r/TheArcana • u/Dazedandconfuzed99 Asra's husband • 5d ago
Asra’s Route Speechless
Holy shit. Replaying Asra's route, and??? The scene in the Lovers chapter two where the magic shows you his history with Julian??? 🥴 I might just keel over from sheer delight and thrill.
Anyway. I'm normal. Ahem. Thoughts? Fanfic recs? This just about killed me I love them sm.
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u/peach_pink_drizzle 5d ago
Dom Asra being a bit sadistic was NOT on my bingo card when I saw it. He’s so soft with the apprentice, even if he’s mysterious at times. I think it gives some good dimension to Asra that he’s 100% capable of being toxic, he just isn’t to us because he adores us so much.
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u/Nabesimart He's not a himbo, he's a harmbo 5d ago
I mean, I wouldn't equate "dominant/sadistic" to "toxic", if everyone involved is into it it can be 100% healthy. The problem was more Julian not listening to any warnings Asra gave him about not being able to give him what Julian wanted (a romantic relationship) and them both leaning into the kink anyway. With a side of Asra using whoever for his plans at that point, of course.
On Asra's side, it was less about "who" and more about "when". He was grieving, desperate, neck-deep into self-hatred, and entirely focused on the one person who couldn't be around.
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u/peach_pink_drizzle 5d ago
Don’t get me wrong they definitely aren’t the same thing-but I do still think Asra was toxic in that ‘relationship.’ Imo Julian used the it as both a form of self harm as well as an act of desperation to get just a little bit of what he wanted, even though they both knew deep down it was useless. Asra is smart-I feel like knew this but he used Julian anyway. They were both toxic but as much as Asra is my #1 he was worse in this dynamic. Although I do like to think he’s changed as a person to never do this again now that apprentice is back
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u/peach_pink_drizzle 5d ago
But if anyone has any fics of Asra behaving like that towards the apprentice…slide it over
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 Asra's husband 4d ago
Yandere!Asra, changed after the apprentice comes back and unwilling to let them go again....
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 Asra's husband 4d ago
Yeah omg. The like, darker side reveal here really took me by surprise! It can be so easy to be toxic when you're in the pit of despair also 🥲 it makes me more curious about Asra's reversed ending, but not enough to play it that way....yet
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u/Frequent_King1519 5d ago
Past, Present, and Future: An Arcana Saga by ArtausRayne on ao3 is the best fanfic (trilogy actually) for the arcana fandom I've found so far
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u/Red_Claudia 5d ago
It was a surprise but somehow not surprising at all! Plus, it makes more sense of Julian's initial attitude to magic in his own route.
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 Asra's husband 4d ago
It really does! Like oh, how did he not learn you can do both? Bc of the nature of his weird situationship with Asra? Ok understood, I'd avoid magic too tbh....
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u/Miserable_Parfait887 1d ago
Was it a paid scene?
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 Asra's husband 1d ago
Yeahhhh
It was something about seeing more of their history
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u/Nabesimart He's not a himbo, he's a harmbo 5d ago
The worst possible decision from both of them that very predictably ended with a dumpster fire, yet makes complete sense in the context, hah.