Introduction 

Hello everyone! I will use the name 'eyematerror' for this work, but you can also call me Madworld. I have been active in the furry community for about ten years, but this is my first major visual novel project. I'm a fresh-eyed, shy-as-hell owl-man collapsing through the backdoor of the VN community,  hoping for someone to notice my wings flapping aimlessly...

In May 2022, I entertained the idea of developing a visual novel without knowing if I could. So, it is very exciting to say that the demo of this story is publicly available (PC/Mac/Android) on November 1st, 2022!

"Aaron & The Void" will be a gay furry romance novel that takes place in a present-day world. There's a heavy emphasis on slice of life, world exploration, conflict resolution, and identity exchange. You play as the lead character, Aaron, a white-tailed deer with a complicated history of trauma and self-doubt. He needs support, so… what can you do to help? Well, lemme spoil that: you "become" Aaron... but how? You'll have to read to find out…

There are a *lot* of stories in this genre; I totally realize that. There are a lot that rely on psychological horror elements. But I don't know of any where you spend time 'exploring' what it means to be, or live, in a furry world. This is part of the story I want to tell. While the prologue starts deep within those psychological settings (a la Myst), the story diverts from this after the prologue. 

One of my secondary goals in writing this novel is to tell a story that serves as a 'guiding light'. Let's hope I follow through on that… hooflets crossed!

Features

Here's what you can expect from the Aaron & The Void demo (build 0.1):

• There are two parts in the demo. The Prologue introduces you to Aaron, the premise, and his dilemma. Part One starts you on the paths for the 7 dateable characters. 
• Yes, seven.
• There is (was?) an eighth 'main' character in development. You'll see an icon on the selection screen for them. We'll see if there's room, but it's probably overkill already with seven. They may get turned into a supporting character, or an optional path if enough peeps wish for a non-gay or non-romance character arc - something like that.
• In future releases, development and story expansion shall focus on one or two paths at a time. We just want you to get a taste for what's in store, and the personalities of all involved.
• The demo includes over 300 character expressions and art pieces. This is what I take pride in the most: expressiveness!
• No NSFW art at this time. More art will be added and current art may be revised in future releases.
• The novel contains strong language, including use of alcohol and other substances. Please use caution, and do not read this novel if you are not of age or in a country with strict laws against these things.
• All music and sound effects are subject to change. Most of the music, SFX, and background images are Creative Commons (free to use on non-profit projects). Credits are given in source .txt files.
• 46,000 words (honestly feels like more, but this is what Lint says, and Lint is bae)

Additional Info

Let it be known: this is a labor-of-love project. The project will remain free (unless there's future need... but even then, it'll be optional.) I will not take donations. I don't need them; I don't want them. Spend your money on more important things. I just want you to read and enjoy! 

Also, if you're only here for 'dem juicy R-rated contentz', you'll be sorely disappointed with the demo (Version 0.1). This is one of those reads where you have to be patient with the story before we get to 'stuff'. 

Additionally, new versions will come out when they come out, but updates will be regularly posted on the project's Twitter feed at @eyematerror (until it gets too 'musky'.)

Some visual novels are never finished, but this project is important for me to complete, both critically and emotionally. Sometimes we work on projects to distract ourselves from the real world, and A Lot has changed for me in recent years. My father died in 2021, and ever since then, it felt important to review how I contribute my efforts to the communities I love, and being more open. Life's too short to hide, to conceal, to hesitate. I hope this novel helps you find a temporary escape from reality, and allows you to imagine the life of another who's assuredly complicated but exists in an intriguing and safe place. Just as much as working on this project helps me manage life's challenges, I hope this novel taps into lost memories or shared feelings, and empowers you to share your own - we all have feelings and challenges, and sharing them can help us feel less alone.

Development

As mentioned above, the next 'build' will come when it comes, will focus on one or two characters at a time, and will expand on the setup that's been presented in this demo. Additional story elements, such as Dreams and Exploration sequences, will be a main function of the progression of the visual novel, but they are not implemented for this demo.

In the coming months, I will be looking for individuals who are interested in creating music, reviewing code, or designing background art for a handful of settings. I'm an artist in theory, who's still honing his craft - and I fought a ton of anxiety off working on this VN! The art isn't perfect; I just hope it's not repulsive. Your feedback and comments are appreciated. 

So, let's start with this callout: if you are interested in creating music for this project (definitely for pay) or you have some suggestions, shoot me a message. Better yet, if you have a sample of something you've created, I'd love to hear it! Send me a Twitter message, or I am also lurking in the shadows of the furry VN discords as well.  

If you just want to read the novel … go ahead! And if you're looking for a way to support this project, please share it with a friend or give us a review/rating. 

Finally, if you have comments, feedback, or bugs to report, please follow the link below. I'll be using this form in the upcoming weeks to fix any problems or issues that arise.

https://forms.gle/DuPEopqnAJ9MYi7J6

That's it for now. I'm excited to go on this journey with y'all.
Thanks!
-eyematerror