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Echoes of the Past: Day 9 First Loves
@arcana-echoes
I'm ending my art streak on a high note with @dreams-of-the-arcana 's Cleo again! They have such a cute relationship and even if it doesnt fit perfectly in canon, I couldn't not draw them. Cleo definitely takes the lead in their relationship, which is perfect for Maggie, nervous wreck that she is. They balance each other out in so many ways and it just.. works. 💙
also yes that is Ann's dress from day 2
Finally done!
@murielisnthere asked for Muriel holding either a crab or a sea urchin, so I gave him both!
perfectly balanced, as all things should be
@autum-the-apprentice wanted a drawing of Muriel, and I could not pass up the chance to draw some mountain man tiddies
He's too cute for his own good!
And @dreams-of-the-arcana wanted some quality time between Cleo and Maggie, so I put them in the market, looking for new foods to try
"I dare you to try and eat this pepper with a straight face,"
🎱 for Azalea and Imalia from Andi and Cleo!
Eeeee! Thank you for letting me write about your charming ladies smooching mine!
“A Kiss for Luck”
“The fucking gall,” Imalia growled as she tightened the strap of her pauldron. “Who the hell thinks they can actually attack a city full of magic users?!”
“Rogue mages,” Azalea answered simply. “You know...like the ones marching outside the city.”
Imalia huffed. “I’ve beaten rogue mages before, and I’ll do it again and again and again until word gets around that a FOUL TEMPERED ASS-WHOOPER lives here!!”
Azalea snorted, adjusting the fitted plate armor to her chest. She stretched her arms out and tested their mobility. She’d never worn armor before. She had never needed to.
But this was a unique circumstance. Her aqua and coral hair was tied back into a high ponytail that was braided. She glanced over at Imalia and realized that the two of them looked a little too similar, since Imalia always wore her brown and burgundy hair in a high ponytail...but also like Imalia, Azalea now wore a headband with a magic seal emblazoned on it. Imalia had explained why it was a good idea...if any spell needed to be sustained, the mark on the headband would take care of it. Good for protection spells, or flying spells. That freed up the hands and the mind for offensive magic. And offensive magic would be vital for driving the invaders back.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in!” Imalia said, reaching down to pick up a long red cloak with her family crest, the royal crest of Sayruun, embroidered on it.
The door opened and in walked two figures. Two beautiful women, one with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin; and the other red-haired, green-eyed, and covered in constellation-like freckles, entered the room. Both Azalea and Imalia brightened up.
“Andi! Cleo!”
Andi gave a small wave. “We wanted to see you two before you headed out.”
“And I wanted to do my duty and see if either of you needed to talk before you left,” Cleo added.
Imalia stood up straight and tall. “I don’t know about Azzie, but I’m not worried. This is just same-old same-old to me.”
“Not for me,” Azalea said quietly. “I’ve never had to go to battle before. Not like this.”
Imalia rested her arm on Azalea’s shoulder, leaning. “And if you remember all of those badass spells I taught you, you will be just fine.”
“That’s another thing,” Andi said. She walked up to Azalea and shyly held out her hand. Azalea gently wrapped her hand around Andi’s and gave it a squeeze. When Andi withdrew, she had left something in Azalea’s hand. Azalea examined it, and felt a lump form in her throat. It was an azalea flower. There was the quiet thrum of magic energy emanating from it.
“Oh...Andi…” she said, her own blue and gold eyes glistening.
Andi smiled. “It will protect you.”
Azalea reached forward and wrapped Andi in a tight hug. “Thank you so much,” she whispered. “I’ll keep it close.”
Imalia smiled at the two. “Aww, you guys are so sweet.”
“Hey, you weren’t left out either, ma’am,” Cleo said, stepping directly in front of Imalia. Imalia quirked an eyebrow and smirked, her crimson eyes flashing.
“Oooh, do I get a goodbye dance?” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
Cleo rolled her eyes. “No, that’s for when you get back.” She looked into Imalia’s eyes, all hints of mirth gone. “I wanted you to have this.”
She took Imalia’s hand and slipped a gold ring on her finger. In its setting was a single vivid blue stone that glowed brightly.
“It will always lead you home,” Cleo said softly.
Imalia hooked her index finger under Cleo’s chin and raised her face up to look into hers.
“I’m coming home. Nothing in this world or any other can stop me.” She gave a cocky grin. “And if they try...well. I hope they’ve made peace with whatever deity they pay homage to.”
Cleo smiled and wiped an errant tear from her eye.
“Tell me again why we have to stay behind?” Andi asked sadly.
“The best of us need to make sure the magical barrier stays up around the city,” Azalea said. “You have to keep the people safe. If the rogues get past us, you are all that stands between Vesuvia and destruction.” She took Andi’s hand in her own and kissed her knuckles. “We believe in you. Make sure we have a home to return to.”
Andi nodded, now unable to keep the tears from her eyes. “Please...stay safe.”
She reached over and pulled Azalea close, placing a soft and gentle kiss on her lips.
“For luck.”
Azalea smiled and let out a small sigh. “Now I know we will win.”
Imalia looked at Cleo and gave her the most charming grin.
“I could use some luck too,” she said.
Cleo laughed, a sound that was pure music to Imalia’s ears. Tucking a stray lock of red hair behind her ear, Cleo leaned forward...and suddenly felt light-headed as Imalia wrapped her arms around Cleo and dipped her, placing a very not chaste kiss on her lips. Once Cleo was upright once more, she slapped Imalia’s shoulder. She couldn’t hide the adorable blush that spread over her freckled cheeks. Imalia laughed heartily. She twirled the red cloak about her shoulders and fastened it to her armor.
“Well, my lovelies...drinks at the Raven when we come back.”
Here's a thing each of my apprentices like to do
(Cause i'm bored)
Samantha: Pinning bugs and framing them/ making display boxes.
Eirian: painting scenes and stuff on rocks.
Cleo: writing poetry.
Lee: knitting.
Echoes of the Past: Days 6-7 Friends and Occupation
@arcana-echoes
We haven’t quite worked out how their friendship would fit into canon, but @dreams-of-the-arcana and I have had some great interactions between Maggie and Cleo, so I thought it’d be fitting to draw the two of them hanging out in the market! Cleo is such a sweetheart and so fun to draw, and I’ll admit, sometimes I go back through old Maggie x Cleo fics when I’m in need of a serotonin boost 👉👈💙
The market background belongs to Nix Hydra.
And for occupation, we finally get a look at Maggie’s candle-making business! When her aunt still owned the shop, it was more of an apothecary’s shop, where she made custom potions and hand delivered them. When she got resurrected, though, she decided to embrace her affinity for fire in her professional life too, and started making candles. Post canon, she even enlists Muriel and his whittling skills to make candles shaped like animals, and Nadia is one of her biggest customers.
The background in the window is of the flooded market and belongs to Nix Hydra.
Since @dreams-of-the-arcana was kind enough to give Maggie a reading, and I felt like drawing some fluff, here’s a compilation of soft doodles, featuring Cleo, Maggie, Lucio, Asra, and Muriel
They’re a little messy since I’m still getting used to csp, but I hope yall like them!
FINALLY finished the first round of busts!
Andi and Cleo for @dreams-of-the-arcana
And Quetzalli for @heartofnopal
These three were such fun to draw and I can't wait to start on the rest!
So I sent @dreams-of-the-arcana this ask a day or two ago and couldn’t help but expand on this little AU, so have an origin story!
“Maggie, please, just stay in today!” Ann whined from the armchair at the back of the shop. “I understand you want to make more money but it’s just too hot for fire magic,”
“Mom, relax!” Maggie said, hanging halfway out the door. “I’ve got an ice spell with me if I really need it, just let me go!” She held onto the door, tapping her foot impatiently while her mother deliberated with Aisha.
“Well... I guess if you have an ice spell..” She relented.
“Yes, thank you, mom! You’re the best!!” Maggie shouted, bolting down the street to the market. Maybe, if she got there fast enough, she could practice her new routine one more time.
After some argument with a neighboring sword swallower over where his spot ended and hers began, Maggie started to set up her “stage”. It was really just a couple of crates and pallets stacked on top of each other, but it worked quite well for her.
A quick glance at the street told her it was going to be a slow day, but that didn’t dampen her spirit as much as it usually did, because today was Saturday. Why was that important? Because Saturday was the day that that pretty red-haired girl came through the performing area of the market. She was always impressed with every performance, whether it was a child nervously strumming a guitar or one of those “stardust throwers” (who Maggie knew were just glorified ice mages) tossing “galaxies” into the air. That is, every performance, excluding Maggie. She always passed with a small smile or a wave, but she never complimented her form or the colors of her flames, especially not with the gusto she gave to the others.
Today, though, she was going to be impressed, because Maggie had been working on this routine for weeks, specifically with her in mind.
The day was, in fact, very slow, probably because of the heat. Even the ice and water mages were packing up before noon, which should have been a big warning sign to Maggie. She didn’t notice, though, she was too caught up in her usual performance. It was hard to take note of your surroundings while dealing with fire magic.
She went on for a while longer before she caught sight of the girl, just as beautiful as ever. Her hair, which usually fell to just below her shoulder blades, was pulled into a low, loose ponytail, with loose strands of curly red hair framing her beautifully freckled face. She wore a pale pink sundress, skirt ending just below her knees, and thin sandals with straps that wrapped around her calves. Beside her was her familiar, a lumbering jaguar that huffed at anyone that got too close.
Maggie immediately stopped what she was doing, much to the disappointment of the few people in front of her, and prepared for her new routine, her magnum opus. She fished in her bag for a few metallic marbles and popped them into her mouth. Heat built in her gut as she took a deep breath. A few seconds passed; she was psyching herself up (and definitely not waiting for the red-haired girl to stop in front of her spot). She held her tongue to the roof of her mouth and gently blew.
Tongues of flame poured out of her mouth, colored blue and orange by the copper and iron on her tongue. She lifted her hands, closed her eyes, and visualized the shapes she wanted. A gasp could be heard from the crowd.
She opened her eyes.
Before her blazed the vision of a toddler and a baby jaguar, running around and playing together. Maggie moved her hands and the jaguar bowed the same way a puppy would, tongue lolling out of its mouth.
She tore her gaze from her magic for a split second to see the red-haired girl absolutely enamored with her display.
So far, so good.
She went back to her magic, sculpting the figures as they grew, through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The woman and the jaguar continued their dance, elegant and syncopated. They twirled and lept and spun like they'd never grown up. Eventually, it was over, and Maggie made the figures bow, extinguished the flames, and took a bow herself.
Applause erupted from the crowd in front of her, which was now amassed to about fifty, quite a lot for such a slow day. Maggie, now dizzy and panting, gave her thanks and stepped down to sit and take a break. She flipped open her grimoire to it’s most recent entry, a basic ice spell, used to make a snowball. She shaped her hands into a ball and read the spell aloud, bracing for the cold in her hands.
Nothing happened.
Maybe she read it wrong? She tried again. Still, nothing happened.
She reread the spell about ten times before finally giving up. “Oh, well,” She said to herself. “I’ll probably be okay for another few hours.”
“Erm, excuse me, miss?” Someone behind her chirped. Maggie turned to face the one person she wanted to see.
“Oh, hi! What can I do for you?” Maggie asked, though she knew exactly what she was here for.
“Uh, I just wanted to say that-” Maggie moved to stand up in the middle of the girl’s sentence, but she got a head-rush and she fell onto her pile of boxes. Her vision went fuzzy, and she could hear the blood rushing through her ears. There was a muffled “Oh, my gods!”, probably from the girl, before things started melting together.
She remembers getting up, or being picked up, and suddenly being at a tea stall on the other side of the market, with something cold in her hand.
Thinking about it, she decided it was probably tea.
“Miss!”
Maggie turned around so fast she almost fell off the stool she was apparently sitting on. “Huh?” She mumbled. Who was talking to her? Why were they talking to her?
She felt something on her shoulder and turned again with a start. A hand, it was a hand on her shoulder. As though it took any effort, Maggie’s eyes traced down the arm connected to the hand and landed on the person in front of her: the red-haired girl.
“Miss! Are you okay?” She said again, the concern in her voice obvious.
It took Maggie a second to get the words together, but she eventually said “Well, probably not, considering that I don’t know how I got here.” She shrugged, and her arms felt unusually heavy.
“I’m guessing that’s because you passed out and I had to carry you.” She smirked.
Maggie, whose mind and thoughts were now in order, blushed at the thought of being carried across the market. How had the girl managed to lift her? She must be stronger than Maggie thought.
“And don’t worry about your stuff, I left Anu to guard it while you got some fluids in you.” Maggie guessed that that was her familiar’s name, the jaguar. “Oh, wait! Agh, I’m so sorry, I never introduced myself!” The girl held her hand out for a shake “My name’s Cleo.”
“M-Maggie.” She shook Cleo’s hand with a shy smile. “Thanks for.. carrying me. And for buying me tea.” Maggie was turning red as a pomegranate. She wasn’t one to accept charity, and if she had any say in it she would have walked here herself.
Then again, unconscious people don’t get a lot of say in things.
“So why didn’t you have any water with you? I know it might have been hard to keep it cold but warm water is certainly better than passing out in the market!” Cleo chuckled.
“Well, I had an ice spell in my grimoire, but it wasn’t working for some reason.”
“Seriously? You were dehydrated! Those spells use the water in your body!”
“Oh..” Maggie sighed, a bit embarrassed at her foolishness.
“So I’m guessing you don’t do a ton of ice magic?”
“Uh, yeah. I specialize in fire magic, but I don’t do a whole lot else.” She confessed. “Just a couple combat spells and telekinesis, basic stuff.”
Cleo nodded. “Speaking of fire, that performance you just did, the one with the jaguar,” She cocked an eyebrow, “Was that for me?”
Maggie averted her eyes, terrified that she had been too forward. Words caught in her throat as she stuttered and grasped at pieces of sentences.
“Oh, I’m not saying it was bad! I loved it!” Cleo reassured. “I’ve never seen anyone sculpt fire like that before, and the colors were beautiful! How on earth did you manage those?”
Maggie smiled at that. “It’s... It’s actually pretty simple.” Maggie paused. Cleo gave her a look that told her to go on.
“It’s er.. Metal. I have a little bag of metal balls that burn in all sorts of different colors! My personal favorite is the copper. Depending on how much I use and what with, it can make all sorts of blues and greens.”
And in what seemed like no time at all, the two girls were fast friends. They exchanged spells, favorite foods, and even gushed over their love of Selasi’s pumpkin bread. Maggie’s plan might not have worked exactly as she thought it would, but she wouldn’t change a thing about it.
