#the arcana app fanfic

[arcanaapprenticecatherine]

I'm having difficulty deciding how to finish "Something Lost, Something Gained" so I'm creating my very own poll

I'm not sure the Arcana Fandom is alive anymore so this is set for a week from March 6, 2023

[turtlewurtle10]

Julian x Reader, SFW.

Word Count: 1796

Uh, angst

Summary: Following your little adventure at the community theater, Julian takes you to the Rowdy Raven for some drinks.

Even from outside on the street, you can already feel the warmth radiating from the Rowdy Raven. The lively music emanating from the bar carries on the excitement you’ve felt earlier today with Julian, the rush of anxiety and adrenaline as you watched him take the stage, trying to anticipate what he might do next.

He pushes open the door for you. “After you, my dear,” he says with a wagging brow. You can’t help but let out a light laugh. “Thank you, Julian,” you say with your own grin.

You both make your way through the crowd, settling for a table in the corner where you have your space but are still able to watch the ongoings of fellow patrons. Julian goes to get drink for the both of you, and while you wait, you settle into the bench you are sitting at and take in the view. It has been a while now since Asra nursed you back to health, but it has taken Julian stepping into your life (or rather, breaking into your shop) for you to feel like you are once again living. Despite your short time together, he has already shown you the excitement that awaits you beyond the walls of your shop. You watch people before you drinking, laughing, dancing in the tavern, and you are already beginning to feel at home amidst the glowing chaos of the Raven. But there is an edge of fear creeping into this feeling as you sit there and wonder what Julian has wanted to talk about all day, and if any of that conversation might threaten the blurry, premature visions you have of a future (one you hope includes him) that have begun to form in the peripheries of your mind. The fear recedes the moment you see him, navigating his way once again through the crowd to make his way toward you, his face beaming.

“Here you are, doll.” You can’t help but blush a bit at the term of endearment, no one has ever called you “doll” before. He sets the drink in front of you before taking his own place on the bench across, leaning back to get comfortable. The already loose fabric of his shirt shifts, affording you a better glimpse of his broad, bare chest, and you feel your face growing hotter. You take a sip of your drink to ease your nerves, and it doesn’t take long after for the conversation to flow easily between the two of you. Another round of drinks are ordered, and the conversation keeps going as the night wears on and the Rowdy Raven becomes less rowdy until finally the weight of Julian’s thoughts descends upon the shared atmosphere and there is nothing else to talk about except whatever it is that might be troubling him. You’ve had fun, and he’s had fun, and neither of you wants that to come to an end, so for a moment, the both of you sit there, not saying a word, turning your attention instead to the music which has now slowed. You close your eyes for a bit, trying to savor the moment. They open to the sound of Julian moving out of his seat, and you find him bent at the waist, offering you his hand.

“Can I interest you in a dance?” he asks with a soft smile. You look around the bar and see no one else is dancing, but you find yourself not at all hesitant to take his hand, self-consciousness having long since waned due to the alcohol. His grin broadens as he helps you out of your seat and leads you to the empty floor space in front of the one musician who remains.

You are not dancing so much as swaying, but you appreciate the closeness to Julian nonetheless. He rests his head on top of yours, and you don’t want to ruin the moment, but you hear him sigh, and you are finally forced to confront that much dreaded conversation head on.

“What’s wrong?” 

“Ah, I suppose it’s time I finally told you, hm? Lots of things. Too many things really. Pick a number, any number, and I’ll tell you it’s too low. While I have greatly enjoyed our time together, I think it is for the best that we do not continue… whatever this is… whatever it could have been…”

The rope has been cut, the ax has fallen, and your stomach drops. “Oh…” is all you can muster in response. You look down at your feet.

“You’ll be fine, of course. No doubt better off without me. After all, it’s not like we’ve had the time to fall in love or anything.”

“Do you think that if we met earlier, maybe we could’ve been?” A stupid question, you don’t know what you’d hope to gain from any answer. If the answer is yes, you will forever be disappointed that you have been left stranded on the precipice of something more. If the answer is no, well, maybe you are just not a person who is capable of being loved.

“It’s best not to dwell on hypotheticals, darling. The point is, right now, presently, in this moment, we’re not in love.” Hearing these words hurts, but you wonder if he is not saying this as fact, but rather to try and convince you both that this is true. If he says it enough times, maybe he’ll start to believe it.

“No?”

“No.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because,” he breathes in. “Right now, we’re just two people dancing.” He says this with a smirk on his face as he gently spins you around, and you ultimately decide that perhaps it is best to be grateful for this reassurance, no matter how threadbare and thin it is because you couldn’t even begin to weigh the question of what it would mean to be in love with someone constantly looking over their shoulder, ready to bolt at any moment in an effort to keep you away, safe from any harm they could attract or cause. So, if you’re not in love, any feelings you have toward each other are not real, and at the end of the day, you really are just two people dancing. You try your best to ignore the ache you have for that thing that is something more. You try to look anywhere but directly at his face, where his lips immediately draw in your gaze. You try to tune your ears to the music as you find them drifting off instead to the sound of his breathing and your heart’s attempt at escaping your chest. You hate that all of your past longings for romance have come to this, repeating falsehoods as a way of protecting each other from the hurt that would inevitably come. But you’re not in love, and he’s not in love, so it doesn’t matter anyway.

“I’d make for a very selfish lover, you know.” He says this to you so matter of factly.

“And what’s wrong with that?” you ask. After all, as far as you know, you have never before been in love, and it is driving you to madness, and the wall that you have built up to store all of this love you have that has not yet been consumed is cracking and about to give way to a deluge that will drown the next unsuspecting soul who dares to look you in the eyes or bothers to give you the time of day.

“I’ll take and I’ll take until you have nothing left to give, and even then I will want more. Like an insatiable leech, I will deprive you of the very thing that gives you life, and when it’s no longer enough, I’ll leave. I’m only safe for as long as I have yet to taste blood, and I’m afraid, my darling, that leaves us with very little time left.”

It is very hard to stay convinced that you are not falling in love when he uses language like that. My darling. My… darling… His. You have never before felt so special. And that’s the problem, isn’t it? You fear that you are as Asra treats you these days, so naive that you cannot wrap your head around what this man could possibly want from you that you would not be able to give enough of. You have so much to give, all of it so far kept away, untouched, collecting dust.

“And what if I say I want you anyway?” you ask, hypothetically speaking as you are not falling in love, thank you very much. 

“Then you would leave me with little choice but to save you from yourself. You’re young, you still have so much life to live, and I’d hate to take advantage of that, drag you down to the level of a washed-up hack doctor wanted for murder. I cannot bear the thought of taking such a lovely young thing with me to the gallows.” He lifts your chin with his thumb, flashes that stupidly roguish handsome grin of his, but a grin, you suspect, that is tainted with a hint of the deepest misery and regret.

It frustrates you to no end how clear (you think) it is how much you want each other while he monologues on and on about how bad he is for you. What can be done though? If he says he does not want a relationship with you, that he is in fact not falling for you, (Are you nothing more than just a brief dalliance?) then there is nothing more that can be said or done. You realize now that the music is no longer playing and that you’ve suddenly come face to face with a future where no one will ever take notice of you again and the only love you are afforded is the kind you get by living vicariously through customers who have someone to rush home to. After all, Julian only ever stumbled across you in his search for Asra, and it’s hard to not notice someone who has thrown a bottle at your head. These past few days with Julian have felt like a dream, and you now find you are in for a rude awakening.

The dance has ended, and you watch as your counterpart bows before you, takes your hand in his, and kisses it oh so sweetly. His lips linger longer than they should. You find it very hard to stay convinced that he is not also falling in love. Just like you to be so naive, you think to yourself.

“Thank you for the dance and the good company these past few evenings.” He offers a sad smile. “Let me walk you home.”

[morellanimmermehr]

New Chapter On Dorian Here

That feeling when you finally get to one of the parts you've been dying to write since Chapter 1... 😍

[chaotic-kitty]

Sooooo I’ve screen recorded the new tale on dorian (besides the paid scenes because babes I’m broke and my coins mean nothing here…😎🥲)

It’s through Google drive because of the file size. You’re all free to grab screenshots and share it and everything. This is so all you guys don’t have to download the app. Enjoy XD (yes. That’s sarcasm. Nothing really to enjoy here…🥲)

My Thoughts: (Slight Spoilers)

Gonna start off with saying it’s not as bad as I had expected, but also not great. Not for what it is.

The writing feels lacking and dry.

The characters feel very OOC- especially Asra. Very cold and rude and just not him.

The MC is just written as kinda dumb again.

The storyline is confusing and kind of hard to follow. Like I actually do not understand why this sequence of events happened.

It feels like it’s rushed, yet also spends an ungodly amount of time on filler scenes.

The lack of music makes a difference. And makes it less redeemable or even enjoyable.

THEY MISGENDERED THE MAGICIAN FOR THE WHOLE THING!

The whole thing is anticlimactic for what it was.

The ending was unclear.

The normally free CG (for tales) was behind a paywall.

And apparently all the scenes you unlock, you only unlock once and have to re unlock every time you play.

The game was still a little slow (technologically speaking). And as you can see, some characters sprites weren’t even fully there.

It feels like they just tried to shove things together and call it a story. It didn’t feel planned out at all. It felt like reading fan fiction. Not that fanfic is wrong, but you can often feel each authors own spin on thing. And it just generally lacks the arcana vibes. Now yes, it’s only one? original Arcana writer doing this with others, but still. It’s not that great. Definitely a bit above the other stuff on dorian, but nowhere near the level of the arcana or fictif.

That’s my general thoughts on it, but I’m bound to have more.

[bastart13]

Hey, just wondering, do you know what's going on with Fictif, Last Legacy. I've been a bit out of the community lately, being preoccupied with school work and other outside of school curriculum's, but I've been checking in with the app to see if they've finally released a new chapter for Sage's route and still nothing, I'm very confused, it's been months, I knew their releases could take a while but it feels like it's been over a year since I've heard anything, do you know what's going on?

Ah, sorry to be the one to tell you but they're on indefinite hiatus aka never going to update again. Nix Hydra was bought out by another company and the creative team behind Last Legacy all quit for better opportunities. Even Dorian, the new owner, seems to have ignored any fictif stories over using the Arcana for their fanfic app

[arakanthefallenangel]

I wanted to post just because of a warning if anyone is new in your friend group or you met a mutual online that wants to know about this game I advise you to show them the actual Arcana app and not the Dorian app, because the Dorian app, it’s just a bunch of fanfiction it’s a bunch of Fannon versions of the arcana character.

I’m just saying this because there are a lot of people that are cosplayers that are saying that the Arcana is back on Dorian instead of saying yes, but it’s a bunch of fanfiction on Dorian for the Arcana, please don’t be like these people if they do ask for fanfics then go ahead but if they just want the arcana stories the cannon versions then tell them to get the actual app, I am doing this post only because I’ve seen a lot of cosplay tik Tok comments about asking if the arcana is back and the creator will tel them” yes it’s on Dorian” and not saying that on Dorian it’s only fanfics and fannon versions.

Also do be nice and explain to them don’t be mean if you want to use this post as an example or just to let them know that’s fine. I am not a fan of fanfics never read them as a kid nor even today, but some people do read them and I don’t care,, you do you. Just letting people know if they want to cannon versions of the Arcana

[empanator]

Preemptive RIP to The Arcana app as it increasingly seems Dorian is trying to divert people towards themselves and away from the original app. Sucks. I tried Dorian for like all of 2 seconds since it took over and hated it lol on top of its many known flaws. I’ve directly criticized them multiple times over on Twitter.

I will always look fondly over my experience playing The Arcana over the last several years. I will always love how Nadia’s and Portia’s routes made me feel and I will always be thankful for how they impacted my life. The Arcana can stay in my memory just like that forever, and I will not participate in the future that Dorian is creating (or rather destroying) for it. I’ll gladly, actively still love and participate in what The Arcana is and always has been to me.

I’ve been thinking about posting all my fics to an actual fanfic website. May or may not continue posting new work—I write for myself, so posting my writing is just a little bonus if it catches someone else’s attention. Still got several fics with Nadia and Poria I might eventually finish.

[sunshineofmoon]

oh yes, I didn't die. and despite my crazy desire to just delete my account and pretend that nothing ever happened here, I was saddened to see that some people still like my old posts, even though I don't really like them. so I'm just going to reform everything, delete - some - things and move on, yay!

Honestly, I don't use this app much, just to enjoy and read some cool stuff (most of you write really well, by the way-) but if anyone wants to follow me, try to chat or... I don't know, something like that, feel free. In fact, now that Hazbin Hotel has premiered I can finally let go of some of the obsession I've had with this show for over four years. let's see what this gives, besides my known vices about acotar, the arcana and hotd

I actually have some ideas for fanfics, stories and other things, I just don't have much time, creativity or simply the desire to put them on paper. but who knows, maybe one day something good will come of this, although I promise absolutely nothing-

[bakuliwrites]

Fanfic Writer Questionnaire

I found this great questionnaire! Post is here. I thought I would answer these for fun. I'd love to see other fanfic writer's answers to these as well, if you want!

List all the fandoms you have written in:

The Arcana, Fire Emblem, Jujutsu Kaisen, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, My Hero Academia, Castlevania, The Elder Scrolls

How many published fics have you written?

I currently have 22 up on AO3! And a smattering of random Tumblr exclusive short fics.

In terms of wordcount, in which fandom have you written the most?

The Arcana, by far. My total word count for the fandom (excluding headcanons and Tumblr-exclusive fics) is 153,453 words.

At the moment, which one of your fics is your favorite/you are the most proud of? (you can include unpublished fics)

I am definitely most proud of End Up Here. It's my longest work yet and has been an incredible journey so far. It's helped me prove to myself that I a) can write something novel length and b) can stick with one project and be dedicated to it. I feel like it's my love letter to the Arcana, as a piece of media that has helped me find my voice.

Which writer (fanfiction or not) inspires your own work?

J.R.R. Tolkien and Kazuo Ishiguro (mostly in my non-fanfiction writing, but I'm sure they've inevitably inspired elements of my fanfic writing in some way or another, too).

What was your first fanfic about?

Oh gosh. If we are talking very first fanfic that has never seen the light of day, then Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Star Trek: Voyager (back when I was like 11 or 12 haha). But if we are talking published ones, then it was a spicy Xander x Reader for Fire Emblem: Fates.

Out of all the characters whose POV you have written, which one do you feel you identify the most with?

Great question. Probably Julian Devorak. But I don't necessarily feel that I fully identify with any of them. Just elements of each character I write about, in one way or another. But Julian's tendency towards feeling guilty for things he didn't do and his journey to accept his own strength are things that resonate with me.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge when writing?

Overcoming the idea of perfectionism. I have the tendency to get frustrated and scrap everything when I feel like it's not up to the standard I want it to be. But I'm trying to remind myself that a first draft is a first draft for a reason: it does not have to be perfect. End Up Here has really helped me in learning that lesson, since I write each chapter as I go. There's only one round of me editing each chapter before I publish it, so it's been a huge learning curve for me. And freeing as well.

Do you generally outline your fics or do you prefer to write spontaneously and then revise?

I do a skeleton of an outline and scribble unintelligible notes on scraps of paper or in my notes app on my phone. But a lot of my writing now is just me going with the flow and letting the characters tell me the story. I used to plan a lot, but it became sort of toxic for me and my tendency towards perfectionism, so I stopped being so precise about it. I let things change as they need to.

Which one of your fanfics has the most hits? the most comments? the most kudos? (if applicable)

Intimate has the most by far on AO3! And Upon a Forest Throne has the most on Tumblr. Thank you to everyone for the support and all your many kindnesses 💜

What proportion, if any, of your fics are rated M or above (# of M-plus fics/ total # of fics)?

86% of my fics are rated M or above. I mostly write adult content.

Finally, tease us with the title of one of your upcoming fics:

So, I'm going to come out with a Gojo x Nanami x Reader fic sometime in the future. I plan on calling it Starlight. Here's a teeny little snippet from it:

How Satoru manages to trap infinity in his eyes is a mystery to you. His blindingly azure gaze meets yours, a vast expanse of twinkling starlight imprisoned in icy pools of blue. You glance to the side, met with Kento's softer, brown eyes. He is the sun, radiant and warm, the quiet light of early dawn and late evening. This must be what it feels like to be enveloped by the very fibers of the universe. Held in a delicate balance.

Thank you for reading! This questionnaire was super fun to answer :)

[arcanaapprenticecatherine]

Something Lost, Something Gained (part 4)

"I remember," my voice. My voice!

Asra's gaze held an element of shock and fear.

"Do you feel alright? Please tell me you are alright," he dropped to his knees, his face just that much closer to mine.

As if we had all the time in the world, I slowly turned my head to face him. So much had changed in the past minute.

"YOU!" The damned Devil Goat yelled, pointing a clawed finger at me. Everyone stopped and stared at me, except the woman hunting Lucio. She had her own agenda to follow.

"YES! ME!" As I stood, my calves pushed against the chair with such force.

The courtiers moved to his end of the table. Everyone else began to move to my end without so much as uttering a word. Just silent consensus that I was the better of the two options.

The Devil threw the massive solid wood table into our direction. It was not like him to lose his temper in such a display.

But I remembered.

I felt my people's spirit's behind me, lending me their power and strength.

The anger in my heart electrified. Lightning danced around the room as a bolt struck the table, sending pieces of the table and banquet as well as rolls of thunder through the room.

My past double was right - mechanical memory, cultivated by hours and hours of practice and use over my elongated lifespan, was beginning to come back. My shield was up, large enough to protect the group behind me.

I made long strides towards the massive goat. My impressive display of purple-blue electricity did not stun his anger.

It was all coming back to me. I changed my appearance as I slowly walked towards him. Everything is matter and energy, which is precisely what magic manipulates.

My nails grew into gold stiletto points. My hair was braided out of my face, my armor once again in place and fitting correctly. My war paint makeup. The head dress. The runes that once glowed in the cave in my initiation danced on my skin again.

I continued walking down where what used to be a solid wood table. The shield protected me from the courtiers and devil as I neared.

As powerful as I felt, I still felt the missing piece: my familiar.

"WHERE IS SHE?" My voice thundered much more loudly than I had anticipated, but I never let my face falter.

The Devil merely began to laugh in an eerie goat bleating tone.

Years taken from me, the lives of my people taken before their time.

I wasn't having it.

I punched my hand through my shield of glowing energy and runes, my newly pointed stiletto nails gouged into the goat's throat, spilling black and red blood down his pristine white fur.

He'd obviously been taken by surprise. I never knew I could do this, or perhaps it was the amplified energy of my ancestors. I could feel tears threatening to tumble over if I wasn't careful enough.

The Devil clawed at my forearm and wrist, but I had a firm grip on him. The more he struggled, the more... blood? He lost. Could the Arcana bleed?

"Do you know what my people did with goats? Before you wiped them out?"

His knees buckled and I had to kneel to accommodate him, and to keep my grip.

"We sacrificed them to thr old gods and goddesses, we would slit their throats and offer the bones in fire. And our familiars, dogs, wolves, all the members of the cat family, would be welcome to devour the organs as we feasted on the meat and fat. My Bast thoroughly enjoyed it," I brought him closer to my face, "now, where is she!?"

"You'll never see her again if you kill me," the wicked goat-form Devil Arcana smiled.

I nodded nonchalantly, "Consider it a life for a life. Yours, for hers. Bast, my familiar."

I never let go of his throat, though. This close, and surrounded by the courtiers who had also taken on their demon forms, I was in danger.

The goat's eyes flickered.

"A life for a life," he nodded.

An unappetizing portal appeared just behind me and a small black kitten fell out.

He has weakened her, starved her of energy, just keeping her barely alive. No doubt would have been Faust's fate had we not acted.

Forgetting all dangers, and keeping my end of the bargain, I let go of the Devil and scooped up the small kitten, feeling my magic infuse her with new life. No sooner was my shield up when I heard the attempt on my life from the Devil and the Courtiers.

I held my poor Bast in my bloodied hand, allowing her to lick me clean, my other hand occupied with the complex shield keeping me and everyone else safe.

I was greeted by Asra and his parents, as they knew exactly what I had been through. It was only now that I realized how horrified everyone else had become of me.

But I couldn't focus on that right now. I had to get these people to safety and help Bast.

[morellanimmermehr]

New Chapter On Dorian Here

In which there is only one bed - er, hiding hole 🤭😏

[bunnyluvx]

terms of service. ♡

commission status: open! see slots and waitlist in my bio. ♡

i will start by saying that anything that i will write, i will be taking my time with to the best of my ability. i have a bad tendency to overwork myself to the point of burnout, and since writing is my biggest passion, i really don't want to overwork myself with this page. so, whatever requests or commissions will be sent my way, will be done on my time. i also have a life outside of tumblr that i need to maintain. hobbies i like to do, friends i like to spend time with, physical and mental health to maintain, etc. i ask that everyone who sends me requests or commissions is understanding of that.

this is a sfw blog. there will be no suggestive or nsfw content on here at all. if that is what you are looking for, then i am not the person to ask.

the reader will ALWAYS be gender-neutral without a specific sex unless the request or commission specifies otherwise. if you want any sex or gender-specific reader, then please say so. i want this page to be as inclusive as possible for everyone.

i mainly thrive with romantic pairings and find myself most interested in writing those, so that will be a lot of the content that you will be seeing here. but of course, if you request otherwise, i will do what i can to deliver! i am open to writing any types of relationships! polyamorous, monogamous, straight, lgbtq+, romantic, platonic, queerplatonic or familial. i am also open to writing not only character x reader, but character x character and maybe even character x oc! all you need to do is let me know what you want, and i will do my best to adhere to your wishes!

child characters such as klee, hook, qiqi, diona, bailu, hook, etc will ALWAYS be written in platonic or familial pairings. nothing more, nothing less. teen characters such as chongyun, xingqiu, barbara, fischl, yanqing, etc are characters that i am comfortable with writing in romantic pairings, but it is only for characters within their group. nothing more, nothing less.

fandoms that i will write for: genshin impact, honkai star rail, the arcana, overwatch, snow white with the red hair, fruits basket, ouran high school host club, fena: pirate princess, sk8 the infinity, netflix's castlevania and castlevania nocturne, wolf children, say i love you, violet evergarden, arcane: league of legends, marvel cinematic universe, cherry crush, daybreak, hazbin hotel, helluva boss, lackadaisy.

things that i will write: fluff, hurt/comfort, aus, self-insert, songfic, slice of life, fantasy, etc. ask about angst, as i am very sensitive and can't handle it if it's heavy.

things that i will not write: dark content, horror, proship, age gap content, any form of discrimination.

ask for anything else!

characters that i will not write: dr ratio (hsr), sparkle (hsr), lucio (the arcana), the vees (hazbin hotel), characters past inazuma and the xianzhou luofu (genshin and hsr), moira (overwatch), shigure (fruits basket), kureno (fruits basket), adam (sk8 the infinity), adam (hazbin hotel), abel (fena: pirate princess), gilbert (violet evergarden), singed (arcane), chohan and sodam (cherry crush), blitzo (helluva boss), mammon (helluva boss), kyoya (ohshc).

i'm okay with most other characters. just ask me.

my payment methods: ko-fi, paypal, venmo, chime. cash-app is a work in progress. i will give any details when we are messaging privately.

prices

imagines/hcs post - $10.00

fanfic - $15.00

all prices are non-negotiable as of right now.

if you find all of these terms agreeable, then feel free to message me! i hope you have a lovely day/night. <3

[neonacity]

hi hiiii i came across ur arcana series and i just want you to know that out of my 6+ years of reading fanfic on this app, yours is honestly one of the most thrilling and interesting stories. i am being kept on my toes w every paragraph and i’m so excited to continue reading!! your work is amazing 🫶🏼

Hi! Oh this is one of the best compliments I have ever heard in a long time. I'm surprised people are still discovering Arcane even if I haven't updated in so long so I really appreciate this. Thank you for reading, honey! ❤️

[s0diepop]

Reborn I

[its 3am when I write this and I just rly wanted to Hurt(tm) my apprentice lol so take this]

It had been a few months since the plague finally came to its end. Though, quite remarkably, no one was entirely sure how it had happened. The end of their torment seemed to be overlooked when paired with the news that their beloved count had been murdered. Burned in his own room, at his own masquerade, by his own doctor.

Before the doctor had left the city, escaping his death sentence once and for all, he had stood at the docks and looked out at the island which held his mistakes. Every failure, charred and left to decay in the horizon. He swallowed, and shook his head, and found himself unsure of the tight feeling in his chest as he stole a boat, and fled.

Yet, when he passed the island, he knew the feeling all too well. Grief.

The Lazaret, by now, was unused. The crematoriums ached with neglect, crumbling bit by bit each day. Lifeless stone cluttered along the walkways of sand, and the vague structures of buildings left shadows stretching across the ground. They turned the chalky ash into new shades of darkness, as if the lack of light revealed their true horror. As if the shadows highlighted the plague this island had left on the history of Vesuvia.

The shoreline of the island, much like the rest of it, was coated in layer upon layer of dark ash. Lives, once full of promise, had melted into nothing. The screams still echoed in the winds, and if you listened very closely, you could hear the last words of those who met their end here. It was dead, completely. Every tree was coated with rot, and every flower had become nothing more than a grey stem.

The only sign of life was the raven that hopped anxiously on the shore, circling one spot. She was small, potentially a baby, and her beautiful silver chest had been masked with the ash of the beach she stood on. She cawed, but the sound was hopeless and weak. Every time she hopped, she kicked up more ash, and seemed to caw out again, as if apologising. Some days, she screamed so loud that the folks on the shore could hear her. And some days, she fell silent, blending with the noise of her omen.

One day, the raven had been sat very still for a long time. Those who saw it may have theorized she was dead, but she was far from it. The raven had been staring at the spot again, feet still, gaze unwavering. The stance lasted hours, the sun beating down onto her feathers through the heat of midday. She was focused. She was determined. She dug her talons into the ash, willing, praying, begging.

And the Arcana heard her.

With a flash, and a sound, and a blinding light, the island was a cacophony of life and sound and energy for just a moment. If you had blinked, you would have missed it. Missed how the red rays melted into orange and yellow, missed the silhouettes rising from the ash, missed the screams of children and the cries of lovers lost. The island came to life, just a moment, to remind the people of Vesuvia that they were still here.

When the light died, and the raven looked again, she cawed in desperate delight. In front of her, he lay. Her owner, her master. The same tanned skin and dark red hair, the same intense golden eyes, the same man.

But not.

Because when he looked at her, he didn't cry or laugh or smile. His eyes were dazed, mouth agape slightly, his face an echo of emptiness. The raven hopped closer, until he shuffled and something fell from around his neck. They both stared, fascinated with the cold chain that had appeared from seemingly nowhere, and even more so with the golden, freshly polished ring that hung around it. The raven gauged for a reaction from her master, but found none as he quietly babbled.

Her attention was quickly drawn by the sound of distant voices. When she turned, craned her neck, she saw a boat. Headed towards them, with people yelling and waving towards them. She watched her master turn lazily towards them, still on his stomach, struggling to find the strength to push himself up.

So she screamed. Cawed, yelled, begged for their help. She watched him turn, slightly amazed, hearing the words she cried without having the tongue to pronounce them.

The boat arrived, and a group of men approached her master. They asked questions, gave queries, but he did not have the answers. Didn't have the words. One of the men began to wrap him in blankets, while the other held his hand and read his palm, confirming what the raven knew. By some form of magic, alchemy, some kind of witchcraft, this man had been brought back from the dead. They all conferred, agreeing he didn't know how to speak, he couldn't remember anything, he was the equivalent of a newborn child. They took him onto the boat, and let the raven perch on his shoulder, and they set sail back to the docks.

The first word he said was on the way there. The sailors laughed, as he had only mimicked the cawing of the bird. But the raven understood. She always understood him. And she nodded, knowing his message was to her, and not them.

Thank you.

[badass-at-fandoming]

Top 10 VN Men

Ages ago @violettduchess posted her Top 10 VN datemates who happened to be men. This seemed fun, so let's give it awhirl!

I will, of course, break the rules. Instead of numbering 1 to 10, I'll choose one man from each visual novel I've played or stalked hard enough that it's like I've played. So, with no order in my heart ~

The Arcana: Muriel

I surprised myself here. I like Julian quite a lot. However, I actually enjoyed his route less once I went back and bought the paywalled scenes (how???). For Muriel, it was the reverse: during my initial read, I was exasperated with him. After reading all the paywalled scenes, his character growth grew on me, and gentle mountain man edges out Julian in my affections. By a cat hair lol.

Fictif: Rainier from Monster Manor

This was also a hard choice because I like Jesse Rodriguez so much y'all. However, Rainier's character arc, his bubbly positivity, his looks, his concept--SO GOOD Y'ALL.

Alice in the Country of Hearts: Julius Monrey

Whooooooa. Shock. Appalled. Who could have seen this coming. I also like Boris and Elliot. I'm watching a Let's Play of Blood's route right now, and he's growing on me. The manga really did him dirty.

Ikemen Revolution: Loki Genetta

I love Loki's sunshine! Reading his route was like settling into a bath, into that easy, warm time-flow of happiness. Also. His eyes turn red and he can obliterate people.

Ikemen Vampire: William Shakespeare

Billy Shakes is like, a nanosecond behind Jean. I love his words, I love his journey; I love MC being his morality pet. I had a blast with his route and took soooooo many screenshots.

Lovelink: Min-Jae Lee

Lovelink isn't my favorite app out there, mostly because the MC drives me up the wall. Routes can be touch and go. But with Min-Jae, something fucking CLICKED. Despite not accessing any paywalled content, he constantly emoji-reacted to my responses. His story was a thoughtful and compelling look into a K-Pop star's life: both the massive perks and the massive toxicity in that space. I definitely rec'd his route, or that of his counterpart, Liam Park.

Lovestruck: Iseul Idreis

my MANS. This CG was my phone wallpaper for a HOT minute.

Maybe: Interactive Stories - Logan Harris

Again, such a shock. I will get back to my fanfic of them eventually! Special shout outs: Noah Young, Enoch, Ambrose + Trevor

Nekopara Catboy Paradise - Laurier

He's a cat, he's a boy, he snuggles MC every night and yanno that met all my requirements.

Rose of Winter - Crow

This entry accesses the Deep Lore. Rose of Winter was the first visual novel I played. Ever. Not only is Crow a kind, time-traveling wizard (cool bird included), but also the first route I got a Good Ending. Nowadays, I follow walkthroughs 90% of the time, because I play for a happy time, not a sad time. When I played Rose of Winter, I didn't know VNs had different endings. I played the other 3 routes, and the LIs kept leaving. The joy I felt when Crow returned Rosemary's affections! When they tromped off in the sunset together! I was so happy. I never went back to get his Bad Ending, even though there's an achievement for it. I love him. I love them.

What have we learned in this post? We have learned that I like catboys, queerness, and time-travelers. Also, I can't play any more VNs because it would ruin the perfect 10 number these guys fit in 😂

[faestry]

I should probably mention that my byf/about and any other links like that are severely out of date. this blog is a safe place for me first and foremost; I'll block if you post hateful rhetoric or anything that makes me feel unsafe. also, I post my interactive fiction things @bonesif, misc things over at @witch-trospection, punk aes @teethandteethand, knight/dark fantasy aes @bloodmoonsrising, the arcana & related fandom @porrimas-best, & all of my blogs are anti-nazi & pro decolonization

bolded blog is also where I post oc & fanfic content if you're interested ! <3

profile picture is from the app 'cats and soup' 🧸💌💓