Hey Arcana fandom, it's been a while 👋
I found an old series of sketches from last year and cleaned them up a bit because I thought they were funny ✨ It's sort of a follow up to [this post].
Oh, to live in a world where Julian can be as sassy as he wants to Lucio with no consequences 💖 (Transcript below the cut, in case my handwriting is illegible).
Panel 1:
Lucio: Jules, it's such a tragedy!
Lucio: He walks by every day, but it's like I'm invisible! He doesn't even wave "hello" like all the other little landfolk (T_T)
Panel 2:
Julian: (staring contemptuously at the arm Lucio has thrown over his shoulder) ...Who?
Lucio: You know--the blue one. The assistant from in Noddy's lab.
Lucio: It's not like I'm not impressive. Anyone would notice me, right? (;n;)
Panel 3:
Julian: Oh, by the Seven--you mean Velle? They're the one who's got you like this?
Lucio: Wh--You know them?
Julian: (gleefully) Yes. And I hate to break it to you, but you're barking up the entirely wrong tree. See, they prefer partners who possess the ability to breathe air.
Sense its 2 whole days into mer-May and i have yet to see a Lucio mermaid i took the liberty of drawing him myself. His tail is based off the Dash Dot goatfish. 🧜♂️🐐🐠
-He tries to be lowkey but it's painfully obvious -Gets flustered and nervous whenever he talks to you, lots of stuttering and blushing when you're around -Brings you a lot of gifts that he found in the ocean, mainly seashells -He sings for you constantly (he's pretty good at it too) -He never admits that he loves you, and you'd have to be the one to tell him first -No matter how long you date he'll still be really nervous around you because he doesn't want to mess anything up -Not really falling in love related, but he gets super excited whenever he finds out anything about human culture and always wants to share it with you even if it's a small insignificant thing
“They walk by every day with their nose buried in those silly little papers. They don't even say hello! The nerve of them, ignoring me like that.” -Lucio, probably.
Not me grave digging the @/glimmerblossoms Aquarium AU from years and years ago. No siree. 😋
I ramble a bit under the cut.
Lucio's design is based on a Clearfin Lionfish, because I thought the transparent fins and flashy little white accents would be a nice callback to his ghostly form c: please excuse the fact that I literally never draw merpeople or fish /sob. This was such a struggle for me 😭
So, research institute that doubles as an aquarium AU!! It's stuck in my head, it's eating my brain. I plan to make a text post about the details at a later date, but the gist of it is: due to some experiment gone wrong (the fault lies with our dear scientist Dr. Asra Alnazar, whose obsessed with merfolk and their ability to cast magic) his research assistant, Velle, is slowly turning into a merperson and Asra is racing against the clock to find a cure for them.
Lucio is there recovering after the incident that caused his arm to need to be amputated. Since he knows his mother is currently out there trying to hunt him down and bring him to justice, well, he's not in any hurry to leave this convenient safe place where no one recognizes him as Montag Morgasson.
The merfolk at the aquarium are all there either as patients, or as researchers themselves. No one is in captivity here because that's just a bit too much angst for my poor little heart ^_^
Local mer-menace finds himself (inexplicably) in trouble (again).
Honestly-- no, really, it’s not his fault this time (he swears!).
Oh man. Drawing mer-people is pretty tough for me, but I’m determined to keep practicing! I’d love some excuses to draw the other characters from this game, too, so if you know of any fish that might make for good tails for the other LI’s, feel free to put a suggestion in my asks inbox 💙
I've gotta figure out how to render where Lucio's arm is pressed against the glass... because that's an effect I've never tried to color before x_x wish me luck.
Something I had written up several months ago and never posted. Just wanted to share it here in case anyone was still interested or wanted to use it for their own Apprentice or anything 🩵
It's all under the cut!
The Aquatic Research Institute of Vesuvia, or ARI
Functions as both a hospital/rehabilitation center and as a public aquarium. (Visiting the public-facing tanks is entirely optional for all Merfolk.)
Merfolk tend to stay there either as patients or as doctors/researchers themselves. There is also a sort of anthropological/cultural exchange aspect to it since Merfolk only recently (within the past fifty years) made their existence known to humankind in any official capacity.
Some merfolk visit like it's a tourist attraction. They show up and stay a few days to gawk at the landfolk through the glass before heading home.
Asra Alnazar, PhD, Head of Research (Historical Division)
Age 27
Child genius; has several college degrees.
His parents disappeared 20 years ago, he’s been following in their footsteps ever since. He wants to finish their research (trying to unravel the mystery that is the origins of Merfolk and their magic).
For the longest time he was funded by his university and spent time traveling the world studying various aquatic phenomena, but after Velle gets cursed, he applies for a position at ARI and befriends Nadia Satrinava (who introduces Asra to an oddly familiar-looking Mer named Julian) as he tries to find a cure.
Asra thinks Ilya is dead until he finds him years later when he begins working at ARI. Ilya (who goes by the alias Julian while at the ARI to keep his human life private) doesn't seem to recognize Dr. Alnazar and thinks they're meeting for the first time. Asra doesn't correct that assumption.
Ilya “Julian” Devorak, Captain, MD (unlicensed)
Age 34
He's cursed to go back and forth between human and merman every couple of months, and waits out his transformation at the aquarium until he can return to his human life and job. The time between transformations is changing (less time on land, more time in water). He worries that one day he won't turn back.
He lost his eye at some point in his past as a sailor, but it grew back when he transformed for the first time and now has a red sclera (to keep Julian's design consistent; who knows if I'll ever think up an actual reason besides that). He still wears the eyepatch when he's human because it's easier than explaining "ah, yes, I'm cursed and now my right eye looks like something out of a horror movie.”
Pasha “Portia” Devorak, Head of Security (ARI; Public Division)
Age 31
“Gee, Ilya sure is gone for a long time on those voyages for his work. I wish he’d at least call.” (Meanwhile: Ilya is living practically in her workplace under the alias ‘Julian.’ “Sorry, Pasha!”)
Nadia Satrinava, Head of Research (Magic-Sciences Division)
Age 40
Experienced magician and mechanical engineer. She began studying the ruins of old Mer temples in her early 20s since they contained some of the most fascinating puzzles, architecture, and spellwork she had ever encountered.
She’s the leading authority on any and all curses and old, forgotten spells.
She volunteered to help Julian after her sibling, Nazali, found him drifting, confused and half-starved, in the Prakran Gulf.
Lucio (Montag Morgasson), Patient at ARI, On the lam
Age 39
Causer of problems; bringer of chaos.
Literally it’s all his fault. He messed with the ancient power that, according to legend, allowed his tribe to walk into the sea when the land was no longer hospitable to them. He did this not only once (first, to gain the power he thought would help him enact a coup and take power from his parents) but twice (again, when Morga was catching up to him years later). The second time, he caught Velle and Julian in the crossfire, causing them to become exposed to the ancient spell and summoning the storm that ultimately pulled Julian overboard.
He may be responsible for the disappearance of Asra’s parents, too. Who knows? I sure don’t.
The only plague following him around is his (rightfully angry) mother, bent on avenging her husband's murder and punishing her son for his actions. And so, Lucio isn't really in any hurry to leave this convenient safe place where nobody recognizes him as Montag Morgasson.
He doesn't think Velle turning into a merperson would be a bad thing at all, and at some point makes their symptoms a lot worse by (playfully) dragging them into the tank with him. This is what causes Asra to hate him beyond just a general clash of personalities (even before he finds out about Lucio's hand in Muriel's loss).
Muriel (...just Muriel), Hermit
Age ???
Guardian of the Temple that Lucio keeps messing with. The two of them have a history of violence, but this latest fight left Muriel scarred and grief-stricken after Lucio killed Khamgalai, Muriel’s only remaining family.
He saved Asra once, when Asra was 18 and was just starting to adventure into more dangerous parts of the ocean. Ever since then, Asra has made a point to visit him and ask about his magic and the history of Merfolk. Muriel doesn’t hate it…
Asra comes to him for help after Velle gets cursed. Muriel knows more about this old magic than almost anyone else. He gives Asra a talisman for Velle to carry that will slow the effects of the spell. This is how Velle manages to go two years without transforming.
Lovell “Velle” Morandi, Research Assistant (Historical Division)
Age 30
Is the epitome of “What the hell, this was just supposed to be an internship.”
Literally, they applied for the position of Asra’s assistant about six years ago to get a credit for a degree they weren’t particularly enthusiastic about, and the two of them clicked so well that Velle kept agreeing to accompany him on trips any time Asra called, even after Velle had graduated and settled down in their hometown.
Their dream is to take over their mom’s flower shop and live quietly, but their dad insisted they go to college first just to get them out of their hometown and help them experience the world a little bit. They worry that Velle would regret staying in one place their whole life.
Velle isn’t much of an adventurous spirit, but Asra is one of their dearest friends and they understand enough of the science and equipment that they’re indispensable to him (since he doesn’t want to take the time to train anyone else).
After the trip to the Southern Sea and the curse, Velle has to move to the distant country of Vesuvia and work at ARI in the big city while Asra looks for a cure. Velle is just hoping to return home after this is all done…
