"Just Imagine!" Julian Said Playfully, Continuing To Gesticulate And Laugh:

"Just imagine!" Julian said playfully, continuing to gesticulate and laugh:

"Me – walking down the street. Handsome! Dangerous! Proud and unapproachable!.."

"…And awesome, as an army with banners, doctor №069?" Valdemar raised their eyebrows ironically.

Another person immediately disappeared and there was silence.

Julian stopped speaking, looked at the Quaestor and felt his face rapidly flush scarlet:

"Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?"

Valdemar shook their head in response:

"How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? Return, that we may gaze at you."

Without delay, Julian turned to Valdemar, and took a step towards them.

"But I beg them, don't they turn away their eyes from me, for they have overcome me".

Then he came closer, bowed his head and added:

"…for love is strong as Death".

"Strong as Death, you say?"

Valdemar replied after several seconds of silence, grinning, "Shall I consider you a worthy adversary?"

"Unless it's Song of Songs quotation challenge, Quaestor", Julian replied with a laugh.

/thx Apostle Jay for inspiration, indeed. I love kinda complicated relationships between protagonists and antagonists. As much as I love complicated headcanons, you know.🖤/

/godsend song, brutal growling with classic cello is what I absolutely needed/

Ahem. How can I start the conversation? OK, I'll try. How do you do, fellow humans?

Tonight I would like to talk about the setting of the Arcana game. Or, more specifically, its atmosphere, about background illustrations that people usually don't notice and/or don't usually talk about.

I love the Arcana background CGs so much. To be honest, those CGs are what got me into the game.

A little story: 4 or 5 years ago I saw an advertisement of the Arcana for the first time. And when I saw those ads on Instagram, it was so horrible and tasteless, imho. These cringe ads rather repelled me instead of attracting me. I saw it and forgot about it, but then…

Some time later, I started looking for background references for my text-based roleplay and found some beautiful illustrations. I didn't use these illustrations for my text roleplay. Besides, I soon forgot about my roleplay. :D and, in Google, I looked at the descriptions under the illustrations I found: "the Arcana game". I was intrigued. Then I downloaded the game. A few moments later I remembered those stupid ads, but I decided to take a chance.

And then, after the Prologue, I was absolutely fascinated. It had nothing in common with those commercials. The game itself was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. And here I am :D and here we are.

Back to the background graphics. I am personally humbled and grateful to the original artists for these backgrounds. We love the characters – there's no doubt about that. But this setting and atmosphere wouldn’t be what it is without these illustrations.

I usually refer to photos that I think have "the same vibe" or "this place fits the world of Arcana" when I want to expand the world of the game on my own. Like headcanons, fanfiction, et cetera, you know.

Next I would like to show my selection of such photos. All photos from Instagram, not the Pinterest, as this is the most convenient method of attribution.

And all of these images, you know, I am NOT using for any commercial purposes. Crediting is in the order of the images.

⏬

Okay, let's go. It's not that I'm HCing any specific locations. I can only give a very rough idea of the "location area". You'll see the notes, I hope. Credits and links below. Credits are clickable.

graciousopulence (the main source)

1. clivenichols

2. nationaltrust*

3. bonvoyagecleo

4. gamma_f

5. rcmccloskey

6. designboom*

7. amarosanchezdemoya

8. curly.beard

There are some images that conjure up more specific associations for me.

© devonchurchland*

To be honest, this photo became the indirect reason for this post.

I saw this today and the theme song from the game immediately started playing in my head (can you guess which one?). At the same time, I remembered some of the scenes that take place in our storyline. A lot of the action takes place in the Temple District. Just because… why not? especially when you and your co-author are historians obsessed with religion, lol.

I imagined this picture very vividly:

One of the churches in the Temple District. Silence. Julian sitting in an empty church, deep in thought. Watching how the strip of light from the stained glass window slowly creeping across the floor and the benches, then how the flames of the candles flickering.

He reflects and looks away, shyly, from the instruments of passions and the images of martyrs.

No, he is not religious at all. Just... impressionable. He is only impressionable in that he probably thinks most of the time that he has not yet been struck by lightning because of his impure intentions. Poor boy… 🫀

Ahem. Sorry. I think I got carried away. :D Just look at this last item.

© dumbartonoaks*

Leave your comments and share your thoughts, requests, etc. Ask is open.

"Sex, or Sextans is the equatorial constellation. Located between Leo and Hydra."

***

Julian, who was working in the Dungens that time, just passed by and overheard Valdemar's line.

"Oh, and you can call me Captain Uranus, right, Quaestor?" - and with a broad smile he tried to dogde a hand dressed in black. But he didn't sucсeeded and recieved a usual slap on his forehead, which didn't erase his smile and his joyful mood anyway. Slightly humming a tune, he headed towards the shelves carrying several test tubes with medical samples.

/© Apostle Jay /

"What do you know about sex, Quaestor?"

MC asks playfully, trying to look into Valdemar's eyes. For a few seconds Valdemar does not seem to notice. They were engrossed in a brand new anatomy atlas.

"Sex, or Sextans is the equatorial constellation. Located between Leo and Hydra."

Valdemar finally answered without taking their eyes off the page. Then added, stubbornly correcting another article right in the tome,

"And I'm not insisting that you have to feel the same way, but I am definitely insisting."

/sorry not sorry, made just for fun/

Maybe… some WIP? :D

somebody take the Aubrey Beardsley artbook away from me

I feel like I've been using the tablet for so long that I've forgotten how to draw in a sketchbook. But drawing patterns is new to me. I am pleased with the results of my experiment.

Something wicked this way comes~

/L.S./

'Salome'. Georges Desvallières. 1905.

Doctor №069 was napping on the couch in his room in the Dungeons. Hearing Quaestor's footsteps nearby, he sleepily responded:

– Behold, my Death cometh…

(based on a true story, sorry not sorry. Thank Apostle Jay for inspiration)

P. S. Beware: I'm (not only me) the uncompromising shipper Valdemar/Julian from the first time:

And because of this:

You've been warned. The right of appeal is eliminated.