Hoyak, Merlot and Cerise

As mentioned in a previous post, I've been very focused lately reworking choices "made unthinkingly, out of fear of losing support," or other reasons. One of the most difficult to approach has been Merlot, Cerise, and their adoptive father Hoyak.

Let's start with Hoyak, because he's the most simple. He used to be a funny lantern man, a golem of sorts, which wasn't all that out of place in Rainshade's original setting, where magic had become a commodity. Now that magic is so scarce that many refute it even exists, he didn't make sense. So I made him a deer dad. I wanted him to look a little attractive, maybe. People like a hot dad, right?? Meanwhile, the old design is still being used for something secret — because it's a good design.

Ossia, originally a "forest sprite," nearly suffered a similar fate for the exact same reason, but people are VERY fond of the little critter, myself included. I couldn't dare.

Now, Merlot and Cerise.

Many folks who follow me are well-aware of a little fangame I made several years back called Undertale Red. The titular character, Red, was a design that I recycled from an even older story idea, but due to my discomfort writing fan fiction, and the small size of the game, I really didn't do a good job writing her dialogue. It is the single reason that, despite my pride in the gameplay, I have trouble recommending it to anyone.

But I still liked the core of her personality. Her value in strength, and fear of grief. I wanted to rewrite her, but she was so deeply ingrained into another fandom at this point that she had really become her own character. So, in a sort of petty attempt to "reclaim" her, I created Merlot and Cerise. But, in hopes of bringing more attention to Rainshade, made them both look VERY similar to Red.

As time went on, it started to feel petty. Both of their designs made me increasingly uncomfortable, a feeling that really came to a head once I got hired to work on Deltarune.

That said, I am still very fond of them as characters! Their personalities, their dynamics with the other characters, and their role in the overall story. I can't get rid of them. Merlot is a precious little guy and Cerise is... well, you haven't met her yet. But she's certainly not just Red again. But their designs need to be altered.

They're still in the story. They'll still have their cute little spirals and slight fey to their appearance. But they might look very different then they used to.

Also I've been very tempted to make them rabbits. Just putting that out there.

God I might actually do that