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Nsfw/spicy ask

Aretas thoughts on throne sex

The short answer to this is YES.

That's it. Once it either occurs to him that he can do that or the MC suggests it, he's ending court early. Or summoning the MC for a late night, private audience. Or, maybe he thinks the MC should practice holding court, if you're picking up what I'm putting down.

(Or maybe Aretas is picking the MC up, putting the MC down on the throne. Or vice versa)

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it just occured to me that if Galli can create ice in Cusmo, a desert city... he can freeze the ground and we can do ICE SKATING. For fun and dates. Potentially. 😍

Freezing the entire city might expend enough energy to put him in a coma, but I bet he'd do it if Asfia asked, haha! But who knows how powerful Galen is.

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I'm replaying HAT start-to-finish for the first time since DashingDon shut down, I still find that the only time none of the options feel right is speaking privately with Sutek before the fight with the Jackals.

I still agree with him when he says, "We are both here on one another's behalf. We are both here because the men who made us have placed us here!"

The fight does seem inevitable once it starts, but it feels out of character for my MC to be the one to initiate it by exploding over such a comment, especially when he sees Amatus as more of a friend or at least an agreeable employer, and still thinks of Alim as his only father figure.

I default to choosing, "You don't want to talk to him. You attack." as the next-closest option, but that never feels right, because I DID agree to speak with him privately and I DID want to talk to avoid an all-out brawl.

What I really feel like saying is still, "You're right, but what else could either of us do?" I'll fight you if necessary - is it going to be necessary? Today? Now? Well, okay, I guess we're fighting, then.

If Sutek wants to call me a stubborn fool and try to kill me for not running, that's fine; how else was it going to go? But I just don't feel like attacking him over a statement that seems to ring true for both of us.

Heard and I like some of the ideas for alternative answers that you mentioned. Like I said, I'm working on more reactions during that encounter and I'm also working on a more...hostile or guarded approach towards the MC's relationship with Amatus.

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I really enjoyed the update but had to save-scum a few times during the hunt because "Whoops! That's not what I wanted to happen but now I know why it did," 💀 and I'm scared for my friends but also really looking forward to the next installment of "how much can I agree with and/or hit on Sutek while still actively fighting him" ⚔️😘👍

Hey, I totally get it! I hate picking the mean choice by accident when playing games haha!

And I'm curious to know how many of y'all are going to try to team up with Sutek or if it's going to be mortal combat part two.

As for agreeing with, I'm still looking at some of those choices and seeing how much agreement I can add while enhancing, and not derailing the plot.

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Has Sutek ever watched dancer!MC at the Silken Sands before? 👀

Ohohohohohoho!

Great question anon!

He definitely has, but never up close. I plan on writing a flashback about it which will be customized based on choices. Sutek has definitely watched performer MC, but never up close. Maybe it's time to change that, hehe!

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Checking In

So it's summer!

I flew back home, immediately started my unpaid summer job, the next morning after I landed, and guess what?

My internet was out. Several things not working.

So now, two weeks later, my internet is fixed. I'm going to answer some asks and write some of the patreon side stories. On the bright side, I was able to do some story arc planning and iron out some of the branching, especially regarding suspicion systems for certain characters and jealousy.

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Hello! Have been reading the update, and wanted to ask something that bugged me for a while: during two scenes when Amatus tells MC about what little he knows about the disappearance of MC's mentor(s), why is it portrayed as a big revelation when the only thing Amatus says is "that was some high noble"? I mean, it would be anyone's first guess just judging by the sheer number of fully armored soldiers with some family (?) crest, not to mention the complete silence over the whole ordeal. At the start of the game MC is even actively looking for that crest with the help of fabric shopkeeprs who trade with nobles. But then all of that is suddenly completely forgotten during conversation with Amatus.

The revelation is a mixture of two things.

Firstly, it's that Amatus knew more about your mentor's disappearance than he let on. He says that he never hindered you, but that's because he knew you wouldn't have the opportunity to look in the right places. It's the realization that Amatus was involved in stuff past just being old associates or friends with your mentors. He knew details, and how betrayed or angry your MC feels about him withholding them is up to you.

The second component is that he gives you specificity and confirmation of your suspicions. He says that there are multiple noble houses involved and that they aren't the type of nobles you would have been able to find from the type of searching you had been doing.

That was the intention of that interaction anyway, but I may not have conveyed it well enough, so I am going back through and making sure the purpose of that interaction is clear

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How can i tag fanart so its easier for the hat fandom and u to see? Im going CRAZY about Desma and Amatus and Teacher Alim i already miss them so much 😭😭😭

Woah, it's always so surprising and heartwarming to me when y'all make fanart!

You can tag me, the story, and whichever character is being featured! (I think that should work!)

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So I'm getting that Isam is Aretas's... man servant? personal aide? steward? bodyguard? and apparently not afraid of giving some colorful commentary when they want. Are we allowed to learn some more facts about them or would that be spoilers? Because I find him hilarious, but the position of always being at the beck and call of some spoiled brat (however nice they can be) is not exactly enviable and I can see MC feeling for them. And knowing to bribe them or maybe switch in for some more private duties to give them free time, while simutaneously being able to spend time with Aretas. (which in this case is the RO, obviously) Does Isam have a family of his own? Is he a noble and kinda the equivalent to a ladies maid, or a commoner servant that proofed to just be especially astute? A milk brother maybe? (like the nurse maid's child he would have shared feedings with) How well do they know each other and ....just some more insight into the character maybe, because he's interesting! (and in the asks at least, doesn't seem to mind MC and Aretas being fools in love)

Isam is a fun character because he really is some of everything you describe! He's a mystery to the court, isn't seen anywhere outside the palace, and doesn't speak to the nobles in his own words, only conveying the wishes of the king and queen.

You can probably tell from the snippets posted on here, but Isam isn't an aloof, shadowy figure to Aretas.

I'm including some fun Isam facts, so if you want to be more surprised about him, then don't read below.

He and Aretas were born a year apart. With his mother being Lalia, he is both the blood cousin and milk brother of Aretas.

While he doesn't speak to nobility, he has a large 'gossip' network with the servants of multiple noble houses.

He has no lover and refuses to let Aretas know who he might be interested in, as a way of preventing potential teasing.

Isam takes great pride in his appearance, even using his mother's and Sarai's hair oils.

He loves mischief and eavesdropping.

Professional in public, pouty in private. Not above complaining to auntie when his kingly cousin is being too demanding.

His familial relationship isn't well known in court, but his resemblance to Sarai is a hot topic of conversation.

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REALLY SUTEK? ON THE CLEAN SHEETS?!

It’s gonna be so hard to wash out :’(

No but seriously I liked this little POV

So many questions so little answers…

Makes me want to just bite into the next update right now , can’t wait ^w^

Yeah, that won't be a pleasant surprise for the MC haha!

I'm glad you enjoyed a quick look into his perspective!

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Aretas: He doesn't care much from gifts, but if they're from you, then they are now his most prized possessions. Really goes overboard to reciprocate, so I be prepared to tell him tp calm down unless you like statues and waterways being named after you.

So I went through some old scenario asks and found that and my latest MCs name is Kadri. I just imagined Aretas naming some waterway the Kadri Canal (bc it can be a nice alliteration depending on pronunciation) and MC going down in history for dirty jokes about passages for a king etc. Would Aretas have caught that early and done intentionally or be forever oblivious? (Yes, I'm spending easter with whimsy headcanons. Egg me)

Haha! Happy Belated Easter!!

I could definitely see Aretas doing something like this and being absolutely oblivious about it. He's not dumb, but he does tend to miss things in his enthusiasm.

(I do plan a grand gesture from him on his romance path that involves water, but that will have to wait muhahaha)

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The Hunt: Sutek Side Story

If you want to get into Sutek's head during your absence and the confrontation that happens when you return, then here you go!

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Hello! I love the way you've written combat in HAT. I was wondering if you'd be willing to share how you plotted/organized writing the mechanics and flavor text for the different weapon types/combat styles? I'm dying to try my hand at an IF with Pathfinder WOTR style combat mechanics, but it feels so unrealistic, yet your fight scenes give me the same excitement, so I thought I'd ask for any insight you're willing to share :)

This is such a wonderful ask to get, because I always worry that the actions scenes don't have enough action or don't feel immersive enough, so thank you for the reassurance! More than happy to share how I go about it!

I think my main process can be distilled into three main components:

Weapon, Senses, and Circumstance

Weapon

I start out by narrowing down the weapons, if any, the character can choose from for fights. When there is a set amount of weapons to choose from, I can make that same amount of fights and further customize from there based on other factors like choices made in the scene.

I also treat weapons like indicators of personality and fighting style.

For example, blunt weapons indicate more force needing to be applied, but the type of blunt weapon matters too. A staff has a different feel and connotation than a club. Think about a great sword vs a rapier. Very distinct feels, and it needs to be reflected when writing the character's movements. It can say a great deal about the character, situation, etc. Which ties into the next component.

2. Senses

This, for me, is what makes the fights feel real. I try to describe the smell, the pounding chest, the nausea, the hand slipping off the hilt. Describing the sensory elements, what characters see, hear, taste, smell, etc, keep the scene grounded and make it feel tangible, without me having to drag a fight scene on for ages. Environmental awareness is crucial in this as well. I have the characters be aware of their surroundings, so that it (hopefully) doesn't read like they are fighting in a void.

I also like to tie in the characters' mental fight as well. Similar to the weapon choice, a character with a certain weapon might be slower, or have to think more. Because things are from the MC's perspective, this provides more opportunity for choice. Brute force or using the environment? Panic or cold calm? I group these internal feelings with the senses that focus on the external.

3. Circumstance

This is where the interactive part really creates headaches. This requires careful branching and labeling. Depending on choices, a character might be unarmed, or sad, or whatever. These choices make different fights. Or maybe something happens in the middle of the fight, rendering a character wounded, or even stronger.

This level of interactivity is something I still struggle with. (Just look at me attempting to fix glitches and bugs lol. Its usually because of scenes like this.)

Here are some practical tips.

Keep track of labels and don't be afraid to use them liberally.

Include and keep track of your variables and determine how long you want them to stick around. Just for this fight? Use a temp variable. Need it to come up in two chapters? Maybe it needs to be in your startup file.

When in doubt, map it out. Plan out what impact choices have on a fight and draw out the different scenarios. Then write each one separately, like it's the only one. (Feel free to reuse some elements of the fight, though.)

Hope this was helpful and let me know if you have any more questions!

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ive no clue how much our choice of parents in the beginning is gonna matter other than flavour text but its still my favourite part of the story, and i want to do 3 different playthroughs. love each and everyone.

(Ohohohohoho it matters)

I'm really glad you like the parent choice because it's one of the first choices, and I feel like it's also one of the bigger ones. It really shapes the interior of the MC, and I feel like there are truly, at the core of the story, three MCs. The scholar, the warrior, and the performer.

Even when you make choices that are different from your choice of mentor, how the MC views situations has that undercurrent. And maybe in the distorted reflections the MC sees as the story continues and in the choices the MC makes, maybe there is still the person the mentors hoped the MC could become.

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Look, I know I promised you a review and stuff and I was planning on it being a bit longer, but my brain just screeched to a full stop! WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR BABY TAMU!?!!?!? my brain is still screeching in the background and it's not stopping anytime soon. And what the hell, Desma, did she really get possessed or hypnotized or something? The mysterious death, the snake and Laverna being all sneaky.. (Love that the fire causes a bit of a flashback, not forgetting details like that makes everything so much more immersive) Maybe the monsterblood has some weird effects? (I mean she focused so much on getting rid of Merikh, when MC basically flirted with Aretas the entire time.. and while I didn't let her kill the Harkon guy, that was only supposed to be "for now", but she only really wanted to kill Merikh for some weird reason) Poor Sefu getting stuck in the palace barracks at the worst time. At least it meant he was safe and will be available to get Tamu out. And Amatus stuck at Yemoja's? Wouldn't someone inform him, though, since Hadassah is technically in the loop, but not a Talon member? What happened to Fia and Yusra, since Yusra knew about Amatus as well. I hope Gally kept Asfia safe though and they are both hiding well. I mean, this at least confirms that Ferox, Fennox, Fenrox? was a traitor and leaked information and might present a good chance to strike a deal with the Jackals. Especially because Sutek seems anything but happy about whatever is happening somehow. BUt it also just sucks, bc TAMU!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!! He is the sweetest of the entire bunch and AAAAAAAAA I wanted to comment on flirting with Aretas (which was great, but it's honestly hard to do when you can only talk a couple sentences before someone intrudes and you need to go or he needs to go.. no matter, he's cute. And his enthusiasm is flattering), but how can I do that when our home is disintegrating? Honestly, drag Fenor by the ears and slit his throat for endangering and selling out your own people. Since my MC is mostly non violent, charming and supportive, this might be a bit of a shock for some people, but you don't give second chances to people who hurt someone as sweet as Tamu. If all else fails, ask Merikh to lend you a couple of Zadu's friends and raid your own hideout? Mostly to free your friends and allies, not to kill anyone. But yeah. Needs must or something. Please be ok, babe! It's a bit staggering to see MCs to do list only ever expanding. Meet with Laverna, on the list, find out who died and what his position was etc, on the list, figure out who is causing the monster outbreak, on the list, help Aretas balance the court, in progress, beat Diomedes using his own arrow against him, on the list, FIND TAMU, immediate action, make sure the kids and Ama are all fine, immediate second task, figure out what the hell is wrong with Frenox and why he thought you weren't coming back, on the list, else if they prepared a trap for you, spring it on purpose to flush out all the dissidents, on the list, ... oh yeah and the original job for Merikh about ruining house Labadon, on the list.. somewhere, last but not least: figuring out who the heck your enemy is. Because I have this feeling that the Labadon's are too obvious, even though they might be behind the assassination and be in cahoots with the Jackals. Someone commissioned your profile before Merikh came for you, though and someone RECOMMENDED you to Merikh in the first place. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!!!!!!!!

AHHHHH Charcoal!!!

I always love reading your reviews and takes!

Ok, let's get in depth!

Your synopsis of where we're at, as far as both the MC's to-do list and the RO relationships, is spot on!

This is where, I feel, you'll get the chance to truly branch out and have distinct playthroughs.

Are you more focused on the royal court, or keeping your guild on top in Cusmo?

Do you want to use your new noble status, or are you a commoner to your core?

Are you going to be an enforcer, a ruthless schemer, a tragic hero, a loveable trickster, or a mix of all of the above?

How are you approaching the relationships? Do you use people? Are you a flagrant flirt? Are you going to accidentally catch real feelings? And will you attempt to fight for a relationship that could easily end in ruin for the both of you?

These overarching choices are what are going to determine what your character, Cusmo, and so many other things look like. Also, the choices are going to become more narrow, in that they'll take you on a different path and block others. (This has already started with how you chose to get your noble title, btw muhahahaha!)

Game mechanics wise, we start turning towards more mission based choices, with some only being available based on prior choices. (Although there will still be main choices, that happen based on the story's timeline regardless of choice)

This also applies to the ROs. Some are "easier" to interact with based on your choices if you put yourself in their proximity. (Nobles at the palace, non nobles in the city) Some require you to seek them out more actively, or become more relevant after making choices with a certain theme. (Court politics? You'll probably see more Sarai. Want more magic and mysticism? You'll probably see more Heka.)

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so i did a little bit of code diving and can i ask why the grey horse has the code mystic_horse, or is it just for a label? Also will the grey one get better, since in the description it said it was thinner then the others?

The grey horse will improve and you can definitely help and bond with it!

Now about the code diving.

Not you looking behind the curtain and seeing my secrets, haha!

Look, I don't have any real, actual beef with code diving, because it is partially how I learned to make my game.

BUT

Sometimes code diving leads to spoiler type things that I don't want y'all to know about yet.

So to all my code divers, if you see something suspicious, curious, etc, keep it on the low.

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Sutek POV of the choice in the last update when MC boldly flirts and wraps their legs around him?? 🙏🏾 (maybe on Patreon?) That option might have single handedly won me over to Sutek’s route!

Ooooooo, I like that!

Okay anon, you got it! I'll be working on that this week.