Just a short PSA. I'm switching journals for Sora, and thought that, since this is a musebox, you all should know. Instead of namedforthesky I will now be using sparkga.

We're not happy to have to announce it, but with the long decline in interest in the game, the recent drop-train, and loss of moderators with no replacements offering themselves, we're no longer able to operate Queen of Hearts as an app-and-modplot game.

We are converting the game, effective immediately, into a musebox for any players past and present (and other people, if you like) who would like to play in the setting. Finish up old threads, do ones you never got around to, do whatever you'd like with it.

We have also put up a page with world info that was until now kept secret from the players for plot reasons. No reason to leave you perpetually in suspense.

On the off-chance that any sort of moderation actually is needed for this musebox, I (Peter) will take care of it. Just message me at pikabot.

Thank you all for your time and for a lovely two years. It really was a great experience.

Hello, Queen of Hearts. We recently celebrated our 2nd birthday and we've been working our way onto our third, however with time things need to change and it's come to our attention that there needs to be a major change in store for this game.

We have been working with the game for quite a while in order to bring fresh life into it that could attract more players, we've taken suggestions for ways to advertise and how we can improve. And still, there's been a lack of apps and quite a few drops, which will surely take its toll on such a small game. We asked for a new moderator who might help to implement some of the changes the players have been asking for, but received no offers.

We feel we are running out of options on keeping this game interesting and afloat. If you have any suggestions, you are welcome to come to us, but we have made a few options of our own.

Closing the game: We don't want to do this! But if the players would like some sort of closure to send their characters home to, we will provide.

Musebox: We can turn the game into a musebox. There will be no applications or activity check, but also no moderator-run events or plot. This basically means the characters will stay in the Gardens and you are free to play as you like.

New mods: If some amount of players would like to step up and help to revamp the game and the rest of the players would be alright with that, we are happy to help.

Any other suggestions are welcome. We feel we're at a standstill currently, but we would love to keep this game running! There's no poll on this currently as these options aren't set in stone and can be changed. We mostly just want to gauge player interest. If it seems there's a divide on certain options, we can find a way to work it out.

I'm sure this isn't unexpected at this point, but I'm going to be heading out as well! I've been super slow lately due to a case of the winter blues, and at this point I just don't have the energy or motivation I need to keep playing the characters I have. So, considering that and recent CR attrition, I'll be dropping as well.

I'm certainly willing to wrap up any threads I have at the moment, for closure or whatever other reason, but all things considered I'll understand if you don't want to as well! And, since I've been so slow, if I'm removed from the comms before we have the chance to finish, I'm perfectly willing to take it to a musebox. Actually, I'd be happy to musebox in general, if any of you would like to continue playing with my characters. (Or ship with them. You know who you are. WONK.)

I've had a lot of fun in the time I've been here (on three separate occasions), and I love all the CR I've had, so thanks for the memories! I hope I'll have the chance to play with everyone again in the future.

This affects Lambda-11 (cobbledtogether), Nue Houjuu (undefines), and Yumeko (swordthrowing). If you'd like to keep in contact with me, I can be reached at gilded chrysanth on AIM or missbiondetta on Plurk.

This comes with a heavy heart, but I am sad to say that my time in Queen of Hearts has officially come to an end.

I've been with the game, off and on, since its inception, and have played with a number of wonderful people. But sadly, between my new school life and a general lack of interest in the game, I don't want to continue dallying about any further.

Sanae, Dizzy, Akira, and Shinki will all be going home.

I'll try to finish what threads I can. And if you want to stay in touch, my contact information is pretty easy to figure out, ha ha.

Thanks for the memories, QoH. It's been sweet.

—I told myself that I would try to make it until the end of the month, at least, but I won't be able to.

It is with a very heavy heart — and MANY thanks for everyone who has ever plotted or threaded or talked to me from this game — that I find myself drawing a curtain on my stay here. Work is picking up, and this plus a combination of a lack of motivation and planning for in-game antics has me coming to this decision rather than idling out and/or otherwise languishing.

I will not post to the Drop page just yet because I will be wrapping up all my existing threads, so as not to leave anyone hanging (and I can't reply to posts if the journals are removed!)

You are all free to use my contact post or PM my journals to plan musebox stuff with me at any time! This can be new CR, or carrying over anything existing.

This affects:
Subaru Nakajima of_the_highest_caliber
Tsumugi "Mugi" Kotobuki golden_gaytime
Yuuka Kazami nephentes_rajah

May you all continue to enjoy all the game has to offer, and I hope we can see each other in other games someday. God knows I will probably end up in like 7 total games once business slows down again. >.>

I would great appreciate it if everyone could pop briefly over to the Taken page and see if you can spot any errors. It had fallen a little into disrepair, and I just cleaned it out and made sure everything is up to date but I might have missed something.If you spot any errors, just comment here with them and I'll fix them up.

This is my first time doing the AC, so seriously: if you see a mistake, please tell me.

Cafe Menu

The following characters have either been dropped recently, or will be removed from the game due to failing to meet activity requirements this round:

The Queen has taken on an artistic mood this month, which means both art and the tools for creating art will be found throughout the Gardens in plentiful amounts. Everywhere you look you'll find easels and canvas, paints, sculpting clay, wood-carving equipment...you won't be able to throw a stick without hitting something artistic. And the Queen is quite keen to see you all make use of it - especially for crafting portraits of your fellow Garden Inhabitants. There's no reward for doing so outside of her gratitude and gushing praise, but it would be a shame to let all this go to waste, wouldn't it?

As well as the tools of the trade, the Garden is filled with finished works of art, some of them quite famous. Virtually all of them portray two people engaged in some stage of a romantic relationship, although there is a great deal of variety in what this means. Some are straightforwardly chaste, while others are still perfectly chaste but, being fine art, feature some exposed body parts. Others...well, others are less chaste. Some of them even appear to have been ripped from the covers of romance novels. Some are based on ancient myth. Some invoke the innocence of childhood. And some...well, some are simply bizarre. Any piece of you can imagine can be found here somewhere, so long as its subject is love.

(Savvy art critics may notice one difference, though: whereas most of these pieces depict love between a man and a woman, in the Garden they depict instead, naturally, love between two women. Or possibly more, depending on the piece)

Where the art tools are mundane, however, these paintings are supernatural. Step too close to one, and you may find yourself transported into the world of the painting, and cast in the roles of one of its subjects. The other role will be filled by whoever else the painting manages to capture - perhaps someone who was standing with you at the time, or perhaps another random passer-by. Regardless, once all the roles are filled, the game begins.

Every piece of art tells a story, although that story may vary depending on the viewer. To escape the world of the painting, your characters need simply play out the piece's story, with each character playing their role. Your characters will instinctively understand this upon arrival.

Suppose, however, that you get a scenario that you cannot or refuse to act out. Suppose, for instance, that you get a steamy romance novel cover with someone who is not your significant other. Fear not, because you do have an option: you can change the painting from within it, using a set of paints and copy of it which can be found less than ten feet from where you appear in the painting world. Any changes made to this canvas will be reflected in the world around you. If you want, wipe out the painting altogether and replace it with your own! The options are limitless. Just bear in mind that there's a brush for both participants; the two of you will have to come to a consensus about what the painting should be before you can play it out.

Short version:

1. The Garden is full of art supplies, and the Queen wants you to go hog wild.

2. The Garden is also full of art, generally of the romantic variety.

3. These paintings are magical and if you step too close to them at the wrong time, you can get sucked into the painting, into the world it depicts, and wind up playing the role of one of its subjects.

4. To escape, you and whoever gets stuck with you need only to play out the scenario suggested by the art.

5. If you don't want to do that, you can change the piece of art, which will alter the world around you and the scenario you need to perform in order to escape. Just make sure the two of you can agree to something.

Note: For simplicity's sake I've mostly referred to paintings here, but if you like it can apply to any work of art in any medium.

Feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments, or coordinate with other players.

Hello, guys!

Like the mods said, I will be stepping down from such duties. I had a lot of fun, and was honestly pretty geared up to try to make some changes in the coming year to meet your needs and suggestions. The truth of the matter is, however, I struggled through the last season because of health problems that have not really been taken care of. School is starting soon, and I just won't have the time or energy to do what you guys need. I really hope someone with great ideas comes in to take my place.

Unfortunately, I won't be here to see it. I am going to be dropping Zinc and Vivi. It's really hard for me to do, I've been here at Queen of Hearts for two years with a lot of characters and really enjoyed myself. It's been an important place for me, but I'm ready to move on.

Zinc's last plot was a bit unresolved, so the option left is that while she was in captivity she was returned home in a shower of white petals. She was here the longest, and I really enjoyed how at home she eventually became in the Garden. She really loved some of you guys. She would like to leave her house and her robots to Gavril, and anyone else she'd like to share them with.

Vivi is sad to leave her sister, and will be going back to the Academy.

Please take care!

Love,
Vee

(Oh uhm, if anyone wants to remove me or keep in touch, my plurk was blizzardseason)

ACTIVITY CHECK It's time for the Queen of Hearts monthly activity check! ♡ In order to pass the activity check, please comment to this post with links to your character's activity by January 17th at 11:59 PM Eastern time (UTC/GMT -4). ♡ All activity during the month of December (between December 1st and December 31st) counts for the purposes of this activity check. ♡ Activity must consist of one of the following option:  ♕ Making a post in queenofheartsrp or in queenoflogs. OR  ♕ Participating in any combination of two threads from either queenoflogs or queenofheartsrp, both consisting of at least five comments by your character. ♡ If you feel you cannot make activity for your character this month, and you have not used up your character's three strikes, you may request a second chance. However, you will need to provide an extra piece of activity in the next round. (For more information on this, please see the rules.) If you are experiencing a serious struggle with your AC, or have any other questions about it, please feel free to talk to one of the moderators, we have open ears. ♡ The following characters need to provide an extra piece of activity this round as a result of having requested a second chance last round: ( second chance characters ) ♡ Characters who were accepted to the game the week of December 18th only need to submit one piece of activity. This includes the following characters: ( recent applicants ) ♡ Characters who have been accepted to the game since the week of November 25th are exempt this round. This includes the following characters: ( even more recent applicants )

Reminder: We made a change to our activity requirements. These have not yet been outlined fully in the rules, so if you have any questions please direct them to us. Any questions we get will help us word the ruling as effectively as possible when we go in to make that change.

Summary: The new year begins, and so too begin the long doldrums of winter, the most difficult time of year. In order to escape the long, droning winter, many people turn to art as an inspiration for their spirit. This month, the same will be true of the Queen and her Garden.

[OOC] January 10th: Activity check!
[OOC] January 10th: Mod Applications!
January 15th: The Queen has taken on an artistic mood, and the Garden shall change to reflect this. Easels and canvas, sculpting clay, and other artistic materials will be freely available and scattered throughout the Garden. The Queen welcomes and encourages efforts to paint or sculpt one another...especially the ones you care about.

What's more, the Garden will be full of the works of famous artists, usually (of course) depicting a romantic scene. These are true masterpieces of their form, with such fidelity that you would swear you could right into the scene. And, indeed, you can, and may not have a choice in the matter.
⇒ This is the month's event and will run until January 23rd.
[OOC] January 15th: HMD Meme
⇒ The official Queen of Hearts HMD Meme will occur on January 15th. Participation is optional, and players are expected to be mature.
[OOC] January 17th: Mod Applications Close!

Hello everyone! It's been a while since you've heard from us and we're very, very sorry for the delays. We've been spending the time getting our chickens together because we are sad to say that Vee is stepping down from modding due to time constraints. We'll miss her very much; she's done so much for the game and took on many responsibilities. The January event calendar, event itself, and the AC will be up shortly. But first, we would like to start looking for a new mod! This is a small game, but we feel it's better if we have more people who can be around should anything come up.
( information and apps )

Hi, ladies.

Sorry, but I'm going to be dropping the Doc. I really love this game, but I've been terribly inactive and I'm starting to lose interest. It seems to come and go with this game, so I'll likely be back at some point.

I love you, guys. Keep being awesome and feel free to find a pile of roses somewhere.

I'm going to go ahead and officially take myself off hiatus now. I'm mostly settled back at home and have about a week and a half until classes start, so I should at least be able to get in SOME RPing between now and then.

Welcome back Sanae, Dizzy, Akira, and Shinki

If there is anything I missed or any threads I dropped that you'd love to continue, please let me know!

Hello, everyone! We hope you have been enjoying the holidays.

This is a short message to tell you that we will be delaying some of the beginning of the month maintenance, such as the activity check and new calendar.

This is because we would first like to have a discussion post with all of our players about where they would like the game to go in the coming year (this is the start of our third!)

To keep the discussion contained to our current players, it will be a member's only entry, created tomorrow! So please be sure to check with your character journals and to begin gathering your thoughts.

Hello!

I don't want to make another comm post because I'm still working on the last one, but I did want to offer this up if anyone wants to take advantage of it:

Since Vivi is playing Drosselmeier's part in the play she will be crafting a bunch of lopsided reject clockwork creatures. Now, Vivi is likely to just smash them when the event is over, but it also occurred to me that they might do well being taken to Antikythera and cared for by the other robots.

You are free to interact with them and do anything you like! I'm just tossing ideas out there :)

Hope everyone's having a nice holiday.

Hi. I wanted to avoid having to do this, but it seems like probably for the best. So I'm declaring a hiatus for Ky Kiske until January 13th. I intend to continue backtagging things during that time period, and she will be on autopilot.

If anyone wants my attention on anything the character will still be around, so do let me know, and I will slowly tag her there.

I only planned to be absent for the first two weeks of the month, but a myriad of health problems is forcing me to step back until January. >.<

I hope every one has a wonderful holiday season, and I'll see you all in the new year! <3