Would you believe me if I told you this entire thing was inspired by playing cards?

Specifically, it was inspired by the Queen of Hearts, and later: Queen of Cups from tarot decks. In fact, the working title for this game was "Queen of Hearts" I think you can start seeing why the game is the way it is when you consider the design of playing cards and compare it to the game's sprite:

(left: an illustration of the card from another project. left: the game's sprite design)

The card "Queen of Hearts" is often equated to the "Queen of Cups" from tarot, especially considering how tarot cards were born off the 52 card deck we have now by adding an additional suit, it isn't surprising that they are related. In this case, I kind of ended up combining the two. The first one in terms of the sprite's design, having two versions of the same character (not to mention the heart shape of her bodice + belt), while the latter with how tarot cards can be read differently whether they are in an upright or reversed position.

While I originally planned to use the card's actual meanings for this, I ended up not sticking to it because it felt like I was trying too hard to make that part of the story, when I'd rather the story focus on something else. Still, I did want the two sides of the characters to represent different things, so here's a quick breakdown:

Upright vs. Reverse:

In the upright position,

I wanted her to seem like she's happy with her surroundings. She might be not be seeing or refusing to see the hurt she's inflicting on her maid or herself. This is shown through her joyful expression, and how in her initial drafts, the "upright" position has her eyes closed. However, just because she can't see it, doesn't mean that it isn't there. The maid's hands hold on to her, even then.

In the reversed position,

I wanted the opposite to be true. She sees things as they are- with her eyes open, and she acknowledges both her own and the maid's feelings, none of them being particularly good at this point.

Background Design:

I have to admit, I had the background carry a big part of the mood that I wanted. To break it down, I wanted the background to remind players of several things: A vanity table, a half open casket, and the borders of a card. The whole idea of I wanted to play off was that this was both a joyful occassion, and a private funeral. The start of something new, and also a goodbye. After all, a lot of women are buried with their wedding gowns.

Intimacy:

I wanted the space to feel dark and almost claustrophobic, with only the sprite being the light-coloured figure for emphasis. I wanted the space to feel secretive and intimate. In order to do this, I had curtains on the sides, bordering the space to imply an enclosed space, and set the entire thing at a Vanity table, which is a pretty intimate space to have your hair and makeup done, especially by someone you trust.

Items:

The items on the vanity table includes: a flower, a jewelry box, a picture, and candles. There are all items that I kind of correlate with funerals. You'd put up a picture of what was lost, set up candles, put up flowers, and take out mementos that remind you of what was lost. On the other hand, none of these things are weird to have on a vanity table either. A bouquet from an admirer, pictures, jewelries. These are items that are often kept by a Vanity table where a bride might do her hair and make up.

Fun fact: jewelry boxes are also called 'caskets' ^^;

The Mirror

It's obvious that the border surrounding the sprite is supposed to represent a vanity table's mirror, right? But the shape itself, the fact that there is no actual person (only their supposed reflection), and the flower decorating it, is meant to be reminiscent of a half open casket that players are peering into.

Anyway, that's a lof of the thoughts that went through my head as I made this seemingly simple little thing, I hope this will help you take note and understand my intentions a little more ^^