#the arcana gift exchange 2021

[q-u-a-rantine-high-school]

Here is my piece for the arcana gift exchange 2021 for @zephyrblacktree / @anonymous-cupcakea03

I had imagined it'd be a bit longer and more detailed but I procrastinated and had to rush it so, oopsie... But I did add a small drawing to the writing to hopefully make up for that. Hope you enjoy! ::)

Zephyr hummed to himself as he rolled out a large piece of dough. A soft swear could be heard, followed by a clatter. Zephyr looked to his right to see Julian chopping, or attempting to, fruits for a pie, which was what the dough was for.

"Are you okay?" Zephyr asked. Julian nodded.

"Don't worry about me, darling. It's just a cut, I'll be fine." Julian says in a pained tone. Zephyr gave him a look. "What? I will be. I am a doctor after all.." Zephyr shook his head with a slight smile. "Let me see your hand."

Julian stepped over to Zephyr and held out his arm, "I really am fine, dear-"

"Hush." Julian fell silent. Zephyr ran his hand over Julian's and the cut disappeared with a small glimmer of light. "Why don't you roll out the dough, while I take care of the slicing." Zephyr smiled. Julian nodded.

The two of them switched places and worked at their stations silently. Soon the pie was put together and in the oven. Zephyr closed the oven door and smiled at Julian as he brushed his hand together.

"What should we do while we wait for the pie to bake?" He asked. Julian tilted his head and thought for. A moment before grabbing Zephyr's hand and pulling him out of the kitchen. "Follow me."

"Mazelinka, Halinka, Zephyr and I are heading out for a bit, the pie's in the oven!" Julian shouted.

"Alright, dear. You two be careful." Halinka responded just before Zephyr and Julian were both out the door.

"Where are we going?" Zephyr asked with a laugh as he tried to keep up with Julian's fast pace. "You'll see." Julian told him excitedly.

The two of them walk aways from the town and hike past the salt springs, up to a high mountain. Julian slows down a bit and leads Zephyr to the edge to see the view. He gasps slightly as he looks out at the sea and down at the town.

"This is beautiful, Julian." Zephyr turns to face Julian but stops and gasps again as his hands come up to cover his mouth.

Julian is down on one knee with a ring in hand. It's not a fancy one, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

"Zephyr, we've been through so much together, you've taught me so much, and whether you accept this ring or not, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so… Zephyr Blacktree, will you marry me?"

Zephyr was at a loss for words as tears began to well in his eyes, but he managed to choke out a tearful yes. Julian grinned as he stood to hug Zephyr. He pulled away briefly and took Zephyr's hand to slide the ring on his finger before going in for a sloppy but passionate kiss.

They stayed up on the mountain for a bit longer before deciding to head back down to the town for some pie. When they walked back in, the smell of fresh apple pie was mouthwatering.

"The pie was done but you two weren't back yet so I took it out of the oven for you." Halinka beamed. "So, what were you two rushing off for earlier?" She asked as everyone sat down at the table again for dessert.

Zephyr looked at Julian and smiled, "oh, have I got another story for you…"

And now for my poorly attempted drawing of the ring...

You can also look up black feather ring on Google and find a good reference....

[cyberarcana]

Hey @oexen, I’m your secret santa! This is my first participation in a event of The Arcana fandom and I’m glad I had the opportunity to make Valdemar for someone who like them so much! I hope you like it! @arcanaeventhub

[boyslushie]

my gift exchange piece for @lynmay-arcana!

[pinesepia]

@cat-lesbian-in-traning hiya! i'm your secret santa for the arcana gift event!! (thanks for organizing the event @arcanaeventhub 💞)

ty for giving me a reason to draw portia we out here 🤝 loving one (1) redhead 🧡 she is inviting you to sit on her porch and look at the stars ✨💫🌠

[pharry]

Hey @nabesthetics it’s me, ya secret Santa for the Arcana gift exchange 2021. I drew some Dragoat for you. I realized as I was coloring it that I drew Alastor’s masquerade outfit instead of casual sooooo let’s pretend he’s trying it on after shopping? I hope you enjoy this!

[knight-engale]

Shhh, they’re taking a government-mandated nap.

My gift for @cyberarcana for the Arcana Gift Exchange! :D This was super fun to draw! Hope you like it!

[nabesthetics]

@arcanecadenza Hello there! I am your secret santa from @arcanaeventhub! The world really tried to delay me, but I finally got a chance to sit down and draw Cadenza and Muriel. This has been quite a learning experience, but I hope you enjoy the result!

[arcanaeventhub]

ASKBOX || EVENT SUBMISSIONS The Arcana Event Hub is a blog dedicated to hosting and promoting events related to the Arcana game fandom. We’re happy to kick off with our first event:

✨ ARCANA GIFT EXCHANGE 2021: SIGN-UPS OPEN CLOSED 🔮💖

12th October - 14th November

Before joining, take a moment to check out the guidelines!

SIGNING UP

Who Can Join?

Are you an Arcana fan? Would you like to be part of a gift exchange? Then, congrats, you’re 100% eligible for the event!

Click here or the link above for the form

How Long Are Sign-Ups?/Can I Still Sign Up After This Is Closed?

Sign-ups officially close on 14th Nov and it’s unlikely we’ll accept any applications after, as we want to start match-ups right away to give everyone enough time to work on their gift

I’ve Signed Up...But I Don’t Think I Can Do It Anymore 🥺

That’s perfectly alright! However, please inform us early so we can account this for match-ups

GIFTS

What Gifts Can I Make?

Art and writing are both accepted. There is no minimum requirement in regards to art detail or word count, as effort differs from person to person, but do try to put your best effort forward.

All gifts must be 100% new, meaning it has not been posted before. They cannot be plagiarised or stolen.

What About Other Types of Gifts?

Other types of gifts can be included, but they should be as add-ons, not the main gift. Only art and writing will be accepted as main gifts.

Are Physical Goods Allowed? 

The event itself will not be allowing shipment of physical gifts due to the need for addresses and the sensitivity of such information.

However, once the event is over, participants may discuss between themselves if they wish to carry out physical shipping privately between them. 

How About 18+/Adult Content? 🔞🔞

18+ content is allowed! Don’t forget to tag your gift appropriately.

HOWEVER, this is only allowed between adults ie the gift-giver must be an adult and the gift-receiver must also be an adult. Content must be tagged appropriately.

If any minors are caught falsifying their ages and claiming to be adults, especially in order to obtain 18+ content, they will be banned from the event and possibly from joining any other events hosted by this blog.

DEADLINES AND PINCH-HITTERS

When Is The Deadline For My Gift?

The deadline is from 25th Dec 2021 to 1st Jan 2022.

An extra 1-week extension from the final date may be requested, which your partner will be informed of

What Is A Pinch-Hitter?

A pinch-hitter is a back-up contributor. In other words, if someone’s gift is missing, a pinch-hitter will step in and create a substitute gift.

If you haven’t received your gift and there is no news from your partner/your partner dropped out, a pinch-hitter will be assigned to you

I’m a Pinch-Hitter, Do I Have A Deadline?

Unfortunately, yes. We don’t want people to be left waiting for too long after all

Pinch-hitters will be given a deadline of two (2) weeks to complete their gift.

ANYTHING ELSE?

If you have more questions, feel free to drop them in our inbox! Hope to see yall soon~

[mazhenfang]

Finally finished my submission for the Arcana Gift Exchange 2021 @arcanaeventhub ! @boyslushie was my person, and I had a blast drawing their Apprentice and Julian! They looked like such a fun couple in all the existing art of them, and figuring out how to express that was a lot of fun. Thanks for waiting for me, sorry it's so late!

[tsaritza-mika]

A Lovely Lucy ^--^

Hey @fleur-bailius~!! I was you’re Secret Santa this year, so I hope you enjoy this pic of Lucy being beautiful and fabulous ^--^ I based it off of a pic of Marilyn Monroe I found, and I hope I did him justice. Hoping you had a good and safe holiday season! <3~ And of course, thank you to @arcanaeventhub​ , this was a fun challenge

[sweetalnazar]

Hey @pharry, sorry to keep you waiting but here's your gift! Looking at your faves, I had the idea for a silly crackfic thing where Valerius gets up to some investigation shenanigans with Vlastomil & Volta so here we are 😂😂

Enjoy~

---

INTO THE GOAT'S DEN

2.8k. Valerius, Volta & Vlastomil, ft ghost goat!Lucio. Comedy/crackfic. Some suggestive past!Valerius/Lucio, though nothing explicit

---

For the umpteenth time since they entered the Count’s wing, Volta screams yet again.

Likely it was another shadow or scurrying mouse, only this time her retreat is so swift her elbow slams right into Vlastomil’s stomach, the impact making a dull sound that echoes around the empty corridor.

Immediately, the Praetor doubles over in pain, his groans ghastly and monstrous.

Each groan is interspersed with squeaky apologies, “Oh no, oh no, Vlastomil, I am so sorry––”

“Would the two of you please shut up for one moment?!” Valerius snaps, glaring at them.

Volta satisfyingly shrinks back, but Vlastomil pays no heed, still making those awful damned sounds.

Not for the first time today, Valerius wishes he had had the good sense to grab one of his wineskins when he had left his estate this morning. Better yet, maybe he should have grabbed a bottle from Lucio’s collection, or two.

The man may have been pompous and annoying, but he knew how to splurge on good wine.

Sadly, there is nothing to dull the headache, not the one brought about by his companions nor the one from the task ahead.

Instead, Valerius sighs irritably, and forces himself to march onward, quickening his pace.

Better to get this whole ordeal over and done with.

Behind him, there is the hurried click clack of Volta’s shoes against the floor, along with the odd groan of Vlastomil, as they struggle to catch up.

“Oh, oh, Volta has a bad feeling about this. Yes, a horrible, terrible feeling indeed,” she mumbles over and over with each click.

“C-consul,” Vlastomil sputters and Valerius pauses, turning back to face them. “The Procurator has a point. This whole place is…unsettling. Dark and spacious as it may be, even my darling worms would shrivel having to stay here!”

Vlastomil motions exaggeratedly around the hallway, and he has a point.

The utter stillness of this corridor in a palace typically bustling with people, the giant gilded paintings of Lucio that loom over them, the dim lighting that has shadows darting in and out as if they are not the only ones here…

“Yes! Yes!” Volta cheers beside him, bobbing her head along as she chews the end of her scarf. “We should turn around, go back…to the kitchens, to scrumptious food by a warm fire…” She licks her lips and Valerius’s stomach rumbles ever so slightly.

The image is tempting, a bowl of chicken tagine and spiced rice, perhaps a nice caprese salad on the side. Oh, to pair that with a good wine, what a feast it would be…

Get a hold of yourself! Valerius was here for a reason, and no amount of ghost stories or the promise of food, comfort, wine, would force him away.

So he narrows his eyes, and in his iciest tone tells them both, “No.”

And sweeping his braid over his shoulder, he continues his path. They would move forward, no matter the cost.

It has been over a year since the disastrous fiery Masquerade, since Lucio’s untimely end and the beginning of the Countess’s slumber, since Valerius and the other courtiers had taken over the running of the city.

Although the situation wasn’t as ideal as he would have liked, Valerius had been somewhat content. He had more authority now, to help his city, to rebuild it to its former glory, and he no longer had to ahem get friendly with certain people to maintain his position.

Why, perhaps things could even improve further in the future, like say the other courtiers mysteriously disappearing and relinquishing all power to him.

Valerius is no fool though. Making a move against the violent wild card that was Vulgora, or worse, the ethereal, unsettling and certainly inhuman Valdemar, would not end well for him.

At least not as he is right now.

However, since Lucio’s death, the strange visions that were usually occasional visitors to Valerius’s dreams had been happening every month, every other week now.

His mother once said they had a bit of witch in their bloodline, one of the better ones, one with noble blood and disposition. So his visions were never ill omens, but rather, fortune seemed to find him, pointing him towards his field of study as a boy, then guiding him to the path of Consul as a man.

These days, the visions show no such clarity or good fortune.

Often, he is plagued by flashes of disaster and ruin, his beloved city crumbling and broken, and of a human-like ram decorated in riches, calling out to him. But no matter how hard he tries, Valerius can never reach the one calling out to him, and each time, he wakes up with the strangest sense of loss weighing on his chest, as if something precious has slipped through his fingers.

The witches in town weren’t giving him any answers. And his fellow courtiers were even less reliable. At least witches had a price.

That is until an offhanded remark from Valdemar caught his attention, some remark about amusing afterlives as they passed by the staircase to Lucio’s wing. Typical of Valdemar, the statement made no sense, but that brief twinkle of interest definitely meant Valerius should be paying more attention.

As he starts to learn of the rumors swirling around the palace, of ghost sightings and mysterious unsettling incidents, Valerius realizes maybe Lucio wasn’t as dead as they had thought.

Perhaps, Lucio might even have the answers he needs.

So Valerius has no intention of turning back today, not until he knew he had explored all his options to the best of his ability.

In order to avoid arousing suspicion––both from the servants and his fellow courtiers––Valerius had picked the two least threatening and most compliant of his colleagues to accompany him on an 'inspection', even if that meant they were both also the most spineless and bordering on most useless as well.

Unsurprisingly, both Vlastomil and Volta cower to the side as Valerius stands alone before the door, hand on the knob.

He can hear someone’s knees knocking, though it is uncertain whose knees, considering how both of them are shaking.

He turns the knob and Volta gasps.

“Oh, calm down already,” he tells her.

He pushes the door open and it swings so far inside that the wood smacks the wall with a bang. Vlastomil screams and jumps into Volta’s arms.

It goes as well as one might expect; Volta yelps, and before Valerius can so much as blink, they are already crashing to the floor in a heap.

Valerius massages his temples. “Why am I constantly surrounded by idiots?”

As the two courtiers struggle to get to their feet, Valerius enters the room. He covers the lower half of his face with his sleeve, and true to his expectations, clouds of dust rise with each step forward. His foot slams into a chair, or a stool maybe, and he hisses between gritted teeth.

It is then he notices that the area around him is silent, no footsteps or annoying whimpers or groans or anything else. He snaps his attention back to the door.

Vlastomil is peering in tentatively, while Volta clings to his shawl, peeping out from behind him.

“Hurry up and light the lamps already,” he hisses.

They both scurry in at the same time, momentarily getting stuck in the doorframe, only for Volta to shoot through and slam her head straight into the center of Valerius’s chest.

He coughs up a storm, while she frets over him, repeating incessant apologies once again.

“Just…light…the lamps,” he manages to hack.

“Oh yes, Consul, right away,” she says.

Massaging his chest, he watches as Vlastomil lifts Volta up on his shoulders. He grimaces, expecting one or both to fall over and drag the lamp down with them, but the room brightens with little fuss.

“At least you can do one thing right,” he croaks.

“Quite..macabre in here, isn’t it?” Vlastomil comments, as he lowers Volta back down.

Valerius straightens, eyes sweeping through Lucio’s chambers.

Dust and grime coat every surface, only their footsteps breaking through the layers of filth. The edges of the sheets and the canopy are still as scorched as the day the room and its owner went up in flames.

Valerius swipes a finger over the golden frame of Lucio’s grand portrait and comes up with enough dust to make a wig out of. He shakes it off, then reluctantly wipes it away on his robes.

No one has ventured here in a long time.

A few paces away, Volta sniffs the air loudly and wrinkles her nose. “Not good smell, no.”

“What do you smell?” Vlastomil asks, shifting one foot from another, as if he is waiting for something to jump out and allow him to flee as fast as he can.

“Charred meat and cloth, like a barbecue gone wrong. Oh, the poor meat!”

“That would be the Count, you dolt,” Valerius says, as he kneels by the bed to inspect the patches of soot and gray, the gray of the Count's ashes no doubt.

“That’s not all!” Volta pipes up, interrupting his thoughts. “There is spoiled food and bad magic and…” Her voice trails off.

“And?” Vlastomil prompts, his voice rising by an octave.

“Goat.”

“Goat?” Both Vlastomil and Valerius repeat in unison.

“Why, in the name of all that is holy, would there be a goat in the Count’s room, Procurator?”

She shrugs. “Volta does not know. But it was here, and it is…different. It is not an ordinary goat.”

“Oh a ghost goat! A demon goat!” Vlastomil cries out, and Valerius grabs his shoulder before he can leap into Volta’s arms again.

“Calm yourself, Praetor. Maybe a pet goat of one of the guests wandered in here before. You know how they like their exotic animals. Of course, they would smell different.”

Vlastomil relaxes, but Volta’s expression remains unconvinced, gnashing her teeth.

“We shouldn’t be here, we shouldn’t be here. Consul, let us leave soon before the goat is upon us.”

“Patience, Procurator. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” He reaches out to finger some of the dust, and his palm brushes the sheets.

There is the faintest breeze and for a heartbeat, he is unsure if he is listening to the wind or murmurs against his skin. Ignoring the hairs standing up on the back of his neck, he moves over to the closet, only to trip on the rug.

“Consul!” Vlastomil and Volta lunge forward, grabbing onto either side of him.

Unfortunately, their good intentions do little to help Valerius as he is shoved headfirst into the open closet, before the door slams shut behind him.

“You blubbering buffoons!” he hollers, nearly drowning in the layers of decadent silk and thick furs. “Let me out!”

Instantly, the door is opened with a click and Valerius tumbles out, along with at least half of the wardrobe.

“Oh no, the Consul, the poor Consul! Is he dead?”

“No, I think he’s still with us. Consul, can you hear me?”

“I wish I couldn’t,” he huffs, blowing a feather out of his face.

“See, Volta, he’s still alive. Here, Consul, take my hand.”

“Praetor, do you even know where I am?”

“Ummm…”

He sighs, long and defeated. “Just, please move out of the way.”

After some struggling and squirming, Valerius manages to rise up from the pile of clothing.

Volta claps her hands at the sight of him. “Ooo, Consul, you look quite lovely, yes.”

Vlastomil nods. “That outfit certainly suits you.”

Valerius glances down. He is wearing a winter coat, a pure-white that has yellowed slightly from age.

The weight of it feels oddly familiar, but at the same time, it definitely cannot be his.

It’s far too heavy, and long, and ridiculously fluffy for his tastes. Not to mention it is too long; Valerius has to grip the front of the coat in an effort to keep the hem from sweeping the floor and tripping him.

He sighs, before shaking the coat off and letting it fall to the floor. “Please tell me you brought the candles.”

“Yes, we did!” From the folds of her dress, Volta produces about a dozen candles, while Vlastomil produces another half dozen from his pockets.

“Good, let’s set up the ceremony now.”

He takes a seat on the bed and directs the other courtiers on the arrangement. Just as nearly all the candles are lit, there is a brush against his spine and he stiffens, back arching straight.

“Consul?”

“I’m fine. Continue.” Just a strange chill, nothing more.

Volta gulps, but lights the final candle anyway.

“What now, Consul?” Vlastomil asks.

“Give me a minute, I’m trying to recall the witch’s instructions.” He taps his chin. “Alright, the two of you, take my hand–– No, one of you takes the right, and the other takes the left! You can’t hold the same hand.”

“Ohhh,” the two courtiers exclaim, as if it has only just occurred to them.

Valerius isn’t sure whether to smack his own forehead or theirs. Instead, he proceeds with the next instruction, “Take each others’ hand––yes, like that. Now be quiet and let me speak.” He takes a deep breath. “Tonight––”

“It’s teatime, Consul.”

“I said quiet, Procurator. Now where was I––oh yes, tonight, we call upon the spirit of the late Count Lucio. If you are here, send us a sign.”

A wave of heat brushes them, like mist rolling through, and Valerius resists the urge to cough.

Vlastomil does not, while Volta squeaks, “Oooo, oooo, I do not like this, disturbing the Count, he is not happy––”

“I’m sure your whimpering isn’t helping his mood either,” Valerius comments, before continuing, “Please show yourself to us!”

A hollow unearthly laugh, so strange and inhuman that it could have easily been a gust of wind, a too-loud creak of the door, bounces around the room.

“Just like old times, eh, Valy?”

A shiver goes down Valerius’s spine, the hairs on his arms going up. His gaze darts to the coat, and it occurs to him why the weight felt nostalgic.

His mind flashes back to a distant memory, a game Lucio liked sometimes.

“Pick something from my closet, Valy,” Lucio purrs. “I want to see how you wear it.”

Valerius scoffs, both at the nickname and the suggestion, but he goes over and selects the first tasteful thing he spots: a ridiculously fluffy coat, pure-white and trimmed with gold.

He does a spin in the center of the room, clutching the front of the coat as if he’s covering himself from the cold, before letting the coat slip open and expose his naked form. Lucio’s eyes widen with delight.

Finally, the coat slips from his shoulders, pooling around his feet.

Lucio’s grin is wolfish, teeth bared. “Come here, Valy~”

Barring his bare body beneath the coat, he had played out the scene almost perfectly, and realization hits Valerius. “Oh no.”

The lamps swing back and forth, the light flickering and flashing. The closet rattles, its contents crashing against its walls like waves of silk and finery.

Valerius jumps off the bed, past the candles, into the center of the room. Before he can make it any further, the ground beneath his feet begins to tremble, and the whole room shudders and stirs like everything is about to crumble around them.

Clutching onto him, Volta and Vlastomil huddle together, terrified and shaking. Valerius himself isn’t sure if it’s just their trembling that is causing him to shake, or if he is shaking just as much.

“What’s going on?” Vlastomil screams over the chaos.

“The goat! The goat is here!” Volta yells, before everything fades to pitch darkness.

The first flicker of light dances in Valerius’s sight, before he realizes he’s looking at a lit candle. Then one by one, the candles are all lit. Except someone has rearranged them all, into the shape of a heart.

The array of flames illuminate the heap of clothes and accessories piled high on the bed, and perched atop the pile is…

In a seductive pose, the goat-man strokes his thigh, batting his eyelashes at Valerius.

“Come here, Valy,” he purrs.

Without a single second thought, Valerius, Volta and Vlastomil bolt out of the room, out of the wing, and out of the palace, not turning once to look back.

Now, the servants whisper of the night (or was it afternoon?) where Consul Valerius was seen fleeing from the palace while screeching at the top of his lungs.

They whisper of the haunted wing, where a bloody warrior guards the entrance, where ghost armies lay in wait for an ambush, where something had once sent the courtiers themselves running for their lives.

But for the handmaiden Portia, her favorite has to be the one about a strange goat-headed figure that roams the wing, who always kept muttering to himself. They say the goat is bemoaning the loss of a lover, the betrayal of a spouse, the grief over a life cut too short too soon.

But really, if anyone bothered to listen closely, it was very clear what Lucio was saying.

“Was I not sexy enough for him?”

[snikker-doooo]

Good morning (?)  @mazhenfang, I was your secret santa for the Arcana Gift Exchange 2021. 

I decided to combine everything I love about the festive season into one drawing (which I have purposly left black and white, so you might print it out and colour it) which shows a our dear Doctor riding his good friend the Count, on their way to share festive joy - through soup, wine, and Pepi. 

Keep in mind, I do have a small part 2 to this gift that I am hoping to finish in the next few days. 

Happy festive season friend!

[alotsgonnachange]

hi @snikker-doooo !! I was your secret santa! I drew snikker who is the cutest and has literally the most iconic hair! I had so much fun making this drawing. Hope u enjoy and have a lovely holiday season and happy new year!

This was for @arcanaeventhub ‘s event :)

[lonely--shine]

Evening at the Rowdy Raven

So! Here's my entry for @arcanaeventhub's gift exchange! (in which I joined as my main @shine-reblogs instead of my artistic account because I'm a dummy and I think it's a little late to change that, so I hope it's okay that I'm submitting it through here xD). BUT ANYWAY! I hope you like it, @rambles-on-arcana!! :3

About as soon as I saw their character was named Illia I knew I had to draw her with Julian because Illia and Ilya (yes, my sense of humour is just like that). It's said on her intro that Illia is moody, and it is of my humble opinion that Julian can get on anyone's nerves, so that's how this was born. Feel free to imagine what exactly is going on xD

Anyway, this event was so cool to join and I really enjoyed working on this :D I'm still quite new at digital art so I hope it looks good even tho I hadn't much idea of what I was doing. It was fun to try and mess around with the lighting tho! Oh, and the background is from the game's official artwork because I was lazy to draw it myself, hope you don't mind ^^'

[bumbling-a-bee]

Hello @tsaritza-mika ! I'm your secret Santa for the @arcanaeventhub gift exchange! I'm so sorry for taking so long with your gift, I procrastinated into my first week of school unfortunately.

This basically is a rewriting of the winter tale to be pretty much completely Julian focused. Hope you enjoy, and I'm so sorry again for the big delay.

You look outside the carriage window to Vesuvia’s majestic Winter Palace, each space on it decorated elegantly with blue, gold, and white colours. You pull away from the window, a small circle of fog left on it from your warm breath hitting the cold glass.

“I’m so glad you said yes to being my date to the Winter Solstice!” Julian gushed for the hundredth total time to you.

“I thought I was the one who asked you out?” You replied, a confused smile on your face.

“Well- well yes, you did. But- but I had been working up the confidence to ask you for a good while before that.” Julian corrected both you and himself simultaneously, that adorably nervous blush covering his pale cheeks.

You giggled at Julians technicality, taking pity on the poor man as you leaned in to kiss his cheek.”Well, I am glad I said yes then.”

“So, what are you looking forward to doing the most?” The doctor asked, but before you could respond the entire carriage lurched forward the sound of wood smacking into wood. Everyone inside fell to the floor in an ungraceful pile of arms, legs, and minor bruises.

“Julian? Are you okay?” You called, sitting up from the mess to look around for your long legged boyfriend.

“I’m here, I’m alright. Are you okay?” Julian replied, shoving a thumbs up through the mess, the rest of his upper body following it up shortly after.

“What was that?” Asra asked, rubbing at his white curls.

"The carriage behind us, if I had to assume." Nadia replied, an annoyed look on her face.

Portia pulled herself out of the pile first to look out the carriage window, an annoyed look crossing her face. "Yep, that's him." She answered in a bothered tone.

"Well, I think we've arrived otherwise." Muriel muttered, helping Nadia stand up from the floor.

"Where on earth is my fanfare? And my entourage?" You heard Lucio whine outside of the carriage, clearly already having extracted himself from his own bite sized one.

Once everyone was set back to their rights and standing up again, you opened the carriage door for the others, watching them file out one at a time and listening to Lucio try to help them down, mostly met with annoyed glares.

As you step out of the carriage, Julian offers his hand to you as he bows, smiling up at you happily. "Ready for a night of winter extravagance?" He asked as you take his head, leading you through up the stairs to the door behind the rest of the group.

You nod as you come to the doors, an excited grin on your own face.

“Allow me,” Julian said, opening the large doors into the palace, revealing the cozy interior.

A hearth burns cheerfully at the top of a grand staircase, and elegant green garland runs up both rails of staircase, and lines the higher parts of the white and gold walls. You and Julian take a moment to admire the place in awe as NAdia climbs to the top of the staircase to begin her announcement.

Just as Nadia begins, Julian takes your hand, silently signaling to follow as he leads you away from the main hall. You look around the palace, admiring the large tree that the staff and Portia were setting up, eyeing up a table loaded from side to side with drinks, and a table that was beginning to fill with wrapped presents to share.

You return to the main hall just as Nadia finishes her speech, and you and Julian both look to each other.

“What would you like to do?” You ask in unison, breaking into giggles as you realize what you just did.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind-” Julian began, but was cut off as he overheard a group of staff walking towards the exit talking about the activities outside. He looks over to you with a grin on his face, taking your hand and pulling you towards the door to explore what activities the outside had to offer.

Standing at the top of the outside staircase, you and Julian survey the snowscape and it activities, noticing Nadia off to one side working on building a snowman, a suspiciously large pile of snowballs with a tuft a blond hair sticking out from the top, and, to Julian's surprise and delight, a large ice surface where guests were lacing up skates to stake around on.

“Can we go skating? Oh please, oh please?” He begged, looking at you with an adorable look on his face.

You laugh, more than happy to oblige to the puppy-like man and see the joy in his eyes as he led you towards the ice. He immediately sits you down on a bench, grabbing two pairs of skates from the table where they were stored and sat in front of you, taking your shoes off delicately and tying your skates. You stand up, pushing Julian into where you had just been sitting to tie his skates for him. He grinned as he watches you work, quickly and expertly tying his skates up tightly.

Once done, Julian stands from where he was sitting, wobbling a small bit as he got used to the extra centimeters on his height, and the small blades that held it all up. You laugh, gently catching one of his flailing hands and help guide him to the ice, reassuring and encouraging him all the way there. Once you both are on the ice, he asks you to let go, insisting that he can skate on his own.

You let him free hesitantly, watching as he takes a moment to make sure he's completely steady before looking over to you with a large grin.

"See, I'm not so bad at-" Julian's gloating sentence was cut off by a loud yelp as he tried to move forward, his feet moving out from under him and landing him hard on the ice with a yelp.

You try to stifle a laugh into your gloved hand, Julian's grin wiped from your face and plastered onto yours. Before you can stop yourself, laughter spills from your mouth, and you throw your head back with it. As you laugh, you lean back just a little too much, and just like Julian, you fall backwards onto the ice with a yelp. Julian took his turn to laugh, and after a moment you joined in as well, smiling twice as wide.

After a minute of laughing you both calmed down, and you stood up, offering your hand to Julian to help pull him up.

"How about we just go around together?" You ask him, gently pulling him along the ice by his hand.

"That sounds like a grand plan." He replied, giving your hand a squeeze as he followed your lead.

The two of you stayed out like that, doing laps around the ice and chatting about idle little things until a bell chimed off in the distance.

"Time for the dance." You noted, lucky to be right by the bench you and Julian had left your shoes at. Once back in your shoes, you raced to the palace, ready to warm up with a lively dance.

You catch the end of Nadia's address as you enter inside, getting to the hall just as the band strikes up the first dance.

Julian grinned, bowing and offering his hand to you. "I've been waiting all day for this, my dear."

You giggle, taking his hand. Almost immediately, Julian pulls you closer to him and into a slow dance, his other hand resting on your back as your free hand holds his hip. You quickly take over the lead of the dance, gliding through the crowd, staring at each other happily. It's going to be a long, wonderful night.

[zephyrblacktree]

For my partner for the gift exchange @rambles-on-arcana! Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy!

The Winter Solstice was in full swing, with the warmth of the fireplace filling the Palace with a beautiful and calming atmosphere. Normally Illia would find the darkest corner and go pester Muriel, but that wasn't an option this time. For starters, she was doing damage control by the drinks table. Asra found a magician friend who shared a trouble streak, and the two of them messed around with all of the drinks rather than one. So far no one's gotten a glimpse of Asra's mysterious new friend and Valerius once again became a victim to the magical mishaps, leaving Illia to reverse some of the damage. It wasn't as bad as it could've been thankfully, but Illia isn't sure how or why he's always at the mercy of magical pranks.

"What color is my coat?" Illia asks, waving her sleeve in his face. The Consul groans as his eyes adjust to seeing various colors again.

"Red." he answers. "Maroon if you need me to be more specific. Who even wears shades of red during winter?"

Illia hums, content with his answer. "It's my color. Anyways, you'll be fine as long as you don't touch any of the other drinks. Maybe see if Nadia can replace them."

"Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised that magician would try and ruin the drinks again. And now, he's found a partner in crime." Valerius bemoans. Illia nods, pretending to listen as she scans the crowd for white fluffy hair. Asra would be a fool if he stuck around after pulling a stunt like this, even if it was in good fun. She isn't sure if she should be worried for him or the guy stuck with him for the rest of the night. Probably both.

"Well, that's not any of my business. Enjoy the rest of the Solstice, Consul." Illia smiles, quickly putting as much distance between them as she can. She had to listen to him whine the entire time and she's more than ready to go back to enjoying herself. Adjusting her coat so the hood covered her hair, Illia decides to brave the outside and enjoy the snow.

A gush of cold air smacks her in the face when she opens the door, but the enchantments on her outfit makes it bearable. It's as lively outside as it is inside, if only a smidge more chaotic. That's to be expected with the former Count rallying the people into snowball fights left and right. He's certainly good at getting others excited, she'll give him that. She walks in the footsteps of others who've trudged through the snow, following the path to a small bench near some snowmen. She takes a seat, enjoying the scenery of everyone laughing and in high spirits. "Nadia really outdid herself this time," Illia thinks. "Not sure how she'll top any of this next year."

Lost in her thoughts, it takes her a second to recognize someone sitting next to her. They look like they've gazed at Death, shivering like crazy despite being bundled up in the finest and softest fabrics available. Like her, they aren't dressed in the normal blue and white outfits many have chosen and instead have chosen to wear an abundance of yellow. Tousled black hair is covered with a light dusting of snow. They glance at her, almost going still as they notice her nonchalance to the cold. "I must look like an idiot, huh?"

She nods. "The enchantments aren't helping much?"

They laugh and nod, allowing some of the snow to be shaken off. "Nope. We don't really have winter where I'm from. It's pretty much summer all year long with the only difference being how long it rains." They hold their gloved hand out for Illia to shake. "I'm Ny— uh, Jinx."

Illia stifles a laugh at the obvious lie and shakes his hand. "Illia. So, Jinx, what are you doing out here in the cold instead of inside?"

"Well…" he points towards the open space where most of the snowball fights have been taking place. Julian has made his way over from the ice rink and seemed to be arguing with Lucio. It was hard to make out words, but it seems like they're having some kind of banter. Illia can't figure out if it's in good fun or not because Lucio likes to take everything personally. "That guy arguing with Lucio? He's my friend's boyfriend and I want to mess with him a little. Throw a snowball or two in his face."

Ah, she remembers Julian talking about that. She's still not sure how he managed to get a partner so fast but from what she's heard, they're a good match for each other: two troublemakers constantly on the run. "And Lucio?"

Jinx smiles. "I just wanna throw snow at him."

She looks back at them again to see a small crowd has formed. Seems like another snowball fight is about to begin. It'll keep her blood pumping at least. She leans forward and whispers conspiratorially "You go on Lucio's side and I go on Julian's. If they do another one, we switch sides."

Jinx's shivering seems to stop at the idea of running around. He happily gets up, winks, and runs over to Lucio's side to take part in the fight. Illia waits a few seconds before strolling towards Julian, putting on her best poker face and pretending to not know Jinx on the other side. Julian smiles when he sees her.

"Ah, Illia! Come to take part in a little rough housing?" he asks. Over the moon when she nods, he yells to Lucio's side "You're already outmatched! We have a magician with us!" The crowd cheers and praises her, believing they'll win simply because she knows magic.

Lucio grins like a madman. "Oh yeah? Well—"

Jinx is behind him, frantically shaking his head.

"We have royalty on ours!"

So that's why he was so worried about his name. Illia doesn't really care about stuff like that, but she supposes a prince partaking in a snowball fight could be considered scandalous. The crowd cheers him on too, and the tips of Jinx's ears go red. Regardless, the teams are quickly sorted out and everyone makes a dash onto the open field. Snowballs immediately start flying, with lucky shots managing to get people out before the game could properly begin.

Illia focuses her attention on hitting Lucio. He's surprisingly good at these games, but Illia's seen him play enough to get a sense of how he fights. With some quick calculations she throws her first ball, missing him by only a few inches. He stares at her with wonder and slight fear in his eyes. 

"Woah, Illia! Trying to get the captain out early? Well you gotta try harder than that!" He throws a snowball at her, followed by a few smaller ones as she dives for cover behind a nearby tree. Shrieks of joy fill the air as snow goes flying all around her. Sometimes it almost feels like a battlefield rather than a game. There's a good gap between them where there's no cover. Well, there's no rules regarding how magic should be used in a snowball fight.

She rushes forward, catching him off guard with her boldness. He charges, only to quickly stop when snow lifts off the ground. A small snowman army soon springs to life, rolling their way towards victory. A few people take a moment to stop and watch her, including Julian. She holds back a chuckle as she sees Jinx shove snow down his back. Lucio, meanwhile, does his best to avoid her army. He puts up a decent fight before the sheet numbers overwhelm him.

"Never surrender!" he cries, but about five of the snowmen flop on top of him, covering him head to toe in snow. His head pops up from underneath the small hill as he spits out snow. He laughs as he pulls himself out. "That was great!"

Illia takes a look around the field. It looks like it's a tie with both leaders and a decent amount on both sides out of the game. Jinx is part of the few who made it to the end, happily throwing snow into the air as he laughs and celebrates his victory. Illia makes her way over to him as Julian and Lucio congratulate each other on the game.

"Not so cold anymore, your Highness?" She asks.

Jinx nods, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. I'm sorry about not being honest. Let me start over, " he holds his hand out again, "I'm Nyx."

She recognizes the name but not his face. His inability to handle the cold makes a bit more sense now, Truiya doesn't really have winter or snow. "Nice to meet you."

The bells ring, signaling Nadia's speech is about to begin. "Let's warm up." Illia suggests, heading back inside the Palace. Nyx follows, waving goodbye when they step inside and quickly making his way towards Asra. She gets a glimpse of purple hair next to him, and assumes that's a friend of his. As she settles for a spot in the middle of the crowd, she sees Lucio appear next to her, bits of snow tangled in his hair.

"That's the most fun I've had in ages!" he laughs. Illia sighs and gets on her tiptoes to brush off the snow. "Thanks, love." Lucio tells her. Nadia appears at the top of the stairs, reciting her speech about the excitement of the new year and celebrations. When the crowd disperses, Illia can't help but smile. Another perfect Solstice in the bag.