Author's Note
Oh hi there!
Just call me B cause that username is a gotdam mouthful... but true.
I'm so clever.
Anyways, I recently got in to The Arcana game created by Nix Hydra and I'm obsessed.
All of the characters are so presh and eventually, I'll probably have MC plug-in stories for all of the characters but Swan Song is dedicated to my bb Asra so I hope you all enjoy it! And if you don't, that's totally cool, too just don't be a dick about it?
Anyways, what I've seen thus far is just Asra being a sad cinnamon roll and as much as I love that canon and just hope he finds the happiness he deserves, I think pre-plague Asra was probably a lot different with the MC, like what if they didn't love each other to the moon and back right off the bat?
Like, I'm not saying the quick fizzle of, "Oh my God! I like totally hate you but then this one night changed everything and now I can't breathe without you" kind of love.
I'm in to that slow burn, ya feel me?
If you do, this read is for you.
He had just finished a reading with a man when she came bolting around the corner of the shop to face him.
"How much do you charge for a reading?" She seemed frantic and desperate as she approached him and sat down in front of him. Her cheeks and her chest were flushed.
"50 coin."
She looked confused for a moment then smiled, "that's rather pricey for shuffling some old cards, no?"
"My readings are never wrong."
"Oh?" She asked coyly, "how about I pay you 25 up front and 25 after if I'm satisfied. I am a new customer after all."
Asra grinned despite the twinge of annoyance. The audacity of this woman.
He knew her type. Unable to please and cheap. She probably thought she was dealing with an amateur at the politest and a con artist at the worst.
"My price is final." He stated matter-of-factly as he shuffled his cards. He seemed bored.
"What if I can guess the cards you'll read for me without being shown?"
"Then what's the point?"
"Just for fun? You don't have to tell me if I'm right."
He stared at her skeptically. What were the odds that he'd draw the exact cards she guessed? Not very likely. Regardless, he'd be gaining at least 25 more coin if she managed to guess correctly and her little game did sound rather fun.
"Fine. Is it a personal reading for yourself or a friend?"
"I wouldn't exactly call him a friend... rather a nuisance," she replied leaning forward on his makeshift table to rest her chin on her hands. She batted her eyelashes at him.
She was definitely flirting, he thought to himself confidently.
"Unfortunate guy, I guess." He smirked as he cut the deck and presented her with three stacks of cards.
She reached out and selected the stack directly in the middle. Asra set them out for her to select 3 single cards.
He lifted the first card, "alright, guess."
"Hmmm," she tapped her chin, "Five of Wands... upright?"
It wasn't a major Arcana or anything so he knew she was at least a little familiar with a tarot deck. Most people couldn't even remember the majors, let alone the minor cards. He clicked his tongue and set the card off to the side.
"How about I mediate what your reading could possibly be interpreted to according to your guesses and then compare the actual cards and the actual reading?"
"Implying my guesses are more personal than statistically calculated?"
"Precisely what I'm implying."
"This is quite fun, isn't it? I wonder how my guesses will differ from what you draw... if they compare?" She asked lazily tracing a ring in the table with her finger.
"Very. You must know quite a bit about tarot to turn it in to a game with another reader."
"I dabble."
"Alright then. Five of Wands upright represents conflict in your life, particularly competition and rivalry... which would make sense if you're dealing with a nuisance... so you say. It just seems rather personal which is why I assume you must know quite a bit about tarot."
"Or I could just want my reading to be that pointed... don't we all prefer to be told what we want to hear?"
He liked her.
"Anyways," she sighed, "I'm sure I have lots of competition in my life but I'm not really concerned with it so I'm content with whichever card you actually drew."
He laughed and placed his hand on her second card feeling a bit excited to see what her guess would be. He drew The Fool reversed and studied it carefully. Why would that be the card representing her present or this mysterious person's? In that position? Was she in a complicated relationship with this person? Were they causing her harm?
"I've always felt drawn to The Fool card. It's almost always my middle card," she sighed sounding bored, "but is it upright or reversed? I wonder. Let's go with reversed."
Asra arched an eyebrow, "you think this person is reckless, inconsiderate...someone who takes advantage of others. However, this could be about yourself. I'd suggest caution either way. Especially if the card is more drawn to you rather than the other person. Be careful with your decisions."
She nodded somberly, "I can be rather reckless at times." She then made eye contact with him, her voice giving way to irritation, "But aren't we all? Perhaps I do feel a bit taken advantage of at the moment? Who knows, really? Maybe my final card will help clarify?"
He grabbed the card but before he turned it, he paused.
"Perhaps you should try guessing this one before I turn it."
She blinked at him in surprise, "Ooooh, you are fun. Very well."
She closed her eyes and bit her lip before guessing her card.
Asra read her facial expression before she spoke. She seemed unsure.
"The Magician..." she spoke slowly then her eyes met his skeptically, "upright."
The confidence she had in guessing her last two cards was wavering.
If she was simply "mixing and matching" her own reading, The Magician would surely make for a very confusing conclusion. But he had a feeling that she wasn't and she did more than "dabble." This girl was absolutely trained in fortune telling. But how could she guess cards? Even he couldn't do that, at least... he hadn't ever tried.
Before he turned her card over, he cleared his throat. He closed his own eyes and listened hovering his hand over the card.
"I mean, that's a bit odd of a guess but I'm sure you could make sense of it on your own," as his hand rested on the card, he could feel its energy... amused. Whatever card he was about to come face to face with was very found the entire reading comical thus far and it was then clear to him. He already knew that she was correct. The Magician was reveling in this exchange and was quite impressed with the young woman.
"Anyway. If The Magician is upright in your future and we are still directing this reading towards you or another individual tied to your previous cards, your willpower will be tested. Look, The Magician upright is usually a symbol of desire and creation or manifestation of some sort. Would you happen to harbor romantic feelings for this person you're thinking of?"
She blushed but looked confused and slightly offended by his question. "Hardly. In fact, I'd be quite content if he'd simply just leave. Romance is the furthest thing from my mind."
She giggled lightly and looked down at her lap, "admittedly, he is rather handsome, though." Their eyes met again with an odd intensity. Asra actually felt sorry for the poor sod in this girl's way according to her reading.
She was trouble... and by his judgement, probably the best kind.
He smiled and shrugged then pushed himself back from the table, "The Magician upright could also just be confirmation that your little problem will soon be eradicated and you'll be free to live your life comfortably as planned..."
He leaned back in and flipped over her card revealing the very card for the third time in a row.
"But that's not the vibe I'm getting, frankly. My Magician here seems to really enjoy the outcome of your reading, finds it hilariously ironic even, so I think this person you're so desperate to cut ties from might actually be quite important to you in the future oddly enough."
He then looked at her incredulously, mesmerized even.
"How did you do that, by the way?"
The girl bit the inside of her lip shyly but then changed her demeanor completely and quickly as if flipping a switch, her next words were void of emotion yet sharp and icy enough that it caught the young magician completely off guard "positioning really, my aunt Tess owns this magic shop, now and we wanted to take precautions for a burglary so a surveillance glass was put up, just there, above you". She pointed out the round looking glass poking out from the back corner of the shop, "so I didn't even have to guess the first two cards, though they were very insightful" she folded her arms sternly across her chest, "and the third was quite difficult as you have a rather loyal tarot deck, hand crafted by yourself no doubt, and very gorgeous, by the way... but I'd recognize The Magician's taunting voice with any person's deck, honestly and if your magician is amused by the irony of my reading, it is most assuredly laughing at the irony of you giving a reading about yourself unbeknownst to you. Anyhow, I'll hold my end of the deal and pay you your 25 coin but if I ever see you soliciting outside of this shop, again. I can and will gladly get authorities involved."
"You tricked me?" Asra asked in shock not sure to be impressed or outraged. Despite the contempt welling up within him, he was drawn to her. He wanted to push her buttons back. He hadn't known the shop had been purchased or that he was causing any trouble to anyone but now, now he wanted to make it a point to aggravate her. The warmth in his cheeks began to cool and he grinned at her in disbelief finally coming to another conclusion of his own based on her reading since his readings were never wrong after all, "you're scared I'm going to take your business."
"I most certainly am not! As you can see by our little game, I'm just as skilled as you are if not more so."
"But I have a rapport with the people of this city and an altogether more alluring aura, a certain Je ne sais quoi if you will."
She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "And you think I'd have difficulty building my own rapport? I'm pretty and charming as well. It had been working on you, after all. I definitely noticed those bedroom eyes. You were enjoying yourself."
"Please, I indulge all of my clients flirtations. It's part of the sell," he cooed stepping closer to her, peering down at her, "I could very easily out read you anywhere else in this city. Your shop is just conveniently located next door to the best baker in town."
She laughed up at him, a blush crossing her features before she straightened up and pushed him out of the alley with surprising force, "off our property, now."
"It's on..." he blinked and scratched the nape of his neck, "I never got your name."
"Hero."
"Hero. I promise you, I'll make you regret this little stunt today for the rest of your life. I'm going to drive you mad. You'll see." He gave her a wink before turning from her, shaking his head laughing as he trotted down the street.
He was already in trouble.
The next day, he headed back to the new magic shop despite his friend Muriel's warning and better judgement bringing up a valid argument of the possibility that Hero's aunt could be far more abrasive.
Asra insisted that older women adored him but he had not expected Tess to be as young as she was. In her early 30s at the oldest he wagered.
"Are you the boy from the alley?" She snapped after receiving a knowing look from Hero over the edge of a thick spell book.
Asra winced, "I came here today as a patron... to offer an apology. I won't be practicing in this close proximity anymore. In fact, I'd like for your shop to be more of a resource to myself than a competitor."
"Doubtful," Hero muttered as she flipped a page in her book, "didn't you threaten payback yesterday?"
"Don't worry," Asra quipped, "we still have plenty of time for that."
Tess folded her arms skeptically then smiled and gave him a shrug, "Well it's not really like you could have known. We only just unpacked everything yesterday and I'm sure Hero made quite the first impression," She teased giving her niece a chastising grin.
Asra's eyes widened, "am I your first customer?!"
"Actually, yes!"
Hero watched the two warily from her reading nook in the window. Her aunt couldn't seriously be falling for his charm just because he was planning to buy some little trinket for a fraction of what she had paid him yesterday for her reading.
"These! Did you get these salts from Nevivon?!"
"I did! Have you been?"
Asra nodded, "plenty of times! I can always help you restock any supplies you might need! I travel quite a bit, you know!"
"That would be amazingly helpful, actually! I'm afraid I can't compensate you quite yet or anything so you really don't have to go out of your way."
"Yeah, you really don't have to go out of your way to do anything for us," Hero spoke up shooting Tess a sharp look as if you ask, "what are you thinking?!"
Asra and Tess both grinned at one another. He then waved his hand, "I know people more likely to cut me a deal better than what you'd probably get, honestly. It's really no trouble."
Tess arched an eyebrow, "I can't imagine the sort of favors you must have fulfilled to get a deal better than any of mine but I'll take it. What did you say your name was, again?"
"I didn't," he ran a finger along her book shelf admiring her collection of first editions from other hailed magicians from all over. Tess was no doubt a formidable and well traveled magician. He glanced over at Hero who gave him an entirely different vibe... Tess had the presence of an eagle free to go wherever she pleased where Hero seemed much more closed off like she was used to life in a cage or more precisely, she was like an onery swan confined to the same lake her entire life. He wondered how she came to be living in Vesuvia with her aunt.
"It's Asra."
Tess blinked at him recognizing the name from hearing it during her travels. She laughed loudly, "I've heard all about you! Oh I'm so glad! Hero! You bested him in a tarot reading?"
"I wouldn't exactly say bested, I did utilize the security globes after all," she admitted sheepishly.
Oh ho ho, now you're modest, he thought to himself.
"She definitely caught me off guard."
"Anyways, what's so special about it?" Hero asked.
"Asra here is quite the young talent in these parts... well, many parts, actually. You have a strong affinity for water, no?" She asked him receiving an affirmative nod.
"Anyways, when I was in Nopal, the chief raved on and on about the young boy magician that helped his entire village make their own water from the ground."
"And speaking of Nevivon, you helped the prime ruler with a famine during his worst cold season!"
"I only helped them build a greenhouse," Asra explained.
"Yes but they remember your magic! When those people didn't have the number of extra hands to help them as needed, your magic picked up the slack and made their needs a reality!"
He scratched the nape of his neck. He felt uncomfortably humble. He glanced over at Hero who's expression was unreadable. Was she impressed? Skeptical? Both.
"Well, I'll just be grabbing these for a friend, actually." He grabbed the salts from Nevivon and handed them to Tess. Muriel would appreciate their healing properties after long battles in the coliseum.
"That'll be 50 coin."
"Certainly." He winked at Hero before handing her aunt his payment.
Heat rose to her cheeks and he swore he saw her eye twitch ever so slightly.
What is his deal? She thought. Was he actually admirable or still just annoying?
