#auric x muriel

[arcanarubinaito]

First Kiss

Quick little Author’s Note!

I haven’t planned this far ahead for their story, so I’m winging it. Idk if this will stick or if I’ll change it, but I enjoyed writing it :>

Summary:

Auric and Muriel had spent months out in the Southern wilds alone together, and attended a masquerade ripped straight out of a fairytale, slept in the same bed together multiple times; yet they have yet to share their first kiss. Sometimes, things are just slow to happen—and that’s not always a bad thing.

Tags:

SFW (<18), 1.2k Words, Vesuvia Weekly, First Kiss, Muriel, Auric Alnazar, Apprentice OC, Original Character(s), Romantic Relationships, Muriel/Auric, Muriel/OC, Fluff

By now, Auric and Muriel were used to nights like this—huddled together in front of a fire, Inanna dozing at their feet while embers swirled within a smoky haze. He had long since adopted the habit of burrowing himself under his companion’s cloak to help conserve heat. It wasn’t necessary anymore now that they were back in a warmer climate. However, Muriel didn’t object to it and it seemed both of them needed that familiarity and comfort right then. The only thing missing was the sound of a whetstone scraping along the edge of a spear.

Their tent was tucked away from the rest of the encampment to give them some semblance of privacy. Being around crowds again was just so exhausting; the noise of other people alone made it hard for Auric to sleep. Muriel wasn’t faring much better, the shadows under his eyes deeper and more pronounced than usual. His gaze fixed upon the fire, the light reflected in amber against a deep, somber forest green. Muriel’s eyes always seemed to carry a sadness Auric could never hope to extinguish. Even with all the progress they’d made together, Muriel was still haunted by his demons in a way that wasn’t so easily shaken. In a way, Auric was too.

He must’ve been staring because Muriel’s distant gaze slid quickly away from the flames to focus on him. It was one of those rare times where he made eye contact and held it longer than a few fleeting seconds; and Auric couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. “Are you okay?” Muriel’s voice rumbled softly, just barely breaking the silence. His hand twitched towards Auric’s, loosely looping their pinkies together in a tentative request for contact. The apprentice was more than happy to oblige and he slid closer, wrapping both of his hands around Muriel’s outstretched one. They slowly laced their fingers together and Auric rested his head over the other’s shoulder. He then pulled Muriel’s cloak closer and pressed in against his companion’s side with a long-suffering sigh.

“I’m… tired.” He responded after several seconds of silence. “Mostly just tired.” Words were never rushed between them, something he’d grown to appreciate in moments like these. There were plenty of other emotions and troubles, but Auric didn’t care too much to try and sort through them right now. He began to drag his thumb slowly over Muriel’s knuckles and felt every little raised scar. Little nicks from working with his hands mingled with larger, older splits from various fights. It was only a small part of a larger tapestry that made up Muriel’s life, one that Auric had woven himself into.

They lapsed into silence again, though it was more comfortable than before. Muriel made a motion to lift his arm and Auric reluctantly let go so that he could wrap it around his shoulders and pull him in just a little closer. Through the bushes, they could see the lights in the camp slowly flicker out one-by-one as fires were extinguished and people began turning in for the night. Auric watched for a little longer before he spoke again. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly.

“No.” Muriel's answer came almost immediately. And why would he be? It was just one thing after another, and they didn’t have any room to breathe. To think. To feel anything other than urgency and stress, and stars above how Auric wanted to feel something else for a change. The hermit shifted his weight slightly to turn towards Auric, looking like he wanted to say something more. His mouth opened slightly, and after a few seconds of struggling the words finally slipped out. “But I’m glad you’re still here.” The fire crackled softly, throwing Muriel’s features into wild shapes and shadows. He was still looking directly at Auric, with the softest expression he’d ever seen on that man’s face. There was a little flutter in Auric’s heart, an emotion that he hadn’t felt before he met Muriel and yet it felt familiar in an aching sort of way. He’d been experiencing it a lot recently, and it was only after talking to Asra that he could put a name to it.

Auric had experienced crushes before, but he had never fallen in love. Not that he remembered, at least.

“I’m not planning on leaving any time soon.” He replied in a murmur.

Muriel’s hand slowly slid from Auric’s shoulders to carefully tuck some loose hair behind his ear. For a moment the man’s hand hovered with uncertainty before Auric slowly pressed his face into his palm. Relaxing, Muriel stroked his thumb gently along the scar that was cut into the smaller man’s cheek, one that had only recently healed over. “I still don’t really understand why.” Muriel’s voice was still just a soft, rumbling whisper. “… but I believe you.”

The apprentice’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Good.” He said quietly. Auric’s hands lifted, one wrapping over the hand Muriel held to his face, and the other reaching up to cup his in turn. His eyes briefly flickered down to Muriel’s lips, the rare, faint smile that creased them. Something about their proximity right now was electrifying, and all the worries and fears of the past few days began to melt away.

“Can I kiss you?”

The question fell from Auric’s lips, unbidden, and the effect it had on Muriel was monumental. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open, and slowly but surely a soft red began to overtake his features. It started in his cheeks and slowly spread out, to his ears and down his neck; then grew more intense, as the poor man began to stutter and stumble over his words. Eventually Muriel snapped his mouth shut, giving Auric a wide-eyed stare.

He nodded slowly, and Auric leaned in.

It was very hesitant at first, a soft and quick brush of lips against each other. When Muriel didn’t flinch or pull away, Auric braved something a little longer; and in response, his companion—no, his partner pulled him in closer. All the nights they’d shared together, curled up in one another’s arms for more than just shared warmth. All the times they’d held hands with entwined fingers, the laughter they shared, that loving warmth that had slowly grown in Muriel’s eyes over the weeks. They weren’t just companions, they were something far more by now. He slowly ran his fingers through Muriel’s hair, tangling them in the darker strands and being careful to not disturb the braids and ties in place. It wasn’t a desperate, lustful exchange; it was slow and gentle, cautious even. Not too unlike how their relationship had panned out up until this point.

Lifetimes passed in a few fleeting seconds, and they slowly pulled away from one another. He could still taste the mead lingering on Muriel’s lips from earlier that evening, mingled with citrus and spice. Muriel’s hand was still gently cradling Auric’s face, and his other hand was steady at the apprentice’s waist. “… I—uh… um… thank you.” The man mumbled in a slight daze, averting his gaze quickly. His blush seemed to deepen with a hint of embarrassment this time.

Before Auric could say anything back, Muriel leaned down to steal another quick kiss—and this time it was Auric who was left in a stunned and flustered stupor.

[rubinaitoart]

Having thoughts about an AU for Auric and Muriel’s story. Been drawing something for it too, maybe I’ll write a one-shot.

(Putting the ramble below the cut so I don’t clog up the tags with a long-ass post. Also: Spoilers for Muriel’s route + my fanfic. Not that I’ve published anything yet, it’s all sitting in drafts.)

But like… what if they never made their respective decisions to leave the environment that they were trapped in? For Muriel, that would be being Lucio’s gladiator and fighting in the colosseum. For Auric, it would be being in the palace and continuing following in his brother (Valerius)’s footsteps.

In this hypothetical scenario, Muriel would’ve never had to face Inanna in the colosseum. Which never would’ve spurred him to leave. And glancing at my timeline, this would roughly mean he’s been in the colosseum for about 6-8 years, by the time of the one-shot I would write for this.

Auric would probably become one of the Courtiers—or, rather, Courtier-adjacent. Like a Consul in training or something, filling in for Valerius when needed. He would’ve never run away and met Asra, and his own journey on figuring out his gender identity would’ve been almost entirely on his own.

I think the first time they would even see each other would be during a colosseum fight. Auric would be in the grandstand, in the area reserved for the courtiers, not really wanting to be there. I don’t think they would talk, but I do know Lucio would notice right away that Auric seems curious about Muriel and would set up a meeting between them. (Lucio kinda played the role of an annoying older brother/frenemy for Auric during his life in the palace, and there’s no reason as to why that wouldn’t continue in this AU.)

Romance between them would be… slow, given Muriel’s circumstances and headspace. And when I say slow I mean even slower than the slowburn fic I’m writing. The man isn’t in a good spot for any kind of relationship beyond maybe a tentative friendship. But when it does happen, it gives Muriel that final little push to say ‘fuck it, I’m running away’ just like he did with Inanna. He just happens to bring Auric with him so they can both escape their respective prisons and be somewhere nobody can find them. (Except Asra.)

Interestingly enough, this is also about the time Auric caught the plague in their canon storyline. I’m sure there’s something angsty I could do with that, I’m just too tired to think about it right now.

[arcanarubinaito]

MC & M6 Dynamics

Each section contains a mini-playlist with six songs. It’s followed by a general analysis of what I aimed for each playlist to convey when listened to.

A song they’ll sing to/with each other. (In Lucio’s case, specifically him to Auric.)

A song that summarizes the start of their relationship, post-death.

The dynamic from Auric’s POV.

The dynamic from the character’s POV.

An instrumental song that fits their current dynamic.

Bonus song.

Muriel’s playlist will have nine songs, in an attempt to encompass both where their dynamic is currently and where I aim to take it. I’ll show the pattern below using the numbers from above to show what each song is meant to represent.

(Present, first four songs)—2,3,4,5

(Future, last five songs)—1,3,4,5,6

Brothers.

It’s a term that both use without even needing to think about it. Family, siblings, so incredibly close that sometimes it takes Asra a moment to remember they weren’t always in each other’s lives.

Long before they lost half their heart, it already felt like it was missing. The experience forced a lot of their trauma and unresolved issues back into the forefront. They began retreating frequently once Auric was able to take care of himself, taking lengthy trips to get away from it all before it consumed them entirely.

Even without his memories, Auric still loved him. He looked up to him, depended on him. Frequently, Auric wondered if that was why Asra kept leaving—if Auric loved him too much and scared him away.

He stayed. Even when it was painful, sleeping all alone in the loft they shared. Auric stayed right where Asra left him, waiting for them to come back.

Can one still love when they feel so angry? Auric couldn’t figure it out. As time went on, the resentment would build up and all Auric would feel was guilt for it.

Love and care, soured by resentment and loneliness. Auric is finally pulling away, keeping things from Asra that he never did before. Asra wants to fix it, and they’re hoping to god it isn’t too late to do something.

Best friends; confidantes, even.

They knew each other before Auric died. They met at the wedding, and quickly figured out they had a bit in common. While they weren’t particularly close—they led very different lives and rarely had the chance to interact—they were still fond of one another.

When they met again, Nadia had been expected someone brighter and happier. That was who she met in her dreams after all. Instead, she was faced with an anxious, slightly irritable apprentice. And it felt horribly, horribly wrong.

She took extreme amounts of care to make sure Auric was comfortable at the palace. One of the smaller guest rooms, (mostly) practical outfits made from comfortable fabrics, she even incorporated foods into the menu that Portia recommended the average citizen of Vesuvia would enjoy.

Nadia found a unique confidante in Auric. It wasn't long before she confessed her memory loss, and now the two know they have something they share.

In many ways, they leaned on one another. For two people that felt lonely throughout the lives they remembered, there was nothing better than to encounter someone who knew how they felt.

Nadia wants to foster more trust between them. If ever Auric should need anything, Nadia will be right there for him to assist in whatever ways she can.

What else can they call themselves but family? Their relationship fluctuates, depending on their situation.

Meeting Julian for the first time was an… experience. But glimpses past Julian’s façade quickly revealed that he was desperate, not dangerous. Didn’t save him from getting smacked with a broom though.

Honestly the song dedicated to the start of their relationship is more or less just the vibes Julian gave off to Auric at first. Yes, it’s a Will Wood song. You can’t make a playlist without one, I don’t make the rules I just follow ‘em.

It would be a lie to say Julian didn’t have a healthy fear of Auric at first. That wasn’t what Auric intended, but he got a little intense and Julian didn’t know Auric well enough to realize that’s not how he is normally.

There’s a lot of running into each other because there’s a lot of following each other around. Auric tracked Julian down for the purposes of his investigation; Julian started following Auric around to make sure he didn’t run into trouble.

One thing they both could relate to is a longing for adventure and exploring. On top of that, the feeling that they had to stay behind for one reason or another, and in Julian’s case, the guilt that came from finally leaving and pursuing his interests.

These two keep each other in check. Both are impulsive and self-sacrificing; which means they’re perfect to keep each other from diving headfirst into something without thinking, or otherwise doing things they might regret. (Cough, cough, Julian nearly giving himself up to the guards so Auric could escape despite them both being in a very secure hiding place.)

Auric is yet another person Julian hopes can forgive him, for his past and for what he’s planning to do.

Best friends in that do everything together, giggling school girls talking about their crushes, going to the ends of the earth for each other kind of way.

They clicked faster than Auric did with Asra. Like the platonic version of falling in love at first sight. Auric found it incredibly easy to talk to Portia, and vice-versa.

See the thing is, they both love with their entire beings, absorb the stress of everyone and everything around them, and deal with it through borderline overworking themselves. It cancels out with each other. There’s no feeling like they have to prove themselves, and they can feel relaxed.

Auric hadn’t smiled like that in months. His cheeks hurt, his feet ached, but it was worth it to dance and let go of his stress for a couple hours with Portia.

It really just felt natural to talk to her. She was warm, sweet, and caring. Auric felt the most like himself, the most relaxed he had been in ages. That’s not to say he isn’t comfortable around the other M6, but they all carry stress or stressful situations with them that make it hard for him to really let go and unwind.

Boundless energy and curiosity. When Portia and Auric had the time, it was pursuing books in the library or exploring the secret passages. If their schedules didn’t line up, sometimes they’d use their time off to help each other out with whatever they were working on.

There is trust, but also secrets. And that is perfectly fine; they’ll tell each other in good time.

Once upon a time you could describe their relationship as friendly rivals. As a child, Auric often engaged in prank wars with the new Count.

Now they’ve become mortal enemies, their laughter and antics lost in the past. A small part of Lucio missed it, which spurred his actions a little; but whatever kindness and affection he might’ve had was swallowed up in anger and resentment during those three years.

Death was not kind. Or in Lucio’s case, the lack thereof. Three years allowed his anger and desperation to fester and rot, lashing out at anything that wandered into his abandoned wing.

Originally there was a sort of cat and mouse dynamic. It started when Auric first stepped foot into Lucio’s wing; taunting, chasing, even outright hurting Auric in his limited capacity. Auric didn’t remember him, which made it all the more frustrating for Lucio. Although slowly it became a point of interest.

Once he had his own body, his attention shifted away from Auric for a while. It returned swiftly once he completed his deals and he began to realize the little apprentice actually posed a threat. It’s at this point as well that Auric’s fear of Lucio transformed to full-fledged hatred. (Morga’s death was the catalyst.)

It didn’t help that The Devil and The Fool had their own issues going on, and that was beginning to influence things.

Blood will be shed because of their mutual hatred. But while Auric tries to keep it contained between them, Lucio frankly doesn’t give a fuck who gets caught in the crossfire.

They may have begun as strangers but they end up as partners.

Of course, the road to that point is long and slow when one can’t remember the other, and the other doesn’t like the first one.

Muriel barely knew Auric before he died. His opinion only really started forming after Auric’s resurrection; ‘The dead should stay dead.’ is what he told Asra. And he stood by it; he saw firsthand what trying to resurrect Auric did to them. And he saw the aftermath of it too, and how it changed his best friend.

The first time he properly met Auric post-resurrection, it was only because Asra needed someone to keep an eye on him the first time Asra took one of his trips. There wasn’t anything Auric did wrong in particular, but Muriel left with a sour taste in his mouth anyways.

Auric was afraid of him at first. The first several visits were like that; reactions of fear that never quite ebbed away. Muriel could deal with that, he was used to it. What really started to disturb him was when Auric began to slowly become more comfortable around him, despite the curse.

It’s not fear but it slowly developed into wariness. Muriel long discovered that his fear was not absent entirely; it remained attributed to whoever remembered him. And while Auric didn’t remember him entirely, something still did—something small, just under the surface. So whatever fear and anxiety Muriel was developing about the situation mimicked that.

Though to someone who lived a few years now with very limited fears, that was more than enough to trigger some avoidance and general distrust. Especially because he couldn’t control this; he had no say in whether or not Auric remembered him. And in that tiny, under-the-surface way, that was terrifying.

After this, he watched Auric only from a distance and very, very rarely would he interact with him. Warning him about the palace the morning Auric set out to see Nadia was the first time he had spoken to Auric in a good year.

… which was then subsequently followed by multiple interactions over the span of a week, and Auric’s slight recognition began to turn into vague familiarity.

To be honest, Auric was starting to freak out. He was insanely attuned to his own memory out of paranoia that he would lose it all over again; so it was very easy for him to notice all the missing ones. And it really didn’t help that they were cropping up more frequently.

Thankfully Asra returned and Muriel wasn’t needed anymore. And by the looks of things, Asra wasn’t going to leave for a while yet; good. Muriel wanted to put as much distance between himself, and Auric, and these weird feelings of slight fondness and concern as possible.

Asra asked him to stick around longer anyways. Auric was accepting only so much help from them, and they didn’t trust Julian to keep Auric safe and out of trouble either. Great, now he was stuck watching TWO people he didn’t like.

Muriel had to wonder just how much fortune hated him, for Auric to stumble across him that fateful evening in the forest. Sure, he was bleeding out from a gaping wound in his side and sure Auric unthinkingly healed him up and spent his magic reserves…

… and then they were traveling together…

… and getting to know each other…

… fuck.

Now he understood exactly what ‘butterflies’ meant. Now he knew a different kind of fear. Now he knew a different intensity to the fears he used to have.

His knee jerk instinct is to run away from it all when it gets too intense. But Auric didn’t really let him… which was surprising. And nice. Everything Auric did was surprising, mostly in good ways.

Whatever happens, they’re prepared to weather the storm together.

[arcanarubinaito]

Borrowing Clothes

This is rough, unedited, and kinda rushed! I’ll probably edit it later because there’s a lot of missing content, but I wanted to get the rough parts in before the deadline XD

For this Vesuvia Weekly prompt, I thought I’d indulge in a bit of writing that isn’t necessarily canon to Muriel and Auric’s story, but sweet nevertheless.

This takes place in what I’d call the “Heart Hunters/Tales Universe”, where it’s clear the routes haven’t taken place but there’s still a relationship between any given LI and the MC. Great for writing character dynamics and interactions, in a sort of nebulous adjacent setting without a clear storyline.

Summary:

It’s a cold day, and Auric wants to spend it bundled up with his favorite person.

Tags:

SFW (<18), 1.2k Words, Vesuvia Weekly, Borrowing Clothes, Muriel, Muriel of the Kokhuri, Auric Alnazar, Auric the Apprentice, Apprentice OC, Original Character(s), Romantic Relationship(s), Muriel/Auric, Muriel/OC, Fluff

It was an unusually cold day. Auric shivered as he made his way down the trail, gripping his shawl around him for what little warmth it could offer him. A basket was slung over one arm with a loaf of Selasi’s pumpkin bread wrapped in cheesecloth, a small bottle of black mead, and some smoked eel parcled off to the side. It was a rare treat to visit Muriel’s hut these days, so he figured it called for something special. A little something in exchange for how often Muriel had to come into the city just so they could see each other.

The shop kept him busy, but with any luck Auric would be able to rent the space out to someone else soon. He just needed the chance to discuss it with Asra first.

A gust of wind buffeted against Auric’s side, carrying with it the salty sea air and a few leaves that found purchase in his hair. With a huff, he swatted at the stray vegetation and tried to clear it all away and make himself look at least a little more presentable.

The door opened before Auric had the chance to even knock, Muriel’s massive form lurking in the doorway. He was wearing his cloak, a sign that he had been about to leave. Surprise flitted over Muriel’s features as they stared at one another, before the larger man shuffled awkwardly to the side to let him in. “I didn’t think you were coming today.” Muriel murmured, watching Auric step inside. He glanced out at the overcast sky, and Auric understood what he meant.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Auric replied, bustling over to the table to set the basket down. Inanna was stretched out by the fire, lazily swishing her tail back and forth as she watched both of them. Their eyes met for a moment before Inanna huffed softly and turned to rest her head lazily over her paws, closing her eyes. The apprentice smiled faintly before turning his attention back to unpacking the basket.

“You did…” Muriel pulled his cloak off, hanging it back up on the wall. He made his way over to where Auric stood, hesitating for a brief moment before wrapping his arms around the smaller man from behind. As always, the hug was as loose as possible; and as always, Auric rested one hand over Muriel’s arm and leaned back against him, guiding his arms to hold him a little closer. “It’s also cold.” The hermit murmured against the top of Auric’s head. “You’re cold.” There’s a brief pause before one of Muriel’s hands lifted, picking a stray leaf out of the apprentice’s hair.

Auric’s mouth twitched. He could tell Muriel’s eyes were fixed solely on the food he’d brought, and Auric carefully unwrapped the small packages. The smell of spices and eel wafted through the air, a very odd combination but not entirely unpleasant. “Ah, but I’m warm now.” Auric took one of Muriel’s hands and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. “I’m already forgetting how chilly it is outside.” Muriel grumbled softly in response before he pulled away to fetch the two plates and cups he owned.

“... are you staying tonight?” Muriel asked quietly, setting the wooden dishes out carefully. Auric cut a couple slices off the loaf, serving it and the eel onto both plates while Muriel uncorked the bottle and poured a bit of mead in both cups. While the question was worded one way, it meant another thing entirely; ‘I don’t want you walking home tonight in this weather.’

“I’d like to.” Auric reached across the table after they both sat down, and Muriel took his hand. Three soft squeezes; I love you. Muriel gave four more in return; I love you too.

-<>-

They slept in. Or well, Muriel slept in. Auric could never sleep too long once the sun was up, but he was more than content to rest in Muriel’s arms until he woke. He gazed out the window, taking in the swirling patterns of frost and light amount of snow that had settled in the clearing just outside. He snuggled in closer to Muriel, pulling the furs a little further over them. The fire had died down during the night, making the morning a bit chilly against his bare skin.

Muriel stirred a little, pulling Auric a little closer with a soft grumble. He pressed his face into the pillow with his mouth resting against the back of the apprentice’s head and his warm breath blew through Auric’s hair in soft huffs. A few minutes more, and Muriel’s eyes finally fluttered open with reluctance.

“Morning.” Auric brushed a soft kiss against Muriel’s cheek, taking quiet delight in the way the hermit’s cheeks reddened. He crossed his arms over Muriel’s chest and rested his head over them, idly tracing a heart over where Muriel’s beat.

The larger of the two men blinked the sleep out of his eyes, not yet sitting up. His hand lifted to brush some of Auric’s hair out of his face, curling the multicolored strands around his fingers loosely in an idle gesture of affection. “Morning.” Muriel’s voice rumbled, deep and croaky with early morning drowsiness. Auric could see the other’s lips curve slightly, a warm and sleepy smile.

It took a while for them to get up and moving, but Auric wasn’t in a rush. The shop was closed today and he didn’t have any errands to run until later that afternoon. There were plenty of little sleepy kisses exchanged between them until finally Muriel was awake enough to get up. They both shivered a little in the chilly morning air, and Muriel was quick to tuck the furs back around Auric until he could get the fire started again.

Breakfast was leftover pumpkin bread warmed by the fire, filling the hut with the scent of warm spices mixed with myrrh. They ate on the floor near the fire this time, Muriel listening as Auric rambled about his dreams.

When it finally came time for Auric to leave, Muriel gently grabbed his arm to stop him before he reached the door. In his other hand, the hermit held the scarf Auric bought him months ago. “Wait,” He murmured, draping it over Auric’s shoulders and fussing with it for a moment. “It’s still cold out.”

Auric was frozen for several seconds before he reached up to take his hands, his eyes shining softly. “Thank you.” He said softly, stretching up as far as he could to brush a kiss against Muriel’s cheek. The man’s face was flushed, his eyes focused on everything else but him for a little bit before he finally dragged his gaze to meet Auric’s.

“Just… bring it back when you visit next time.” Muriel mumbled, dipping down to brush a very brief kiss against Auric’s cheek in return. His hand reached out to open the door, the other pulling out of Auric’s grasp to grab his own cloak. “I’ll um… walk you to the city.” He added quietly.

The apprentice smiled, taking Muriel’s hand. With his other, he gently grasped onto the scarf wound around his neck and pulled it up to partially cover his face against the cold as they set out together.

[arcanarubinaito]

Have We Met Before?

Muriel’s curse will only work for so long on someone who truly wants to remember him.

(Part of a rough draft; unedited and full of comma splices.)

“Uh…” Auric looks down at Julian, who remains lifeless save for the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Blood covers them both at this point, staining Auric’s clothes and all over his hands. “I can explain.”

The stranger is silent for a long moment before they heave a drawn out sigh. Resigned for whatever reason, they move forward and hoist Julian up into their arms. “Don’t.” They mutter to Auric, before ducking through the shop door. Carefully, the figure rests Julian on the floor against the counter in a seated position. One large hand reaches up to draw their hood down, revealing an expression full of distaste and irritation.

Auric steps in after him, and closes the door with a soft click. The stranger straightens up and turns to face Auric, looming over him like a dark cloud. “Are you hurt?” He asks quietly, his voice rumbling deep in his chest like thunder. Auric blinks up at the imposing man, before shaking his head.

“No, I’m not.” Auric replies, studying the man for a moment. The feeling that he should know him continues to nag at the back of his mind, though faintly. “What’s your name?” The apprentice asks after a moment, holding his hand out towards the other. “I’m—”

“Auric.” The man’s green eyes flash with irritation. He barely glances at Auric’s hand, but makes no move to take it. “I know who you are.” There’s almost something huffy about the way he speaks, like someone who’s tired of repeating themselves. An awkward silence stretches out between them; Auric slowly withdraws his hand.

“Right…” Auric clears his throat and offers a bright smile, a strange sense of amusement bubbling up in his chest. “I’m sorry, have we met before?” He questions, moving towards the counter to grab some supplies. The other man’s eyes track him warily the entire time.

The stranger is silent, a slight twist to his mouth and a curled upper lip. He looks as though he’s debating something, thick brows furrowed together in thought. “… yes.” Comes the quiet reply, slow and tentative. Auric’s eyebrows lift in surprise as he pulls out some cloth bandages. The two lapse back into silence as he moves back to Julian’s side, lowering himself to inspect the wound.

[arcanarubinaito]

A Forgotten Friendship

NO LONGER CANON TO AURIC’S STORY Updated version coming soon!!

Auric and Muriel’s relationship before Auric’s death, and a rare argument about his resurrection.

(Auric and Muriel’s relationship is platonic at this point in time, but does develop into a romantic one post-resurrection.)

One of the few fights Muriel and Asra ever had was over Asra’s plan to resurrect Auric.

Muriel knew Auric from their shared time at the Lazaret. Muriel dug the graves there after he finally escaped the Colosseum, and Valdemar had Auric stationed at the Lazaret for… reasons. Auric vaguely recognized Muriel from the few times he had to go to the colosseum + Asra introduced them at least once, but they never interacted much. Still, he was a familiar face, so Auric interacted with him fairly frequently. They weren’t romantic at the time, just friends; but Auric became someone Muriel cared about.

And then Auric caught the plague. Asra was still out of town. Muriel couldn’t really do anything; but he made damn sure that Auric got an individual grave, instead of being tossed into one of the mass graves with the others. Not that it really mattered, in the end they had to dig up the bodies anyways and burn them.

Muriel grieved quietly. By the time Asra returned, he’d made his peace with the fact Auric was gone—there wasn’t much anyone could’ve done anyways. He tells Asra that Auric died. Life goes on.

Asra doesn’t take things well and Muriel watches as Asra slowly pulls away from him and buries himself in his new studies; and eventually Muriel asks Asra about it. Asra responds that he’s looking for a way to bring Auric back and Muriel’s blood runs cold; because yes, as much as he misses Auric, bringing him back from the dead? It’s unnatural and wrong; and there’s no guarantee it’ll bring Auric back right.

Auric was his friend too; so Muriel speaks up. It turns into a tense conversation, then an argument. It’s the closest Muriel’s ever gotten to raising his voice at Asra, and it’s the closest Asra’s gotten to raising their voice at Muriel. They never actually settle their argument; by the end of it, they just mutually agree to drop it and never bring it up again, and that’s that.

It’s why Muriel is so distant with Auric; it isn’t jealousy, it isn’t his natural introversion, it’s the fact that this thing looks like his friend, talks like his friend, acts like his friend. In almost every way that matters, Auric was brought back right; the problem is that every time he looks at Muriel, there’s no recognition. And he still knows that something is off about him, something is different and wrong even if everything supposedly went right.

[arcanarubinaito]

Blog Masterpost

Hello! My name is Rubin (he/him). This is my side blog dedicated to my personal The Arcana content; my main blog is @rubinaitoart. I’m currently writing a fanfiction series for my main Apprentice OC, Auric Alnazar; a lot of my rambles are going to be related to that instead of canon lol.

My mini-fic posts are going to change in appearance for a little while as I settle into the kind of aesthetic I want to work with. So far I’ve used custom-made tags using images, but they’re tedious to make.

Here’s a quick rundown of my interests in the fandom!

My favorite LI is Muriel, but I enjoy content for all six.

I really enjoy Villain!Lucio, however I also like his route.

Here is a list of the tags I use in my mini-fic/short story/creative writing posts.

Important Tags

(#arcanarubinaito) - All of my posts. (Non-Reblogged, aside from anything I’ve reblogged from my main account.)

(#auric the apprentice) - All content with my MC, Auric Alnazar.

(#auric x muriel) - All content involving Auric and Muriel.

(#my art) - All of my art posts.

(#rubin rambles) - All of my text posts.

(#rubin’s writing) - All of my creative writing posts.

(#incorrect quotes) - My incorrect quotes series.

Series - “Imperfect Relationships”

A series of posts dedicated to the relationship dynamics between the characters in “Fool’s Gold”.

Auric & Asra (Link)

Asra & Julian (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Writing

Ask Box Mini-Fic - Muriel x Extroverted MC (“Home”)

Headcanon #1 - Leech Barometer

Art

Reference - Auric the Apprentice

Muriel + Auric - Traveling Jokes

Reference - Auric Outfit Lineup #1

Julian + Auric - Breaking In

Muriel + Auric - First Date

Nadia + Auric - (WIP) At Her Request

Auric - (WIP) Scorching Echoes

Asra + Julian - Laughing At Mazelinka's

Muriel - Stopping At The Inn (Castlevania Edit)

Muriel - A Brief Respite (Castlevania Edit)

Vesuvia Weekly

Week 1 - MC/LI Dynamics

Week 2 - How It All Went Wrong

Week 3 - Borrowing Clothes

Week 4 - Cooking Class (Headcanon #2)

Week 17 - First Kiss

[arcanarubinaito]

May redraw this later.

Early on in their journey, Muriel occasionally cracks the odd dry joke (when he works up the courage, at least) just to see Auric laugh. He won’t admit it out loud but he really likes his smile…

[rubinaitoart]

First Date (Auric x Muriel) (UPDATED!)

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REBLOGGING IS POG!

Updated Muriel's nose, it's been bothering me for the past couple days.

They're so silly I love them <3

I had so much fun making this. I can't wait to write the scene this was made for.