#the arcana prequel

[kidlightnings]

Asra launching himself within barely A DAY into at the very least, making out heavily with Ilya, flirting severely with him, slipping into this sexual role so, so quickly

He is rebounding so hard after coming home to his lover, his friend dead, and is throwing himself into whatever arms don't spark terror from their very touch

Ilya, the same, that same rebounding impulse, that same desperation to cope

And both of them unknowingly grieving the same person

It's ghastly sad

[morellanimmermehr]

The Arcana Prequel - Your Questions Answered

Thanks to everyone who has sent us questions over the last few days! If there's anything else you'd like to know, my askbox is open.

Will the Prequel have an upright and reversed ending?

Yes! You’ll be following Asra during his time at the palace as he tries to revive the Apprentice. To succeed, he will need to win the trust of Nadia, Lucio, Valerius and Muriel. Whether he manages that and how far he is willing to go for his goal is up to you.

On a scale of 0 to 10, how angsty will this be?

We’re aiming to emulate the way the original game balances out the serious, gut-wrenching moments with more light-hearted ones. That said, grief, loss and unhealthy coping mechanisms will all feature heavily, so we’re going to say… 9.5?

How often does the story update, and how many episodes will there be in total?

We currently release a new episode every Tuesday, but we’re planning to eventually move to two episodes per week once some of our other ongoing commitments have wrapped up. As for the total number of episodes… we’re not sure yet, but definitely 20+.

Why did you decide to write this together?

@asrabounding (Azi) and I have been toying with the idea of making an Arcana Prequel on Dorian for over a year, but we realized pretty quickly that bringing it to life the way we were envisioning it would require more than two people. Azi and @motherofqups (MOC) first connected via the fandom all the way back in 2019, and we’ve all ended up bonding over our shared love of the Arcana, many congruent headcanons, and an admiration for each other's work. So this collaboration was a natural fit.

How much Asra x Julian is in this?

Their situationship will be one of the ongoing plotlines in this story. The choices you make will influence how it plays out and, to an extent, how much of it you see. Relationship points with Julian will not affect whether you get the upright or reversed ending, but can unlock additional paths.

You all have written Asra and Julian a lot, but which of the other characters are your favorites to write and why?

All three of us genuinely enjoy writing all of the M6 (and many of the supporting characters), but if you’re making us choose…

MOC: Lucio. His voice is so unique and he’s always flowed easily for me, but he still surprises me, even after all this time. There are so many knots to unravel and layers to unpack with him. He’s delicious to tease but he bites back, too, so he’s fun to play with whether I’m writing an angsty scene or a more playful scene. 

Azi: Muriel and Lucio. I have made myself laugh while writing them more than once, and their voices tend to flow naturally for me. I never have to wonder “what would Lucio say?”

Morella: Nadia. I love her sense of humor, and how absolutely savage she can be when she’s irritated with someone. I also really enjoy contrasting the way she can take control of a situation and command the room with the vulnerability that she only shows to a select few people.

Are the courtiers going to make appearances?

Yes. Valerius plays a major role as one of the characters that Asra will need to get onto his side to complete the ritual. The other courtiers will make appearances as well, though their roles will be smaller (similar to the original game).

I’m confused, is this meant to be canon?

No. Our aim is to stay faithful to the spirit and lore of the original game, but ours is just one of many ways to tell this particular story.

Why is the Prequel getting promoted by Dorian?

Dorian has criteria for which games get promoted. These include how many people play, how much money they spend, and whether the creators update the game consistently over a period of time. Over the past two years, Azi and I have built a track record of meeting these criteria for every game we release, so our stories now often get picked up for promotion early on (as do those of many other established creators on Dorian). The logic behind that is pretty obvious if you’ve ever been a fanfic reader deciding whether to take a chance on an incomplete longfic on AO3 - if you recognise the author and know they’ve finished their fics in the past, you’re probably more likely to trust that they’ll continue this one, too.

How much influence does Dorian have over the games you make?

The ideas that go into the stories are all ours, and Dorian doesn't tell us what to write. They do give us advice on what they think is more likely to succeed. It's our decision to take it or leave it. Sometimes we take it, sometimes we leave it.

Dorian doesn't set a release schedule for us, but they do offer more opportunities for promotion to creators who stick to a consistent schedule.

How much money do you make writing on Dorian?

Azi and I have both been writing on Dorian for going on two years now, and our earnings have steadily grown over that time. As part of that process, we’ve also gotten a lot more intentional about our release schedule. This has brought us to a point where our games make between $5K and $6K each month.

How much time does a project like this take?

These days, the hours Azi and I put into making games are equivalent to a part time job. We have tried different things and tested out what we could and could not handle on top of our other work and family commitments, and we have found our sweet spot. Luckily we are fully in control of our schedule and we make it work for us.

[totally-not-here-for-the-smut]

This stuff is LONG and complex, and I’m not a native speaker. Which means, it’s hell, WHY BRAIN GOT NO RIGHT WORDS DAMMIT, but it’s also cool bc I can’t really understand HOW bad it actually is, so I’m less self-demanding about the actual style quality than in my own stupidly demanding language. Let’s get to the content then. I’m so very sorry for my children’s book language-level.

Pls believe that I am, in fact, not a child.

Tw:death, sickness, angst

and this is-

Loved & Lost

A The Arcana prequel fanfic - part 1

When the plague came, it started robbing you right away- it took your aunt and, before eventually claiming your own life, your love.

The wise woman who had been your magic mentor was one of the first to fall ill, as if the pestilence were trying to thin out the ranks of those who could stop it. She felt right away this was not a normal illness. The sickness got slowly the best of her body, as if it wanted to seep unnoticed into the city. Your aunt's body withered a little bit each day, her skin slowly tinging red by the engorged veins, but it never managed to steal her wits until the very end. When she was at last bedridden, she had Asra call for you.

You didn't recall where you were at that time. Your magical training was long completed, and you were travelling the world, scavenging for rare spell components, old scrolls and lost magic to bring home to her and to her new apprentice. You got home just in time.

The woman who was a little sore as you kissed her goodbye all those weeks ago now seemed barely more tangible than a ghost - pale and trembling, her clothes hanging empty from her once proud and graceful shoulder. But her eyes, although now tinted in red, were sharp and stern as they had always been.

You did not show any pity for her -she would never have allowed you to-, but when she took you hand in hers her gentle touch unveiled her deepest nature.

"I'm leaving, child", she told you. "But I need the two of you to stay as much as you can".

She called Asra by her side with a nod.

"I have lived a long life. The time I gave it back has long passed, but now death is catching up to me. Spare your tears and magic for the victims to come" she turn her head to face your friend. His purple eyes were veiled in tears.

"Asra, you're a mage now, your training is almost done. In fact, my nephew took my place as your master some time ago already. She'll be more than capable to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. Soon, you'll be a mage, but" - her eyes went narrow- "I want you to remember that you were took from the streets. Someone cared for you, listened to you, taught you everyone you know. You will have to pass your care on to whoever will need it. This is why I taught you magic". Asra couldn't do anything but nod. His lips parted, pronouncing a promise so feeble you couldn't hear -but your aunt did, and a faint smile showed on her chapped lips.

"Believe me, soon many will need it. But I know you'll both live up the cause. Now leave, I need to rest".

You didn't even take your travelling clothes off - you threw yourself into Asra's arms -now your apprentice's arms- to hold each other through the sorrowful night.

She died shortly after. Many vesuvian would have come to salute her, but you and Asra decided to do hold a more private gathering - you, him, and Faust. The snake was so torn that even her scales seemed to grey. She squeezed one last time your aunt's familiar, a pitch black crane called Hermes, who took flight as soon as the mage's funeral pyre was lit.

You kept your head high and your eyes on the flames, resisting the urge to bury your face on Asra's chest and cry your heart out. Instead, you held his hand tight, grounding yourself into the two things that mattered in that moment: Asra's love, and the promise you both made her - to stay and care for the city.

So, when the plague erupted in Vesuvia and Asra began insisting to leave, your fights became vicious.

✧

I want to really thank @wilson-artisan and @lovely-dove69 for their help as proofreaders. They un-dorked my writing a lot.

I feel that I must pay credit to various writers as well who inspired me: check bakuliwriter's "Hurt", that set ablaze my drama thirst. I can totally see it in the same timeline as this thing.

The other parts will be in te reblogs!

Navigate it from my masterlist

[ruvelli]

I’m rereading/replaying The Arcana (won’t be the last time so long as it exists) and per usual they’ve got some fun, new stuff going on the side…

And apparently JulianAsra is now canon, like PortiaNadia is if you don’t date one of them.

Um?

First of all, ship who you want—more power to you. But it seems weird to make it… “canon”?Maybe it isn’t? Maybe it’s just in Muriel’s? It seems like they’re leaning into it, though?

Yes, they’re exes and that makes sense, BUT—

SPOILERS:

I’m not sure how to feel about that because their thing was… kind of toxic.

Julian isn’t very mature and didn’t treat Asra with a whole lot of respect (almost more like Asra was a damsel in constant distress or a child) and Asra admitted even when they were together he didn’t love him/barely liked him.

Their interactions as friends even said “barely friends”.

Asra got annoyed at Julian at the drop of a hat because, again, they barely like him. Also tended to lean toward subtle insults a lot.

They only started to get along cuz of the MC and even then only if the MC was dating one of them, in particular if the MC was with Julian who apologized in his thing

Oh, and I need to reread Muriel’s for context again (because I only read it once; I know, shame on me 😭) because I do recall an indication they’re back together… but why? They’re not terribly compatible and I’m scared to play the Memories bit because I’m worried their chemistry is forced in it.

Even the extra stuff doesn’t indicate Asra more than barely likes him. And now there’s a whole section dedicated to their romantic relationship, which is awesome for the shippers. You get coins if you play it, so that’s cool, too.

So, we got concentration on that and it feels like just fluff for that ship lovers… and that cute date episode with one of Nadia’s sisters. Neither of which feels terribly necessary and is clearly just to add content somehow.

But you know what I really, really, REALLY would love to see???

The MC’s life before Asra showed up, how they originally learned magic, the aunt (who doesn’t have to be a real relative) they lived with maybe, when they met Asra, their life together including how it affected Muriel, seeing Nadia for the first time, and then MC’s time with Julian helping at the clinic after their big fight, etc. All the stuff that was mentioned but never got to be explored.

I even want to see their final days beyond a glimpse as they die cuz fuck my mental health

Can we get a prequel?????

[pass-the-black-mead]

LETS GOOOOOOOOO

The Arcana Prequel, out now.

In collaboration with @asrabounding and @morellanimmermehr

Art by Patoons_Cartoons

[ace--of--swords]

Haunted

[simarcana]

PLS HELP MY ADHD (clown) BRAIN

I have 3 stories i'd like to translate and develop in ts4 but it's like super hard and i constantly change my mind about which one should i work on

I HAVE THE STORIES. And most are almost finished but that's what makes the choice so hard. I started with the Conundrum but then I took a break from tumblr for mental health reasons but IDK ANYMORE

Some of you never saw my stories BUT you can vote for the vibe, i just need to brainstorm eheh

[neonacity]

ARCANE : INIZIO | CH.8 | NCT DREAM X READER

Summary: When human deviants granted with the abilities of the legendary Arcana cards find themselves racing against devious forces, they are left to make a choice that might change the fate of the world itself: be the victims of the game, or become the masters of it themselves.

But will this war end with a crowned hero?

Or will it just create another mad villain?

*****

Note: This is the second book of Arcane. The happenings in this story is a prequel to the first installment which you can check in my Masterlist.

Pairings: Dream 00’ Line + Mark x Reader

Trigger Warnings/Themes: romance, violence, torture, trauma, poly dynamics, suggestive themes, language, psychological, mystery, sci-fi. The concept of the tarot or Arcana cards will be loosely used throughout the series. This is a work of fiction, and the boys are just my muses. I do not post anywhere else but here on Tumblr.

© neonacity, 2024

CHAPTER SONG: Anywhere | Evanescence

Index of characters and lore: (x)

Previously > CH. 1 | CH.2 | CH.3 | CH.4 | CH.5 | CH.6 | CH.7

****

Cold fingers ghosted over your skin, teasing you to slowly wake from your slumber. His touch was gentle as they traced your spine but the roughness of his calouses made you shiver and melt even more against his touch. Jeno felt it and moved his head a little to brush his lips against your forehead. You sighed, the action warming his bare collarbones with your breath.

"Are you awake?"

"No..."

You felt him slightly smile against your hair. You didn't want to open your eyes, afraid that the moment you do, he will pull away from you again. It's been so long since you had him close like this, so open and raw, and you are willing to put in the line anything just so you could live off of this moment for as long as you can.

"Look at me..."

"Jen, it's past midnight. You can leave before daybreak. I don't think anyone will care at all—"

"Run away with me."

You froze in his arms. Slowly, you pulled away to look at him, wondering for a moment if you heard his words well and clear. He looked too beautiful in the shadows of your room to be saying lies he didn't mean. Desperately, you tried to look for a hint in his eyes of guilt, but instead he only met your gaze with an openness that made your throat catch.

"What...?"

Jeno slightly turned towards you and raised a hand to cradle your cheek. His thumb made gentle strokes on your lips for comfort.

"Run away with me. Let's leave everything behind and start somewhere. Anywhere."

You were speechless. Unconsciously, you held back his hand to stop him from distracting you with his touch. He let you do it, but the look he gave you did nothing to soften his determination.

"Jeno, we can't leave the family. You know that. We're both—"

"Masters of a system that we both didn't want nor wished for," he said, cutting you off before you could even finish the words he's heard from you countless of times. "Don't you see? We've always had a choice. Being born into this doesn't mean you have to carry this burden forever."

He sounded so vulnerable yet so held back in that moment that you just knew he had been thinking about this for so long. Is this why he had been avoiding you since you went back to Rosewood?

"Our lives has been set for us the moment the Arcanas chose us as their masters. To have these powers mean we have a role to play. All of us do," you answered back in a tone that almost sounded as if you were begging. You can't help it. Never in your life have you ever considered this, the freedom he is talking about.

"And I choose a life with YOU," he shot back as he finally pulled away from you to stand up from the bed. You sat up as well, your heart dropping at the distance he put between the two of you. The desperation and frustration in his voice was like a slap on raw skin. You watched as he paced and ran his hand through his hair, a gesture that told you it was costing him his everything to say these things now.

"You say there is a war coming, but you don't have to fight it. None of us do. Your father has always given you a choice to run away from this, but you've held back thinking you need to pay a debt you didn't even make in the first place," he paused, before finally facing you again.

"I've made my choice. And I only have ever wanted you."

Silence rang in the wake of his words. You looked at him lost, and he did the same but with an intensity you have never seen in him before. There are only a couple of things in your cursed life that you have always been sure of. One, that tragedy is in your horizon, no matter how much you try to run away from it.

Two, you want Jeno.

Just as desperately, foolishly, and madly he wants you.

Your gaze finally lowered as you let your thoughts consume you whole. Jeno, seeing that as a clear refusal, sadly softened his shoulders in defeat. He looked away and stepped back.

"Forget it."

"We leave at dawn."

This time, it was his turn to freeze. He looked back at you, stunned and silent. You met him head on, your gaze clear and also determined for the first time in years.

"Let's leave together... I want you. I'm not running away again."

*******

Betrayal has a distinct taste.

It’s metallic and sharp, like the bite of blood sitting at the back of your throat that you can never seem to wash.

It also has a distinct smell. One of burnt embers, tossing in the hearth as they melt into smoke.

Betrayal has a distinct color. Oftentimes, it comes in shades of blood and rust. But sometimes, it can also be of flowers…

Trying to cover the bite of poison under their deceiving bright colors.

The man standing in front of the dying fire tried his best to ignore the curve of the deep red lips that smiled at him from the shadows. He wanted nothing more but to get his current business in this cursed room done and over with, but the devil of a woman sitting across him seems to find joy from seeing him internally suffer.

He guessed her reaction was warranted if he were in her position.

Miyoung Lee, renowned doctor and scientist, and one half of Cypher—the leading research institute in this part of the world—was about to unlock what no other academic has done before. Access to powers way beyond the mundane world that govern the aether and the ether… and maybe even the ability to control them.

All because of him. Particularly, what he is about to do.

Junho Lee, a renowned member of the secret Arcana Family, born and destined to protect the celestial forces that were lent to chosen human descendants would probably be the last person anyone would suspect to betray the clan. As a direct son and current head of the main Lee branch, he holds pride in his roots. Before him, his ancestors have made history as Arcana masters themselves. And while he had not been granted the same powers as them, he is about to make his own mark by being the father of one yet to be the greatest of them all.

“Tomorrow, yes?”

“At the break of dawn.”

“And you can confirm that he has no suspicions? At all?”

Junho paused for a moment, watching the fire lick a turning ember on the hearth. The Headmaster of Rosewood Academy is a keen man and a powerful one, but he is also a person with unwavering trust in his circle. Unfortunately for him, he decided to put it on Junho. And now they both have to pay a fair price for it.

“He has none. I made sure the trail is clear.”

The slight creaking of a chair followed by the dull thud of heels against mahogany made him brace. It took him everything he had so as not to flinch at the feeling of long sharp nails running up his shoulders, before tapping the lapel of his coat almost mockingly.

“Good. I have trust in your word, Mr. Lee. After all, you know what it will cost you if you betray me.”

This time, he couldn’t stop himself from stiffly turning at the woman, his eyes cold as steel. Miyoung smiled back with the look of a feral goddess.

“You will not hurt my son.”

“I shall not hurt him if you keep your word. That is the arrangement.”

He balled his fists under the cover of his pockets at the way she said it so smoothly, as if she was talking about the weather rather than the fate of a whole secret society and the individual lives that make it. The first time Junho met the woman, he knew from the start that she was a different kind of evil. But then again, are they really much different? He who has chosen this path for the sake of revenge and glory?

“And the girl too. Don’t forget about her,” he replied. Miyoung took a step back and gave a wave of her hand as if it was just an afterthought she couldn’t care less about.

“Yes, of course. I do not understand the need to save a plain human but I have not forgotten.”

He took that as a signal to leave. He never particularly liked these clandestine meetings and he also didn’t need a reason to be suspected by anyone. Turning towards the door, he barely gave the woman a look as he passed her.

“Keep your word, and you might have the world.”

*******

You might as well have gone mad.

Yes. There is no doubt that you have finally lost your mind the moment you slipped out of the shadowy hallway, your eyes having long adjusted into the darkness by now. In front of you, Jeno’s back looked strong and determined as he led the way, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for anything and anyone. Even as he moved to guide you, he kept his hand locked with yours as you both traced the steps leading to your escape.

Escape. A heavy word to describe what you two are about to do, but a fitting one nonetheless. The irony, however, lies in the fact that you are not running away from anyone. Your father would be more than happy if you step away from this life and you doubt any of the others will try to hold you back. No, what you are escaping from is your own self. Your identity as a member of the Family and the life you've thought you'll have to see through until your very last breath. Jeno is doing the same, both of you deciding to leave behind parts of yourself that have been bound to your souls since the very beginning.

Yes, after today, you will no longer be IL Matto, and he, La Morte. You will live your life as normal people, and that will be more than enough.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do anything else before we leave?” Jeno spoke in a whisper and you noted how a slight flash of guilt took his gaze. “Maybe write a letter to your father?”

You hesitated briefly, and you knew Jeno felt it with the way he ran his thumb over your hand. A letter is a good idea… at least a word that can let your father know of your decision. However, the thought of doing something so actively as to say goodbye is already choking you up, as if it would make your actions all the more real. So instead, you slightly shook your head and motioned for him to continue walking.

“The sun will be up in less than an hour. We should go…”

He didn’t question you anymore, his answer coming in a gentle squeeze of your hand. The skies beyond the wide windows running through the hallways are already starting to stain with the faintest golden red and you both continued on, silent in agreement and purpose.

It was in the last hallway, just before you could both breakthrough the back exit of the academy that Jeno suddenly paused. Peering from around his back, you saw darker shadows moving against the darkness, as if the source of it sensed your presence.

“Keep back,” he whispered against you as another dark figure lengthened in front of him. He had called on his arcana to act as your shield.

“Jeno…”

“Jeno?”

You both stiffened at the sound of the voice. Just as soon as it appeared, Jeno’s shadow warrior dissipated, revealing a baffled looking Jaemin behind it.

The silence that followed was thick. Jaemin’s eyes looked at you both, before his gaze flickered towards your joined hands. The sight of it made a look of realization dawn on his face, and for the first time, you felt panic crawling up your throat.

“Jaemin–”

You were ready to go on a full-blown explanation when he suddenly nodded towards the exit behind him.

“You both better leave now if you don’t want the others seeing you.”

You blinked, shocked and confused. Meanwhile, Jeno was quiet in front of you, watching his best friend.

“What are you doing here?”

The silver haired boy shrugged off the other’s question with a slight smile.

“We’ve been stationed to go on rounds in guarding the castle. The other hyungs are at the front. Luck is really on your side for choosing this route. If you decided to have done this yesterday, you would have had Haechan catching you both.”

Your gaze moved from Jeno and then to the other boy. For some reason, you felt like they are both talking in codes you couldn’t understand.

“Hey, don’t look so startled, angel. I’m here to keep the bad guys out, not keep you both in here,” Jaemin said in his usual smooth fashion. He gave Jeno a quick look then. “Besides, everyone knows this will happen sooner or later.”

Something about his words triggered something in you, and without even realizing it, you found yourself letting go of Jeno’s hand and going over to Jaemin to wrap your arms around his neck. He didn’t hesitate to hug you back, pressing his lips against the top of your head. Despite his casual demeanor, he held you tightly as if he never wanted to let you go.

“Thank you…” you whispered against his chest.

“If he hurts you, I’ll know. I’ll go get you myself then, okay?”

You smiled and nodded, not even realizing that warmth has started rolling down your cheeks and staining his shirt. When he finally let you go, he gave your arm one last squeeze before looking over at Jeno.

“Take care of her.”

“You know I will.”

He slightly moved over to the side as Jeno joined both of you then. It was a quick moment, but for a few seconds, the three of you basked in that shared little space. You, Jeno, and him. You three who have always balanced each other out… You three who have always been there at the start.

“We’ll write. I promise,” was the only thing you found yourself capable of saying. He laughed softly and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear.

“And I promise to visit… Once all of this is over. Now go. You don’t want the others making a big fuss of you two eloping.”

A shade of red dusted your cheeks despite yourself at the word he used. Nodding, you stepped back as Jeno took your hand again.

“You’ll be safe until the grounds. Once you’ve passed the protective barrier of the school, you have to be more careful.”

Jeno nodded. Without another word, he gently tugged you to pass the boy, a look of thankfulness in his eyes.

“I’ll see you soon, Jaemin.”

“Yes, soon.”

*******

Mark couldn’t figure out the reason he bolted awake from the warmth of his own bed. His breaths came in short and fast as if he had been running, and there was a thin layer of cold sweat on his forehead. He couldn’t remember if he was dreaming or not before this, but when he trained his hearing to check if there was anything amiss, the stone dorms only echoed back silence to him. Shakily, he raised his hand to feel for his pulse, and within the next minute, tried his best to gather his bearings.

His breathing was still uneven when he felt it again, a pull that cannot be seen or heard, but can only be felt energetically deep in his core. Rosewood Academy has always been protected by glamour, an invisible shield that keeps it from catching too much attention from normal people and to protect its students from the outside world. The barrier is made of the same frequency as their arcanas, which means it is pulled from the vibrations of the masters. The stronger the control over your ability is, the most you contribute to it... which only means one thing at the moment.

The school is under attack.

The moment his feet touched the ground as he jumped out of bed, an explosion of noises came from all around him. There was shouting and what seemed like a loud bang from deep inside the castle, and when he tore his door open, he was met by a wild-looking Haechan and Renjun. Jisung and Chenle were on their heels, looking equally worried in their pajamas.

“Hyung!”

“What is happening?”

“Where is she?”

They all talked at the same time, but it was a new voice coming from the other end of the hallway that made them all turn their heads at the same time. Jaemin was running towards them, covered in what looked like dust.

“We’re under attack. Someone’s trying to break down the barrier from the outside!”

“Are you okay? And where is she? We have to–”

“She left. With Jeno. She’s out of the castle right now.”

Nobody spoke after that. Mark wondered for a moment if he heard it correctly, but the way Renjun’s face paled beside him told otherwise.

“What do you mean she and Jeno left?!” Haechan asked, his voice shaky. Jaemin trained a steady look at the other boy and said nothing else.

“We have to go after them,” Mark said, moving to pass the other boy before he even realized what he was doing. His stomach felt heavy, and his limbs felt numb while also wanting to grasp something. The same words screamed at his head again and again.

She’s in danger.

You have to get her.

She left.

I can’t lose her!

“Hyung!”

Renjun’s voice snapped him from his trance. Mark looked down to see Jaemin holding him back, while the other tried to block his way.

“We have to let them go. They’re better off away from the Academy.”

“What do you mean they are better off–”

“Right now, we’re the only ones who know they left. These people who are trying to get inside are after us masters. She is better off away from here with Jeno,” Haechan added, despite his expression looking equally torn. Mark stared the boy down, until finally gritting his teeth and taking a step back.

His action seemed to have made the others relax a little, especially Chenle and Jisung who looked like they are waiting for their older hyungs to give them directions. The sight of the two youngest put some sense in him and Mark looked around the rest of the group as he tried to focus on the more important things.

“We need to help the others. Jaemin, do you know where Johnny-hyung are?”

“Him and Jaehyun-hyung are guarding the north main entrance. Yuta-hyung and I think Mijeong are both stationed in the West and East. I was over there at the South exit but the headmaster came over and told me to look for you guys so we could evacuate.”

Mark frowned. There was a gnawing feeling that started creeping up on him at the mention of the man.

“The headmaster? Was he with Kun and Taeyong-hyung?”

“They weren’t when he came over.”

“He doesn’t know noona left with Jeno?”

Jaemin shook his head.

It only took a moment for him to make a decision.

“We should get to him now.”

The rest of the boys exchanged confused looks but started running after him as he jogged towards the South end of the academy. Mark didn’t know what got to him, but the pull towards the headmaster told him it was the right thing to do at the moment.

“Hyung, shouldn’t we be helping the others? I think the headmaster can handle things himself,” Chenle asked.

“He can. But the Rosewood shield is also held up by our Arcanas, meaning the strongest of the masters have the most influence on it. We’re already compromised without IL Matto and La Morte and he—”

“He doesn’t know it. If he gets hurt, there's a huge chance the rest of the shield will go down as well," Jisung finished his sentence, sounding breathless.

Mark didn’t say anything and continued rushing towards the exit. He could only hope their older brothers are holding up their own forts, but they are also a lot more experienced at them so the odds are a little bit more in their favor. As for you… Haechan is right. You would be better off as far away from the Academy as possible with Jeno. He only prays you two have made distance before the attacks started.

It took a few minutes before him and the rest finally retraced Jaemin’s post. His heart was beating hard against his chest, even as they turned the final corner which leads to the iron-clad gate of the academy. The rest of the boys slowed down as he did, and like a pack, started walking carefully down the hallway. Everything looked still… Dark…

Then, all of a sudden, there was light.

A huge gaping line, similar to a portal tear, rose up in front of them. It glowed on the edges, as if a ragged saw tried to reap a hole from thin air. Mark looked down on the floor in front of it, where a small rounded thing caught its light.

Lying on the spot where the headmaster should have been is a lone copper ring. Mark has seen it all the time, always in the finger of the very man who was the last and strongest protection of Rosewood.

Until now.

*******

It felt like being hit by lightning.

You stopped in your tracks as your insides felt as if they were suddenly set on fire. In front of you, Jeno also paused, looking at you over in worry for a bit before an odd expression also took over his face. As your eyes met, you both knew you felt the same pull—a feeling as if something binding you had been broken.

“Jeno,”

You weren’t able to finish what you were about to say as another flash of pain took over you. This time, it didn’t seem as if Jeno felt the same and he crouched to hold you before you could fully collapse. His face was pale in the slowly dawning light creeping up from above the tree line as he tried to support you on your feet.

“Are you okay?”

“Something has happened.”

His eyes trailed upward, back to the hilltop where the turrets of the Academy were still visible. You have made enough distance from the castle by now, but you could still see some of its looming towers from where you are.

“We have to keep going,” he said, his voice sounding like he was trying his best to calm himself. He helped you up to start pulling you again but you stopped, your eyes wide.

He looked back at you in confusion, but it didn’t last long as he saw the look on your face. His jaw tightened and the fingers holding your hand did the same.

“Don’t…”

“We can’t leave them, Jeno.”

“You can’t go back there. If something really did happen, you have to be as far away from that place!”

“My father! Something must have happened to him,”

He paused, confused at first. Tears were starting to sting behind your eyes, and not only because of the pain still gripping you.

“I felt it. I lost his connection. I can’t feel him anymore, Jeno.”

You knew it the moment the second stab of pain embedded itself on your chest. While all Arcana masters are interconnected, the Triad has a special kind of bond that only the last three can feel. Despite the distance, your father’s energy has always been with you as IL Giudizio to your IL Matto. Now, there is nothing of him that you could feel no matter how much you tried to reach for him. There is just… silence.

Jeno stared at you with a look that you cannot fathom before slowly letting go of your hand. When he moved to cup your face, you avoided his gaze as your tears finally started to fall.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I can’t do it right now.”

He gently shushed you before pulling you in and kissing your forehead. He was steady in his hold on you as always, but you could feel the sense of defeat when he pressed you closer against him. He held you just like that for a few more moments before his voice anchored you again.

“Let’s go. It’s time to go back.”

*******

Note: Hi, guess who is back.

I know this fic has been dead for so long, but for some reason, no matter how many times I tried to quit it, I just couldn't bring myself to say that I'm done. I'd like to thank the last anon who sent me a message about it. So many people might have forgotten that Arcane still exists, but you gave me the push for now to finish at least this chapter! I am a little rusty at the moment but here you go. <3

Taglist: @effulgentfireflies, @kasperneo, @lostlovesoul11, @byunniebaekhyunnie, @smolpeyy, , @dearj43, @bettyschwallocksyee, @babyksworld,   @yongboksfreckles,  @user103843, @lovehowdream, @glitching-wren, @jhornytrash, @coconuttiez8d, @negincho​, @stopeatread​, @ellatizw​, @huangberryyy, @wonyofanclub​, @lotties-readings , @cabaretyun, @jjaegyeom, @marijmin

[kidlightnings]

The Arcana Prequel facts we've learned and some ruminations, pondering on them (spoilers abound for the first three chapters)-

Asra is uncomfortable with physical touch except from Muriel and (the apprentice) - this is such a fascinating detail and brings to mind the question of why. A lack of control when other people touch him? He has had a lot of things in his life happen to compromise or coerce his agency. It happens that Ilya's touch does not necessarily provoke the same discomfort. Is there a commonality?

Asra's parents also had a grimoire he was seeking at the palace - is this where he got the idea for the ritual? What was Lucio hoping to achieve by stealing it, or did he have a greater plan beyond just wanting something exclusive and special? DOES IT HAVE DETAILS ABOUT THE ARM? And furthermore, if it does pertain to what Asra does to bring the apprentice back, is it no longer relevant by the time of the main timeline?

The initial relationship between Asra and Julian was consensual in nature - the original flashback scene we can view in the original game was open to interpretation, but had always felt to me that Julian didn't have a standing relationship of any sort with Asra and was acting in a somewhat unprompted predatory nature, but we now have a more complicated view of the situation. Certainly going after someone, to their house, when they've refused you is a violation of boundaries, but there is now much more context being established - still a toxic situation, but in a different manner. I'm excited to see how we get from open flirtation to divorced energy.

Lucio is a terrible dom - that's just that, he's bad at doing kink, which, of course he is

Nadia is willing to undermine her husband for the greater good - hopefully this will put to rest the accusations that she was passive and uncaring towards the city. Even if there was more she could have done, she seems to be working politically to try for what she can. Neat!

No eels mention

Please

My eels

[morellanimmermehr]

Ask us anything! Questions will be answered on Dorian, Tumblr and Instagram. Join us live on stream this Tuesday 4 PM ET for a chat with @asrabounding, @motherofqups and me.

Join the stream here

[hd-tarot]

🔮✨ HD Tarot Rules & Guidelines ✨🔮

The stars have aligned... HD Tarot Fest is here!

HD Tarot is a new Harry/Draco fest which uses the cards of the Major and Minor Arcana as prompts for fanart and fanfic. No prior knowledge of the Tarot is necessary to participate!

We encourage everyone to browse our list of the 78 Tarot cards (with links to their full meanings and interpretations) to see if any of them spark interest in any way.

The cards are the prompts. For artists, this means that you will be recreating your assigned cards in the style of Drarry, whereas writers will be using their assigned cards’ meanings to write their stories.

⋆｡°✩ Claiming opens on Sunday, July 28th! ✩°｡⋆

The claim form will go live at midnight UTC. (Check what time that is for you!)

You can find detailed guidelines on how to claim a card prompt under the cut ✨

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Guidelines for Artists  ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

Claiming for Art

There are two options to choose from for art claims:

One card (artist’s choice): you can claim 1 card based on your own preference. For this option, you will need to list your top 3 preferred cards in the claim form, and the mods will assign one of those to you based on availability.

One card (random draw): you can request the mods to pull 1 random card for you. Mods will be using their own physical Tarot decks for random draws.

Requirements for Art

Your art piece needs to be an original work created for the purposes of this fest.

The art piece needs to incorporate the name of your assigned card, and reference the symbolism and themes associated with that card. Other than that, there are so many ways that Tarot cards can be interpreted—from literal to abstract—and we are happy to see your unique take on them!

The standard Tarot card size is 2.75’’x4.75’’ (7cmx12cm), so (at 300 dpi) the file resolution needs to be 900x1500 pixels. 

All art submissions will need to contain alt text to ensure accessibility for participants using screen readers.

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Guidelines for Writers ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

Claiming for Fic

There are three options to choose from for fic claims:

One card (writer’s choice): you can claim 1 card prompt based on your own preference. For this option, you will need to list your top 3 preferred cards in the claim form, and the mods will assign one of those to you based on availability.

One card (random draw): you can request the mods to pull 1 random card for you. Mods will be using their own physical Tarot decks for random draws.

Three-card spread (random draw): you can claim 3 cards at once. The mods will randomly draw these three cards for you using their own Tarot decks.

Note: if you claim a three-card spread, the idea is that you interpret those cards as the past, present, and future, and to incorporate those meanings into your story. However, your fic does not need to contain literal interpretations of the cards, Tarot readings, or any references to the Tarot!

Requirements for Fic

The minimum word count is 1,000 words. There is no upper limit!

All stories need to be complete, original works. 

If you plan on using your story as a prequel or sequel to an already published work, please only link it to the existing work after reveals are up.

It is strongly encouraged to have your work beta-read. If you can’t find a beta reader on your own, feel free to email us at hdtarotfest@gmail.com or send us a Tumblr ask and we’ll try to find one for you!

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Claiming for Both (Artist-Writers) ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

If you would like to create both fic and art, there are three options to choose from:

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One card (random draw): you can request the mods to pull 1 random card for you. Mods will be using their own physical Tarot decks for random draws.

Three-card spread (random draw): you can claim 3 cards at once. The mods will randomly draw these three cards for you and choose the card that you will be doing for art out of that spread. That one card will be set as claimed for art.

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Submission Process ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

All works need to be directly submitted to the dedicated HD Tarot Fest AO3 collection.

You will need to add the hd_tarot_mod account as a co-creator when uploading your works to AO3. This is so that the mods are able to sort and backdate all entries before posting. The fest mod account will be removed from all works on AO3 once reveals are up.

Please ensure that you tag your work appropriately and list any relevant warnings.

In order for your submission to be confirmed, you will need to email the mods at hdtarotfest@gmail.com with the following header filled out:

Title: Author/Artist: Rating: Card(s): Word count (writers only): Warnings: Tags: Summary (for fic)/Alt text (for art): Link: (link to your AO3 submission)

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ General Rules ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

HD Tarot is an 18+ fest. Participants will need to confirm that they are over the age of 18 when claiming their prompts.

The fest is anonymous, which means all submissions need to be original and not part of an ongoing/existing work on AO3 or anywhere else. Please also refrain from sharing any sketches and/or writing snippets publicly until after fest reveals are up. (You can, of course, discuss the fest and make it known that you’re participating!)

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Only one prompt claim can be made at a time. However, if you complete and post your assigned prompt to the fest collection on AO3 before claiming closes, you are welcome to claim another prompt. 

Each card can be claimed once for art within the same fest cycle. This is because the overarching goal of the fest is to form a full Drarry Tarot deck at some point! If the Airtable prompt masterlist shows that a card has been claimed for art, then it’s no longer available for claiming in this fest cycle. 

However, all cards will be available for claiming in each subsequent fest cycle—we’re planning on labeling them as low priority in terms of the Drarry Tarot deck goal, but artists will be able to claim them next year even if they’ve already been drawn during a previous fest cycle.

Each card can be claimed multiple times for fic within the same fest cycle. That is why the claim form will not show that a prompt has been claimed or blocked out for fic. 

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Please note that you will not be able to claim a different prompt during the same fest cycle, but you’re more than welcome to sign up again next year!

· ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Timeline ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ·

Claiming opens: Sunday, July 28th

Claiming closes: Thursday, October 3rd

First check-in: Saturday, August 24th

Second check-in: Saturday, September 21

Submissions due: Thursday, October 17th

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Reveals: one week after posting ends, depending on the number of submissions

Contacting the HD Tarot Mod Team

Feel free to contact the mods at any time by email at hdtarotfest@gmail.com. We’re also all on Tumblr and Discord!

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Happy claiming and may the cards guide you on your journey... 🔮🀧✨🀣💜

[ruvelli]

Is it really just me, or would anyone else like to have a The Arcana Prequel?

Including before, during, and after Asra.

Seeing Nadia for the first time

Maybe meeting Lucio somehow (or not)

How the MC affected Muriel’s relationship with Asra

The big fight with Asra

Working with Julian

BIG SPOILERS:

And then, maybe, the end.

And then maybe waking up without memories or cognitive function? Make that the finish line?

[pxgeturner]

kiss it better - t.m riddle

prequel to “milkshakes & confessions” told through mainly his pov

an. all of my tom writing takes has the golden trio cast in modern day. i like his era friends like rebastan, abraxas, rosier. i just don’t know enough about them to write in that era. And also it just easier to write them in a modern setting as i can sprinkle in some modern muggle things. also i’m kind of tired of tom calling hufflepuff r “badger” in so many fics, so she has a much cuter animal nickname. also.

warnings: tommi is down horrendously for r. also theo is an asshole in this.

m.list

he sits a row behind her, next to his friends, listening to her giggle at something her lab partner said. He thinks they’re roommates.

theo leans toward him, whispering, “y’know, riddle, i was walking through the halls yesterday, and that one fell and scraped her hand,”— theo gestures first to the partner, then her— “and she takes her friend’s hand, kisses it fucking better. like a pathetic child.”

tom tilts his head. “hm.”

she leans forward, presumably to note one of professor snape’s remarks, tom isn't sure. he hasn’t paid attention in weeks since he read ahead in the textbook.

“you shouldn’t be so rude, she’s a nice girl.” pansy shoves theo’s shoulder.

“she’s a hufflepuff.”

“so?”

“she’s probably making chocolates or writing secret admirer letters for tomorrow.”

“no she’s not. she’s going to be studying divination tomorrow in the library. she asked me if I wanted to but blaise is taking me on a date.”

“why would she ask you to study with her?” theo scoffs.

“because i’m her friend you idiot. where do you think i’ve been eating my lunch?”

“you’ve gone completely mental.”

“that’s you, you absolute wanker.”

tom sees a hufflepuff who hangs around her quite often. he watches them. soon she approaches them, embracing excitedly in a hug. she squeals unnecessarily. she does it cutely.

“your friend is over there,” he says to pansy.

as pansy looks over, the cute hufflepuff girl notices the group of slytherins and rushes over. “hey, pans!”

“hey.”

“guess what?” “what?”

“professor sprout gave me extra credit on my paper! she was very impressed that i knew about the roots of the bone thistle plant because it wasn’t something that we studied.” her eyes are bright with excitement and her hands dance around as she talks. sometimes her ‘r’s come out a bit too soft and sound like ‘w’s. she smiles widely and it shows her lovely crooked teeth. the sheer nail polish she put on last week is chipping and fading at the tips. she’s wearing her favorite lipgloss and shoes. they’re the ones she wears most often. the lipgloss is red and the shoes are platform mary janes. he likes red lips and mary janes. he likes girls that have lisps and imperfectly lovely teeth. he likes girls who fidget and have chipped nail polish. he likes girls who do all those things and are her.

by the time tom tunes back in, the subject has changed.

“you should have tom study with you. he doesn’t understand the arcana.”

she turns to tom. “i’ll be in the library tomorrow evening studying for the quiz on monday. you should definitely join if you need any help. if you do come, you should bring the deck you borrowed from professor trelawney.”

tom hopes she can’t hear his heart beating, and nods. she says something more to pansy. he leaves, theo follows.

“oh my fucking god. oh my fucking god, pansy, i hate you.” she giggles.

“all of you slytherins are preying on my downfall.” she glares at pansy, enzo, blaise, and draco.

“we’re trying to help,” blaise snickers.

“by having me make a fool of myself!”

mattheo passes by, and then backtracks. he moves around the sucker in his mouth and chuckles. “this is absolutely rich.” he turns back around, “i’m gonna go talk with my brother.” that didn’t make her feel any better.

...

it’s so romantic to spend valentine’s night hunched over a desk with a tarot deck, pendulum, and a mug of now-mostly-cold tea. of course a notebook is part of the party too. she checks the clock and the surroundings compulsively, worried that tom might not show, but she has no idea what she would do if he did. it got excessive, so she forced herself to stop.

tom finally makes it to the library. he sees her at the table, her supplies sprawled out in front of her. he approaches the table, pulling up a chair and sitting across from her. she doesn’t look up, which is fine; tom has plenty of patience. he watches her flip a card and write something into the notebook, and flip another, write something else, periodically sipping from her mug, for five minutes. as she’s about to flip over another card, he uses two fingers to tap the table twice. she yelps, the card leaving her hand and flicking him in the chest. her eyes are wide, and bright, like a bunny.

“hi,” she whispers.

he returns the card. “i’m sorry for being late. a first year needed homework help.” he doesn’t really like lying this time.

“that’s all right! i’m glad you could make it.”

tom nods.

“what kind of things were you hoping to cover?”

“i don’t quite understand why we must take such a useless class. it’s not even magic.”she looks at the table, suddenly interested in her pendulum.

“something wrong?” he wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction.

“i’m, uh, planning on studying divination in university.” oh. “but i know it’s an acquired taste, no biggie.”

“i didn’t mean to offend you. i suppose i should try to understand it. for the class at least.”

“i think i could help with it. who knows, you might like it.”

tom gives a small smile.

“all right, so in a tarot deck there are five arcana.”

“suits.”

“yeah. there’s the four minor arcana: wands, pentacles, swords, cups. the major arcana are the unique cards, like the empress, magician, devil."

he nods.

...

as the two of them are packing up, her bag’s zipper gets stuck. shepulls at it, trying to unstuck it.

“move.” he’s right behind her. she can feel his shirt rub against hers. she slides to the left to give him room. his long fingers manipulate the back of the zipper, quickly freeing the zipper from its thread prison and zipping the bag up the rest of the way.

“pfft, that’s so obvious, why didn’t i think of that? i swear i can be so dumb.” she takes the bag as he offers it back to her.

“you’re not dumb,” he says. “you’re one of the smartest girls in your year.” if she didn’t have such a brain-melting crush on him, she’d laugh. “but you’re definitely the prettiest.”

her cheeks are hot and she doesn’t know what to do. “wow, thanks.” she wants to slap herself.

“there’s a café in hogsmeade that is still open, do you want to go get a drink?”

he just asked me on a date. it is a date, right? “won’t we get in trouble for being out past curfew? pretty much everyone is back already.”

he leans in close to her, fixing a strand of her hair. “relax, you’re with a prefect. nothing bad is gonna happen.”

“let me drop off my bag first?”

...

the two of them talk about everything-- and nothing-- all at once. he pays; she tells him he shouldn’t’ve. he says, “don’t worry, bunny,” which makes her blush once again. once the order is ready, he is the one who goes to pick it up. when he gets back he places a brown pastry bag on the table with her drink. he sees her eyeing the lemon poppyseed scone. she tells him he shouldn’t have, and he says it wasn’t a problem. she insists they share the pastry.

she talks about her family, he tells her about his. the two of them share stories of his brother being a distraction. both of them recommend books to the other. her hands keep brushing against each other as they pick off pieces of the scone. tom orders another. the barista makes a last call for drinks, and he orders her a decaf lavender latte, because he can’t have his girl sleepless, now, can he? she stays until closing, not wanting to leave the bubble she’s created here, with this sweet boy.

before they head out into the frosted air, he zips up her jacket. as they walk back to the castle, he holds her steady. going uphill, the two of them reach a particularly slippery stretch of sidewalk that wasn’t slick on the way over.

“if i fall, you’re buying me dinner as compensation,” she tries to joke. she feels like she’s two seconds from being flat on her face, but tom isn’t wavering at all.

“oh, of course, and i’ll kiss any bruises better as a bonus.” that makes her quiet real quick.

she survives the hill, slightly disappointed that she didn’t slip. once they’re back in the castle, he even walks her to the hufflepuff dorms. “i’ll see you tomorrow, bunny,” he whispers in her ear. he takes note of the smell of the shampoo she uses.

he returns to his dorm, and theo is still awake. he’s at his desk, finishing an assignment. “you studied divination with her,” theo states.

“yes.” tom starts to change into something more comfortable.

“you took her on a date.” “yes.”

“do you think you could love her?” “yes.”

“i knew it.”

“how?”

“you stare at her. not like how you stare at other people. your expression is fairly neutral, to be fair. but you look slightly peaceful.”

tom makes a soft hum. “then why do you hate her so?"

"i don't"

“you don’t?”

“i wanted to get a reaction out of you, you golem of a man.” tom hums again.

“goodnight, nott.”

“goodnight, riddle.”

as tom is about to turn out his lamp, theo speaks once more. “don’t break her heart, tom. she’s a nice girl.”

and while tom doesn’t answer, he thinks about how he’d try his hardest to never make those beautiful eyes shine with tears.

[ace--of--swords]

To the stocks with them.

[tokyo-tower-symbolism]

I've been meaning to get into the re:live game story for a while now, but I don't know how necessary the event stories are in comparison to the main and school stories...

do you have a recommended reading order for main story and events if the timeline makes them interspersed?

Uhh, there was this one good google doc that had a bunch of stuff like what stories were important for each character, but I cannot find that right now so I'll do my best from memory but honestly I might miss a couple things so my bad.

Edit: thank you @pallastronomy for finding the doc in question, i really wanted to read that again too

To read it you can go to the wikia, read it on karth.top, or look up the parts on Youtube. That last one might be the best since you'll get the full visual novel experience.

So first off I would suggest reading the first part of the story, so Main Story chapters 1-6. Well, suggest is a strong word. I think those chapters kinda suck, but I guess they're necessary for the premise and to introduce the characters? But then again they abandon the original premise half way in favor of the performance festival so whatever. And if you want a better introduction to the characters you should read the School Stories (ignoring SJH) and also maybe watch Shoujo Cante All Starlight. So really I don't suggest you read those chapters but

I think at this point you are can read the event stories from "Hello to Halloween" to "Surprise! Rehearsal Friends!"

And you don't need to read them all, but they're fun! I couldn't really tell you which ones are super important to the plot, sorry about that. Honestly my personal opinion at this point is to just pick a couple characters you like to follow and read their stories. You can see who participates in each one on the Revue Starlight wikia

Plus, character card bond stories! Each event has a couple gacha cards they're trying to sell, and sometimes they're not super related to the story, but sometimes they are. If someone references something that happened off screen, it either happened in an earlier event or in the bond card, but I'd still only read the bond cards once you're done reading the event is over since otherwise they can be spoilers. Just think of those as prequels instead of preludes.

Then at this point you can read Main Story Chapters 7-11. And I really do think you should read these since they are juicy. There's a new plot and we really get to dive deep into the ReLive characters and see their individual pasts and why they now stand on stage. It's great.

Now for the Event Stories, feel free to read any story from "Starry Diamond Tragic Orion" up until "Royal Retainer"

Although now I gotta bring up some caveats. Anything with Seiran is not going to matter to the main plot of ReLive, and if you're curious about them, then that gets into Stage Play Territory which is much easier to follow but not in ReLive.

And honestly same with the Seisho only stories. They're fun, don't get me wrong, but they kinda don't affect the developments of the cast at all.

Starry Diamond is a live show that had some Revues, so some of the relive events are just rehashings of those. Except Venus & Cupid Story, which is a sequel to Zeus no Chuusai from the Starry Diamond Live, and that revue is actually super important to the Yumeoji Sisters's story but it is not in ReLive.

And once you've had your fill of those stories, you can start reading Main Story Chapters 12-18, Arcana Arcadia. And this one is really good. Iirc, the main revue starlight writer came in for these parts. There's some info that directly leads into the movie. And it's honestly great.

But the issue is that there are intermission bond stories that need to be read in the middle of the chapters. If you are reading it online that can be kind of pain, but in the game I think it's in the right order? I could not say for sure since I don't actually play it. Anyways, here's the vague order according to the wikia, but I'm not 100% on this

Chapter 12: 1-2

Chapter 13: Tower, Hermit, Empress, 1-3, High Priestess, 4-5, Magician, 6-9, Hanged Man, Strength, 10-15

Chapter 14: Wheel of Fortune, Chariot, 1-2, Lovers, 3-14, Faith, Hierophant, 15

Chapter 15: 1-2, Devil, Sun, Justice, 3-15

Chapter 16: Death, Charity, 1-15

Chapter 17: Temperance, 1, Fool, 2-4, World, Judgement, 5-15

Chapter 18: Hope, 1-9, Emperor, 10-14, 15/Moon

So yeah, after this you have basically free reign to read the remaining event stories. The next big ongoing plot seems to be about Siegfeld Junior High, but that one also isn't really connected to the previous stories at all.

Also some cards have connecting bond stories even without events, such as the Frontier Rangers, Orpheus, Camelot, Snow White, and Yin-Yang.

But for real, I think the best way to get into the story is to read the main story and then see what characters you like. Then you can read along all their bond stories and events that they star in, and maybe you'll find other characters that stand out. If you are missing any information, usually characters will reference whatever they are talking about, so you won't be completely lost.

So yeah, I hope you have fun with the relive story! It touches on a lot of the themes from the show and honestly I just really liked seeing the characters again. And also Arcana Arcadia is great, just so great.

[totally-not-here-for-the-smut]

☆~Masterlist~☆

Requests: Open

Bc requests make me happy :)

Here's what I do

Key, in increasing lemon level:

◇ This is plain random stuff

♡ Relationships, Affection & Teasing

♧ Fluff, Light Smut

♤ HERE BE THE BIG DONGS BEWARE

Arcana Fanfictions

Loved & Lost

A gritty, angst prequel about the plague times. Tells the story of MC becoming Julian's medicine apprentice, and the ups and downs of their relationship with Asra during those hard times. It's kinda intense, but I changed the color of the triggering parts so you can enjoy it anyway.

NSFW alphabets ♤

Lucio

Julian

Late night headcanons ♧♡

Handling Trauma (healing intimacy) -Muriel ♧♡

Handling Trauma -Asra ♤♧♡

What "innocent" detail of the M6 will make your blood boil? ♧

Sexy Lingerie ♧

Asra angst - Julian smut♧

MurielxNadia

So it begins ◇

The proposal ◇

Compassion ◇♡

Daring conditions◇

The revelation incident◇

The Arcana Files (my theories on this universe) ◇

Vesuvia Geopolitics

The mariner republics

Why is Lucio count of Vesuvia?

Long Live the goatman - why I think Lucio's route is great (tw: mental illness)

Asra is great, but also grey

About demons - theories about nabestetics post

ADHD in Vesuvia

Quick Headcanons

M6's Children ◇1, 2, 3, 4, 5

M6 favourite places to winkwink ♧♡

First date places♡◇

Relax for the m6◇

The M6 during a boring lecture◇

Winter Masquerade outfits ◇

New year party ◇

Zombie apocalypse ◇

Sci-fi Movie◇

Vampire AU◇

Fairytale AU♡◇

Asra Angst

Ask prompts

What would make the M6 happy◇♡

The M6 with an hypersomniac apprentice ♡◇♧♤ imho this dongs are great

Baby Fever♢♧♡♤

The M6 reacts to a bold MC flirting with them ♧♡

Overstimulation & Edging ♤♧

Overstimulation & Edging vol.2 ♤♧

The m6 with an MC who has an hard time coming ♤♡♧

Squirting headcanons ♤♧

Infertility issues ♡

Flinching MC ♡♧

M6 with Blind MC ◇♡

M6 reacts to naked-in-bed♧

Currently working on:

If you requested something and I'm writing it, it will appear here. No srsly, I forget things if I don't keep a neat project tracker

The Midsummer's Masquerade ♤♧

More prompts

The M6 kinks and why they have it

Ask: smut scene with Asra ♤♧

Ask: M6 react to blind MC

Vesuvia geopolitics chapt.3◇

Handling Trauma - Nadia, Lucio and Julian//♡♤♧ I was super scared to upset people with this, but apparently it does work! I love it, gonna post more.

NSFW alphabet ♤

Apprentice's portait ◇

Nadia x Muriel ♡◇ //feel like it's not working, it's now on the backburner

This prompts ♤♧

Some very angsty shit about the beginning of MC x Julian & the real reason behin Asra's guilt ♤♡♧ (Loved & Lost chapt. 3)

Smth about jealousy and cheating, idk

Feel free to pressure me and ask for new chapters of stuff you're liking because I tend to forget it and I apprecieate your requests!

Contributes are ☆Open☆

If you got good stuff, feel free to send good stuff

I love you smut & angst dealers

There's nothing wrong with writer's propaganda

I love tiny fanfic gnomes too

Reading list