thenightdance-if

[thenightdance-if]

Hello ^^

It's been a while since there's been any updates, is the project still ongoing? Hope everything's going well for you either way 🤗

omg, hi! yes, the project is still going. it's been a few days since i've been back on writing the night dance, so i'm hoping i'll have exciting news for you guys soon ♡

[thenightdance-if]

Hi, do you have a progress update on the demo?

hi, anon ♡

i've written most of chapter one, but i'd be lying if i said i'm not thinking about adjusting many parts of the story already. i think i need to be more precise with the worldbuilding and characters i'm writing; i really want to give you all the best version of what i have—so, because of this, i think it'll take longer than i'd planned.

also, i'm studying for a very important exam i'll take in november and i'd like to be 100% in that mindset when the time comes. anything if-related will come in second place until i'm finally free (and hopefully accepted in the major i want, fingers crossed). but i'll keep interacting with you all and writing whatever i can, it'd be impossible not to!

[thenightdance-if]

This looks amazing! I love the twelve dancing princesses-- such a fascinating fairy tale. I'm definitely going for a sapphic poly romance with Alis and non-binary Cianan!

omg, tysm! ♡ it’s one of my favorite fairy tales as well. i can’t wait for you all to meet alis and cianan 🥺

[thenightdance-if]

any more sneaky peeks 👀 absolutely love your writing

thank you so muuuch. i'll spoil you guys with these, i'm already feeling it (guilty, i know). but it's really fun to share what i've been writing as i go. i'm about to begin writing the introduction to a certain knight, so here's a sneak of that.

[thenightdance-if]

thinking of mc cutting alistair’s hair when it’s too long 🥺

[thenightdance-if]

the fashion of this world is going to be a mix of eighteenth century france & the victorian and second empire (with a bit of renaissance thrown in there, too). thinking thoughts

[thenightdance-if]

do you think you’d ever do an nsfw alphabet for alistair and cianan?

oh, that sounds fun. i think i’d be able to do it—it would just take me a loooong time, lol

[thenightdance-if]

augh I hope we can wear pretty outfits when we go to balls and stuff!! this if seems so magical and whimsical I love it I'm in love w the fairy tale vibes

and i hope that i can sob out of pure joy/hurt/childhood memories of reading your work!

hurt as in angst. i love angst.

i’m also a fan of angst, if i’m being completely honest. hopefully i’ll be able to deliver a great deal of it here. fingers crossed?

[thenightdance-if]

augh I hope we can wear pretty outfits when we go to balls and stuff!! this if seems so magical and whimsical I love it I'm in love w the fairy tale vibes

of course you will! the outfits are important to the atmosphere of the narrative, so i’ll be very mindful of that. i hope the game can meet the expectations ♡

[thenightdance-if]

[thenightdance-if]

Do Cianan and Alistair have their own assigned gems now? Can you tell or are they spoilers? 😗

they do! i still have to add it to their descriptions, but alistair’s gem is a ruby, and cianan’s gem is an emerald. for the mc, you’ll be able to choose yours early in the game ♡

[thenightdance-if]

Twine or choice script?

i’m currently coding the game with choice script ♡

[thenightdance-if]

sometimes being a writer is reading a 500 page book about the history of gems to accurately assign one to your characters

[thenightdance-if]

The Radiant Circle

The Radiant Circle is a work-in-progress contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance, and a salt-sprinkle of mystery. The story is rated 17+ and may contain triggering content for some.

↪ introduction (updated 7/22/24) ⟢ demo (upcoming fall/winter)

You were born without any magic into a long lineage of sorcerers who serve the Night Circle—a division of the Radiant Circle, the central governing body that maintains order among sorcerers. Even now when you live outside of the magical community, you’re still required to report to the local leadership about the magic you still don’t have.

Of course, only after having accepted a life without magic, you awaken a latent magical power too great to be yours. Myths speak of such a sorcerer, a Resonant Soul capable of mastering all four elements, reincarnated throughout history to bring balance to the magic community. So little is truly known, but that can’t be you.

But what if it is?

Thankfully, as an investigative journalist, what you do best is hunt for the truth. To unravel the secrets of your soul, you’re forced back into the world of sorcery to navigate ancient rivalries and contend with those who may fear your newfound power and seek to bury it for good. 

Because while most didn't believe the myths to be true, others have been preparing for your return. Most of all? You four souls bonded to yours for eternity.

Play as the main character ⟢

Choose your name, appearance, gender, and sexuality.

Develop your personality as a harmonizer or disruptor—will you bring unity or will you bring destruction?

Gain mastery over elemental magic as the Resonant Soul—how much mastery in each element is up to you.

Travel the world while earning or losing influence through your decisions—will your reputation precede you or will you remain unknown?

Five romance options ⟢

Two pansexual men, one lesbian, and two gender-selectable romance options... and a hidden sixth romance option... with the potential for more to unlock later.

Four soulmates who will be revealed over the course of the story—your bonds, whether platonic or romantic, are yours to develop.

And if you don’t like romance, you can improve your friendships instead.

Or if you’re a misanthrope, deteriorate all your relationships to your liking.

Good endings? Check. Bad endings? Also check.

You ✦ 26-year-old journalist from Seattle, USA (ℹ) Rejected by the magical community because your magic never awakened, you once sought to understand why before later turning to a career of journalism to attempt to uncover truths that don’t have to do with magic. Your dissertation was titled “Unveiling the Hidden: A Comparative Study of Secret Societies and Their Influence on Modern Media." After landing your dream job as an investigative journalist, you're returning home to Seattle for your assignment.

⟡ tropes include main character (surprise! you're the main character), insider/outsider, the most wanted (because you are a…), person of mass destruction, (possible) living legend, (possible) lust object, (seemingly) cosmic plaything…

Arseau Nassiet ⟡ High Justicar 31-year-old water sorcerer (he/him) from Seattle, USA (ℹ) A talented water sorcerer, your older brother Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about it. He has been away from home for over a decade, raising ranks within the circle alongside his best friend. He coordinates his visit home with yours during the holidays so he can see his favorite younger sibling (never mind that he has only one sibling—you).

⟡ tropes include protective older brother, brainless beauty (yeah, he's a himbo), the caregiver/caretaker, the confidant (if you want), the informant, nice guy (someone has to keep the peace between the Pico brothers), the reliable one...

César Pico (RO) ⟡ Archumbricar 31-year-old earth sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother's best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He's at least an attractive reminder, even if it's unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.

⟡ tropes include the hero, the cold & brooding heir, older brother's best friend/forbidden love, age gap, opposites attract, danger deadpan, glory hound, tall dark & handsome (obviously) ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), borderline enemies to lovers, (possible first love), forced proximity, maybe the slowest burn

Rafa Pico (RO) ⟡ High Justicar 27-year-old fire sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ) The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.

⟡ tropes include the explorer, the charming playboy, childhood/long time friend, (his) unrequited crush (on you), the (horny) bard, speed demon, hell seeker, elegant classical musician... ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers but he never really saw you as a friend, forced proximity, slow burn

Gazi Gharib (RO) ⟡ Photojournalist 28-year-old (she/her or he/him) from New York City, USA (ℹ) Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they're always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous.

⟡ tropes include the innocent, the best friend, the encouraging charmer, the serial romeo, the casanova, agent mulder (the believer), empathetic communicator, spirited competitor, the klutz ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like cause this one is a...), faaaaaast burn

Deniz Yılmaz (RO) ⟡ Private Investigator 26-year-old (he/him or she/her) from Istanbul, TR (ℹ) Your next-door-neighbor and childhood best friend. You haven't kept in close contact, but they're the first person you think of seeing when you visit home.

⟡ tropes include the jester, agent scully (the skeptic), street-smart investigator, hardboiled detective, erudite stoner, literal-minded/snark knight combo, childhood friends, loyal supporter, gadgeteer genius ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Gazi, childhood friends (or was it more?) to lovers, (possible second chance romance...), somewhere between slow and fast burn

Dr. Noel Sung (RO) ⟡ Journalist 41-year-old (she/her) from London, UK (ℹ) Your graduate school mentor who you credit for preparing you to land a job at The New York Times as prestigious as it is. She's now your direct supervisor, and she has quite the assignment for you.

⟡ tropes include the magician, high-powered career woman, absent-minded professor(/former forbidden love?), age gap, charismatic intellectual, intuitive leader, pragmatic idealist, deadpan snarker, determinator, shrinking violet, (your possible unrequited crush on her goes here)… ⟡ solo-route, workplace romance (technically; she's your boss now), slow burn

An ancient, hidden society of sorcerers ⟢

The Radiant Circle is the central governing body that maintains harmony and order among sorcerers, as well as keep their community secret. It was originally formed and led by the Resonant Soul (called the High Guardian—this is you) and the most powerful elemental sorcerers of the time (called the Founding Guardians—these are the four souls bonded to you) as an alliance of sorcerers from across the New Kingdom of Egypt.

After its formation, the magical community grew, and eventually, the Radiant Circle was divided into four smaller regional circles called the Ephemeral Circles: the Night Circle (you know the most about this one), the Dawn Circle, the Day Circle, and the Dusk Circle. These four circles, also called luminariates, are the main governing bodies of the current world of sorcery. Every known family of sorcerers lives under the eye of the Radiant Circle and one of the four Ephemeral Circles.

Only the Resonant Soul can be the High Guardian of the Radiant Circle. Only the four souls bonded with Resonant Soul can be the Founding Guardians. During periods where the Resonant Soul or the Guardians aren’t alive, these positions are left vacant and the Ephemeral Circles meet as the Radiant Council annually instead. Unfortunately, it's been so long since there has been a Resonant Soul that there aren't many people left who remember who sits at the top of the hierarchy.

You live as a Threshold—an uninitiated sorcerer, typically a child who can't use magic yet—within the luminariate called the Night Circle. You sit at the bottom of the hierarchy, but every other sorcerer you know? César is an Archumbricar, the right hand of the Night Luminary and leader of the Night Circle. Arseau and Rafa are César's High Justicars, his right and left hands. Your dads even play a role, advising the Luminary from their position in the Night Weave.

A single soul that can control all four elements, reincarnated once again—you ⟢

Before you became the Resonant Soul, you were a child born without magic to two prominent sorcerers sometime before recorded human history begins. Back then, it was common to put the child of every sorcerer through a resonance ritual, even children of sorcerers born without magic who always died in the process. But where there's a will, there's a way, and someone really wanted you to live and created circumstances that bound your souls together—one into endless reincarnation and the other into endless immortality.

You meet the four original Guardians over the course of hundreds of years. Your bonds are unique and have chained the fate of their souls with yours so that they are reincarnated in an endless cycle by your side. Even so, you've lived more lives without them than with them, lived more lives without magic than with it. Almost as if you're fighting a losing battle against knowing your true soul.

Only the Resonant Soul can resonate with all four types of elemental magic, but your magic remains locked away until you regain your memories (how're you supposed to regain memories you don't remember you need to regain? then again, how safe would it be to give you all that power and no recollection of all the mistakes you've made?). The Guardians are known for their extraordinary abilities in one element; their magic isn't sealed away, only their memories (which still isn't convenient—how are you supposed to know who they are if they don't know who they are?).

⟢ retweets & asks are welcome! there is no better writing motivation ♡

〉 Sections: Profiles, Editorials, Articles, Asks & Answers, Quotes

[thenightdance-if]

Not me seeing that Cianan's name is actually the same as one of my D&D characters but having completely opposite looks and personalities XD (Spelled Keannan, which I suppose is the anglicised version)

I'm charmed by the concept of this IF and I'm eager to see what happens throughout! Is there an option to be an absolutely awful/unenthusiastic dancer? Or someone who loves to dance but is shy about the crowd? Are you able to play a dutiful or rebellious heir? Someone who is a natural leader or who should never ever be put in charge of anything ever? There's a lot of avenues to explore and I'm curious about how you'll go about it.

I have two sisters (I'm the only boy) and movies were often a group activity, so yes, I also watched, loved and adored the Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses (I was especially a sucker for the flower motif!). My other one was the one with the Pegasus sister and the super special staff, I think?

cianan is such a beautiful name, no wonder we chose it for our characters, lol ♡

the heir’s questions all can be answered with “yes.” there really are many roads to be explored, and the player’s choices will most definitely affect who they are, how they’re perceived, and the story’s path.

don’t even get me started on the flowers they had to dance on to open the portal. there’s just something naturally magical about dancing—especially ballet, to me—that really adds to the atmosphere in the movie.

barbie and the magic of pegasus was also one of my favorites! that & all the other classical ones up until barbie and the three musketeers, before the movies switched to more modern settings (which isn’t a problem; i was just more invested in the fantastical, fairy-tale-ish aspects of the older movies).

[thenightdance-if]

Is the IF going to be developed with twine or choicescript?

i was originally planning to go with twine because i can adjust the theme as i wish, but choicescript seems to be easier to code; as a newbie to coding i think i’d prefer going with the option that’d ease me into it and that’d also enable the IF and its chapters to release sooner.

i’m still a little on the fence about it lol. hopefully you guys can give me your own input on this matter if you wish ♡

[thenightdance-if]

i must ask the tumblr famous question:

alistair and cianan’s reactions to a “hickey” (mosquito bite) during the crushing phase? (and if possible anything specific for the poly route mc?)

omg, this one must be really famous because i’ve been asked this before! here ♡ but i didn’t answer the poly route, so here it goes.

both of them would notice it instantly, but instead of being upfront about it they’d exchange glances to communicate it to each other. cianan would gesture for alistair to be the one to ask mc about it (and i’m chuckling just imagining alistair glaring at cianan as if to say ‛why does it have to be me?’), but alistair would eventually ask, under the guise of worry, about the strange mark on mc’s neck.

they’d be relieved after knowing it’s nothing but a mosquito bite and exchange glances once more—this time self-congratulatory.