#Asra fic

[bill-y]

Is the arcana fandom still alive? I'm practically quaking in my boots wanting to publish a story about my half baked oc 😔☝️

[greyspirehollow]

Vesuvia Weekly - Hear me out !!

Pairing : Julian Devorak x Liam (my mc) - very implicit

Fandom : The Arcana visual novel

Warnings : very stupid. May be inaccurate regarding the characters’ dynamics. some swearing.

Summary : the group, bored of their usual conversation topics, decides to spice things up with a little game ; little did they know, they were about to be faced with others' peculiar tastes...

The main six had agreed to meet at the Rowdy Raven, for a little bit of friendly banter. It was important to take time to unwind and let go of daily matters, even for a short time. They’d struggled to make Muriel come along, the mountain man looking around warily and sitting close to Asra, if not on him. It took time for him to relax, but as the conversation went on and laughter echoed around their table, his shoulders slumped back to a normal stance, and his expression became more neutral as well. Julian had brought Liam as well, and despite the initial slight unease some felt around him, they quickly relaxed as he joined in with the banter.

After a few drinks and the usual chat about family life, daily life, palace life, love life... The group found themselves a little awkardly silent. No one knew what to talk about ; since everything had been talked about already... But then Julian grinned, throwing a mischievous glance in Asra's direction before speaking up :

"Asra... The Magician, smash or pass?"

The whole table fell silent, confused. A little 'what' slipped past Asra's lips before they answered, grinning at Julian :

"Smash."

"What? Pass for me-" Liam chimed in, shaking his head in slight disbelief "too much fur."

"Pass as well. I've always been more of a bird guy." Julian said, still with one of his signature grins.

"Pass." Lucio said, shaking his head.

Muriel didn’t answer.

"Mmh... Smash, actually." Portia replied.

"Smash." Nadia agreed.

Then began the first round of the game, covering the major Arcana. The only character to make everyone unanimous was The Hanged Man, despite Lucio's passionate efforts to convince everyone The Devil was a smash.

Nadia frowned as she heard a few of her sisters' names, and so the table mutually agreed to shift the topic for the second round of the game. Not without a little tease from Asra :

"Morga, smash or pass?"

Liam and Julian had a hard time conraining in their laughter, while Lucio pouted and frowned. Surprisingly enough, Muriel blushed and answered, very quietly : "...smash."

When everyone looked at him, baffled, making him redden even more, he was quick to justify himself :"S-She's a ... Strong warrior and... Looks like a good leader f-for... Her tribe and... I'm sure she could protect me."

Some let out a few 'aw's, and overall the reaction from everyone was pretty positive - even Lucio conceded he was somewhat right -, making Muriel relax a little.

Then came the question of who to debate next... The table fell silent as they tried to think. Portia slightly cringed as she hesitantly proposed : "the courtiers...?"

Everyone seemed to think about it.

"I mean I think it's going to be pretty quick, so..." Julian said, shrugging. "I'm pretty sure we have the same opinion about them so... Alright, Vlastomil"

The group agreed and shook their head. A hard pass for everyone. Except Portia : "Pass, but if he knew how to garden I mean why not. I wouldn't marry him, just be friends"

The rest nodded as they moved onto the next courtier : Procurator Volta. Everyone smiled and chuckled, commenting on how sweet she was, and how she'd be a good partner despite her insatiable hunger and the sheer quantity of food each would need to make to be able to keep up. Overall, the group agreed it was a "marry" rather than a "smash". Liam grinned mischievously as he brought up the next courtier :

"Valerius, smash or pass?" he said, eyeing Lucio mischievously. The ex-Count shifted in his seat, red in the face. Before he spoke up, Liam commented : "Well we already know the answer for you, Lucio."

The blond man scowled : "Shut up !! I do what I want !", causing the table to erupt in laughter.

"I mean why not." Nadia said, "He's a little easier to deal with than you ever were."

Lucio huffed. "That's not true ! He's just like me !" Nadia rolled her eyes as the others answered :

Liam : "Pass - To be honest I couldn't deal with him"

Julian : "Smash. He should be some fun...."

Asra : "Pass. I couldn't deal with a rebranded Lucio either..." Portia burst out laughing before giving her answer : "Smash. If only to braid his hair-" Muriel stayed silent, like he had for most of the game ; which was fine. Nadia spoke up again :

"I'll be announcing the next few, because I have a feeling you guys wouldn't : Vulgora, smash or pass?"

Everyone shook their heads and denied with slight awkwardness, giving reasons such as "too intense" ; "they scare me" ; "I'm just not into that"... Except one.

Liam was nervously nibbling on his lower lip.

"... Hear me out."

Everyone looked at him, shock and confusion on their faces.

"Hear what out...?" Julian said, blinking in confusion. Liam was quick to justify himself :

"I mean... I don't know, I guess it's the way they're shaped? They look soft and... and plush and-... cuddle friendly...? And I mean- don't you want to... I don't know, see what they're like when they're softer or... Or more... I just want to hug the shit out of them ok? I just wanna lay in bed all warm and soft and domestic and cuddle." Only Portia and Asra seemed to understand, the Devorak sibling giving a small acknowledgment nod and thoughtful pout. "I mean I get where you're coming from..." Asra added : "But uhm.... It's Vulgora we're talking about." Meanwhile the others looked dumbfounded, although less than before the explanation.

"I knew you had weird tastes-" Lucio teased.

"Says the guy who tried to convince us to fuck an evil goat-" The necromancer replied. Before Lucio could reply, Nadia spoke up again :

"And last but not -maybe a little- least : Valdemar."

The whole table fell silent. They looked at each other and shook their heads, letting out awkward chuckles and "no thank you"s, "they scare the shit out of me", "I'd rather be executed" for Julian, "No, just no" for Asra... Nadia's gaze silently fell on Liam who looked tense and solid as a rock, almost sweating nervously. She couldn't help but smile knowingly before she spoke up :

"On a purely factual basis, they are attractive." The statement seemed to garner mixed opinions.

"I mean you're not wrong..." Portia said, "But that's the only thing about them, really. And I don't think that's enough to try and get involved with them in any way." Asra agreed "I wouldn't even want to be in the same room. Hells, on the same continent." Julian shuddered "Pass, pass - I don't care if they're pretty I'd rather die than have them smile at me again !" Lucio shrugged "I mean... I can't say I am scared to the point I want to evaporate but they sure make me uneasy." Muriel didn't even bother answering, but it was quite obvious what his answer would be. Nadia nodded and spoke up again : "They have a little something. I can't say I'd willingly approach them romantically or any other way, but they are pleasing to look at still." she shot a glance towards Liam, who was still trying his best to stay still as a statue. She gave him a knowing smile as the others looked at him again, awaiting his answer. He could feel himself decompose as he spoke up :

"Guys, hear... Hear me out -"

He couldn't even finish as a bunch of shocked and confused noises escaped his friends while Nadia smiled and sipped her drink.

"No- shh- come on !" Liam continued, trying to calm the noise down. "Listen- first of, I don't... Like thinking about them romantically or even sexually because they did say this didn't interest them in the slightest. And well, if I were in their place, I wouldn't... Want people to think of me that way - so that's not about that !!"

"What is it about then ???" Lucio asked, baffled and confused.

"I mean I-" Liam sighed, chuckling awkwardly "I just- you know, we're friends, kinda, an-" Asra's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He shot a confused and worried glance at Julian, who only wearily nodded in confirmation. Liam went on : "What Nadia said is true- they are factually attractive - I can't deny I love looking into their eyes - (that statement earned a few other noises around the table and a "come on, Liam !" from Julian) but like-!! Who here took their time to even try and get a little closer to them ?"

Lucio threw his hands up : "NO ONE in their right mind WOULD ?!" to which Asra replied : "I don't think we can say you're in your right mind, Lucio." Before the ex-count could answer, Liam crossed his arms and continued : "WELL, at least I can talk necromancy with them without being berated for it !! I just... I mean I guess I just need a friend with... I just need a friend who's a little different !"

"Just say you're into demons, Liam" Portia said, looking at him deadpan. Liam looked back at her with the same expression. "... Ok fine, I guess I have weird penchants." he replied.

And on that really weird note, the group tried to come back to a normal conversation. Which they succeeded in doing, surprisingly enough, despite the slight feeling of unease and disbelief still hanging in the air.

Later that night, Julian lay beside Liam in bed, looking at the ceiling. The silence was both uncomfortable and at the same time none really wanted to speak. But Julian did nonetheless :

"... so do I have to grow horns to turn you on or...?"

Liam's cheeks flushed red and he playfully threw a pillow at him, drawing a genuine laugh out of the doctor.

[mermaidchan05]

Vesuvia Weekly: "I missed this"

Started thinking about the moments where an apprentice's lost memory sparks. About the moment when they start thinking of home. And how their LI's might react.

So have some more OC bullet-point headcanons!

Meleia & Asra

“I missed this,” said Meleia as she and Asra stood on the beaches of Vesuvia, watching the sun set. 

Asra thought nothing of it at first. 

After all, they had visited the beach and the docks multiple times by then. 

The shoreline had always been one of Meleia’s favorite spots. 

But the more they chatted idly about the wonderful view, the more Meleia began to bring up sights that decidedly weren’t from Vesuvia. 

Caverns that she and Asra had never explored. 

A cliffside that Meleia apparently remembered clearly, but Asra had never seen. 

And constellations that simply weren’t visible from their viewpoint. 

Asra tries to deny it in the beginning. 

Maybe it was a dream. Or something that Asra had seen, once, but since forgotten. Or even something from the Magical Realms. 

But the evidence keeps piling up.

And the only true conclusion just collapses on top of Asra. 

Meleia’s talking about the place she was born. 

A place she had never told him about before. 

It takes a while for Asra to admit that out loud. He’s almost worried about the consequences. 

But she doesn’t seem to have a headache. 

And though neither of them truly know where any of these landmarks might be, it’s still a huge clue. 

It feels like a miracle. A second chance. 

Maybe their next bout of traveling will happen sooner than Asra originally planned...

Damian & Julian

“Gods, I’ve missed this,” Damian laughed after a wonderful night of playing music together. 

A normal statement. Until Damian mentions a specific song. 

It was a song that Julian had never heard before. 

That didn’t stop him from joining in on his vielle, of course. Julian was always pretty good at going with the flow when it came to music. 

But once the performance was over, someone offhandedly complimented them for including a Nopalin folk song. 

And Julian’s mind starts whirling. 

The memories that he had given up during his own deal with the Hanged Man had returned to him, but that didn’t mean his memory itself was perfect. 

He knew a lot about Damian’s time as his doctor apprentice. 

But not every single detail. 

Had Damian ever mentioned anything about Nopal? 

And can he risk asking about it, with Damian’s condition? 

The thought drives him to the brink of madness until Damian finally asks him why he’s being so quiet. 

And then the dam breaks. 

Thankfully, despite Julian’s panic after dumping all that on Damian, Damian does not immediately collapse into a headache-induced catatonic state. 

But he does start asking around the market to see if there’s anything else around the city that originates from Nopal. 

Anything to try to spark more memories. 

Or, failing that, grant Damian another hint of nostalgia.  

Nadia & Chimalus

“I’ve missed this,” said Chimalus, just after building an enormous snowman outside the Winter Palace. 

Nadia looked at them, startled. 

As far as either of them knew, Chimalus had lived in Vesuvia for their entire life. And Vesuvia wasn’t known for the heaviest snows. Not without magic involved.  

But Chimalus spoke as though they had built enormous snow creations for many years in a row. 

The nostalgia in their tone was impossible to miss. 

The moment they get back to the palace proper, Nadia is on a mission.

She’s brought out all of the maps that she can find that showcase any remotely snowy areas. 

She doesn’t want to trigger Chimalus’ memory-wipe-induced headaches, but she does drop subtle hints every now and then, trying to find a more specific location. 

Eventually, her barrage of hints is too much for Chimalus to remain oblivious. 

So Chimalus joins the mission. 

The two of them do a lot of research, hoping for anything that might spark another memory.

It takes time. And some other unrelated incidents. But at last, they find a certain city near a certain mountain. 

Nadia has the trip to Galbrada planned within a week.  

[bluemoondust]

Revisiting The Arcana because I missed it,,,

That whole thing where Asra just...gives half his heart to us because he really couldn't let us go is *chef's kiss*. I wholeheartedly love him in general.

Writing anything yandere related for him would be so interesting and the game provides enough fuel for my neurons to think of things. Like...there's so much complexity to this.

Asra, I feel like, would be kind of paranoid in a way (in this context). The long trips are a half lie since he will still be watching over you while you're alone in the shop. This heavily stems from how the last time he left you, you kicked the bucket.

Plus, with the amnesia you have, Asra can literally tell you anything and you'd probably believe it. He can just straight up lie and tell himself that it's for your own good. You did have to relearn magic from him, so there are many possibilities that come with this.

Also, yeah, he still is very apprehensive in regards to Julian and definitely Lucio. It gets horrendously worse if Lucio is also a yandere that falls for you (I love Lucio too and that whole route with Asra just,,,if you know, you know,,,it sent me). Someone will get hurt.

Overall, Asra is kind of smothering, overprotective, and gently manipulative. You were a powerful magician before the plague, but everyone assumes you're his apprentice after being revived. As much as he dislikes seeing you as an apprentice (he hates when you call him Master, canonically), he sees this as a way to keep you close to him. Reliant on him. Safe with him. The world had taken you once before, but he will not allow it to take you again.

Basically just crank up his unhealthy traits. He's extremely self sacrificing when it comes to you. You are his top priority and possibly his reason to live.

[snobgoblin]

first week out of school- and my last week of work for the summer this week, actually. and it already feels so good to not be in school right now 😭 usually I would study before work but it was nice to just like. not do that

[iridescent-solstice]

The faint pulling of the curtain down below is what rouses your from your slumber.

The soft thuds of someone climbing up the stairs leading to yours and asra’s shared living space is what shakes the sleep right out of you. Wait? Could it be?

Asra’s home!!

Immediately, you leap out of bed. Despite your rush however, you dont forget to run a hand through your messy hair to make yourself presentable. Eager to see him, shoving the door to your bedroom open, you expect to see the familiar white tee with a colourful scarf lounging on your sofa . . . But thats not the sight that greets you

What does greet you . . . is a gingered haired gremlin named Julian. A wild julian has appeared. At his favourite habitat no less. The same hooligan, who at the moment is shifting through your fridge for snacks like he owns the place while grumbling to himself about something. Sighing you can’t help but facepalm. When will Asra learn to lock the backdoor properly?

[junoiscringe]

Vesuvia Weekly: "What Nobody Else Knows"

I usually don't post any fanworks on here, but!!! I came across an abandoned asra oneshot that I was writing a while ago that fit this prompt quite well! It's quite a short drabble, but I hope it's well received :3

I let out a satisfied hum and stretched my arms into the air above me. I revelled in the feeling of the warm sunlight on my closed eyelids, before willing myself into an upright position. I had been lying across the width of the bed with my legs hanging off the edge. Asra was leaning against the bed with their head resting between my thighs, surprisingly still awake despite the lack of conversation in the last fifteen minutes. He’d usually have nodded off in a situation like this. 

A hot, slow summer afternoon. Not many people had been milling around outside and we didn’t have any readings scheduled, so Asra and I closed the shop because, according to him, ‘It’s just too hot to sit behind a counter all day!’ So we dragged our bodies up the stairs to our room and sat on our bed instead. Or at least, I did. Asra decided they preferred the floor.

“Oh, you’re awake?” He tilted his head back to look at me, a soft smile on his face.

“I wasn’t sleeping.” I replied, reaching over to brush some hair away from his forehead.

His smile shifted into his tell-tale mischievous grin. “Are you sure? You seemed pretty asleep when I called your name five minutes ago.”

“I was ignoring you.” 

They let out a short laugh before returning to whatever they were doing on the floor. “Whatever you say, my love. I promise I believe you.”

I leaned forward to look over the edge of the bed and figure out what had kept him awake longer than me (okay, so I might have dozed off a little, so what?). He was hard at work knitting yet another sweater for Faust, while she curled up in his lap watching him.

Friend! Awake!

What an absolute angel. I love her. I should-

“Sorry, but no. She’s already had treats today. Way too many, actually.” 

Meanie!

“Yeah! What she said!”

Another short, airy laugh, but no reply. It seemed he was steadfast this time.

“How did you even know what I was thinking?”

They tilted their head to the side, knocking it against my right knee before answering the way they always did. “I’ve known you for a long time.”

But this time it hits a little harder. I don’t know, finding out you died and that your best friend and mentor literally gave half his heart to bring you back to life is a pretty world altering revelation. It made me feel a little guilty for not knowing him as well as he knows me. I mean, it made perfect sense when I thought about it. He knew me for years before I died and then had to teach me how to operate like a normal human being after being brought back to life, so of course he knew me inside and out. It made perfect sense. But…

“I’m sorry I don’t remember.”

They let out a dramatic sigh in response, shoulders heaving up and down. I could practically hear the pout in his voice when he replied, “It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s-”

I placed my hand over their mouth to hold back the rest of that sentence.

“Nope!” I stuck out my pinky finger towards him before continuing. “I won’t blame myself, if you won’t blame yourself, got it?”

He smiled before linking our pinkies together in a silent promise. “Seems like you know me quite well, too.”

[majulians-groupie]

♡ASKBOX OPEN♡

I finally have some free time and I am trying to come out of my writer's block.Feel free to make asks/requests for headcannons,fics and oneshots in my askbox/comments.🪷✨️🩷

[twosidesofthesameidiot]

Non binary Lancelot/Genderfliud Merlin >>>

[blue-little-angel]

HOPE YOUR DAY IS AS GREAT AS YOU ARE 💙

Lee: gn reader

Ler: Asra Alzanar

Tw: tickles, self indulgence extra and fluff

"You know, I really missed you, your laugh especially" Asra said with a sly grin. Before you could react, his hands snaked around your waist and began dancing deftly across your most ticklish spots.

"Noooo Asra, s-stop!" you squealed, dissolving into giggles immediately. But he was relentless, dragging his fingers lightly over your ribs and sides as you writhed helplessly in his arms. "P-please I c-can't breathe!"

Asra leaned in so his breath tickled your neck. "Hmm I don't know, I think my darling apprentice can take a bit more," he purred mischievously. You yelped as his other hand joined in the attack, moving up to target your underarms.

"A-Asra! M-mercy!" you gasped out between peals of laughter. He relented slightly, using the break to rain fluttering kisses along your neck instead. "You're so beautiful when you smile angel," he murmured, his voice like honey. "I just can't resist making you laugh."

You sighed blissfully, going limp in his embrace as the tickling subsided. But you knew Asra well - his playful nature was far from spent. Summoning the last of your willpower, you broke free of his grasp.

"My turn!" you declared, lunging forward with hands outstretched. Asra yelped in surprise and took off running, but you were hot on his heels, determined to give the great tickle master a taste of his own medicine. The shop echoed with joyous laughter and shrieks of mingled delight as your playful chase continued well into the night.

[dothegravitybounce]

and what if I replay the arcana???

[asraindarkness]

do have any fic to recommend?? im bored af too😂

do u like angst an AUs??

cuz i read first chapter of this fic by @h50europe today and i absolutely loved it. plot and whump are looking delicious and writing is grate actually (pls update soon 😭💕)

[mermaidchan05]

Vesuvia Weekly: The Curse of the Mold

For @vesuviaweekly 's "Allergies" prompt. Just some silly little headcanons for how Asra would help my apprentice Meleia with her allergies (and totally not based on my real-life experiences what are you talking about lol)

Meleia's allergies weren't always that bad. They were hardly prevalent.

At least, they wouldn't have been, in pretty much any city besides Vesuvia.

It took a lot of trial and error to figure out exactly what gave Meleia sniffles and a scratchy throat and that awful headache that always settled right behind the bridge of her nose on particularly rainy days.

Or on days where the mist was heavier than usual, and lingered longer.

As it turned out, she was allergic to a very specific type of mold.

The type that thrived in wet or misty conditions.

On the one hand, that certainly explained the problem.

But that knowledge did little to actually alleviate the symptoms.

Thankfully, Asra was on it.

Sometimes he brought some cures back from his travels, both in the form of actual medicines and local "home remedies."

Sometimes he wandered the market and came back with an assortment of things the vendors swore would work wonders.

Sometimes he concocted his own.

All these "cures" had... varying degrees of success.

At least Asra had some experience with helping headaches.

And he knew the perfect kind of tea to soothe Meleia's throat.

But there were some days when absolutely nothing seemed to help, and poor Meleia was just miserable.

And on those days, Asra had one last cure-all up his sleeve.

Snuggles.

All the snuggles.

These snuggles were often accompanied by snake squeezes from Faust

They didn't really cure her allergies, of course.

But they very much helped her feel better.

[beepboodle]

꥟𝐇𝐈.

���� 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭??✵

-𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 ✪

[anime-academia]

On the topic: There, Their, and They're

There - referring to location

I am going to meet my friend there.

Their - plural possessive

This is their cat.

They're - contraction of "they are"

They're going to the shop.

[into-the-daniverse]

Muriel Route Rewrite | The Lovers

In which, Alec is led out of the city by a mysterious wolf, meeting an even more mysterious man who needs her help, even if he won’t admit it.

Next Part

5.8k words

Alec woke up feeling no more rested than before and after tossing and turning in her bed for the better half of an hour, decided that she might as well begin her search for the day. Faust was nowhere to be found as she got ready, but she wasn’t worried. Asra’s familiar was more than capable of keeping herself safe and entertained while Alec made the trek back to their shop alone.

The sun was still slowly rising, the dew not yet dry as she walked through the streets back home. Very few people were out, which was good—she didn’t feel like talking much at all, or interacting with anyone if she didn’t absolutely have to. After the day before… well, she didn’t remember all of it, but it had drained her.

As she approached the shop, she sighed. She hoped Julian had been telling the truth yesterday when he said he wouldn’t be returning to her shop, but she wasn’t completely convinced that she wouldn’t find him rummaging through her cupboards once she opened the front door. She could still feel the magical protection charms around the shop, which was good, at least.

But when she put her hand on the door to unlock it, it swung open.

Frozen, she stared hard at the door. Right next to where her hand had touched it, there was a horrible smear of blood, and gouges in the wood by the handle. It was like someone had broken in. But the protection charms were intact.

Fear trickled chillingly down her spine. Asra. He must have gotten hurt, and maybe that animal she saw him with before carried him here. Instantly, she ran inside, struggling to see in the dark shop, all of the curtains drawn.

“Asra?” She cried out for him, her voice choking as she took in the shop. Things were scattered about, chairs, clothes, cushions—there was even broken glass on the floor, but she was almost too preoccupied to notice that. The destruction led to the back room, but so did a trail of blood. She ran towards the room, heart pounding in her ears. “As!”

What greeted her in the middle of the room, eyes bright and yellow, pacing in front of the old couch, wasn’t Asra. It was a wolf. Alec stopped breathing. It was huge, and it was dripping blood onto the floor. She felt dizzy, wondering briefly how well she would fare if the wolf attacked.

Its body tensed, and so did hers. But when it opened its mouth, instead of a snarl came a mournful whine.

Alec blinked. The wolf whined again.

Finding herself able to breathe again, she slowly knelt down, holding her hands out towards the animal, palms up. “Hey,” she called out, voice soft. “Hey, sweetheart, are you hurt?” The wolf watched her, and she shook one of her wrists, bracelets chiming, and a small light appeared in her palm. It started to approach her, head down. When it got close enough, she ran her hand between its ears, petting it gently. “How’d you get here, hm?”

This close, she could see that the wolf itself wasn’t injured. Which added yet another question to the growing list in her mind. Whose blood was it? Why did it come here? The wolf was able to get inside the shop, however violently, without breaking the protection charms. Which meant… like Julian, this was someone Asra knew.

“Did you… are you looking for Asra?” The wolf perked up a little, tilting its head at her hopefully. She frowned, holding its chin. “Oh, I’m sorry, baby. He left a few days ago. He’s not here.”

Slumping down, the wolf whined, low and long. It looked dejected, confused. Lost. Alec stared down at it in her lap, her thoughts churning. It needed help. If not for the wolf exactly, it must be for someone it knew, someone Asra also knew. Again, her desire to help was stronger than her unease.

She shifted, lifting the wolf’s head up slightly. “It’s okay. I’ll help you. I’m a magician, too.” Her voice sounded much more confident than she felt, but it seemed to be enough for the wolf, who lit up, its tail thumping happily against the ground as it stood up again. It nudged her cheek and started walking to the front door. “Woah, hang on!”

Following it out of the shop, Alec grimaced as she thought about how much of a pain it would be to clean up the shop when she got back. For now, she just closed the door behind her, locking it as carefully as she could, and then took off down the street, where the wolf was already trotting along, checking every once in a while that she was still following.

Running felt exhilarating. She almost forgot why she was running, just enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair as she chased the wolf through the city. She wasn’t sure when the last time was that she got to run as hard as she was. It wasn’t until the wolf led her to the edge of the forest outside the city that she came to a hard stop.

Chest heaving, she looked at the dark trees apprehensively. She’d never come this far before, at least, as far as she could remember. And it was so dark… she wasn’t sure she’d be able to see once she stepped into the shadows. Anxiety washed over her, and she suddenly wondered if she was doing the right thing.

Then a low whine came from the trees, and the wolf poked its head back out, giving her the same mournful eyes from before. She sighed. “I’m coming, baby.”

Swallowing down her nerves, she took the last few steps into the forest, glancing back over her shoulder at the last moment before being engulfed in shadows.

With the pace the wolf led and the intensity of the terrain, Alec didn’t have any opportunity to light the way, focusing all of her efforts on just trying not to trip or twist her ankle in the thick undergrowth. At least that was what she told herself. There was a pricking feeling at the back of her mind that made her feel like someone was watching her, or looking for her. Drawing any more attention to herself than her already less-than-graceful steps through the forest did felt like a bad idea.

Just when she thought she lost sight of the wolf completely, she stepped into a small clearing, the wolf next to her, hackles raised. The sunlight filtered through the leaves just enough that she could actually see around her, and she felt her breath catch at the sight. Much like the destruction wrought on her shop, but even worse, the clearing was in tatters, dirt and grass strewn about, tree branches cracked, and trunks split—as if a fight had taken place. And the smell of blood was almost nauseating, coming from a large figure in the center of the clearing.

The wolf broke from her side, bounding over to the figure. Once it moved, Alec could see that it was two figures, a larger man hunched protectively over something smaller that she couldn’t make out yet.

“Inanna…? What are you doing here? Get away!”

Alec flinched at the gruffness of the man’s voice, but the wolf wasn’t deterred, and started nudging at him for a moment before huffing and looking back at her. She felt her body freeze as the hood fell from his face, and his angry, piercing green glare settled on her.

“You.”

She almost didn’t even hear him recognize her, too distracted by the blood covering him, his face, his clothes. There was a serious gash on his forehead, still weeping blood, and as she watched, Inanna—the wolf, she figured—started trying to lick it clean.

“Oh.” She exhaled, the sight of blood and the taste of it in the air overtaking her senses. It felt… familiar, but she didn’t know why, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Instead, she took a few hesitant steps towards the man. “You’re hurt.”

His gaze hardened even more. “Don’t touch me.”

She stopped, holding her hands out towards him, palms up, like she had with Inanna. “I won’t,” she whispered. “I… what happened to you?”

He relaxed a little when she stopped advancing, but tensed up again when she asked what happened. When he didn’t answer right away, she looked past him, at whatever he was crouched over, and realized he was draped over another unmoving creature. Noticing her gaze, he slowly drew back from it, allowing her to see that it was a deer. Or something like a deer. She wasn’t entirely sure, due to the feathers that trailed down its back, meeting two dull, ragged wings. Inching closer, she was able to see that where its heart should have been, there was instead a great gaping cavern, torn open by rough claws.

Her hands flew to her mouth, a cold shiver passing through her body. Whatever it was, it was something precious. She could feel the forest around her mourning, and her own eyes watered.

The man scowled, leaning back over the creature, his cloak covering it from her view again. “Leave. You’re not needed here.”

She wasn’t sure what took hold of her to answer: “but I am. She brought me here. I… I’m not Asra, I’m sorry. But I can help.” Slowly, she stepped towards him again. “Please.”

He eyed her warily, frowning as the wolf whined at his side. “I can manage on my own.” There was a flash of pain in his eyes, and she bit her lip. Around them, an eerie howl echoed through the air, and everything in Alec’s body told her to run, to get away from the clearing and the forest. But she stood her ground, kneeling down to look up at the man.

“You’ll get home faster if I help. Please, let me.” She was almost begging with him, but she couldn’t leave him alone, not knowing that he was someone Asra knew.

A number of emotions warred over his face, too quickly for her to name any of them. But after an agonizing pause, he relented, his shoulders slumping just enough for her to know he had given in. “Fine.”

He stood on swaying feet, and almost tumbled back down, but Alec rushed to his side, supporting him with her shoulder. He tensed, and she was almost afraid he’d pull away completely, but after a moment he relaxed again.

“…This way.”

As they stumbled through the trees, Alec felt like the forest was closing in on them, making it harder to see and even breathe. The mourning from before was replaced with something else, something foreboding that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. When a branch snapped in front of them, she gasped.

The man stopped; eyes wide. “He’s back.” Inanna growled from just in front of both of them, her fur bristled.

Alec almost didn’t even want to ask. “Who…?”

The man didn’t reply, just let out a low growl as he stepped in front of her, eyes scanning the path ahead. Around them, a wind picked up a flurry of leaves, swirling them up in the air like a tornado. In the middle, a figure appeared, snarling at them from the shadows. It lunged toward them, moving to strike, and Alec moved without thinking, putting herself between the man and the figure. She stomped her feet on the ground, and countered the wind with her own, whipping around them in a protective barrier. Her arms outstretched, she grunted as the figure pushed back, but with one more burst of magic from somewhere deep inside her, she sent it flying into the shadows again.

Shrieking, the creature readied another attack. “You can’t run from me forever!”

She wasn’t going to be able to push back against the next attack, she was sure. Before she could worry about what to do, the man grabbed her hand and started tugging her away.

“This way, hurry.”

She tried not to think about the blood staining her hand and just held onto his for dear life, Inanna running alongside her. Her eyes caught on a charm dangling in the branches of a tree; one of Asra’s charms. She had watched him make it. The charm signaled the beginning of a path, and as she looked over her shoulder, the figure chasing them lurched to a painful stop once it reached the path. Writhing in rage, the figure let out one more horrible scream that echoed through Alec’s bones as they continued to run, leaving it behind.

Alec felt a small bit of relief as they reached another small clearing, but the weight of the man now leaning on her made it so she couldn’t relax just yet. Inanna led her forward to a hut that she had no time to look over, only stumbling inside once the door was open, breathing heavy as the door swung shut behind them.

****

Struggling to catch her breath, she helped the man to the ground, where he let out a low groan of pain, leaning his head against the wall. Anxious, she looked him over, her hands still outstretched and trembling. Cracking his eyes open, he summoned a deep breath to speak.

“…Thank you. Now go away.”

She blinked. Go… back outside? When that thing was still out there? How would she make it back to the city without it catching her?

Inanna nudged her leg, shocking Alec out of her spiraling thoughts, and she watched as the wolf sat pointedly in front of the door, anchoring herself in place. She let out a small laugh, and heard the man grumble from next to her.

“Fine. Stay until you catch your breath. Then leave.”

Nodding, Alec slid down the wall next to Inanna, burying her hands and face in the wolf’s soft fur. There was something painfully familiar and comforting about the feeling of being enveloped in her fur, and Alec let out a shaking breath, feeling her body start to slowly calm down.

When she could speak again, she peeked out from Inanna’s fur to look at the man again. “Um… what was that thing chasing us?”

“No one.” His answer came quickly and in a gruff voice. Alec knew he wasn’t going to give her any more information, but just that information surprised her. He said no one. So that thing, that creature, it was someone, once.

Quietly, she pulled her head up a little more, and Inanna settled into her lap. She looked around the hut for the first time since coming inside. It was simple and warm, a fireplace crackling in the far corner. The hut seemed to have only the barest of necessities, very different from her crowded shop, but somehow it still felt comfortable. Like home. She sighed softly. It must be from the protection charms. Asra’s charms. The ones that saved them.

Glancing back at the man, she watched his chest rise and fall, breath stuttering in his lungs, clearly still in pain. Biting her lip, she spoke again. “What’s your name?”

“Why?” The way he looked at her made her feel like she should be afraid of him. But she wasn’t. Maybe because he had helped her, or because he was clearly Asra’s friend.

“So… I know what to call you.”

“Just don’t call me anything.”

Alec frowned; her eyebrows knit together. “I could just call you Asra’s big, weird friend in the woods, but I’d rather not.”

A surprised snort escaped the man, and just as quickly as she heard it, he groaned in pain again. She waited, and once the pain seemed to pass, he looked over at her again from under his dark shaggy hair. “…Muriel.”

She nodded. “Hello, Muriel. I’m Alec.”

He almost rolled his eyes. “I know who you are.”

Anxiety shot through Alec’s heart again, and she gripped Inanna’s fur tightly in her fingers. “Oh.” No wonder he didn’t seem to like her. She must have known him before her accident and now… even a man living alone in the woods would have heard about her memory loss, she assumed. “I’m… sorry. I don’t remember you.”

“Good. You shouldn’t.”

She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Before she could respond, he stood up, clearly done talking. Where he was sitting, there was a small pool of blood, and Alec gasped, shooting upright. Inanna whined as she was disrupted from Alec’s lap, and Muriel flinched, looking startled.

“W-we need to get you fixed up.”

“I can do it myself.” Muriel started to pull away, but Alec held her hands out in front of her.

“No! Let me help you, please.”

He stared at her, and Alec was afraid he’d refuse her again, afraid she’d have to try and make him let her help. But then, he sighed, shoulders slumping. “Fine. I’ll get the supplies.” He tried to push himself away from the wall, but stumbled. Alec caught him, her arms around his waist, shoulder propping him up.

Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look up at him. “I said I’d help. That means you need to take it easy.”

His body felt stiff under her touch, but he didn’t argue, and she led him to a small stool to sit on while she searched the hut for any supplies to use. After finding a bucket of water and a clean rag, she went back over to him, kneeling in front of him as she soaked the rag and held it up to his skin.

He pulled back. “What are you doing?”

“I have to clean the blood off of you to see what we’re dealing with.” When he tried to take the rag from her, she frowned, pulling it away from his reach. “What did I just say before? You need to take it easy.”

Mirroring her frown, he grumbled at her. “I can do it.”

She held his glare this time, and shook her head. “No, you can’t. Now, sit still. The sooner I can get this done, the better.”

His frown didn’t waver, but he relaxed slightly, and turned his head away. Gently, she slid the cloak from his shoulders. He shivered then forced himself still, staring at the wall and ignoring her, his blush reaching down to his shoulders. She decided to push forward, carefully wiping his skin clean.

She bit back a gasp as the blood was wiped away, his skin covered in scars. Many of them seemed to be years old, deep, not properly healed. Worrying her lip as she continued to pass the rag over his skin, she thought about her own scars, the dozen or so of which she had no idea where they came from. Where had his scars come from?

What happened to him?

As she placed her hand over a knotted mass of scar tissue, she could feel how tense he was under her touch. With most of his skin clean, she could see that he thankfully wasn’t seriously wounded; there was just a single deep wound on his side. She continued to clean, but spoke softly.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

Startled, Muriel turned his head to look at her, and she could see in his eyes that he was calculating what to say to her. Eventually, he settled on a quiet, “I know.”

Questions pressed at the roof of her mouth, begging to be released. But she was afraid he wouldn’t answer, even more afraid that he’d push her away and she wouldn’t be able to help him. So, instead she just swallowed them down and continued to clean the blood away from the wound.

This time, he seemed less tense, and she could feel him watching her as she finished cleaning his skin. But when she sat back to study him and make sure she hadn’t missed anything, he was staring down at the wound on his side, upset.

“Is it bothering you?” That was a dumb question to ask, she thought, as soon as it left her mouth. Of course, the open wound was bothering him.

His eyes flickered to hers, clearly fighting with himself on whether to humor her or not. But she wasn’t expecting him to sigh and nod. “It’s… going to scar.”

“You don’t like your scars.” It was more of a statement than a question, a familiar ache tugging at her chest.

Shoulders tensed; Muriel went quiet. For a moment, Alec was ready to accept that she had overstepped, and he didn’t want to talk about it, or anything, with her anymore. But then he answered, his gaze hard at the ground. “They scare people.”

Alec set the rag down in the bucket, reaching out to place her hand on the knotted scar she paused on before. “They don’t scare me.” He looked up at her, frowning, and she pulled her hand back. “I just… I mean… Scars don’t make someone scary. But I get not liking them. I hate my own.”

Confusion showed on his face before he could hide it. “Your… own?”

She nodded, and put her hand over her side, just under her rib cage. “I have a lot of them, but this one… It looks like something I should have died from. But someone saved me. Or maybe I did it myself. I don’t know.” She sighed. “And that’s the problem. I don’t know. Scars… they tell a story on everyone. But I don’t know my own story. And I hate it.”

Muriel didn’t answer her, and when she looked back up at him, his gaze was dark and distant, like he was remembering something unpleasant. She waited, but when it seemed like he wasn’t going to add anything else to the conversation, she sighed, feeling a little embarrassed by her confession.

“I’m… um, I’m going to close the wound now.”

Only once he nodded did she move to put her hand over the wound. She closed her eyes, and tried to even out her breathing. Asra had taught her to patch small wounds and scrapes as soon as she got her magic back, in case he was gone one day and she was injured, but this was bigger than anything she had practiced on before. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she could do it, especially without him.

But then she thought about the scar on her side. If she had healed that herself, that meant that she was still capable of doing it. Asra was always telling her to trust her magic to come to the surface on its own instead of trying to pull it up, and she trusted him.

She focused all of her energy into healing the wound on Muriel’s side, and heard him let out a low groan as the skin stitched itself together. Her eyes fluttered open, and she hesitantly pulled her hand from his side, only to see the wound healed, just a pale scar in its place.

“I did it,” she breathed, relief flooding over her. No sooner had the words left her lips than she was falling forward, into Muriel’s chest. She felt his hands on her shoulders, steadying her, but she was already slipping from pure exhaustion. The last thing she saw was his face, green eyes wide with concern, and then she fell into a deep sleep.

****

Alec woke up slowly, feeling disoriented. The ceiling above her wasn’t from her room in the shop, or any room in the shop, for that matter, and it wasn’t the ceiling of the palace either. Groaning, she sat up, and jumped as a wolf padded over to her, tail wagging.

Hesitantly, she reached out to pat its head, and it huffed happily, plopping into her lap. That, at least, was familiar. She remembered going to her shop, finding the wolf covered in blood, following it into the forest, and then… what happened then?

As she continued to wake up, she noticed a giant figure on the other side of the hut, and her heart started to race. With the weight of the wolf on her lap, she couldn’t move. But the wolf wasn’t reacting in any way to the man as he turned towards her, holding a plate of what looked like eggs, with a guilty look on his face.

“You’re awake.”

She swallowed, panic rising. “Um… wh-who…?”

He frowned, setting the plate down on a small table. Rummaging around a small shelf, he pulled out a satchel of herbs, and walked over to her, arm outstretched. Slowly, she took it from him, holding it to her chest. The scent of myrrh started to clear her senses, and she took a deep breath, feeling as if a fog was lifted from her brain.

Immediately, she remembered everything. Her eyes flew open. “Muriel?”

He nodded, turning back to sit at the table.

“I forgot you. I-I’m sorry, it’s never happened like that before—”

“It wasn’t your fault.” He sighed, as if it pained him to explain. “It’s a spell. People look away from me, and they forget.”

A shiver went down Alec’s spine. She had never heard of that kind of spell. For a moment, she was elated. There was a spell that might solve all of her problems of being recognized. But her joy was quickly erased by the feeling of emptiness that she was all too familiar with. Clutching the satchel, she looked up at him, worried. “Will it happen again?”

“Not if you keep that pouch on you. The myrrh helps.”

“Oh, good.” She relaxed, and started to gently pry her legs from under Inanna, who grumbled in her sleep as she was moved. “I… I don’t like forgetting things, or people.” As she made her way to join him at the table, she gave him a small, teasing smile. “Even big, weird friends of Asra.”

He blushed, and Alec couldn’t bite back a giggle. “What—I—you know what, I changed my mind. You can’t have any eggs. Go away.”

With no real threat in his voice, Alec shifted closer to him, and finally looked at the plate of eggs in front of her. “You made these for me?” He only blushed deeper, glancing pointedly away from her. She smiled, pulling the plate across the table to start eating.

As she ate, she looked around the hut again, trying to make sure it was committed to memory. It was a curious place, and Muriel was a curious man. Out here alone, with just Inanna and the forest for company. Well, and Asra, she supposed. She wondered how many times Asra had visited him in the past few years. Maybe that was why he didn’t like her, maybe Asra hadn’t been coming around to visit Muriel because he was busy watching over Alec. That thought made her stomach twist uncomfortably, and she paused in her eating, looking at him.

He startled when he caught her staring, frowning at her. “What.”

She shrugged, setting her fork down. “I want to know more about you.”

“Why?”

“Because. You’re Asra’s friend. And because you’re the first person I’ve been able to talk to like this in…” She hesitated, thinking back to how anxious she was at the palace. She had appreciated the company of Portia, but there was an awful feeling of being out of place that hung over her head while she was there. Not here. She felt safe here. “…well, a while.”

He seemed to relax just a little, his eyes studying her. His voice was just as gruff as ever when he spoke. “What kind of things do you want to know?”

Alec hadn’t actually expected him to agree. “What… um, what’s your favorite color?”

He stared blankly at her. “What.”

“Your favorite color. What is it?” She leaned forward a little, tugging at her dupatta. “Mine is pink. Or gold. I have a hard time choosing.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Oh, come on. Everyone has one.” She sat back, narrowing her eyes at him. “It doesn’t even have to be your favorite, just a color that you gravitate towards.”

“I don’t have one,” he repeated, but Alec waited. He stared furiously at the wall for a few long moments, before finally admitting, “green. It’s… okay, I guess.”

She smiled, leaning back towards him. “Green is a lovely color. I think it suits you.”

“Whatever.” His cheeks flushed, and her smile only grew.

“Do you have… a favorite flower?”

Much to her surprise, a small smile graced Muriel’s lips at the question, before she could even offer her own answer. He nodded slowly and retrieved a tiny, delicate flower from a pouch on his waist. It was dried and pressed, and a pale periwinkle color. He held it carefully between his fingers and gazed at it with something close to fondness glimmering in his mossy eyes before holding it out to Alec, placing it in the palm of her hand.

Gently, she traced the edge of her nail over the petals, studying it closely. “Forget-me-nots?”

“They feel….” He shook his head as he searched for the word, before finally coming up short. “I don’t know, I just like them.”

He took the flower back before she could look at it any longer, but she just nodded. “I get it. I like the bird of paradise flowers, but there aren’t ever any here, in Vesuvia. I’ve only ever seen them in books… that I remember anyway. But they feel… familiar.” She glanced up at him, giving him an embarrassed smile. “It’s weird, I guess.”

He didn’t answer, watching her with the same distant and slightly sad look from before.

She toyed with her fork for a moment before deciding to ask her last question. “Are you… alone out here?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely?” She couldn’t imagine being alone like he was and enjoying it. Every time Asra left, she would feel unimaginably lonely, like she wasn’t meant to be on her own that way.

Unsurprisingly, he shook his head. “No. Besides.” She caught the glimpse of annoyance in his eyes. “You’re here right now. So, I’m not alone.”

“Oh.” She glanced down at the table, her cheeks burning. “I… I can leave if you want.”

He was quiet, and she thought he was going to agree. Then he sighed. “You don’t need to do that.” Surprised, she looked up at him, and he flustered, looking away from her. “Finish your eggs.”

A small smile tugged at her lips, and she turned back to her plate. That was when she realized that Muriel didn’t have any food for himself, just watching her eat. “Did you… give me your eggs?”

He flushed deeper, and frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “I take it back. Don’t you have anything more important to do or something?”

She was about to laugh when she remembered that he was right. Her face went pale and she stood up, pushing away from the table. “Julian. I’m supposed to be looking for Ju—Dr. Devorak.”

“Him…?” Muriel frowned, standing up as well. “Why are you looking for him?”

The tone of his face made her pause, and she wrung her hands in front of her anxiously. “Well, the Countess… um, Nadia, she wanted me to question him. About the murder of Count Lucio.”

“What would he know about that?”

“Wh—he confessed. To killing the Count? We’re trying to find out if it’s true.”

Muriel let out a sound like a snort, and her eyes widened. “What an idiot. He confessed to something he didn’t do.”

Alec’s stomach swooped, first in relief and then in dread. “What do you mean?”

“He was locked up in the dungeons that entire night. He couldn’t have killed Lucio.”

“What?” She sat back down, legs feeling weak. “But if he didn’t… who did? He was our only lead, he confessed. Who could have killed the Count?”

He shrugged, looking down at her. “I don’t know. Go into the forest and ask him.”

Alec’s voice sounded far away when she spoke. “I… I don’t understand.”

“That… thing, in the woods. The creature that attacked us. That’s all that’s left of Lucio.”

That creature… was Lucio? Now that she wasn’t running for her life, Alec thought back to the creature, to its horrid appearance. A twisted, goatlike thing, that reminded her too much of the discomforting painting in Nadia’s dining hall. And red eyes that glowed like hot coals, no, like a roaring fire. Her head hurt, and she winced, pressing a hand to her forehead.

“Th-that’s Lucio? How?”

Muriel reached out towards her hesitantly, then stopped. “... I don’t know. I don’t know what happened to him. But if he’s dead, he’s doing a bad job.”

Another time, Alec might have laughed at that. But she couldn’t shake the awful sense of foreboding off of her shoulders, the prickling feeling on her spine. If that really was the Count, he had been existing in that form for the last three years. And he was angry. She believed in vengeful spirits, wholeheartedly, she just never expected to be on the other end of one’s vengeance.

Slowly, she rose to her feet again. “We need to tell Nadia everything. Everything about Julian, and about Lucio’s ghost.”

Muriel made no attempt to move, looking very much like he’d rather sink into the floor and cease to exist. “You’d better get going then.”

“No, Muriel, please.” Alec walked around the table, closer to him, but he backed up. “You’re a witness, I need you to come with me and talk to her.”

The frown on his dace only deepened. “I didn’t ask to be.”

I didn’t ask for any of this, she wanted to say, but all that came out of her mouth was a gasp before the door of the hut flung open, a figure panting heavily.

Alec’s heart soared when she realized who it was; Asra, looking very worried and disheveled. “Muriel, I need your help—our shop—”

Before he even finished speaking Alec was running over to him, wrapping him in a warm hug. “Asra!” She buried her face in his shoulder, fighting back tears as she held him.

“Allie! You’re alright.” He hugged her back quickly before pulling away to look between her and Muriel. “When I saw the blood in the shop I thought… but how did you get here?”

She glanced back at Muriel, and then frowned at Asra. “I think you have more explaining to do than I do right now.”

He sighed, shutting the door behind him. “I suppose you’re right.”