#cotm winner

🎤: INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

💬: Hi! I am M. (If you use discord, you may have seen me in some of the RC servers) I am a 29-year-old, I am a fan of historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi mainly. My tumblr blog is a mix of lots of video game fandoms. I make gifs of RC's collectable cards, CGs, and other scenes. I plan to make a lot more in the future. :)

🎤: WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

💬: I started playing in September 2025, so I am a fairly new player. I found RC because I saw the fanarts for The Thunderstorms Saga, and I love drow and elves :D So big thank you to @erixadraws and @vrbv-art and many others. Thunderstorms is still one of my fave stories. My other big favourite is Song of the Crimson Nile. I love ancient Egypt, and I wish there were more games, books, and movies that take place in that time period. I am also invested in the conclusion of the Heaven's Secret series.

🎤: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

💬: I've been occasionally making simple gifs for video game fandoms for many years now. When I saw the collectable cards in RC, it gave me the idea that these would look good in gif format, and I just wanted to collect them on my tumblr blog. I am also planning to make full gifsets of them, where a single gifset shows all cards from a certain story.

🎤: DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

💬: For RC, it was a gif of a Sha'arnez CG and then shortly after Tai's card. I still mostly follow that format, although now I record them on a wider screen

🎤: DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

💬: Not particularly, I mostly use free online tools. I wish I had higher-quality software. I plan which scenes I want, I record them, and then I procrastinate actually making the gif for a long time haha

🎤: IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF? OR READERS, IN GENERAL?

💬: Hmm, maybe just don't be afraid of making something that is imperfect. Fandom is for fun, enjoy it and create for yourself first and foremost.

🎤: CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAVOURITE WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

💬:

I. Sha'arnez's card, because it was on my wishlist for so long, I was really happy when I was finally able to make a gif out of it

II. Song of the Crimson Nile gifsets, because I fell in love with this story immediately, and I really wanted to create some gifsets for it:

III. This winter storm scene with Lane, because the weather was just like this when I created the gif, and that really put me in the mood

IV. Mimi and Vicky's wedding scene, I posted this right after finishing Heaven's Secret 2 for the first time, and I just loved the aesthetics here with the flower petals

🎤: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE RC BOOKS? MCS? LIS?

💬: As I already mentioned The Thunderstorms Saga and Sha'arnez made me start reading RC stories. Now I also have a Tai romance slot.

Song of the Crimson Nile…. Evthys is one of my fave MCs, and I love the love interests, and even the side characters are so interesting in this story. Livius and Amen are my main LIs, but I recently started Ramesses, Agnia and Anubis slots as well.

Lane from Heaven's Secret Requiem is another fave MC for me. I love how Cain and Lane were written, they are so perfect for each other. Special shoutout to Mimi, Raphael and Hunger… my other fave love interests from the HS universe.

I started the Kali series after I fell in love with Song of the Crimson Nile, and the writing and the love interests didn't disappoint there either. Ratan, Ram and Saraswati became my faves.

I recently started Legend of the Willow… I am convinced it will become another big fave :) I already love Kazu.

Averris the Riftborn is a story that has just began but I already love it, the MC and all the love interests are awesome

🪽 INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

Hi! I’m Eri, almost 22, all the way down in Australia, and slowly inching my way toward the title of psychologist (four years down!). I love doing anything creative - writing, drawing, music - a jack of all trades!

🪽 WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

I discovered romance club through youtube of all places - probably because of my old nemesis choices. Then it popped up again on my tumblr (thanks, targeted ads and tracking) and I thought, What the heck, why not? I fell in love with astrea’s broken heart straight away and have been obsessed ever since.

🪽 HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

Ever since I was little! I don’t know what sparked my passion since my parents are the stereotypical south asian parents who think art is a waste of time, but I can't remember a time where I wasn’t making up stories or drawing. The past six or so months creating for abh have really been a return back to my creative roots since I’ve been making more time to do things I enjoy.

🪽 DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

My first rc creation was a set of moodboards for the cast of abh. I had all these songs in my head for specific characters and thought moodboards were the perfect way to share them. Adding in quotes and images really brought the whole thing together and I still think they’re some of the nicest moodboards I’ve created.

🪽 DO YOU HAVE ANY HABITS OR RITUALS WHEN YOU CREATE?

I like to write in my head before I actually type anything up. I always convince myself I’ll remember ‘the important bits’, then inevitably get frustrated when I can’t remember the exact words. It’s kind of funny because I’m the opposite when it comes to drawing and won’t start a piece until I have all the references ready to go. I have a google doc that I’m always adding bits and pieces to, a youtube playlist that keeps getting longer, and of course a pinterest board for everything else.

🪽 IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER CREATIVE SELF? OR READERS?

At the risk of being cheesy: It doesn’t matter if a piece isn’t perfect - you’ll always learn something along the way. And there’s always someone out there who’ll appreciate your work! There are so many creators whose works make me smile and inspire me to share my own work

🪽 CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAVORITE WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

Oof, this was hard (my masterlist is getting way too long). But here we go!

Ⅰ. THAUMATURGY

My longest fic that explores an alternate reality where audrey and david meet earlier than in canon. It’s your classic one night stand and unexpected pregnancy that completely changes the trajectory of the storyline. I really enjoyed writing it and giving the characters the happiness they deserved while staying true to the story (and still adding in the appropriate amount of angst). It means a lot to me personally because the creative process and support from readers felt like a lifeline at a time when I was really struggling.

Ⅱ. DYING IN THE GARDEN

The first artwork I created for abh! Actually a rework of an earlier piece inspired by the song ‘only a dream’ by zella day, which also featured in my first set of moodboards that I mentioned earlier. I’m very detail-oriented so I really enjoyed bringing it to life by adding not only the must-have elements of the garden like roses and bruno, but also the smaller ones such as the ortolan felonia gifted audrey.

Ⅲ. COMPASS

My most time-consuming project as of yet. I absolutely adore the song and wanted to create a piece for it for the longest time. It challenged me to try something new with the animation and it was amazing to see it all come together in the end. There are some elements I wasn't totally happy with so I think it’s definitely a piece I would be interested in revisiting later on.

Ⅳ. AUSPICES

I’m obsessed with foreshadowing and parallels, so illustrating the thoughts audrey had in the church of her li and their later reactions was something I had on my to-do list for a while. I did a lot of studies on the existing cgs in the lead-up to the project to build my confidence and figure out the style I was going for, and ended up incorporating some of them in final work. Finishing it was a big achievement and really felt like a full circle moment.

Ⅴ. THE PARALLELS

A series that started with the musician, an edit/moodboard that highlighted the parallels between audrey x raphael and lane x cain. Again, you can see my obsession with story parallels. Finding and analysing the little details was something I really enjoyed, and it became the starting point and inspiration for a lot of my other works (and works in progress!)

🪽 WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE RC BOOKS? MCS? LIS?

astrea’s broken heart! (wow, who would have guessed?) Love audrey, all the lis, the story, the writing, everything basically. Found family always gets me and the astreans were no exception. Each of the characters are compelling in their own way, flaws and all, and I think they’ll always hold a place in my heart.

Once again, congratulations Eri! This win was only a matter of time because you were in the contest every month for a while now 😊

💬 INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

HIII! I’m Cheska, I’m from the Philippines and I’m a full-time student. I use writing as a distraction to get away from academics, but I also love watching movies, cafe hopping, and obsessing over my favorite things! I’m not the most social person in the world, but I have definitely talked about Te Amo on this site way too many times 🫣

💬 WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

I discovered RC around mid-2020 when one of my favorite editors on Instagram (i don’t even remember the account name but unfortunately, they’ve probably deactivated now) started making edits for characters like Lucifer, Alexander, Mimi, and Adrian. I was also a Choices girl trying to explore her options, and I saw this game being recommended a lot. Eventually, I caved in and started playing around September 2020. I started Chasing You first because it looked interesting, despised Alexander, but absolutely LOVED Sam. After 2020, I think I forgot about it, then randomly decided to return in 2022. Finished CY, then started other stories like Sails in the Fog, Gladiator Chronicles, Vying for Versailles, and Wave Patrol. Fell in love with the stories + their in-game events and haven’t left ever since.

💬 HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

In general, I started in late 2019 with video edits and fanfics for other games (under a different alias, ofc!). Mainly hidden object ones like Murder in the Alps and Criminal Case. I guess I just wanted to make content that I rarely saw on the internet and decided to make it myself. I still play them sometimes, but don’t really make content for it anymore because I did get burnt out at some point and I’m not up-to-date with the fandom now. Plus, those games either haven’t been updated in a long time or abruptly ended years ago. (i miss you so much CC)

Now looking back at it, most of the people I knew from both those fandoms are pretty much either in a long-term hiatus or quit, but I hope they’re living their best life right now ❤️❤️

For RC, I started creating maybe around mid to late 2024. Pretty much the same reason that I wanted to create stuff I loved and maybe wanted to see. It was also when I started being more active on Tumblr and thought it would be fun to check out all the awesome things people have made!

💬 DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

My first creation in RC was with the RC LIs on unsent project. This was so fun to work on this one and scour the site for hours (link! https://www.tumblr.com/hologram-puppet/758209745848090624/romance-club-love-interests-on-the-unsent-project) As for writing, my first fic was of Nova and Renato from W: Time Catcher. I am both proud of that fic and absolutely embarrassed at it everytime I reread it. But, it felt like a good start and it served as a basis of how I wanted to change/improve my writing style. The title of it was based off a Hozier song because of course it is, but I think it’s best to explain that on question #5!

In general, it was a video edit of a Criminal Case character I liked. From what I remembered, it looked visually nice, but the transitions… yeah no it was SOOO choppy. Makes me remember why I quit video editing. As for fics… I only put one out, though I’d rather not talk about that 😭

BUT I do have a scrap of one of the Criminal Case fanfics I never finished. I mean, these were the only words in that document (if it’s alright to show, of course!)

“My heart was too complicated to take care of, yet it was somehow the easiest to shatter.

As years flew by, my body became sensitive to vulnerability. My stomach starves for comfort, longing for a way to forget a dark time in my life. The fine walls that confined my unspoken thoughts and emotional outbursts became thinner and thinner.”

Pretty much forgot what that was about, but it’s fun to look how much my writing’s changed!!

💬 DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

Music is always my inspiration. If there’s a song I am particularly inspired by, I listen to it until I go insane. If the fic is truly based on a song, I usually make it the title of my fics as well. But I also listen to any song I like or put a video from my favorite youtubers in the background so I don’t lose any motivation. I use my laptop for writing (specifically an app called Obsidian, which I currently have a love-hate relationship with, then run it into Word for grammar checking), mainly because I have it with me often, and I look more professional when I do my silly writing.

I am also very much a visual kind of person so in terms of that, I shift between Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Spotify, and Canva (the free version because I do NOT want to pay for premium). I love making headers/fic pictures(?) because there’s the challenge of experimenting with different visual elements that could set the vibes of the fic really well and drawing inspiration from different design styles while adding my own flair makes me excited.😋

When I can, I try to change my environment—whether it’s my desk, a cafe, a park, or even the school library when I have classes (which I’ve done a lot). It helps me get inspiration and allows me to go out of the house a little more.

💬 IS THERE ANY PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER CREATIVE SELF? OR READERS?

It feels easier said than done, but FALL IN LOVE WITH WHAT YOU MAKE AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT!! My writing sort of reflects my personality, to be honest. As much as I am on the quieter side of the fandom, when I love something, I’ll love it with my whole heart. Surround yourself with things and/or people that make you happy and bring the best out of you. Even though it can be discouraging to get little to no reception when you post something, I think there’s still good in simply putting your work out there because you know you put your hardest efforts into it. I think passion and love are what make the writing good, because you know you poured your heart and soul into it 💕

💬 CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAVOURITE WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

Seeing all the fics, most (if not all) of what I’ve posted was for writing events, but here we go in no particular order 😁

(1) To Help You Get By [Amabelle/Roxanne x Ralph]

Back when I was still up to date with SC, I fell head over heels for Ralph. Though, it was sometimes tiring to read extensive amounts of their angsty “will they, won’t they” dynamic. At the same time, there was this event going around called AU-gust where there were different AU prompts for each day in August. The peaceful world prompt caught my eye and ended up making a fic that took place around the hospital scene in S2E1 and had little to no conflict because there wasn’t any magic or curses. Just two people trying to survive and stick by each other's side, doesn’t matter if that’s in a romantic or friendly way. Oh, there’s also strawberries because umm… it was a random choice since I was craving some strawberry cheesecake (or some other strawberry-related food) at the time. I don’t know if Ralph or Amabelle would be into strawberries but a girl can dream ❣️

(2) Why Don't You Stay for a Bit? [Liz Harper x Henry]

Like all the other Te Amo 2 LIs, it was basically love at first sight because he kinda reminds me of Michael from Vol. 1. As of this time, there’s not a lot to base off of his personality since he’s only been present in 3 episodes + only 1 romantic interaction, so I had to make the best of what I had. The premise of the fic was inspired by romcoms (no specific one, just general vibes!) and those lighthearted montages they usually show of the two characters bonding. I also adore the heading of this one!! To be honest, I kinda blanked out on the process of this–I just threw on some elements that related to nature and hoped for the best. Writing this was really fun since I was just giggling like the whole time. Even if I was uncertain how to write them, still went for it. After seeing his DR poster though, I think I made the right call with how to display their dynamic? Not really sure, only time will tell.

(3) Cinnamon Clove [Jane Dawson x Jeanne Dubois]

I may have put it here mainly for the header AHAHAHAHAHA… Jokes aside, the idea of this fic started back in early September when I submitted a rough draft of this to one of those online multimedia magazines that’s established on Instagram. Its premise was pretty much “Jane’s thinking of Jeanne” and I wanted to emit the same energy the way she probably would in writing her novel. Thankfully, said submission got published 2-3 months later and I thought to make it its own thing! The theme of that issue was “apple of my eye” and I wanted to make the header design warm and sweet, like red apples !! It’s on the more unpopular side of my works, but holds a special place in my heart.

(4) Found Arms to Fall Right Into [Jane Dawson x Thomas Campano]

OHHH THOMAS I miss him so much!! This fic was very much inspired by the song “The Good Side” by Troye Sivan. That song scratches an itch in my brain in a good way (I’m not sure if I used that term right.) I felt like giving them the right mix of small conflicts + kissing and making up since Vol. 1 only touched a little into their relationship, and I’d assume that they’d still have their hardships despite living together. With all that angst and uncertainty the plot from Vol. 1 had, I guess I just wanted to give them something happy. I’m pretty much satisfied with the end result!

Ⅰ. INTRODUCE YOURSELF

— hello! im hope, 23, a barely functioning adult. i’m currently studying law after completing my english literature degree and i question my decisions everyday. also, i’m a south asian lesbian, very into (the concept of, at this point 🫩) writing and reading books but barely does both. scraping by on hopes and dreams but hey, we’re making it somehow!

ⅠⅠ. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

— found out about rc through a tumblr post actually. after choices and storyscape (rip) i wanted to enjoy more of this type of visual novel games, and hence commenced a hunt that ended at the shores of rc. it was a theodora tumblr post that i saw, so of course, it was the book that i started with. and sometimes, when i think back on it, i’m suddenly matthew mcconaughey’s character from interstellar — desperately banging on the bookshelf to prevent his own departure. because lord tell me why, out of all the books, i decided to start on the one so melancholic and mournful, the tremors of it still leaves a fresh aftertaste? but don’t be fooled, cause despite my theatrics, i loved it dearly, and theodora ended up becoming a huge reason why i stuck with this app. 

Ⅲ. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

— to put a number on it, i’d say since i was 13, so almost a decade now phew! although my creative output has been on the slower side these days, the passion burns bright nonetheless. my main hobby is writing fics, but i also edit and create gifs (the latter for which i run a different blog), and i have done enough tinkering with photoshop to know my way around. so every fandom i’ve been in has seen fics and gifs from me at the very least, and so has rc, especially on tumblr. as to what first sparked my passion, it was an impulse to create and contribute. especially when you were nurtured by artistic creations in fandom spaces that you were part of in your early teen years. and that art, so lovingly made, given to us unrestricted, fully accessible, inspired me to create my own pieces and give it out to the world, so it could resonate with the many that seek it. 

Ⅳ. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

— i feel like i should dig a hole in the ground before i answer this. yes, i do remember my first ever creation. it was a fanfic for a boyband proudly posted on wattpad. no longer published, but i still have it with me—a souvenir tucked away. it was brought to life by daydreaming in class, which is a habit that unfortunately still sticks to me, and all the scenarios born at the expense of my lack of attention in class bore fruit in the name of my fics. i remember concocting it, still so new to the idea of fanfiction, and being so giddy to type up scenes. i was essentially a rookie back then, dangling at the precipice of a gaping hole, not knowing she’s about to tumble down into a creative hellhole for a lifetime.

— speaking about rc, my first ever creation for the fandom was the cainlane fic titled perdition. it came to life through an art i saw on twitter, which inspired me and a whole new fic was born from it. it was supposed to be a one shot, but as i started writing, i realised i couldn’t stop, and my treacherous self, as always, expanded it to a series. i dove head first into catholic themes and imagery to build the foundation for this fic. and to write cain as a young angel training to be a priest, was so out of my usual range that my head constantly buzzed. but it was a heady rush i was grateful to experience regardless.

Ⅴ. DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

— when it comes to a specific software? absolutely, and it is a non-negotiable to me, and has been for the past 6 years. and, do not laugh—and yes im serious about this—it is the wattpad writing interface. all my writings have been done on it—not word, not google doc, but wp. 

— other than me and my never heard of before attachment to wp’s writing interface, there are no other specifications that i strictly abide by. honestly i don’t even know what headspace i need to be in to write. i just, do it. its an innate calling at this point, unaffected by outside influences for the most part. 

— for making gifs, on the other hand, free time is the main specification (and a functioning photoshop, of course) that i require. gif making is so mechanical to me now i can do it in my sleep—be able to map out what scenes i need, the frame rate, the sharpening, everything. here, no inspiration is not an obstacle, but no free time and a laggy laptop? now that’s a hurdle.

Ⅵ. IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER CREATIVE SELF? OR THE READERS?

— that no creation is a waste of time and space, and i cannot emphasize this enough. back then, i used to be so insecure about my writing and editing, that if something did not satisfy my impossible standards, instead of giving it a chance to stand and flourish on its own, i tore it apart and stole its existence from the world. which i believe was so unfair, because every art piece has a place in this world. so give yourself, and your creations, a chance.

Ⅶ. CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAVOURITE WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

— i haven’t done much, but for the few works that have seen the light of the day, i can only say, well done on existing! and not just as a jumbled mess of thoughts in my head! so yes, let’s get into it. 

⭐ perdition, a cainlane fic. as i’ve mentioned before, this fic’s origin is thanks to an art i saw on twitter. to give a quick rundown, the art was of an angel in front of an atm machine trying to withdraw cash from a credit card that was stolen from a dead body that lay next to it; which, very presumably (and contextually understood), was killed by that very being. it stood out to me, and immediately an idea formed in my head, and so perdition exists. i took what made me love s1 lane, that reclusive alertness, her almost impervious nature, that marred feeling of being lost, and decided to go on a spin with it here, dumping it all on an inexperienced teenager grappling with life. and young cain, who as we know by now, was brought up by a priest on earth, which is a concept i knew i had to explore at one point. he was an angel, cut out from heaven and crudely cast away, who found refuge in a human priest at a church who brought him up and taught him the passions that helped him hold on. but he was also tied to baal, never truly free, when the very thing he craves is freedom. so when an opportunity arises to cut these ties forever, would he take it? so yup, this is the premise of the fic; of a teenage cainlane, finding love and support in each other when the whole world shuns them. but are they truly who they seem to be with each other?

⭐ rotkov gifset, a birthday gift to a dear friend. to make this, i already had a film in mind that i could use to cut relevant aesthetic clips from. i tend to jot down films i see on my feed that i know would aid in the making of gifsets like this. so every clip from this is taken from the same film, except for the church one. i got that from a random drone shot video on youtube with barely any views. i knew this set would not feel complete without the shot of a church embalmed in snow. and although i got what i needed in the end, the quality of that video was terrible, especially compared to the 1080p clips from the film i was working with. so i was fighting for my life trying to make that clip fit into the rest of the set’s aesthetics, making sure it did not stick out like a sore thumb. and i think i did a fine job haha.

⭐ petrichor, a deanluna fic. once again, a birthday gift for the same dear friend. my creative outputs exist because she encourages it, so thank you to her, as none of these works would exist without her patience and support <33

am i obsessed with high school aus? yes. my ass was carried by this trope back when i extensively read fics, as the ones i dearly loved happened to be the high school/college aus. i knew i developed a taste to it, and every ship of mine ever since has been hit by the hs/college au virus. so of course, i had to honour deanluna with the same, and petrichor was born. thinking about this fic makes me feel all cheesy and fuzzy inside. the main idea for this was the classic ‘accidentally falling asleep on a stranger’s shoulder’ [on the bus!!] trope (who just so happens to be your future partner, of course). with dean’s undeniable charm and luna’s reclusive but bratty nature, a trope like this fit as naturally as the sun shining on a new day’s dawn. honestly, after everything deanluna had to endure in goe, a fic that’s fluffy and radiates comfort, explores the feelings of first love, and thrives on the backdrop of spring hues and summer winds, is exactly what they deserve. 

Ⅷ. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE RC BOOKS? MCS? LIS?

— i’ll try to limit these to 2-3 candidates so i don’t yap and ramble on for more than the permissible amount haha (ik y’all gave me free reign but hey, let me at least try to control myself)

books: 

— 1. soulless: this is the book i run to for comfort and relief. i must thank wincy and her pen for allowing me a corner in this app where i can blindly find refuge in, especially after a constant barrage of letdowns inevitable in updates these days. the humour here is peak, the relationships are wonderful, and the mc is on a league of her own—an addictive combination of plus points that trumps other negatives to me.

— 2. the missing: incredibly immersive. love how much of an active participant we are in the shaping of the story and its investigation. the choices and our relationships with the characters do matter! a rare occurrence these days. faye you are doing a fantastic job.

special shoutout to: lse (me being the only person on this planet who unapologetically loves it), arcanum, lotw, and s1 of hsr & an3.

mcs:

— my top two are vyxaria from soulless and selena from arcanum. i have so much love for mcs who remain true to themselves, where their naturally headstrong and forthcoming personality is not shunned to fit a character development arc, because the authors allow them to exist alongside it. 

— also special shoutout to luna from goe (comfort mc who hasn’t had a day of comfort in her life), s1 lane and raina, ghita from tm, theodora my og, and mei from lotw.

lis:

— hooooo boy. if i start talking about dean from goe you might have to put me in a psych ward. if you know me, you know i don’t play about him, and i stick him to my heart just as gently as a drop of beam on a blooming bud would. his charm and intelligence, his ability to get things done without ever resorting to violence, his deep understanding and love for mc, how can i stop when his qualities are boundless?

— and then comes ava from soulless who, just like an avalanche, swept me away at the first instance of contact. her journey of self acceptance and love resonated with me so deeply, and not once was her trauma taken lightly. a beautifully done route so far.

— again, special shoutout to, but ones who are no less important to me: kazu from lotw, claire from sbtr, s1 cain & xander from hsr & an3, alba from tm, cat vampire from lse, and the theodora lis—the ones who started it all.

Once again, a big congratulations to our second Creator of the Month of the year!

🎤: INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

💬: Hiya! You can call me Kimiko, I’m a 16-year-old art student from Prague and a HS enthusiast :)

🎤: WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER RC?

💬: I think it was about three years ago, it was a cold winter evening, and I was bored. The game suggested Heaven’s Secret as a starter story, and as much as I’d love to say it was love at first sight, I abandoned my first playthrough mid-season one before coming back to it and then falling in love. It’s been a comfort hyperfixation of mine ever since; I keep coming back to it.

🎤: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

💬: In general? I’d say I’ve been taking art seriously for circa 4.5 years, ever since I got my first drawing tablet. As for HS, I’m not sure when I started creating content, but I have artwork dated to about two or three years back.

🎤: DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

💬: I unfortunately don’t remember my first ever creation, but what I do remember is when I figured out the very first consistent way to draw Lucifer. I had spent all Christmas break just drawing him. I was so proud! Safe to say I’ve progressed since then :D

🎤: DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

💬: I’m chaotic, I use all sorts of media, and always listen to something else. I wouldn’t say I have a set routine, but I do like inspiring my works off of songs. As for programs, Ibis Paint is to die for.

🎤: IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF? OR TO READERS?

💬: To readers: don’t be afraid to create art, and despite what RC has been doing in the newer stories, don’t become desensitised to AI! Real art will always have infinitely more value, no matter how bad you think it is.

🎤: CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR WORKS AND YAP AWAY!

💬: Oof, that’s a tough one! I usually start hating most of my works after a while, but some that stuck are probably a drawing of Dino and Lucifer in the hs1 s2 finale, a quite recent drawing of Luci crashing out on the council in s3 and overall, my redesigns and my au are my pride and joy.

જ⁀➴ Lucifer and Dino, HS1 S2 finale

જ⁀➴ Lucifer crashing out on the council

જ⁀➴ REDESIGNS: Mimi; Malbonte; Andy; Sammy; Adi; Lucifer; Loy; Dino

I keep getting new ideas to spice up the original story. For example, right now, I’m working on a little Satan and Lilith rewrite. I love making the characters angstier and it’s very surprising how even a single thing like adding sins and virtues can make the story so much more interesting.

There is a lot more that I haven’t shared with the world yet, and I’m looking forward to expanding on this passion project of mine! And a fun fact about the Luci crashout: I had my irl friends help me draw the open wound better, as one of them enjoys gore and the other likes learning about medical stuff (we spent our lunch break discussing whether or not blood is glossy)

Once again, congrats Kimiko! Your art has been a part of the catalog for a long time so we're very happy you've finally been chosen by ✨the wheel gods✨

💬INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

Hi! I’m Floryn, but people just call me Flor. I’m 21, and I like to draw and play RC and frolic around the fields. Jokes aside, there’s not really much to say about me, I just draw and make edits of characters I like!! 

💬WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

I’ve been a Romance Club reader since 2019 😭 I was having Roleplay and Episode withdrawals since I was an Amino kid around 2015-2016, and Episode gems were expensive, so I decided to go through otome-like games and ended up finding RC. At first, I didn’t like the art style of the characters in the earlier stories that much, but I really stuck around with Sails in the Fog because I found Manta severely attractive, and I was dumbfounded that my choices actually made an impact on a story. It might be funny to think about, but Moonborn REALLY stuck with me. For obvious reasons (I really like vampires). The characters that left their mark on me in the earlier stages of my RC obsession were Manta and Benny Bart. 

💬HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CREATING?

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I’ve only been editing seriously during 2024! My grandmother inspired me to draw because she taught me a simple way to draw girls that weren’t stick figures and for editing I just really wanted to edit Lane >_<

💬DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

My first art would be in kindergarten. RC-related art, I would remember, it was around 2022, but I don’t have it anymore nor did I publish it, so I don’t really have any proof of that, but it was art of Ratan! I definitely still have my edit of Lane somewhere in my Capcut saves. It’s honestly fulfilling being able to edit the characters I’m interested in because I get to play out the edits or art I have in mind for them whenever I listen to music or have a sudden spark of inspiration. My past artwork isn’t entirely polished, but I’m proud of what I’ve managed to create!!!

💬DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

I don’t really have a particular habit when it comes to creating. When it’s art, I just listen to whatever and draw ✍️ cause that feels like it comes to me naturally. I have a ton of playlists on my Spotify so I can just choose whichever I feel is most atmospheric for a piece I’m making. I prefer making my stuff when it’s nighttime because it’s easier!! And I like doing everything in solitude. I honestly can’t eat when I’m making anything it’s kinda distracting LOL and for art I do traditional/with editing I use alight motion!

💬IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF? OR TO READERS?

My piece of advice is: not everything has to be rushed when you’re just making something you like. Like, not everything has to be finished within the day cause if you end up rushing yourself you may not like the finished product :[ It happened to me a couple of times before especially with editing where I just gave myself the whole day to finish, and then I end up disliking the piece I did so it gets scrapped </3 Take your time doing what you like so you don’t feel super drained whilst doing it.

💬CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAVOURITE WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

1️⃣ UHHH okay, so the first piece I like is obviously the dmitryan edit that I managed to make after Ethel [Cain] released her latest album Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You. Honestly, I'm considering this my FIRST part of dmitryan edits I'm gonna do from that song (because Waco, Texas is, like, 15 minutes of excruciating lyrics) and it fits them so perfectly. I've been enjoying moodboard edits in this format inspired by other editors (@/crdbld on IG, for example) and they don’t take a lot of time to do! Because it took me only a few hours to do the edit itself and i managed to finish it within the day. It was fun!!

2️⃣ The next one that i REALLY really like was my cainlane edit that was for Valentine's Day. But I managed to finish and post it earlier than Valentine's Day because I got excited over it. You will never see transitions like those again in my future edits, I'm so sorry (jk but they took a while to do and nulls are a pain!!!) but it was a fun little process that I did on and off while attending uni. I just wanted to edit my faves to Heavy by The Marias 🙂‍↕️Lil ship edit

3️⃣ One art piece I like is this sketch of Lane I did a year ago. It's simple, cute, I like the way I did Lane’s face here and I'll probably redraw it when I can! I was inspired by the love I had for Lane and how much I saw myself reflected in her character and honestly if you went through my creations tag, Lane is my muse 🤷🏻‍♀️ That's my girl through thick and thin, I fear.

Once again, the Catalog team congratulates you and we can't wait to see more of your art in the future! 🪩

💬 INTRODUCE YOURSELF!

Hi, blatantliez here! I usually go by "Gen" or "Gin" if anyone's curious about how to call me. I'm ¼ century old (25 years) (hah! old man 🫵) and I'm from Indonesia. I don't really mind any pronouns, but I prefer she/her or they/them. I like drawing, and sometimes I write. Recently, I learned to do frame-by-frame and tweening animation, and then I went crazy 😁

Oh, and I like Cassiel 😁

💬 WHEN AND HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER ROMANCE CLUB?

It was during college semester break. Together with my best friend, we were looking for other interactive story games, like Choices and Arcana. In (wait, lemme check my RC account first) April 2023, we were blessed to find Romance Club and played it for the first time during the 72 hrs Diamond Rush (extreme luck), but we didn't know about it. We were like: "damn, this app developer is generous af," and after 3 days, we were surprised that we needed to pay with diamonds.

The first story I played was Kali: Call of Darkness, but my favorite story for the first time ever playing RC is "Theodora". Such a beautiful and mental/heart-breaking story.

💬 DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EVER CREATION?

The first time I drew was when I was a toddler or younger. I just can't remember. My mom was working on her M.A. thesis, and I liked to draw on her failed papers. We didn't save all of them, but some are being stored. I draw humans like a mix between a stick-man body with a chicken head. And then I add their hair, clothes, and accessories.

My first RC art creation was probably the drawing of Ratan Vaish (from KCoD) that I made in my journal. I was crazy over him, just like I am with Cassiel (from ABH) this time. Lemme attach the drawing for you, hahahahah

💬 DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS OR HABITS WHEN YOU CREATE?

First, I need to find inspiration before my hands start working. For example, I need to find an audio or music that can tingle my brain. For music especially, I need it to be able to make me envision the drawings or animation in my head. This also works as a motivation because my vision can be too stimulating for me. I also need to keep water and snacks near me because I can work for hours without noticing thirst or hunger.

Playlist with blood-pumping music is a must. I don't really care whether it's metal, punk, rap, hip-hop, pop, etc. As long as the music fits my mood, I'll queue it and, maybe, replay it several times in a row.

And I can't draw things I don't really like or have no passion for. My creations (drawings or animations) tend to be flat and soulless (not the story) if I force myself to make them.

💬 IS THERE A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF? OR TO READERS?

To my younger self:

You should study more seriously. You should save all the money you receive 😊 and you should spend more time with mom

To other readers (or creators):

I don't think I'm eligible enough to give you any advice, but: don't wait for the right time. Just do it 👍

I'm not talking about having kids. Kids are expensive. Please don't rush.

💬 CHOOSE 3-5 OF YOUR FAV WORKS AND RAMBLE AWAY!

1️⃣Come Back to Me, My Love [Audrey x Cassiel, G]

This animation is probably my favorite one so far. It took me 7 days to work on, perhaps 100+ assets/elements, 8 camera settings, and 6 times editing before attaching them together with the lyrics. I think my Procreate and my Alight Motion apps are angry at me for making this. Before I ramble, I need everyone to know that my favorite LI is Cassiel from ABH, and you will see 97% of my posts are about him. That demon is gorgeous and such a marshmallow inside, and he's been stuck in my brain since RC released ABH poster in March 2024 (if I'm not wrong).

I was minding my own business when I was scrolling down TikTok, and then the translation of the song (M. by Anil Emre Daldal) appeared in my FYP. By reading the lyrics translation and listening to the music, suddenly images burst out and flash in my head. I decided I didn't want to cry alone from having this vision myself, and then I made the animation of Cassiel's reaction towards Audrey's death purely from my imagination. This was also encouraged with one of the diamond scenes with Cassiel, where Audrey asked about "how does it feel to fly," and then Cassiel promised to take her to see the sky with him. Anyway, I also have a plan to make another angsty Audriel animation, but I have to finish my work project first ☹️

2️⃣You Better Do as Your Mother Says [Audrey x Cassiel, G]

One of the easiest and most enjoyable animations I made. It was so silly, and the dad was so like Cassiel (that man can't take a joke, and I love him so much for this). No rambling needed, this animation is so simple and silly, but very amusing to make, and I just needed an excuse to make Audrey and Cassiel have kids and family in the house Cassiel prepared for her.

3️⃣I'll Find You, Audrey. Anywhere [Audrey x Cassiel, G]

This isn't an animation, but an old illustration I made in January 2025. I really like the first kiss between Cassiel and Audrey. It was so sweet, gentle, and it made me feel alive as an Audriel shipper. But I didn't want to recreate their kissing scene (I think the CGI captured them beautifully despite being an AI), instead, I want to draw how Cassiel saw Audrey before they went into the secluded part of his garden. Cassiel, the brooding, grumpy, and dark demon, finding light and salvation in Audrey. Through the perspective of the illustration, the focus is on Audrey's face and the light shining upon her. Audrey became Cassiel's sun, and I will give all of my money to see them together and happy again (and please let them have a family, I want to see Cassiel and Audrey as parents).

4️⃣Worthless to be Loved [Lane x Greg, G]

I found the sound accidentally on TikTok and decided that: "This is so Lane and Greg. I'm going to animate this," and then I rushed to my Procreate and began to make the assets/elements to be animated on Alight Motion. It's quite fast to make, maybe 3 days, because I procrastinated a lot.

And I like the colors, green and red (complementary colors) that created such a haunting vibe (perfect for Lane). Green on the negative side, depicts envy or disease (perfect for Lane) and red negatively depicts anger and violence (also perfect for Lane)

5️⃣Didn't Expect That, Did You? [Audrey x Cassiel, G]

One of the most fun to make, but I was too lazy to make it into a final animation. What you are seeing are just rough sketches that I hadn't tidied up into linearts and full colors. And it only took me about 1 hour to make. But I think the roughness of the video made the humor even funnier. The inspiration came from Cassiel's diamond scene in S3 Ep9, where Cassiel cooked for Audrey (*sigh, why is he so domestic ARRRRGGGHHH) and in one of the scenes, he actually flirted back with her. I like that scene so much that I made it into this rough animation 🤣😭

✨Additional drawings!