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thenightcallsme · 6 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 :)

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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."

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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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theintrovertbean · 2 years

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Hi! I love your writings very much, I was wondering how would Nadia behave when she is drunk?

Hi, Anon! Thank you, and I'm very glad you like them!

I had to think about this a bit because Nadia seems like she stays quite professional even when she's drunk, but then I realized that once she got wasted and married Lucio. So yeah, in her case, it probably depends on how much she drinks. And damn, this woman can drink A LOT.

Also, I've been drunk very few times in my life (exactly once, and it was two years ago on a school trip when I was 18. I ended up lying on the floor and singing a song about cherries, chickens, and a love triangle while the teacher came in.) And I never spend time around drunk people, which is very surprising for a uni student, so I don't have a lot of experience with alcohol and being drunk. If you find anything weird about these headcanons, then I'm sorry, but I'm a good bean.

And well, be careful when drinking, and don't marry a foreign Count when you're absolutely wasted (unless you're into that.)

Thanks for this request, Anon! It was lovely to write!

Drunk Nadia Headcanons

Nadia drinks alcohol on a daily basis, so she built up quite a tolerance. She does not spend her whole day drinking and rarely drinks heavily. A glass of champagne during lunch and some high-quality wine during dinner is all she consumes (except when someone pissed her off because then she drinks a bit more). And when she has a free evening, she might pop open a bottle of Golden Goose and sit down with a good book or tinker for a few hours.

But she might drink a lot more than usual when her life is horrible or in good company.

Slightly drunk Nadia is absolutely adorable. Normally, she isn't the most talkative (regardless, she's a great conversationalist), but with a bit of alcohol, she turns into the most bubbly person in the room. Wine and gossip flow, and the Countess' cheeks are slightly redder than usual. It's gorgeous. She's gorgeous.

The tension from her body just disappears, and she's a lot more relaxed than usual. And touchy.

She can talk about everything, and the alcohol makes her much less reserved. She normally avoids some topics, but drunk Nadia tends to be more open. She wouldn't reveal any state secrets and such things, tho. She still has a professional/royal vibe to her.

She also complains a lot more than usual to anyone willing to listen. If not, she just finds someone else.

Giggles. Adorable af giggles that make your heart melt.

She is still very capable (it's canon.) Like, if needed, she can go straight to work with no problem, and if something goes wrong or Lucio makes an oopsie, she is the person who solves it. She's mommy no matter what happens.

Wasted Nadia, tho? Prepare for a disaster beyond your imagination.

Actually, no, but she might end up making a few bad decisions, like marrying someone on the spot (and you know exactly what I mean.)

And she is also a lot more flirty than usual, so she might end up making out with someone.

Ohh, and she's drinking straight from the bottle (do not tell her siblings, tho.)

"A Countess never throws up," Said drunk Nadia before absolutely destroying a bucket. Portia had to hold her hair.

She usually doesn't throw up, but it has happened once or twice.

Sober Nadia's laugh is angelic, polite, and beautiful. Drunk Nadia snorts and laughs very loudly (but she still sounds gorgeous, of course. And snorts are cute.)

If Julian is present, he and Nadia might end up dancing, and it's neither pretty nor elegant. Nadia and folk dances just don't go well together.

If Nadia is both sad and horribly drunk, there is a chance that she might cry, and she requires a shoulder to cry on.

And, of course, she goes to poor Muriel. He doesn't really like the idea, but no one has the heart to say no to Nadia while she has tears in her eyes.

She wraps her arms around him very tightly and ends up ruining his clothes with the mixture of her tears and makeup.

"My sincerest apologies, sobs I did not mean to do it. You must hate me right now." But it's impossible to get mad at her.

She might fall asleep on Muriel's shoulder when she finished crying. And drunk Nadia sleeps like a log, so good luck to Muriel if he attempts to escape her death grip (he probably gives her light pats on the back and lets her rest because he is a sweetheart, and we all must love and appreciate him.)

When Nadia wakes up, she's very embarrassed and swears to Muriel that it will never happen again. It will.

I would absolutely get drunk with her without any hesitation. Getting drunk with the Countess is the highlight of anyone's life.

#arcana nadia #countess nadia #the arcana nadia #nadia satrinava #arcana #the arcana #the arcana headcanons #the arcana hc #nadia is love

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sp4gh3tti · 2 years

Text

Ok so...

✨️Imagine✨️

A nice summer day with the LI right. You had some time off from work so your taking a stroll in the forest because IDK MAYBE YOU LIKE FORESTS. So anyway your walking with the LI when you trip on a rock and faceplant into a tree. How would they react?

Nadia:

•she's overall very concerned about what just happened

•she chuckles a bit but you'll never know

•checks to see if you have any cuts or scrapes or if your bleeding or not

• if you are then she just rips a small piece of fabric from the outfit she's wearing and uses it to clean your wounds

•she doesn't care that much about the outfit just as long as your ok :)

• if your not hurt then she'll just smile and asks if you would like to return to the palace now

Julian:

•He tries really hard not to laugh but it doesn't work

•But when you stare at him, with a very unamused face he shuts right up

•"I apologize my dear but that was rather funny"

•he checks to see if you're hurt or not or worse

•If you are he's prepared to help. I believe he hides a lot of medical supplies in his coat so he uses that to help you

•He keeps asking you if your ok so you tell him that your fine and its not a big deal

•He still keeps asking you if your ok for the rest of the walk but it's fine because he cares :)

Asra:

•like Nadia, they laugh a bit but his laugh is a bit more noticeable

•He checks to see if your hurt in anyways a heals your wounds with a bit of magic

•Faust is a bit worried as well so she slithers over to you a sits on your head for the rest of the walk

•He will definitely tease you about it for a bit but all in good fun :)

Portia:

•She laughs in your face but stops when she sees that your hurt

•Immediately uses whatever she can to help you

•You taught her a bit of healing magic a while she will try and use healing magic on you

•gives you a small kiss on your forehead (If she can reach) and asks if you want to continue this path or head home

•She uses this as a future conversation starter when talking with friends

Muriel:

•I don't even think this would happen

•He would probably catch you before you hit the tree

•But let's just say he doesn't :)

•He is immediately checking to see if your ok

•He blames himself for not catching you so pls tell him it's not his fault at all

•If your hurt he blames himself even more and carries you back home

•You tell him that you can just walk but he doesn't care

•Your hurt and he's going to help :)

Lucio:

•genuinely laughs in your face

•He doesn't notice if your hurt right away but when he does he wipes your face off with a piece of cloth because he can't afford to get his clothes dirty

•Seriously they cost more than your house

------------------------------------------------------

(Yeah I don't have a lot for Lucio since I don't like them that much but I hope you like it. Also sorry if someone already made something like this)

#the arcana #the arcana game #nadia satrivana #julian devorak #portia devorak #lucio morgasson #asra and faust #asra alnazar #muriel #arcana headcannons

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theshimadaslovers · 10 months

Text

~FROM CAKES FOR REAPER~

GABRIEL REYES

Part 4

*At Overwatch base*

*Reaper sitting in a chair while everybody look at him suspecting*

Reaper- Can everyone please stop looking...is annoying.

Ana- I'm sorry, Gabe, they wasn't...emotionally prepare for you to be in here.

Hana- Yeah! Do not try anything here! Back off!

Jack- I got you in my sight, Reyes...

Baptiste- *chuckle* I think he got soft.

Reaper- I didn't...

Tracer- So why you saved y/n? I mean, I'm genuinely asking...

Reaper- *grows looking away* I didn't have choice...

Jack- You're a psychopath, Reaper! Of course of had another option!

Rein- Tell us your intentions with her, Reyes. *cross his arms*

Reaper- I don't have intentions with the girl!

Lucio- Right! You save her twice, dark lord! You want something!

Mercy- Well...*Enters the room, Reaper immediately stood up*

Reaper- Well?! How's she? She's alive?

Mercy- Yes, she's alive...I cleaned her body. She almost got a coma *sighs* she still unconscious, but it will wake up pretty soon.

Reaper- Can I see her?

Jack- You're not going anywhere, Reyes.

Mercy- Let him go, Jack...He cares about her.

Jack- Just go with him, Angela. I don't trust him at all.

Mercy- Can't you let the past on the past for once, Morrison?! *annoyed*

Jack- ...*clean throat* I'm sorry.

Mercy- Gabe, you can go.

Reaper- Hm...thank you, Angela.

*Reaper become the shadow going to the room and close the door seeing you unconscious on the bed. He get closer to you noticing some purple veins in your neck because of the poison. He sighs grabbing his outfit in hatred. He would kill every single Talon member if he could, right now. He grab your hand gently and take of his mask to give a kiss*

Reaper- I should have protect you more...I tried, but I failed. I won't let them hurt you again. Never. Forgive me, y/n...I failed you.

*Mercy was listen on the door, she smiled thinking that finally Reaper could be Gabriel Reyes once again. She would help him, she needs*

Mercy- I'll never give you up, Reyes *she whispers taking her hand to her chest feeling her heart warm by Reaper's words to you*

*Reaper hold your hand for a long time, he wanted to make sure that you're warm enough, it means that you were alive too. The door open and Mercy smiles to Reaper that looks at her over his shoulders*

Reaper- She will not have any sequels, right?

Mercy- We don't know yet. We're happy that came back, Reyes.

Reaper- I don't think "happy" is the right word now.

Mercy- I know Jack didn't gave the best welcomes to you, but...he missed you. Trust me, Gabe, you mean to him a lot.

Reaper- My past started to burn...I realize that being Reaper wasn't my choice. I was tortured and I erased every bad things from Talon, manipulate myself because of my ego and hatred for Overwatch.

Mercy- You want to be Gabriel Reyes once again?

Reaper- If I could, I would.

Mercy- You can and we will. I believe that Y/N helped you a lot in that.

Reaper- *sighs* she's the reason why I'm back. I wonder why she treated me like human all this time.

Mercy- She went to Talon because Jack Morrison is like a father for her and she cares for his happiness. He told her your friendship and he said that missed you...he missed his grumpy brother.

*Reaper felt surprised and put back his mask on turning around*

Reaper- I'm in love, Angela.

Mercy- *chuckles* I know...

Reaper- But I'm too old for her...she's a kid.

Mercy- Well, we must find out.

*At Mercy's lab, Reaper was shirtless sitting in a chair with a lot of things sticking on his body, like the first...with Moira. He was nervous and scared. Mercy get into the room and look at his body in shock*

Mercy- What is...?!

Reaper- Surprise...I'm decomposing every second....

Mercy- Mein Gott...! *she approaches* What did she...?! What she have done to you?!

Reaper- "Experiments"...

Mercy- This is awful! *walk fast to her a computer* You cells are constantly dying and regenerating! This is worse than I thought!

Reaper- Yeah...

Mercy- I can't even imagine the pain...

Reaper- Don't imagine.

Mercy- *sighs and look at him* How could you live like that? You won't take the mask off?

Reaper- It helps me breath...

Mercy- Oh dear... *feel anguish and wipe some tears* Well...! I'll restore your cells from completely, take off whatever she puts inside of you to burn the cells. We'll starting with the cleaning and try to figure it out what's in your body.

Reaper- You think that...I'll be back as 50 years old man?

Mercy- *smiles* you really want to be with her, don't you? I believe that... *look at the computer* For the fact that you're in this process since your 30's, you never aged.

Reaper- Hnm...Great.

Mercy- When you have your cells 100% healthy and in normal process, you can take off the mask and those black warm clothes. It may take a few months.

Reaper- Why take it so long? Moira did it in weeks...why the difference?

Mercy- Is much more easy to kill than keep it alive. This is what Moira said once.

Reaper- Sounds like her. A demon.

Mercy- Let's starts, Gabe...that'll take some hours. Have you eat?

Reaper- I don't actually feel hungry...

Mercy- Any side effects will be normal, your body is trying to get back to normal and it may not accept very well some things, but...I'll try my best to be painless.

Reaper- I'm use to pain, don't worry about that.

*at your room*

You- *slowly opening your eyes* Gab...?

Jack- Hey, little one...

You- Hi, Jack...*smiles*

Jack- How do you feeling?

You- Dizzy...but better. I can feel my body...tingling.

Jack- Little by little doctor Angela and cleaning your body, is not 100% yet. You need to stay in bed, ok?

You- Ok...I can't really move.

Jack- You're weak... I bring some snacks if you want *Show to you a bag full of food*

You- *chuckles* "some" snacks?.

Jack- Yeah...*laughs and grab a chair to sit closely* I grab everything you like...

You- Thanks, dad...

Jack- *chuckles and blush* So...I wanted to talk about...Reaper. Why you did that? Why you throw yourself into the lion's cave?

You- After all the stories about Overwatch...I wanted to bring your partner back.

Jack- The past stay in the past, y/n... he's no longer Gabriel Reyes.

You- He is Gabriel Reyes... still. Trust me.

Jack- How you get his trust?

You- *smiles* Friendship... He needed that. I gave him a surprise birthday party.

Jack- You what? *laughs* Wow...! How did he reacted?

You- He liked *sighs* I baked him a cake and cookies.

Jack- *sighs* You did it nice...

You- Now he's back.

Jack- We will see...*get up* I can't trust him like before.

You- Makes sense *Jack leave the bag with food on the side of the bed* Thanks, dad.

Jack- Stop calling me "dad" *laughs* I'll get weak for you. Rest well, little one. *He bent down kissing your forehead* Anything, call.

You- Yes, sir.

*back to Angela lab*

Mercy- How are you feeling?

Reaper- *laying down* Hm... weird.

Mercy- Why?

Reaper- My body is tingling.

Mercy- Well, good to know is not pain. Starting cell renewal, measuring blood pressure to normal and calculating heartbeats.

Reaper- Hm...Ah! *Felt twinge on his chest* The fuck was that?!

Mercy- Well...it looks like your heart wanted to give up.

Reaper- What...?! How you say that so naturally?!

Mercy- *chuckles* I forgot to tell you...*look at him* You may die for a few hours.

Reaper- WHAT?!

Mercy- Is part of the process! You'll literally revive as Gabriel! Your body system has to be restarted...

Reaper- I must die to be with her?

Mercy- ...*suprised* Oh...technically...yes.

Reaper- I'll do it.

Mercy- You were that romantic with your ex wife too?

Reaper- I didn't had this life anymore. Forget it.

Mercy- Right...*smiles* Starting all over again, Reyes.

*Later, you finally get up from the bed being helped by Ana and Baptiste that came there to help you. You body were cleaned 90% now and you were worry about Reaper*

You- Are you sure that everything will be ok with him?

Ana- Dont worry, darling, Angela knows what she's doing.

You- I miss him already.

Ana- *chuckles* You got attached to him, don't you?

Brigitte- I told you, she made him a soft *smiles*

Hana- Soft? This psycho?? Haha!

Ana- Enough of hatred, Hana... *sighs* Well, I believe that Gabriel is back and Angela is doing everything to help him. He accepted our help, after all. We just wait.

Continue...

#she/her #overwatch #overwatch x reader #fem!reader #overwatch fanfiction #overwatch x you #reaper overwatch #overwatch reaper #reaper x reader

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honoraslytherin · 16 days

Text

Regulus: Sirius?

Sirius: Yes?

Regulus: It's our turn to host the Black family's meeting this year. It's this weekend.

Sirius: Are they still being held?

Regulus: Yes.

Sirius: I mean... do we have to?

Regulus: Yes.

Sirius: Reg, I told you I don't like my family mixing up with them.

Regulus: It was mother's last wish before she dies. Wether you like it or not, I'm holding it.

Sirius: Who do you want to invite?

Regulus: The Black sisters and their husbands and children.

Sirius: Now, do you think it wise to gather Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda with their husbands at the same place at the same time? Don't the other two hate Meda's husband?

Honora: What's up? Who hates Meda's husband?

*Sirius explains*

Honora: OMG! Bella and Cissie are coming? I miss them!

Rylee: Are you having a party?

Honora: Uncle Reg is hosting the Black family's meeting this year.

Ryan: Here?

Regulus: This is the Black mansion, so yeah.

Rylee: Is it just the Blacks? Or will they all come?

Sirius: Okay, first of all, nothing is absolute yet, second of all, why do you care?

Rylee: Just wondering.

Sirius: ...

Sirius: Which of them has a son?

Regulus: Narcissa.

Sirius: She is not invited.

Rylee: Dad!

Sirius: I will die before I let you date Lucios Malfoy's son.

Ryan: You do know that they share a common room at Hogwarts, right?

Ryan: And their already dating.

Rylee: And you weren't supposed to tell dad!

Sirius: You're dating ... Lucios Malfoy's son?

Rylee: He has a name and it's Draco.

Sirius: James will kill me.

Honora: You're 37 years old, married and father two children, AND YOU STILL CARE ABOUT WHAT JAMES THINKS?

Sirius: Honora, you know we've actually married each other rather than you and Lily.

Honora: ...

Honora: You date him Rylee. Date him as hard as you can.

Sirius: He will be dead before he dares to date my daughter!

Ryan: Dad, I told you they're already dating.

Rylee: Ryan, would you stop?

Sirius: Honora, can I trade Rylee for Harry?

Rylee: Are you serious?

Ryan: I wouldn't mind that. Harry is a lot more tolerateble.

Rylee: It's not my fault that you can't deal with how perfect I am.

Ryan: Who told you you're perfect? Draco?

Rylee: And a bunch of other people.

Ryan: You mean a bunch of other idiots?

Rylee: Go fuck yourself Ryan!

Ryan: That's not how you talk to your older brother.

Honora: Ryan, stop annoying your sister. Rylee, he's right, that's not how you talk to your older brother, and Sirius... upstairs!

Honora: Oh, and Reg, we will discuss the preparations later.

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arsenicxarcana · 3 years

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come now, there’s enough vivisection tables for everyone

#the arcana #julian #lucio #valdemar #shitpost #lucio i don't think you're prepared for that

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thecraftymagician · 2 years

Text

Lucio as a Parent

Like most things in his life, Lucio will try to act as calm and confident as he possibly can. If you're having a baby the old fashioned way I can absolutely see him fainting. It's not that he doesn't want kids he just.. never really thought too much into it or just assumed if it did happen that well, what happens will happen. Basically, he doesn't know what to do but he is very happy.

If you adopt or anything else, he'll definitely be more prepared but even then won't know everything. He really does want to pay attention but it gets confusing and this man hates feeling stupid.

Baby proofing? What's that? No, the baby must see all of dad's swords and his arm and everything to know what an awesome family their apart of! ..He'll see your point and put most dangerous things high up out of reach but still visible.

As loud and boisterous as Lucio can be, he's so gentle with the baby. He refuses to do more than whisper yelling while holding them and loves holding them even just to pace around the palace halls/ house.

His biggest fear is being like his parents. The last thing he wants to do is be too intense of push his kid too far. Set up hopes that just can't be but at the same time will absolutely support and spoil them.

You have to negotiate what is okay and not in regards to random gifts and spoiling. If he had it his way their would be a party for every single achievement; first steps, first words, potty training, etc. He wants to celebrate everything but you try to keep it down to just some wine between the two of you.

You let him have birthday bashes though of course. They don't last nearly as long as his usual parties because bedtime and naps but there are ponies and every kind of kid friendly fruit juice in fountains. Not to mention the greatest smash cake ever!

As previously stated he doesn't know alot about babies or children besides how to be cool and impressive to them, it's very important you know. That doesn't mean he's incompetent though. Sometimes he'll surprise you with little things like expertly changing diapers, making sure food and milk are the right consistency and temperatures, etc. You later find out that Nadia had been buying him parenting books, even catching him reading them while rocking the baby when he thinks your asleep.

As soon as their able to stand up right and toddle along, he insists on walking with them every where. When they start running he's the only one fast enough to catch them.

Will of course rough house. Not to an alarming degree but you've seen the memes. Absolutely will hold them upside down like their the catch of the day at the docks and throw them up in the air. He catches them every single time.

If there are any injuries, even little scraps or weird things like baby hiccups he's screaming and pounding on Julian's door NOW. Luckily the little one doesn't seem to be nearly as needy as Lucio even with tears. It's funny because normally he'd find scars to be cool and a sign of a good fight but.. "They're too young for battle! They're too cute for scars!"

He loves playing especially pretend and dress up with the little bean. He'll commission a set of play wood swords sanded perfectly so there will be no splinters and teach them how to sword fight. Even fencing later on. Sometimes he'll insist everyone come over because the kiddo wants to play pirates or adventures. Of course the bean will be too cute and charming for anyone to resist.

He gets jealous when the kiddo becomes obsessed with anyone else. "Aunt Nadi is sooo pretty!" "Muri is so TALL!!" He will pout about it for a while. He's pretty and.. shut up.

Eventually he'll let them run around and play on their own, even if it makes him sad. He'll honestly cry a bit because he loves being their best friend and it's hard to watch them grow up.

This one was a bit thicker and I might've just repeated myself a bunch, I'm sorry.

#the arcana #lucio morgasson #the arcana lucio #count lucio #thearcanagame #montag morgasson

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artanddaddyissues · 2 years

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Lucio Moments with his baby

If you want to see the other Li’s posts with their babies, go here!

Heads up: mostly fluff, kiddo’s pronouns are they/them, fem pronouns for his partner, Lucio is red and M/C is yellow

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- "Hey Jules, I need some help."

- He is prepared, or so at least he thinks. IT's finally time for you to give birth and Lucio is confident on the outside, but nearly dying on the inside.

- "You'll do great! You've got the best midwives!"

- He's seen much more gore than birth so he watches intently. He's actually fascinated how you can birth a human without dying. This is something you did not expect, at all. He has vowed, "I'll be by this kids side their entire life." and boy, did he mean it.

- "How do I hold it- I MEAN THEM-"

- A little confused but he's got the spirit.

- He thinks you're 10x more attractive after delivering a baby. Your body changed so much and he's digging it.

- He learns how to parent a baby relatively quickly, since there's so much pressure that he puts on himself. "Gotta keep them alive!" "Lucio calm down- they're crying because they're hungry." "Not dying?" "No, honey."

- His mama was sort of strict and since becoming a parent, he understands why. "We have to feed them now, love. Or else they wont go down for the afternoon nap, and they're a nightmare when they're cranky..."

- Eyebags have gotten more prominent since sleep became a want and not a need. "Crying again..." "You get them tonight-" *whack* "Okay I will."

- Spoils this kid absolutely rotten. "papa, can I have a cape like yours?" "Absolutely yes you can." He'd wave down a chamberlain to clear his schedule for the day, and take his kid to the tailor.

- Lucio and his kid play games that terrorize the people around them. Dueling with wooden spoons in the halls, climbing the trees in the gardens, racing the dogs through the maze and so. much. more.

- Pure, lovable, chaos.

- They bully Lucio on his real name, Montag, when he learns of the name. "Montag!" "My name is dad you little-"

- He jumps for joy when he realizes that his kid is a dog person. "Lets go get you a dog, but don't tell mom!" "Okay!" "ANOTHER ONE?!"

- Whenever you keep them trapped doing chores, homework, or any other boring task, Lucio swoops them up and causes trouble. "Lucio. They were supposed to walk the dogs!" "But, I can do that, It's not like we terrorized the city or anything..." "You both stole a gondola and raced in the canals..." "It was their birthday like 4 months ago! This was a late gift." He'd speak proudly and take all the blame, just seeing his kid smiling would make him do just about anything.

#lucio the arcana #the arcana #the arcana game #lucio montag #count lucio #lucio x mc #lucio fluff #lucio headcanons #lucio x oc #lucio #the arcana game lucio #montag morgasson

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mxgicthot · 2 years

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Second Chances | Erden & Muriel

After getting promoted as Lucio's righthand, Erden goes to confront The Scourge to resolve things. They needed to talk things over, and it's not going to be pleasant.

Cw: Language, Violence, mentions of blood

Word count : 1.5 k

He was going to confront him. It's been years since they saw each other, face to face. Of course Muriel wasn't ready to be friends again, not so soon after everything that had happened. Erden sought to resolve things, to find some way to make himself and Muriel close again, or at the very least allies. They had to talk things over, and that wasn't going to be pleasant.

A door opens on the right side of the gate, and a guard steps out, " Be careful with this one, he's in a bad mood tonight" he warned

"I know what I'm doing," Erden replied, and continued to walk into the gloomy hallway.

The windowless dark and damp place, with iron bars that closed the only way out. There was no source of light other than the torch lit outside of the bars, and so was the key slot. He peeked from outside the metal bars of the cell The Scourge was in as he pushed his torch inside the bars to get a better look at its occupant. The hulking shadowy figure in the far corner of the cell. He was laying on his bed, back turned, his hands were stretched out behind him and he was looking upwards, whether his eyes were closed or opened, Erden could not tell.

He took a step back and squinted as he stared at the door's keyhole. Plucking the key ring from his belt, he looked at his keys one by one until he found the right key and pushed it in, turning it with a slight flick of his hand.

"Muriel" he swallowed

The man before him wasn't the boy he remembered. Muriel's once silky hair hung lank and unkempt around his face. His green eyes were tired and expressionless. He knew Muriel had always been big, even when they were boys. This man, however, seemed even larger.

He heard a low grumble come from the corner of the sell "You finally decided to show your face"

"I tried before, but they wouldn’t let me" Erden sighed

"Why are you here Erden?"

"I needed to see you Muri... I wanted to say that -"

"Then speak" he snapped

"I never intended to hurt you Muriel, I did what I did to survive. It seemed like the only choice …" Erden paused for a moment trying to think of the right words to say. "I am truly sorry."

"You're sorry?! You abandoned me when we were kids and I never even knew you were alive until I heard you joined the coliseum! And now you tell me you're sorry?! I pitied you at first, but the more I think about everything, the more I resent you!"

Erden didn't try to hide the hurt that he currently felt. Just as he'd thought, nothing was resolved. Muriel hated him. This was going to be a long conversation.

"Would you like to know what happened after I left? "

"I don't care what your reasons were, but tell me if you must." he grumbled

Erden closed his eyes sorrowfully, preparing to tell the story. He looked at his friend intensely.

" I stayed with the orphans for a while, things were good for us. We always had plenty of food, eventually the gang split up. I was on my own for a while, hustling, trying to find new ways to make fast money and then well… let's just say things didn't work out as I planned, so here I am."

"And now you live in the palace, alive and well. Playing Lucio's guard dog" Muriel said dryly

"It comes with its perks" he shrugged "When you find an opportunity you take it… you don't run and hide like a coward"

Erden turned to face Muriel, who punched him square in the face. Erden stumbled back, and gave him a lopsided grin.

"I thought you might do that. I suppose I deserved it - "

Muriel kicked him in the stomach before throwing a second punch. "You were like my brother! And you abandoned me"

A trickle of blood escaped his nose, and Erden doubled over; he wiped it with his hand, smearing it on his cheek rather than wiping it away.

"I never abandoned you! I asked you to come with me, and you made your choice," Erden said quietly. The Scourge neatly moved away from Erden's sloppy attempt at a hit back.

"Fuck you. Those kids were complete assholes to me. " he said, and smashed his elbow over Erden's head as he tried to get back up.

"I did what I did to survive" Erden said, picking his head up to look at Muriel "and so did you! "

"You choose to be with them over ME!" Muriel spat. He knocked him off balance, Erden fell and landed flat on the ground. The Scourge stopped and let him get up.

When Erden charged at him, Muriel simply stepped to the side, and twisted around in time to grab his fist before he could deliver a blow onto his face, and twisted his hand, Erden's grunted in pain.

He released Erden's hand only after using his knee to jab him in the stomach. Erden staggered backwards, and Muriel kicked him in the shins, and he fell again.

"Get up and fight me, you fucking coward" The Scourge said, in a dangerously icy tone.

"Oh I'm a coward? You chose to run away with your new little friend" 'Erden threw a punch in Muriel's direction, hitting him on the jaw. Muriel managed to punch him back, cracking Erden's nose. Muriel hit him again, this time in the chest, he staggered backwards, and Muriel lent over to punch him in the jaw, twice.

Erden fell again, this time his cry was in pain. The Scourge drove his foot into his ribs twice, before stopping.

"Get up." he growled at Erden, who groaned on the floor.

"I didn't come here to fight you'' He said, as Muriel stared menacingly at him.

"I told you to get up."

Erden looked at the Scourge with desperate eyes. Muriel stared back at him, then drove his foot into Erden's stomach. "What part of 'get up' don't you understand?" He shouted, grabbing Erden by the back of the shirt and dragging him up to look him in the face. "You are still the same selfish bastard. You'll never change!" He shouted, before throwing him aside

Erden, by some miracle managed to get to his feet, only for the Scourge to punch him in the face and send him sprawling back to the ground, grazing his cheek on the cold stone. Muriel rubbed his fist with his other hand.

"Get up." He said

Erden groans "I told you I don't want to fight you."

Muriel stomps on Erden's hand, and Erden hears his fingers cracking. "Get up!" he yelled, as Erden struggled to his feet. He doesn't even try to stop The Scourge knocking him to the ground with a knee to the genitals. After waiting almost a whole minute, The Scourge started again.

He grabbed Erden by the shirt front and punched him in the face, one more time. He threw him to the ground and stood up. "Get up." He said, again. Erden physically couldn't and Muriel knew this.

The Scourge grabbed him by the shirt front and pulled him up so they were face to face. "Did you care about me? About my feelings?'' he shouted

"If I didn't care then I wouldn't be here, idiot!" Erden spat

"I swear if I ever see you again, I will ruin you. Do you understand me?" Muriel said, clenching his fists as a few tears formed in his eyes.

"You could never hate me, even if you wanted to… and you know that" Erden said quietly

Muriel dropped him on the ground with a thud. Erden was right, he could neve hate him, no matter how much he wanted to. They came from the same place, or at least that's what he was told. Whether he liked it or not Erden was the closest thing he had to home. Both men stood there in silence, trying to catch their breath. It seemed like ages until Muriel finally spoke.

"I still don't understand why. You were a kind, decent kid who always had my back. And somehow... you took to the cruelty of that gang so easily while I couldn't stand it, then you became so different. So different that you were willing to leave me. I'll never know why you welcomed that change."

I'll tell you why..." Erden whispered standing up slowly, dusting himself off and spitting out the blood that collected in his mouth. "I did it so I could SAVE us!"

Muriel was taken aback by the burst of emotion.

"You may not agree with my beliefs," Erden said softly. "But I hope you realise that everything I did was for a very good reason. Do you believe me now, when I say I'm sorry?" Erden hesitated

"Yes..." Muriel replied plainly " I know what you mean… "

Erden gave him a small nod. This was certainly a start. "I'll be back later, to check on you...I won't give up on you that easily… not again"

Erden turned away, slowly shutting the Scourge's cell door closed.

#Argh this took me forever to write. I'm so indecisive #This has so much feels I'm so sorry #I just wanted Erden to get beat up a little #oc : erden #muriel of the kokhuri

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starblazerm31 · 4 years

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Hey there lovely! 🖤 First of all, your blog and your headcanons/fan fictions are amazing and I enjoy reading every new one every time! I don't know if you still take requests, but how about the main 6 with an MC who's water suddenly broke. Like, how would they react? How would the MC react (this one sounds stupid I know and I'm sorry. ;-;) Well, hope you're gonna have a lovely day/night! ❤🖤

*cries happy tears* Thank you so much, @xxshyxxx!! Folks like you are the reason I keep on doing this! 💖💖💖 *hugz* YOU guys are my inspiration, and I love everything you all send to me. 💓

Main 6 with MC whose Water Suddenly Breaks

Asra

The two of you are at Selasi’s, buying some bread and talking about your pregnancy. You’re due at any time.

You’re munching on your pumpkin bread with Asra rubbing your achy back when you suddenly feel a warm trickle between your legs. For a moment you think you accidentally wet yourself (hey, it’s common during pregnancy), but quickly realize that isn’t the case.

“Um…Asra? I think my water just broke.”

Asra and Selasi explode in chatter. Selasi tells Asra to get you home immediately, and he will go and fetch Julian.

Asra gets you situated on the bed with a ton of pillows at your back. He is gathering together everything you need for delivery.

He contacts Aisha and Salim through water, and you can hear them talking excitedly.

Much sooner than you expected, you hear the door to the shop open and lots of voices fill the air. Julian comes up to the loft followed by Aisha and Salim.

Aisha sits next to you and coaches you through the contractions. Julian examines you periodically for when you’re ready to give birth.

When the time comes, Asra is right next to you holding your hand. It’s rough going, but Julian withdraws a healthy beautiful baby.

Aisha and Salim clean the baby off before handing it to you. You and Asra gaze down upon your new child with love and pride.

Nadia

Your pregnancy has been well monitored and your every need tended to. It hasn’t been all that rough.

You’re in the garden taking a nice stroll when you feel a sudden weight followed by wetness.

Oh no.

You start to shuffle back towards the palace, and you call out for help. Almost instantly a palace guard appears.

“Tell the Countess that my water just broke!!”

The guard goes pale. He shouts out for another guard to escort you back while he dashes off to find Nadia.

The guard at your side doesn’t leave you. As you are taken to your room, he calls for the midwife to be summoned.

Only when the midwife dismisses him and Nadia sweeps into the room does the guard finally leave. But he stations himself outside your door.

Your room becomes a bustle of activity as servants bring all the supplies the midwife calls for.

Nadia remains by your side and holds your hand. She makes sure you are comfortable and that you have everything you need.

The midwife delivers your baby with expert precision and speed. You and Nadia gaze upon your baby with great joy and the guard who refused to leave you receives a special commendation from Nadia.

Julian

You two are enjoying a quiet night at home.

Julian made dinner for you, insisting that you stay off of your feet. You’re due any day now, and he wants to make sure that his beloved and their child are comfy and safe.

He’s sitting behind you on the bed, rubbing your back and shoulders.

You suddenly feel the urge to go to the bathroom. Julian helps you up, but as soon as you are erect, you feel a sudden splash.

The two of you look at each other, and your eyes grow wide.

Shit! Shit, shit, shit shit shit!!

Julian takes off like a rocket, gathering towels and heating water on the stove. You contact Mazelinka through water and tell her that it’s happening.

With astonishing speed, both she and Portia arrive at your home.

Julian had thought he was going to deliver his own baby. Mazelinka isn’t having that. His job is to stay next to you and keep you focused and calm.

He sucks at it. He’s so nervous his hand is trembling in yours.

Portia and Mazelinka are like a well-oiled machine. When you start to give birth, they calmly talk you through it.

When your baby arrives, Julian breaks down crying (even more than the baby). It takes both Mazelinka and Portia to keep him from bursting out into the street right then to show it off.

Muriel

He’s been a nervous wreck throughout your entire pregnancy. He knows precisely dick about pregnancy and babies.

If he wasn’t glued to your side, Inanna was.

While you were pouring yourself some water, you spilled some on the floor. You swear to yourself, but when you catch Muriel’s suddenly terrified gaze you realize that you actually hadn’t spilled a drop.

He scoops you up and puts you on the bed, his hands gripping his hair in fright. He has absolutely no idea what to do.

He sends Inanna to go get Asra.

He’s standing at the end of the bed, wondering if he should get ready to catch or something. He keeps peering in between your legs, expecting something really scary to happen.

When Asra finally arrives, Muriel is sitting on the floor at your feet, rocking back and forth. Asra comforts him briefly, explaining that this is going to take some time. Babies don’t just jump out when the water breaks.

Asra lights some calming incense and gets everything set up. He actually made the effort to learn how to midwife for his two best friends in the entire world.

Inanna curls up at your side, protective and comforting as always. You pet her as your contractions get stronger. Muriel is trying to keep calm.

You suddenly feel strong pressure. Asra takes position between your legs and tells you what to do. Muriel looks like he is about to pass out.

Before you know it, the baby is here. Asra cleans it off and hands it to you. Muriel approaches the two of you and for the first time in his life feels amazed and proud of something he did. When you hand the baby to him, he stares at it in absolute wonder.

Portia

She has been so freaking excited to be a mom! She’s been checking up on you every five minutes for nine long months and has been having Mazelinka instruct her on what she will need to do when you give birth.

She’s been very strict with your diet, but she’s also been really good with your cravings. She’s not going to deny you ice cream when THE BABY WANTS ICE CREAM, PASHA!!!

You were knitting booties and she was working in her garden one lovely day when suddenly you felt the wetness and your face went beet red.

Portia’s spade clatters to the ground. Her time has come!!!

She sets you up with some pain relief tea and sends a courier to fetch Julian and Mazelinka.

When they arrive, Julian is already coming up with lame uncle jokes. Mazelinka gives him a list of things to get from the palace, mainly to shut him up.

Maz gives you some of her famous soup to keep you calm and ease the pain some more. Portia rubs your legs and feet, and the two of you chatter excitedly about what the baby’s name will be.

When Julian returns, the entire kitchen staff is with him. They wanted to give their support and see the baby.

You’re not thrilled about being a spectacle, but these are your friends. And it’s not like they will all be in the cottage getting a full view of the event.

When it’s time, Portia is at your knees cheering you on and encouraging you. You damn well bet she wants to deliver her own baby!!

When the baby is born, she is struck mute. She washes it off and coos at it adoringly. When she places the child in your arms, she is giving you all the praise in the world for doing such an amazing job.

Lucio

He’s been so PROUD that he’s going to be a father. He’s been telling every foreign dignitary and every royal that has passed through the palace that the two of you are expecting.

If you thought he spoiled you rotten before, you were not prepared for the spoiling of upcoming father Lucio. And he has been so supportive of you and your needs; you have wanted for nothing (and he thinks you’re the sexiest you’ve ever been).

Secretly, he’s been a nervous mess. He doesn’t know if he’ll be a good dad and Morga has not been very supportive of him. She’s been blatant about how she hopes his child will turn out better than he.

One evening, the two of you sat at the organ in the parlor; he was enthusiastically listening to you practice. Suddenly, you stopped.

“Umm…Lucio?” You look between your legs and see that the bench is soaked.

Lucio is on his feet, his face pale as death. "Is it time? Oh shit, it’s time, isn’t it!!“ He’s bolting into the hallway bellowing “THE BABY’S COMING! FUCK SHIT, THE BABY IS COMING!”

The midwives have been awaiting this moment for weeks now, so they are in the parlor with you in an instant. You are gently ushered into your room where you are made comfortable. Lucio is pacing back and forth, practically knawing dents into his golden hand.

He gets to be rather irritating to those who are trying to tend to you. The head midwife sternly tells him to calm down or leave the room. He isn’t helping you right now.

He sits down in a chair on the other side of the room, tapping his feet anxiously. His knuckles go white when you really go into labor.

He stands up to watch his child be born…and promptly passes out on the floor.

Some fanning and smelling salts later, he is sitting next to you, staring at his newborn child. Forgetting everything his mother ever said to him, he takes the baby’s hand and swears that they will grow up happy and loved.

Ko-Fi ☕

#the arcana #the arcana headcanons #the arcana headcannons #the arcana asra #the arcana nadia #the arcana julian #the arcana muriel #the arcana portia #the arcana lucio #starblazerm31 headcanons

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