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beanswrites · 2 years

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"Three's a party" Nadia x Asra x MC, from The Arcana

Hello everyone!!

Today I felt very fluffy, so here's the outcome. Also, this is the first (and only) time someone requested from my prompts, so I'm super excited!

Requests are open! Check out my rules for requesting before sending me your ideas, or pick a prompt from my prompts list! ♡︎

Also available on AO3!

masterlist | rules for requesting | prompts list

Word count: 1359 words

Trope: General Fluff, Confession, Poly Relationship

Pairing: Nadia Satrinava x Asra Alnazar x fem! MC

AU: none

Warnings: none

Prompts used:

#6 - First kiss

#21 - You two (or three) aren't really dating, but everyone around you is CONVINCED you are, including your parents

Picture from Pinterest!

"I'm not in love with them!"

MC denied Portia's accusations.

"Yeah, right. I'll pretend that's true!"

The red-head wasn't having it, no matter how many times MC tried to deny it. Nobody believed her when she said that! Maybe she wasn't as convincing as she thought.

Playfully pushing her friend away, MC exclaimed:

"Portia! Don't be like that! You know that I'm not dating Asra and Nadia! Believe me, if I was, you'd know about it! You literately live with Nadia!"

"Please, I've seen how you look at My Lady! Plus, you and Asra already act like you've been dating for years! I refuse to believe that there's nothing between you three", The Devorak sister said back, smirking.

MC tucked her knees in her arms, defeated.

"Even if there were something between us, I'm not sure if they would even want a relationship! Especially a poly one! If they aren't ready to be in a two-way relationship, imagine what would it be like in a three-way relationship!"

The red-head stood up from the grass, offering a hand to her best friend.

"Well, you know what people say: Two is fun, three's a party!"

MC blushed at the thought. She would always lie and say that thoughts of her dating Asra and Nadia haven't crossed her mind, but Portia knew the truth. She just knew her too well to believe her lies! Not like the rest of the world believed it...

The magician's apprentice considered herself a good liar. However, nobody believed it whenever she regarded her feelings toward the countess and her master. No matter what she said, or how she said it, the sexual and romantic tension between the three was undeniable. It got to the point where everyone in Vesuvia was convinced that they were, in fact, dating!

Nadia has gotten countless comments and questions in interviews about it. She didn't confirm nor deny this theory, keeping her subjects on their toes with witty, clever responses.

"My Lady, is it true that you, the great magician Asra, and his apprentice are dating?"

She would simply smirk, not giving anything away.

"Well, I am quite fond of both, they are very dear to me"

And Asra? He is already fed up with people stopping him on the street to ask him about the rumors. They've even had a couple of people who would book a tarot reading, only to ask him about MC and Nadia!

One thing was clear: MC, Nadia, and Asra were quickly becoming Vesuvia's juiciest story. Something had to change, it had to! They are either going to come out openly and deny the rumors in front of everyone, or they will have one long talk (possibly over tea) that they all so desperately avoided. MC then realized it was time to listen to Portia's advice - she needed to talk to them.

Yesterday morning, she sent them the invitations to her little tea party. That's what she described it as - a relaxing cup of tea over some small talk. Maybe she forgot to add the part where she would propose the idea of them being together.

It would be risky, she knew. But, it could also end wonderfully. She could either lose two of her dearest friends tonight or gain a partner and a girlfriend. Damn. What was she going to do?!

After her talk with Portia in the forest, MC finally admitted her feelings to herself. Yes, she did have a crush on the tall, purple-haired woman, but she also had a crush on her white-haired master. What was she going to do if one of them shared her feelings, but the other didn't? Or worse, if they both didn't feel the same kind of butterflies in their stomachs as she was?

The poor thing almost had a panic attack when the time came! Even though Asra lived with MC, he agreed to take a walk that day and then come over with Nadia, just to give his precious little apprentice more time to prepare for the tea party.

They did come, exactly at sundown, to see a hot teapot of camomile tea and some puff pastries nicely decorated on the coffee table in the lounging area.

"Oh, hi guys!"

MC went for a hug, but went in both directions, accidentally pressing them into a group one.

"I'm sorry! God, this is awkward.." She apologized, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"It's alright, MC, we are all friends here! No need to feel embarrassed for hugging", The countess reassured, offering a smile.

Asra joined in, agreeing with the countess.

"Yeah, MC, we've all known each other for a long time. There isn't anything wrong with hugging us! Wait, we'll just show you!"

Just like that, the three were tightly embraced, holding each other by the waists.

"So... You wanna have a look at the tea party?"

MC offered, with both of her crushes gladly accepting. They've talked over tea, and time seemed to fly by. The late hours of the night were slowly creeping up on them.

"I have to say, this has been the most pleasant, MC. However, it is quite late... I'm afraid that I have to return to the palace"

Nadia announced, leaving her now empty cup on the table.

"But before that, would you like to tell us why did you invite us here?"

MC's face reddened at the question. How did she know..?

Portia!

"MC, we know this isn't just hanging out. You wanted to tell us something, right? Go on, we're listening."

Asra added, reassuring his apprentice.

"Okay, fine... I called you guys here because I want to talk to you about everything that's going on, you know? With all the rumors and stuff?"

The countess and the magician looked at each other, confused.

"The rumors about... Us?"

Poor MC's cheeks reddened at that. She nodded, clearing her throat.

"Ehm, uh, yeah... That rumor... I felt like we needed to talk about it. In the past few weeks, people are constantly teasing us that we are together, I'm sure you've noticed... So I just wanted to know how you feel about it.."

Both Nadia and Asra smirked. Double-trouble.

"Well, the teasing is certainly quite annoying and repulsive. However, the thought of being with you two isn't at all.."

Nadia shyly smiled, letting her white-haired friend talk.

"I agree. But, MC, how do you feel about all of this? How do you feel about us, together?" A soft blush spread across his face, even on the tips of his ears.

"That's what I wanted to talk about... All of this talk about us made me realize that maybe I do have feelings for you... But, that's the problem! I have feelings for both of you! And I can't be with both!"

"Why not?" Nadia responded, more than satisfied to hear MC admitting her feelings.

Poor MC got confused. 'Why not?' What was that supposed to mean?

"To tell you the truth, we've also had feelings for you for a while now.."

Asra whispered, looking her into the eyes. Nadia silently agreed, nodding her head with a loving smile.

"Yes, and we've been meaning to tell you, but we just didn't know how... We didn't want you to choose... However, we realized that we also had some chemistry with each other... I guess what we're trying to ask you is.."

"Will you be our girlfriend, MC?"

They asked in unison as Nadia finished her explanation. MC was dumbstruck, not believing what just happened.

"Really? You two aren't messing with me?"

Asra moved closer, placing one of their hands on her cheek.

"Of course, we aren't. So, what do you say..? Would you like that too..?"

The squeal she let out was the happiest one they've ever heard. She pressed Nadia and Asra together in excitement, accidentally catching their lips in a quick, fluttering kiss. This time, she didn't pull away that quickly. Asra was the first one to get a proper kiss, but Nadia wasn't left hanging either. After they were finished with their first kisses, MC pulled away, giggling.

"Guess Portia was right... Three really is a party."

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pathetic-sapphic · 10 months

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RINA'S MASTERLIST NO.1

ARCANE

Insomniac Sevika

Bath Time With Sevika

Sick Sevika

Taking care of an injured Sevika

Protective Sevika

Beach date with Sevika

Attractive things Sevika does

Fluffy Viktor headcanons

Viktor with a S/O whose love language is physical touch

Viktor with a naturally strong S/O

Soft Viktor headcanons

Viktor with a S/O who owns a dog

Viktor SFW Alphabet

Viktor with a Plus Size S/O (nsfw)

Viktor with a Soft Dom Girlfriend

Viktor with a Tall and Insecure S/O

Protective Viktor with a Protective S/O

Fluffy Vi and Caitlyn headcanons

Vi NSFW Alphabet

Viktor taking care of an Injured S/O

Friends to Lovers with Viktor

Arcane characters with a S/O who hates physical touch

Arcane characters with a Mitsuri Kanroji S/O

Arcane characters with a S/O who can sing

Aftercare with the Arcane characters (nsfw themes)

Arcane men with a S/O who has anxiety

Arcane women with a S/O who has anxiety

Arcane milfs with an insecure S/O

What the Arcane milfs are like as partners

How the Arcane milfs kiss you

Arcane milfs and jealousy (slight nsfw)

Attractive things that the Arcane milfs do (nsfw)

Arcane milfs + Vi when they have a crush on you

Arcane milfs with a Plus Size S/O (nsfw themes)

First meeting with the Arcane milfs

Arcane milfs with a bratty S/O (nsfw)

Arcane milfs with a S/O who has attachment issues

Arcane milfs when their S/O safewords

Arcane milfs with a virgin S/O who can't relax during their first time

Cassandra Kiramman SFW Alphabet

Arcane women when reader goes into subspace (nsfw themes)

Vi with a chubby fem S/O (nsfw)

Jinx with an autistic S/O

Jinx NSFW Alphabet

Overstimulation with Jinx (nsfw, drabble)

Let's go, me and you, until the end of time (Jinx x Fem!Reader fic, hurt/comfort, angst to fluff, 1253 word count)

Vi, Jinx and Caitlyn with a S/O who has body image issues

THE ARCANA

Asra, Julian and Nadia with a dominant MC (nsfw)

OBEY ME

Mammon relationship HC's pt.1

RESIDENT EVIL

Lady Dimitrescu relationship headcanons

Lady Dimitrescu with a S/O who has a size kink (nsfw)

OVERWATCH

Mercy and Widowmaker with a S/O who has mechanical wings attached to their spine

Mercy with a clumsy and sickly S/O

#arcane x reader #arcane #arcane sevika #arcane viktor #sevika x reader #viktor x reader #arcane masterlist #arcane headcanons #overwatch #overwatch masterlist #arcane fanfic #obey me shall we date #obey me x reader

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impashableimagines · 11 months

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Im in need of asra smut, please quench my thirst. (Asra x The Apprentice) 💆🏻🙇🏻‍♀️🙏🏻 thank you. God bless you 😩😂😂

Hope this sates your need (even though it's like 2 years too late)! I'm writing for a Fem!MC bc it was not otherwise specified:

Asra's first instinct after bringing MC in as their apprentice is to be friendly. Just, friendly.

But as they get to know her, that becomes so much more difficult than they thought it would be.

She's just too charming, too soft, too inviting.

So when she accidentally-on-purpose implies that she'd like to bed Asra in the form of a casual, off-handed comment, they decide it's time to stop holding back with their flirting.

What used to be friendly chatter slowly transforms into flirty banter and soft touches, sensual massages, and gentle kisses to your cheek.

It all progresses very slowly, cautiously, because they don't want to push her boundaries before she's ready, despite her all but having verbally consented.

So unless she pushes for more, it will take a while before they get anywhere sexually. Asra's too much of a gentleperson to introduce the idea, even if they're both interested.

So, with that in mind, she's the one to initiate the first time.

She meets Asra for dinner at home after a day of dealing with local merchants, and after being flirted at forwardly by seemingly everyone, that is, except the one person she actually wants to be forward with her, she's frustrated.

She grabs them by the collar of their shirt and pulls them into her, her lips pressed firmly against theirs. They'll melt into her advances instantly, surging into the kiss more deeply and instinctively grasping at her hips to hold her as close as possible.

As previously mentioned, she's got to guide Asra here, as they don't want to risk overstepping her comfort zone, but if she acts enthusiastically, they will too.

As soon as she expresses enthusiastic consent, expect Asra to worship her. On their knees, enthusiastically, face buried into her cunt and arms wrapped around her, hands grasping at her hips to hold her steady as they eat her out.

Asra feels entirely like a service-switch, basically melding into whatever role suits the mood of the moment.

The first time they fuck, Asra makes sure to thoroughly prep MC and tease her, getting her off with their mouth and fingers more than once, sinful moans and words of praise falling from their lips whenever they come up for air.

"You taste so sweet, my love, I could feast on you all night." They'd murmur against her skin as they suck her slick from their fingertips. "How does that sound?"

They'll build up her frustrations so sweetly, making her come again and again on their fingers and lips until she's growling and practically pouncing them for more.

She'll push them onto the bed and climb onto their lap, grinding against their hardened member until they're whining, arching their hips up to meet hers in desperation.

Both of them are desperate for more contact, but she'll drag it out in a playful act of vengeance for their prior teasing. The more buildup, the more anticipation, the better the act will be, she knows.

Finally, she unbuttons the desperate magician's pants, freeing their cock, and she slips her panties to the side to sink down onto it with pleasure, drawing the most perfect groans from Asra's lips.

As much as MC would love her full vengeance, she decides against it in favor of riding them to her (and their) conclusion, and continuing to bounce on their cock until she can hardly move anymore, dragging as much pleasure and overstimulation out of Asra as they did from her.

#amab!asra #arcana lemon #asra alnazar #asra the magician #fem!reader #asra x reader #not my best work - i'm sorry

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to-the-stars8 · 3 days

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If you do song inspired fics could i pretty please with a cherry on top have fem MC x beautiful doctor Julian inspired by Too sweet - Hozier

Me falling head first back into the arcana fandom has happened at the same time as me rediscovering my love for Hozier and that song just gives me such Julian vibes for some reason

I hope you have a lovely weekend 💘

(PS your other Julian fic made me want to rip my own heart out and stomp on it so i applaud you)

My job, as an author, anon, is to make sure I break your heart every once in a while so I am happy to hear my job was well done lol! And now is no different! This came out kind of angsty because of my interpretation of the song, hopefully, it's somewhat what you were looking for! I do hope to hear if you liked it, my love! Also thank you for reading my story, and hope you have a lovely/fantastic weekend yourself ❤️❤️❤️

I digress, so here is your lovely story!

You believed Julian Devorak was an easy man to read. That, despite all the times he would say he was a dangerous deviant, the truth always revealed that he was a good person. Troubled? Of course, but there were few people you knew who could not say the same. Perhaps it was the rough way he lived or the stories he would tell you that made you yearn for him. Endless were the nights where you stared at the ceiling recalling moments with him that seemed too real to be written off as mere fantasies. In these moments, you would call him by another name, “Ilya.” You liked the way it danced off your tongue and how sweet it tasted.

One day, when Asra had left for another one of his adventures, Julian had entered the shop. You were nervous and ecstatic all at the same time. The night before you had gathered the courage to finally reveal how you felt about him, and this was the opportunity that fell right into your lap.

Closing the shop, you ushered him to the kitchen with a smile. He sat at the table, looking intently at the wood, before asking how your day was. Smiling, you said, “Very well! I have gotten so much done this morning. You’ve arrived just in time, too, I was just about to have lunch. Are you hungry?”

Julian shook his head, and you noted that he seemed a bit quiet himself. You tried to not let the silence tug at your nervousness before turning your attention to making some tea instead. You felt more at ease with your hands busy.

Despite the busy hands, you could feel butterflies erupt in your stomach so you finally blurted out how you felt. It was a rush of words that tumbled into one long, hardly cohesive sentence. All thoughts about lunch and tea were forgotten.

“I…I like you, Julian,” You said, finally finishing. “Very much so.”

When Julian looked at you, he saw memories that he could not quite place—Back when he was a different man. A better man. These memories, if he could even call them that since fantasy and reality had become muddled over the years, were sweet. He recalled a night with your skin against his, breathing each other in as if there were only you two in the world. Every time he closed his eyes to recall it, his heart ached for the feeling again. Yet, he couldn’t seek it out.

As much as he was in love with the evocation, he could not drag you down into this whiskey-neat life of his. It might have been nice on the tongue for a while, but, ultimately, it was the type of influence he would not put anyone else under. You were good. Too good. Your personality was like candy, sweet to the core with an even more rich innermost part. Years had passed and, along with parts of the past, he couldn’t recall the days he lived now. All Ilya knew was that his nights were late, filled with the taste of bitter liqueur, and his days spent trying to recall what or who he had done.

So, when you stood before him, eyes filled with intoxicating sweetness, with words of love dripping from your lips he couldn’t help but feel guilty. Did he lead you on somehow? Lull you into a false sense of goodness that made him worthy of any of your affection? You were too good for him, high on the good parts of life, and he had no plans to change into that any time soon.

“I’m…erm,” Julian tried to clear his throat to get the words out. He saw the way your face fell, and it broke his heart. “I’m sorry.”

You turned away, hands going to the teapot on the stove, voice shaky, you replied, “I…I understand.”

Julian could hear that you didn’t believe your words, so he got up to make you look at him. There were tears in your eyes and Ilya wiped them away with his thumbs.

Trying to smile, he explained himself. “Erm, uh, how do I say this?” After another moment, Julian decided it would be best to just get out rather than try to be nice about it. “Damn it, you deserve the world, beauty, and I do not wish to burden that comfortable world of yours.”

You stepped back, eyes looking everywhere but at him. Thinning your lips, you finally looked at him. “What makes you think you would be a burden?”

“Love, look how you live, it’s comfortable. Magical, truthfully. How I live is, uh, nothing of the sort. You wouldn’t want to have such a life,” He said.

“I would,” You were quick to say. “If it was with you, Ilya, I would.”

Ilya, the way you said his name was a candy he could get addicted to. Shaking his head in an attempt to get the thought of you out, he decided it would be best to double down on the decision—whether or not it broke your heart or his.

Finally, when you had enough of his explanation, you refused to let him speak anymore. Somehow, he found that worse than if you had told him you didn’t have feelings for him at all. Still, he relented since it was exactly what he had asked for. It was bitter-sweet to part with you in such a way. He could continue to drown his sorrows until dawn, and you could wake at that time without a worry about him.

When the door to the shop closed behind him, Julian looked at the Vesuvian streets and decided quickly it would be a night he would drown in a pint, just as the night before.

#the arcana #julian devorak x reader #julian x apprentice #julian x mc #julian devorak #the arcana asra #the arcana mc #julian the arcana #asra alnazar #angst #asks #anon asks

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thenightcallsme · 7 months

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The Arcana: Julian's Route | Chapter 8

!! THIS STORY IS A DETAILED RETELLING OF THE ARCANA, INCLUDING PAID SCENES IN BOTH PROLOGUE AND JULIAN ROUTE. ALL CHARACTERS EXCEPT THE MC ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARCANA FRANCHISE !!

A/N: This is a reupload from my AO3 cause I want to branch out. Enjoy!!

Summary: In a small shop in Vesuvia lives Vivian Caelum, a student of the magical arts who works as a shopkeeper for her tutor, Asra Alnazar. Her name is not known in the streets as her master's is, nor does she have full control over her magic yet. But one night, there's a knock at her door; Vivian is needed at the palace to help Countess Nadia upon her personal wishes. Soon, what she thinks is a small task is something she would never have expected her magic to be used for: Vivian must find Count Lucio's murderer. Will she be able to track down the infamous murderer and finally put the Countess's years of restlessness to ease? Or will the killer captivate her in ways she can't explain? Is she even running after the right man? Something deeper than she thought is happening within her beloved city, and she's about to understand the vastness of the magical realms.

Pairing: Julian Devorak x Fem!Magician Reader

This Chapter Contains: descriptions of blood/wounds

Word Count: 9,927

find the rest of the chapters in my masterlist here :)

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

A flock of birds take flight outside the window, startling me from a distant, foggy dream that has already slipped through the grasp of my memory. It takes me a moment to realise that I'm slumped over a desk in the library, books and papers scattered around and beneath me. Faust slithers up and over to my face, giving my nose a friendly lick of her tongue.

Hours last night were spent pacing the length of my guest room aimlessly once I returned from my fountain. I mulled over every question I had for Asra, every further question his words arose. But I know not a single theory I created was worth entertaining. It was all pointless, all the happier versions of the real answers I will one day get.

Breakfast was a relief, another trey of tiny golden pastries dusted lightly in sugar, a small bowl of pomegranate seeds, and a dish of caramelised Aldradyian fruits. I smile warmly at the sight of them. I haven't been given this in my usual breakfast before. They must have been prepared by the request of Nadia.

Portia's arrival, which meant my day could start, was a second relief. Spending another waking second in my room felt like torture. I was dressed and prepared well before she arrived, which made her laugh. She's usually the one to roll me from my bed and force me to dress while still half in the dream she tore me from. She told me I'd have the day to myself on account of the Countess's headaches. With no other tasks needing urgent attention, I decided to try my luck once more in the library. That only lasted an hour.

I sit up with a groan, peeling a piece of parchment off my cheek and survey the mess. Of course, I have found nothing. No extra trace of Julian, no information to tell me where he could have gone or what really happened, no lead to his whereabouts that doesn't require a tracking spell. It has been the same for the past few days.

"Oh come on. I really need to get in there!"

I perk up at the distant sound of a feminine voice. I lean over the desk and listen. It sounds like she's having an argument, though I can't quite hear the other party involved. I stand slowly, stretching the sleep from my limbs, and leave the library, making my way to the veranda and down to the garden.

"Please? You're really trying my patience here."

Portia?

I follow her voice further than I've gone before through neatly cut bushes shaped like animals and trees blanketed in white bell flowers. I've made it to the point where a thick, lush forest stands before me. A gravel path cleaves cleanly through it. Curious, I follow.

“How DARE you! Don't you know WHO I am?!"

The second voice is louder as I pass the tall birch trees and the dense bushes of berries and leaves and flowers, a shrill shriek that pierces even the heavy foliage. I frown at the sound of them. Sunlight pierces the dense foliage up ahead. I push a rouge branch from my path as I emerge into a small clearing.

Settled squat in the middle of the copse is a small, cozy-looking cottage, surrounded by a huge, overflowing garden of flowers and old, droopy trees. It's made of white bricks that have weathered over time, grown over by curious vines of ivy. The front door is open wide and Portia stands at the bottom of the steps leading to the porch.

"That's it, Pepi, honey, get 'em!"

A seal point cat with a pudgy face and round eyes hops onto Portia's shoulder, batting at a white cockatoo. The bird is pacing on the roof of a small work shed, shrieking and nipping at Portia as she tries to enter. A particularly well-aimed strike from the cat dislodges the cockatoo, sending it flying. It clips Portia's head with its wings in its escape, muttering in anger. The second voice wasn't a person at all, but the cockatoo. Faust slithers from my bag and up my arm to perch on my shoulder, interested.

"Ooo, that awful bird," Portia grinds out. "He makes me so mad, Pepi."

"Hey, Portia!" I call, waving.

She jumps at the sound of her name. “Oh, hello!”

Portia's cheeks flush in embarrassment. She smooths her apron and quickly recovers, smiling at me. I stifle a hearty laugh behind my hand as I approach. This lovely cottage must be where she lives.

Just to be sure, though, I ask, "Is this where you live? It's beautiful!"

"It sure is. Welcome to Casa de Portia. My own little oasis on the palace ground." Portia beams with pride. "Though, I'm surprised you managed to find this place. It's a little off the beaten path. Just watch out for the graspgourds. They're feisty today."

A curious vine slithers across the floor and around Portia's ankle as she says so. Annoyed, she swiftly kicks it off and stomps on it while muttering about how ruthless they are. She drops to a bench carved out of a large log. I go to sit down with her, but she suddenly jumps and cries out.

She looks at me in horror. "Ah! Why do you have a snake on you?!"

I laugh and Faust's tongue flickers on my cheek affectionately. "Her? Oh, don't worry about Faust. She's the friendliest thing."

"Is she...yours?"

"Asra's. But we kind of share her, don't we, Faust?"

Faust hisses in agreement, red eyes twinkling.

Portia places a hand over her heart and lets out a breath. "Sorry about that. Never been fond of snakes."

Portia goes utterly still as Faust leans over to inspect her. Faust knows exactly what she's doing as she nudges Portia's nose. She backs away, bending down to pick up a rake.

"You don't mind me working a little while we talk, do you? I've got a lot on my hands when it comes to maintaining this garden," she says.

I wave my hand dismissively. "Not at all. As long as my questions don't distract you."

She begins to rake at the leaves on the ground. "Questions? Go ahead."

"So...Julian's your brother?" If I wasn't sure before, I am now. The naked shock and hurt on Portia's face tell me all I need to know.

She looks down. "Yes. I'm sorry about that scene outside your shop, you know. I was just surprised to see him there."

My mind wanders back to Julian exiting my shop, caught red-handed breaking and entering again. I'll be damned if he does it again. I give Portia a sympathetic smile.

"I was, too," I say.

Portia smiles a little and huffs a laugh. "He's got a real flair for the dramatics. I'm glad to see that hasn't changed."

"I guess it runs in the family," I tease.

“Me? Dramatic? Vivian, how dare you?" she teases back. "I sure learnt from the best. Ilya taught me everything I know. Now...I didn't know you two knew each other. Did that happen before or after milady hired you?"

My cheeks flush under the scrutiny. “I, um…”

Portia gives me a look. She can see right through the lie I’m trying to muster. I sigh.

"I first met Julian the night the countess visited my shop. He arrived shortly after she left." I purse my lips. "He scared the absolute shit out of me, spoke a whole heap of riddles, and then left. The next time I saw him was my first day working for Nadia. I found him at a tavern and he persuaded me to have drinks with him. I was intent on having him tell me what really happened, but I ended up going nowhere. Outside the shop was the last time I saw him. He broke in again and could not stop flirting with me."

Portia listens intently as she rakes up the leaves. "Hmm. Sure sounds like my brother. But...why didn't you tell milady?"

The look on Portia's face is not unkind. I know I can tell her anything with consequence. I drum my fingers along my chin, considering her question. What is it that is compelling me most to keep Julian a secret?

"I didn't want to condemn a man on incomplete information," I answer simply. "If it's my word that knots the hangman's noose... It doesn't feel right to send him to his death without really investigating his innocence."

Portia shakes her head. "I don't really know what mess Ilya's gotten himself into, but if he has you in his corner, I get the feeling everything will work out alright."

"...Portia?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Portia reaches over to my hand and gives me a squeeze. "Of course! That's what I'm here for. Pep talks and expert gardening skills. …Oh my, it's getting late."

I peer overhead at her words and at the sun, already well past noon. Late light dapples the clearing, dancing on Portia's face. Maybe I should get back to examining Julian's desk. I sigh. ...As if I have not done so already.

"I'd better get back to work," I say as I get up, gently petting Portia's cat. "I'm glad I came out to talk to you. I want you to know that I'm glad we're friends. And friends...they would do anything for each other—which now includes keeping one's wanted brother out of trouble."

⋆˚｡⁺⋆

Today is my day off. Nobody in the Palace requires work from me. I don't need to be doing the work I've volunteered to at all today. Now that I'm inclined to help Portia, that means slowing down my search for the doctor until I can find evidence that proves something else was at play. A witness, another suspect, a real culprit that could have framed Julian. Something. Anything. Letting myself have the day off is the best thing for now.

The sun has reached the climax of it's journey across the cloudless sky; I still have half the day left. Who's here to argue with a few hours spent taking the long way back? The worn path I have my eye on should wind through the forest, ending by one of the gigantic aqueducts feeding Southend's canals. So I head in the opposite direction I came from down a path cleaving through the surrounding forest.

My sense of time is a little off as I wander further down the path. The sun, which should be just starting its descent by now, is near invisible beyond the thick canopy of treetops. Sunlight barely breaches the tightly knit layers of leaves to light the way. In fact...it has gotten strangely dark. Faust it still coiled closely around my neck, head rested on my shoulder as I go. But eventually she stirs, slithering around my torso and down my leg. I stop my walk to let her find the dirt path. She lifts the front of her body to look up at me expectantly. I drop to a crouch beside her.

"Are you going somewhere?" I coo reserved for her.

She flickers her tongue, blinks slowly, then sort of nods. Asra's familiar has a strange sense of what I say, which both unnerves me and brings me at ease.

"Do you want me to follow?"

She shakes her head. I'm almost compelled to scoop her up in my arms and taking her anyway, but Faust is smart. She knows how to handle herself. If she somehow found her way to me from Asra, she can no doubt find her way home—or back to him. Wherever she wishes. I give her small head a little rub.

"Be careful. And don't get into trouble."

With that she's off, and so am I.

The horizon peaks through the foliage overhead, and soon enough I've broken through the forest's edge. The gnarled tulipwoods, oak trees with sprawling foliage, and firs that stand tall and proud like soldiers at attention break way into rolling fields. Now beneath the warm light of the sun, they look a bit limp and thin for this time of the year. Hundred of feet below the fields is the sprawling city of Vesuvia. The Palace's golden rooftops shimmer blindingly, even from here. The shadows of its soaring spired are thrown across the city as the sun reaches for the horizon behind it. From up here, with the city looks beautiful. Peaceful. I can just see the slums in the fields below, but even they look less run down and liveable from this far away. Swirls of smoke leave the chimneys of stacked buildings to dance in the air, twining together like lovers.

Civilians aren't allowed in this part of the forest without permission, as it is still Palace grounds. Unused grounds, it seems. But the guards recognise me now. Whoever may soon pass on patrol won't think twice when they see the countess's magician. For now there are no silver bodies in sight.

Cutting across the fields like the twisting body of a snake is a steadily flowing brook that must feed into the aqueduct beyond. The unkept grass obscures most of the water from sight, so as my eyes pass over it, the colour barely registers. When it does, I stop in my tracks, stomach heavy.

Red.

There's no mistaking it. Crimson stains the slow-moving stream, seeping steadily into the banks. With trepidation, I follow the flow upstream with my eyes. Seeping from the stonework of a forgotten corner…

I turn back to the forest I emerged from in horror and realise the source of the darkness. Rot and decay. The trees at the edge of the field here are dying, the colour of the bark and leaves dull and drained. Even the grass droops limply towards the ground. I kick off my heels, taking them in my hands as I break into a slow run and follow the polluted river bank. Soon, the vast open fields give way to rocky cliff sides as the stream reaches its end, flowing from a limestone structure.

An aqueduct towers before me. It's one of the many that sources Vesuvia's canals, designed to provide water for its many denizens. The water that feeds into the aqueducts flows back out and down a raging waterfall feeding the vast moat surrounding the city. The moat connects to canals that divide the seven districts. Eventually it all goes back out to the sea. Putting my shoes back on, I begin the journey along it.

A raven with thick, glossy black plumage swoops in a wide arch overhead. It dips down, reaching eye and circles me curiously. As if satisfied with its analysis, it extends its clawed feet out and takes rest on my shoulder. It opens its pale beak as if to cry out, but simply nibbles on the hem of my shirt. Gently, I lift a finger to stroke its head. It leans into my tough rather than flying away.

"Hello," I coo softly. "You look like the bird from the tavern."

Its beady eyes watch me warily. In fact, all its feathers are ruffled as if on high alert. Surprisingly, it stays on my shoulder as I continue along the white stone bridge. However strange it is, I let it keep its perch on my shoulder willingly. The aqueduct lowers over the city's moat and joins together with another water line, both heading deeper into Vesuvia. Buildings erupt from along the edges of the first cobblestone streets in the distance, the first sign of urban life as I reach the outskirts.

The sun has set now, the last golden light escaping from the sky and plunging the city onto darkness. Lamps line the whether-worn stone bridge. They're held up by iron the twists like tree branches and holds the glass lamps in an overgrown embrace. The lamps have already been lit in preparation of the night. But they do not offer much guidance. The flames burn low.

All is quiet for a while as I make my way across the stretching bridge, beside the sound of my heels, the rush of water, and the occasional soft caw from the raven. Then—

"Vivian?"

I stop dead in my tracks as a tall figure hidden by the darkness catches my attention. It's a man who calls out my name in astonishment, a man who sounds all to familiar. Slowly, he emerges into the dim light of a lantern. Pale skin, auburn hair, a wide mouth and steely eye. Standing before me, face half cast in shadows…is Julian.

"Julian?!"

At the sight of him, the ruffled, black raven leaps from my shoulders, spreading its wings wide and swooping up and around the man before me. It takes perch on his shoulder, nipping curiously at the eyepatch band hidden in his hair. I stare at both Julian and the bird in surprise and astonishment.

So it was the raven from the tavern. I had thought its appearance in the market the day I fled from Julian and found his sister was a coincidence. I had also thought the bird belonged to the Rowdy Raven, or to a frequent patron of the tavern. But no. It seems to have a liking for Julian. I can't help but recall old wives tales as I watch the huge black bird nuzzle against him. Ravens are omens of death and ill will, but they also associate with lost souls. How ironic.

Julian stands at the edge of the aqueduct, a dark silhouette framed by ghostly, silver moonlight. Behind him, the city towers like a behemoth, a chaotic sprawl of colourful buildings stacked atop each other. In his hands is a mask with a long, curved beak. His plague mask. He turns it slowly in his hands as if contemplating what to do with it.

"Hello, darling." He smirks at me in greeting, but it looks almost sad. "Fancy seeing you here, hmm? Out for an evening walk?"

"No...not exactly," I say. "What are you doing here?"

Julian sighs, gaze dropping to the reservoir below. The red of his coat reflects and refracts in the water, splashes of crimson dancing against one another. There's something about him that's far away no matter how close we stand.

He looks at the mask in his hands. "Me? I was just thinking. Funny, fickle thing, life, isn't it?"

"Should you be standing so close to the water?"

"What, this water?" He raises a brow. "It's harmless. It won't do anything to me, or anyone, anymore. Sure, a few people might get sick if they go for a swim, but... Isn't it a miracle? They went and figured it out—or outlasted it. Wonder how they did it?"

"You're going to get rid of it...aren't you?"

"The mask? Well, life finds a way, doesn't it? The plague is over, and so is people's need for me. Who needs a plague doctor if there's no plague? It's like... Like a Count with no city. A barkeep with no drinks." He extends his arms with a flourish. His auburn hair falls into his good eye, obscuring it. "So here I am, throwing away the last piece of a past I can't reclaim. Pity, isn't it?"

With one final glance at the mask, Julian lets it slip from his gloved fingers. It drops to the water below with a soft splash. Pale shapes just below the surface are drawn by the disturbance and move to swarm the mask. I can barely see rows of teeth digging into the beak. ...Those eel-like creatures at the Palace, the ones Portia told me about. I've never seen them outside the Palace. Then again, I've barely ever had a need to cross the aqueducts. They must thrive in the reservoir. I've never seen so many at once.

Julian leans over the edge and watches it, the dramatic facade slipping away like a mask of its own. Beneath it is what I felt from him before; that distant, forlorn feeling. Somewhere deep down, I feel for him, for the past that went down so wrong—whether by his hand or to protect someone else.

"Julian, are you—" I begin to speak, but the ragged, screeching call from the raven sounds. It must have left to survey the area without me noticing. It flies around our heads in a frenzy. The Palace guards are coming.

All of a sudden, Julians eye lights up. "Guards. Look lively, Vivian, we'd best make tracks."

“We?” I echo.

"Wouldn't want to be caught with me when you work in the Palace, would you?" Before I can protest any further, Julian has a tight grip on my wrist.

He leaps into action, only letting my arm go when we've cleared the aqueduct and sprint down the street. I silently curse myself for putting my heels back on, finding the stone street dangerously slippery. Especially as close to the creature-filled canal as we are.

Then, just as I find myself with good footing, I slip on a wet stone. I cry out in alarm as I tumble back and into the canal that cleaves between this street and the next one over. The icy feeling of the canal's water engulfs me as I'm swallowed by the darkness. I barely took a breath before I went under, and already my lungs sing in agony. I struggle against the water, kicking frantically to the surface. Those eels could be anywhere.

And then I feel it.

Slipper and sleek, something brushes my ankle.

In the dim light that pierces the water's surface, the faint silhouettes of a dozen eels circle me carefully. Their skin is sickly and translucent, revealing twisting organs, splaying veins, pumping hearts. Their flat faces are split by wide jaws lined with rows of huge teeth that look unnatural in their somewhat small heads. Beady eyes stare back at me in hunger.

As soon as the first one launches to strike, I throw both hands before me and unleash my magic. A burst of energy shoots from my palms and hits the eel's silvery neck. The burst cleaves through the sleek skin and severs its head clean off. Its body goes limp and sinks to the riverbed. The demise of their companion does not stop the rest.

They're on me in seconds, and my magic isn't enough to kill them all. As soon as I send another three to their deaths and kick away a fourth, powerful hands grip my arms. Julian tugs me from the canal, but neither of us is fast enough to fend off the last eel. It shoots forward with incredible speed, maw wide and teeth latching onto my side. I barely suppress my scream as my hands grip its flat face and try desperately to pry it free. Its teeth only sink further into the flesh beneath my ribs, drawing blood and sending a shocking wave of pain through my body.

The eel comes up with me to the street above as Julian pulls me from the water. I gulp down air and let out a grunt of pain as the eel feeds off my blood. Julian kneels beside me on the street, one arm wrapped around me to sit me up. His free hand hovers over the eel.

"On the count of three, okay?" he says breathlessly. "One, two—"

I suck in a breath as Julian grips the eel behind its head, forcing its mouth open. He tosses it to the ground roughly where it rolls back into the canal. My hand shots to my side and I flinch from the scorching pain as I press my hand over the injury. Warm blood meets my palm.

Julian hoists me up. "Up you go, then. I've got you."

I breathe comes in gasps as I stumble away from the reservoir with his help, soaking wet and slipping on cobblestone. My clothes clings to my body like a second skin. A shiver runs beneath my skin as a cool breeze sweeps through the street. Blood blossoms across my left side beneath small tears in the high waist of the black skirt I wear. The bejewelled wrap I wear on my upper half is otherwise unharmed

"Shit." I barely manage to speak through clenched teeth, my magic wary as I attempt to wring the water from my hair and clothes. “That really hurts."

Julian looks behind us as pairs of marching footsteps grow close. He takes my arm again. "Can you manage?"

"I...think so."

"Good, because we can't stop now."

Julian half drags me with him as we run at a slower pace. Thankfully, the adrenaline coursing through my veins blocks out the pain as I stumble along with him. My weight is getting alarmingly hard to uphold. We round a corner and Julian leads me down an alley. He finally stops in the shadow of the building beside us and peers down at me, concern in his greyish eye. My breath comes fast and laboured.

"Can you stand on your own?"

I look up to him from where I struggle to cling to his arm, shaking and dizzy. “You think?"

"Right. Foolish question." Before I can protest, he reaches his other arm beneath my legs and hoists me into his arms, carrying me further down the street. "Hold onto me."

Hesitantly, I place my arms around his neck as he hurries me through the alleyway. Asra told me Julian could be who he wants to get what he wants, but he bothered to turn back to pull me from the canal even with the guards on his heels. Though, I suppose he must stay in my good graces if he wants to live.

Julian comes to a stop a few streets down where he drops to his knees and gently sets me against a building. Secluded and deserted, the alleyway grants some safety. Boxes and barrels shield us from passers-by.

"Here, let me see that bite," he says quietly. My head bobs ambiguously. Whatever words I try to form are stuck behind my teeth. "I'll have to take that as a yes."

The doctor in Julian has suddenly fronted. His gaze turns cool and calculating as he rolls the hem of my skirt low on my hips, revealing the steadily oozing wound. My blood is warm as it trickles down my side. I stare blankly at the stars twinkling above as I let his practised hands work. I trust him, even though I maybe shouldn't. He presses his gloved hand to my side, causing a shock of pain to ripple beneath my skin.

"The bleeding won't stop. Dammit," Julian mutters.

With a look of displeasure, he leans back and begins peeling off his gloves. Slowly, I turn my head and watch. On the back of his left hand is the murderer's brand, stark and irreversible on his pale skin. I can't suppress a shudder as he lays the other hand over my open wound. His skin is ice-cold. I hold still, focusing on wrestling with consciousness.

"Deep breathes," Julian says soothingly as he brushes the hair from my face. "This will only take a minute or two."

Gently, his marked left hand slips around to the small of my back and he twists me around to lay against him. I lean my head against the arm that cradles me. Not once does he retract his other hand from the wound. Realising I can feel the pain fade, a wave of profound relaxation settles. I turn to him again, a curious look on my face.

"...Why are you helping me?"

Julian's eyes flicker to mine as he studies me. "It's the right thing to do, isn't it? It's human. You're willing to keep my whereabouts a secret from the Palace even though your job is to hunt me down. I have to repay you somehow."

"You...know about that? I-I thought you only knew about my affiliation with the countess." I turn away, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. I feel...guilty.

"Oh, I had no idea," Julian explains. There is no anger in his voice. "Portia told me after she dragged me away from your shop. She said that being around you was like playing with fire. But you're on her side, aren't you?"

I smile as I think of Portia. "Of course. Turning you in...I wouldn't want to do that to her." I turn my head to look at him again and grin. "You know, we must stop meeting like this."

Julian barks a laugh and presses a hand to my forehead, checking my temperature. "In such strange circumstances? Yes, I agree. Now, if you're well enough to joke, you're well enough to sit."

With his hand on the small of my back again, he helps turn me around to sit and face him. My head swims with the change in altitude. As I regain my balance, he continues.

"At least you didn't catch me breaking and entering this time." He leans back from me. "I'll admit, I was surprised to see you in the neighbourhood."

His eye drifts away from me and he looks towards the street. I follow his line of sight to a distant aqueduct's end which spews a chaotically cascading waterfall of red. It’s much higher than I thought. Swallowing thickly, I turn back to the doctor, and something catches my eye. The outlines of a magical mark glow brightly on the skin of Julian's throat. Its design is unmistakable, so much so that I can't help but let my jaw hang open in surprise. He turns and catches me staring, a shadow passing over his countenance.

"Ah." Julian's lips are pursed into a grim line. "Do you recognise your master's handiwork?"

I watch in horror as dark, fresh blood blossoms underneath his waistcoat. Concerned, I lean forward and grab his shoulders as he caves in on himself, one hand pressed to his forehead and the other to the blood. How the hell is he bleeding? What did I miss?

He draws in a sharp breath. "This was his parting gift to me; a curse. I am able to take away bodily wounds, as you can see."

Confused at his words, my hand subconsciously drifts to my wound...only to be met with soft, unmarked skin. There is no sign of what was once there—not even the sliver of a scar.

"And in return," he continues. "I get to experience them myself."

He sways forward and I clutch him harder, keeping the doctor upright. I swallow, eyes frantic at the sight of blood now running freely down his torso. He knew this would happen, and yet he still helped me.

Goddammit, Julian.

"Are you going to be fine?" I ask.

He waves a hand idly as if it is no more than a scratch. "It won't last, it never does."

That must explain why he healed so quickly from the glass bottle I struck him with the night I met him. I eye the wound. "But why would Asra give that to you? He never told me he could…inflict such a thing on someone."

Julian sighs. "It's a curse from a witch who fears commitment. Then again...I've never been bitten by a vampire eel before. This might be interesting."

"Thank you," I whisper, smiling shyly. "Really."

He blinks owlishly at me, unable to believe my words. Despite the simple thank you, he flushes and looks down. "Don't mention it. That is, well... Circumstances being as they were...I'm just glad you're all right."

Before I can react, he perks up, eyes darting to the street beyond. I hear them coming a moment after he does: the countess's guards, doing rounds of the outer walls. Julian is quick to his feet, pulling me up with him and ushering me against the wall and behind a stack of barrels. His back connects with the wall as he pulls me in, wrapping an arm around my waist. I don't dare speak, let alone breathe, as their footsteps grow closer.

Still, I am extremely aware of how close we are. This close, I can see the pain painted on his face. His stare is fixed behind me, but as if he senses my gaze, it moves to mine. For a moment, we stare at each other. Just as he's about to say something, a thud sounds from the entrance of an alleyway.

Instead of whatever he wished to tell me, he says, "Not the time. Let's go."

He grabs my hand and tugs me out of the alleyway, breaking into a run that I barely match. The city passes us by in a blur of lights, dark colours, and alleyways hidden in shadows as we evade capture, weaving around buildings with ease. I hear a guard yell behind us to stop, but we do no such thing.

We're moving so fast, I almost don't see it. There, nestled between two tall buildings...a garden. A thick padlock set in a rusted iron gate blocks our way inside. It would make the perfect hiding spot, but we could lose time getting in.

Julian picks up speed, and my hand threatens to slip from his. If I'm going to act it has to be now. I have no idea if he's listening, telling him would be a gamble, a waste of time. So I pull hard on his hand and tug him towards the garden. He quickly catches onto my intentions and helps hoist me over the top of the gate.

I land rather unceremoniously, and Julian drops down next to me with light feet. The garden is overgrown and unused to the point that the bushes and vines of blue flowers twist up the fence, giving decent coverage. He helps me to my feet and dusts off my clothes as we catch our breath.

Only then do I take in the magnificence of the forgotten garden.

Pillars etched with intricate patterns hold up archways surrounding the perimeter. Steps lead up to an elevated section where a broken marble fountain stands, its lost beauty only left to the imagination. In each corner of the garden are statues of a bull's upper half, frozen in mid-charge.

Years must have passed since this place was last touched, the plants left to fend for themselves. Julian and I step around roots that have overtaken the cracked stone floor, settling by the dilapidated fountain.

"This place is wonderful," Julian breathes. "A pity how unloved it is. Quick thinking."

I look around, my eyes lingering on the strange blue flowers. They have a faint, luminescent glow to them. "I wonder how many places of the city have fallen to neglect like this?"

"Oh, too many to count." He makes his way carefully over to one of the grotesque statues, stepping over wild vines that block his path. "Ah, and look at this brute. Hello there, handsome."

A grin tugs at his lips as Julian wraps an arm around the bull statue's muscular shoulders. He turns back to me, his good eye bright with delight. I stifle a little laughter.

"Dangerous looking creature, isn't it?" he observes.

I fold my arms and lean against a pillar. "I like a little danger."

I pick my way over to the statue as well, staring into its stone face. It almost seems to be regarding me. Julian, whose arm is still slung over the statue, watches me with growing interest. He tilts his head to the side.

"Ohhh?" he teases. "I shouldn't be surprised. You're the type of girl who seems to be full of hidden depths."

I raise a brow. "Really? Being able to do magic is as interesting as I get."

“Liar. But tell me...do you really mean that about danger? Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

There's a strong feeling suggesting that there's something more to Julian's question. I go quiet for a moment as I consider. But...I don't know what I'm getting myself into. I just know that it's right.

I shrug. "Isn't the not knowing what makes it exciting? Knowing what you're getting yourself into is like ruining the surprise of a present. Otherwise, what would be the point of the wrapping and the guessing?"

"I wouldn't say that's the most exciting thing about it." His eyes are suddenly curious, pinned behind me. "Hold still for a moment."

He lets go of the statue and reaches slowly forward, plucking a flower from my shoulder. It must have fallen from the luminous vines coiled closely above. It glows a bright, vivid blue in the dark, star-shaped petals curling in as he touches it. The blue light it emits highlights Julian's face, catching on his eyelashes.

I can't help but admit that he looks strikingly handsome.

He offers the flower to me, a quirk to his lips as he twirls it in his fingers. I reach out to take it from him, but he stops, shaking his head and pulling it back just slightly.

"Ah ah ah. Careful." He tsks. "There's poison in those petals."

I stare down at the fragile, unfamiliar flower in his gloved hand. "There is? But it's so...elegant. What is it?"

He cocks his head. "Deadly starstrand. A single drop of poison distilled from this flower could kill a babe in its crib. It's killed tyrants and kings, innocent and guilty. It could topple entire empires with a careless hand."

He offers it to me once more, gazing eagerly into my eyes.

"Do you still want it?"

I pluck the flower gently from his hands, lifting it to my nose to smell. There's something acrid to it—an underlying note of iron and sickness that stings the air.

Looking back up to him, I say, "You said the poison has to be distilled. Does that make it harmless to touch?"

Julian snickers. "I mean, if I were you I wouldn’t eat it. But you're right. It won't kill you like this."

Gently, Julian reaches out to the flower. Confused, I let him take it back as he grins at me. I go completely still as he reaches out. Leather-covered fingers brush against my ear as he tucks the flower behind it, touch lingering for a moment before dropping to my shoulder.

"There you go," he says, his grin widening. "You suit it wonderfully."

I stare at him for a moment. "You know, it sure sounds like you're not afraid of danger."

"Afraid of danger?" Julian laughs as if it is merely an understatement. "Darling, I live for it. Positivity enchanted by it, I am."

"So...pain doesn't scare you either?" I ask. "You seem to have coped with that bite terribly better than I did."

He shrugs. "Why should it? In my line of work, you can't be afraid of a little pain. You might say I have...intimate knowledge of it."

I don't know what drives me to it—maybe something about his words. Placing a hand on his waist and taking a step forward, I press my other hand lightly against the wound. He swallows at whatever it inflicts, smiling down at me slyly.

"Oho. Are we dancing? I didn't know you could. What's your poison, then? Tango? Waltz?"

There's a taunting tone in his voice. He knows exactly what he's doing. I hate to admit it, but I fall right into the trap. I take another step closer, pressing fully at the wound now. It doesn't seem lethal. In fact, Julian bites his lip and makes a muffled noise. I flush, realising exactly what it's doing to him.

And yet I don't stop.

He steps back, pulling me with him as his back hits the crumbling wall behind him. There's a desperate look in his eyes. So he likes the pain. It does something to him that he enjoys. His fingers dig into my shoulders, gripping me like a lifeline. He lips barely form my name before we're interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps quickly approaching. A scowl passes over Julian's face and I step away, hiding my hands behind my back. What was I doing—

"Right on time," Julian seethes. "Let's leave before our guests arrive, hmm?"

With the garden's sanctuary compromised, Julian takes my hand roughly and tugs me along, helping me out and into the opposite street.

Julian leads me deeper into what I recognise as the South End, evading our pursuers. Shouts sound from a bit behind us, furious that we won't stop. Thank God they can't recognise us under the blanket of night. Julian seems to know this area like the back of his hand—or at least, all the relevant escape routes.

We're approaching a dilapidated residence at the edge of the district. A few chickens wander around the empty yard. Julian stops before it, a look of relief on his face.

"In we go, Vivian," he says.

I give him an incredulous look. "In? Please don't tell me we're breaking in."

"Breaking in? Why would you think such a thing?"

"Hm, let me think, Julian."

"Okay fine. But that was only your shop."

Without answering further, he pulls open an unlocked window and clamours through it, landing inside the dark house. He leans back out for me and stretches his hands out. Faced with no other option, I'm forced to take his hands and let him help me through.

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

A/N: Thank you for reading this far!! For a while, if you are interested in this story and wish to read more, you may notice that this work is left untouched for a while. That's because I'm more focused on my Avatar works at the moment. But don't worry, it shouldn't take a lot of effort. I actually have up to 15 chapters pre written from an unfinished attempt at this I had uploaded to Wattpad years ago. All I need to do is edit the next seven chapters and write the rest :)

#The Arcana #Julian Devorak #Asra Alnazar #Nadia Satrinava #lucio morgasson #portia devorak #julian devorak x mc #julian devorak x apprentice #The Arcana Julian Route

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corpsekiller · 3 years

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— 𝐀𝐬𝐫𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫

𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀

While investigating, Asra and you get stuck in a room at the palace and some hidden feelings come to light.

— 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐤

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀

The Count’s sister is sent to Vesuvia to avenge his death. As the alleged murderer of her brother, Julian soon finds himself trapped between her and a wall with a knife to his throat… not that he would mind.

#🗝 — navigation #the arcana #the arcana x reader #the arcana x mc #the arcana game: a mystical romance #arcana x reader #asra alnazar x mc #the arcana asra #asra alnazar x reader #julian devorak x fem!reader #julian devorak x mc #julian devorak x apprentice #julian devorak x reader #julian devorak

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kaiasinclair · 5 years

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Headcanons for Muriel? Just being sweet and domestic with femMC?

Oof my first headcanon and I am the ready!!!

Muriel actually likes to cook for you but he also wants to make sure it's not too burned and just perfect.

If it's not perfect to his standards then he redoes it. Usually gives the breakfast he wont give to you to Inanna but it's not often that he does this.

He actually likes cuddling and even though he is a large man sometimes he doesnt mind if you want to be the big spoon. He is usually the big spoon though.

He let's you help him feed the chickens watching you with admiration in his eyes that you care so much for his animals.

He blushes a lot but doesnt mean too and gets immediately embarrassed if you catch him blushing.

He enjoys the quiet times with you at night and deep conversations with him opening up to you about his past because it is rather traumatizing.

He also likes to take walks in the woods with you and if he really is in a good mood, he will let you take him into town to look at trinkets in the market and buy something for you. Something you like.

He is one of the sweetest and most gentle people ever and will carry you if you get tired from being out all day.

He teaches you how to whittle if you dont know already and you both can spend the day making each other little necklaces or love trinkets with each others initials.

If you have kids, omg....he is by your side the whole time. He makes sure that you are really comfy, not too hot or too cold. And inanna lays by you like a guardian.

Once your child is born, he makes a crib, a very sturdy but beautiful crib and puts magic markings on it to ensure the baby's protection throughout the night.

You, the baby, and Muriel all sleep in the same bed for a few nights through the week!

He spends a lot of time with the baby. Cuddling, feeding and telling you how much he loves his family and wouldnt trade it for the world.

Of course uncle asra comes around and is very happy for him and they sometimes hang out and asra plays with the baby all the time. Best uncle ever.

Just know itll be a life of peace and quiet with him but not boredom. Its worth it.

Thank you for the headcanon request!!!

#the arcana game #muriel #muriel headcanons #muriel x mc #muriel x fem!mc #headcanons #hcs #the arcana #asra #the arcana asra #asra alnazar #submission

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katiekoff · 5 years

Photo

My first attempt to draw chibi (and I still can’t do the lineart properly).

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beanswrites · 10 months

Text

Taking Care Of You ♡︎

this little drabble was requested (or more so forced to request) by the absolute wonderful @bananasharkie, who everyday helps cure my boredom with her ideas. and her love for julian. we love you, sharkie💗

i keep swearing i don't do the arcana anymore and here i am, very much still doing it

pairings: Julian Devorak (from The Arcana) x fem! reader

tags: fluff (like loads of it), comfort, cuddling, taking care of him, suggestive, implied smut, drunkness

summary: you take Julian home after a night of drinkining and take care of him

requests open!! | masterlist | rules for requesting

"Okay, come here, big boy.."

You pull him on the soft duvet of your room, towering over him in worry.

"You finished the water that I gave you?"

Julian nods, a little ashamed and hell of a lot embarassed. He hated that he had put you in a position where you had to take him home, or care for him.

"..'M, sorry.. Sorry, darlin'.." His words are slurred, incoherent - but you can sense the outline of a sencere apology in them.

"For what, Jules?"

"For mak'ng ya' take care 'f me.."

You search the shelfs of your and Asra's shared home, looking for a simple soberity potion to help him with his state.

"It's no trouble, Ilya, really. I don't mind taking care of the man I love. Plus, you know that I worry about your, darling"

His cheeks flame up along with the tips of his pale ears as you hand him the potion. Yet, he also feels immense guilt. It was never his intention to make you worry about his well-being, he never wanted to upset you in any way!

The doctor gulps down the potion in one go, feeling tired, but much better.

"Good?" You ask, gently laying down next to him.

"Yeah, good, uhm- Thank you, MC. Really. I promise it won't happen again, my love, I didn't know where to go and I didn't wanna sleep in my office-"

"C'mere, you big baby." You pull him by his bone-y shoulders and manouver him into your arms. The top of his auburn head is resting on the curve of your chest, your arms tightly around his back and waist. "You know you always have a place to sleep in my arms, right?"

Julian doesn't respond, wallowing in your scent with his eyes closed. He starts pressing shallow kisses on your chin and jaw, almost like silent little "I love you"s. With each passing moment, his kisses travel lower and lower, getting more fiery and passionate with each one. The underside of your neck, your collarbone, you shoulders... All the way down to your stomach, where his long, precise fingers work hard to unbutton your housedress.

"J-Julian? What are you doing?" You manage to stutter out as his kissed get lower and lower....

"Repaying you, doll. You take such good care of me, that I just wanna take care of you too.."

that's all for this one, i hope you like it!! thanks for reading!! and thank you, sharkie, for always handling my boredom perfectlyy🫶🏻

sorry if there are some mistakes, i'm beyond tired rn since it's like 12 am

#the arcana #the arcana julian #julian the arcana #julian devorak #julian x reader #julian x mc #the arcana mc #mc #requested #fluff #implied smut #the arcana drabble #drabble

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anonymousbeefriendfanfics · 2 years

Text

Writing Masterlist

💌 = Fanfiction

❣️ = Headcannon List

💘 = Character X Reader Romance

💕 = Character X OC

♾ = Polyamorous Romance

😍 = Fluff!

🥲 = Hurt/Comfort

😢 = Angst

🍋 = Lemon/Smut/NSFW

💋 = Minor NSFW

Touchstarved

All:

My thoughts on the Characters & Demo ❣️

Leander

Relationship headcannons ❣️💘😍

Vere

Relationship headcannons ❣️💘😍

Last Legacy

Multi:

M3 Love Languages ❣️💘 😍

Playing Minecraft ❣️

Felix

Come Hither Cont. -- Fem | Masc 💌 💘 🍋

Fluff Headcannons ❣️💘 😍 💋

Modern AU ❣️😍

NSFW Headcannons #1 ❣️💘 🍋

Fading Hair Dye

Sage

Stress Baking MC ❣️💘 😍

Spicy Times ❣️💘🍋

Rime

Fluff Alphabet (J, L, M, Y) ❣️ 💘 😍

The Arcana

Multiple LIs:

Asra & Nadia - Fluff Alphabet B

Asra

You're More Radiant than the Stars 💌 💘 😍

Monster Manor

Casimir

General Headcannons ❣️ 💘 😍

Fluff Alphabet (T, C, N) ❣️ 💘 😍

Talkative MC ❣💘😍

Trick or Treat!

Flipping Everybody/Mixed Fandoms:

Watching a Meteor Shower ❣️💘 😍

Reacting to a Vacuum ❣️

Path to Nowhere:

First Date (Cinna, Zoya, Langley) ❣️💘😍

S/O Getting Hurt (Cinna, Zoya, Langley)

Trick or Treat! (Zoya, Langley)

Che x Sinner!Reader ❣️💘

Seeing s/o in nothing but a shirt - Zoya, Shalom (NSFW)

Genshin Impact:

Reader gets injured (Gaming) ❣️💘

Becoming friends (Xiangling)

Spring Walk with Tighnari

Dating Lyney

Receiving Affection - Lyney

Seeing s/o in nothing but a shirt - Lyney (NSFW)

#writing masterlist #fictif last legacy #last legacy #fictif #the arcana game #monster manor #fictif monster manor #fictif felix #felix escellun #felix iskandar escellun #arcana asra #asra alnazar #path to nowhere #genshin impact

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impashableimagines · 5 years

Note

yOOOO can u please bless us with mermaid!au headcanons???? with julian as the mermaid! i can't wait to see ur take on it bc ur ideas are always So Good :,)

Ok I want to finish this one before the end of Mermay so here we go y’all

I HC Julian as a black ghost knifefish variety merman (picture below for reference)

For a little context why I chose this interpretation, our lil buddy the ghost knifefish feeds on these creatures that are basically carnivorous, venomous leeches (but not really leeches), called bloodworms. They’re also nocturnal.

Although he is usually a deepsea merman, one night, our buddy mer!Julian finds himself drawn to the surface of the water by the glint of gold in the water illuminated by the moonlight, tossed over the side of what looks like a pirate ship on the surface

Of course, this is MC trying to cause as much fucking trouble as possible for their pirate companions while they’re asleep because why the fuck not, they’re mischievous AF

MC is on this ship travelling away from their homeland after having gone back to visit their teacher, Asra.

Julian is immediately captivated by MC, wants to bring them back with him to the depths and keep them forever yes he wants to possess them like a shiny object, and he maaay be thinking of having them as a snack, it probably isn’t healthy

MC doesn’t seem to notice Julian at first, but damn does Julian notice them

He thinks they’re the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen, on land or sea, and they smell DIVINE.

At first it’s purely a physical attraction thing for him - they’re stunning and he’s thinking with his dick … cloaca … whatever fucking organs a fish has for reproduction … Genital pore? Sorry, I don’t know fish anatomy and google isn’t helping me much, but I digress.

But the more he observes MC, though, the more he stops seeing them as a potential snack, and starts to fall for them romantically?

MC throwing gold overboard, picking fights with pirates, swinging from the ship’s rope systems, chilling in the crow’s nest with a journal? Good shit, says Julian. And MC sassing the goddamn pirate captain? Well shit, he’s smitten.

During the daytime, Julian can’t go to the surface because the sun is harmful to him, and he dreads when the sun begins to rise because that’s when MC is most active and he’s MISSING OUT on that precious time

It’s all fun and games, Julian watching MC and MC pretending not to notice, until MC lets it be known they know Julian is there one night by fucking JUMPING OVERBOARD to see if the merman who’s been spying on them is friend or foe

Julian loses his shit - doesn’t know if he should laugh or panic, and he’s trying to make sure the little human doesn’t fucking die in the water because how should he know if humans can swim? This is literally the first human he’s ever actually seen, let alone met.

He swims over and scoops them up, taking them to shore.

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING YOU IDIOT?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED- CAN YOU HUMANS EVEN SWIM WITHOUT FINS?”

MC is cackling. “Of course I can swim, I just wanted to see if you were friendly or if you’d try to eat me or something, pretty fish man!”

Julian is stunned. MC just called him pretty, even though he’s a carnivorous spooky scary deep sea merman?? He’s fucking weirded out because normally the other mermaids are afraid of him

He’s never had anyone think he’s pretty before and he’s just shocked that a human pirate is calling him pretty when he could easily attack them and drink their blood in an instant

And he’s fighting off the urges and instinct to do exactly that because MC looks and smells delicious to him

He just wants to make them his, so he can claim them as his own and stop wanting to eat the one being who doesn’t seem to actually be terrified of him?

But he doesn’t want to scare them either with the idea of mating so he doesn’t try to initiate anything

UNTIL

After a few weeks, when they’re comfortable with each other MC decides to tease him

“Aw, is the big bad fishy gonna bite me?”

Of course he fucking bites them, that was basically a fucking invitation

MC is not fucking amused but they are slightly aroused under the annoyance

“Eat your goddamn bloodworms, not me, you dumbass. Unless there’s another way you want to eat me.”

Goddamn it guys I’m trying not to sexual innuendo the fuck out of this post but I keep walking right into it I’m sorry

There may or may not be a little vore/blood play going on here if people are into that but that’s a story for another post people can ask for if they want to hear it

Eventually Julian and MC are essentially romantically involved and Julian decides to see a magical sea deity and requests that MC be allowed to become a merbeing themself, so they can be with Julian forever.

Imagine this deity to basically be Ursula and Triton from the Little Mermaid combined as far as power levels go

The deity decides that they will transform MC, but only under the condition that Julian gives something up in exchange - his nocturnal vision - which means he would essentially be blind.

Now, Julian loves seeing MC. Their looks were the first thing he fell for, after all. Never seeing their face clearly again would devastate him, but so would being separated from them for over half of every day because of the sunlight.

So he agrees to the conditions, although MC protests that this is a fucking dumb idea and isn’t there a better way to go about this?

MC then decides that, to make sure Julian keeps his precious sight (or at least most of it), they’re going to offer something else.

Their proposition: Julian would lose sight in one eye, and MC would give up their ability to go on land, even if it meant never seeing their beloved teacher, Asra, ever again.

The deity, intrigued by MC’s willingness to sacrifice something they love for Julian, decides that they will not require any conditions, because MC’s courage, dedication to Julian, and love for Julian, who no merperson or mortal has ever even been friends with, let alone loved, is just astonishing to them.

So Julian and MC get to have their happy ending together, and in addition, the deity gifts them both the ability to shift between human and merperson forms as a show of goodwill toward this union between the mortal and the merman.

You best believe there are lots of merbabies in their future too, some wee cuties they’ll be

I’m sorry this is garbage but I tried

#julian devorak #the arcana game #the arcana #the arcana julian #mc #nb mc #fem mc #masc mc #arcana the game #asra alnazar #asra alzanar #the arcana asra #asra #asra the magician #julian x apprentice

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lorei-writes · 3 years

Text

Panic Magic

Asra x fem!Apprentice Fluff // Comfort

Well, I think that slapping “Anna” as a name on the MC ended up with turning them into an OC. OH WELL.

Content Warnings: anxiety, arachnophobia, spider

Worry boiling low in his stomach, Asra strode towards her, soon having her nestled within his arms. “Is it the headache?” he asked, his magic already washing over her in soft waves, his fingers brushing against her temple – Anna clung to him. “No,” she forced out of herself. “Wall.” As per her instruction, Asra let his eyes lift from her, the tension in his shoulders decreasing by a fraction. His eyebrows raised – and there it was, a spider the size of a crow sitting on the wall opposite of them, hairy abdomen swaying as it lifted its legs impatiently.

The air was misty on that day, clouds seemingly having opted to lower themselves to the very ground, purple sunset spilling over the uneven puffs. His elbow resting over the counter, Asra shifted over the stool again, one hand supporting his head while the other flipped the pages of the book, neat rows of numbers written in black ink stretching wide over the plains of paper, occasional strings of red pricking his eyes. Magic, they said, magic was hard to comprehend – yet what was he supposed to say of finances? Were they not even worse than some of the various rituals and spells? Somewhat annoyed, and most definitely bored, he let his gaze skim over yet another position, a flick of his finger sending the beads of the abacus into their rightful places. Perhaps there was no error to begin with and his work was but a futile effort? Perhaps he had already overlooked something? His brows furrowed, he lowered his head, insistent on finishing the chore sooner rather than later…

His blood froze, air catching in his lungs mid-breath, a scream he had heard in the worst of his nightmares materialising upstairs. Without even thinking, he shot up, the stool falling over as the magician sprinted towards the stairs, his feet skipping every second step, the silence prompting his heart to beat faster. “Anushka?!” he called instantly, his gaze sweeping over the – perfectly ordinary – room. Taken off guard, he looked again, his lover sitting curled up in their bed, a pillow clutched in front of her chest, her face pressed against the cushion. Worry boiling low in his stomach, Asra strode towards her, soon having her nestled within his arms. “Is it the headache?” he asked, his magic already washing over her in soft waves, his fingers brushing against her temple – Anna clung to him. “No,” she forced out of herself. “Wall.” As per her instruction, Asra let his eyes lift from her, the tension in his shoulders decreasing by a fraction. His eyebrows raised – and there it was, a spider the size of a crow sitting on the wall opposite of them, hairy abdomen swaying as it lifted its legs impatiently. Her magic erupted around them, Anna taking a quick glance at the abomination. She shrieked, her entire form seemingly attempting to shrink as she curled down further, her fingers grasping onto his shirt. “It’s huge!” she stated, the creature growing to a size of a cat.

Perhaps its hearing improved along with the increase in size, perhaps it was a foul beast – whichever it was, it dashed to the ceiling, as if commanded by her voice, leaving a trail of web behind. Her breathing growing frantic, she felt her throat tightening, her shoulders trembling… Asra raised his hand, thus stopping the monster mid-leap. Slowly, he returned it to its original location, his arm still extended as to ensure it would not break free. “Anushka, look at me,” he asked. Somewhat reluctantly, Anna dared peak up, her eyes inevitably venturing towards the spider – and yet, before she managed to steal a glance at it, he leaned down, his nose rubbing against her cheek prompting her to turn back towards him. Her palm pressed against his chest, she obliged, her teeth biting into the inside of her cheek being the only sign of her anxiety. “I need you to calm down. Breath with me.” “How can I calm down with this thing –” she cut off sharply, Asra stopping her from looking at the wall. “It will be easier if you can undo the spell yourself.” “The spell?” Anna echoed, confusion evident over her face. “It gave you a scare, didn’t it?” he asked, his thumb brushing against her shoulder in soothing circles. “Your magic surged when you saw it. You probably grew it by accident… Deep breaths, in and out,” he changed the topic swiftly, his lover resting her forehead against his collarbone.

A moment had passed, Asra glaring at the spider, then struggling against the restrain imposed over it. Her head rising, he looked at her, her face glowing red. “I… I just need to shrink it back down? What if it runs again? I may panic and…” “I won’t let it move an inch,” the magician assured, Anna nodding in reply. Her eyes closing, she let her back straighten. “It’s just a normal spider,” she stated, images of smaller cousin of the monster flashing through her mind. “Think only about this spider,” he suggested, concerned with what sudden conjuring of many little creatures could cause. “It’s just a normal spider. Small enough to fit in a teacup.”

Gradually, the spider shrunk down, until it reverted to its original size, a medium black dot sitting at their wall. Anna opened her eyes, Asra smiling at her reassuringly. “Did it work?” she asked. “Perfectly,” he stated, his shoulder beginning to sting. “I’ll be back in a moment.” The spider still held in place, the magician untangled himself from his lover and walked up to the wall, soon scooping the insect into his palm, all to throw it out the window a moment later. Her eyes following him, he stepped into their tiny kitchen, a bucket filling with water for him to scrub his hands.

The bed dipped as he re-entered it, Anna seeking his touch for comfort, the tips of her ears still painted red. “You did really well.” “I panicked because I saw a spider, accidentally grew it, and had it attack me,” she grumbled. “And you shrunk it back down,” he laughed against her hair, her arms locking behind his waist as she made herself comfortable. The books could wait another day, Asra reckoned, Anna listening to his heartbeat intently.

––

Bonus:

Later, that same night.

Anna: turns from side to side Asra: Do you want to sleep on my side* of the bed today? Anna: nods eagerly

*- his side of the bed is further away from where the spider was

#asra alnazar #the arcana asra #the arcana asra alnazar #arcana asra #the arcana #arcana #my ff #my writing

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thenightcallsme · 7 months

Text

The Arcana: Julian's Route | Chapter 3

!! THIS STORY IS A DETAILED RETELLING OF THE ARCANA, INCLUDING PAID SCENES IN BOTH PROLOGUE AND JULIAN ROUTE. ALL CHARACTERS EXCEPT THE MC ARE PROPERTY OF THE ARCANA FRANCHISE !!

A/N: This is a reupload from my AO3 cause I want to branch out. Enjoy!!

Pairing: Julian Devorak x Fem!Magician Reader

This Chapter Contains: brief mentions/discussion of death

Word Count: 5,478

find the rest of the chapters in my masterlist here :)

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

Marble. Everything is marble.

Steep, swooping ceilings cascade into carefully crafted pillars that line the walls. Polished marble floors stretch out infinitely, so glazed that I wouldn’t be surprised if a thin film of water settled overtop. The grand entrance is expansive and towering, ending ahead in a sweeping flight of stairs that meet the second story balustrade. Intricate details are not just found on the pillars, but on the ceiling. Carvings of suns and stars, lush foliage and indecipherable shapes meddle together, each curve and line lovingly chiseled into the stone.

On either side of the palace doors stand two identical, towering women, their soft bodies draped in solidified silks. Their stone faces are turned skyward, chests puffed and nipples protruding through the portrayed fabric. In the hands closest to the doorway, the hold sceptres that cary flames beneath the halo of a crown, the light regarding wherever their gazes fall. In the other, they brandish longswords, the blades’ tip pointed to the floor. As above, so below.

Evergreen flora and oil paintings decorate the walls. No painting is like the last, but the one that draws my attention stands above the stairs. Painted between two pillars is crowded street scene, where women crowd around a glossy white Frisian horse. It’s snout points downwards and front legs rear, a faint look of distress in its wide eyes. It pulls tight against the red and gold reigns. The women in the foreground wear incredible finery, each dress different from the last. Pouring from their hands are flurries of petals thrown from the hoards they carry in their skirts. Flower crowns weave through their hair. In the background march armoured guards. Everything about the scene is beautiful and carefully crafted, yet there’s a feeling of unease it evokes, all radiating from the man atop the horse.

Golden hair, glassy skin, ice blue eyes. Drowning in gold armour and a thick red cape, Count Lucio mounts the distressed horse. The late count disregards the women who fawn over him with handfuls of flowers, instead tuning his gaze towards the heavens. Even the mercy of a beautiful painting cannot hide the narcissistic touch. Hell, the painting is narcissistic enough. When was the last time a real woman gushed over the cruel count, if not out of naivety?

“Ah, Portia.” A tall, middle-aged servant dashes to Portia’s side. He adjusts a white hat atop thinning brown hair with a crooked smile and a welcoming bow.

"Afternoon, Chamberlain. How are we doing on time?" Portia asks the bright-eyed man.

The servant, Chamberlain, smiles. "The first course will be served shortly. Her ladyship has yet to descend."

Portia heaves a heavy sigh of relief as he retrieves the pomegranate basket from her hands. "Perfect. Tell the kitchen that our guest has arrived."

With another bow, Chamberlain disappears with the fruit basket down one of the many connecting hallways, his stride strong and purposeful. Portia grabs my arm once more and tugs me along with an excited smile.

"Come. I'll show you to the dining room. Milady will be there soon."

"Dining room?" I echo. “With the countess?"

Portia gives me a look. "You thought we wouldn’t feed our guest? When we invited her over in the evening?"

"No, it's just I've only spoken with Countess Nadia once. I wasn't expecting her then, but now that I am," I purse my lips. “The courtesies from and for noblewomen are foreign to me.”

As she guides me down the halls, she quietens to consider my worry. "It is like that at first, and trust me I know. My first few weeks as her servant gave me inescapable anxiety, but when you get to know her more, speak to her more... It gets easier with practice."

“I guess you’re right," I answer with half a mind, examining paintings and plants as we go.

She leads me down the end of the cavernous hallway and to a grand mahogany door. She pushes it open and—

—oh my.

Rich scents rush to meet me, unfamiliar and tantalising, before I even cross the threshold. A long table draped in a silky, white cloth inhabits the middle of the room. Laid heavy over the soft fabric are platters covered in the most careful delicacies. Portia takes the lead and pulls back a chair with a gesture to sit. Still in shock, I sit silently, falling into a plush red cushion. I hear a soft giggle behind me; Portia must find my bewilderment humorous.

I barely smile back before a sprawling painting on the opposite wall calls to me. That feeling of unease returns. Wrapped in a frame of gold is the depiction of a meal shared among animal-headed figures. There's a cow with layered gold necklaces and a strapless green dress, a black bull with a nose ring and huge curling horns in red and gold finery, a white dove in a delicate blue dress in front of a black-clad wolf. There's a cheetah, a pig, a lion, an eagle, all standing in the foreground. There's even a horse-headed figure, but there is no skin to be seen; only bones and a silky black mane. To me, the horse appears as Death, which I find strange to see in such a grand painting.

Though...what sits in the middle catches my attention. Central to the painting with palms held out and an array of grapes and dead animals before it is a tall, white goat. With protruding horns, emotionless red eyes, and a halo of gold rays behind its head, it captivates the attention of the beastly people nestled in finery. I shiver at how strikingly lifelike its eyes are. I wonder what Countess Nadia thinks of it if she's decided to display it in her dining room.

"Welcome, Vivian. I see you're admiring the painting."

As if on queue, I hear the countesses voice behind me, as firm and graceful as I remember. She stands at the head of the table, gaze following mine. Her chair appears like the tangled roots and arms of a tree. It’s set in gold, similar to the rest of the chairs and cutlery and decorations adorning the walls. The countess, as tall as she may be, almost appears like a child as she takes her seat.

Today she has her wavy, plum-coloured hair a half-up style, with pearls weaving in and out of sight like silver fish in a pond of wine. There is a modest crown of golden branches holding glistening emeralds above her head. Hugging her elegant figure is a simple purple dress with a low neckline and impossibly long sleeves with slits along the inner arm. Cherry-red lips curl into a placid smile as our eyes meet.

"Do you like it? The painting?" she asks.

I consider lying, telling her I would die to have it for myself, but it seems wrong. “It's uniquely…unsettling.”

"Such honesty. Good to see that you have a backbone." She makes a face as she regards the painting once more. "I must confess that I do not like it either."

"Then why does it remain?" I ask quietly.

As the countess considers my question, two servants appear. They carry what I assume is the first course of the meal, the starter. In a bowl covered in faint blue floral designs is a potato leak stew. After presenting my cutlery and offering me wine, I thank the servant, who bows with a smile and retreats down the hall. I carefully bring a spoonful. Unsurprisingly, the simplest stew tastes unlike anything I’ve every had.

"Why does it remain? Sentimental value, I suppose. It was one of my husband's favourites," the countess answers simply.

It’s strange to suddenly hear of the count and observe him in paintings after three long years. It irrupts a sudden sense of familiarity as I look back to the goat. Its eyes are so vivid that I can almost feel them returning my gaze.

"A beautiful red..." I murmur aloud. When Nadia’s gaze follows mine once more to land on a pair of beady red eyes, I can't decide if the emotion in her eyes is longing or disgust.

"Ah, yes. It is a beautiful red." When she looks back, that emotion is gone. "The one in the middle is Lucio—or so it's supposed to be. Providing for the people as he saw himself. If anything he certainly knew how to entertain."

The second I finish my soup, it’s whisked away to be replaced by the second course: roasted mushrooms and onion in a drizzle of gravy. Like the previous dish, the portioning is small to allow the array of food. The plate its presented on depicts the same blue patterns.

Nadia continues. "I know how fondly the people of this city remember the Count's Masquerade. Our annual revelry in honour of my husband's birthday...a delight to all of Vesuvia. Did you ever attend?"

I hum in thought. “I...don't recall attending, no.”

“A pity," the countess offers. Her eyes turn dark with remembrance. "Nevertheless, it is a memory now twinged with bitterness... After Lucio was murdered at the last Masquerade."

I nearly choke at how strong her words come and how little sadness I hear in them. Mercifully, I catch myself, swallowing my mouthful with ease.

The countess shakes her head. "Such a terrible shock to the guests. Such a vicious injustice upon this house, to slaughter the host while he celebrates, sharing his joy and properties with open doors."

The Count’s murder is full of holes, muddied by wild rumours and unanswered questions. But the end is always the same: the Count retired to his chambers, and by midnight, he and his chamber were engulfed in flames. The culprit was allegedly captured on the spot, but before he could be brought to justice...he escapes. Vanished into the night.

Since the masquerade, guests to the Palace have been few indeed. I wonder how long after the last visitor I’ve come. Once, all those years ago, the streets leading to the palace were bustling with life and the gates were indefinitely opening, inviting endless nights of party and celebration for the littlest of things. You could explore the streets of Vesuvia at night without rotations of guards doubting your every move. Count Lucio was the talk of the town, a prayer on everyone's lips. Now, everyone is scared to speak his name.

"A tragic story. But you’re grace…" I tilt my head to the side, “what does any of this have to do with me?"

"The Masquerade is precisely why I called you here. This year, I intend to revive and renew its reputation."

Don't stare, don't stare.

But I still do, forgetting the bite of mushroom that I hold inches from my mouth. Portia, who stands behind Countess Nadia, shares my shock. So does every other servant in the room. Three years later, she wants to throw a Masquerade despite its tarnished image? And, most bewildering of all, I have a part to play?

The countess smiles. "The festivities in Lucio's honour will be more fantastical than ever. Music, entertainment, food, no expenses or invites needed to attend so that all of Vesuvia can celebrate. If not for my husband, then just for themselves. There is but one loose end in need of tying."

"And that is...?"

"Lucio's murderer still roams free. To this day he has not met the justice he deserves for committing such a terrible crime.”

She manages to remain almost entirely indifferent. All that betrays her is a slight quiver in her lip—anger. She’s angry its taken this long to let Lucio rest easy. Her memory of the count may differ, it seems. There are few people who would willingly bring him justice. But, in this moment, that doesn’t bother me. Instead, the wanted posters swim in my head, worn and muddied in time, some still found deep within the streets. The name had escaped me for the longest time, but now it couldn’t be more memorable.

My stomach twists in unease. Doctor Julian Devorak, the man who broke into my home, who I spoke to only last night and saw wandering the markets today. I curse myself for overlooking the familiarity of his name and how easily it came to me.

The countess continues, oblivious to my horror. "Doctor Julian Devorak, my husbands former physician, confessed to the crime when we caught him. But somehow he slipped through my grasp. All that is left is his sentence."

"I've heard a lot of talk about him," I say slowly, "but never an inkling of his sentence. What shall it be, if...you don't mind me asking, my lady."

She raises a brow. "His sentence? Death by hanging, of course."

No more than a second later, a terrible crash echoes through the room. We both turn to see Portia, her face white and stricken with something resembling horror. At her feet are the shards of fine china and ruined deserts. Her wide eyes jump between the two of us. I give her a sympathetic smile that I hope says, it's okay, because I don't blame her.

There's a sick feeling churning in my stomach in response to Countess Nadia's words that Portia must feel. Half of it comes from my fresh and unrealised encounter with Doctor, and the other half comes from his sentence. Hanging… There hasn’t been a hanging in Vesuvia for a long time. The age of public death sentences has been on a come down in many parts of the world. Though merciful, the reasoning is somewhat cruel: people have realised that suffering is more rewarding than a quick death.

But he's a criminal, I remind myself. He killed the count. He broke into your home like the crazed lunatic he is. Think of it as a kinder punishment.

“Portia?" The countess doesn't sound mad, instead concerned.

"F-forgive me, milady," she stammers. "Caught me off guard, is all."

The countess sighs. "You are forgiven."

The few present servants rush to Portia’s aid, stepping away the shattered mess with wind-sprint speed. I watch Portia a moment longer, intrigued by the way her eyes search the floor. She isn’t looking for mess, no… I think she might cry.

I’m quickly distracted by two more servants appearing from the hallway, each carrying dishes Portia had just dropped. They take our empty plates and dirtied cutlery in silence. Before me is an array of bite sized pastries, each decorated in berries, caramelised banana, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

"As I was about to say…” Nadia graciously picks at a pastry with delicate fingers, somehow taking a bite so graceful and perfect that I’m conscious to take my own. “This is where you come in, Vivian. Doctor Devorak has been very elusive. But you have quite the reputation. Rumour has it that you have surpassed even your master, Asra."

Again, I manage not to falter despite the absolute shock. What rumour? Who told her this?

I purse my lips. "I appreciate you coming to find me, my lady. Really, out of all those capable, it bewilders me to know you wanted to find me. But…I’m unsure you have heard right."

She smiles. "Oh, but I did. From some very trusted sources, who have heard from Asra himself that you are a unique specimen. But it will still come down to whether you believe you live up to that standard—which I will let you decide once I have provided you with more detail."

I nod. “I will try, if that pleases you, but I must ask you not to have high hopes.”

"No need." The countess laughs lightly with a shake of her head. "I have enough trust in myself that you are what people say. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I myself have a connection to magic, though not as palpable as yours. Glimpses of the future come to me in dreams. They tell me you are the one who will find Doctor Devorak."

"A clairvoyant, huh?” I lean back, brows raised in disbelief. “Fascinating. I’ve never met someone one before. And don't mind me asking, but what of the doctor if we find him?

“When we find him, we will bring him before the people so that all may see his long-awaited punishment. And so, to commence the festivities, the doctor will die on the gallows for his terrible crime. And once you have brung me my prize, I will reward you with any amount of riches that you desire.”

Riches. Though I pride myself on my humble beginnings and willingness to help anyone in need, I’m only human. Not just any riches, but those I desire. The idea amazes me. I could afford enough food to not worry about the next few weeks, I could afford finery and real jewels, I could even buy a bigger shop for Asra and I, where we have our own spaces, if she’s generous enough. While I hate to be swayed by money, the weight it could lift of my shoulders is too appealing.

The countess rises to her feet. On instinct, I follow suit. When I really take in the magnificence of her, the spectacular dress of flowing material and jewels that must have cost handfuls, I realise how dressed down I must seem, despite wearing the nicest clothes I own.

"Now that I have told you all you need to know, would you like to work alongside me?" she asks.

"Of course." I bow my head. "Anything to finally put you and the rest of Vesuvia at peace."

"Good. Portia?"

Portia jumps at her name. "Yes, milady?”

"Show Vivian to her guest quarters. I imagine she has much to think over before the night is out."

"Right away, milady."

Portia gently takes my elbow and guides me around the chairs, and with a humble bow, whisks me through the doorway. She is quiet as she ushers me through the maze of halls, but it isn't the same silence we shared when walking to the palace. It’s an uncomfortable, heavy silence. For a minute, I endure it, feeling that maybe this has nothing to do with the dining room and she has nothing to say. Despite telling myself, I can't fight the urge to speak.

"Call me crazy, but...maybe the punishment is extreme," I say softly. "There are plenty of convicted murderers in the world, but lots of them aren't sentenced to...death. Just because Count Lucio was well known shouldn't change the Doctors sentence—the count is still as human as anybody I know." Pursing my lips, I add, “Never mind, maybe it was just jarring to hear."

Portia shakes her head. "No, no, I agree. ...Death sounds a tad extreme, but I would never tall m'lady so."

I nod.

We pass a large staircase, veiled in shadows. A draft rushes from above, prickling my skin like a ghostly caress. It almost feels heavy, carrying an ashen smell. Curled up on the bottom stairs are two white, lanky dogs. Around their necks are thick, gold collars. Beady red eyes following us along. Silently, they rise. I stop walking, staring back and gently holding out my hand. The bigger one walks forward, sniffing me. The other follows. Their huffing breathes tickle my skin and eventually, their tails raise and wag.

"Well, I'll never," Portia breathes, eyes curious. "They never take kindly to strangers. It's how they were trained, but...I've never seen them act kindly."

Their slim snouts brush up my sides as the white dogs investigate me further. Satisfied, they draw back, looking at me expectantly. I almost reach out to pet them again, but something in their eyes catches me off guard. Suddenly it’s unsettling. I take a careful step back, giving them plenty of room. They trot proudly back to their spot.

"They're very strange things, aren't they?” I wonder aloud.

"I agree... Oh! No wonder they're like this, they haven't had their chamomile cakes." She looks between the two dogs, who stay as still as statues. "Wait here, Vivian. And it's probably best to keep your distance. I'll be right back with those cakes."

"Of course."

Portia drags back a panel in the wall and disappears through a servant tunnel. It shuts behind her with a heavy thunk and I'm left alone in the halls with the dogs. There's a nudge at my side as one of the dogs sniff my side again. When I look down, it pulls away and stares again.

There's another nudge at my other side—the smaller one taking in huffing samples of my sent. I whirl around to watch it mirror the bigger one's actions. It sits back on its haunches, giving me a look of innocence. I laugh. Cheeky. But as I share its jovial gaze, that unsettling sensation returns, rippling beneath my skin like a wave of fever.

"A guest?"

I step back from the dogs, looking around the hall expecting to see a servant or another visitor. Anyone, really, but I’m still alone.

"Intriguing..."

The voice doesn’t come from down here, no. I follow the dog's gaze to the top of the stairs, where the voice spoke. No one is to be seen, shrouded by the gloom atop the staircase. I jump when I feel yanking at the hem of my skirt; the dogs have taken a mouthful of white linen into their jaws. Their grip is and stubbornly strong.

"Hey, drop it," I warn.

They don't comply, pulling me towards, only letting me go when we've reached the top. I’m met with a hallway identical to the one below, but the intricate chandeliers are unlit. There's an eerie aura in the air, that both pulls me in and begs for me to leave. The smell of ash is overwhelming. I cough, feeling my throat and lungs sting. With one hand over my nose and mouth, I summon a ball of light in my other. I’m alone again. The dogs have disappeared.

There is a grand door ahead, partway open. Inside is a deeper darkness that my light cannot pierce. I should go back. Portia could be arriving at any moment with those cakes. But that door...

Portia can wait.

The magic in my hand flutters to a glow as I step into the dark. I frown, focusing my mind on the small ball of light. No matter how hard I try, it remains dim, as if something unseen is snuffing out my magic.

Despite the coldness of the corridor outside, the room I step into is warm. Uncomfortably warm. The air, however, is strangely thick and tastes strongly of pepper. Nevermind that though...

Once my eyes have adjusted to the dim light, I take in the bedroom before me. A heavily canopied bed stretches midway across the room, the sheets neatly done up. I step further into the threshold, passing a suit of extravagant, gold armour. A wooden writing desk sits to my left. Its surface is scattered with neat piles of paper and books and a white feather pen.

Everything looks lived in. Well, if not for the ash.

The curtains, bedspread, and canopy sheets are in shreds, charred and limp. Everything has been touched by fire. Horror coils in my gut. This is the infamous room, the quarters of Count Lucio that set the scene for his demise on the night of his birthday.

A shiver chases down my spine. I shouldn't be in here, but there’s morbid curiosity the accompanies the unease. Who else can say that they've witnessed this mess?

My attention is caught by a portrait on the wall, twice my height. For the third time this evening, I examine a painting of Count Lucio. Either this portrait is old or he looked younger than I remember because the gleam captured in his eyes and the youthful face takes me by surprise. Or perhaps the artist was catering to his vanity. The count is painted before a mountain range, with one silver-booted foot on a rock. He's wearing cream-coloured pants and a scarlet suit jacket threaded with gold designs. Hanging from his broad, straight shoulders is a long fur coat lined with a red matching his jacket. I lean closer—

"Go on. Touch it."

My heart skips to my throat and I draw back, guilty. I’ve been caught…but by who? I’m still alone in this sad, empty room. From my guilt sprouts fear. I almost call out to the voice when a miasma of thick, scorching air shoves my hand against the portrait. The skin on my wrist burns and I cry out in alarm. A snickering fills my ears as a haze settles over my mind.

"Nothing like the real thing, seeing...unable to feel. Such sweet torture."

My magic reacts to the invisible threat, the light seeping from between my palm and the canvas and down my hand. With a burst of force, the light explodes outwards, pushing the mass away and seeping into my tattoos. The strange sensation subsides in kind, the voice growing fainter, even wistful.

"Ahh...interesting," the disembodied voice murmurs. “There, in your energy… Ohh, it’s him. Could you be…?”

I subconsciously take a step backwards, face horror-stricken. Either someone finds it funny to play with me like this, or this room is...alive. My magic buzzes in reaction to something unholy hiding in the shadows. Soft material brushes against my legs and I fall through the folds of dust-covered fabric covering the bed. Great plumes of dust and ash billow through the air as my back hits the duvet of Count Lucio’s bed. I lay where he once did, where he was incinerated. Ash stings my eyes, fills my nose and mouth with a terrible taste. A sick feeling turns my stomach and I clamp a hand over my in my struggle to escape the bed. This was a mistake.

"Going so soon?" the voice coos. "You're no fun."

"What are you? Why are you talking to me?" I demand, eyes darting between the shadows. "What do you want?"

"What do I want? What do I want?"

The echo of my question ends in a deathly snarl. I freeze, feeling the sensation of something reaching for my back. Abruptly, the temperature drops and the feeling disappears. I let out a breath I never knew I was holding. The air from my lips turning to mist. I dare not look as something moves.

"Chains of gold, but no neck. Beautiful, beautiful furs, but no back. No perfect face, no perfect body. I have nothing I want."

My breathing is no longer mist in the air. My skin is no longer chilled by the dropping temperature. All at once, the room feels normal. When there is nothing but silence as the voice fades, I aim for the door. Breaking into a run, I dash down the hall, my mind racing. Could that have been... No. The portraits lining the wall watch me run with cold, aristocratic stares.

"Come back... Come back..."

Don't listen, the voice in my head reasons. And I shouldn't, but against all good sense, I still look back.

I only see it for a moment; a silhouette, stark against a wall of high windows frosted with smoke. Claws, horns, and hoofs like onyx—that's what I see first. Second comes the white face of a goat staring back at me, glowing red eyes fixed gleefully on mine.

Then I blink.

It’s gone.

But I don't stop. If anything, my legs move faster. By the time I've stumbled down the stairs, Portia is back, confusion on her face at my sudden appearance.

"There you are!"

She stares at me, taking in the dishevelment of my appearance: ash covering me from head to toe, the mess my hair has become. I wonder how white my face is.

Her eyebrows lower. "What...why are you covered in ash? Oh, what did those naughty dogs do to you?"

"Oh, nothing,” I lie breathlessly. “They wanted to play a game of chase and I couldn't help it. But we had a little... accident."

"Those two." She shakes her head. "They won't cease to confuse me. They must really like you. Would you mind if I fixed you up a tad?"

I sigh. "Please."

She gestures for me to sit on the stairs. After helping me to brush the dust from my clothes, she takes a seat behind me and takes my hair in her hands. With a motherly touch, she undoes the mess my braid has become, gently combing her fingers through the tangles.

"You have such lovely hair," she murmurs. "And may I ask why your tattoos are glowing?”

The dainty, identical patterns stretching from my elbow to my fingertips, otherwise inked in black, glow a soft white.

I look down at my left hand. Inked on it are black and white snakes that intertwine, weaving around my wrist and through my fingers. Instead of the plain colours they normally are, they glow a soft white. Similarly, the rest glow. The sun on my sternum, the snake and moon phases down my spine, the stretch of stars along my collarbone… I can feel each line on my body radiate a comfortable heat.

"Oh, I don't really know,” I answer. “There’s special ink, no special designs. Asra thinks that maybe it's because my magic is so restless that it’s constantly in search of an outlet."

“Fascinating.” Portia pulls my hair into a fresh braid. "I hear a lot of whispers that you are not what you seem. What the countess says about you surpassing even your own master is what I've heard myself. But what you said to m’lady…"

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"Well...I don't know."

She pauses. "What do you mean?"

"I grew up unable to learn magic," I say after a moment. "My parents restricted a lot of my life, and even mentioning magic was punishable. I ran away from home and spent a few hard years on my own. Eventually, Asra found me and offered to take me in. After a year he told me he sensed something budding, but I didn’t believe him. It felt too late in life to connect with magic. Until one night, I was running an errand late in the evening for Asra with my coin push stupidly on display, and a thief noticed.”

"...What happened?"

I purse my lips. Only Asra has ever known this—not that I’ve had other friends to tell. To repeat it to Portia now, after so long, feels strange.

"Looking at me, he of course thought that I was an easy target. So he pulled me into an alley and drew a knife on me and threatened to take my life if I didn't comply. I was so frightened, so still and in shock that I didn't give the money. Eventually, he tired of me and raised the knife to swing. Then out of nowhere, this burst of magic shot from me as I tried shielding myself. It hit him square in the chest. His body went flying."

"What happened to him?"

"I have no idea. I just hope I didn't kill him."

With a twist of a hairband, Portia finishes the braid and gives my shoulders a squeeze. "You did what you had to do. Now come along. I think you need a little rest."

Almost forgetting what I saw upstairs, I nod and smile, letting her take my hand and lead me to my room. Thankfully, it isn't far. We take one last corner and approach another door that is as grand as the rest. She pushes it open to reveal a room so big I wonder if I could fit the shop inside.

Portia grins. "Here we are. This will be your quarters, Vivian."

"...Oh my.” Gilded walls, a huge bed, velvet pillows and couches… “This is amazing.”

"You may put your things wherever you like. Breakfast is at sunrise, and don't worry about oversleeping. I will be here to wake you."

Overwhelmed, I pull Portia into a tight hug, which takes her by surprise. Though, she doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms back around me with a squeeze. She smells of spring air, with the sweet hint of cherry blossoms.

"Thank you," I whisper. "And if you happen to see Countess Nadia again before tomorrow, tell her I won't fail her."

"Of course, and you're most welcome." She pulls back. "Now sleep well. Your job starts tomorrow."

Gently she closes to door. I drop my bag on the bed and change into a silk slip. Sliding underneath the thick covers, I feel my fatigue hit me like a wave. But I do not sleep for a long time.

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#The Arcana #Julian Devorak #Asra Alnazar #Nadia Satrinava #lucio morgasson #portia devorak #julian devorak x mc #julian devorak x apprentice #The Arcana Julian Route

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