#Arcana apprentice

[bugpip]

first kiss

[blackwoodcoven]

muriel so sexy... 😏😈

[biblicallyaccuratefangirl]

ꕥ Asra Headcanons: Jealousy ꕥ

If ever there was a healthy relationship, it would be one with Asra— it's something that is very important to him and something he actively works to maintain

Despite his willingness to spend his near every waking moment with you, he's very accommodating when it comes to you needing space

It's this same mutual trust and stability that makes him so comfortable with you spending time with other people

Despite his maturity and security, the beginning of your relationship (like any) was a period of heightened emotion. In the midst of it all, despite himself, Asra still had tiny inklings of self doubt and worry when it came to you being alone with people who had little reason not to be more than friends

He hated his anxiety about it, and felt guilty that there was still any part of his mind that struggled to trust you and your devotion to him

From the start, however, he'd never found himself feeling insecure when you two were together among other people. He always felt that being around you was very grounding, and you seemed to be able to restore all his sensibilities

By now his trust in you is unwavering, and he feels fully secure in the place he has in your heart. There are, however... a few small exceptions to his confidence

It hits the hardest when he's away for long periods of time. Every idle moment is spent thinking of you, and he makes sure to communicate with you as frequently as he can, but eventually the guilt of leaving you alone catches up

He has immense gratitude for the people in your life able to keep you company in his absence, but sooner or later the regret begins to take the shape of a benign jealousy that others are caring for you when he ought to be

He hates feeling so helpless, but the longer he's away the more that shame piles up on his heart. The muted envy that others are getting to do his job is never resentment, he's too grateful that you have support around you. But he certainly does wish he were there with you, reclaiming his responsibilities as your partner

Beyond that, there's little that could put a dent in his faith in your relationship. He knows any attempt to alter your mutual affection will be entirely unsuccessful

If someone does try to make a move on you, he feels in no way threatened, but he's quick to indulge in a little flaunting. A hand sliding down around your waist... Leaning close to your face to speak to you... A kiss to your knuckles... Standing close enough to you that his body brushes yours... All little ways to simultaneously flirt with you and deter those interested

Overall, he's nearly never jealous, and could hardly be a better partner if he tried 🫶

[therowdymagpie]

Guess who's route I've replaying again after a hot minute

Bonus:

[aftershockz]

Wanted to practice lighting with Quinn!

(I did not draw the background obviously)

In 2 days it’s my 4 year anniversary of creating her :D

First ever drawing^ She grows up so fast :’)

[anew-flame]

Woke up today to the best surprise from @lunastarhawk, who must've worked tirelessly with @sketchycrowz to bring my Arcana apprentice/OC, @rhaella-rhavelli, to life. And she looks so good with Julian, I could cry! I am crying actually.

I am forever touched, and I thank you both tremendously 🥹🥰

[kuip3r]

gonna finish this later but heres a lazy sketch + a wip of the apprentice oc ive been working on (it didnt really need to take that long ive just been too nitpicky)

[defectivevillain]

scarlet sufferings

pairing: Julian Devorak/Reader (implied to be romantic)

reader's race and gender are ambiguous; no pronouns or physical descriptors are used.

Julian isn’t the only one who has nightmares—you all do.

word count: 1.4k | ao3 version

warnings: spoilers to the game, nightmares, canon-typical depictions of death and sickness

Muriel dreams of the haunting scraping of metal blades against the Coliseum ground. He dreams of unseeing eyes staring straight through him; of boos and jeers reverberating through his mind loudly enough to send pain shooting across his temple. 

Nadia dreams of her city falling to ruin. She dreams of abandoned city streets, silent and decrepit; of civilians with reddened eyes begging her for help; of the world outside the castle disintegrating until she is the only person left to make sense of the wreckage. 

Portia dreams of her brother: accused of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to the gallows. She dreams of locking eyes with him, seeing one final word fall from his lips before the guillotine falls with a deafening crash.   

Asra dreams of losing you—of watching the light fade from your eyes as he holds you in his arms, powerless for the first time in his life. 

And Julian? Julian dreams of his own execution; of that disillusioning dinner shared all those years ago; of crimson eyes burning into his skin; of a curse delivered to him disguised as a gift. Fortunately, Julian’s nightmares become less frequent after the revelation that he’s innocent—and the subsequent innocent verdict. And when Lucio is vanquished and the plague is eradicated, the others begin to forget their sleepless nights. 

Your nightmares, however, only increase in frequency. After all, you only recently learned that you died from the plague. You hadn’t wanted to believe it at first, but it just makes too much sense. The grief in Asra’s eyes… his elusiveness… your headaches and memory loss… that inexplicable déjà vu when you first saw Julian in your shop… It makes a disturbing amount of sense. As time passes and you begin to accept it as the truth, your memories begin to return. They slowly emerge from a hazy fog, assailing you in the strangest of moments. Idly—perhaps foolishly—you hope that the return of your memories will give you peace. Instead, they only incite further torment. 

You try to hide your nightmares from Julian. You wake up breathing heavily and quietly slip out of bed before he notices. But one night, you lurch forwards—tossing and turning loudly enough that you unknowingly rouse him. You suppose it was inevitable. If Julian is bothered by the disruption, he doesn’t show it. 

“Hey,” Julian murmurs, his brows furrowed as he pushes himself up to a sitting position. You rub your eyes roughly, struggling to ground yourself in reality. When you take a slow breath, you can still feel the stiff, heavy air of The Lazaret. “What’s the matter?” He frowns, looking concerned. 

You just shake your head silently.

“Hey, you helped me through all of my problems,” Julian reminds you. “The least I can do is help you.”

“You already have,” you say quietly. And it’s true—Julian has already done so much for you. He has placed his trust in you time and time again, even when you didn’t have the confidence to trust yourself. 

Julian looks momentarily surprised by your remark; a blush then rises on his cheeks, before he shakes his head. “You’re having nightmares.” He states, waiting for you to elaborate. After a few seconds pass and you remain silent, he sighs. “Come on. Being stubborn and self-sacrificing is my thing.”

“You are pretty good at it,” you acquiesce, letting out a choked huff of amusement.

“Aren’t I?” Julian smiles, puffing out his chest pridefully. It’s clear he’s trying to lighten the mood and you find a smile threatening to rise on your lips. 

The two of you sit in silence for a while, until you can utter the words. “I keep dreaming about The Lazaret,” you admit. Something flashes in Julian’s eyes. You know the building is an unpleasant reminder to Julian too—albeit for different reasons than yours. You take a slow breath and shakily smooth out the covers, desperate for something to focus on. But you can’t avoid Julian’s attentive gaze, even if it’s a patient one. “The memories are coming back to me.”

Julian’s eyes widen as he catches onto what you’re saying. He reaches out and grasps your forearm, looking distressed at the thought of you experiencing those horrors all over again. “I should’ve been there,” Julian says hoarsely. He looks across the room to the open window, where the starry sky stretches across the horizon. There’s pain written all over his face. He pulls his eyes back to you, as if imploring you to blame him. 

You just shake your head. That’s not why you’re distressed; moreover, you don’t want Julian to blame himself for things that were out of his control. “I just…” You murmur, finding it increasingly difficult to verbalize your feelings. “When I close my eyes, I’m crumpled on the floor there… decaying behind those walls. And I can feel the hunger gnawing at my stomach; the pain running through my arms and legs; the red tinting my vision; and… the loneliness.” 

“We live alone and we die alone,” you recite. The cool night air from the window sends goosebumps across your skin. “I know that. But…” The words die in your throat. 

Julian immediately pulls you into an embrace, his hand rising to support your head as he leans into you. His grip is stronger than normal, as if he’s reassuring himself that you’re still here. You hold him in return, fighting back tears. Your throat is burning. The memory of your death is so raw and real. You can recall it with frightening ease—can nearly feel the blurred haze of pain and discomfort. 

“You’re not alone,” Julian reassures you. You bite the inside of your cheek. He brings a hand up to cradle your jaw, his eyes gleaming. “Not anymore. Not when I’m here.” 

“That’s not something you can promise.” You murmur. Asra told you something like that too, once upon a time. But then he distanced himself, because the sight of you was enough to provoke intense grief within him. You know he didn’t mean to harm you… but it hurt regardless. 

“I can and I will.” Julian asserts, looking uncharacteristically sincere. He brings his hands to your shoulders and leans back, locking eyes with you. “That won’t happen. I won’t let it.” He pulls you into his arms again and you allow yourself the fleeting comfort. 

You’re not sure how long you stay there in Julian’s embrace. All you know is that, at some point, his voice breaks through the silence. “How long have you been having these nightmares?” 

And there it is: the very question you'd be hoping to avoid. You feel guilty that you’ve been hiding them from Julian, but at the same time, you didn’t want to bother him with your distress. You tell him as much, which only brings a frown to his face. 

“I know this is hypocritical coming from me, but… you don’t have to suffer alone,” Julian says, brushing his fingers across your knuckles. You clasp his hand and meet his eyes, surprised by the sheer depth of emotion gleaming in them. “Let me help you, the way you’ve helped me countless times already.” 

“Okay.” You agree reluctantly. You can almost see the relief in Julian’s expression, as his shoulders visibly relax and he takes a slow breath. 

“Good,” Julian says. His fingers trace your cheekbone and a look of unmistakable fondness crosses over his face. There’s a slight smile on his lips, unmarred by his typical bravado. A few seconds later, he seems to realize what he’s doing and he pointedly clears his throat, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “We should try to get some more rest. If at all possible.” 

But his hands remain cradling your face and he hasn’t made a move to separate from you. You blink at him, waiting for him to retreat back under the covers and close his eyes. 

Several seconds pass and nothing happens. “Sorry, I-” Julian blinks, a shy smile rising on his face. Then something like amusement takes over. “I seem to be stuck.” You roll your eyes fondly; eventually, Julian lets out a theatrical sigh and removes his hands. You both know Portia will have your heads if you’re late to breakfast again. With that recognition, the two of you burrow back under the covers. This time, you don’t bother to pretend to maintain some distance—instead drifting towards the middle of the bed and closer to each other. A sudden sense of tranquility washing over you, you fall asleep easily—knowing that whatever your nightmares produce will fade in the face of Julian’s steadfast presence. 

thanks for reading! <3

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[deadlynavigation]

Counting Sheep

Warnings: Slightly ooc muriel, not being able to fall asleep

Author’s Note: just praying this reaches the target audience also praying for a man like muriel to snatch me up

(Navigation)

The moon is high in the sky by the time you finish your daily tasks. The birds are all silent, the wind has quieted to almost nothing, and the lost souls who wander the beaten paths have all gone home.

You sigh as you crack the door open and notice this. It’s far too late for you to be up.

“Ready for bed, Y/n?” Muriel calls from the corner, drowsiness clear in his voice. Sweet thing, he’s waited up for you, even though you told him many times to just rest.

“Almost. Do you know where my nightie went?” You ask, walking over.

“My shirt? It’s over on the table.” You shoot your lover a smirk and wander over to grab it. Quickly stripping to your undergarments, you throw the shirt on and catch Muriel’s eyes scanning you. He looks away a moment too late, blushing profusely.

You giggle before making your way over to him. “You can look, you know. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.

Muriel’s blush deepens. “I know.” He mumbles, eyes still turned away from you.

“In fact,” you crawl on top of the covers, kneeling above where he lays, “I like it when you look.”

Muriel snorts. He finally turns to you with a tiny smile on his face, opening his arms as an invitation. You’re struck with a sense of pride–it’s taken months for Muriel to get to the point where he’s comfortable with this level of affection, but you’re so glad he’s reached it. Hours of panic attacks, breathing exercises, experimentation, and cautious intimacy are being put to use.

You gladly fall into his arms, a small oomph leaving his lips as you collapse onto his chest. You stifle a laugh, tucking your legs and arms into his embrace. His warmth surrounds you, protecting you from the forest’s cold. You feel safe for the first time in a while.

“Comfortable?” Muriel questions, trying to fight a yawn. His arms come up to loosely wrap around you.

“Yeah. Night,” You kiss his chest, knowing he’ll feel it through the thick fabric of his pajamas.

But you get no response–Muriel is out like a light. And for a couple minutes, it’s peaceful, his heart beating a steady rhythm, his chest rising and falling with slow breaths. You press another kiss to his stomach, taking great pleasure in the sharp exhale he releases afterwards. It’s your own version of bliss.

But bliss fades as you become increasingly aware of something digging into your side. You try to ignore it in favor of cuddling into the man below you, but soon it practically forces you to switch positions. You huff, shuffling onto your back to lay besides Muriel. The warmth is now gone, but so is the bother in your side. You sigh, closing your eyes and trying to fall asleep.

It doesn’t work. You fling your arms to the sides, one falling off the bed before you think of the demons under the bed who could steal your hand away. Quickly yanking it back, you cuddle it to your chest, trying to force yourself to rest your eyes and fade away. If you could just hold this position, hearing the faint exhales beside you and the occasional breeze in the forest, you’d be out in no time.

But no, your mind decides this isn’t going to work. You rearrange yourself once again, this time with your back facing Muriel. Your arms and legs come into your chest, forming a sort of ball that better be comfy enough to induce sleep. But there’s none of Muriel’s hands resting on you, the blankets are all tangled up and pressed against you, and now your hands are cold.

For what you hope is the final time, you shift in bed. Your stomach is now against Muriel’s chest, chin resting on your hands as you observe his peaceful expression. How nice it must be to fall asleep in seconds, not concerned about what position will be best for rest or if you’ll wake your partner up in your fight with the blankets.

All of a sudden, Muriel shifts, breath stuttering for a moment before returning to the same steady pattern. You freeze, not wanting to disturb him. The last thing you want to do is wake the poor man up.

It takes a couple seconds to relax your limbs, and in doing that, you realize that you're not that comfortable anymore. You close your eyes in frustration, just wanting the sun to rise so this wretched night can be over. Looking over at the small clock you forced Muriel to install, you groan–it’s only been a few minutes.

You feel like crying. You just want sleep, and the universe seems determined in not affording you that. You shift again to where you started, heading resting on Muriel’s chest and legs tucked in.

You’re disrupted from your pity party by a small laugh coming from your lover. You glance up, noticing that Muriel is awake now, but his eyes are still closed.

“Love, you just completed a full turn around me.” He teases, hand drifting up and down your arm in a comforting motion.

You grumble, turning away from him and onto your back. It’s been hard enough trying to get to sleep, you don’t need his sass as well.

He doesn’t like that, though. His arms come to wrap around you, pulling your back flush against his chest. Like this, you can feel every breath against your neck, every word he whispers against your ear. Your eyes flutter shut as he chuckles.

“Sleep now, love. No more moving around.”

“It doesn’t work like that–on command.” Though you’re already starting to feel a little drowsy.

“Shhh. Sleep time.”

[toadsartblog]

Arcana apprentice, anyone?

[kidlightnings]

Tuesday, July 16, 8PM Pacific/11PM Eastern

Streaming the Arcana Prequel

join ghostly Apprentice Ky for an evening of plague jokes and chilling 🖤🪳💀

deeply looking forward to the story @motherofqups & @asrabounding & @morellanimmermehr have prepared, base art credit to Patoons_Cartoons, chibi Ky by myself

[sweetestlittledarling]

Hear Me Out: M6 as Dnd Monsters

Note: For @vesuviaweekly Prompt of 'Hear Me Out'

So, I had an idea a while back about a monster creature AU where the M6 were monster creatures. They were still themselves just monsters, and it got me thinking as another one of my loves is Dungeons and Dragons, and as most people know that has a big book dedicated to all sorts of monsters. So, with the help of my fellow players and my dm I started crafting some idea of which Dnd Monsters the M6 would be. These are just my opinions after some long thought (and help from others) and if you have any other ideas or maybe a comment or two, please don’t hesitate to comment or message. I would love to hear other people’s ideas.

Asra: Yuan Ti

So originally, I thought of a Naga since that is what I think of for half snake/half human. But when I looked them up in the Monster Manual, I realized that a Naga in Dnd is more a snake with a human looking face. So, I went on to the next snake-based race and settled on the Yuan Ti. Now Yuan Ti can come in many forms as they can have a snake as basically any body part (like really, my dm showed me), but I imagine Asra is the variety that is half human on top and snake below. His snake coloring, I always thought should be similar to Faust with the cornflower snake, and he is a very agile climber and swimmer. Asra also enjoys basking in the sun to warm along with Faust and gives great hugs.

Julian: Were-Raven

 I could make this entire list ‘Were’ creatures, but I figured that would be too easy, so I am giving that honor to Julian. I am doing this mostly because his Reverse form reminds me of Howl from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and that always made me think of a raven transformation. According to the Dnd lore Were-Ravens are amongst the most intelligent of the were creatures but are very rare, mostly existing in the world of Ravenloft and Strahd (one of my favorite games to play btw). They also can have three forms: Human, large raven, and human/raven hybrid. In my head I think Julian is a little embarrassed by his raven form, but he does love to fly. He also likes to nest and collect shinny things.

Nadia: Silver Dragon

I wanted something regal for Nadia as well as intelligent and in Dnd lore there is nothing more intelligent or regal then a dragon. In Dnd lore dragons have two gods who were once one, Bahamut and Tiamat. Bahamut is like the father and gentler of the two, having control of the Metallic colored dragons: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Brass. Silver in particular are probably the most human like and like the cooler weather. They are also highly intelligent and do not enjoy combat, looking to avoid it. I imagine that Nadia’s entire family could be dragons and would be a noble family house.

Murial: Giant (Storm Probably)

Like I said with Julian I could make this whole list were creatures and make Muriel a were-bear or were-wolf, but I felt that would be too easy. I wanted Muriel to be a forest protector as well as be reclusive, to which my Dm, pointed out that he would probably be a good giant. So, giants are often found in homes away from the human world, a lot of the time on mountains or in forests. Storm giants in particular get along with a lot of the native wildlife. They are also known to have magical affinity which of course connects to Muriel. Storm giants are often able to discharge electricity which would be an interesting effect I think when Muriel is upset. I have the idea that he is able to control his size with a spell, though only to an extent and sometimes has to step away into the forest when he has to grow to his actual giant size.

Portia: Were-Cat

Portia was tough to figure out because I didn’t want to just go with Tabaxi (the Dnd cat people) because it just didn’t feel right. So, I lied and made two were-creatures on this list (though I guess it makes sense they are in the same family). Were-cats, like were-ravens, have three forms (Human, cat, and a hybrid of the two) and can communicate with cats. They are also great charmers who have skills in getting out of trouble. I mean I could just imagine Portia turning into a cat and running around with Pepi. I also think she would enjoy getting head pats and scratches behind the ears.

Lucio: Red Dragon

So, I mentioned the Metallics, I now have to talk about the Chromatics. The Chromatic dragons are seen over by Tiamat and a little bit more on the malevolent side. Red dragons have fiery tempers and a great deal of pride which sounds a lot like a certain count. I imagine when he gets angry, he spouts a bit of fire from his nose and grows a bit scalier. He is also very prone to starting things on fire by accident while in a rage. He also has horns that wrap kind of like a goat.

And for a little self-indulgence:

Robin/Lark/Sparrow (My AU Apprentices): Harpies

In my monster AU, my apprentices are Harpies, half bird/half humans. Usually in Dnd lore harpies are female but I can make an exception in this case. Sparrow likes to sing but Harpies are known to lure people with a dangerous song, so she often doesn’t though Julian really enjoys her voice and they both make nests.

Lark enjoys flying and often is seen doing tricks, which is great because he has a very large love to jump off of to get some height.

Robin enjoys watching the sun set from a high perch which is good because Asra also enjoys climbing, and snuggling.

[littlesheepboy]

My interpretation of the 'apprentice'.

:readmore:

The tear drop shaped things are basically other weaker souls who cling to ||the dead apprentice|| bc they're more powerful and try to help them move on.

[xeas-niamh]

I wanted to do a quick little edit because I’ve always had this image of my apprentice, walking arm and arm with Asra through the marketplace.

[mjart12699]

More of Muriel and MJ being goofy kids!

[folkrows]

They’re boyfriends your honor