#heloisa de rubalcaba

[nadiaportia]

A million and more thanks to the amazing Yana @bitcxes-n-cream for this truly beautiful piece!The wait was worth every single second!!!

Enjoy looking at the two elder Rubalcaba sisters!

To the left is Cibela de Rubalcaba, General of the Grand Army of Calpacia and soon Marquesa-to-be. The dress is inspired by Renaissance Spain fashion with the sleeves, as well as the chest plate that was traditionally worn by noblemen in the military. Despite not wearing her house’s colours, the coat of arms - a harpy eagle holding a viper in its fangs - is depicted on the armour, and the amethysts on the shoulder sleeves as well as the earrings a reference to the purple on their flags. Her decorative helmet would be in shape of a harpy eagle, while the one used in actual battle would be less ornamental and more practical.

On the left is Heloisa de Rubalcaba, who as a politician and courtier can be more extravagant in her dress choices, but the fashionably made-but-in-battle-most-likely-useless chest plate very much serves as a statement of wanting to be a warrior herself. Being aware of her lack of physical power. she gives it her own spin to accentuate her body (since her looks are something she’s very proud of). The cape is a variation of the one every courtier wears, with burgundy red indicating a relatively high rank - gold being the colour only worn by the Zaan aka the Emperor of Calpacia, purple for the former rank of highest adviser, the Vicezaan, burgundy red for the members of high council, black specifically for the members of the war council, to name a few.

[nadiaportia]

POV: A certain politician puts on a bit of a show for you off the records; you are welcome to look but not touch until she allows you to.

The lovely Natalija @cherrygirl666 drew this commission of my resident Evil Gay MILF-adjacent OC, or, as she's more commonly known, Heloisa de Rubalcaba. Nat, you are, as always, a joy to work with, dedicated to the max and I adore how you bring my characters to life. Thank you so much! 💗💜💙

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All the thanks from the depth of my soul to @aircane for these truly BEAUTIFUL portraits of my main babies and eternal loves of my life! So have Ximena, Heloisa, Cibela, Deirdra and Sayelle delivering some looks. ❤️

Nate managed the capture their personalities so well and made them look stunning as well, the colors are amazing and, without exaggeration, the style has me in awe. Hit him up, he‘s a joy and pours his heart into the art he creates! 🤗

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It’s been way too long since I gave any visuals of some of my characters, and here’s a premiere for one of them! A gazillion thanks to @missrabbitart , who poured out her immense talents into this. Go commission her, her style is amazing and she’s a great person!

So, enjoy some Ximena & Heloisa having a good time and Deirdra & Sayelle posing and exchanging some Lewks.

[nadiaportia]

Heloisa de Rubalcaba

The charismatic aristocrat with a taste for ambition.

Other bios: Sayelle | Deirdra | Ximena | Cibela

Full name: Heloisa María Dolores de Rubalcaba y Saavedra

Meaning of name: 

Heloisa: German variant of Héloïse which means “famed warrior”

María Dolores: Spanish name for Mary of the Sorrows

Family: 

Cibela de Rubalcaba and Ximena Rubalcaba: Heloisa’s sister, Cibela the older and Ximena the younger one. Being the middle child, she spent the most time with Cibela but after the latter left Calpacia, she was around for most of Ximena’s childhood. She has genuine affection for Ximena and certain begrudging respect for Cibela despite their differences but also sees them as rivals of whom she feels intense jealousy.

Marisol de Rubalcaba: Her mother ani d the former Marquesa de Rubalcaba. Marisol was rather distant towards her younger daughters but would try to be an affectionate mother towards them. Heloisa looked up to her mother and constantly tried to win her affections, even went as far as trying to emmulate her, while also resenting her for holding favouritism for Cibela.

Valentín Saavedra: Heloisa’s late father and a sea-faring merchant prince from the higher Cartagense bourgeoisie. Like his wife, Valentín favored his eldest daughter yet tried to encourage all of his daughters’ ambitions and work. Heloisa remains bitter to this day for her father not giving her the same amount of love like her older sister.

Esmerelda de Rubalcaba: The matriarch in-all-but-name of the Rubalcaba family, Marisol’s older sister and Heloisa’s aunt. Esmé holds immense favouritism for Heloisa and was of help to her in her rise at court, yet she’s not above manipulating her niece for her own ends. Heloisa feels torn between wanting to please her aunt and overthrow her. 

Aníbal Heßling de Cordovero: Cibela’s husband and Heloisa’s brother-in-law. Both are courtiers, although in different areas and of different levels of importance, and thus rivals. 

Agustín de Rubalcaba: Her aunt Esmé’s only son and Heloisa’s cousin. They are civil towards each other but hold little to no respect for the other.

Others: Agustín de Rubalcaba (maternal cousin), Constanza de Rubalcaba (maternal grand-mother, deceased), Cristobal de Rubalcaba (maternal uncle, deceased), Máximo de Otxoa (maternal grand-father, deceased), Jaime Saavedra (paternal uncle), Genoveva Saavedra (paternal aunt), Dulcinea Saavedra (paternal grand-mother, deceased), Leonardo Buendía (paternal grand-father), Catalina Saavedra (paternal grand-aunt)

Nicknames: Helo (by close friends), Lola (by family), Lolita (by her aunt)

Favourite meal: Shrimps roasted in garlic, lemon and cilantro

Favourite drink: Soursop liquor

Favourite flower: Passionflower

Favourite color: Magenta red

Birthday: 7th of December

Age: 43 during the events of the game

Zodiac: Sagittarius

MBTI: ESTP

Patron Arcana: Temperance and Queen of Wands

Upright: Temperance shuns extremes and embraces harmony. She finds tranquility in the midst of struggle.

Reversed: Temperance allows conflict to overwhelm her peaceful disposition; she reacts with extreme measures.

Upright: The Queen of Wands is confident in social and professional settings, drawing others into her orbit.

Reversed: The Queen of Wands is stubborn and quick-tempered, easily losing her temper when things don't go her way.

Gender: Cis female

Sexuality: Lesbian

Height: 1,62 m // 5′3″

Appearance:

Heloisa is of slender build. Her skin is of a slightly light medium brown color with a warm undertone and she has a slender face with slightly visible crow’s feet around her eyes, dimples and a beauty mark above her upper lip on the right side of her face. She had slightly thick and well-groomed eyebrows, eyes a color reminiscent of dark honey, an upturned nose with a low bridge and full lips. Her hair is dark brown with a reddish hue, wavy and reaches shortly underneath her chest. She is a very extroverted woman who naturally draws attention to herself and as a courtier and politician, she knows how to be a crowd pleaser.

Visual Inspiration(s): Eva Mendes and Bianca Lawson 

Languages spoken: Calpacian, Prakran, Firenti, Karnasso, Galbradan, Hjallen, Venterran, Oriolà, Zadithi, Bizateni and the Common Tongue

Love interests: 

Ippolita: An OC of mine and Heloisa’s long-time lover. A former assassin and one of Esmerelda’s wards, they have a long-term affair that is never made public due to Ippolita not belonging to the aristocracy as well as Heloisa’s fears of total commitment.

Justina: Another OC and fellow courtier. They are long-term friends with benefits who at the same time are business rivals.

Nadia: They met at one of the masquerade and had a fling, one which Heloisa would’ve loved to continue.

In general, like with most of my characters; if they’re compatible sexuality- as well as personality-wise, feel free to ship them with your OCs or MCs! Hit me up with a message and we can discuss the details!

Backstory:

Heloisa was born as the second child of the Marquesa de Rubalcaba, Marisol, a courtier in service to the Zaan of Cartagenth, the capital of Calpacia. Her family had been one of the most influential ones of the empire for several centuries, and Heloisa has been destined to take onto that legacy before she could even make her own decisions. 

Being overshadowed by her older sister Cibela, her aunt Esmerelda, a highly decorated general of the Grand Army of Calpacia, took on tutoring her personally in politics and debating after recognizing the potential for a talented politician in her niece. She grew to love her niece as if she were her own child, in no small part due to her resemblance in behaviour with Esmé’s own sister, but also because she knew exactly how neglected Heloisa felt and figured that she needed someone in her corner. Even at a young age, Heloisa already had a way with words and was able to manipulate others with ease. She enjoyed the best tutors, who themselves were former politicians and courtiers, and joined the junior court at the age of twelve. She was given the chance to see the world and travelled to places as far away as Hjalle and Prakra and on her travels picked up the hobby of writing.

Throughout her youth, Heloisa got into disputes and arguments with Cibela, sometimes for no reasons at all but mostly due to rubbing each other the wrong way, their ongoing rivalry and vying for the attention of their parents, their aunt and peers. Heloisa, who naturally had a pendant for jealousy, felt that compared to both of her sisters she got the short end of the stick; she wished to be trained as a magician or as a warrior, began to read a lot about magic, befriended the court magicians and secretly trained herself in sword fighting - but after approaching her aunt with the desire to learn more about the arts her sisters dabbled into, she was told off, that each of them had a speciality and she should know better than to try to be a jack-of-all-trades but master-of-none.

When Heloisa was about to be of age, a dispute between her and Cibela escalated and ended with her getting injured after challenging her more experienced sister to a duel and caused her ascension from junior court to court to be postponed for some months until she healed her injury. The time spent with Ximena by her side and where she was unable to leave her house allowed her to focus on her writing and finished her very first play. She also came around to realize one important thing that would have a lasting impact on her: to focus on her own weapons, always keep her mind sharp and leave the physical fighting to someone else - but at the same time, never be unprotected on her own. 

When she published her first play, it became an instant hit and most popular among both the richer citizens of Cartagenth as well as the nobility, and Heloisa decided to tour with her entourage to promote it at the courts of several sovereigns outside of Calpacia. Upon her return to the capital, she was welcomed to the Calpacian court by the Zaan and began her political career. She took on the role of a representative of Cartagenth and over the years focused mostly on the life at court and her playwriting. The death of her father was easily brushed off and Heloisa let her resentment reign over her grief, and while her mother’s death did affect her, she refused to indulge in sadness and focused on her work. 

Ximena’s apparent betrayal angered her and she was arguably the one who was the most active in diffusing the explosive situation Ximena had inadvertently caused for the family she had left back, and initially wanted to have her brought back to Calpacia at all costs and imprisoned, but deep down she felt more hurt than she ever had. The exposure of the plans made by the War Council, led by their aunt, the Court - among them Heloisa herself, who had enthusiastically contributed - and the Zaan about the future of Calpacia brought chaos to Cartagenth. In order to save face, the Zaan announced the Rubalcabas to be the sole scapegoats and it was only due to Esmé’s immense influence and a very direct threat that kept their titles, lands, fortune, positions and even their heads in place even if beyond the official statements, they effectively became social pariahs too powerful to be removed and useful to be thrown to the angry mob in the streets. In order to return her family to its former position among the Cartagense high society, she began driving a hard line in order to redeem the court in the eyes of the resentful commoner populace with the help of her aunt, who still held a lot of power at court. 

Over the following years, Heloisa gained more and more power at court, and even gained the new Zaan’s confidence enough that they made one of their most trusted advisers as well as official representative of the Calpacian sovereign. She was fully aware that the crown’s status was able to override the line of succession so that someone with actual skills in politics and the one who had actually washed the hands of the Rubalcaba family could become its primary heir. And yet, the fact that Esmé never gave her the title that she considers herself fit for and not Cibela made her grow bitter towards her aunt, as well as the realizations that she was being little more than a pawn to Esmé in a plan she is unwilling to disclose to her. While Cibela actively tries to leave their aunt’s orbit and be independent, Heloisa prefers to play the long game with the hopes of eventually ending up on top.

Art:

feat. Ximena by @missrabbitart​ | full post

[nadiaportia]

Tarántula

Summary: The new Devil receives a visit from someone from a life that feels like it ended an eternity ago.

Word count: ~4,5k

Because I am a sucker for the reversed routes, of course Lucio’s reversed ending gave me fuel to write down something that could happen at the end of my (still-ongoing) route rewrite. As if this part of a reversed route, it will featured a Devil!MC so if that’s not up your alley, keep on scrolling.

To all others, enjoy 💓

The Devil, or rather the part of the Devil deep down that was still Ximena Rubalcaba y Saavedra, felt the presence of a familiar spirit before being alerted by one of the Wayward Souls of a foreign - a human - soul in its mistress’ realm. 

She turned her attention from her pondering on how to proceed with the Prakran resistance led by former Countess, now again Princess, Nadia Satrinava and her sisters when she remembered a face, slender, unblemished light brown skin, a charming smile with impeccable white teeth, shimmering dark eyes, framed by wavy dark reddish-brown hair.

An impulse was sent to her from the guardian of her Gate.

Step aside, sentinel. Let our guest enter.

As you desire, Mistress.

It didn’t take much for the sound of footsteps to echo through the corridors of the otherwise silent Devil’s Castle, where no mortal soul but one dared to walk through. 

The clicking of heels on the floor came closer and when the door to the throne room opened, a slender figure entered, dressed in a red so dark a human would have probably mistaken it for black. Silver adorned their neck and shoulders and they took a good look at their surroundings before slowly walking closer to the throne.

“I don’t know what I expected… but it wasn’t this.”

It has been a very long time, or at least felt like one, since she last heard someone speak Calpacian, even as it was the lingua franca of the West, few of its native speakers travelled far these days and those that did were of too little importance to be worth watching.

“What are you doing here?”

Heloisa de Rubalcaba stopped as if it was the first time she had heard the voice; in a certain way, it had to be a novelty to her. Lucio had told the Devil that her voice sounded different than before - back when she had only been a weak and feeble mortal. Now it was steely, sharp and commanding. It wasn’t the voice of someone who could simply be disobeyed.

The glint in her visitor’s brown eyes was something that recalled vague emotions, of evenings spent in houses made of glass, of drinking wine in silver halls and sharp jokes at the expense of the unfortunate souls that hadn’t earned any respect yet.

“Is visiting my little sister a crime these days? Are these the rules of the Vesuvian Empire or of the Devil’s Realm?”

“Answer my question.”

The Devil observed Heloisa with a cool gaze.

She hadn’t changed much in the last three years since the Devil had last seen her, age barely left a mark on her as the years - or what was more likely, she was just exceptionally good at hiding it. Upon looking closely the crow’s feet around her eyes had spread a little further, and the lines on her face were concealed well… but not well enough for the Devil’s eyes. 

The Devil didn’t age; she still looked exactly the same as she did on the day the mortal that was before had been so very close to dying, had it not been for the Cold Heart that was now beating in her chest. 

There had been some modifications on her, yes, such as the grey patches of her hair that had turned a stark white and the light grey streaks were among her black curls. Then there were the cloven hooves, the horns that were now spouting from her head and what was surprisingly enough the most unsettling: the golden eyes with a black sclera. 

After some time of getting used to it the part of her that still clung onto her humanity as fiercely as a frightened child to its mother had accepted the changes as something natural that couldn’t be reversed anymore.

“It is very much the truth. How could I possibly have ulterior motives than simply stopping by for a simple ‘Hello’.”

“I mustn’t remind you how our last encounter ended.”

Heloisa pursed her lips.

“And here I thought your ascension to godhood would make you any less prone to bearing grudges! Some things never change. If you want an apology from me, you can have it, but I’m genuinely surprised to see you still care about that little stunt. After all, shouldn’t you be long above that? Above all mortal affairs from back then?”

The Devil gave her a bored look and put her arms on the rests to each side of her throne.

“You’re correct - I don’t have it within me to care about the past. Who showed you the way to my realm?”

Heloisa stepped closer, pretending to casually watch her long nails as she did so.

“A little bird came to me and chirped in front of my window, of ways to enter the magical realms. Now, that little bird had less than good intentions and probably believes I won’t return from my journey, but I intend on disappointing them. If they wouldn’t be a cold-hearted bastard who cares for none other than themselves, one might say they resent you for turning their relatively laissez-faire boss into minced goat meat.”

“Valdemar. A surprise that one such as you who prides herself on her cunning, would make a deal with a Demon.” There was a hint of amusement in the Devil’s voice. Heloisa scoffed.

“Oh please, of course I didn’t. They gave me what I wanted for free; it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re lurking somewhere here and hoping for some chaos to be unleashed.”

“Surely not. I would’ve noticed a presence like that once it enters my borders.”

Heloisa grinned. “Running a tight ship I see. I have a lot of respect for that. You really turned that shithole Vesuvia into a respectable city-state, even Nadia couldn’t accomplish this.” She paused. “Talking about Vesuvia… where’s whatshisname? Y’know, your guy… your personal warmonger? Plaything? Roué?”

“My husband is—” The Devil began but Heloisa broke into roaring laughter that pearled off the walls and rang through her ears. 

She had never liked that laugh a lot but now she felt as if it had desecrated something in her Castle.

“Your husband?” She said in between laughs. “Oh, you have got to be joking! Really, him? And you guys had a ceremony here? Who were your witnesses, the sentinel that led me to the castle?” She wiped a non-existent tear from the corner of her eye but was still grinning broadly. “Oh, how I wish you were lying but I can tell by your face it’s the sad truth. Well, not a surprise but still unwelcome.”

The Devil drummed onto the armrest of her throne with her long dark clawed fingers. Her voice was so sharp it could’ve cut through marble and she had an unamused quirk in her brow.

“...As I was saying, my husband is currently in Firent negotiating with the Papess about her terms of surrender. After that he will return to Prakra to finish this senseless siege. And his name is Lucio — treat him with the respect deserving of a powerful monarch.”

Heloisa scoffed. “What do you want to do, force me to like him?”

“Remember, you are only a guest because I’m allowing it.”

For a few heartbeats there was silence in the throne room. Then Heloisa clapped her hands.

“Anyway, my most earnest congratulations. I hope he makes you happy in whichever way, assuming you still are capable of such mortal emotions,” She shook her head, still smiling. “For fuck’s sake, first Bela, now you, I really am the eternal bachelorette among us. I don’t understand the sentiment of wanting to tie yourself to a person, especially if that person is — just stating a fact here — not on your level. Y’know, Ippolita tried to convince me a couple of times, especially during my house arrest, that we could run off together, take a ship at the port, sailing away into the sunset and never look ba—”

“Don’t waste my time with your personal affairs.” She remembered Ippolita — a skilled warrior, loyal servant to Grand General Esmerelda Rubalcaba and the only one among Heloisa’s many lovers who had remained by her side after years, but their relationship never something out in the open; a high-born noble and a simple foreign commoner who survived in the pits by becoming an assassin was simply not the ideal relationship to be in for someone of Heloisa’s status. “You’re not here just to chat, so get to the point.”

Heloisa regarded the Devil of whom she still thought wholly as her sister and cleared her throat.

“Fine. Since you mentioned Prakra and I happen to have,”, the corners of her mouth twitched, “heard of the difficulties your, ah, ‘husband’ has with securing a victory over the Satrinavas and their remaining hosts… I have a proposal to make.” 

The Devil leaned forward on steepled fingers. She had a suspicion as to where this could be going.

“Go on. I am listening.”

“Alright, so we know that dearest Nadia and her sisters are still holding the territory around and of the Star Lakes. The capital of Prakra not only is quite beautiful but also one of the strongest fortresses due to its location, which at the same time could become its undoing. But this isn’t about breaking through their defenses, with the Prakran Royal Fleet scourging the waters an attack from your troops is virtually impossible unless you happen to bring ships or heavy artillery with you… or are currently building them.”

The Devil scoffed in annoyance. Of course she knew why exactly the situation at the Star Lakes was so bothersome, easy on the surface, nasty underneath it. 

Whenever Lucio returned from Prakra to her, he was particularly agitated and prone to irritation, at times ranting to her extensively about everything that was going wrong in this particular campaign. 

Her own frustration came mostly from having actual trouble with getting past the magical and alchemical defenses, and she knew exactly why. The amount of times the Devil had cursed the name of Sayelle bint Zahir were too many to be counted at this point, and what stung even deeper that this came from someone who had been more than a simple ally to her in a previous life — a friend, maybe one of her best.

“It’s about breaking their spirits, their composure, y’know, engaging in a little bit of my preferred form of warfare: the psychological type,” Heloisa gave her a confident grin. “Your beau cannot get to the capital, but you need someone behind enemy lines who is able to get you insider knowledge or even,” her grin grew wider, “gain the Satrinavas’ trust.”

The Devil stared at Heloisa, then she chuckled. “Nadia will kill you on sight.” 

It was a futile plan, soaked in Heloisa’s hubris and plagued by underestimating how smart the Satrinavas were, how powerful a magician Sayelle was, how united the Prakrans as a whole were in their opposition to the Vesuvians.

“No, she won’t. We have a history.”

“Yes, the history of you wanting to merge the mortal and magical realms so the Devil could help you with getting rid of Esmerelda. That is exactly why she would not hear you out.” The Devil’s lips curved into a deep frown. It was near certain suicide.

“I mean, yes, that obviously happened as well but it’s basically common knowledge that they’re sitting ducks and as such desperately in need of help. I have aided Nadia once already, back when the Plague was running amok through Vesuvia. Even when I was helping the previous Devil I told her I would put in a good word for her. She is aware of that and my immense dislike for Lucio,” she paused and sneered, “... who by all means is my brother-in-law and family now. By the way, do you want me to tell that to the others, or would you rather be the bearer of good news at some point?”

The Devil ignored the last statement and sighed deeply. “They would take any help that is offered to them, that’s what you think. Even if this helping hand is attached to your body.”

“Of course. I am known for my generosity after all, and of course for my lack of interest in war — you can thank me for building that reputation for the last fourteen years after you made everything go tits up.” Her tone was joking but the edge to it spoke differently. There was a fire smoldering deep within Heloisa, and the Devil made sure to not forget about its existence.

“Besides… I wasn't the Information Minister for nothing — I know what people respond most easily, and given their situation this will be more than easy pickings. Give me a handful of people who hand out flyers, have someone convince the Prakrans that if they surrender the bloodshed will stop, and you have basically won. ‘Thank you so much for your wisdom, Heloisa, most beloved of my sisters!’ ‘You’re more than welcome, Ximena.’” 

The Devil didn’t reply like this. Instead she said, “I will stop the bloodshed as soon as Queen Nasrin surrenders. I wish to have Nafizah and especially Nadia as allies, not enemies. It is a shame indeed things came to be this way but there is a future for the Vesuvian-Prakran relations.”

Heloisa’s eyebrows shot upwards. “Even after you led an unprovoked war against them? I don’t mean to rain on that parade you have surely already planned all the way through, but if Nadia intends to fight until the very end… I don’t think a surrender is an option. Better to install a new Prakran ruler, one who is sympathetic to Vesuvia.”

The Devil considered her words and found herself agreeing with them begrudgingly. It was probably true; Nadia’s hatred for her, the perceived betrayal and the losses on her side weighed heavily but it was rather that she didn’t wish to take extreme measures against her. She was smart, politically adept, brave and a genuinely caring ruler - useful qualities to have in a human ally.

“No. Nadia will see reason, she has to.”

Heloisa rubbed her temples. “Do you want to her to adopt your way of seeing the world with a sword at her throat? Word of advice: that rarely works ever.”

The Devil scoffed. 

“But if you have a better strategy of how to beat the Satrinavas, I am all ears. If you’re worried about my safety,”, she put a hand over her heart, “which I would consider quite heartwarming, I wouldn’t even need to go by myself but for the sake of authenticity, it’d be for the worst — but don’t worry,” Heloisa winked, “I know how to take care of myself.”

There was something about blood relations that had always dimmed her perceptiveness as a mortal; it worked well enough on people in general given they had a rudimentary knowledge in magic, could be difficult if the subject had enough magical affinity and was near impossible on trained magicians and of course on residents of the magical realms. 

Now that she was more powerful, looking into the hearts and minds of the residents of the mortal realms came as easy to her as breathing came to them. That powerful magicians such as Sayelle or even Asra were able to hide themselves without great troubles was bothersome but barely a surprise. 

But Heloisa, who was about as magically adept as a houseplant, was a complete blank slate to her — she could sense her life force, her aura fitting for someone with a strong personality and much subdued her feelings, but what really mattered to her, the notion of her true intentions… It was like standing in front of a polished mirror.

It was forcing her to act according to knowledge of their time as sisters… something she would’ve preferred to avoid completely. 

The only person she allowed her humanity to resurface with was Lucio… and he was who he was.

“Hm. I will give the matter thought.” She leaned forwards. “Something tells me that this still isn’t all you’re here for.”

Heloisa let out a defeated dramatic sigh. “You caught me red-handed. That was only the first matter why I am here. Consider it an olive branch, a token of forgiveness and potential allyship between us, Ximenita.”

The nickname out of her mouth made the Devil frown. Not only was she the first human besides Lucio to laugh here but also the one to address her as… something so much lesser. He was allowed to do that, and no one else. 

For a moment, the Devil considered reminding Heloisa who exactly she was talking to, but she halted before she acted rashly. 

She had always been vindictive and resentful, never forgetting injury to her person of any sort. It would… be an easy way to let grievances fester, and at this very moment that was more than counterproductive.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Speak.”

“What are your plans for Calpacia, specifically? I wonder why the Army of the Vesuvian Empire isn’t already at our borders, demanding our surrender. Hjalle and Nevivon were the first to fall, then Zadith and Venterre and yet there are none of your men - because they are your men, I know that - are to be seen near Calpacia, or Karnassos for that matter because you know that if you attack Karnassos you will feel Calpacia’s wrath.”

Heloisa tilted her head and regarded her with an inquisitive look. The quirk in her eyebrow betrayed her though, it was meant to be a dig.

“Are you afraid of facing your past or simply too nostalgic to see us being destroyed?”

The Devil’s eyes widened but she bit down her fury. I have no reason to be scared of you.

“I do know that our magical defenses are strong, you know better than I how exactly the Guild worked but ever since it was overtaken by these zealots, the Court is counting themselves very lucky it is strong enough a pillar to not be swept to the side by them, in no small part due to our strengthening influence. If we weren’t there, you might have a very unpredictable enemy at your hands. But that doesn’t explain your lack of interest in us.”

Heloisa laughed, and the light sound pierced through the Devil’s ears. 

“Unless all of this hard work is meant for us. Is that the case?”

The Devil raised herself from her throne and looked at Heloisa down her nose. She let her take a look at the new ruler of this realm and how much she has changed.

“You give yourself too much credit. My vision is greater than seeing Cartagenth together with its repulsive ruling body and the Zaan burn to the ground.”

“Do tell me though what exactly your vision consists of; uniting the entire world under your Vesuvian Empire so no one steps out of line ever? This reminds me of the plan someone once wanted to hatch, I can’t for the life of me remember who had that idea but I remember a certain young woman being so utterly displeased with that she preferred exile to being around her vicious family.”

Heloisa’s smile was more a baring of teeth now than anything else.

“Where is she now? Does she still have the moral high ground? Does she still feel like a good person who is so much better than her sisters?”

The Devil ground her teeth. She felt her face and ears heat up and could only hope that the red lighting of the throne room worked in her benefit.

“If I had known that one day you’d be exactly what you tried to oppose back then, I would’ve laughed right in your face and told you to get fucked,” she sneered and gave her a look of pure contempt. “You got some nerve to throw us, your family, to the wolves without a second thought, and not twelve years later you are doing the exact same shit you hated us for ever since. How does it feel, knowing that at the end of the day, you’re just like us?”

The Devil closed her eyes. She wouldn’t let herself be provoked by Heloisa, after all she was so very wrong with everything she was saying.

“All of this business with the previous Devil happened because the construction of the realms was fundamentally flawed. I intend on setting things right for once and all under one ruler so that it will not happen again. How I go about that is not of importance to you.”

“It sure as hell is, after all I have a place in this world as well!,” Heloisa exclaimed. In her agitation she stood only ten feet away from her, too close of the Devil’s liking. 

 “You replaced the Devil after allegedly saving the world from certain destruction and now that you settled, you decide to do just continue his work — except that you think of yourself in the right, as some sort of god-empress or whatever the fuck. But I will tell what you are: you’re just as rotten, self-serving and power-hungry as us,” She laughed, humourless and cold. “No, you’re even worse because you’re also a self-righteous hypocritical piece of shit. You might be even worse than Esmé.”

“Don’t you ever compare me to Esmé!” 

The Devil’s voice cracked like a whip and rumbled louder than ever before. Her face was a furious grimace so terrifying Heloisa had to advert her eyes, eyes glowing, long hair billowing and floating around her, and feeling its mistress’ fury, the realm let lightning flash and thunder roar. 

And yet, Heloisa did little more than keep her eyes shut, her face away from the demonstration of absolute arcane power and stand planted on the spot, her delicate hands balled into tight fists and her body trembling, either out of fury or fear. 

The Devil took a deep breath through her nose, taking in the sulphur-stained air of her realm. As she continued breathing, her fury left her body and she felt the Cold Heart within her slow down its enraged pace.

“It’d be for the best if you leave right now. Don’t test my patience and don’t think of coming back. You’re not welcome in this Realm for as long as I have the say in here.”

Heloisa turned to look at the Devil, tears dwelling in her eyes and a very faint but visible enough drop of blood trailing out of her nose. She dabbed at it, grimaced at its sight and wiped it off with the back of her hand. 

“Before I forcibly make you leave.”

“Give me two more minutes of your time; you haven’t listened to my actual proposal. Then I’m gone, unless you want me to come back afterwards.” She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.

There was nothing more the Devil wanted to do than throw her back into the mortal realms and hopefully into the deepest and darkest pit that could be found there. But she gave Heloisa de Rubalcaba a small nod. Two minutes, nothing more.

“I sympathize with your course of actions, I really do. If I were you, I personally would have rained fire, brimstone and bloody vengeance on Calpacia, everyone who had wronged me and especially Tía Esmé, both out of spite and to rid the world of her, and in the aftermath leave nothing behind but scorched and salted earth. But this is my nature, not yours. That’s why I’m giving you an alternative course of action.”

She hesitated but then approached the throne over the steps. 

“I have many allies at the Court, I’m in the Zaan Saturnino’s favour, Cibela has been just a few steps away from open rebellion against Tía Esmé and to be frank, everyone is tired of the current situation. On paper you are disowned and exiled but in reality and despite everything, you are still Ximena de Rubalcaba, third in the line of succession of the title, and the Court knows that. There are people who would give you actual loyalty for who you are, not because they were forced to kiss the ring on a foreign conqueror’s hand.” With each step Heloisa seemed to gain confidence, until she stood just three feet in front of the throne.

Ximena had almost forgotten how small she was able to look.

“Let me be your agent in Cartagenth and I will give you our home as a gift of reconciliation and a token of my loyalty for you.”

She sighed. The Devil didn’t react, and was careful not to. This is a trick.

“What about the part of me being a ‘self-righteous hypocritical piece of shit’? Are these the words of a loyal vassal?”

Heloisa scoffed and a nervous smile played around her lips. “Of course not; they’re sisterly advice. If you can’t stomach honesty, then that’s your business. If you want to pay me back, come up with an insult on your own though.”

“Why reconciliation?”

Heloisa blinked at the question. “Because,” she began slowly. “I was hoping…” She fidgeted with her fingers, something she never did because a Rubalcaba never showed uncertainty to anyone.

“I thought it would be nice if there was a chance that we could be… sisters once again.”

Something within the Devil stirred and she frowned.

“That is a bridge burned a long time ago,” she stated quietly. It had been for the best, for her own best.

“It doesn’t need to. I can only imagine how lonely you are - because I have been too. Don’t you think I missed having you around? Someone in this pit of vipers that is Cartagenth I can trust in, not solely bound by blood but by genuine familial love and despite our differences.”

The Devil tried to find any hint of a lie in Heloisa’s eyes, eyes that looked so much like hers back when she was a mortal, and there was… nothing. No deception, no falsehoods, but a definite truth.

“I wish to help you, dearest Xime. I understand why you might seek havoc and destruction, the gods know that lashing out at this world and all its obstacles is something I have always done in my own way, but I want to make things easier for you. I know you wish to convince your enemies to become allies before anything and that waging a war of conquest is not your ideal vision… so I’m sparing you any guilt you might have over more shed blood that didn’t need to be spilled.”

She sighed. “I will be leaving for Prakra within the next few days, whether you want me to or not, with a small entourage. I will find a way to contact the Vesuvians or you once I am in the Satrinava castle.”

“I have not yet accepted your proposal.”

“Oh, I don’t need you to. Consider it a show of good faith.” She reached out, with her brows furrowed and gently touched her shoulder. The Devil remained where she was, showing no reaction to the first skin contact with another human who wasn’t her lover in years.

“Until then, sweet sister.” Heloisa leaned forwards, her perfume smelt of almond, bergamot, coffee and lemon. She pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek and the moment her soft lips made contact, it was as if a small shock of magic burned her skin. 

She was the Devil and this burning fire within her that was the yearning for a humanity that had once been bothered her. It could make her vulnerable, allow others to deceive her.

It was not something she could allow to persist within her. 

[nadiaportia]

2, 5, and 31 for the Rubalcabas ? 👀

2. Would they steal a glass from a restaurant?

Ximena: She’d  ask the waiter quietly to “look sideways for a second or two” or just slip it into her purse when no one is looking, probably feel a little bad while on the way home but as soon as it’s standing in the kitchen she’s fine with it.

Heloisa: If you were to ask her, she’d never do that, especially since she wouldn’t need to, but in reality? She would do it just for the hell of it.

Cibela: No, she’d say she wouldn’t have the need for it and actually mean it.

5. Do they leave their shoes on in the house?

Helo and Bela: The Rubalcaba estate is big and there are always people walking about with shoes, so they do as well, but given that the floors get cleaned very often (and it’s not like they would eat food off the floor), it doesn’t matter that much. They do take them off in their own rooms though, just for the sake of comfort.

Xime: No way she’s gonna wear shoes in the house, she was outside in the streets with them and it’s gonna carry any of that dirt into the place where she lives. Everyone who enters her place will also get asked politely but firmly to take off theirs.

31. Do they think they snore and are they right?

Bela: No and yes. But as she’s a very light sleeper, she in turn will complain if someone else snores and it’s in the way of her minimum of seven hours.

Xime: Yes and yes. She just lives with it because she doesn’t have problems with breathing at night and she’s not very loud to wake up others so it’s fine, although she does have one of those clips to wear just in case.

Helo: Didn’t think she did, found out when Bela made an off-hand remark about it and got a somnoplasty within the next month while being very insistent they don’t do any funny business with her nose.

[nadiaportia]

The Bitch Is Back.

Heloisa has three consistencies: looking smug to varying degrees; wearing some shade of pink and being a lover of make-up. Her smile is either to charm, to hide that there‘s some tranquil fury brewing underneath the mask or manifests naturally whenever she thinks she‘s the smartest person in the room.

[nadiaportia]

Family “portraits” of the Rubalcabas of Cartagenth, from left to right [picrew link]:

Cibela María Teresa “Bela” de Rubalcaba y Saavedra; heiress for the title of Marchioness and General of the Grand Army of Calpacia

Heloisa María Dolores “Lola” de Rubalcaba y Saavedra; second in line of succession, politician and Information Minister

Ximena María Magdalena “Ximenita” de Rubalcaba y Saavedra; formerly elected head of the Magician's Guild until her abdication a commoner

Dafne Maria de la Soledad “Marisol” de Rubalcaba y Otxoa, Marchioness de Zuyapaleón and politician

Valentín Saavedra y Buendía, merchant prince, consort and honorary Margrave de Zuyapaleón

Agustín Octavio de Rubalcaba y Betancourt, diplomat active in the Republic of Galbrada

Eva Esmerelda “Esmé” de Rubalcaba y Otxoa, leader of the War Council and former Grand General of the Grand Army of Calpacia

[nadiaportia]

tagged by @leatherandsaltybitters ! ❤️

Have a brief overview of Deirdra, Sayelle and Ximena when it comes to their psyches, with Heloisa as today’s guest star.

tagging @arcanecadenza @valhallanrose @apprenticealec @vesuvian-american @vesuviansunshowers @motherofqups @you-vebeenpoisoned @myheavenofinvention @magician-of-the-lantern @heartofnopal @theroyalmage @asras3rdeye @viviae @starblazerm31 aaaand @siren-of-vesuvia !

[nadiaportia]

i cannot draw to save my life but fruit charms for my OCs would be

Deirdra - Blackberry or Blackcurrant

Sayelle - Fig or Peach

Ximena - Mango (or she’d simply steal Julian’s spot and make the rightful claim to the maracuyá)

Cibela - Guanábana

Heloisa - Pitaya

[nadiaportia]

1, 29, 37 - vesuvian-disaster

Thank you SO much! I will make a section for each for the sake of clarity.

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective?

37. Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?

Deirdra

1. Deirdra Margalit Ayara. Deirdra because at the very beginning I envisioned them as Irish, but as they were also inspired by the Catalan republicans that fought in the Spanish Civil War, I swapped the E for the A. Margalit is a Jewish last name and their father is Jewish while Araya is of Catalan origin and the last name of their mother. Deirdr(a/e) also means ‘wanderer’ which is a fitting choice for someone who wandered with their fellow partisans through their homeland and ended up forced to leave it for good when their side lost the battle.

29. They do tease people if the fear is relatively minor and in that case either forget about it or jokingly bring it up if it comes up and it’s taken lightly. If it’s something more severe, they will be very overprotective should someone else be insensitive.

37. Their father was a teacher and taught them to read, they’re a journalist as well so yes, Deirdra loves to read whatever they can get their hands on. They are a rather slow reader despite that but take their time with enjoying a good book, as long as they’re not very long or too heavy material.

Sayelle

1. Sayelle bint Zahir. The name Sayelle actually belonged to a secondary character of a German fantasy novel I read some years ago but it stuck so much with me that I ended up using it for her, and while a woman named Sayelle was always in my drafts for a love interest to Nadia, her characterization changed fundamentally. Bint is similar to ibn or ben and means “daughter of ___” in Arabic, while “zahir” is a romanization of “magician” - all children raised in the Bizateni temples that become fully-fledged magicians are given the possibility to reclaim the name.

29. Whatever your fear is, she’d most likely not make fun of you ever should she find out about it, depending on what it is, she might even help you get over it. Whatever it is, you must’ve confided in her enough to tell her, and she won’t betray your trust so that your secret is safe with her.

37. If Sayelle’s something then she’s an ambitious nerd, and she has probably read more papers or academic volumes than most people could dream of. She does have a soft spot for poetry, but there’s nothing better than to pick up a scientific journal and read through it at terrifying speed. 

Ximena

1. Ximena María Magdalena de Rubalcaba y Saavedra. I’ll be honest and admit that part of all the Rubalcabas names is to give them names that sound preppy and snobby enough that it could be a real aristocrats’ name back in the old day. The in-universe reasoning for all three sisters having a middle name that starts with ‘María’ is that their mother had a similar name to them, María de la Soledad, commonly called Marisol. Ximena is a Basque name and means ‘she who heard’, and since she is the one with the most magical affinity who sees a vision that prompts her to essentially betray her family and has an almost uncanny ability to read people and their emotions, she is definitely someone who hears. The last name is based on Spanish naming conventions as Calpacia is inspired by Spain and parts of Latin America, except that the nobility of its capital Cartagenth usually put the family name of the more influential/powerful parent in the first spot while the “lesser” parent’s first last name gets the second. So in this case it’s for the daughter of Marisol of the Rubalcaba noble family (with the nobiliary particle De) and Valentín of the Saavedra merchant family (very influential and well-off commoners).

29. Depending on how close you are, she will make it clear she’s aware of it, and using it against you is out of the question for her from a moral standpoint. If she doesn’t like you and you’re a legitimate threat... well, you’ll know, and she won’t pull her punches.

37. Reading is good, she’s neither very quick nor very fast at it but she does find poetry more accessible for her personally. A very big penchant for well-written epics though, she does love to be sucked into a world and trapped in there, and also doesn’t shy away from the classics, perhaps coming across as a bit pretentious when it comes to who reads what. 

Cibela

1. Cibela María Teresa de Rubalcaba y Saavedra. Cibela (the C is pronounced like an S) is derived from the name of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, and also is the eldest of three sisters by roughly half a decade (Heloisa) and a full one (Ximena), as well as the only one by the time when the story begins who has an actual child. Also a name that was around ever since I first thought of the character back in a completely different fandom, although in that version Cibela was dead long before the story even began. 

29. She will keep it in mind but not bother you with it at all. Teasing someone with their fears is a low-hanging fruit and Cibela most likely and without exaggeration doesn’t give a shit, and you will probably have forgotten about having told her at all -- until the day comes where it’s used against you if you turn out to be moving against her, and she will know just to fuck you over. 

37. She is well-read due to being of very high standing in the Calpacian nobility but she has no real passion for literature. She does have her favourite novels and poems but it’s not something that will make her giddy or cause overt excitement. She is a much bigger fan of music, being a trained pianist and all.

Heloisa

1. Heloisa María Dolores de Rubalcaba y Saavedra. Heloisa (the H is silent) is the German variant of Héloise and means “famed warrior”, which is basically what a part of Heloisa wishes she were due to having literally no fighting skills whatsoever unlike Cibela and her aunt Esmé, both famed warriors and generals, and Ximena, who still has an advantage due to her magic, which leaves Heloisa having to rely on her charisma and way with words exclusively in the cut-throat world of the Cartagense court among her fellow politicians.

29. Mentally take note of it, store it away until needed, and when that moment comes that person will be under her thumb, and she will follow up on her threat even if it’s just to get a laugh out of it. If you’re asking yourself whether everyone in this family is at least partially inclined to lie and manipulate others; yes, they are. It’s what happens when the arguably the most important person in your life during your childhood lies to you all the time.

37. She’s a playwright herself, and as such an avid reader herself who takes part of her inspiration from having read other novels. She can downright devour them, but has no real preference between fiction and non-fiction but cares more about the actual quality of what’s written.

[nadiaportia]

14 & 25?

Thank you!! ❤️

14. A gift from or a memory with a lover?

Dee: Renée was the daughter of a scholar so she read many books, and she once gave her favorite to Dee so they could read it too - it’s a rather obscure work from an otherwise famous Oriolian writer. Deirdra has read it once and then never again and whenever they see it in their bookshelf, they remembered their promise to return to Oriol. The fact that until now they didn’t makes them feel ashamed though so it’s rather bittersweet.

Sayelle: Visiting an undercave in which a prehistoric civilization had left behind drawings that told of their daily lives with an archaeologist she had a thing with a while after she left Bizatena. To stand where many millenia ago, others had left behind art for future generations to see had been quite moving for her. The thing with said archaeologist sadly didn’t last.

Ximena: The necklace with a rare purple sapphire, a gift given to her by Armando, her first boyfriend who also proposed to her when she was in her early twenties. She ultimately turned him downnquite cruelly (something she regrets in later years) and also never ended up wearing the necklace, instead selling it when she was exiled.

Heloisa: An exotic species of bird (think a bird-of-paradise) brought to Calpacia by Ippolyta when the latter returned from one of her military campaigns. Publicly they are friends, which is made more logical by Ippolyta having once been Esmé’s right-hand woman and later on Cibela’s commanding officer so there are natural ties to the Rubalcaba family, but because of the general disapproval a relationship between a noble politican and a lieutenant who came from basically nothing and made herself a name through shady means, they can’t be open about being lovers, which is why it’s simply not spoken about among the family.

Cibela: Presenting her husband to her family before they got married. He comes from a prominent upper middle class family but isn’t a noble so there usually might have been a chance that their relationship would have not been approved off but considering her own father wasn’t a noble either while her mother was, they were delighted to meet him. Esmé thinks him beneath her for other reasons (being a doormat is one of them) though and Heloisa made it clear she thinks he’s a complete tool.

25. Favorite type of hangout (3-4 people playing board games, a dozen friends and a couple drinks, one-on-one time in nature, etc.) 🍻

Dee: Pub-crawling with a group, the more the merrier, and getting wasted. One of the best evenings in their life involved getting a really mean headbutt but continuing to party on nevertheless.

Sayelle: She loooooves outdoor activities, such as going hiking out in the nature, lounging by the beach, sailing, swimming and in general being active. She’s fine with doing it on her own but with a group of like-minded people it’s definitely a lot more fun.

Ximena: Just her and someone else having a quiet hang-out with as little drama as possible but still many laughs (or amused chuckles). Not exactly someone you will see throwing hands but rather try to be diplomat should a fight break out.

Heloisa: She needs an entire entourage when partying and only something that is gonna be the talk of the court for the next entire month is gonna satisfy her. There has to be music, dancing, alcohol, weed, outfits that will make your eyes pop out of your skull and most importantly: drama.

Cibela: She can and will absolutely destroy you during card games and having board games that requires some level of strategic thinking. But with all things, she becomes rather competitive even when it comes to such simple things like having fun.

[nadiaportia]

Life Lessons - A Past Tale

Summary: On a day meant for relaxation, a young magician-in-training finds herself in the middle of an explosive confrontation.

Starring the Rubalacaba family; Ximena, Heloisa, Cibela, Esmé and Marisol

Word count: ~4.6k

Content warning for violence (nothing too graphic) and a messed up family dynamic.

It was a warm midsummer’s day, the sun stood high in the sky and my lessons had been finished an hour earlier. Mistress Julia had congratulated me on my good work and progress and allowed to me go enjoy myself outside for the rest of the day while she was going to the docks. Her wife had been travelling to Karnassos to see her family and they haven’t seen each other for several weeks.

As it was a habit, I decided to go the aviary to relax after my lessons. The grounds were vast, in my own opinion a little too vast, so there were always places to hide but the aviary had something about it - despite the fact that I was barely on my own there. It was also my sister’s Heloisa’s prefered location; she could spend hours in there taking care and marvelling at its residents. When we were both younger, she would teach the goldfinches to sing along to her whistling and proudly showed them to the servants and our father. The aviary was her dominion, especially since our older sister couldn’t be less interested in birds and spent the time she was on the grounds training or studying. 

The aviary was a large cage made of gilded steel with vegetation and a small river flowing through it, in size bigger than the main hall in the manor, where its residents had free reign to live in. Upon entering, I heard giggling and following the path deeper into the small forest, I saw my older sister. She sat on the ground, stroking a golden pheasant on her lap while a hummingbird flew about her face. It was currently holding one of her black curls in its beak as if to pull her up from her comfortable position.

“No, please, Xquic!”, she laughed and stopped stroking the pheasant to gently let the hummingbird sit on her index finger.

“Dorian deserves his caresses too, you know I don’t play favorites.”

She had given every single bird in the aviary a name and treated each of them like individuals. I liked all of them just fine enough but to Heloisa they were as much as her friends like the noble girls she went to parties with in secret. When she saw me, a grin spread across her face. 

“Welcome to freedom! I've been here for two hours now, Livia decided to give it a rest because even she didn't have the spirits to talk for too long about this guy's manifest. I mean, reading about revolting merchants can only be so interesting, especially when you already know they were beaten after the armies of Karnassos and Bizatena came to the Zaan's aid!” 

She sighed dramatically and proceeded to make kissing noises at Xquic. I sat next to my sister. The grass was warm and soft, and Dorian raised his head to look at me. I reached out and caressed the top of his crown. 

“Well, I spent three hours trying to make portals large enough for a human to fit through, but it takes a lot of concentration. When Julia does it, it looks so easy.” 

“Your magic stuff is vastly more interesting than politicking and learning how to lie.”

“I don't get your complaints - Tía Esmé has you on track to leave the junior court meetings and go full game. Cibela attended her first meeting last year.”

My sister's smile turned into a sneer. Even though we all enjoyed the luxury of fundamental education - history, philosophy, various languages such as Bizanti, Zadithian and Prakran, literature, art, music, the sciences and common etiquette proper for a noble of Cartagenth - each of us was also given tutelage in a special field in order to prepare us for our future at the Zaan's court. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”, she said and shrugged, “and still, making portals, lifting objects and talking with spirits is pretty wicked and exciting.” I sighed. It didn't matter if she was the best junior politician and won several play-debates against seasoned courtiers during dinners, she would always want the talents others possessed. But I wasn't in the spirits to argue with her, not today. 

“Magic is a lot more complicated than you think, and from what Tía Esme says it might take even years before I am as good as Julia - and I don't wanna be just good enough to become a tutor.”

“By the mother, imagine that! No, you will be the greatest magician of all times, they will build statues for and tell stories of you, not only here but everywhere! Crystalleans in the North, bandits in the South, Firenti in the East and Calpacians all over will know the name Ximena de Rubalcaba!” 

I laughed and shook my head.

“If you say so, it will be true one day.”

“Of course it will.” Heloisa reassured me and gently shooed her avian companions away from us. “I talked to Tía Esmé a couple of days ago, according to her it could very well be that I were to start my travels very soon. If you asked me nicely and with a bow on top, I could consider namedropping you to the rulers of far away and powerful countries…”

“How's that going to go down? 'Oh, Queen of Prakra, say, if you happen to be looking for a magician, I might just know the right person - my fifteen year old sister!'”

“No, of course not, you idiot. One of the essences of politics is: less is often more.”

“Ah, yes, less was definitely more on the party thrown by the son of the Karnasso ambassador. Or when Shayera, Filomena and you went to a 'health resort'. Or-” 

“Okay, I get it. Phew, it's not my fault you are boring and never want to join in on the fun.” 

“Whatever. At least I won't die of boredom in cabinet rooms or in court sessions when I'm a grown-up.” 

Heloisa scoffed loudly and stood up. “Fine! And you'll never be a capable magician, in the meantime I'll be dining with the influential sovereigns of the world. Who knows, maybe I'll become the next Zaan before you manage to cast a portal!”

I looked lazily at her, how she stood over me, her hands on her hips, the sun behind her head and casting dark curly hair into a warm light. 

“Hm.” I closed my eyes and smiled as I heard her walk off and out of the aviary, fuming while murmering curses under her breath.

And yet she was also my best friend even though we were nothing alike. The nightly carousing my sister loved so much was nothing I could ever be interested in, apart from the fact that she was four years older and thus allowed to do it, but rule-breaking and rebellion without a cause in general never had the same appeal to me. It wasn't as if I hated being in company but it wasn't something I craved like a moth needed the lantern's light, and I certainly didn't have the same social charisma as her, with a face known and beloved by all and the ability to make everyone feel special in her company. I liked being on my own, listening to my own thoughts or doing things on my own such as reading, practicing on Cibela's piano whenever she wasn't on the estate (her visits were becoming rarer anyway), stealing into the kitchen to watch the servants prepare our food (the first time I had done that, they thought Madre had send me to make sure they did a good job), making sketches of the paintings in the galleries and many other things lonely noble children seemed to do, as I had been told by my cousin Agustín. The only son of Tía Esmé was a diplomat on track to becoming an ambassador and during his visits, he would stay on the family estate. Despite him and Cibela being the closest in age, they were like cats and dogs to each other, with him having thrown around the words “cruel” and “heartless” while Cibela had complained to Madre about him being a pathetic excuse of a politician and even a traitor to Cartagenth. So he spent most of his visits with Heloisa and me, even though he always told me I was his favorite - and judging by the sharp remarks he made about Heloisa, even to her own face, there was no doubt it was true. It was a nice feeling to be someone’s preferred company even though I felt as if favoritism seemed to be a family tradition, and not a good one. 

I sighed, opened my eyes again and was immediately almost blinded by the sun. The goldfinches were singing somewhere in the trees and something was chirping softly in the scrubs. A thought crept into my mind and I grinned. I sat up, leaned towards the bush and let out a whistle. It rustled and a black manakin made its way to me. 

“Hello, you cutie.” I said, and wiggled my finger at it. “Wanna help me in an experiment?”

I hoped this would work. We would throw marbles throw the portals to see whether they fulfilled their purpose but never tried it with a living organism, so if it didn't work…

The manakin tilted his head and looked at me. I sighed. 

“Right, you don't understand human speech.” I reached out and softly stroked his chest. “But you're not flying away, so I'll take that as a yes.” He nibbled at my finger. “I'll collect some worms for you, I don't have a problem with digging in the ground unlike someone else.”

A chirp, whether he actually understood a word was another matter.

I closed my eyes and let out a breath. I tuned out the noises all around me and concentrated on the manakin, where it was and on creating a gateway to bring it to another location - not very far, just a few meters away from me. A noise that wasn't quite a noise caught my attention and upon opening my eyes, I saw the bird looking curiously at a small doorway, big enough for him to comfortably fit through, and another one near a tree trunk.

“That's for you. Please…?” 

The manakin looked at me as if he himself was unsure of this.

“Go ahead, nothing will happen.” I said with hopefully enough conviction in my voice. 

It seemed to have hit the mark because he jumped through it - and reappeared a few meters away from me. 

“Yes!”, I screamed and pumped a fist in the air and startling the manakin who jumped about a foot in the air.

Time flew by as I made portals, some bigger than others, for my new friend to walk or fly through, and he strangely seemed to find as much joy as this as me. 

I was in the middle of making another one when I heard footsteps. To my surprise, it was Heloisa, with her face dark like a beetroot and her mouth twisted into a snarl.

“What happened?” I asked worried, hurrying over to her but instead of an answer she pushed me away. Her eyes were rimmed red and there was a glint of fire in copper brown that made me take a step back. 

“What do you think you're going to do with this?”

“Get out of my way!”, was the snappy answer I received as she made her way over to a tree, reached into a hole in the trunk and pulled something out. A shining steel blade, one that I was sure I had seen many many times.

“By the Devil, is that one of the Nopali swords in the ancestral gallery?” I blurted out and followed Heloisa as she stomped out of the aviary. When I got no verbal response, I grabbed her arm and made her face me. 

Her lips switched and she scrunched her nose. 

“You'll see soon enough what I'll do to her.” Wrenching loose of my grip, she whirled around and continued her way, and it hit me like a falling anvil to know where she was going. The aviary wasn't far from the estate building itself so it didn't take too long before we reached the first inner court which also functioned as training grounds for the guards. In the center, on the sand ground, a young woman in light armor with one arm on her back and the other wielding a blunt training sword was parrying the blow of a figure also clad in light armor and with a double-handed sword. She dodged the next blow, made a sidestep and used the momentum to hit her opponent in the side with the swords pommel. The opponent clutched their side and wheeled around to meet her blow, metal hitting metal in an ugly noise.

“Hey! Cibela!” Neither of the figures acknowledged us but merely continued their melee.

“Don't tell me you want do what I think you want to do.” I sighed and held Heloisa's arm. 

“Don't tell me what to do,”, she hissed and shoved me away, “and don't even dare to tell Mother. Cibela!”

“Don't be stupid and put down the sword, please! You'll hurt each other.”

Fury was written all over her face when she said: “That's exactly what I want to do. I've had enough of her thinking she is better than me just for being allowed to train as a warrior!”

“Then challenge her to chess or something, not a swordfight.”

Heloisa let out a mocking laugh. “Of course you'd say that, words befitting of a cowardly magician.” My cheeks stung at her words as if I had been slapped in the face. “You wouldn't understand. You don't have any fighting spirit, so all you are good for is rolling over and playing dead.”

“I just know that fighting battles I can't win doesn't do any good.”

The noise of a body hitting the floor brought our attention back to the fighters and we saw how the woman took the hand of her opponent to be helped off the ground. Dark curls had escaped her braid during the fight and made her look distinctively messy, beads of sweat glittered on her forehead and her neck and face were flushed. 

“May the Devil damn you, stop distracting me!”, she yelled at us and pushed the loose strands of her out of her face. Dark eyes fixated us angrily and Heloisa laughed yet again. 

“Oh, is it that easy? I'm starting to believe you are not good a fighter as you make everyone believe. How do you even survive on those battlefields you claim you're so successful on?”

Cibela's face flushed even darker than it did from the exhaustion and she let out an angry snarl. “A mercenary is easy work compared to you, sister. Now go away, be a nuisance elsewhere.”

“No, I won't!” Heloisa screamed and held out the sword in front of her. The swordsman dropped their sword in shock and made a motion to walk over to us.

“Stay your hand, Octavio, or I'll have you fired and sent to live with the rats in the gutter.”

“Lady Heloisa, please calm down. The sword you're holding is sharp.”

Cibela let out a laugh. “Of course it is. Stop this nonsense before you hurt yourself, you're not worth a fight.”

I couldn't stop her from stomping at Cibela and I threw myself between the two of them, holding my hands out. “Will you two stop provoking each other?” I knew better than to ask what exactly caused this dispute to begin; I wouldn't get an answer anyway. Heloisa and Cibela constantly butted heads over even the smallest issues, and it wasn't helped by the fact that they were both too eager to find reasons to get into arguments. 

Cibela's lip curled in a sneer. “Even Ximena is more of a realist than you. She knows I'd gut you like a fish if this were an actual fight. You are no fighter; all you can do is talk a lot and charm people into doing what you want them to - and that is something everyone can do, it takes no real talent. You're just as stupid and useless as those birds you love so much - pretty to look at and have around with their feathers and songs but shallow and of no use whatsoever.”

Heloisa roared in anger, lifted the sword and ran at our sister. I jumped out of the way, and saw in shock how Cibela easily dodged the blow and took a few steps back.

“I won't fight you, you don't even know how to! It's a waste of my time and an easy kill.”

Frantically I turned to Octavio. “Get whoever, otherwise they'll kill each other for real!”, I yelled and as Cibela's coach ran off, I stood up and thought about what to do. Damn me for not knowing how to make protective shields! 

“Get a real sword and let's find out, and do you think me so stupid to fight you without knowing how to?”

“Yes, I do.”

The next hit on the tourney sword left a dent in it, and Heloisa let out a triumphant laugh. “Don't bother with holding back, or is that all you can do? I have long suspected all you did on those battlefields was have others do your dirty work, seems I was right after all!”

A kick to the stomach silenced Heloisa and sent her tumbling back. Cibela scoffed and walked back to the assembly of swords to train with and took out a silver shortsword. “Yield now, sister. Scars don't suit you and we'd never hear the end of it.”

“I have been watching you train with Octavio and the others, do you really think I never learned even a bit? Or that I might have had someone who helped me from time to time?” The grin slipped from her face as Cibela approached her with sure steps, sword in hands and swung at her. Heloisa ducked and scrambled away from our sister's reach, who looked merely amused. “I think you're in way over your head. But I will give you a lesson you will not forget ever, that you may know your place and to stay in it.”

A quick movement and Cibela took off, sword pulled back to strike at Heloisa, who stood her ground with a determined look on her face. But the impact of Cibela, who was at least a head taller and had a more muscular frame, was enough to send her on her back onto the ground. “Your battles are in court and with words, not blades.”

I screamed in terror as Cibela threw back her arm, to swing it at Heloisa's face-

I acted on instinct, for fear for my sister's life. Light bubbled in my hands and I aimed it at the two. Cibela groaned at the blinding light and covered her face as she stumbled back as Heloisa gave a hard kick at her ankle and rolled out from under her.

“You're a true magician, Ximena,”, Cibela spat at me, her face scrunched up in anger as she stood up, “too much of a coward to get involved directly but always ready to help with dirty tricks. You two are a disgrace to our family name.” Then she spun around to catch Heloisa's wrist, I hadn't even noticed her getting up again and trying to hit Cibela in the back with the pommel. 

“Especially you.”

Her grip was so hard that it made Heloisa scream in pain, she dropped the sword and let it fall into the dust between them. Cibela let her fall back, and as if through fog I saw the blade in her other hand find its way onto Heloisa's torso, connecting with it at the shoulder blade and making its way to the hipbone. Someone's shrill scream rang in my ears and only when I covered my mouth I realized it had been me. But I couldn't move, I was rooted to the spot as I watched my sisters, one standing with the tip of her blade bloodied over the other, lying on the group, gasping like a fish out of water.

Someone else's scream brought me back to reality and I spun around to see our mother and our aunt make their way to us, Octavio hot on their heels. 

“Oh my goodness!” Madre threw her hands to her face as she saw Heloisa in the dust. Her flowing purple gown fluttered behind her as she ran to them, while Tía Esmé approached me and grabbed me by the shoulders with urgency. “Marilena, what happened? Be quick about it.”

I stumbled upon my words various times and only when she dabbed my face with her cape, I noticed tears were streaming down my face. “He-Heloisa challenged Cibela to a-a fight. I didn't think they'd ac-actually-”

“What's done is done. With me, now.” Her hand wrapped around my wrist like a vice as she pulled me along. “Julia taught you the basics of healing, now's time to make use of them.” 

I gaped at Tía Esmé but the steely look in her eyes made me swallow my doubts. 

“Are you happy now? Isn't that what you wanted?” Cibela's voice was cold as ice, no hint of regret upon what she did. 

“Cibela, what have you done?” Mother cried as she cradled Heloisa, tears were freely running down her face and leaving dark traces of her make-up. My sister was looking at the cut in her chest as if she couldn't believe what just happened. The blood was beginning to stain the burgundy fabric black as it seeped out. She raised a hand to touch it and screamed at the sight of her own blood on it.

“I gave my dearly beloved sister what she was so desperately chasing; someone who would put her back in her place and teach her some respect.”

I stared at Cibela and felt my throat tighten at the venom in her words. For a brief moment, nothing more than a split second, I considered picking up the sword on the ground and hitting her with it, but the thought of it frightened me as soon as I finished it. 

The vice around my wrist disappeared and Tía Esmé closed in on Cibela, who held up her chin in defiance. “Did you stop to think about turning down the duel and reason with her without spitting poison? Is this how an officer of the Grand Army of Cartagenth behaves, or this is more akin to a lawless bandit?”

Cibela took a step forward, her face mere inches away from Tía Esmé. “She was the one who insisted on a duel, she can be lucky I decided to show mercy even if I was in the full right to kill her and I wouldn't have shed a tear if I had done so.”

The silence behind that statement lasted both nothing and an eternity, and the ensuing sound of the back of Esmé's hand hitting Cibela's face full force seemed deafening. Mother screamed and instantly let go of Heloisa to help her eldest of the dust, leaving me to catch her before she hit the ground.

“You ungrateful little parasite.” Esmé sneered as Cibela held the side of her face where she had been hit, “have you learnt nothing? Family is the only thing that matters. Without us, you’re a fucking nobody. Get out of my sight.”

Cibela scrambled onto her feet, a trail of blood running down her nose and furious tears building in her eyes. Without a further word she whirled around and left the training grounds, with Madre running after her and saying words made unintelligible by her sobs.

“Octavio, get a doctor. Have them bring something for transport.” The coach bowed quickly with a murmured “Yes, General.” and ran back into the building.

I took a deep breath as I laid my hands on Heloisa's chest. She let out a scream and squeezed her eyes shut. Esmé knelt next to us and regarded the wound with an expert's eye.

“Try to keep her from bleeding out, from what I see the wound is not deep enough to make lethal damage but you can never know. I've seen soldiers bleed to death from a lot less and survive a lot worse.”

She reached out and took Heloisa's hand, gently stroking the back of it with her thumb. “Stay awake, it'll all be alright.”

…

It would be alright, but it ended up taking two whole months. Two months that Heloisa spent in bed, taking medicine that would hurry up the healing process and barely being able to move without experiencing pain. That did not prevent her tutors from giving her stuff to read and it drove her mad with anger, along with the fact that this prohibited her from leaving with the junior council to places such as Vesuvia and Firent. I was the one keeping her company most of the evenings, occasionally Madre or Padre would join but more often than not instead of them it was Tía Esmé if she happened to be on the grounds and not in the city or at court giving war council. Cibela had left the estate grounds days after the incident to lead a division of Cartagense soldiers to the Sea of Persephia, which had to be a journey of approximately two months. After a long discussion between Tía Esmé and Madre on which I had eavesdropped, they decided it was best to send Cibela away for at least a while for the bad blood to die down, and the troops desperately needed support on the front.

“Against who is the Grand Army fighting now?” I asked Tía Esmé one evening during dinner.

“The Bizanti are on the verge of starting a trade war after being threatened by a small, way too insignificant city state and it is our duty to stand by our allies and aid them in crushing the enemy.” Her gaze turned cool as she spoke. “You make it sound as if you think we are always at war with others.”

“Aren't we? You're always holding war councils with the Zaan and his courtiers.”

“Ximena!” Madre put down her fork and looked at me. “Don't speak like this to your aunt, especially not at the table.” But Tía Esmé merely raised her hand. “I don't mind, Marisol. And I don't blame you, dearest, after all you are still only a child whereas your sisters understand the way things work. We have the right to defend ourselves from our enemies at all costs.”

“I know, but does it have to be that way? Agustín surely could solve this, isn’t that what diplomats are for?” Aunt Esmé regarded me with a raised eyebrow, Madre laughed quietly and soon everyone turned their attention back to the food. Even Heloisa seemed to agree with them when I told her what happened at dinner.

“You should be glad we have people like Tía Esmé. If generals like her hadn't been so successful, Cartagenth would’ve already been conquered by someone and instead of the Zaan, some foreign ruler would call the shots.”

I sighed. “Maybe you're right. But not everything needs to end in bloodshed.” You out of all people should know that, I thought bitterly and sat down in an armchair. 

“Some people simply don't know better,”, Heloisa sighed, like always lacking self-awareness, and turned her attention back to her book. I looked at her, my tongue barely holding back a sharp remark, and grabbed the card deck. With Julia not teaching me divination beyond the basics, it was the only area I had to work on myself. The books in the library were helpful but it was mostly a matter of practice, as I found out. A lot of practice and listening. I shuffled the deck and pulled out a card. Justice, reversed. Unfairness and lies. How very fitting.

[nadiaportia]

been thinking about fashion

Sayelle has a closet full of the equivalent of vintage 60’s-80’s clothes and would make modern day art students pale in jealousy. catch her wearing multiple rings on her hands and also rocking a mullet because she can, with the hair in the back occassionally being braided. got one single tattoo one day just to “try it out” and just ended up getting more and more. big fan of warm colors and flowing clothes.

Deirdra used to shop in whatever the renaissance equivalent of Hot Topic is until they moved onto almost only wearing tight pants (that still somehow allow enough movement... because magic or whatever) and either button-ups or actual tshirts, you name it. mixes patterns like an absolute madman and loves big earrings, especially if they have fruit motifs. never grows their hair past a little above shoulder length and it’s always dyed. loves to show off their toned arms.

Ximena has a casual style but always with a graceful and elegant air. hair’s always either flowing free or in a ponytail, she loves showing off the curls. exclusively a wearer of wide-legged pants, tops vary depending on whether you just gotta go about your daily business, have a more serious matter to attend or just wanna look a little extra fancy. you’ll never catch her without hoop earrings. Prefers darker colors over bright tones.

Heloisa is a Glam Girl, although out of festivities (where she will always dress spectacularly), less is almost always so much more as she stays true to her Old Money nature where showing off your wealth “casually” just means you’re overcompensating. well-combined colors and everything is tailored to fit her to a T just how she wants it. high femme aesthetic to fit her high femme self but also very fond of dressing up as a statement. favors a lot more different hairstyles than just wearing it as loose curls.

[nadiaportia]

Nicknames and the like

Deirdra: Dida among family-only, initially coined by Jaume when he was a child because „Deirdra“ is not a name native to Oriol so it had to be something shorter. For friends and acquintances it’s Dee almost exclusively. Portia has a receptoire of nicknames for them ranging from the tooth-rottingly sweet to the hilarious kneeslap-inducing, depending on the mood.

Sayelle: Usually goes by her full name. The exclusive circle of people who are allowed to call her Sally (courtesy of Deirdra who serenaded her while drunk) is very small but she is weirdly attached to it. Nadia calls her “darling” or “my love”.

Ximena: Xime for friends, however close they might be, in the broad sense as well her sisters, her cousin and any lovers - it’s the to-go nickname. Always Marilena (combo of María Magdalena, her middle name) for her aunt but Ximencita for her parents.

Heloisa: Helo (h’ is mute) for friends, sisters, whoever she wants to inspire familiarity to but it’s surprisingly rarely used. Lola (derived from María Dolores) for family-only. If “Doña” and other titles could be considered nicknames, they’d be her favorites.

Cibela: It’s always Cibela, never something else for people. There’s currently three people still alive who call her Bela: her aunt, her husband and, for no purpose but to needle her, her sister.

Esme: Esme already is a nickname of Esmerelda, and no one besides Agustín’s father and her mother, the previous marquesa Doña Constanza, ever called her that.