Heartcore

Clockwise from right: Ame, Royce, Lutz, Lilium, and Teodora

"Goddamn, why are you so weird?"

—Lutz, to Ame

Heartcore is a web graphic novel by T.L. Welker about Amethyst Lashiec, a Fiendlord and princess of Asgar that grew disdainful of her father Royce's methods and decisions ever since the end of the demons' war against the beastmen. Royce, likewise, becomes fed up with his daughter's rebellious attitude and strips Ame of her rank and inheritance and promises the other Fiendlords that the one to bring him the ex-princess' head will become the new heir to the throne, before Ame can try to overthrow him.

Has very little to do with Heart Drive.

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Tropes used in Heartcore include:

• Absolute Cleavage
• A-Cup Angst: Teodora
• Affectionate Parody: The guest parody comic
• Alien Lunch: Ame is pleased to find that Rip and Tear have found her some delicious Heartcores. She's less than pleased to find out where they came from.
• Anime Hair
• Anything That Moves: Ame
• Author Appeal: Pretty much all the tropes related to female figures and Fetish Fuel. The author has admitted that Ame was created to be her ideal woman, but also put everything "cute" she liked within Teodora.
• Author Avatar: Once again, Ame
• Beam-O-War: Ame/Lilium has one of these against an empowered Royce.
• Berserk Button: Royce is set off when Ame blows up the blood storage.
  • Also worth noting that commenting on Emerald's weight might lead to a fist to the face.
  • And Ame won't stand for her entertainment being insulted.
• Bicep-Polishing Gesture: Ame, after getting healed up by Heartcores. (Warning: NSFW)
• Big Eater: Emerald has shown to be this, considering her MASSIVE order at a fast food joint.
• Black Eyes of Crazy: The whites of characters' eyes turn black when fighting
• Blond Guys Are Evil: Slade
• Blood Magic: Played with. Salamander demons such as Carval are said to have fire flowing through their veins, and...well, Word of God says you shouldn't make them bleed.
• Bond Villain Stupidity: Royce is guilty of this
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Ame
• Bratty Half-Pint: Teodora, Lutz, and Carval.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Lutz ends up doing this to keep the comic's content from getting risky.
• Butt Monkey: Lutz
• Calling Your Attacks: Spells in Heartcore require one to call out its name to execute. More powerful and elaborate spells require long incantations followed by the spell's name.
• Catch Phrase: Lutz's line, from which the page quote comes.
• Cel Shading
• Censor Steam
• Chick Magnet: Asmodai. considering that he can satisfy a handfull of ladies without taking of his clothes, that should say something.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Asmodai
• Combat Sadomasochist: Slade, oh god SLADE.
• Cute Little Fangs: All characters thus far, except Ryo and a random human passer-by (it helps that most of them are demons)
• Cute Monster Girl: This applies to many characters so far, but mostly Theodora.
• Darker and Edgier: Would you believe that the characters trying to brutally murder each other used to be part of a comedic, gag-a-day webcomic?
• Deader Than Dead: The only way to kill a demon is to either destroy its head or rip out their heartcore, Word of God says the latter is easier.
• Dark Is Not Evil: The heroes of Heartcore, although you may say otherwise at some points.
• Demonic Possession: This happens a lot, but most recently is Lilium possessing Ame.
• Demon Lords and Archdevils: Most of the characters we have seen from Asgard are this.
• Drop the Hammer: Teodora's weapon of choice.
• Even Badass Demons Love Their Mama: Clearly shown when Ame encounters her mother, Lilium.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Even Asmodai is slightly appalled by Slade's battle tactics.
• Everything's Better with Princesses: Ame and Suko
• Evil Redhead: Royce. Are you really suprised by that answer?
• Eyes of Gold: Royce, Ame, Lutz
• Eyepatch of Power: Royce gets one,
• Fangs Are Evil: Again, the vast majority of characters thus far are demons.
• Fan Nickname: "Ass-mode" for Asmodai, "Rolls Royce" and "Big Red" for Royce
  • "Timmy" for poor unfortunate soul who died in Carval's onslaught.
• Fan Service: Considering that one of the main characters is a succubus, this trope is bound to happen a couple of times through the series.
• Fetish Fuel Station Attendant: We could be here all night going through the list, but suffice to say that none of the female characters design were an accident.
• Fire, Ice, Lightning: The Lashiecs, Asmodai and Teo, and Slade
• Fish Out of Water: Ame has some trouble adjusting to her exile in human society. It's also been said that demons are easily overwhelmed by human sights and sounds, which is why Beastmen are practically required to assist them as tour guides and bodyguards.
• Flash Step: Slade is very good at this
• For the Evulz: Royce using Ame's body to attack Suko. There is literally no reason for him to have done this other than that he simply wanted to. It seems to be purely for extending Ame's suffering.
• Fridge Horror: It is known that the gates of Asgar require a Beastman to open and allow demons to enter the human world. It is also revealed that Royce uses a Beastman's body-- most likely the king of the Beastmen, who we saw defeated in the flashback segment-- to hide his true self. Later on Lilium states the advantages of possessing a Beastman; so what is the point of keeping Lutz around except as a backup body? Royce's Beastman body can allow him to leave Asgar and go to Midgard or any other realm at his own whim to cause mayhem; he could show up at any point in the New Ayers arc and kill Ame himself if he wanted to. So just what is he waiting for?.
• Funetik Aksent: Slade has a Scottish accent, for whatever reason.
• Gag Boobs: Rip and Tear playing Go Fish on Emerald's breasts along with a few other moments.
• Ghibli Hills: Nifelhiem appears to be as such
• Girls with Guns: Ryo and her sniper rifle. Emerald also loves her some firearms ^{[dead link]} .
• Glass Cannon: Teodora. She sure knows how to swing a giant hammer around, but considering her young age, this is trope is to be expected.
• Goggles Do Something Unusual: In Emerald's case, they detect the true forms of people and can be used to find demons.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Amethyst's face/arms
• Gory Discretion Shot: Sukina's face gets seriously messed up by Ame while she is under Royce's spell. We never see the injury, though, as the afflicted side of Sukina's face is cleverly hidden behind Ame's head after she picks her up.
• Handsome Devil: Royce, Asmodai and also Goristro to a certain degree.
• Hartman Hips
• Having a Blast: Carval, who appears to be able to make bombs with vials of his blood
• Horny Devils: Asmodai is an incubus, and Ame is a succubus
• Hot as Hell: Applies to Royce, along with Evil Is Sexy applying to most of the cast.
• Hot Chick in a Badass Suit: Ryo's hunter outfit
• Hot Dad: Royce.
• Hot Mom: Lilium.
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Between Lutz/Suko and a Royce-possessed Ame.
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each chapter starting with the second is named after video game music. To wit:

Chapter 2: Cashmere Cannonball
Chapter 3: Wounded Warsong
Chapter 4: Nostalgia in Solitude
Chapter 5: Alien Power
Chapter 6: Neocity
Chapter 7: Dangerous Zone (Not a game theme, but a song dear enough to the author to be played at her wedding.)
Chapter 8: Outride a Crisis

• Important Haircut: Ame cuts her hair short when she becomes her current personality.
• It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": Amethyst's shorthand, Ame, was originally derived from the Japanese word for rain. Word of God says Ame's nickname is not pronouned "Ah-May", but instead is pronounced like "aim".
• Jerkass: Royce, oh dear GOD, Royce.
• Large Ham: Royce.
• Mad Bomber: Carval's as mad and as bomb-tastic as they come.
• Master of Illusion: Ame has shades of this. Exhibit A: assuming the form of a helpless human about to be harassed by a couple of thugs, then opening a can of whoopass on them.
• Mook Horror Show
• Mr. Exposition: Lutz and Slade help with this.
• Mugging the Monster: A couple of thugs attempt to have their way with a seemingly helpless woman. They weren't expecting said woman to be Ame in disguise.
• My Name Is Not Durwood: Lutz appears to have this problem, with people merely referring to him by his title rather than by his given name.
• Name's the Same: Slade has no relation to Deathstroke. This is lampshaded in the chapter one parody. Word of God says Slade was actually named after the Rat Thief character "Slade" in Shining Force II for the Sega Genesis.
• Noble Demon
• Our Demons Are Different
• Out-of-Clothes Experience
• Persona Non Grata
• Pimped-Out Dress: Suko, as well as younger Ame
• Pointy Ears: So far, the only character without pointy ears is Gimlett.
• Pyromaniac: Nearly all of Carval's powers include fire in one way or another. To say that he really enjoys using them, even in public areas of the human world where everyone can see it, would be an understatement.
• Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Most of the cast being demons, this comes as no surprise. Also, Ryo
• Rebellious Princess: Two of them, technically.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Slade
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Amethyst and Royce are the Red to Teodora and Asmodai's Blue.
• Requisite Royal Regalia: Color-coded for each overfiend, no less.
• Scarf of Asskicking: Slade.
• Seven Deadly Sins: According to Word of God, Ame and the six overfiends each represent a Deadly Sin; Ame is Wrath, Royce is Gluttony, Asmodai is Lust, Emerald is Envy, Slade is Greed, Goristro is Pride, and Carval is Sloth.
• Shout-Out: Royce makes an entrance reminescent of Giygas on page 110
  • Many characters' names harken to classic Sega. The family name Lashiec, for example, comes from the actual translation of the name "Lassic", the villain of the first Phantasy Star. Likewise, Lutz is named after the esper in the same game. Then there is also the afformentioned Slade...
  • Word of God says Carval's shirt is a three-way reference (the third reference is being kept under-wraps for the time being).
• Show Within a Show: Royal Jelly Complex, a TV show that Tastes Like Diabetes if Disguised!Ame's initial reaction is anything to go by.
• Slasher Smile: A good number of characters have them, but notable mention goes to Carval, who's always sporting one.
• Smoking Is Cool: Ryo
• Special Guest: Emerald, Sukina, Ryo, and Syranon were created by friends of the author and incorporated into the story, the very latter being created by the author's husband.
• Spider Sense: Ryo has the ability to detect demons.
• Stocking Filler: Ame in the Chapter 6 end.
• Super-Powered Evil Side: Lilium taking over Ame's body.
  • Also qualifies as a Super Empowering.
• Sweater Girl: Complete with Detached Sleeves and lots of cleavage. Life is amazing.
• Thanks for the Mammary: Ame does this to Suko while trying to pull her out of her hiding place.
• Theme Naming: Amethyst and Emerald.
• Throw the Book At Them: Suko's muse is literature; it was bound to happen.
• Token Human: Gimlett is shaping up to be this.
• Token Mini-Moe: Teodora
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Well, Ame isn't exactly tomboyish, but she's definitely an Action Girl, whereas her sister Sukina is demure and generally a non-combatant.
• Too Kinky to Torture:

Lilium: Now, if you don't mind, these aren't nearly tight enough.

• Trademark Favorite Food: Potato chips for Lutz, and barbecue sauce for Ame.
• Unusual Ears: In addition to the Pointy Ears mentioned above, beastmen apparently have animal ears
• Voluntary Shapeshifting
• Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Upon finding out she ate the Heartcores of mice, Ame has a particularly colorful one.
• Wicked Cultured
• Winged Humanoid
• The Worf Effect: Ame
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Green, pink, blood red, turquoise, indigo and orange, and perhaps others as the story moves along.
• Zettai Ryouiki: But of course.