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starletcake · 2 years

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Why the Arcana make deals - Fic

!!!Spoilers for MC's past!!!

This is just a snippet of a fic I wrote for myself, a conversation with my Arcana MC, Saya, and her aunt. I thought I post it cause it also is kinda a little theory of mine why and how the Arcana help humans/magicians and make deals with them, and, what bugged me the most, what Asra had to give up to revive MC, cause I can’t believe it’s just harder for you to form real connections in order to bring a whole ass human back.

English isn’t my first language, so please forgive any mistakes there might be!

"Hm" something just didn't sit right with me. "What is it, dear? Do you have a question?" my aunt asked. "Well, yes. If the Arcana are such powerful beings, why are they helping us? Why do they whisper to us, why tell us about the future? What do they gain?" I can't simply believe that the Arcana are helping the humans out of sheer goodness of their heart. She chuckled "Very good question, but do you know the saying 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth'?" "So... I should just accept it?" "Oh gods no, I just wanted to say that I find this saying quite ridiculous" I deadpanned. "I think it is very good that you asked, because there is always a catch. You have a sharp mind. It is dangerous to just take all these gifts without questioning them, because then you will lose your ability to see the truth. And the truth is, that the Arcana _do _take something from you." "They do? What do they take?" "Your time" I frowned "But... how? Wouldn't I sense that? Or have to agree with that? And what would they do with time, aren't they practically immortal?" "You see, that exactly is the point." She grinned at me and whispered the following words in my ear "They are jealous" My eyes widened. Jealous? The Arcana, almighty immortal beings, jealous of a mere human? "I know what you are thinking" she chuckled "And yes, even such gods like themselves can be jealous. You know, it can be very tiring to live on forever. Every human life seems so insignificant to them, because our limited time on this planet is like a blink of an eye in theirs. But being mortal is what makes life so beautiful. We only have the time we were given, it is our choice what to do with it, we can change, we can determine our fate, we are not set in stone, like they all are" Slowly I got it "You can also see it from this perspective. If you look at a dog, what do you see? What part of it are you jealous of?" "Why would I be jealous of a dog-" "Think" And then I realized. Dogs lifes are so simple. All they have to do is sleep and eat. No real responsibilities , no complicated life choices, and most of them barely live 15 years. 15 years for a human may not just be a blink of an eye, but it certainly is just a fraction of what we will live. Of what we will know, of what we will think about. Yes, I see how someone could be jealous of something like that. In my eyes the life of a dog is much less significant, or maybe simpler than that of a human, but to a dog? It's their whole life. They live in the present. They're alive and happy about existing. But does that mean...

"So...are they using us...as pets?" "Hm, well, you could describe it like that. Maybe a pastime. Maybe a plaything. Maybe they want to learn something from us. The intentions vary. But they do all have this in common, they are obsessed with us, even when it doesn't seem this way" I pet the old dog on Aunties lap "Like some of us are obsessed with dogs" "Exactly! Now you got it" We both laughed.

"Just like the intentions can vary, the methods to play with us can too, but the most important thing is often time. Our perception of it. We actually only live in the present, for us, there is no real past or future. The past only exists because we have memories, the future only exists because we can think. I believe it is different for the Arcana. Time and Space don't really apply to them by the rules we know or can comprehend. So, some of them try to experience our lifestyle. Sometimes through deals. Sometimes through lies and manipulation. Sometimes by helping and watching us. It's different, as well as the intentions differ."

I got an uncomfortable gut feeling and I guess it showed because of what my aunt said next "Yeah, I know what you think and yes, I guess some of the Arcana aren't that good willed than others. Even though they cannot outright lie, they are more than wise enough to fool people easily, even when we as humans can still surprise them. They may seem like they are doing you a huge favor, but actually you are giving them exactly what they want from you. Do you know what in most cases is being traded?" "Ehm... I don't know... Maybe their soul?" She chuckled "One might think so, but actually, no. The Arcana cannot really do much with a soul of a human. They maybe could trap them when they are important or interfering, but this isn't nearly as often the case than something different. What do they envy us for?" "Time... was it?" "Exactly. They steal our time or our perception of time. We don't have anything from the future, but we do have something from the past" "...Memories" "You got it. Memories. The Arcana are obsessed with memories as one would say. No matter how wise and old and powerful they may seem, memories from humans are what they crave for. They know everything from the past, they know exactly what happened, why something happened, who is responsible and what the absolute truth is. Our memories alter. Sometimes they hide to protect us from something too painful, they bend our perception to fit our picture of the world better, they change with every second, they change, even though the past is set in stone, we change, the Arcana are stagnant and boring and dull, they were created for a reason and for a sole purpose, we can learn and adapt, they cannot. That is why they find memories so interesting. Because the past defines us, but we define our memories, which define our past." I crunched up my eyebrows. That was... a lot to take in at a time. "So tell me, Saya, would you ever let your memories be altered? Be taken away?" "What..? No, of course not! ... I mean, I think I wouldn't..." "Really? What if... they were really bad memories. What if those memories cause immense pain in the present?" I thought back to my parents. To my magic. To my hometown. "Well... I guess the right answer would be no... I wouldn't, because those past experiences and memories make me who I am today" My aunt chuckled "Yes, I guess in that case there is a „right“ answer. But how about... if it would involve another person? Say, you could help someone by erasing some of your memories. Maybe even save them? Bring them back to life?" I falter as she stares at me "Not so easy now to give a right answer, isn't it? To make it even harder, would you be ready to give up someone else's memories?" This whole ordeal was making my head hurt "These whole moral questions are making me depressed. Why are you asking me all this? Did the Arcana tell you that I will be in such a situation somewhere in the future?" She burst out laughing "That would be way too clear of a message if they would tell me that. No, no I told you for the possibility you will ever find yourself in a position, where you want to retrieve those memories" She winked at me.

Retrieve? "But...wouldn't that break the deal?" "Well... the Arcana aren't the only ones who can make vague deals. The thing with memories is, that it is not something you can cut out of a brain. Somehow, somewhere this piece of a muscle inside our dull heads still has those memories, like muscle-, or rather nerve-memory. It is weird, it's like they're in this void, where, when you try to activate them, your entire brain shuts down until these memories are deactivated again. But our brain changes over time too, so this void can get leaks and with the right stimulations and triggers, they automatically can get restarted, you know?" I didn't, but she didn't care. She spoke like there was no tomorrow "It is not that we retrieve the memories back from the Arcana who took them, it is like we put the pieces of a puzzle back together, and recreate something that was already, or rather, _is _still there. But, well, you know, that isn't really as easy as it sounds." It didn't sound easy at all. Like, through this entire conversation I didn't think once that retrieving your taken, mixed up, hidden information from some kind of void in your brain was easy. But I let her in this belief and asked "So, I guess your whole point of telling me this is that you want to pass on the great wisdom you have gotten through your time and tribulations on how to retrieve those memories to me?" She smirked down at me "Don't make fun of this little one. Who knows, one time this knowledge can save someone's life - or identity." "Sorry, I didn't mean to be disrespectful." I said, even though I knew she wasn't really upset "It just seems so... improbable you know? I don't think I will be ever in this kind of situation" "You never know my child. Deals aren't as rare as you think. It is best to know as much as you can, so you can protect yourself and those you hold dear" she looked out of the window, longing... Did she...? "Well, I don't know if I have many... to hold dear" I told her when she looked back and smiled sadly, but fondly. She caressed my cheek while she said "Don't worry. You will" I tilted my head. "Did the Arcana tell you that?" She laughed wholeheartedly "Oh dear, I don't need higher wisdom to know that. But that gives me the more evidence that we really have to start on your Tarot reading, or meeting the Arcana in general, I think you have a misjudgment about how they really are"

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starletcake · 3 years

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Watched squid game yesterday, need something to do to emotionally recover from it

#Asra alnazar #The arcana #The arcana game #The arcana asra #The apprentice #The arcana apprentice #Asra x apprentice #Asra x reader #Asra x oc #Asra x mc #Self shipping #Original character #Traditional art #My art #I'm a wreck

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starletcake · 3 years

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My Arcana MC, Saya~

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starletcake · 3 years

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I... I just???? Love it???? I mean??? What the heck?? It's so cute🥺🥺Thank you sososo much(and please dont worry about being late or whatever, alone that you write this for others is cool enough!)!! Oh lord I think I'm falling even harder now for them🙃🙃 That last snippet tho? I just - m e l t e d . You've got a neat style, keep it up <3

Hey there :3 May I request a matchup🙈? I'm a 5'6 tall, queer, chin long dyed red haired girl(she/her) and you can call me Karo if you need a name :p I don't really care if it's a single pairing or a poly one as well as the kind of relationship (platonic/romantic/sexual), but maybe a romantic one would be sweet🤔 I'm a INFP and was born under the sign of Pisces and I think the stereotype fits me pretty well lol. I don't think I would describe myself as clingy, I definetely need my space (part1)

and me-time, but sometimes it's also nice to have someone who will drag me outside to do stuff or socialize if I'm isolating myself too much or another depressive episode seems to creep up on me. I think they need to understand, doesn't matter if it's a platonic or romantic relationship, that sometimes I can't give them much(time etc) and that that's nothing personal and that they're still very important to me. Hmmm I think I would prefer my relationship like I like my fanfics hehe, slow burning, like first get to know each other, (enemies to) friends to lovers is just *chefs kiss* for me <3 I really love to draw and sing, to dance too, I like to spend time in nature and with animals, help them too. But I also like adrenaline rushes, like rollercoasters, cave exploring, bungee jumping, exploring lost places etc, I would say I'm almost up to anything if it's exciting or interesting, but I definetely like just chilling and watching netflix, playing games or watching Vine compilations or crackhead satire twilight tiktoks(which is tbh the things I do most of the time until someone drags me out). I love making others laugh with just random outbursts(thats pretty much my humour, just randomness and gen z memes). I try not to judge anyone for anything and be open for all kinds of stuff, except for like non-negotiable things for me like racism, homophobia, sexism etc, like, full offense but I have absolutely a zero tolerance for that. I also get very emotional very easily, doesn't matter if it's something not so important like a touching movie scene(so many things make me cry so easily haha) or like in an argument. I really have a hard time argueing, I hate it SO much, I either try to avoid conflict(and run away like a coward lol) or if it's really something we have to discuss I sometimes need time and space in between(not the best under stress talker/thinker), but if the other side is being calm and considerate then I think I would be fine too Oh almost forgot,I love cuddling(definetely also platonic)and am not afraid to just throw myself at my friends/lover/s I am getting better at not caring about what others think, but sometimes I'm still pretty insecure about everything(my actions,my future,my appearence..),but my motto is fake it till you make it,so feck other people,I can do whatever the hell I like and nobody's gonna stop me hehe😈🙈 Soo yes,I think that will be enough😂Thank you for your time and effort👐💕👐

A/N: I promise you fake it til you make it is 100000% good strategy and also i see feck are you from ireland

I pair you with.... The Attic Sandwich!

Beel and Belphie would be perfect partners for you. The two of them balance each other out in many ways, and you fit right into that. They value the connection between them and because of it they don't expect to always be around each other. This connection extends to you. Beel takes you out to all sorts of places (usually ones where there's unique food) and would definitely have fun with some adrenaline rushes. It makes him forget about his hunger for a bit. Belphie is absolutely there for your sense of humor and he's very good at watching your depression and arranging something to cheer you up.

More Below the Cut!

The plot of the first 20 chapters is what really gets you close to these two. (Spoilers for that follow and in the last three bullet points) Beel opens up more and more to you, and just absolutely falls for you. Belphie gives us that sweet, sweet enemies to lovers trope. He becomes curious about you, especially with how smitten Beel is, and ends up falling along the way.

THIS is the cuddliest group to ever cuddle oh my goodness when you want snuggles you will have them

They adore just relaxing with you. The three of you become a pile on the couch while watching movies or other videos.

Beel will watch you scroll through tumblr while he engulfs you with his arms. Belphie somehow worms his way into yours and alternates between sleeping against your chest and watching your screen as well. You hear an occasional snort of laughter from him.

Beel is very emotionally intelligent, so he can quickly determine your mood and what he can do to help.

Belphie encourages you to break out of your shell and be yourself. He's very blunt about his opinion of other people lol

He finds himself staying awake longer with you just so he can hear you. He thinks you're hilarious, honestly, and loves talking with you.

When you throw yourself at Beel he catches you. He big and strong and loves affection from you. but also this happens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIhl1cW9Me8

Belphie thinks its the funniest shit he can't breathe

If you do it to Belphie honestly he just stands there - either to let you fall or cling to him like a koala. He looks so Done but I promise he loves it. He laughs at you either way. He saves hugs and cuddling for when laying in bed or sitting. Too tired to hold you.

They both understand needing space, and will often just go off and do their own thing. They have complete faith in your feelings for each other, and will never doubt that you love them.

At least not for needing alone time - Belphie has lingering guilt over plot but he tries to make up for it by protecting you.

The others in the house can't help but be reminded of the trio they were with Lilith as angels.

While it still hurts to remember, Beel and Belphie feel almost as if they've come home around you. A part of them that was lost is found again.

Snippet!

Cleaning day is nobody's favorite, but least of all Belphie's. Too much work. Just don't take ou your stuff and then you don't have to clean it later, right? The problem to him seems to be all the time people spend awake and he shouldn't have to deal with it!

But cleaning day is a little better with Beel and Karo. With their laughs and energy. Usually seeing other people so active drained him, but not with those two. He watched as Karo danced around the room to the music she had put on, while she and Beel tidied up. It was frankly adorable, and best of all: Belphie wasn't expected to join.

He was happy to watch. He watched as Karo spun into Beel's side, surprising him and causing him to stumble before he laughed and swept her up into a spin together. He watched as Beel picked Karo up with ease to put something on the top shelves of the room. He watched Karo find pillows in all the nooks and crannies of the room, and he huffed and whined when she threw each one at him on the bed.

Belphie was on snack duty. In exchange for the two helping him with cleaning day, he was expected to provide the rewards. This was not a small feat when Beel was involved, but it was far better than cleaning.

"Hah! The closet is done!" Karo declared, brandishing her feather duster. "Snack us, Belphie!"

He couldn't help but chuckle. It was an awful phrase. Silly and stupid, but Karo's enthusiasm was just so contagious.

"Good job. C'mere," he told them, reaching to his hoard of treats.

Karo practically jumped onto the bed, grinning at him, while Beel was close behind looking very expectant. Belphie hid the curling smile of his lips by lifting up a large bag. "The closet is the biggest monster of them all - so for defeating it, you two get this."

Karo gasped and Beel's eyes gleamed. "Oh, those are my favorite..." he said, already reaching out.

"Ah-ah," Belphie pulled the bag back, to be met with a pout from Beel. "You'll eat them too fast for Karo to get any, so we're gonna do something different."

"Different?" Karo asked.

Belphie smirked and opened the bag, which led to a very audible tummy rumble from Beel. He and Karo couldn't help but laugh. He pulled out a snack - just one - and held it up. "Karo, say 'aaah'."

She beamed at him and opened her mouth. "Aaah!" Belphie tried really hard to keep his blush down as he dropped the snack in her mouth. She was so darn cute about everything.

"Now you give one to Beel."

"Just one?"

"Just one," Belphie agreed, smirking at the pout.

It didn't last long though, as Karo held up the snack and said "aaah" to Beel. He eagerly opened his mouth for the treat, but shocked himself by blushing heavily once she leaned over to feed him. Karo didn't comment, but seemd to be rather proud of the fact.

Belphie fed her another, and she followed up with Beel - but Beel took her hand after stealing the snack from her fingertips. He couldn't help but kiss the palm of her hand. "You're... so cute," he mumbled. "I like this."

"I thought you would," Belphie said, pleased with himself. "Karo?" he held up another.

She went for the treat, but instead he pulled it away, holding it above his head. "Beel gave you a kiss, don't I get one too?"

Karo paused and blinked before laughing and leaning in. "You're adding new rules," she told him.

"Never said I couldn't," he answered, giving her a light peck on the lips before presenting her with the treat. The look of satisfaction in her eyes made his heart pound, and he could tell that Beel's was just as busy.

"My turn," Beel said quickly. Whether he meant for a snack or for a kiss... well. We shall see.

#The b99 reference killed me #I totally see that #And i would totally do it no matter the cost #Thank you again!#Have a nice day #And fun playing lol #Oh and no im not from ireland #I just picked that up from an ireland youtuber #Bc i like to swear but i also like not to swear and that appeared to me as a nice form of fuck lol #Im actually from germany🤠#And weve got like 1am right now and im just freaking out about this post🥺

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starletcake · 4 years

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everyone who reblogs this will get a surprise in their inbox

im just gonna spit out some random shit i feel like u should know

#im up to random shit #reblog

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starletcake · 5 years

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Wait... seriously? Sans? Beej? Shoto Todoroki? I don't care who actually at all, but am wondering if you are gonna pull this of, let's see😋❤

REBLOG IF YOU WANT A LOVE LETTER FROM A FICTIONAL CHARACTER IN YOUR ASK BOX NOW

AND I WILL DO EVERY SINGLE ONE, BASED ON YOUR BLOG.

EVERY

SINGLE

ONE

#self shipping #thats sounds like a lot of work #but a really cool idea #scared yet intrigued

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starletcake · 5 years

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Inktober Day 15 - Legend

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starletcake · 5 years

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Inktober Day 2 - Mindless

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starletcake · 5 years

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Okay, guess I'm posting the first inktober artwork... Let's hope the best for this year hehe! Day one - Ring

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starletcake · 5 years

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