That's So Beautiful

That's so beautiful ❤️😍

I always finish these just after midnight…. I’m good at time

Anyway, happy birthday, Muriel!

This update was so cute ❤️😍

P L E A S E

Reblog if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, transgender or a supporter.

This should be reblogged by everyone. Even if you’re straight, you should be a supporter.

Something people don't understand about Lucio's route

[Also, something important to take in count: I'm really tired, I've been listenting to Florence + The Machine, Aurora, and Hozier all day, I just played Lucio's new chapter, and this may not be really well-written or make actual sense. I don't know, I'll probably delete it later.]

We all know that the MC has to prevent the LIs to fall back into their old habits, right? We have to prevent Julian from self-sacrificing and thinking of himself as someone dangerous because of not knowing whether he killed Lucio or not, we have to prevent Muriel from isolating himself and considering himself a monster because of his times at the Coliseum, and so goes on with the other characters. We also know that each character, LIs or not, has a patron, they all represent one of the major arcana— Morga represents the Chariot, Portia represents the Star, Valerius represents the Hierophant, and so on. The only characters I can think of right now without a patron are Lutz (Lucio's father, who doesn't even has a sprite), Tasya, and Khamgalai.

However, people tend to think that Lucio's Reversed Ending will simply (key word being "simply") be about him going back to being a dictator who doesn't care about his people, that he will seek power once again, that he will join the Devil on his plan or something like that, and it's just... no. It doesn't fit. It won't be only about that.

Let's see the meaning of the Devil, Lucio's patron, according to The Arcana fandom wiki page about the tarot deck:

Upright: The Devil knows there is power in perception. He binds those who cannot see their path to freedom.

Meaning: Shake off his veil: you are not trapped. There is always a way out of even the darkest places.

Reversed: The Devil loses influence over his flock as the chains of bondage drop from his tight grasp.

Meaning: It is time to clean house: purge the things that harm you from your life. Take back your power.

The main problem with Lucio is not that he was a dictator, he wants to fix his mistakes, he feels sorry for it, and he doesn't want to do it again. No, the problem with Lucio is that his life consisted mostly in one thing— running away. From Morga, from the courtiers, from the plague, from the Devil, from his deals, from everything.

The Devil, in tarot, is about bounding, and taking in count that Lucio avoids his problems and escapes from them, it could mean something good for his character arc. He would stop running away, and finally do something with the mess he made.

But, this doesn't end here. It would be too easy if it did. Remember The Star, the book in which the MC and their blond goat encountered the Arcana? Also, do you remember who else had the Fool's powers apart from the apprentice? Yes, our dear count.

Let's now see the meaning of the Fool:

Upright: The Fool stands on a cliff's edge, overlooking the limitless potential of their future.

Meaning: The way is uncertain, but you have all the tools. Make the leap. Do not let insecurity bind you.

Reversed: The Fool rushes in without guidance, ignoring all the warning signs.

Meaning: Beware of acting rashly. Consider the consequences of your actions and tread lightly in the dark.

Let's think— the Fool, reversed, is about rushing in without considering the consequences, while the Devil, upright, is about having a way out of the darkest places. Don't you think that, since he's related to both, he may represent the Fool reversed and the Devil upright?

Let's take this a bit further; the Fool, upright, is about being brave enough to face the future, while the Devil, reversed, is about getting rid of harmful things and take back your power, about escaping from his chains. And you know who not only has the Fool's powers, but also can break the Devil's chains? Yes, the MC.

What I'm trying to say is: the meaning of the tarot cards matter, and a lot. The Devil's meaning isn't inherently bad, and the Fool's meaning isn't inherently good. It seems like Lucio and the MC share two patrons. Also, from what we saw, I think that Lucio's Reversed Ending won't be just about "going back to evil", it would be about running away. Again.

There are two versions of the love confession in The Moon (you can find both here, credit to @snake-sweaters). One of them is more like "We're alone, but together in this" (a bit possessive, it kind of excludes, oh, I don't know, the rest of the world they're tying to save), while the other one is like "I want a future with you, after we fix up all of this, and I want to change and actually be useful" (clearly character development from the selfish, problem avoider Lucio we had at the start from his route). I think the first one leads to the Reversed Ending; it feels like "us against the world", while the second one feels more like "us for the world". You get me?

To finish this mini-essay, I want to show you a small hint we've got with these two decisions when the dead ask the MC and Lucio what they're going to do to save the world.

This is what happens when you choose "whatever we can"

And this is what happens when you choose "whatever's necessary"

If you ask me, "whatever we can" is the upright choice— do you think the dead would ask the MC "by whatever means necessary?" in an "are you really sure?" kind of way and their (the apprentice) voice would go through the city like a thunder? Like, in the other Reversed Endings the characters do what they feel is necessary, despite it being pretty fucked up, instead of doing what they can.

Also, whichever choice the MC took Lucio would be all like "yeah, me too, I'll do the same", so... yeah.

I think that if Lucio went back to his old self it would be because he'll do whatever's necessary to stop the Devil or something like that, or he may try to run away from him with the MC, letting chaos unleash everywhere, but not actually caring about it. He has the apprentice, after all, what else could he want?

TL;DR: Lucio's bad habit isn't just "being bad", it's running away, not keeping his word, and not adressing any of his or other people's problems. I think his Reversed Ending will be about him avoiding the Devil so he can be with the MC, which will lead to him not keeping his promise of saving the world and becoming better, which will lead to... well, old Lucio.

@apprenticeofcups, you wrote some interesting theories and metas about this game, you have more experience doing this than I do, and I feel like this meta isn't actually well-written. Anything you may like to add? (Only if you want to, of course)

A few perfume associations with Arcana characters.

small note: It is not quite “what aroma suits the character” or smth like that, it is rather "what fragrance comes to my mind when I think of the character". Associative series sometimes are very associative. 

Asra: 

The Ritual of Happy Buddha by Rituals… Warm cedarwood and bittersweet orange. Cozy, enveloping aroma of tranquility, serene and shelteredness. Really happy scent. 

Breath of God by Lush. Contrast of fruity-sweety lightness and earthy-woody heaviness. Melon, sandal, vetiver, rubber, camphor, something smoked… Grunge, esoteric, hypnose. All to shake and stir. One of those aroma you think you’ve figured out but the next moment it turns to you on entirely different side.

Copal Azur by Aedes de Venustas. Completely different fragrance. Melancholic, absentminded suitable for wandering alone. Sparkling, fresh, slightly spicy smell of vastnesses under the endless ozonous sky. The air smells of wood resins and essential oils, but a thunderstorm already feels from the distance. 

Nadia: 

Passage d'Enfer by L'Artisan Parfumeur. Strict, slightly disturbing, one second cold, the next warm, fascinating, one second insinuating, the next tender. Stunningly beautiful in its mystery and inaccessibility, and at the same time so close and intimate.

The Pour Un Ete by L'Artisan Parfumeur. Tart jasmine, bitterish green tea. Noble intellectual with a temper. Seems so sweet, delicate and playful but also may choke you in certain circumstances.

Floriental by Comme des Garcons. Languid powdery plum, even plum cordial, with pink pepper, alluring roughness with enveloping non-confectionery sweetnessin in deepness. Despite its sensuality is quite so-to-say businesslike and non-diverting.

Julian: 

pretty obvious association - Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone London. Cool salty breeze, wet railings, vulnerary herbs. Very, very soft like the most tender touch of the sea mist. Can be sweet and playful or freshly and keeping concentration, calming or exciting, but always supporting. Quite close to skin so you need to nuzzle for the best acquaintance ;) Also good in conjoin with ‘Pomegranate Noir’ by same producer, if you catch my drift 😏

Encens et Lavande by Serge Lutens. Intriguing, tart, sensual bitter-grassy, a little smoky and slightly salty, old books, resinous ship timber. Not very complicated on the surface - some can even say that it is too simple just like aftershave - but um… don’t judge it too hastily, it is only facade, it’s much deeper than appears. It can excite, turn you on, and then, softly and gently, immerse you in calm languid pleasure.

Huế ‘City Of Dead Kings’ by Anna Zworykina Perfumes. Perhaps, it is the weirdest association. The dark corner of the soul. Here is the heat of calescent old stone, the dry seaweed on the salt coast, medical tinctures, thick and bitter, stagnant water surrounded by jungles, longing, sorrow, despair… So many components, very ambiguous fragrance, but inexplicably attractive, dark swamping fantasy with the hope of a revival.

Muriel: 

another rather obvious choice as it canonically should be myrrh aroma - Myrrh by Demeter. Myrrh. Just monomyrrh, smoky, slightly sweet, slightly sourish, really memory-catching. funny thing, I truly have some own… complicated memories about one person which return with that smell

Black Cedarwood & Juniper by Jo Malone London. Could be another strange choice as it quite light and aquarel for Muriel. But I see forest after the rain, wet moss and broken juniper branches outside the hut, cedarwood shavings on the floor leaved after crafting, spicery smell of herbal infusion in the pot on dying fire. Storm is gone and hut is empty. More about place than a character, perhaps.

Irish Leather by Memo Paris. Can’t help but it is always juniper for me when it is about Muriel. Deep, calm, kinda withdrawn but fresh like a sip of pure water from a stream. Combination of forest and moorlands. Beauteous astringency and bitterness of juniper, warm dry herbs on the wind, sharp note of wormwood hides under worn leather. And in heart, under all that roughness, lies imperceptible noticeable for a first sight sweetness of tonka beans.

Portia: 

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic by Guerlain. A bittery-green whiff of wind in a shady garden on a warm sunny day. Bright and friendly like a good partner. Sparkling and tender, light and dizzy, cheerful and playful, frozen moment of happiness.

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens. Cozy, relaxing gatherings on a golden sunset after busy day, cinnamon-ginger-honey tea (or sometimes cocoa on a mood), warm pastries. No worries, no chores, quiet intimate conversation, overwhelming sense of security and wonderfully aching and slightly unsettling feeling of some hazy hope.

Vanilla Vibes by Juliette Has A Gun. Sea! Secluded beaches! Freedom! Very calm and warm waters, small soft grains of sand, sweetness of embraces, sun on freckled shoulders, wind in the hair and taste of dried salt on the warm skin. Sweet-salty smell of pure joy.  

Lucio: 

Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens. Because of naming lol

Blackpepper by Comme des Garcons.  Spicy. Very spicy. Lot of piercing ringing pepper at start that could be repulsive or even ridiculous. But if you’ll like it, soon you’ll find long thrilling sense of dense woody-smoky voluptuous close-to-skin warmth which you want to snuggle to and to be dissolved in… 

Haute Voltige by L'Artisan Parfumeur. Bright, self-confident, rather capricious and unpredictable, you never know which side it will reveal today. ~Provocative~. A mix of pleasant and repellent. Red drops of sweet-and-sour pomegranate liqueur, slightly peony bitterness, coniferous barb, sense of notes of metal and cold. But it should be treated with a heed, some find it too… animalistic.

Serge Noir by Serge Lutens. Thick cold cinder and soot under viscous suffocating clove, disturbing sense of vague danger. It is like a grip on neck on the first moment, though it recedes quite soon. But not completely. It becomes more restrained, but prickly waves touch the skin over and over again, slightly scratching, and spicy smoke generously shrouds it with its dense heat. Harmonious disharmony.

This is so good 😍❤️

Teasers for...

The One Made Of Flowers Arcana Fanfic!!!

Made as a special delivery for this three special beings! @susceptible-but-siriusexual , @crazyyfaaangirl and @anime-and-fanfics !

But, everyone can enjoy it! So feel free to see them! 😊

- The Apperentice’s Aesthetic

- Quotes

- Lucio’s Aesthetic

-Quotes

“Loona...” I heard the familiar voice of my business partner, making me smile lightly and leave the sit on my desk.

“Yes? Anything you might need?” I asked, ready to help him in whatever task he had for me.

“Actually... Yes, I do need help... Can you explain me what this is?” I was about to respond when I realized what it was... My visions notebook about her. “Well...”

“Asra... Is not what you might think... You know I wouldn’t break our promises, much less on your back.” I said, watching him eye me, searching for signs of lying, yet finding none.

“Alright... Then tell me what is this suppose to mean and be.” He said, with arms crossed, obviously concerned.

“This means that visions of that woman appear to me ever since I came to the palace...” I said, taking a sit by his side. “They are always triggered by this city... Wherever... Whenever...”

“And you thought that building a mental map would help you figure her out and stop you from seeing them...” He concluded, facepalming. “You wanna know the truth about her?”

“Nobody knows the truth.” I say, looking at my notebook, then at him. “Not even you... Since you told me what everybody knows...”

“But I also told you to stay out of it... Yet, here you are. So, then let me tell you my truth...” He said, taking my notebook in hands. “And I will tell you every single thing you missed from start to finish... Or you can keep your notebook and go back to the palace.”

“Do I have a choice?” I asked, looking at him in the eyes, he knew I hated having to decide on something that wouldn’t satisfy both of us.

“Loona... You always do...” He assures me, giving me a genuine smile, making me relax a bit. “So... Do you wish to know her..? The one made of flowers?”