first post in the arcana tag kinda nervous...i first played this game way back then in ~2017 after my bestie @thepastaplace introduced me to it!! (somehow. actually the details are blurry. it just manifested itself in our lives one day). i recently revisited it and i'm having the time of my life!
this is my apprentice chunyu. he is 41 years old and has a morning routine that starts at 4AM sharp which sometimes involves him stress cleaning the entire shop (asra has grown used to it). he enjoys long walks in the market, poetry discussions, successful deals, and getting what he wants. the two things he dislikes most in the world are people who boss him around and physicians. folks back in his hometown affectionately call him "young master"
anyway it's so good to be back brainrotting about an old interest...despite everything this game is very dear to me <3
Chunyu gets. very hypocritical about his magic... this time with a mini comic!
“Anyone could learn blood magic, but only few could wield such power with the right degree of grace and restraint.”
Chunyu's family, the Long clan, recognized the powerful quality of blood in magic, seeing it as a force of life that should be cultivated. For centuries, they raised highly skilled blood ritualists, bringing their own code of honor into the “taboo” magic:
No blood will be spilled for pleasure
One shall not use another’s blood against themselves
One shall not use their own blood to harm others
One must use their blood in service to others
more lore dumps under the cut!!
Early Long family members served Pearl Moth in its early days as a silk and dye trading company, climbing up its ranks until one of the Pearl Overseers of that time entrusted the business to a senior Long mercenary. From then on, the family’s image quickly evolved from ruthless guards to something more sophisticated. The current Overseer and family patriarch, none other than Chunyu’s own father, saw Pearl Moth’s most stable era without having to spill a single drop of blood, even when a certain blonde was running around wrecking havoc.
Long blood ritualists are still allowed to empower themselves in a fight using blood without spilling it or resorting to bloodbending. It requires them to be very in tune with their mind and body, basically blending their blood flow with their body’s natural magic/physical strength.
It was actually Chunyu’s mother who introduced him to martial arts. She’s untrained in blood rituals, in fact she refused to learn any magic past the basic spells, believing in her own strength. This combined with her pride made her butt heads with Chunyu’s father in their youth when they were up and coming martial artists. (They had like. A combat shounen romance where they tried to one-up each other every chance they got. It wasn’t even beneficial because their respective families were TRYING to be on good business terms. Chunyu’s dad was so distraught when she was late to a fight like “Wait what if she doesn’t care about me anymore” i’m sorry this is a running gene in the family it’s passed down to his son now)
It was then Chunyu’s father who would seriously mentor him in blood magic after recognizing his aptitude for combat. He taught Chunyu everything he knew about bloodless blood rituals.
Being a blood ritualist is Chunyu’s greatest pride, but it was also his tender underbelly. To know one’s body to the point of breaking the skin with repeated precision brought him control. As long as he could channel his blood flow just so, be it in a fight or negotiation, it meant that victory was assured. It meant that no one could hurt him, or take anything away from him.
His death took everything away from him; all the knowledge, the skills, the tears and sweat he broke under his father’s mentorship. But it also gave him the most exhilarating freedom… After all, who was going to stop him from relearning the more violent rituals?
"You're sure you don't want to lean on me, darling?"
"I'm quite alright, exhaustion has never slowed me down. Just...give me...a moment......"
i wanted to do something simple and sweet for the last day! this is also me saying thank you to @arcana-echoes for hosting such a lovely event, it's so fun seeing the community come together. i had a lot of fun both participating and reading through some posts in my spare time. everyone is so cool!! i really wish i could have joined in on all the days but sadly i'm still battling thesis…definitely looking forward to next time 👀
more under the cut! i get ramble-y about his character + old art reveal
the original idea for this drawing was a redraw of my earliest art of chunyu and julian from like…a 2017/2018 arcana inktober event. but then it morphed into something of its own. i like to imagine this as a small post-credits scene you'd get long after their upright ending, after the unspoken problems in their bond are brought to light and they're able to turn over a new leaf :]
here's the original 2017/18 drawing! i can't believe they've stuck with me for almost 10 years </3 sorry for being sappy. i do genuinely hope the arcana community keeps on having more fun <3
extra: characters who inspired chunyu + more detailed descriptions because my handwriting here is TINY
sing from kung fu hustle: chunyu's overall character arc about false righteousness was inspired by him. in sing's case, it was more about finding the real strength within himself rather than the superficial machoman ideals he hid behind. chunyu starts out as a man who let notions of "destiny" get into his head—he believed that he was seizing life by fulfilling his duty, when in reality he's stuck in one place and he doesn't notice it until one day he didn't get what he want. he believes that he knows what's best for others, dancing on a very thin line between inflated self-importance and actually being a good leader for his hometown. you can't be a good leader when you shut everyone out in favor of your own judgement. also chunyu's overall character story has a lot to do with martial arts!
barnaby from tiger and bunny: seeking vengeance vs. embodying goodness. much like barnaby, chunyu spends his arc trying to avenge his family. the rage would have consumed him had it not been for The Power Of Friendship (and homoeroticism). additionally, barnaby puts on a idealized persona for the public and his heart wasn't truly in being a hero at first, just like chunyu and choosing which parts of himself he wants to display. that way he looks like he has everything under control while ignoring his issues. also just Look At Them
agnes tachyon from umamusume, specifically beginning of a new era: surpassing the limit and a detached view of their body, calling it "this body" instead of "my body." characters who are unhinged at first, but are genuinely passionate just like their peers. characters who love something so much they can't bear to part from it completely even if they leave it behind. for tachy it was running, and for chunyu it's ribbon dancing. similar to tachy in the movie, chunyu suffered a leg fracture that ultimately made him withdraw from the world of sports. he was 17 when it happened, afterwards he dedicated his years to preparing himself to take over the family business. the pain flares up when he's under emotional distress, which is why he's very health conscious
miranda from devil wears prada: The vibes. honestly. but also the way she knows what must be done to stay at the top. her tenacity, harsh efficiency, and overall meryl streep's performance were big inspirations for chunyu when i was revamping his character as a businessman!
louis from beastars: the text i wrote reads "ohmygod bruh the entire arc about reclaiming yourself and overcoming your prejudice and-" and honestly that's really all i have to say about the parallels between chunyu and louis. it's been a while since i finished the beastars manga but louis' character arc remains top tier for me. having his flawed worldview be challenged over and over again until he dismantled it, when the same worldview had been the one thing that kept him "safe" as a child who went through Horrors
herrscher of sentience from honkai impact 3rd: HONESTLY. THIS ONE IS PURE VIBES because she's been an inspiration for chunyu since around 2021. plus i use her trailer theme "domineer" as chunyu's theme
last two characters i didn't have space for in the chart was tai lung from kung fu panda and (reads notes) the yakuza franchise's general aura (i imagine chunyu's version of the julian route to have THRICE as many side quests and brawls)
“Rectangles are considered auspicious shapes, encouraging steadfast growth. It’s no wonder the young master’s room is full of them…”
The window of Chunyu’s childhood bedroom looks out to a near-panoramic view of his hometown. From there, he could hear the distant bells of trading vessels arriving at the port, see the bright colors of the floating market bobbing up and down, and, if he focused hard enough, the laughter of commonfolk in the trails below. Even as he scrutinized his father’s manuscripts, the boy would open his windows to let the world in as a reminder of the duty he inherited. If his eyes lingered out to the courtyards for too long, all he had to do was to glance up at the dragon carved at the top of the window frame, and bow his head once more.
Brief lore dump:
Preparation has always been Chunyu’s strong suit. To him, studying was one of the paths to self-fulfillment. His early syllabus consisted of (carefully curated) private tutors and his own parents; his father for business and his mother for silk expertise. He has a favorite subject—but if you asked him what it was, he’d probably give you the most tailored answer ever. In truth, he likes poetry and literature studies…Though he’d never admit out loud that he used to struggle reading out the words with emotion as a child.
As a child, concepts came easily to him, but converting them into actions was another beast. Fortunately, his parents were the patient type and offered him different ways to approach an abstract problem. They’d take him along on business trips to let him see what the world was like beyond his family estate, allowing him to mingle and observe many types of people from a young age.
Of course, this was also his parent’s way of gently reminding him of his responsibility. Chunyu would grow up with this gentle sort of pressure, the kind that incited a looming sense of guilt even if his parents embraced him.
Amidst his studies, he did have his own passion, and that was for the art of ribbon dancing. Chunyu seldom talks about it in the present, but he was a ribbon dancing prodigy in his youth. Nothing brought him more joy than dancing for the people, to hear their cheers, and to win trophies for his hometown. He felt the most free onstage when no words needed to be spoken.
“But dreams should stay dreams, I’ve put them where they belong,” is his usual answer if someone recognized him from his short-lived prodigy days. But behind his usual smile, there’s always a large puzzle piece he seems to leave out…
(skipping a few days because i want to combine day 1-3 since they're all very Very interwoven for chunyu..)
sorry for turning up late!! i wanted to do a quick intro on my main apprentices for @arcana-echoes 's event!
starting with our resident businessman...
🐉Chunyu
The heir to a famous silk and dyes company that has fallen from grace.
A soft-spoken force to be reckoned with.
Honor, power, and profit. These are the three so-called rules that Chunyu lives by. As the heir to the silk and dyes powerhouse "The Pearl Moth," Chunyu was raised believing that his destiny has already been set, and that it was his duty to bear its weight. His gentle yet calculating nature makes it difficult to refuse him.
It was his idea to pioneer the infamous Vesuvian Red dyes, leading him to his own demise...Now adrift, Chunyu works with Asra as the shop's businessman while picking up the pieces of himself—and bid his time to create a plan that could restore his family's honor.
(Love interest and soon-to-be-betrayed-by-chunyu: Julian)
☀️Sol and Stelle🌠
What is a morally questionable boss without his goons?!
A wandering mercenary duo specialized in capturing bounties. Hired by Chunyu in the past, the two of them respected him greatly, considering him both friend and employer to the point of affectionately calling him "boss." After the death of their beloved boss, they have been catching hundreds of criminals in the mortal realm...Until their latest trail leads them to Vesuvia to aid in capturing Lucio's murderer. So far, they don't seem to know that their boss is back from the dead...
Stelle -- A free-spirited cowgirl who gets the job done. Fiercely independent and reliable, Stelle's natural charisma makes her the duo's dealmaker. Once she has her sights set on a bounty, she would not back down until she captured its target, similarly to a bloodhound and its prey. Current bounty and grudge: Dr. Devorak
Sol -- The headstrong Sol is a tragic troubadour-turned-mercenary. They inherited powerful light magic, which could be lethal when mishandled with strong emotions. Long ago, an exiled Sol fled their native home after a burst of magic that blinded its people, leading him to a life as a travelling bard until Stelle "saved his life." Current bounty and grudge: also Dr. Devorak
extra: the three of them hitting the umapyoi legend because yes!!!
local man's oc x canon ship has been plaguing him since 2017, more at 9!!!
i had recently (around the start of january) finished replaying julian's route and it's just as exciting and yearnful as i remembered it...though...i did not remember the romance progressing so quickly 😭😭😭 it's probably because i first played it as a middleschooler. they really were doing All That in the first chapters. my goodness. so i'm making my own apprentice x julian more slowburn!!! with a huge chunk of codependency, as one does.
here, chunyu (my apprentice) follows julian's whims to bide time for his own ulterior motive: to betray julian in the end and sacrifice him to the devil. if all goes well. which it does not.
more yaps under the cut....
chunyu is the heir of a prominent silk and dyes company named "the pearl moth". he grew up under the pressure of his future leadership and very much started out with a "the end will justify the means" kind of mindset (original 2017 chunyu had a similar backstory, though i had made him to be in his mid-20s back then because middleschool me thought that was an experienced age to be. i was wrong. so now i aged him up because i thought it would do his character better, since it would mean he had stuck with those beliefs for much of his life)
the pearl moth fell from grace after the red plague hit chunyu's hometown, having been involved in the spread of the plague since they made and distributed crimson dyes made from plague beetles (and because of A Certain Blonde Man's frequent visits)
chunyu makes it his goal to restore his family legacy's honor through any means, with each idea becoming more and more desperate as he raced against time before finally resigning himself to a deal with the devil
at first, he wanted nothing to do with the devorak case due to his distrust towards physicians, but then it clicked to him that. wait i can use this guy as my pawn later
i like to imagine that their route would center on their morals/beliefs being constantly challenged by the world or one another and chunyu questioning if he is truly fit for leadership. okay i think that's all i have to yap about for now....have this rough matching cg i made for these two doofuses
(fun fact chunyu only has one hand on the bars to symbolize his lack of true commitment towards julian while julian has both hands on the bars because. well. he's dramatic /silly his unhealthy devotion to the mc which was still based on him indulging in his self-sacrificial tendencies)
Sol was used to Stelle's habit of slapping people on the back. Their boss, however, was not.
A quick doodle for (belated) Day 6! i'm tired from thesis but i still want to do something for it because they're perfect for this prompt. Chunyu DID have childhood friends in his hometown, ones he shared many happy memories with (including having impromptu street performances), but they gradually drifted apart due to different life paths. Nowadays, his friends are either old business pals or...business partners. But Sol and Stelle were always there for him. Somehow, the three of them went from polite transactions after a job well done to afternoons at the tavern, whenever Chunyu felt generous.
