups/alts:

Hell yeah !! Here's the other subjects from back in book 6 + a bonus Idia. As indicated in the og post he'd be stage 0 regardless due to the family curse (+ i am Slowly making my way thru book 7 with various lil spoiler nuggets here & there.) (also the whole. Fae. thing. makes Malleus a biiiit trickier to ponder AJDKSGHLEWQT)

Anime only safe! No spoilers!

TW: talk of pregnancy, and brief non descriptive talk of childbirth

Easthies is not an affectionate man, publicly or privately, in the traditional scene. He is not one for hugs, kisses or cuddles. Easthies way of showing affection is through acts of service. So when his wife comes to him, with news of a child, that man isn't going to know a moments rest again (not that he knew what rest was before)

For the first time in his life he finds himself torn between work and his personal life. He has ALWAYS been a work first sort of man, which is something his wife understood. It wasn't a secret after all, Easthies was very clear that being a Knight would always be his first priority- and now he's struggling with it.

The first few weeks of her pregnancy were difficult. Between the morning sickness and general fatigue, Easthies was going insane. He fixes things when they're wrong and he can't...fix this. It's not something to be fixed, just endured, and it drives him mad.

Between getting ready for work, he's bringing water and juice to help keep her hydrated and leaving food somewhere for her to find and eat if she feels up to it. Easthies thinks he's managing just fine until he gets word mid mission that his wife has collapsed and he loses his shit.

Thankfully she was just fine, a little dehydrated, stood up too fast, got dizzy and passed out for a few seconds. Aside from a nasty bump on her forehead, she and the baby were just fine. Honestly she spent a sold 10 minutes laughing at just how frazzled her husband looked and how he kept chasing nurses down to check her pulse every five minutes.

For the first time in his life he asked for a leave of absence. Vinanna isn't all that happy to grant her second in command time away, but he also isn't doing her any good being distracted all day long thinking about his wife.

Its a double edged sword. There is a great amount of relief in being home beside her, keeping a close eye on any issues that might arise...however he is also going stir crazy and can't stop thinking about all the world he SHOULD be doing. Utowin, Luluci, and Galga are wonderful knights. But they aren't HIM, and they will never be as good as he is at work.

Gets SUPER into housework. It's the only thing he can do to keep his hands and mind busy when he isn't fretting over his wife (who at this point is BEGGING him to return to work and stop hovering). The house has never been so spotless.

The second trimester goes much smoother. Easthies is shocked by just how much his wife is glowing. The morning sickness has subsidized to an occasional issue, her appetite returning and therefore so did her strength.

He return to work, and is greeted with a small party from his fellow knights. They present him with gifts for the baby, and it's only then he realizes he never...actually told them about his wife's pregnancy. Turns out Vinanna has informed them, and Utowin has been DELIGHTED at the thought of being an uncle. The Cool Uncle that is. Galga is just the regular boring uncle, and Luluci is quietly very pleased at the idea of being an Auntie. The twins don't don't really care, but they were promised cake if they behaved and at least ATTEMPTED to bring a relevant gift.

It used to be a rare sight for Easthies and his wife to be seen together in town. Not because either of them were hiding their relationship, but their schedules simply didn't align. Now, Easthies refuses to let her do any of the shopping on her own. He is always by her side now, one hand resting on the small of her back, a literal wall between her and everyone else.

Easthies isn't a creative man, so he turns to Luluci for advice on the nursery...and Luluci is pretty clueless too. She likes kids just fine, but doesn't know anything about babies. Utowin is certainly no help, so it's shocking when Galga offers the most practical advice. Says they should hire someone to so design the nursery, and gives him a basic idea of the things they should buy-

Utowin questions if he has a secret family they don't know about, but Galga brushes him off, and says he and a partner has thought about children in the past...but were waiting for sometime in the future to really commit to the idea or not.

He knows something isn't right when his wife hurries to him with a mischievous smile on her face and takes his hand into her own. Pressing it against her belly, and waiting...and when he feels that little flutter against his palm he nearly dislocated his shoulder yanking his hand away in shock. Easthies hadn't even been aware you *could* feel the baby, and sulked the rest of the night as his wife laughed at the sour expression on his face.

Once he grows accustomed to the idea of their child...moving, he's rather fascinated with it. Nearly always has a hand resting against her belly, feels a sense of calm knowing their child is healthy and alive.

Insists they're going to have a son. He swears up and down, he's certain of it. Something is just telling him it's a boy, much to his wife's amusement. She won't commit to the idea of it being either or, it hardly matters after all, but seeing him so resolute on the matter is cute.

Easthies doesn't understand why people get so giddy over baby things. Of course he is excited to have a child, but the way other people coo over tiny shoes and jumpers is odd to him. It's just clothing, but small. That is, until his wife presents him with a tiny, less complex version of the knights uniform she had commissioned from a tailor. Will take the fact he choked up a little over it to his grave.

Labor started two weeks early while he was at work. Thankfully he isn't in the middle of anything when word reaches him, because Easthies pretty much vanishes in the blink of an eye.

Childbirth is one of the rare instances witches are allowed to stay during a medical procedure. Questions can not be asked, but as long as no complications arise, they might stay beside their partner.

And he does. All night. Doing his best to keep calm while his poor wife cries and screams in agony. Easthies has never felt so useless in his life, and his nerves are shot by the time she pushes their little one into the world.

Despite coming early, and aside from being a bit small, the baby is born all screams and flailing limbs. Furious at their arrive into the world. Easthies just stands there. Stock still, staring at the bloody, wrinkled babe being placed into his wife's arms.

"If you deconstruct Greece, in the end you will see an olive tree, a grapevine, and a boat remain. Which means, with as much, you reconstruct her."

For as long as you can remember yourself, summertime has beckoned you to your grandmother's home, in the idyllic island of Zakynthos, Greece. You have dipped your toes in the golden brown sand, delved into the crystal blue depths of the Ionian sea, and made memories to last you a lifetime beneath the scorching Mediterranean sun, your flock of close-knit family and friends always by your side in your carefree summer escapades. Your quaint seaside village has been a haven, a specter of a time bygone, a dreamland oasis.

However, this year, something dark and sorrowful stirs beneath the tides, a shared loss reflected in everyone's eyes. A real estate mogul is aiming to purchase the seaside lot and re-purpose it into a luxury hotel. If they are successful in their endeavors, the familiar taverns, homes and shops, including your grandmother's own coffeehouse, will be bulldozed over to make room for tall spires of concrete and marble.

The sunlit reverie of your youth is coming to an end. You may never get to spend another summer season like this in Zakynthos. There is thus only one thing left to do: Make the most of the time you have left.

Features

Customize your character's personality, appearance, gender, sex, preferences and goals. Do you cling to the happy memories of your childhood or does the thought of modernization excite you? Does Greece call you to as your homeland or do you discard your roots? Shape your future and discover how your past slots into it, if it does at all.

Embrace Greek island life! Enjoy the Mediterranean cuisine, engage in local traditions, and interact with the island's lively and colorful cast of residents.

Participate in all sorts of wacky summer shenanigans. Explore an underwater cave! Go on a submarine ride! Witness the hatching of baby turtles! Try skinny dipping! Get so blackout drunk that you and your friends wake up on the other side of the island and are forced to retrace your steps, basically re-enacting the Hangover Ala Greek!

Unravel your complicated family history, and how it entwines with the village's own muddled past. Face generational trauma and decide how to move on from it, possibly reforge your family bonds, and uncover secrets hidden in the attic for far too long.

Engage in steamy summer romance! Fall in love with your wise-cracking (yet oddly secretive) childhood friend, or pursue the unattainable, stoic and withdrawn man/woman of your dreams, who to your misfortune also just happens to be your brother's best friend. Experience a whirlwind romance with the cute and shy tourist staying over in your grandma's B&B (one bed trope here we gooo), or explore your undeniably fiery chemistry with the business mogul who is actively trying to drive your family shop out of business! Or do all of the above! What happens in Zakynthos, stays in Zakynthos... or does it?

Decide the future of your village. Save it from the evil clutches of capitalism or help it transition into a bright new future! Enjoy your last summer in Zakynthos or carve out a life for yourself in the island, permanently.

Romantic Options

The Local (Lukas/Lukia)

The boy/girl next door, L has been your steadfast companion every June through August. The only other kid in the village exactly your age, unlike you, L is a permament resident of Zakynthos and holds no desire to change that fact. Characterized by a sunny disposition, a zest for life and a complete lack of shame, you don't believe you have ever seen L without a grin on their lips.

Yet despite it all, as your time together is drawing thin, you can feel something cracking in their gleeful exterior. Is is at all possible that your old friend is hiding something more troubled from you?

Close as you are, with how deeply they are entwinned with island culture, it is very likely that after this summer you will never see them again. The possibility makes longing swell in your chest, or could it be something else which is making your heart gallop?

L has golden curls that refuse to be tamed so they don't even try, sunkissed tanned skin and sea blue eyes. Their build is fit and toned. Dimples grace their cheeks when they beam, which is often. They look like the spirit of summer personified.

Potential Tropes: childhood friends, friends to lovers, girl/boy next door. Potential Variations: You can choose to have had a crush on L since childhood. If you do, it will be reciprocal. You can also choose how close you are exactly: whether you are summer buds or best friends all year long.

Brother's Best Friend (Atlas/Athena)

Your brother's best friend and the most mature of the gaggle. If you did not know how much they cared from years of them gliding over you like a mother hen, you would honestly assume they hate you, because their default expression ranges from "irked by your presence" to "murderous intent".

Currently top of their class in an Ivy League College, A is what you may call a perfectionist, and they hold themselves in very high standards. Many want and have tried to get close to A, but very few get past their guard, and you are not even sure if your brother is one of them.

Though distant, stoic and often biting in their remarks, A acts as the group dad/mom, ensuring that you have drunk enough water, put on a sufficient amount of sunscreen or remembered to take your jacket with you.

A is also very honest and straightforward about their perception of you; you are just a kid they are obligated to watch out for through the bonds of friendhood. They are fiercely (sometimes annoyingly) protective of you and will support you through thick and thin, while buying you a stuffed toy like you are still five years old.

But what if you want them to see you as more than just a kid? Is this your last chance to make an impression on them?

A has silken straight black hair, dark grey eyes and a fair complexion. Their physique borders on that of a Greek statue. A has an aquiline nose.

Potential Tropes: brother's best friend, "I am not just a kid anymore", in love and in denial. Potential Variations: You can choose to have had a crush on A since childhood. You can also choose if they are aware of it or not. At the beginning of the game, A is not actively reciprocating your interest.

The Tourist (William/Willow)

W had no intention of imposing on your grandmother's hospitality so long, but a sudden break up has them deciding to prolong their stay in Zakynthos. Not that they infringe all that much, seeing as they are quiet as a mouse and twice as skittish.

Shy, sweet and with a deep love for Greek history and mythology, W is hoping to take advantage of their vacation time to come out of their shell.

W is in many ways a mystery, intentionally so, you get the impression. Driven by a thirst for knowledge and a need for change, they are the newest addition to your little group.

Will do you able to coax this intriguing stranger out of their shell? And perhaps most importantly, why do you want to so badly?

W has dark skin, long locs and soft features. Clusters of freckles dot their cheeks and nose. Their build is petite and curvy. W speaks with a British accent.

Potential Tropes: summer love, one bed trope, forced proximity.

The Business Mogul (Stefan/Stefania)

S is a suave and confident playboy/girl, who seems to take a lot of pleasure in teasing you. Shameless in their hedonism and even more unashamed in their business acumen, S has come to Zakynthos to survey what they are determined to make their property. Having a wild summer while doing so, is really just a coincidental plus.

Self-centered but undeniably charismatic, S grew up in the lap of luxury and is used to getting their way with things. Despite it all, there is a constant lack of satisfaction about them, like they have everything and nothing all at once. One must wonder if the constant philandering, partying, drinking and expanding is nought but a shield against having to sit in silence with themselves.

S has their eye on you as their favourite person in the island already. Is that good or bad? You are tempted to find out, to dive deep into their dazzling and hazy world of glamor and grime, but you are not quite certain a single person in your life would approve of such an interest.

S has tanned skin, which deepens and darkens especially in summertime, wavy dark brown hair that frames their face irritatingly angelically given what a fiend they are, and olive green eyes. They are tall and lithe in build.

Potential Tropes: enemies to lovers, romeo & juliet, reforming the bad boy/girl.

Important Note

The Colors of August is centered around the beautiful, messy and sometimes difficult lives of a group of new adults making the most of their last summer together in a quaint village on the island of Zakynthos. The game heavily incorporates elements of modern Greek island culture, and is based on the author's own experiences of such!

Core themes include: summertime (of course), romance, self-identity, self-discovery, nostalgia, coming of age, breaking cycles of trauma, healing, the power of community, the old vs the new, the division between the generations, environmentalism, the past and how it haunts, and more.

While ultimately a feel-good type of game, mainly focused on character and relationship drama, I do not plan to shy away from incorporating more serious themes into the game. The intent behind this decision is primarily to show how people grow past or are affected and shaped by them.

For more details, on the precise themes referenced here, you can look at safety warnings below!

Safety Warning

The Colors of August is rated 18+ for:

Optional Sexual Content (can be detailed, fade to black or entirely absent from the story)

Generational Trauma

Mental Health Problems (Discussion & Depiction)

Parental Negligence

Referenced Past Child Abuse

Consumption of Alcohol

Economical Disparities

And potentially more. List may expand as I go.

Trigger warnings will be issued before every chapter/every sensitive scene, so players can opt out of and skim over any darker content, if they so desire.

DEMO RELEASE

Upcoming: July of 2026

@chez-cinnamon: Hold my beer

Just thought you should now, as a treat! You never know what dangerous things are out there.

From: mr-anon

that pesky Black Arms blood makes it very hard to forget his lineage