Inside Choices: The Thirteenth House
Welcome back to Choices Insiders! This week, we're stepping through the gates of Arthur Hawthorne University to learn more about The Thirteenth House.
If you've been playing, you know this isn't your typical college story. Between secret societies, supernatural mysteries, and characters hiding more than just exam answers, AHU is a campus unlike any other in Choices. We sat down with writer Isa to talk about building this dark academia world, crafting morally complex love interests, and balancing the darkness with the chaos of being 18 and figuring life out (cults and all).
Whether you're team Felix, team Calista, or still trying to figure out what the Zodiac Society is really up to, this interview has something for you. Let's dive in.
Welcome to AHU ✨📚
For anyone new to The Thirteenth House, how would you describe the story in just a few words?
It’s a college mystery with supernatural twists at every shadowy corner…
What inspired the concept of secret societies and dark academia for this book?
Cat, Emi, and I had been toying around with a Zodiac-themed book for a while (we’re the resident Homestucks at PB, so we had to). As I was wrapping up my last book and thinking about what I wanted to write next, I had been coming up with a slightly different secret society story. Inspiration struck one of us to combine the two, and The Thirteenth House was born!
The tone of Thirteenth House feels darker and more psychological than many of our stories. What drew the team toward that direction?
In general, the story we’re telling calls for darkness and intrigue. I think we were drawn to something a bit more complex because those are the stories we enjoy ourselves. - Isa
Secrets and Symbols 🤫
How did you approach building Arthur Hawthorne University? What makes it feel distinct from other campus settings in Choices?
We haven’t done a dark academia setting before. We wanted to make sure we got both the cozy and creepy vibes across, while also feeling like a welcoming school that people would want to go to.
There’s a heavy undercurrent of power, privilege, and ambition throughout the story. How do those themes connect to the characters and the world they live in?
All of the characters have such strong motivations based on their upbringings. Some adhere to how they were raised, others want to rebel against them. What they choose to do with that power, that privilege, is what’s being molded during their time at AHU.
If you had to sum up the “heart” of this story - what it’s really about beneath the mystery - what would you say?
At the very deepest level, it’s about breaking generational cycles. Some of these cycles will be more obvious than others.
Secret societies thrive on exclusivity. Was it hard to make that world feel both aspirational and deeply uncomfortable?
It was a bit hard to balance how I wanted MC to feel about being thrust into this world. I wanted to take a very Haruhi in Ouran High School Host Club approach, where MC is initially skeptical but learns to love the lavishness. Cults and all!
Love and Loyalty 💞
The LIs in Thirteenth House are layered and morally gray at times. How did you balance romance with that darker, more secretive tone?
You have to figure out what the base tone for each of the LIs romance will be, and balance that with their personal story. Felix and Calista are great foils for each other in that way. Felix is literal sunshine with some personal anxieties to overcome. Meanwhile, Calista is much darker on the outside with a warm, fuzzy interior waiting to be let out. They’re both charming and suave, but in different ways. I think they could have wound up as very similar people if they had similar upbringings, but their pasts are what defined their personalities.
Which character surprised you the most while writing? Did anyone take on a life of their own during development?
A lot of them surprised me, honestly. For me, characters really come alive once I create a playlist for them. Each of the characters has a moody menagerie of songs that cover the arc of their story in the book. I’m very meticulous with how I organize them lol. Sometimes, finding a song that fits a character that I wouldn’t otherwise choose for them helps develop them further. It’s like, “Okay, I guess Felix listens to Talking Heads now. Didn’t know that before.” It helps inform his character when I write him
What’s your favorite character dynamic in the book so far?
There are so many microdynamics in this game lol. Jack and Lance are constantly at each other’s throats, Felix is always goading Lance on, Calista and Felix have a competitive vibe going. But some of my favorite scenes to write were when MC and their friends are all together. They’re a rowdy bunch!
Spill the tea for us: which LI are YOU picking, and why?
Felix is sooo golden retriever boyfriend, and Calista is very black cat girlfriend. I’m a black cat kind of person myself, so I think Calista and I would work best together. We both have our own things going on, but we would be a dynamic duo when we get together. But Felix is so adorable and charming… it’s hard! You can’t make me choose, even though I’m making you choose.
Crafting the Mystery ✍️
Were there any specific movies, books, or shows that influenced Thirteenth House’s aesthetic or tone?
A lot of The Thirteenth House was inspired by me playing Metaphor: ReFantazio LOL it just so happened to be around the time I was finishing up my last book so I was thinking, “Okay, how do we make Persona in choices?” My original pitch even included a calendar system like a lot of Atlus games use. That, combined with the skills and the romances we have in the game, would’ve sadly been too much to write in the time we have. So I had to kill my darling. But one day…
What were the biggest challenges in bringing this story to life?
Probably balancing the dark tone with the lightness of a campus story. Because at the end of the day, these are 18/19 year olds we’re writing. As seriously as I wanted to be taken when I was that age, I still had fun! And I kept leaning more and more towards comedic while writing these characters, because they’re young and fun and navigating this strange world of college and cults. They’re gonna crack some jokes. But balancing that with the darker moments in the story is what I think makes it shine. Or else they’d just be brooding and sad all the time. Which can work, but not for these guys.
Were there any ideas that were too dark or too weird, even for this book?
Honestly? We have a lot of weird going on already. Especially towards the end, when you see what’s really going on with the Zodiac Society.
Behind the Curtain 🙈
If you were a student at Arthur Hawthorne University, what would your skill be?
OOO I think mine would be stamina lol I was always running around doing every single activity in college. I was in clubs, I had three jobs, I ran events, I was all over the place.
Do you have a favorite line or moment that readers should keep an eye out for?
MC and Piper’s story is one of my favorites! I can’t spoil too much, but there’s a lot to look forward to with them.
What do you hope players take away from Thirteenth House when they finish the story?
I hope they walk away with new characters to love, and a world they enjoyed exploring!
The final Bell 🔔
What’s it been like seeing player reactions and theories so far?
It’s been very fun seeing players’ reactions to all the characters. Loving all the Jack, Lance, and Piper love I’ve been seeing. In a perfect world, there would be LIs galore in this game. All of them are ripe for romance arcs!
What would your secret society's initiation ritual be?
Making initiates sit through my two-hour Loona presentation that details not only their career but the lore built around their music. Complete with watching every music video in chronological order.
Thanks so much to Isa for pulling back the curtain on The Thirteenth House! We love hearing about the creative process behind your favorite stories, and we can't wait to see how your theories and predictions pan out as the mystery unfolds.
If you haven't started The Thirteenth House yet, now's the perfect time to enroll at Arthur Hawthorne University. And if you're already deep in the mystery, come share your thoughts with us on social. Who's your favorite character? What secrets do you think are still hiding in those hallowed halls? We want to hear it all.
Until next time, keep making choices that matter. 🌙