And my immediate thought was 'Julian would totally get this for Asra'. Because Julian is exactly the type of person to get silly coffee mugs as little gag gifts. So then I fell down a rabbit hole looking for ones he'd get everyone else (+my apprentice). Idk if this is post-upright ending or modern au but I guess it doesn't matter.
Portia:
"Ilya, I can't be a crazy cat lady. I only have one cat." "You run an animal rescue, Pasha. I saw you playing with the cheetah cubs." "They needed bottle-feeding!"
Nadia:
Nadia is amused. Chandra is...not. At all.
Muriel:
"...thanks. I guess." (Muriel secretly likes it. He won't tell Julian that though.)
Ximena:
"Julian, honey, I have never once put paint in a mug. Or paintbrushes. I use glass tumblers." "Yeah, but this is funnier."
And I couldn't decide which one Ximena would get him in return, so I'll say the Poe one is modern au and the other is post-canon:
And probably my favorite of these, I absolutely died when I saw this mug. The most Lucio mug ever. Would def only be modern au, but I just had to add it:
Demon goat. Fire. Booze. The red fuckin thong. I can't decide if he would hate it or love it for its ridiculousness, but I have never seen a more Lucio mug in my life. (I was actually looking for like a violently bubblegum pink mug with BITCH in gold with a crown on it, but I guess that was too specific to ask google for. This is better tho.)
Ximena Rubalcaba - The disgraced noble with a strong sense of justice.
Born into the Rubalcaba family, an influential clan of aristocrats that serve the Zaan of Cartagenth, the capital of Calpacia, a country beyond the Catclaw Desert in the far West of the continent, Ximena was tutored as a young girl in magic to one day become the head of the Magician’s Guild and thus an important person at the Cartagense court. Her aunt, General Esmé Rubalcaba, supervised the education of her and her older sisters Heloisa and Cibela. Having a rich and tumultuous family history characterized by wealth with skeletons in the closet, Ximena began resenting the life she led and at the age of 25 uncovered a conspiracy that was supposed to frame another country as the instigators of a war in order to justify total war. As a result, she was disowned and banished from her homeland and to be excecuted if she were ever to return. Asra and her crossed paths during one of his extensive travels across the continent and after initially being distrustful of another, they built a solid friendship which led to Ximena returning to Vesuvia with him. She spends several years with him in which they travelled and studied magic, the Red Plague caused her to aid Julian in finding a cure and contracting it temporarily killed her. Three years after her mysterious resurrection after which she forgot all memories of her past life, she was asked by Nadia, a former acquaintance and now stranger, to aid in the investigation of Lucio’s murder.
Asra would describe Ximena as an outspoken person with a strong will and a tendency to be stubborn, sometimes even proud. Distrustful by nature due to past experiences, she barely lets her guard down around people not close to her. A dry sense of humor might throw people off at first, but underneath a hard shell one is able to find an empathetic, kind and - surprisingly to some - fun-loving person.
She was born on the 20th of November and has Scorpio as her star sign and is linked to the Arcana of transformation, Death.
Introduce your apprentice! Just their name, personality, appearance, and likes/dislikes for now! If you have pictures of them, post them today!
Ximena Ariti.
(a quick little WIP I worked up of her yesterday)
Pronouns: She/Her
Birthday: March 3 (Pisces)
Age: 28
Height: 5'6"
Hair: Black, long, just wavy enough to be unruly
Eyes: She has heterochromia. The left is pale green, the right pale blue
Familiar: Ember the black sable ferret
Personality: Quiet and more reserved with strangers, a big teasing goof with friends. Chaotic neutral.
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Buttered noodles with grated cheese
Favorite Drink: Chai tea
Favorite Dessert: Coffee cake
Favorite Season: Autumn
Likes: Reading, painting, dancing, nature, collecting things (stones, shells, feathers), staying up late, stargazing
Dislikes: Hot weather, waking up early, cooking, pompous nobles, any insect with more than six legs
2. Who is their LI? What’s their relationship like?
Julian. She was doomed from the second she smashed that bottle on his head when he broke into the shop the first time (a story she loves retelling, mostly to embarrass him). His outlandish and outgoing nature helps bring out the fun, slightly more extroverted parts of her that she lost after she lost her memories. Going out drinking and dancing and being foolish feels natural with him, instead of daunting. In turn, she tries to keep him from doing things that are too exceptionally stupid, or, failing that, pull his ass out of the fire when he can't bullshit his own way out.
When they aren't out causing a ruckus (or in causing a ruckus), they do both enjoy just sitting quietly and reading together, usually in a tangled pile on the nearest soft surface. Julian also tends to drape himself over her like a giant, leggy blanket after a long day. He has occasionally fallen asleep while doing so.
Ximena has numerous sketches and paintings featuring her dorky doctor, and he gets very flustered every time he realizes she's made another one.
Julian was super unsure after he let her see his red eye the first time, "Are you sure this doesn't bother you? Really sure? It's not creepy or off-putting or disturbing?" Her answer was an eyeroll and, "You giant ninny, my eyes don't match either. Why would it bother me that yours don't?"
3. Give a short summary of their relationship to the other main characters!
Asra: Their relationship isn't what it used to be. They're still friends, but it's a little strained. Mostly because she can't believe he would put so much at risk to bring her back from the dead, what the hell dude? Not that she isn't enjoying being alive again, but that level of obsession seems unhealthy and makes her want to thwack him on the head.
Nadia: She likes her well enough, but the Countess is juuust slightly too posh for her. Once Nadia realizes that super expensive gifts make Ximena uncomfortable, they become pretty good friends and have tea together regularly.
Portia: They hit it off immediately. Portia is bubbly and fun but still down-to-earth and just absolutely adorable. She considers her a sister long before they become sister-in-laws. She's also really impressed with Portia's ability to turn on the waterworks to get her way, and will definitely pull the don't-make-me-call-your-sister card with Julian when necessary.
Muriel: They have a mutual understanding of 'nature is better when the humans are quiet'. He and Innana walk with Ximena and Ember through the woods, helping her gather herbs and other reagents for her shop. She brings him pumpkin bread from the market. It's peaceful and simple.
Lucio: He's a stupid goat and she's glad to be rid of him.
4. What about the courtiers? Have they met them? What do they think of them?
Volta is the only courtier she actually likes. She keeps snacks for her. She finds Vlastomil gross and creepy, Vulgora is exhausting, and she both despises and is terrified of Valdemar. Valerius earned himself a permanent spot on her shitlist by dumping wine on her when they met, and she's been a petty magician out for revenge ever since.
5. Do they have any other friends outside of canon? What about the minor characters?
Mazelinka wins her over that first night, and she quickly picks up the threaten-Julian-with-a-wooden-spoon thing from her. She's less effective with it than Mazelinka is, but it's the thought that counts. Ximena also becomes fast friends with Natiqa, who she bonds with over a love of harmless mischief and colorful clothes. Ironically, she also hit it off with Nazali about fashion as well, since she agrees with them that being comfortable and easy to work in matters way more than what clothes actually look like (she just happens to like things that are colorful as well as comfy). Ximena actually likes Nazali's 'hideous' orange waist-pouch, much to Nadia and Natiqa's chagrin.
6. Now, do they have any rivals? Maybe even a WORST ENEMY!? Spill the deets now!
Valerius. Not an enemy, but definitely a rival. Spilling that wine on her was a huge mistake, and now she spends every second that she's in the same room screwing with him. Lift the rug just enough to make him trip, a sudden breeze that slaps him in the face with his own braid, oops, his wine is suddenly just grape juice. Anything to embarrass him that can't actually be traced back to her. He knows she's doing it and is very greatly aggravated that he can't prove it. (Nadia and Natiqa are also aware that she's doing it, and fully support it. Natiqa even helps sometimes.)
26. How has your mc changed since you first made them?
Well, she started out as just a name and pronouns, so I guess Ximena's come pretty far from that! But also when I first started the game I leaned more into the actual text and so she was very quiet and unsure, much different than the sparky snarky kick-ass woman she became. But I think I'd call that character growth, not actually changing. She just...found herself again, that's all.
27. Has your mc ever KILLED anybody? What are their thoughts on MURDER?
Has she actually physically killed anyone? No. Would she if the situation called for it? Yes. As far as murder, however...it depends, really. Are they a threat to her friends and family? Are they willing to change, or completely irredeemable? For example, she hates Lucio and everything he's done, to both people she cares about and just the city in general. However, she wouldn't murder him simply because he isn't worth the effort and she no longer sees him as a threat. She also thinks he's just a pathetic, petulant child, so as long as he stays far away she's good. Valdemar, on the other hand, she would rip limb from limb if she could figure out how. They are very clearly a danger and have absolutely no remorse whatsoever.
28. Are they afraid to die?
Ximena isn't afraid of dying itself. She already has once, and it was a really unpleasant way to go, but it is something that she's familiar with. She is afraid of leaving people behind again, though. Asra and Julian did not handle it well the last time and she definitely doesn't want to put them through that again.
29. What is a fact about your mc others would never guess?
She has sedatephobia, or fear of silence. Considering how much she enjoys her quiet alone time and meditation, it's not something most would expect. But there is a difference between quiet and silent. There is a reason she keeps wind chimes in every window, and hums to herself when she's alone. One of her favorite things about having Julian around is that he's constantly making noise, whether he's rattling off some ridiculous story or muttering to himself or just bumping around the house. She's even mildly fond of his snoring, as long as it keeps the silence at bay.
30. Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
I have the vaguest idea of Ximena and Julian at some point adopting an orphan girl they find outside the shop one night. All I've got so far is she's a redhead with freckles for days and Ximena's first thought is 'this kid looks like baby Portia'. (This also feels like a good spot to add that while Ximena might hate Lucio, I actually do not. He's my sad little wet cat and I'm fond of his stupid ass. That's what I get for playing his route first.)
31. Name another mc you read about and enjoyed! Shout out your favorite mc!
Oh boy. Uh, I don't do the whole interaction thing much, but it was fun reading about everyone's apprentices! If I had to pick favorites though, it would probably be @arcanabananafefifofana's Keziah (who just seems like an absolute sweetheart) and @justanarcanasideblog's Sarqen (love a character that's cold on the outside and warm fluff on the inside. Plus that murder prompt answer, what is this man's past??).
Summary: A fugitive plans her next move to leave behind her old life until she crosses paths with a magician who wishes to see behind the facade.
Starring Asra Alnazar and Ximena Rubalcada.
“Ha! You're very welcome, Kestrel, this's payback for last week!” The man laughed loudly as he took the coins of the table, much to the dismay of the other players.
“Oi, Viv, drink of their choice for everyone in here, my treat!”, he said to the smirking bartender. People around him cheered and even I lifted my empty jar of beer in acknowledgement before turning back to looking at the map laid out in front of me.
Several spots were marked; places I had traveled to in the last 5 years and ultimately never stayed longer than absolutely necessary. Technically my two month stay in this backwater town a five day journey away from Macawi Port had already been too long but I liked it here well enough and the people enjoyed having a magician among them. No one bothered to ask questions, something that wasn't the norm in places like this - the smaller the village, the more suspicious its inhabitants were of strangers.
But here I had been able to rent two rooms over a bakery, one for me to live in and the other to do business in - making wards and remedies for small maladies, casting protective charms and reading my customers' cards was run-of-the-mill stuff which I had already done before and always managed to be a hit with the locals. I had not been asked yet to do some of the shady stuff people with no morals would ask for, such as brewing love potions or cursing their rivals, and was more than glad for it.
Viv the bartender waved at me and pointed at the finished drink in my hand: beer with two vermouth shots. I nodded. My real alcoholic drink of choice - Cartagense liquor that tastes like herbs and vanilla - would've been too much to ask for in a place that on most days didn't even offer something besides beer. I doubted the people here had ever even heard of Cartagenth existing but the risk of getting discovered was something worth worrying about, no matter how small it was.
I eyed the city of Hjalle on the Western coast of the Strait of Seals. I had never gone to the South before; nothing about this place had any appeal for me whatsoever, be it the known lawlessness or the biting cold, but it was known that from Hjalle ships left to places much further away than from Nevivon, to the Far East and even to other continents. The language barrier would surely be a problem if I decided to take the jump over the ocean but I couldn't be the only traveler from here and lingua francas surely had to exist, which would make everything a lot easier. The bigger problem was that I couldn't tell how much money I'd need to take such a ship, especially if since I had to spend some coins to take the journey from Macawi Port to Hjalle first, and from what I heard it was a decently sized city - less than perfect conditions.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the tavern door swinging open and saw two people entering. Both wore dark travelers' cloaks, which was exactly where their similarities ended. The taller and apparently older one of them had long flaming green hair, skin white like paper and their eyes hid behind orange glasses that made them look like an exotic insect and extremely out of place. The shorter one had a head full of white curls, golden brown skin, and… was that a snake that had just disappeared in his cloak? I raised an eyebrow. Strangers were not only a rare sight in here but extravagant strangers? That was downright fishy.
“Hey there, travelers, c'mon over! 'S always nice t'see new faces! Viv, two beer for these fine folks!” The lucky winner of the card game waved them over his table. The newcomers looked at each other, seemed to agree and approached them.
“Good evening. It's always nice to arrive to a place and have such a warm welcome.” The insect spoke with a high melodic voice. Both had their backs turned to me so I couldn't see their faces, and standing up to move would surely seem suspicious.
“What're your names? Mine's Cygni, that one over there’s Viv, and these are Kestrel, Alexei and Yelma.” He gestured to the other players.
Both travelers pulled chairs to the table and shrugged of their cloaks. “I'm Saray and my companion here,”, they put a hand on said companion's shoulder, “is Asra. We come from the city of Vesuvia on the other side of the Salty Sea.”
“Proper northerners, eh? That's pretty far away, has anyone here ever been t’Vesuvia?”
Various “No's” were said from all corners. I generally kept away from big places after unpleasant run-ins with Cartagense in Bizatena and Karnassos, and had kept an extremely low profile afterwards. Vesuvia wasn't exactly a place that screamed 'This is where you should hide!' to me and even though never having heard of any treaties between its sovereign and Cartagenth, this could have changed in the meantime.
“What 'bout you, Magali? You're from some place on the other side of the Sea.”
I felt a sudden rush of blood to my head and forced myself to take the deep breaths. There was nothing I wished more for the ground to open and swallow me whole. I looked up from the card to see the travelers and Cygni look at me with curiosity in their eyes. The insect's, Saray, eyes were still hidden behind glasses whereas their companion's, Asra, were a light purple and framed by long white lashes.
“Yes, from Nopal.” I said, keeping my voice as cold and uninterested as I could. I had no interest in speaking to these travelers or in them shoving their noses into my business.
The one called Asra perked up. “Oh, really? It's such a beautiful place, I've only been there once but it's breathtaking.”
I felt my eyelid twitch. “Yes, it is.” I pressed the words out more than speaking them and made a point to turn my attention back to the map in front of me. A single bead of sweat rolled down the back of my neck.
“Don't mind her, she's a very busy woman. Y'know, Magali is a magician who has settled down only a few weeks ago-” I tuned out the next of Nevil's words and fought against my rising desire to hex his mouth shut. Keeping my eyes glued on the map without really seeing what I was pretending to look at, I deeply wished to have the ability to disappear right here and now. Great, now the strangers' attention was on me without a doubt and my wish to bolt for the door when I saw the one named Asra get up from his chair and make his way over to my booth was almost suffocating.
“May I? I'm sorry for being so excited but it's just… it's such a coincidence to walk into a foreign tavern that far from home and meet another magician!”
If I had ever suspected the spirits that controlled the ways of the World had all come together in some shady backroom to conspire against me personally, this must've be the definitive proof of it. There was no way in hell that this could be a coincidence, I wouldn't have it or a friendly chat with this Asra.
“I suppose so. But as your new friend had already said, I'm quite busy and would like to be left alone.” I said coldly and cursed myself for never actually having gone to Nopal, otherwise I would've been able to learn the accent, but who would've known I'd meet someone who has actually been there in a village which most people have probably never left? After all, it was technically true, with the Rubalcabas originally coming from Nopal, but who was going to explain details?
Asra's shoulders slumped and his expression saddened.
“Of course, I understand. Apologies for disturbing you.” Something in his clothes shuffled and my eyes went wide when a snake crawled out of his left sleeve. It looked at me with the same curiosity its owner had given me and blinked.
Friend!
I jumped from the chair, hitting my kneecaps against the table in the process and gasped at the sudden pain.
“Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!” Asra was at my side in an instant and put his hand on my back as I bent over in pain. “Faust usually knows better than to frighten people, I guess she was just as excited as I was.”
I waved away his concern and bit my lip and I sat back down while rubbing my knees.
“No, don't blame your familiar. Wasn't her fault. Mine's like that too-.”
I bit my tongue just as I realized what I had just said. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
“You also have an familiar?” His eyes went wide and he beamed at me. Instead of an answer I coughed and tried to look at put together as I could.
“Of course, all true magicians have one. Now, please…” I turned my attention back to the map, feeling my heart flutter in my chest. But he didn't move away, in fact he didn't stop staring at me. Strangely enough, I didn't sense any danger from him and something about his youthful face and his eyes gave me the sensation of… trust. But spies could have any age; in fact the younger they were, the less people suspected them to be spies, and sometimes being unsubtle even played into their hands.
“Oh, that sure is true, but you don't need to be a trained magician to have one! All you need is to be decent at magic and have a connection to an animal.”
“Hmpfh.” Of course I knew that, did he take me for a fool?
“You certainly traveled very far, I see you have been to Prakra and Firent-”
I pulled the map away from the table and his eyes, rolling it together.
“Okay, I get it, you don't want people shoving their nose into your business.” He spoke with resignation and sighed loudly. I raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, I thought I made that very clear.”
Asra ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “I know, but please, I- I can't explain it but-” Then he seemed to have an idea. “Do a reading for me.”
“Come again?”
“A reading. Let the cards tell you what to do.”
“I don't need cards to tell me what to do: I'm leaving.” Map in the hand, I stood up and passed by Viv, who opened their mouth to ask me why I was leaving even though I was just about to get my drink.
“Please, I- I came here for you.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart stopped beating in my chest and blood freeze in my veins. Heat built around my fingers and I considered the situation I was in. Viv was still standing behind me, if I were to attack now they could get caught in a crossfire. The tavern was half full with more than enough witnesses and the door was too far away for my likening.
I slowly turned around “What?”
Viv, still standing between one, ducked and hurried out of our way, not before throwing me a wide-eyed look. Asra sighed, his face flushed from nervosity and also what I suspected to be embarrassment.
“Look, I don't know why but something called me to this village and I think it was you. I don't know who you are or what you do, I just felt something familiar when I looked at you.” He sighed. Now I had heard all kinds of talk about intuition and prophetic dreams, be it from other magicians or back home, but this right here just seemed a little too far-fetched - or painfully honest.
“I give you a reading, understood? Let me get my cards from my place, and don't try anything funny like following me.” I snarled but to my surprise, he held out his hand as if to stop me.
“Here, take mine.” He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a deck of dark blue tarot cards. I eyed them suspiciously and crossed my arms in front of my chest. “I won't use another magician's deck, I'm no fool.”
Asra shrugged. “Really? I didn't think there'd be people left who still believed in that particular superstition. But fine, get your own cards.”
I frowned. “I'm not superstitious.”
Asra sat down in the seat opposite the one I had occupied and put the deck in front of him. “Good, so let's get started. I'll let you get a feeling for them.” He winked at me and a mischievous smirk played about his lips. “How am I supposed to trick you by letting you use my cards? Hexing them? Besides, a true magician should be able to call the bluff.”
My face went hot as I made my way back to the table. “I know. I'm just being cautious.” The Vesuvian was definitely more at ease once I sat down and gave me an encouraging smile. I took the deck and looked at the cards. They were obviously self-made, the depictions of the Major and Minor Arcana unique, with the archetype being represented by humanoids with animal heads. The deck felt… friendly, and not in a false way. I shuffled the cards and laid out three in front of him all while not taking my eyes off him. Neither did he, and his smirk widened as I arched an eyebrow as if to ask him why he seemed to want to challenge me.
I took the card in the middle first. Two snakes were embracing and looking at each other lovingly. The Lovers, upright. I frowned, yet the words spoken to me by the two snake people were clear as crystal; in fact, they were the clearest reading I have ever done. There was no doubt what the cards were trying to tell me, they were incapable of lying to me.
“Oh, the Lovers! Most curious.” Asra said and looked from the card to me.
“You are on your path to begin a new relationship, but it can only be successful if you make yourself clear in what your intentions are. Once you manage to connect, it will only make both parties stronger through their shared bond.” I said the words half to him, half to myself, and looked inquisitively at the card. I half-way expected it to laugh in my face and call bullshit but nothing of the sort happened.
“So… there we go.” I finished, trying to ignore how unsure I sounded. “Good news to you, I suppose.”
Asra smiled. “Might I return the favor?”
I blinked. Here? No way.
“Not the best place.”
“Oh.”
There was an awkward silence between us, until I took a deep breath. Please, intuition, don't fail me now. If he does turn out to be a spy or an assassin, I'll never trust my gut and judgment ever again.
“My place is just a stone's throw away from here.”
The Vesuvian blinked in surprise and pursed his lips, then he seemed to realize what face he was making and instantly put on a more serious expression.
“Of course. Just let me tell my traveling companion that I'm… uh, gone for a bit.”
“Fine. But I don't want them to suddenly pop up there too.”
He nodded and walked back to the table where the insect and the card players were seated, all deep in conversation.
“Asra, my dearest, are you done with your magician business? If yes, join us for a game of cards, these fine people are most entertaining to be around with!” Saray said. They had still not taken off their glasses but from the accent in their speech I suspected them to belong to one of the many ethnic groups that lived in Prakra.
“Not yet, Saray, Magali actually wanted to show me her workplace.”
The card players looked at each other and smirked. The one called Yelma let out a wolf whistle.
“Let's be quick about it.” I murmured and snapped my fingers to get Asra's attention. Together we exited the tavern and I closed the door behind us.
We crossed the market place, passed by the small fountain in its center and reached the bakery. A brief fumble for my keys, a door being opened and we went up the stairs into the first floor.
“Guess your place always smells really nice.” Asra said.
“Yes. They also wake up at four in the morning to start working.”
He laughed as I entered the first room, the one where I usually worked in. A soft and questioning chirp got both our attention when I light up a candle from afar.
Segismundo looked at me from his usual sitting spot and tilted his head.
“Yeah, I know. Visitors that late are rare but don't worry about it.” I said to my familiar as he flew onto my outstretched arm.
“Oh, what a beautiful Quetzal! What’s his name?”
“Segismundo.”
“Very nice to meet you, Segismundo, my name is Asra and this here,”, he caressed the snake that had crawled out of his sleeve again, “is Faust. Sorry for disturbing you, you were probably sleeping.”
Segismundo looked from him to me and then to Faust, who herself was looking at him with pure curiosity. Ruffling his feathers, he shook himself and flew back to where he was before, right behind my seat.
“He doesn't take kindly to strangers.” I explained. I didn't mention that the fact that Segismundo didn't alert me but merely checked on who exactly was invading our space was a good sign... for them as much as for me.
“Familiars tend to be like their magicians.” Asra smirked and sat down at the low table where I would usually sit at with customers. “Quetzals are usually native to the rainforests beyond the Catclaw Desert so I guess you might be Nopali - even if Magali is a name I have heard a lot often when it belonged to people from Venterre.”
I said nothing and opened a drawer to get the tarot deck.
“Do you want something to drink or a snack? You didn't have anything at the tavern, if memory serves right.”
“A tea, but maybe for another day, I like to let it brew for a bit and I don't think you want me to be here longer than absolutely necessary. Snacks would be appreciated though, what do you have?”
“Hazelnuts and almonds.” The sooner I got rid of them, the better. These Eastern sweets had nothing on the deliciousness of roasted cocoa beans and maracuyas.
“Oh, why not?” All too happy I handed him the bowl on top of the drawer. “Since you used my cards to do my reading, I'd ask you to let me use me yours. You can decline, of course, but-” Wordlessly I handed him over my deck before he could continue and crossed my arms.
“Oh, thank you.” In the candlelight I got a much better look at the Vesuvian magician and studied his face as he regarded the cards. His hair looked soft to their touch and reminded me of cloudy summer days in Cartagenth. His skin was clean without any wrinkles but with a healthy glow to it, his eyes had a spark of mischief in them and a mysterious smile seemed to be his default expression. He couldn't be beyond his early twenties.
“Those are very beautiful cards, I don't think I have ever seen a design like this.”
“Thank you, they were a family heirloom.” Technically the truth. My cousin Agustín, the only close family member I had left who didn't hate me or wanted my death had given them to me in a back alley in Bizatena, shortly before I had seen him for the last time. He had previously stolen them from his mother's, my aunt, collection of magical artefacts and given them to me as a parting gift. You have a lot more use for them than if they were to catch dust, he had told me before I had wrapped my arms around his neck to embrace him.
“Your name.”
“Huh?”
“I need your true name. The identity you are the most attached to, and something tells me it's not Magali of Venpal.” He smiled at me as if to encourage me.
I didn't return the smile but merely exhaled a deep breath. All in or nothing, even though I felt no danger from this strange wandering magician.
“Ximena.”
“Ximena.” He repeated, as if to try out how it felt pronouncing my name. “I like it. It fits you more than the one from your disguise.” He winked, and I felt color rush to my ears and my face.
“Well, here goes nothing.” I murmured and broke our eye contact.
Three cards were in front of us. I felt a pull towards the one on the far left, and I knew that Asra did so too. Before he had even turned the card around I knew exactly what it was going to be.
“The Moon, reversed.” I whispered and felt Asra's, Faust's and Segismundo eyes on me as I looked at the card which showed a lobster looking up at a crescent.
“You're afraid. In fact, you have been afraid for a very long time, so long that you learned to live with your fear as it was choking the life out of you but as of right now it's threatening to overwhelm you and you don't know what to do.” Asra’s voice was calm and serene, but there was an unmistakable sadness in it too. For some reason, I felt extremely ashamed and embarrassed as he spoke. He leaned back and looked right in my face. “Take a closer look at those fears, analyze and combat them. Only then you'll know what to do next, and it won't be a rash decision but what's meant to be right.”
Neither of us said something. I was the first one who broke the silence after what seemed like a small infinity. “You should go.” My voice didn't sound as strong and steady as I would've wanted it to, but Asra nodded. “I did what I came here for, and you made it clear you wanted to be left alone afterwards. I respect that.”
He stood up and bowed his head. I followed his example. “Thank you.” It was all I managed to reply to that.
“I will stay here for perhaps a couple of days, I suspect we will run into each other again, since this place is small.” I nodded in response, that was very within the realm of possibilities. “Have a good night, Ximena. And you too, Segismundo.” He nodded in acknowledgement to Segismundo, who returned the nod with a tilt of his head.
“A good night to you and Faust too.” I fumbled with my hands. “Get some rest.”
“Thank you, we will.” Another small smile stole itself onto his lips and I stood up to lead him out of the room. When I closed the door behind him and we were once again alone, Segismundo regarded me with a curious look. Well, he was interesting to say the least.
“You don't say.” I sighed and made my way over to him.
He seemed like he knew you but at the same time didn't. The one named Faust had looked at me as if she had already met me, and I felt the same way.
“Have you ever-”
No. You know exactly I have never.
“Hm.” I put a hand to my chin. “I'm sure there is an explanation behind all this.”
What about the reading? You know he's right. Do you really think going to Hjalle will make our problems disappear just like that?
I blinked. “Of course not.” My words came out more sharply than I intended them too.
Good, because we had this discussion too many times now. Also, neither of us have a fondness for the cold.
I rubbed my temples. “I'm gonna have to sleep a night over this. Or two. Or seven.”
Segismundo took off and onto my shoulder. As he gently rubbed his head against my cheek, I caressed his emerald green plumage.
That's a good idea. The Moon is shining now, but tomorrow the Sun will.
Thanks Eren! This is really long because I did it for each and am incapable of writing one sentence answers.
EDIT: Good god, I wrote this out in the middle of the night and somehow mistook IV for V soooo IV will be tackled in a future ask!
Sayelle
I.) How did your MC and their LI first meet?
She and Nadia met at a masquerade, years before she died. In fact, ever since she came to Vesuvia, she had attended every single one of them until the plague outbreak - Vesuvia might not be Bizatena but when at the masquerade she would sometimes pretend she was back home. She was introduced to the Countess as a close friend of Asra.
II.) What was your MC’s first impression of their LI? What about their LI’s first impression of them? Was it accurate or did them getting to know one another change how they saw each other?
Sayelle thought Nadia was kind, impressive to the point of it being a bit intimidating but also distant... a common first impression but one that is swept aside very quickly after one gets to know Nadia for a bit and one experiences her warmth and how considerate she is of people’s feelings. Nadia recognized Sayelle as someone who’s very grounded and is at ease with other people, a trait she admires a lot.
V.) What would your MC do for their LI after they come home from a long/bad/hard day? What would their LI do for them?
Oh, Sayelle would hear Nadia complain about having too much work on her hands atm and spontaneously take her out on a dinner date at one of their favorite places (which isn’t necessarily the fanciest one but it defo has its own charme to it) where they buy a huge plate of spiced swordfish with baclava for dessert and do the thing where one puts the food on their fork and gives it to the other person. When Nadia sees Sayelle stressed out, she takes whichever book she’s reading to get her head clear out of her hand and reads it out loud for her.
Ximena
I.) How did your MC and their LI first meet?
Xime and Lucio actually didn’t meet before their respective deaths due to plague and spontaneously bursting into flames so it’s basically what happens in the route, unless you are counting the dreams Ximena has of being in his wing. There’s some more skepticism and initial dislike tho because we are not gonna start this out rose-colored.
II.) What was your MC’s first impression of their LI? What about their LI’s first impression of them? Was it accurate or did them getting to know one another change how they saw each other?
Ximena thought Lucio felt entitled to her help (which he did), brash, selfish and uncaring and originally wanted to drop him as soon as she was done helping him in turn for basically solving the entire murder mystery with his confession. Lucio thought Xime was cynical, stuck-up, proud and boring. Being tethered to each other certainly gave them a better understanding of each other as well as seeing the other face their respective demons/fears.
V.) What would your MC do for their LI after they come home from a long/bad/hard day? What would their LI do for them?
Xime is never one to decline a warm (shared) bath while sipping some of the good vintage or being on the receiving end of a really nice massage and Lucio is all too happy to give them when she’s stressed... or really, whenever. As for the other way around, Xime will sit on the couch with her legs crossed, Lucio puts his head in her lap and she runs her fingers through his hair and feeding him honeyed meat or pomegranate seeds - it’s a little gesture but puts him at great comfort and for good measure Mercedes and Melchior try to get some
Deirdra
I.) How did your MC and their LI first meet?
Deirdra and Portia would see each other at the market the entire time, so often that at some point they basically knew what each other’s grocery list was. Before that... Portia could swear that one evening at a pub in Nevivon where she used to job as a bartender, she saw someone that looked a lot like Deirdra with the sole exception that their hair was dark blonde and they were speaking in another language to another group of travellers... but when she asks Deirdra if they’d ever been to Nevivon, the answer she gets is a confused no.
II.) What was your MC’s first impression of their LI? What about their LI’s first impression of them? Was it accurate or did them getting to know one another change how they saw each other?
Oh, Deirdra was fascinated by Portia and took an instant liking to her, her openness even though by all means Deirdra is a stranger to her at first. Still, she never tells Deirdra at any point that she has a relatively high position in the Palace, nevermind that she’s basically head servant, so that surprises them - but it’s not something they hold against her because they ultimately know that Portia’s kindness has always been genuine - even though they do push her to tell the truth afterwards. Portia is also drawn to them, she notices herself blush everytime Deirdra laughs at her jokes and when their eyes glitter with joy as they listen with true interest to Portia’s stories from the Palace. She finds their sense of humor quite charming and genuine.
V.) What would your MC do for their LI after they come home from a long/bad/hard day? What would their LI do for them?
They both go out for a fun night to take their mind off things if it was a tough one for Deirdra but if it was a really tough one they settle for a nice night in where they lie in bed in each other’s arms and talk about whatever comes to their minds. When it was a long day for Portia, they sometimes do a karaoke-for-two night where they pretend they’re on a stage with an audience (it’s always just the other person and their respective familiars) and belt out some bangers - Deirdra with some Oriolian songs they would sing at night back home and Portia with folk songs from Nevivon.
Well, after sitting in my sketchbook since July 2023, this old linework of Ximena finally has color! (Digitally, anyway. Still gonna do the OG in marker at some point, I just liked that I could fix the nose ring placement easier in a program)
Also yes, I am falling back in the rabbit hole. I even finally scrounged up my Sims 3 save (which I thought was corrupted and lost, but no!) where everybody is sharing a house. Might share some screenshots from that, I tried recreating the magic shop and it came out fairly decent imo.
