𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆.

" i am glad to have such an expert to guide me , then . i find i am hopeless in new places . " arushi explains , laughing for what she would consider an appropriate amount of time . though to say she's traveled enough to say as much is difficult to determine . she follows after the other woman . " have you ever had the langues du chat ? the patissier only let's the most perfect cookies out of the kitchen , but i believe even the misshapen ones taste divine . " she spreads her arms out , palms up , for emphasis .

arushi nods sagely . " some people just can't understand being innovative means thinking outside the box . " not a slight against her friends and their opinions , just the reality of it all . she ponders the blonde's question , shrugging loosely as she swirls the ice in her glass . " sure , why not ? i'll have what you're having . " which could be a mistake waiting to happen , but she has a day off tomorrow . she could probably risk a hangover in the morning .

arushi's  leg  bounces  once  ,  twice  ,  three  times  ,  as  she  pieces  together  a  reply  .  "  '  wing  it  ,  '  huh  …  ?  "  she  murmurs  ,  mostly  to  herself  ,  attention  diverting back  to  the  business  email  on  her  screen .  she  isn't  sure  what  kind  of  advice  she'd  been  looking  for  ,  exactly , but  the  response  still  rings  lackluster  to  arushi's  ear  .  perhaps it would have regardless . but  she  asked  ,  and  got  her  answer  .  "  guess  there's  no  harm  in  trying  that  out  .  "  she  concludes  with  a  shrug  ,  fiddling  with  one  of  her  rings  .

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰 , 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐤 etching onto her features as she sat with still scrolling through her phone . her eyes flickered up to arushi before nodding . " mmhm & just watch all the wonderful magic happen when you do . or . . . another piece of advice i have for you : create a backstory . your own backstory for whomever it is your portraying — makes you stand out amongst the others who may be auditioning for the same role . " she shrugged , finally standing up from the couch with a wiggle & a stretch . " been sitting on that thing all day — need to hit the peloton STAT . "

 ❝   i'm   coming   to   you   in   hopes   that   this   is   a   no   judgement   zone,   ❞   avi   starts,   walking   over   with   his   ipad   in   his   hand.    ❝   look   - i   know   i   should   know   how   twitter   works,   and   i   also   know   that   i   can   just   hire   someone   to   do   this,   but   i   want   it   to   be   authentic,   you   know   ?   ❞   he   holds   out   his   ipad   with   a   completely   barren   twitter   account   on   it,   a   sheepish   grin   on   his   face.    ❝   where   do   i   start   ? ❞

arushi  smiles  cordially  ,  locking  her  phone  and  sliding  it  into  her  pocket  in  one  fluid  motion  .  "  zero  judgment  .  promise  .  "  though  a  laugh  still  rumbles  in  the  back  of  her  throat  ,  fighting  not  to  come  out  .  she  scans  the  screen  .  "  you've  come  to  ,  like  ,  the  perfect  person  .  your  mother  literally  pays  me  to  do  things  like  this  .  "  or  maybe  …  he  pays  her  ?  but  that  would  delve  into  the  how  the  royal  family's  finances  and  employee  salaries  are  allocated  .  what  a  boring  topic  ,  especially  outside  of  school  .  "  we  should  definitely  set  up  your  avatar  —  they  really  don't  like  eggs  on  twitter  ,  and  people  won't  take  you  seriously  .  " 

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 was good enough for the hanoverian queen . her own smile etching upon her face as she watched miruna's spirits ease . placing her glass of champagne down , pilar opted for one of the passing dirty martinis from a server who was attending to the terrace attendees . eh , grab one more for good measures . extending the drink over to the other , the queen rose her brows . " yeah & you need this . c'mon drink up , the night's still young & i'm not trying to be the only one off their ass at this thing . "

even  in  her  more  contented  and  relaxed  state  ,  miruna's instinct is to eye both  pilar  and the glass incredulously  —  it's an offer she would not usually take . to not be fully alert , in control , is something the romanian princess has never been fond of . and yet  she  nods  after a beat ,  taking  the  glass  by  the  stem  .  "  we'll  have  to  see  how  i  feel  after  this  one  ,  "  she  says  with  a  small  laugh  .  not  confessing  to  being  a  lightweight  ,  exactly , but  she  supposes  the  implication  is  there  .  "  but  …  maybe  .  being  a  little  tipsy  might  help  me  get  through  this  ,  "  she  murmurs  ,  half  to  herself  ,  from  behind  the  rim  of  her  glass  .

though  it  might  not  come  across  from  her  rigid  bearing  ,  the  assurance  does  provide  some  relief  to  the  princess  .  she  shifts  to  face  the  other  woman  .    "  it'll  be  our  secret  .  "  she  tries  for  an  amiable  smile  ,  though  miruna  can't  help  but  imagine  it  looks  like  she's  baring  her  teeth  from  anyone  else's  perspective  .  she  winces  internally  ,  but  brushes  the  thought  away  as  much  as  she  can  manage  .  which is to say it still lingers in the back of her mind . "  mine  was  starting  to  itch  too  .  i  think  something  came  loose  on  the  inside  .  "  she  brings  the  mask  into  both  hands  ,  inspecting  it  .

the  prințesă  forces  out  a  laugh  ,  entirely  strained  and  artificial  .  which  is  no  fault  of  the  other  woman  ,  but  the  result  of  miruna's  disquiet  .  "  maybe so . but  i  wouldn't  want  you  to  get  in  trouble  for my sake  .  "  miruna  grips  the  mask  a  bit  tighter  ,  ensuring  it's  still  in her hand  .  whether  she's  breaking  the  rules  or  not  ,  she  must  ensure  she  return  to  the  dress  code  of  the  main  event  . " that's hardly fair . " her brow knits together .

" 𝐨𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭 , 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 with that one . DEFINITELY could be the . . . horrific taste of cilantro that's giving me that soapy taste . " the woman did one more flick of her tongue , swiping at her lips to get the horrid taste out of her mouth . " if this is some . . . prank put on by the staff by putting cilantro in an after - dinner mint , then that's ROYALY messed up . " aurelia blew a raspberry from between her lips before sighing — rolling her eyes . " well anyways , having fun ? i am . . . besides the shitty taste in my mouth . "

"  spectacularly  messed  up  .  "  seojeong  chortled  ,  half  amused  ,  half  out  of  sympathy  .  "  you  might  want  to  wash  that  down  with  one  of  these  .  as  long  as  you  like  lemon  ,  that  is  .  "  she  plucks  a  lemon  bar  from  the  dessert  table  ,  dropping  it  directly  into  her  mouth  rather  than  getting  anywhere  near  the  cursed  macron  now  sitting  on  her  plate  .  "  i  guess  you  could  say  i'm  having  fun  .  all  this  isn't  my  scene  ,  necessarily  ,    but  it's  one  i'm  used  to  .  "  the  phone  call  from  their  daughter  had  rattled  them  ,  temporarily  ,  but  they  still  have  their  reasons  to  be  here  .  the  invitation  ,    of  course  ,  but  also  to  be  a  buffer  for  jihye  if  the  situation  calls  for  it  .

"  tinder  ?  "  seojeong  echoes  ,  eyes  wide  ,  scandalized  .  "  and  have  my  dating  pool  overlap  with  uni  kids  ?  eugh  .  "  they  shiver  at  just  the  thought  .  though  she  doesn't  love  the  idea  of  online  dating  ,  exactly  ,  it's  one  of  the  few  options  available  when  they  already  have  so  little  free  time  ,  and  coworkers  are  off  the  table  .  "  no  ,  more  like  raya  .  i  think  i  have  the  followers  for  it  .  and  my  agent  tells  me  i  should  be  doing  more  photoshoots  anyway  ,  to  promote  my  work  and  whatnot  ,  "  they  reason  with  a  small  shrug  .  "  so  …  일거양득  ,  y'know  ?  "  they  add  ,  though  there's  a  spark  of  doubt  in  their  eye  .

her  shoulders  relax  gradually  as  salome  speaks  ,  nodding  slowly  .  "  you're  right  ,  "  words  that  never  come  easily  to  priscilla  ,  seemingly  since  birth  .  no  ,  they've  always  been  reserved  for  the  people  she  admires  most  ,  her  sister-in-law  being  among  them  .  "  but  i'm  still  gonna  take  time  to  sulk  .  "  she  cracks  a  small  smile  ,  as  she's  only  half  kidding  .

"  i'm  aware  ,  "  priscilla  drawls  .  both  of  his  non - existent  eye  for  trends  ,  and  that  she  is  beautiful  .  she  would  never  deny  either  . still , her brow furrows .  "  which  is  why  i'm  not  putting  too  much  stake  in  your  opinion  .  the dress is  terrible  .  "  the  '  no  offense  '  she  usually  tacks  on  for  other  people  is  absent  in  this  instance  .  her  crossed  arms  loosen  ,  somewhat  ,  now  clasping  her  elbows  .  "  but  you're  doin'  okay  ,  yeah  ?  with all this ? "

a collection of character development questions based on the arcana and their themes !! this is part of a collection of tarot-themed asks. if multi, please specify which muse(s) the question is directed toward !!

[THE FOOL] - Do they weight their options when making a decision, or do they impulsively make a choice?

[THE MAGICIAN] - Are they resourceful? What skills do they possess that help them navigate the world around them?

[THE HIGH PRIESTESS] - Do they meditate? Would they be considered "in tune" with themselves, or do they struggle with personal growth?

[THE EMPRESS] - Do they participate in or have a self-care ritual? If so, what does their routine look like?

[THE EMPEROR] - Is your muse a leader? If so, what kind of leader are they? Do they take a hands-off approach, or do they micromanage?

[THE HIEROPHANT] - What are important traditions to them, if any? Do they stay true to these traditions, or do they adapt them to fit their current situation?

[THE LOVERS] - What do they consider to be the "perfect partner", be it romantic, platonic, alterous, etc.? Is there someone like that in their life?

[THE CHARIOT] - Are they confident? If so, what makes them the most confident in themselves/their abilities?

[STRENGTH] - What are they determined to accomplish the most?

[THE HERMIT] - What does their inner voice sound like? Is it self-reflecting and introspective, or domineering and judgmental?

[WHEEL OF FORTUNE] - Do they believe in destiny/fate? If so, what do they believe their "purpose" is in this life?

[JUSTICE] - Are they a mediator, or do they prefer to step away from potential conflict?

[THE HANGED MAN] - Would they sacrifice themselves, literally or metaphorically, for those close to them? If so, what kind(s) of sacrifice would they make?

[DEATH] - What is their view on the cycle of life? Do they believe in reincarnation?

[TEMPERANCE] - Are they a patient person, or do they tend to act on impulse?

[THE DEVIL] - Which of the capital vices is your muse tempted by? (Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth)

[THE TOWER] - Are they a destructive individual (be it literally or metaphorically)? If so, how?

[THE STAR] - What is their health like? Do they consider themselves healthy, or do they feel like they could make improvements to better their health?

[THE MOON] - If they had to choose one trait to describe themselves, what would it be? Is it a genuine answer, or the illusion/persona they put on for others?

[THE SUN] - What makes them feel good? This can be happy, energized, revitalized, etc. It's all about good vibes, so what gives them to your muse?

[JUDGMENT] - What was an epiphany/awakening they recently had? Did they realize something that they've been naive to? Did they discover something about themselves? What happened?