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[therowdymagpie]

[therowdymagpie]

[therowdymagpie]

Thought I'd share this here:

[therowdymagpie]

Guess who's route I've replaying again after a hot minute

Bonus:

[therowdymagpie]

alright so i wrote it, it's just kind of self indulgent because i use Rowan for basically self insert stuff. content warning for homoerotic wound stitching??....... and just blood (but it's not actually that bad).i've never posted something like this before anywhere so i kind of feel like i'm about to be burnt at the stake lol!!!! also the word count is like almost 2000 words. i kind of just freestyled this but also i watched a few wound stitching videos on youtube

and this was the idea btw, but i changed it a little after

———

He was reckless again. Of course he was. Being reckless is practically in his blood. But being reckless also comes easier when you know that getting hurt won't have lasting consequences. Ever since Julian's healing mark disappeared, he was just a—mostly—regular person again. He should've known better not to continue that little quarrel at the Red Market. Now he was walking back to the magic shop, the numerous slash wounds on his left arm hidden effectively under his coat. His thoughts raced. Making anyone worried about him was decidedly one of his worst nightmares. And now that he has someone waiting for him every evening... That obviously made it even worse. Rowan will be furious. Or devastated... He wasn't sure anymore, given how many mixed reactions he's already gotten after coming back home with any kind of injury.

He had no idea what he'd even say to him. His guilt was so overwhelming that his mind went blank every time he tried to come up with an explanation, an apology.

His breath gets a little heavier by the time the shop is in his eye's reach. Is it from the pain or the anxiety? It's so hard to tell now. He approaches the door slowly, stopping just in front of it. His hand hovers over the knob hesitantly. Come to think of it, maybe just sleeping outside would be a better idea...? No, that'd obviously make Rowan even more worried. Then his worry would turn to frustration and then... He'd have that dejected look on his face. At the very least, if he's lucky enough, maybe Rowan is already asleep and he will have the whole night to come up with something, anything. He remembers his partner complaining about a headache in the morning. It's rather reasonable that he'd want to rest sooner.

He snaps himself out of his momentary zone out session and shakes his head with a sigh. After he opens the door, he notices that there's no light inside. That would mean that Rowan is upstairs already. Maybe Julian can manage to be quiet enough just to reach the bathroom and quickly tend to his wounds? It seems like a better idea than having Rowan fuss over him. He slowly closes the door and then takes off his boots. He'll have to be completely silent. Years of experience in having to sneak around, unnoticed, definitely come in handy in situations like these. He makes an effort to take long, slow steps, leading by his heels. When he reaches the stairs, he makes sure to avoid any creaky spots on the steps. He takes another look around. He has to stop himself from sighing out of relief loudly when he notices the complete darkness around him.

He scurries over to the bathroom and shuts the door behind him, then hastily lights a nearby candle. He pulls off his eyepatch, his gloves, tosses them aside and starts peeling his overcoat off carefully. His arm is still bleeding which means that he has to grit his teeth tightly not to make even a single sound. Once he manages to get shirtless, he can assess the damages. A large, leaking gash on his upper arm and a few smaller ones on his forearm. Since he didn't have anything to stop the bleeding with previously, his whole arm has been painted red, down to his fingertips. This will be a nightmare to clean up... The longer he stares at the laceration, the more apparent it becomes that he's going to need stitches. He bites down on his lower lip while looking around the room. There has to be a needle and thread around here somewhere. After searching through some shelves and cupboards he finds what he was looking for, along with bandages for later. He pulls up a nearby stool to start on his task but the moment he sits down, it collapses right under him and he falls back on the floor. Stupid old chair... He can only manage to let out a soft, breathy whine before he hears Rowan from the bedroom.

"Julian? Are you alright?" Rowan calls, already being heard getting up from the bed and heading for the bathroom door.

Julian's voice gets stuck in his throat. His first instinct is to lie and to try and convince his partner to go back to bed, but he stops himself. This wasn't going to work from the start. Rowan would have always had to find out eventually.

A few soft knocks on the door are heard.

"Can I come in?" he asks, his tone already taking on a worried note.

Julian gets to his feet with a groan and opens the door, just peeking out of it at first.

"I'm sorry." he blurts out the second he makes eye contact with Rowan.

Rowan raises an eyebrow, then pushes the door open. Julian instinctively steps back, already raising his arms up defensively.

"This is not as bad as it looks, dear, I swear-" he starts, but gets cut off when Rowan sees all the blood.

"You told me you were going grocery shopping!" he scolds with a growing disturbed expression on his face.

"I know, I know, there was just... There was a detour and I... I remembered I'm out of leeches... The um, the Red Market..." Julian manages to stutter out in defense but Rowan's eyes are somewhere else now. Namely, they land on the needle and thread that got knocked to the floor when Julian fell.

"Darling, I just didn't want to worry you-"

"Just... Sit down."

"Where...? T-the stool is broken..."

"Then sit down on the floor!"

Julian obeys and sits cross legged on the floor with a deeply embarrassed expression. Rowan kneels down next to him.

"Er... I do need those stitches, Rowan."

"Your hands are shaking."

"W-well, you're not..." Julian exhales nervously "You're not that squeamish, are you?"

Rowan gets the implication and takes a moment to rub the bridge of his nose with a small sigh.

"I don't suppose magic can sterilize needles...?" Julian adds with an awkward chuckle.

"I could heat it up."

Julian nods, "That works."

It doesn't take much time for the equipment to be sterile again. Rowan moves to sit closer to the injury and gets the needle ready.

"You'll have to walk me through it." Rowan utters, still trying to put on a brave face.

Julian tilts his head a little "But you can sew."

"I've never had to sew up a wound!"

"I suppose that's fair..." he acknowledges "But I find it really similar to working with fabric, if that's any comfort."

"It's not."

"Nevermind that... You're familiar with the blanket stitch, right?"

"...Right."

"If you can manage that, the wound should get closed up properly."

Rowan nods and takes a deep breath to ground himself, then makes the first puncture. He can feel the warm blood on his fingers and the sickeningly metallic smell in his nose. The only sounds that can be heard are his and Julian's heavy breathing, and the soft, unnerving squelching sound of Julian's wound being sutured.

Rowan's hands are steady enough but he sniffles from time to time and wipes his eyes into his sleeves. Julian is staring at him all the while, more concerned about his mental state that his own injury. The guilt is already eating him from the inside by the time Rowan's eyes start getting glossy. The sheer embarrassment and remorse hurts infinitely more than the laceration. He starts getting a little teary-eyed himself as Rowan ties that final little knot.

Julian smiles softly as he looks down at the stitch work, hoping to lighten the mood a little already.

"Ha, you honestly missed your calling as a doctor."

He raises his eyes only to be met with Rowan's furious stare.

"...You're still mad" he notes quietly.

"You think?!" Rowan snaps and gets to his feet "You can't keep doing this!"

Julian follows suit but stumbles a little, "I didn't mean for this to happen, I just wasn't thinking."

"Of course you weren't!" Rowan agreed roughly "You know, I was worried from the start, when you started living here. I was hoping you'd make more effort to adjust properly and start actually taking care of yourself now that you finally have the chance. But it's like putting yourself in danger is the default brain function of yours and it won't disappear no matter how hard we both try! And I hate it, Julian, I hate it so much. It's my least favorite thing about you."

Julian can only listen as Rowan unloads all his frustrations. He can't help but agree with his arguments... He doesn't even attempt to get a word in.

"I don't even want to know the details. It'd just make things worse. I already almost lost you several times. I can't imagine what I would do if something serious happened. Not that this isn't serious! Whoever did this, whatever they cut you with, they could've just went for a major organ. And... And you'd just bleed out in some back alley. And I'd probably be the last to know."

Rowan pauses and looks down at the floor. His speech was like a gut punch to Julian, more painful that anything that happened yet. He hesitates before getting closer to Rowan and wrapping his arms around him. Rowan reciprocates immediately, squeezing him as tightly as he can.

"At this rate, you'll make me go gray before thirty..." Rowan weeps into his chest.

"I, for one, would think you look dashing." Julian sniffs awkwardly, holding onto Rowan's shirt "I'm so deeply sorry for making you worried again."

They stand there in silence for a few minutes, attempting to calm down after the endeavor.

If there's an upside to the frequency of those accidents, is that they manage to get a hold of their tears and frustrations quite quickly. After a moment, Julian pulls away a bit and looks into Rowan's eyes.

"You're right, of course... I know my recklessness takes a toll on you too... I promise that from now on there will be no spontaneous detours. If I get into a sticky situation, you'll know where to find me. I'll carry an additional knife with me as well." he adds with a soft chuckle "And I'm sorry for getting the blood on your shirt, just now... I'll buy it back for you."

"It's not completely ruined, I'll just need to soak it overnight... Though a compensation is definitely in order. For the tremendous emotional damages." Rowan sniffs.

"Then I shall take over making dinner for the whole month."

"Sure, that's fine..."

"And I'll buy you a new shirt anyway."

"Alright..."

"And I'll buy a new stool to replace the one I broke."

"Mhm."

"And you can stab me yourself if you'd like."

"...I think you're missing the point here. But if you scare me like that again, I will lightly choke you."

"We have a deal, darling."

———

i would appreciate opinions about this honestly..... and i had fun writing the descriptions the most i think

and this was the writing time + like 30 minutes the previous day

[therowdymagpie]

are we still here in 2024 arcana lovers

[therowdymagpie]

Hello it's me your mutual from disc ^_^

Can I get a mini hc of the m6 with a mc who has a magpie familiar :) (I'm sorry for my broken English I have a hard time typing)

Look at this little guy

The Arcana Mini-HCs: With a magpie familiar

Julian: loves how friendly and charming it is and regularly attempts to shame Malak for not being nearly as well-behaved

Asra: has definitely enabled its shinies collecting habits and might try training it to pickpocket. Don't let them, it's a bad idea

Nadia: very conscientious about keeping perches for it around the Palace, loves trying to teach it new whistling tunes

Muriel: loves it when it follows him on patrol through the woods and acts as a musical companion. terrified of crushing it

Portia: when she saw it playing with Pepi's feather and string toys she almost exploded from the cuteness overload

Lucio: so very proud of having a shiny built in to attract your familiar and brags about it all the time. tries to bribe it sometimes

[therowdymagpie]

The Main 6 as AJR songs(pt.2): The Neotheater

A/N: Continuing this series with "The Neotheater", my favouite album AJR has released so far. I have to be honest, this round was a bit more difficult in regards to finding good songs for everyone but nonetheless here it goes:(spoilers for all routes of course)

Asra: Turning Out ii

At this point I could honestly match Asra with the entire Turning out trilogy. With all the underlying messages about love that you can pinpoint from how they act in every route, can you blame me? Turning out's themes really match tragically with Asra's story, how they handled being there to help MC and how that affected them.

One of Pt. ii's main messages is about attaching yourself to the idea of loving someone so much that by the end you have no idea if you actually love them for who they are or just the feelings that come with that.

And if you think about Asra's connection to the lyrics and the Mc it makes a lot of sense:

Now in absolutely no shape, way or form am I saying that Asra doesn't love the Apprentice. He moved LITERAL REALMS and struck one of the sketchiest of deals to bring the person he cared about the most back, giving HALF.HIS.HEART as exchange for them. Then, even when he realised that person couldn't even remember him anymore, even then, he stayed by their side and practically taught them how to be a human being from scratch just to give them a second chance to live again.

Asra ,before the events of the game, was always worried about whether the Apprentice would remember and secretly hoped that they could go back to how they were before the Plague, all the while having to lie to protect MC's feelings and mind. They clung into that hope so much, but that hope was the idea of a love that they can never really get back to and that will never be the same.

I think it's a very interesting concept to wonder about : Asra loving who the Apprentice used to be and that just reinforcing loving who they are now, but in the beginning just, like the lyrics suggest, loving "the idea of them"(especially if Asra has also considered this and thought about it).

Break your heart (ha)In the end all Asra can do now that the Apprentice is back is watch and, despite how sorry they are for all that's happened, try to love the way they "turn out" and grow now that they can make desicions for themselves and experience the world again (even if they won't "love it much at all" in Lucio's route XD).

Nadia: Finale (Can't Wait to see What you do Next)

The Finale is one of the most soul-clenching and melodically complex songs this band has released for me personally, so it's not surprising that it represents Nadia so much. I feel like all the lyrics fit with the different aspects of her life and story incredibly well.

One of the biggest worries in Nadia's mind are her capabilities as a leader and how her actions will affect her citizens and paint her to the eyes of everyone else. Ever since she left her home in Prakra she wanted to prove to her family and to herself that she is capable of doing great things without the help of anyone else.

And when she got that opportunity, she was stifled during the Plague by Lucio, her independence and ideas bottled up. She went to Vesuvia and married the Count, setting the goal of helping the city and in the end standing in the sidelines while he was reducing it to ruin, justyfying her fears and inhibitions.

That is apparent, especially if you imagine the people of Vesuvia as the chorus that's in the background of the song(and at the back of her head), claiming how they need her. There is so much expectation in Nadia's mind in how people are always watching and believe in her and it becomes a driving force to keep her going since she thinks she has to earn that faith everyday.

Small pause to just mention that these lyrics perfectly describe how Nadia may have felt waking up from her coma, realising that she has to step into the role of Countess. Even down to the memory loss part and her not being able to "remember how she got here".

The song has a lot nods to the theme of finally reaching a certain point of achievement which comes with the fear of not being able to maintain it. This really reflects Nadia's attitude to her role and responsibilities, while the final musical swell gives an optimistic outlook on the future: Her people will believe in her no matter what she does next...

Julian: Karma

I love Karma for Julian for several reasons. The song is all about the disappointing reality that sometimes no matter the amount of effort you put in being good and doing your best, life just won't repay you for it, there's no Karma to be found for all your good actions, just this empty feeling of melancholy.

For all the Martyr syndrome Julian possesses and as much as he tries to convince people that he's a bad person, there is more to it that just trying to punish himself. There's always the hidden frustration that ties into not being enough. He can't understand why all the good he does never comes back to him. Why no matter how hard he tries, the amount of people he helps and all the burdens he keeps shouldering for everyone else, he's still alone and stressed out and just can't seem to shed off all the negative stuff in his life.

This especially ties back to when he was a doctor during the Red Plague. He tried and tried and spent so much time in that lab underneath the Palace, slaving away with Valdemar over his shoulder trying to figure out a cure. And even when he did, he came back and got condemned for trying to save everyone.

Yet he still tries to protect everyone despite all the toll it's taking on him, "lamenting the load while he carries it" as Portia puts it. The whole song has this really frantic energy, bouncing from one sentence to another, it feels like a spiral, completely matching the back and forth he does with wanting to be free, ask for help and be loved or going back to thinking he actually is guilty and sacrificing himself for everyone else.

These lyrics could also refer to Julian's relationship with the Apprentice during his route. The MC is this person he feels such a profound connection with, someone he wants to keep close and express discontent to but knows has to keep away, even when the MC tries to convince him that he's enough and can do better.

At the same time, there's this irony in the song about referring to and venting all these frustrations to a "Doctor" or therapist to give you answers on when you will finally receive something good in your life, which is also a great parallel.

In the end, Julian wonders if it's actually worth keeping up what in his mind is this "persona" of the good person everyone knows he is or just succumb into the role of the villain he's been led to believe he is by his thoughts and his own self-doubt.

…Is it actually worth being good, if it doesn't even matter in the end? If he's just doomed by design to be stuck in the same place over and over again?

Muriel: Break My Face

Choosing for Muriel, "Break your face" seemed the most appropriate to connect him with. A thematic of overcoming adversity and accepting all the ways life has roughened you up, seeing the worth and strength in all the times you've been hurt? It's literally perfect.

(Maybe not that much lyric-ways but the main message is very relative)

Muriel, you can tell, has so much self-confidence and self-love issues that stem from all the trauma he had to indure in his younger years, both living at the docks and later on in the Colussium. All this time having to act like an executioner for Lucio's entertainment, have messed up so much of his psyche in regards to how he views himself and how others see him.

And even after all that he went through he even made sure people forgot about him entirely, he didn't want to be remembered for that part of his life that hurt him so badly, essentially sealing his face from everyone else.

He spent so much time chastizing his scars, his build, hating everything that possibly could make him look threatening to someone, tying it into the whole "monster" narrative everyone formed around him(you are beautiful Muri don't do to yourself).

It's the whole reason he's willing to take, at this point, anything life gives him yet still thinks he's undeserving of it.

It's only after he meets the Apprentice that he finds out, there's a lot of beauty within him unrelated to how he looks and that there's so much to be proud of in the ways you have survived. He finally accepts that it's worth the risk to get hurt sometimes, it's always you in the end...it's still you and you aren't defined by your scars.

This man has been torn down by the world around him and has gotten through a lot of rough times, but no matter what, in the end of his story he can make sure that the face he stares at the mirror is just a face, his face and he's loved for it.

Sidenote: As for this, it's just 100% Muriel behaviour. This gentle giant takes no fibbin' from anyone and doesn't care for your fancy words and condecending attitude, no matter who you are, he will give you a death glare if you annoy him enough, which....fair.

I also want to make a small mention to "100 bad Days" for including coming to terms with all the rough times in your life and accepting them.

Portia: Next Up Forever

Honestly Next-up Forever is such a good fit for Portia and the entirety of her character development on her route. All it's lyrics refer to something in your life holding you back from taking that final step and move on from what everyone expects of you which is honestly all you can see from her in the duration of trying to solve the Mystery of the Count's death at first.

At the start of hers and other's routes, Portia is constanly overshadowed and her actions are more commonly the result of who she is to someone else. Everyone goes around her, barely giving any mind to what she wants and making her desicions for her.

Also the lines "My God, are you growing without me?" for Julian and "Somebody help me, (somebody, help me)" for the Apprentice are just so tragic and perfect.

There are all these things keeping her back from everything she wants to experience: Being a handmaiden to Nadia, helping free and clear her brother's name, constanly making sure the Palace is running smoothly and wearing that happy mask on her face at all times, leave her restricted to live vicariously through her adventure books in second place.

It's only when the Apprentice convinces her that she is more than everything she does for others, listens to her and acknowledges what she wants out of life, standing by her side, that she recognises she has to put herself first and sets out to find out what she actually wants and who she is.

I especially love this verse connecting the beginning and the end of her journey. In the beginning Portia first sailed from Nevivon trying to find her brother and make it somewhere else for once and in the end after all she's gone through sailing again in a much more encouraging note finally buying the ship of her dreams and setting forward to actually have all the adventure she's always craved.

Portia's story is one of self-discovery and defining youself in spite of everyone else, shining though and proving that no matter all the things that hold you back you can stop standing by and delaying going the next step forward, in the end making it damn bigger than you thought you ever could for everyone to see.

Lucio: The Entertainment's Here

If I could associate every song on the album with the Goatman I would…The Neotheater is all in all very Lucio in character, having to do with the themes of fame, the fear of getting forgotten and not wanting to grow up just to name a few, but "The Entertainment's Here" just fitted the best.

Hmmm…hates being bored, doesn't make plans, not using your head, blatantly avoiding the task at hand, any guesses folks?

Lucio genuinely believed that by constantly hosting Masquerades and parties he made Vesuvia better and that everyone should focus on all the fun that was going around when he was Count. I can honestly see him saying these lyrics unironically, it fits so much with him trying to cover up with the illusion of just another event.

There's this constant mention of Entertainment and distraction all throughout: The first, middle and end verses all include it and grasp your attention and move it away from the problematic confessions being said at the same time. Specifically, every time a confession about the fear of thinking for too long is mentioned.

Like I’ve stated before Lucio is a complex written character and he's not as dense as people make him out to be: The man knows he's done mistakes, he just can't come to accept them or acknowledge them because he has this image of greatness he needs to keep up. So "he can't be bored" because that way he has to get back in his head and he hates that.

Lucio doesn't do the things he does just to distract everyone else, he also does them to distract himself from his past mistakes and insecurities. He parades and hypes up his life with that notion of constant Entertainment, movement and fun because he can't afford to stop for a second and let all his thoughts catch up to him.

He NEEDS theEntertainment, the distractions the adoration, the reassurances or else his mind stays still for too long and the thoughts of inadequacy, faults, abandonment all resurface and they are terrifying.... So again, he reverts to what he knows how to do best and doesn't deal with any of it since no one’s ever taught him to.

_______________________________________________________________

can you people tell i tried to get this out on Julian's birthday and failed👁👁

[therowdymagpie]

You know what?

[therowdymagpie]

The Main 6 as AJR songs(pt.1): The Click

A/N: I have no idea who is going to care about this, but character analysis through songs is one of my favourite activities and combining two of my biggest hyperfixations at the moment seems like a good way to combat seasonal depression so, enjoy this mini headcanon series.(spoiler for all routes of course)

Asra: Turning Out

Starting off, for Asra "Turning out" really strikes me as the song that could desrcibe how disoriented they must have felt during the first few months of the Apprentice's resurrection.

These two verses could just really be talking about Asra's feelings at the start where the Apprentice doesn't recognise them and the surprise of the ritual not working the way it was supposed to. All of the questions they could have asked themselves:

"Am I ready to be their lover or friend?"

"Do you have instructions?"

"Where do I go from here?" are all things they would be wondering about how to best approach this, how can they go back to the way they and the MC were before.

And of course the themes of unexpected or unrequited love that deviates from storybooks, pop up. This is NOT a fairytale, this is a very traumatic, very fragile situation Asra is in, where they aren't a normal couple with Mc, where this is really anything but a love story, actually slowly evolving more into a romantic tragedy as they don't know how to approach the Mc. Sometimes not even as a friend or lover but simply falling into the role of a "Master" or teacher.

Especially with this part, I can really see it as an entire internalised conversation in Asra's mind, with the version of MC they're familiar with.

Shouldn't they wait before they give up?

Don't they want to see the Mc get better?

Don't they want to wait and see if the Apprentice will love them again.?

And how everything is turning out in the end?

This is a song deep into the frustration and dissapointment coming out of a love you can't predict and at the same time a relationship you desperately want to make work exactly the way you want to, which works pretty well in this scenario.

Nadia: Burn The House Down

This song specifically i feel like fits Nadia SO MUCH. Aside from the political themes that are spread all around it, I really want to talk about lines like:

Knowing how Pre Red Plague Era, Nadia had this toned down role in Vesuvia, blending behind Lucio's shadow as nothing more than an observer, this would be her train of doubts about her potition and if she herself as a Countess can make actual difference to better the city. It's these doubts that held her behind in fear of people once again ignoring and sidestepping her, much like how in Prakra she felt a similar way with her family.

These doubts later on also follow her throughout her own route, when she has the chance to prove herself to her city and be the leader it deserves.

As well as:

Which just fits fits so much with the Courtiers situation and the corrupt polititians that overran Vesuvia while she was in her coma state. This also fits Lucio and how he was only parading the role of the Count while scheming, hiding, stricking deals while the only things he did for the city were to constanly keep up appearances and throw parties.

Overall the theme of stopping the circle of letting other people rule over your life and deciding to take charge and work WITH others to better the situation around you, whether political or not are all really resonating with Nadia. It's a great "pumping up" motivational song that describes her journey and personal growth as a Countess and a person.

Julian: Weak

(For those who know AJR or actually have heard this song: Come on.....what did you expect? XD)

The overarching theme of succumbing to your bad habits is LITERALLY indicative of Julian's whole route. How he resorts to drinking, punishing himself, overindulging in bad company and every other coping mechanism he uses are there in the lyrics:

Small mention to how "one kiss, bad for me" could very well refer to the apprentice and how he has to distance himself from them, but at the same time can't seem to be able to fully detatch. He's a wanted man, there is no way that getting involved in a romance that can never be isn't going to hurt him, right?

Especially i feel like this song fits him so well exactly because Julian KNOWS all this, he's said it himself:

Julian understands that he is ruining himself, that he is hurting others while doing it, that he should say no to the dark thougths in his mind and all the bad impulses BUT he also has convinced himself that he's not strong enough for that and keeps going back to the same bad habits.

In the end this is a party anthem and we know Julian to be a party person himself, so he hypes it up. "What's wrong with that?" as well as the whole mood of the song could very well be him actively trying to convince everyone and himself, that...he's "weak", it's just who he is and he can't change. That way he can push people away and scare them off with how " iredeemable" he is and how he's just going to keep making mistakes. All because he just doesn't want to take anyone down with him....

I also want to make quick reference to "Sober Up" and this lyric that's also giving strong Julian vibes with the MC helping him get out of his head.

Muriel: I'm not Famous

OK while this song doesn't melodically give me huuge Muriel vibes, the lyrics are thematical to his whole hermit situation.

This man put a magic curse ON HIMSELF that makes people forget that they even met him, except the people he gives something to remember him by, meaning the people closest to him.

Like literally Muriel never has to worry about people talking about him, where he lives, what he likes to do, what are his habits or bother him anymore and that's described here like his personal paradise.

Which honestly makes so much sense if you take into consideration what his past used to be like. The trauma he endured by being in the Colissium and having everyone watch the worst version of himself EVERY SINGLE DAY, definetely warrants seeing almost complete isolation as bliss.

(Also noone hates him, he's our gentle giant that deserves the world fandom-wise and he's adored by everyone who DOES know him in Vesuvia.)

Honestly i feel like this song could very well be Muriel's personal diss towards Lucio, which is very funny to think about:

Muriel is a hermit and yet he is more loved and acknoledged for who he is than Lucio will ever be (according to Muriel's route anyway). Lucio was loud, the main attraction for many, the centre of attention and yet people in the majority "judge" him and have seen all of his personal failures out on display because he chose to parade around trying to show that he was the best.

Muriel finds comfort in being unknown and has never been afraid to express that. He apprieciates the people in his life that matter which is exactly why this song fits this well.

Portia: Drama (/Turning Out)

Maybe i'm cheating with this one but I cannot talk about Portia without refering to both of these songs.

For starters, Drama: Now it's well known that Portia is an undisputed gossip queen. The woman has an entire map drawn out of secret passages scattered around the palace that STILL isn't fully finished, she knows the entire palace staff by name and she's not too unfamiliar about any street rumors or juicy stories. Point being: she goes around.

The song describes how we can become envolved to other people's drama and get caught up in their stories so much it's addicting.

Now regardless of what perspective we see Portia from, one thing is clear: She wants excitement out her life and to get to do adventurous things of her own. Unfortunately though, because of her obligations and role she is instead "addicted" to other people's stories and shines through others.

In every story except her own she is just there, observing, seeing what happens next and contributes as much as she can because she can't be fully a part of it herself.

Only in her own route does she get to actively be an important part of the story and the "Drama", getting out of the mindset of being a background character, take action and voice her opinions.

Tbh i haven't fully finished her route but so far i can at least understand this: Portia needs an opportunity to shine as her own person, and this song perfectly portrays that.

As for Turning Out, I just can't keep out of my head Portia saying these lines to Julian:

I think Portia was so genuinely hurt by Julian leaving her behind in Nevivon and telling him all this would just hit SO HARD, especially since she grew up with and I think really admired him. Nevemind the fact that she was very close to losing him again with the execution , which makes these lyrics sting all the more.

That and the themes of growing up and getting your head out of stories and fairytales you read really sounds perfect for her character.

Lucio: The Good Part

Well what can i say, The Good Part is loud, energetic but at the same time just so pensive, which fit pretty good on Lucio if you think about it.

The entirety of the song and lyrics keep referring to skipping to the best part of your life and keep wondering when that actually is. Lucio is a complex character which I love but so much is apparent about him: He wants to be respected and he wants power. The thing is he isn't always going to work too hard to achieve it.

His impentience as to when he'll be leader of his tribe is what drives him to the demon bargain that would make his parents sick and supposedly "skip" all of the proving himself as worthy of it and directly place him right on top. That behaviour later on continues with his deals with the Courtiers and then the Devil himself.

And then later on even when he actually becomes a Count he still keeps showing off, throwing over-the-top parties and trying to give all the best things to his court and people. He keeps trying to make every moment the "Good Part" of his life constanly thinking he can go even more respected and loved as a ruler, even seeking to overthrow the Devil in some routes.

Lucio for all his skills and passion lacks patience and the ability to think ahead, jumping into situations that will get him where he wants to be all the faster. The song doesn't wholly describe his motivations and personality but it definetely hits on that particular aspect of him.

ShoutOut to familial issues:

______________________________________________________________

Annnd that's it, hoping to continue in Pt.2.

P.S Please go and listen to AJR folks they have some really deep, heartbreaking and thought-provoking stuff.

[therowdymagpie]

Contributing with my "Noble Comfort" to this for Nadia and Muriel, because of Muriel NEEDING someone to be loving and sweet to him and Nadia being our amazing countess who's going to offer him a world of kindness.

Can we have have ship names for The Arcana that they are not a mix of the two names?

Like could Jucio ( Julian x Lucio ) be “Drama Kings”, as both are quite dramatic, going off the term “Drama Queen” and of course Lucio was a Count.

And could Asrian ( Asra x Julian ) be “Mystical Medics” as a play on Asra’s magic while also being able to use healing magic and Julian having that healing symbol magic around his neck.

Or what about “Pamper Party” for Portia x Nadia, Portia wanting to give and work hard for Nadia and Nadia loving to pamper her lover.

[therowdymagpie]

Please share !!

Dear followers and mutuals,

I need your help ! ⚠️⚠️⚠️

(sorry for the long post)

The same Astarion artwork continues to be stolen time and time again by unscrupulous shops (I've filed over 20 complaints, just on Etsy alone). One particular independent shop refuses to remove the items using my artwork, ignores my messages, and deletes all my comments warning buyers.

Here's the specific artwork, my original fanart, and the low-quality and insolent modification to turn it into a shoddy sweatshirt and t-shirt design. Which is promoted on TikTok !

This has to stop.

Sharing your work on the internet, or even just sharing your passion, has become a nightmare for artists and creators. We already have enough to deal with in the face of AI threats and platforms like Aliexpress; now we have to manage a surge in theft as well.

This shop is also appropriating other artworks from the BG3 fandom.

Here are the screenshots :

I'm seeking your help in identifying the authors of these artworks so that I can notify them.

I'm also currently in contact with a specialized attorney because I've had enough.

The cup is full, and I want to be able to showcase my drawings without enriching thieves. It's particularly painful during this period of economic crisis, where, like many others, I'm struggling to make ends meet, to feed my two young kids.

Here are all the contact details for this fraudulent shop :

⚠️ Please share this post and report Melody prints social media's accounts ⚠️ Everyone needs to know they are a THIEF ⚠️

melodyprints.com

The website says the shop is located in 217 S Parramore Ave, Orlando, FL 32805, United States

TikTok account of melodyprints is spookymelodyprints

Instagram account of melodyprints is _melodyprints

Also, Ghosttraveler on TikTok has made a callout video to help, here is the link, if you can share it as well : https://www.tiktok.com/@ghosttraveler/video/7291769599530454314

Thank you so much for reading this, and for your help.

[therowdymagpie]

I have a feeling he would do this...

[therowdymagpie]

If there isn't a scene where 42!Uncle Aaron hugs Spider!Miles, i will revolt.

[therowdymagpie]

I think we're all underestimating the power of

"You're the worst thing that has ever happened to me"

said in the most loving way possible