#heartsong festival

[saintunhinged]

Gifts of Love

asra x reader. requested by - @/ 🐇 anon.

word count 1.7k

summary : asra recieves gifts from his partner, you, for the heartsong festival. you recieve something just as thoughtful.

“Perfect.” You stand back to admire your surprise. Asra was still sleeping which gave you the opportunity to put small decorations around your shared room. It was a difficult task moving around while he was in the same room as you, but you ultimately managed to. You were proud of what you were able to accomplish.

Peeking through the sheer curtain was a stream of sunlight shining on Asra���s golden skin, making his features all the more beautiful. A smile gradually stretched across your face, and  you initiated the final part of your plan: waking him up. Your eyes slid closed as you focused on creating corporeal phantasms of butterflies and bright flower petals that soon fluttered over his body.

Indiscernibly, Asra groggily twitches awake. His tired face shifts from weariness to confusion, then his sight lands on you. “What’s this?” He opens his hand allowing the petals to fall into his palm. They brighten, then burst with a cloud of purple smoke upon contact. “Are you doing this?” He avidly inquires.

The urge to grin is suppressed as you proudly nod. Asra is unable to keep from showing his admiration. He smiles softly, his tender gaze staring intently into your eyes. “Of course, you did. You never fail to amaze me.”

You reach beside the bed, retrieving a woven basket decorated in carnations, marigolds, and columbine. Inside are neatly folded pieces of paper, and tucked to the side is a loaf of pumpkin bread wrapped in a linen cloth from your favorite baker in town. Alongside it was a small box concealing another gift inside.

“What are these?” He asks, rummaging through the tons of paper. He then picks up one, eyeing it with curiosity. 

You shrug, feigning ignorance. “Open it and find out.”

He does just that. “Free hugs on demand?” He reads in confusion.

As he goes through the rest, unfolding them, reading them, and then setting them aside, you use the time to explain what they are. “Think of them like tickets you get to cash in whenever. You can use any one at any point in time and by my given word I must see it through.”

“Don’t I get these anyway?” He playfully teases, a roguish glint in his eyes. He leans in dangerously close, so close you feel the warmth of his breath against your mouth.

You decide to play into his game. “Hmm, I don’t think so.” You dare to inch closer, feeling the featherlight touch of his lips on yours.

“These,” he starts, exaggeratedly waving the paper back and forth. “Say otherwise, my love.” Though he tries to maintain a straight face, a smile of mischief peeks through, letting you know he’s already having fun with the gift that left him in a favorable position. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take full advantage of this?”

“I’m hoping you do.”

“Then I choose to use this one now.” He doesn’t bother showing the “ticket” to you. Instead, his lips are on yours in a split second. It’s a chaste kiss that warms you from head to toe. Just as the previous phantasms did, the rest glow, then dispel into varicolored clouds of smoke. When he pulls away, you feel compelled to follow.

“One free kiss isn’t enough. Surely you wouldn’t mind another.” Asra goes in for another one, but you press a finger to his soft lips and shake your head.

“There’s something else in there for you.” You say, pushing the basket closer to him. Asra digs around until he pulls out a small, black box. A smile grows on his face when he opens it. Inside sits a necklace and a pendant filled with white fog. “It’s an alistiope, almost like a frame of mind sensor. Each color reflects how I’m feeling at the moment. If I’m ever in trouble, you’ll know.”

He removes it and holds it at eye level, regarding the object with newfound wonder. The fog immediately changes from white to cardinal pink. His fingers trace the intricate carvings on the pendant’s cage in awe. “It’s beautiful. What does this color mean now?”

You lift the cushion from the bottom of the box and recover a card. There’s a list of colors with denotations beside them. It elaborates on colors mixing and their meanings, along with solid ones. “Intimacy, passion, and security.” He speaks those three words, then silence follows. His gaze speaks emotions even words cannot.

Your fingers run through his loose curls, then you hook the necklace around his neck. When you’re finished, Asra presses an affectionate kiss on the tip of your nose. “Thank you. I’ll wear it every second of every day.”

Last but not least, he takes interest in the pumpkin bread. He pushes his nose into the cloth, inhaling the spices. “I can’t wait to taste this, but it’ll have to wait. I have something for you, too. Come with me.” He seizes your hand and both of you make your way down the stairs to the main area of the shop. He leads you to the counter where a potted bonsai tree sits. “I know it’s kind of big, but we can find somewhere for it.” He states, unknowingly to you, he purposely belittles the importance of the tree. He stands behind you, one hand resting on your waist as the other rotates the pot.

Taped to the thick trunk is an envelope. You raise your eyebrow and cock your head to the side. “A note? I can only imagine what it says.” When you reach for it, you come to learn of the hole the paper once hid. Asra is quiet while he patiently watches you tear the envelope open. You can hardly contain your excitement as you unfold the paper.

INSTRUCTIONS OF CARE

DOB. 11.26    Sex. M

Feed twice a day.

Requires a lot of attention (but leave enough for asra!).

Through habitat cleaning twice a month.

Eats fruit, sap, insects...

The more you read, the more you realize these aren’t exactly the typical instructions for caring for a tree. When you reach the last line, you read: Look inside the tree. You waste no time setting the paper on the counter and bend down to peek inside. You’re met with a pair of eyes surrounded by fur peering back at you. “Oh, my Gods, Asra what is it?” You curiously ask, angling your head every which way to get a better glimpse of the creature.

“It’s a pygmy marmoset. Your familiar.” His statement take you by surprise. You stare at him, still processing the words that sound foreign to your ears. Your familiar.

You’re muddled with the information dropped on you. “But I thought my familiar had to choose me?” Sure, you would have loved nothing more than to have your own magical companion, but was it right for you.

Asra was quick to reassure you. “He did. I found him weeks ago. Despite all the things I was wearing that day, he was only interested in this.” He steps away to retrieve his satchel from the hook by the door. He fishes inside, pulling out your green emerald necklace infused with his magic and yours. “It was the one thing that didn’t belong to me. It was your magic he answered to.”

You take a second to mull over his revelation. Hearing it only makes the reality of it more real for you. You can’t explain the feeling, but at your core, you know it’s true. Your attention flickers between him and the animal, then you slowly break into a huge smile. “This is the best thing ever, thank you!” You throw your arms around him, pulling him into a bone–crushing hug.

“I don’t know if I’ll make it out of this hug alive. Then again, I can’t think of a better way to go.” He teases, but returns your embrace with equal vigor, nonetheless.

When you part, he reaches behind the counter to retrieve a clear canister filled with a light, amber colored substance, too thick to be the honey it resembled. “Here. It’s sap from a maple tree I collected a while ago. It should lure him out.”

All too eager, you screw the lid off and set the sap beneath the hole, and gently coax the marmoset out of hiding. He happily obliges, leaping from and to empty spaces on the counter. When his body is revealed, you find yourself cooing at it. “I’ve never seen anything cuter. Asra look! I didn’t know they made diapers this size.” You enthusiastically express, but his eyes are glued to you the whole time. 

His elbows sit on the flat counter surface as he rests his head in his hands. “Neither have I.”

Pride shines in his violet eyes, watching you interact with the small animal. A doting expression plays over his face, and his fondness and affection for you is blatantly clear. “I’m glad I was able to do this for you. Seeing you like this, happy, makes me happy.” He adoringly affirms, filling your heart with an overwhelming warmth.

There’s no denying how loved Asra manages to make you feel even after all this time. “Being with you is enough to make me happy. This is just a bonus.” You motion to where your marmoset is head deep in the jar of sap and smile to yourself. “Does he have a name?”

He shakes his head, white strands of hair brush against his forehead. “I thought you could name him. Over a cup of tea, perhaps?” A low growl comes from his stomach and his cheeks flush red. “And maybe pumpkin bread.” He bashfully adds.

You both stare at each other incrediously before simultaneously succumbing to a fit of laughter. “Of couse, love.”

You were amazed to learn how much of a mess a small, but very energetic animal could make. When night came, Asra insisted on creating a ward around its temporary habitat until you formed a bond strong enough for establishing rules with it.

The two of you lie in bed, his arms hold you against his heated skin as you listen to the soothing cadences of his heartbeat. There’s a comforting silence in the night lulling you to sleep. Neither of you require words to know his heart beats for you as does yours for him. It’s a delightful feeling that only strengthens your unbounded affection for him. “I love you.” It’s a phrase that has become second nature for you.

You feel his lips caress the crown of your head. “I know.” He amorously utters softly. “And I love you, too.”

[alotsgonnachange]

Spruced up an old sketch when i realized what day it is 😱

Heartsong(?is that what it’s called?) is her busiest day so she is open for business alllllll day. The sales she makes are more than enough for her to take a long vacation right after. It’s also a good way for her to do some clearance. During this time, she’ll incorporate a lot more visual magic and glamour up her shop so that the decor is in pinks and reds and there are small hearts on the packaging and littered throughout the store.

Regardless of your relationship status, buy yourself a little something special 😈

Happy valentine’s day yalllll

[snobgoblin]

you know. Asra gave Danny a necklace the same color as their eyes (which i borrowed from the Heartsong Festival tale) but he's just wearing a blue one. I wonder if he has any green jewelry to represent Muriel... or red for Danny

[digital-darling-arcana]

💕The Heartsong Festival💕

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! (I’m not late at all)

So I got thinking what if in the Heartsong festival tale, Nymph was one of the characters you can interact with?

So that’s what I did!

They choreographed a dance for you! What will you give them in return?

Bonus fake screenshots with my friends MCs

Full:

[sweetestlittledarling]

A Date With Disaster

Rating: PG ish

Warnings: Talk of past bulling around gender (Nothing too extreme I just didn't want to trigger anyone).

Summary: One Heartsong Day Festival, Lark remembers a bully.

Note: Written for @vesuviaweekly's prompt, 'Date with Disaster'

“How you hanging in there big guy?”

              Muriel let out a non-committal sound as he continued to lean against the back wall took another drink of his black maid. He had come a long way since his days of being a complete hermit, but he wouldn’t say he was completely ready to be amongst the ‘city folk’ either, still more often than not enjoying the solitude of the woods over the noisy city streets. His partner, Lark, however, was much more a sociable kind of bird. He had many skills that Muriel clearly lacked, like keeping up a conversation or dancing without falling over his own feet. He was also very good at convincing Muriel to get outside his comfort zone once and a while, like going to Nadia’s Heartsong day party (even if Muriel still spent a good chunk of his time keeping to the quiet parts of the room and only allowing Lark to pull him into a few dances). He couldn’t help smiling a little as Lark leaned against him, head resting on his bicep.

              “I got to say I’m happy you came with me,” Lark mused, “I think it’s a better party with you here.”

              Out of the corner of his eye Muriel could see the gentle smile on Lark’s face and knew it to be a good one. Lark had the habit of putting on a show for other people, but Muriel was always happy to see when Lark was actually content. “I am glad I came to,” he admitted.

              “Even when you have to be in same room with Julian all night?”

              Muriel couldn’t help the roll of his eyes. Though he had come to accept the doctor’s involvement in their lives (especially given that he was currently engaged to Lark’s twin sister which kind of bonded the four of them for life it would seem), he still had yet to fully understand or accept the man as a person. Julian was a loud giraffe of a man who Muriel could only take in small doses at times. Still, he could put up with it for a bit, at least for Lark’s sake. “As long as he doesn’t try to get me to dance again, we’ll be just fine.”

              Lark laughed as he slipped his hand into Muriel’s. “Don’t worry, if he tries to, I’ll sick Sparrow on him as a distraction.”

              Muriel gave Lark’s hand a little squeeze as he smiled again. He really did like Sparrow, she was like a calmer cattier Lark.

              “Is that one of the songbirds I spy?” an elderly voice said from nearby.

              “Good evening Mrs. Bander,” Lark said. Muriel couldn’t help but notice how Lark stood a little straighter and his smile grew a little brighter as he addressed the old lady. Clearly a client of the magic shop.

              Mrs. Bander smiled at them in return, fixing her glasses on her face to get a good look at them. “It’s good to see you both out and about on this holiday, especially you Muriel! I’m glad Lark managed to get you come celebrate with us.”

              Muriel nodded in answer, knowing full well that if he hadn’t wanted to come Lark would have respected that. Lark didn’t force Muriel to go anywhere, which was an important part of their relationship. Lark squeezed his hand in a sign Muriel took to be support.

              “Muriel is here because he wanted to come,” Lark explained, “he’s not exactly the social butterfly but he likes to be out amongst his friends from time to time. Though I’m thinking it’s almost time for us to head home before we turn into pumpkins.”

              Muriel couldn’t help but snort at the idea.

              “Aw, that’s too bad,” Bander said, again shifting her glasses with an old shaky hand, “I can’t remember the last time I saw you with a date at one of these functions Lark.”

              “Well dating was more of Sparrow’s kind of thing really. I just enjoy the party.”

              “Indeed, your sister always had quite a full dance card. Though I do remember there being one young lady, what was her name? Alice?”

              At the mention of the name, Muriel felt Lark tense, his grip on Muriel’s bigger hand growing tight. Muriel frowned as Lark’s smile was no longer happy. Lark had never mentioned Alice before, and Muriel was starting to suspect there was a reason why.

              “Yeah, Alice and I dated a while ago,” Lark said, his voice wavering very faintly though Muriel was able to detect it. “I think she and her family moved away though.”

              “Oh yes, now I remember! You had some trouble with her brother, didn’t you? He had a name starting with the letter M. Now what was it?”

              “Malcolm,” Lark answered, his smile quickly fading as Muriel could see the distinct signs of a body in fight or flight mode. The reaction to the name Alice had been hard but this one was worse. He was about to step in when the Bander spoke again.

              “Malcolm! Right! I remember that funny little nickname he used to call you! It was Larky!”

              Lark’s eyes grew wide as his entire body seemed to freeze. His breathing became quicker as he let go of Muriel’s hand, back towards the nearby doors like a scared deer. Muriel’s mind and heart told him to do something, but he was in shock, never having seen Lark react like this. Usually, the younger man could brush off anything but this- “I…I have…I have to go, excuse me!” Lark stammered before darting out the door.

              “Was it something I said?” Bander asked.

              Muriel didn’t answer as he was moving quickly after his partner. The doors in      question led out the patio overlooking the garden, and in Muriel’s mind he was in a state of panic. He had rarely seen such a reaction from Lark and in all honesty, it scared him. What could make Lark so upset? Why hadn’t Lark stayed with him? The questions rolled around in his head as he searched around the long patio until, in a shady corner in the far back, Muriel spotted the smaller man. Lark was seated with his knees against his chest, his face hidden from view. The sight of him made Muriel’s heart ache but Muriel had to take a moment before approaching to calm himself. He took a deep breath, knowing if he walked over in panic, then he would be no help. He still felt bad, but Lark needed calm. Once he had taken a few deep breaths he walked over, saying nothing as he sat next to Lark, close enough to let Lark know he was there but far enough for the younger man to have space. Muriel put his hand beside Lark, palm up as an invitation. It took a bit but then Lark sighed and laid his hand in Muriel’s.

              “I’m sorry,” the songbird sighed.

              “You don’t have to apologize for being upset.”

              “But I thought…” Lark sighed again as he lifted his head, showing Muriel his wet eyes. “I thought I was over it. I thought I had moved on. I thought he couldn’t’ t get to me anymore.” Lark scoffed in annoyance. “He’s not even here and he still makes me feel like this!”

              “Malcolm?” The clear flinch that followed answered Muriel’s               question better than any words. He opened his arms, again saying nothing but Lark seemed to understand as minutes later he slipped into them, pressed up against Muriel’s said, one hand still holding onto Muriel’s. For a moment they just sat there, both safe in the shadows of the moonlit garden. Muriel gave Lark time before he spoke. “You don’t have to tell me, but if you want to, I am here.”

              Lark sniffled a little. “I know. It happened a long time ago, about the time I was deciding about how I was going to present myself. I mean gender wise. I had just figured out how I wanted to cut my hair and how I wanted to dress, and I was actually starting to feel confident. I was feeling more like myself. In that time, I met Alice, a nice girl who worked at a café.” Lark couldn’t help the little smile. “You probably would have liked her. She was a funny, gentle, and great cook. She was my first girlfriend and my last really.”

              “She sounds…nice,” Muriel agreed with a nod.

              “Yeah, but she had this brother, Malcolm.” Lark shivered at the mention of his name and Muriel pulled him in closer. “He was a jerk! That’s probably too nice a word but the other ones I can think of aren’t exactly appropriate.”

              Muriel nodded, thinking of a few choice names of his own.

              “He made my teenage life horrible! He was the worst bully I ever had! He figured out all my insecurities and used them all against me, including my gender. He even gave me that horrible nickname, Larky. I hate that name! I hate it!”

              “It’s okay,” Muriel assured him, leaning his head on top of Lark’s. “No one will call you that again.”

              “Yeah, that’s what Sparrow said as well, after she punched him in the nose.”

              “Sparrow punched him?”

              Lark laughed a little as he nodded. “Yeah, the only guy she ever knocked flat. She was so mad when she found out what Malcolm was doing that, she marched right up to him and punched him. No bully ever tried to pick on me after that one.”

              Muriel smiled. Yep, he definitely liked Sparrow.

              “Hey,” Lark said as lifted his head from Muriel’s shoulder, his gentle smile returning, “Thank you for listening. I guess I wasn’t over all this as I thought I was.”

              “You know you never have to hide being sad from anyone, especially me.”

              “Yeah, I know. And now that it’s really out in the open I think it will be easier to confess with this stuff really bugs me, especially when I have you here to listen.”

              “Always,” Muriel said, kissing Lark’s head gently.

              They remained there, just sitting and enjoying each other’s company for a long moment before Lark untangled himself. Standing he held out his hand to Muriel with a smile. “I’m feeling a little partied out, how about we go home and make some tea.”

              Muriel smiled a bit more. “Sounds good to me.”

…

Author Notes:

-I confess I wrote this one a couple of times, including when I was not feeling well so I hope it came out okay

-Originally, I was going to write this about Sparrow and her dating history, but I was still coming up with the long list (having a laugh as I thought about a Scott Pilgrim AU).

-I have always debated about Lark calling Muriel ‘Big Guy’, but I think that Lark is the only one allowed to call him that. Of course, if Lark were asked to stop he would. Note anyone who knows Lark does not call him Larky (ever).

-I had a version of this where Malcolm actually appeared but it did not work quite right. It did have a funny scene of him becoming scared of Sparrow, however. Malcolm is the only person Sparrow has knocked out completely with one punch, gaining her the moniker ‘Guard Dog’ which she has mixed feelings about.

-I like to think that Muriel does like Julian, they are just very different people and sometimes just rub each other the wrong way (more so in Muriel’s case).

[b0ne-bunn]

It still makes me fucking mad that Asra didn't receive anything for the heartsong festival

[arsenicxarcana]

my headcanon for Lucio inexplicably allowed to be in the palace in heartsong is that he's actually imprisoned post portias upright (bc I don't think anyone else even has a gote besides his own route + portia)

and nadia is letting him have a lil party for enrichment, as much as she regrets it

at the end of the festival he'll go back to his cell (unlocked bc where else is he gonna go) with his crown and his gift and nadia won't have to deal with him until the next event

[aikoiya]

DP - Phantom Twins AU Masterlist

Something important I think should be put forth here. Danny & Dina are Monozygotic twins. See, there'd been a copying glitch in the formation of a male zygote making it XXY. So, when the zygotic split took place, it resulted in a male twin with XY & a female twin with XX.

This makes them one of very, very few examples of identical twins of the opposite sex at birth. Evidently, it's a one in 1,000 chance, but then again, so was the possibility of Danny walking into a portal & prat falling out as a half-ghost.

Main Story:

Meeting Dina Phantom 1

Meeting Dina Phantom 2

Meeting Dina Phantom - Alternate Ending

Info:

Dina Phantom's Powers

Felicia Hartzog

Date at the Heartsong Cafe

A/B/O Scents & Dynamics (Mature)

Phantom Fusion

Art:

Dina Phantom

Dina Phantom's Formal

Dina's Everyday Wardrobe

Dina's Festive Wardrobe

Diana's Diadem & Ring of Waves

Prompts:

Dani Reborn

Never Knew AU

Beauty & the Beast

A Wish for Youth

Teen Rivals AU

The Deal (NSFW MDNI):

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Crossover Focus:

DPxDnD - Halfas of Exandria

DPxHP - Wands & Spells

DPxDC - The Bat

DPxAtLA - Spirit Monarchs

DPxMHA - Ghosts in Musutafu

DPxDB - Death Comes For All Eventually

Other DP Masterlists:

DP Character HC Masterlist

Ghost Zone Masterlist

DP Ask AU Masterlist

Other Important Masterlists:

Aikoiya's Writing Tips Masterlist

[bakuliwrites]

Day Two- Portia Devorak

500 Follower Event, 30 Day Writing Prompts Prompt: Parchment, Toothsome, Bergamot, Portia (The Arcana) Pairing: Portia x Reader Tags: Fluff, Soft kisses, letters from Julian, Pepi! Word Count: 760

Portia lets out a soft sigh as she leans against you, resting her head on your shoulder, copper curls spilling out of her headband. It’s always nice when she lets her hair down, giving you an excuse to run your fingers through her ringlets and waves. You tilt your head ever so slightly to the side, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to the top of her head. Bergamot and honey fill your nose, sweet and floral. Quiet moments like this are ones you will cherish until the end of your days. Sitting on the porch with your beloved Portia, her fingers intertwined with yours, soft exhales mingling with the sound of twittering birds and Pepi’s gentle purring nearby. The sun sinks low on the horizon, painting the sky in swathes of orange and pink. After your long day of running the shop and Portia’s hectic one working at the palace, nothing beats coming home and sitting peacefully in one another’s company.

“Good day today?” you manage to mumble, eyelids drooping. Between Portia’s warmth and the tranquility of her cottage, you could easily fall asleep right where you are. 

“Pretty good,” she returns, stifling a yawn as she settles further into you, “I helped Nadia start planning for the Heartsong Festival.”

“That’s next week, right?” you confirm, perking up suddenly when you realize that you haven’t gotten anything for Portia yet. You wrack your brain for ideas: baking items, herbs, paint, and so on. Portia merely nods, this time giving into her yawn and wrapping an arm around you. Absently, you’ve been carding your fingers through her locks, but you pause when you hear Portia chuckle.

“Have a date for the festival yet?” she snickers, azure eyes peeking up at you through her cracked lids. You feign indecisiveness, pondering who you could possibly take with you to such a romantic festivity.

“I don’t know,” you teasingly start, “Can’t think of anyone I’d want to bring with me...” 

You trail off with a wink, dissolving into laughter when Portia giggles and exclaims, “Well, it better be me!” 

“Of course it’s you, Portia,” you twitter, cupping her rosy cheeks in your hands and pressing your lips featherlight to hers. She smiles against you, kiss after kiss sugary sweet. In the midst of your affection and laughter, a courier comes dashing up the dirt road, frantic and out of breath. 

“Letter for a Pasha Devorak!” he exclaims, passing off a roll of parchment to Portia, before giving a polite nod and hurrying off once again. Portia gives it a perplexed look, turning it over in her hands and examining the crimson string that holds it together. She pulls the string loose and unrolls it. The parchment unfurls with ease, opening up to reveal Julian’s practically illegible handwriting.

“Oh, it’s from Ilya!” Portia excitedly exclaims. You patiently watch as her eyes rapidly scan the letter, a small smile creeping onto her face with each word she absorbs. You try your best to read it on your own, but find it almost impossible to decode Julian’s messy penmanship.

“I’m glad you’re able to decipher that,” you chuckle, squinting at the doctor’s scrawling script one more time before giving up entirely. 

“He’s inviting us to join him for drinks at the Raven tonight,” Portia explains, glancing inquisitively in your direction, “Wanna go?” 

You nod, happy to spend some time with the good doctor. He’s always a riot and endlessly entertaining. And you know Portia loves quality time with her big brother. 

“Let me pull myself together a little,” Portia mutters, grabbing your hand as you offer to help her stand up, “Be back in a jiffy!” 

With this, she disappears inside, leaving you to enjoy the last moments of the sunset, now fading into purples and blues. Pepi chirrups next to you, bright eyes wide and tail flicking side to side. She eyes the little string that came with Julian’s letter before glancing knowingly back up at you. Chuckling to yourself, you give the feline a small pat on the head.

“Here you go, my toothsome friend,” you beam, passing off the string to her. She swats it out of your grasp, bounding off to enjoy her new toy in some peace and quiet. Just as the cat disappears around the corner, Portia emerges, wrapped in a beautiful, intricately woven shawl you’d gotten her at the winter market last year. 

“Ready?” she grins, reaching out to you. You take her hand in yours, giving her a small peck on the cheek before setting off, hand-in-hand, towards the city. 

A/N: I love writing for Portia and I don't do it nearly enough. She's such a fun, sweet character. I know I haven't been writing a ton of Arcana stuff lately, but I do plan to return to my long fanfic for it and maybe do a couple smaller things. Thank you for reading! Up next is Muriel from The Arcana!

[macabremayhem]

The role of music in «Nec Deus Intersit»

Our story begins with a scene of the concert, held by a mysterious unnamed singer. I — the author of the story, Lunatic Sun — have decided to leave this character nameless. The music is the most important thing here. But the singer has two very specific, well-defined prototypes, and the music isn't fictional either. Let me tell you a story about it.

There was a 2.000 word limitation for each story, so I needed to cut all the classical melodies descriptions short. I imagined that during the concert the singer would start with some lyrics at first, and then the orchestra would join him.

The first chapter of «Nec Deus Intersit» is dedicated to the memory of Klaus Nomi. I also added special thanks for the inspiration and gratitude to Jakub Józef Orliński. You may guess that these two personas and their voices are interwoven in the image of the fictional singer. I’ve wanted to pay tribute to the talents of both of them for a long time.

Klaus Nomi is noted to have a very tragic story and a huge talent. I'd love to think that in a world of the Arcana he would be perceived as a magnificent mysterious man, just like he was in his real life. I believe his talent was beloved even by such a demanding and old creature with an excellent taste in arts as Valdemar.

N.B.: I'm absolutely sure that Valdemar is completely charmed by the music. There is a mention of them singing as they leave the Dungeons in the Julian’s route.

If you'd like to learn more about Klaus Nomi's recordings and learn his story, you can visit his official channel or watch the documentary «The Nomi Song» (2004) by Andrew Horn.

Jakub Józef Orliński (Polish opera singer, countertenor) amazes with his vocal skills. Just like Klaus Nomi, he has a strong part of drama in his singing. You can find his official YouTube channel here.

***

And now let’s have a look at the music mentioned in the scenes, in the order of its appearance.

N.B.: I believe that Julian (looking to the Heartsong festival as a canon) with all his love for the opera wouldn't be able to stay untouched by this music.

Vivaldi: Il Giustino, RV 717, Act 1: "Vedrò con mio diletto" (Anastasis)

In my humble opinion, this particular performance of this Vivaldi’s aria is truly unsurpassed. Jakub Józef Orliński has a really strong emotional voice, and even if you are not familiar with the Italian language, there would be no language barrier at all. This is what I call a fabulous drama.

Vivaldi: Le quattro stagioni, Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "Winter" (L'inverno): Allegro non molto

The second piece is «Allegro non molto» from Vivaldi’s group of violin concertos «Four seasons». Surely it has been performed numerous times before, but my heart belongs to Anne-Sophie Mutter due to her energy and agility. In her version you can feel all the expressiveness Vivaldi put into his work. In my perception of the «Nec Deus Intersit» story this masterpiece should sound just like that.

Henry Purcell: King Arthur, Act 3, Scene 2. "What Power Art Thou?" (The Cold Song)

Let’s have a look at the piece that sounded after the intermission and that excited Julian so much.

It's «The Cold Song» from the semi-opera «King Arthur» by Henry Purcell. The Cold Genius sings this aria when his eternal peace is disturbed by Cupid.

It was Klaus Nomi who made this song — originally performed by basso voices — so popular with the countertenors. Countertenors, in my humble opinion, added more drama to this song. Moreover, it made it possible to rethink the image of the Cold incarnation itself — instead of the ancient elder, as it was in the opera, there is an ancient, immortal and sexless being who rejects this world and prefers eternal sleep in the ice.

Here you can find a revolutionary performance by Klaus Nomi (particularly dramatic if you know his story).

And here is a performance by Jakub Józef Orliński.

Hasse: Oratorio Sacro in Due Parti: Sanctus Petrus et Sancta Maria Magdalena. "Mea tormenta, properate"

Furthermore, in the next chapter Valdemar mentions the aria «Mea tormenta, properate» from the oratorio "Sanctus Petrus et Sancta Maria Magdalena" by Johann Adolph Hasse. Here again — a performance by Jakub Józef Orliński.

Valdemar pointed out that the message of this aria suits Julian perfectly. This is not accidental, if you have a look at the text:

Mea tormenta, properate,

Ubi sunt flagella et caedes, ubi sunt flagella et caedes?

Crucem quaero, crucem date

Volo mori, o Deus in te, volo mori, o Deus in te, o Deus in te…

(Translation)

My torments, hurry,

Where are the scourges and their lacerating teeth?

I want to be crucified, crucify me,

I want to die; oh God, in you I want to die.

How would the entire concert sound? Every time I imagine it a little bit differently, especially if I hear the perfect (in my humble opinion) performance of some classical pieces. The concert may include "Adagio from concerto №3 in D minor, BWV 974" and "Sarabande" by George Frederick Handel, "From beyond" and "Death" by Klaus Nomi, "Music for a while" by Henry Purcell. But the works mentioned above are quite special and essential to this story. It was the music which was the main source of inspiration in some ways. So, if someone decides to listen to them, most likely, they will not regret.

I still pay my respects to Klaus Nomi and Jakub Józef Orliński.

art: Chilledoutbeast/LunaticSun (main line/back+colour)

[uncreativebean]

Asra: gives up half his heart and the ability to form emotional connections with people easily

During the Heartsong Festival

Asra: here's a necklace for you!! But you don't need to give me anything

CAN SOMEONE JUST LET ME GIVE ASRA SOMETHING??? He just gives and gives and doesn't take and I'm gonna cause a riot

[thearcanafanfan]

Apprenticember

DAY 1

Introduce your apprentice! Just their name, personality, appearance, and likes/dislikes for now! If you have pictures of them, post them today!

Name: Rigel Shaheed

Pronounce: He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality:

Rigel may appear cold and unapproachable, but he’s kind-hearted. He just puts up a lot of wall that one needs to break first before seeing a different side of him. 

He’d be clear with his actions and facial expressions though. You’d know right away if he’s okay with you, dislike you, uninterested, etc. He’s honest that way.

He’s quiet but he’s not shy nor an introvert. He just feel like something’s limiting him from speaking too much or acting too much. So when he speaks, at some point.. he’d feel odd and stop mid sentence. It was from before he was brought back to life where speaking and doing something drains his energy quick. 

Rigel’s a mischievous magician who uses his magic mostly for tricks and messing around with people whom he doesn’t like or the one who messed with him first. 

He can be quite stubborn at times. Once he made up his mind, there’s barely any chance to change his mind. Whatever the outcome may be, good or bad, he won’t regret what he did.

Likes:

Anything bitter. Hates anything sweet but Peach tarts are an exception.

Cooking

Reading. Any type. From folklore, fairytales, about magic, etc.

Learning new things; Recipes, art and crafts, languages, etc.

Travel the sea with Amara and Asra.

Singing in private. Playing the harp at the palace.

Winter season

Dislikes:

Sweets

Seeing someone eat seafood. ( For uh… for a reason. )

Doesn’t mind crowded places as long as no one invade his personal space.

He doesn’t like someone doing something dangerous for his sake.

Hearing unknown voices/hallucinating; not as worse now but it still happens.

Valerius and Lucio

Appearance:

Rigel’s height is 6′0. He has a lean and slightly muscular body. He has a dark blue-ish medium length curly hair. Has a fair skin tone and blue eyes. He also have sharp canine teeth.

Clothing:

Vests, soft and puffy type of clothing. Wears gloves almost all day, every day. Likes boots , mostly with heels. Always wearing his silver pendant and Asra’s Heartsong festival gift.

[the-iron-orchid]

Morgan can offer a Historical Drama Hand-Touch to Jinana if you're feeling so inclined (I lost my emojis)

[ V-Day Asks ]

A hundred small interactions take place during each of Jinana's days at the counter of The Scarab and Lotus. A smile, a kind word, a commiserating look - whether with a new customer or a longtime regular, these little exchanges are part of the flow of commerce, of the little social niceties that underpin a society. Sometimes these lead to the building of a friendship... or even to something more.

Morgan has been here before - it would be difficult to mistake that mane of curling hair. Under the shop lights, it shines a deep blue-green that puts hir in mind of the fathomless deep off the coast of some island of the imagination.

Jinana neatly packages the requested components, then reaches under the counter, bringing forth a little bag of cerise-colored mulberry paper, sealed with a bit of wax and the shop's eponymous logo. At Morgan's quizzical look, s/he explains: "Just a little something extra - my latest rose chai blend. We grow the roses ourselves, up in the rooftop garden. This time I've tried adding some roasted cacao nibs from Nopal. It just seems appropriate for the Heartsong Festival, doesn't it? I'd love to know what you think of it."

As Morgan reaches out to take the proffered bag, her fingertips brush against Jinana's own hennaed fingers, a brief but unexpectedly electric touch that causes both of them to briefly pause. Their eyes meet across the counter and the difference in their heights, and Morgan's lips curve in a slow smile as she curls her hand lightly around Jinana's.

Jinana gives her a certain look from under hir lashes, returning the smile as s/he relinquishes the bag of chai. This is a game s/he knows, one s/he enjoys. And why not - after all, it is the Heartsong Festival.

[bri-the-bi]

Apprenticember Days 1-3

I meant to start this yesterday because I missed day 1 bUT I passed the fuck out LET’S GO MOTHERFUCKERS

1. Introduce your apprentice! Just their name, personality, appearance, likes/dislikes for now! If you have pictures of them, post them today!

Delia Florgrande

The amnesiac apprentice with an affinity for sarcasm and trouble.

OTHER NAMES: Dels, Lia, Little Flower (by family)

PRONOUNS: She/her

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

BIRTHDAY: September 1st

ZODIAC: Virgo

MBTI: INFP

HEIGHT: 5′6

FURSONA: I want to say a phoenix for the same reason her familiar is a phoenix

MAGIC CAPABILITIES: Apparently, anything. Because she’s literally the fucking fool. She’s quite adept at healing and repairs, however, and prior to the plague, she had an affinity for air related magic as well.

•••

FAVORITE COLOR: Gold, like the edge of Elidi’s feathers (her familiar)

FAVORITE SEASON: Winter

FAVORITE FOOD: Selasi’s pumpkin bread

FAVORITE DRINK: Hot chocolate

FAVORITE FLOWER: Yellow foxglove (digitalis grandiflora)

FAVORITE FRUIT: Blackberries

FAVORITE STARBUCKS: Delia gets a hot chocolate and a cake pop. She’s not really a coffee girl.

•••

PERSONALITY: Delia is sarcastic and headstrong, with a penchant for snark and sarcasm. Despite being riddled with self-doubt, Delia has the great urge to prove herself, especially to Asra, and to prove she’s grown to take care of herself despite her... delicate condition three years prior.

For someone in customer service—or maybe because she’s in customer service—Delia has a remarkably short temper. She’s one to get pissed off easily, but clench her teeth and smile (albeit rather passive aggressively) through it. Delia is one to look at the big picture first before dealing with the little details or things that have already happened. Like Asra (and likely due to her amnesia), Delia can be rather disorganized at times, and frequently misplaces or forgets things.

•••

After all that, I wanna go into some detail about the origins of her character design (at least, that I picture for her in the game).

Delia’s heritage is based loosely off of my own, that being Latino and Southeast Asian (although Delia’s father is the Latino parent whereas my mom is Latina, and Delia’s mother is the equivalent of Southeast Asian like my dad).

Because of this, I wanted to incorporate traditional Thai and Dominican fashions in her character design, including a skirt similar to a pha nung and belt from Thailand’s traditional chut thai, and a top similar to the Dominican Republic’s traditional dress (all pictured below).

She has a purple pendant as a reference to the Heartsong Festival tale, as its my personal headcanon that the necklace Asra wears was originally hers and made to match her eyes-- so after her resurrection, he made one for her as well to match. 

Pictured below is an example of a modern version of Delia from my sims save because I can’t make CC to save my fucking life, and therefore can’t make a game accurate version of her.

•••

2. Who is their LI? What’s their relationship like?

More sims 4 because fuck you also I gave Asra non-binary nails in this outfit and I love them

Delia’s main LI is Asra! They are each other’s home, each other’s true north. When one is getting into trouble, the other is right there beside them (usually with Asra roping them both into trouble, although Delia rarely attempts to put a stop to it despite being the one with their Singular Shared Braincell most of the time). 

They often put their friendship before their relationship, supporting each other in nearly any endeavor. Asra usually helps to calm Delia’s short temper with light teasing and jokes, and Delia is often there to help Asra open up a little and more comfortably wear his heart on his sleeve.

Arguments are rare between the couple, partially because of Asra’s fear that another fight will lead to losing Delia again (not fun reminder that Asra and the apprentice’s last conversation before they died was a FIGHT. So. Have fun with that). Because of Asra trying to keep the peace at all times, Delia often has to remind Asra that it’s okay for them to argue or fight sometimes, and it’s okay for them to be mad at each other. Likewise, because while recovering Delia was always trying to prove to Asra (and herself) that she was capable and didn’t need him around to take care of her, Asra sometimes has to remind her that they know that she can take care of herself and she doesn’t always have to take everything on her shoulders to prove it or spite someone.

The two magicians bring out the best in each other, and always have each other to come home to. If there’s anyone Delia can depend on to be there for her (even if it’s just through water communication), it’s Asra.

•••

3. Give a short summary of their relationship to the other main characters!

NADIA SATRINAVA

Delia and Nadia are friends! I imagine they’re not as close as they’d like to be because Delia feels just slightly intimidated by Nadia, but they can definitely confide in each other and ask for each others’ advice on different topics.

JULIAN DEVORAK

Oh my god, this dramatic bastard. Delia attacked him when he first broke into her shop. She’s kinda exasperated with him at all times. While they’re not close, they are friends, and she likes attending whatever shows he’s in with Portia.

MURIEL

Delia wants to be closer to Muriel, since he’s Asra’s best friend. She prefers giving him space though. It’s kinda like trying to befriend a cat— if you want them to come close to you, you kinda have to ignore them or just casually exist in their presence. She’ll often come visit him with Asra, usually with food or something to thank him for letting them into his safe space when she knows he’s a hermit.

PORTIA

Portia and Delia are best friends. Delia gets palace gossip from Portia, Portia gets town gossip from Delia, and Delia often helps Portia practice magic when she’s out of her lessons with Asra’s parents. When they can, they often explore the palace to try and find other hidden passageways and stuff.

LUCIO

Lucio jailed the love of her life’s parents, leaving him an orphan, turned Muriel into his own personal executioner, and stole her body.

Yeah... Delia’s not too fond of him.

That being said, in another canon with my friends and all their apprentice MCs, Delia’s just kind of sick of Lucio’s shit. He does however, have a redemption arc in this AU (AU? Separate canon? I’m not sure how to refer to it) and is with one of her best friends, Aurelia ( @you-go-doe ‘s MC), so she can tolerate him. Not for very long though.

[villain-in-love]

My self ships vs Valentine’s Day

"Just Villain Things": Does Twisted Wonderland even have Valentine’s day? Does anyone in NRC actually give a shit? (Except for Rook, obviously) So it’s just another Wednesday for Jamil and Prefect that they may, however, use as an excuse to meet without anyone interrupting so they could just rest and complain.

"0200": First you need to explain to both Liang and Zero what exactly this Valentines Day is and why are they supposed to care. Then you get to observe them both making the most unimpressed expressions before saying that people surely invent a lot of stupid reasons to celebrate.

"Starry Night": Katerina doesn’t care about Heartsong festival, but just to make Portia happy, she agrees to go on a romantic night stroll by the beach, maybe taking a flask of wine with them for the mood. They end up discussing strategies of how they would take over the ships they pass by (just a thought exercise…).

"Fall - I'll Catch You": Simeon and Belial just send each other gifts and Belial gets a rare sense of relief that her relationship is long-distance, so she doesn’t have to really celebrate this useless holiday that Simeon for some reason finds amusing and endearing.

"Tragicomedy": Mortifera and Break were only waiting for the 14th of February so that they could go and buy lots of special edition chocolate and other sweets. The rest of the day is spent hiding from Sharon as to not get under the fire of her excitement.

"A Guide To Destroying The World": Usually Mukuro and Katrin ignore this holiday… But there was one instance when they were still living in Japan, when Mukuro tried to subtly hint that he would like to receive chocolate as a gift. “How about you eat normal food for once?” – with that words Katrin took him to a proper restaurant.

[snobgoblin]

that previous mini essay brought to you by me playing the heartsong festival story (its breaking my heart because Asra gives you a gift that will take the pain of a heartbreak away from you, should you need it) he would never break your heart. he just doesn't want you to hurt if someone else does