The Radiant Circle is a wip contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance (18+), and a salt-sprinkle of mystery.
The Radiant Circle is a work-in-progress contemporary fantasy interactive novel with elemental magic, a heavy hand of romance, and a salt-sprinkle of mystery. The story is rated 18+ and may contain triggering content for some.
You were born without any magic into a long lineage of sorcerers who serve the Night Circle—a division of the Radiant Circle, the central governing body that maintains order among sorcerers. Even now when you live outside of the magical community, you’re still required to report to the local leadership about the magic you still don’t have.
Of course, only after having accepted a life without magic, you awaken a latent magical power too great to be yours. Myths speak of such a sorcerer, a Resonant Soul capable of mastering all four elements, reincarnated throughout history to bring balance to the magic community. So little is truly known, but that can’t be you.
But what if it is?
Thankfully, as an investigative journalist, what you do best is hunt for the truth. To unravel the secrets of your soul, you’re forced back into the world of sorcery to navigate ancient rivalries and contend with those who may fear your newfound power and seek to bury it for good.
Because while most didn't believe the myths to be true, others have been preparing for your return. Most of all? You four souls bonded to yours for eternity.
Play as the main character ⟢
Choose your name, appearance, gender, and sexuality.
Develop your personality as a harmonizer or disruptor—will you bring unity or will you bring destruction?
Gain mastery over elemental magic as the Resonant Soul—how much mastery in each element is up to you.
Travel the world while earning or losing influence through your decisions—will your reputation precede you or will you remain unknown?
Five romance options ⟢
Two pansexual men, one lesbian, and two gender-selectable romance options... and a hidden sixth romance option... with the potential for more to unlock later.
Four soulmates who will be revealed over the course of the story—your bonds, whether platonic or romantic, are yours to develop.
And if you don’t like romance, you can improve your friendships instead.
Or if you’re a misanthrope, deteriorate all your relationships to your liking.
Good endings? Check. Bad endings? Also check.
You ✦
26-year-old journalist from Seattle, USA (ℹ)
Rejected by the magical community because your magic never awakened, you once sought to understand why before later turning to a career of journalism to attempt to uncover truths that don’t have to do with magic. Your dissertation was titled “Unveiling the Hidden: A Comparative Study of Secret Societies and Their Influence on Modern Media." After landing your dream job as an investigative journalist, you're returning home to Seattle for your assignment.
⟡ tropes include main character (surprise! you're the main character), insider/outsider, the most wanted (because you are a…), person of mass destruction, (possible) living legend, (possible) lust object, (seemingly) cosmic plaything…
Arseau Nassiet ⟡ High Justicar
31-year-old water sorcerer (he/him) from Seattle, USA (ℹ)
A talented water sorcerer, your older brother Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about it. He has been away from home for over a decade, raising ranks within the circle alongside his best friend. He coordinates his visit home with yours during the holidays so he can see his favorite younger sibling (never mind that he has only one sibling—you).
⟡ tropes include protective older brother, brainless beauty (yeah, he's a himbo), the caregiver/caretaker, the confidant (if you want), the informant, nice guy (someone has to keep the peace between the Pico brothers), the reliable one...
César Pico (RO) ⟡ Archumbricar
31-year-old earth sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ)
One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother's best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He's at least an attractive reminder, even if it's unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.
⟡ tropes include the hero, the cold & brooding heir, older brother's best friend/forbidden love, age gap, opposites attract, danger deadpan, glory hound, tall dark & handsome (obviously) ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), borderline enemies to lovers, (possible first love), forced proximity, maybe the slowest burn
Rafa Pico (RO) ⟡ High Justicar
27-year-old fire sorcerer (he/him) from Tijuana, MX (ℹ)
The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.
⟡ tropes include the explorer, the charming playboy, childhood/long time friend, (his) unrequited crush (on you), the (horny) bard, speed demon, hell seeker, elegant classical musician... ⟡ solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers but he never really saw you as a friend, forced proximity, slow burn
Gazi Gharib (RO) ⟡ Photojournalist
28-year-old (she/her or he/him) from New York City, USA (ℹ)
Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they're always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous.
⟡ tropes include the innocent, the best friend, the encouraging charmer, the serial romeo, the casanova, agent mulder (the believer), empathetic communicator, spirited competitor, the klutz ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like cause this one is a...), faaaaaast burn
Deniz Yılmaz (RO) ⟡ Private Investigator
26-year-old (he/him or she/her) from Istanbul, TR (ℹ)
Your next-door-neighbor and childhood best friend. You haven't kept in close contact, but they're the first person you think of seeing when you visit home.
⟡ tropes include the jester, agent scully (the skeptic), street-smart investigator, hardboiled detective, erudite stoner, literal-minded/snark knight combo, childhood friends, loyal supporter, gadgeteer genius ⟡ solo-route or poly-route with Gazi, childhood friends (or was it more?) to lovers, (possible second chance romance...), somewhere between slow and fast burn
Dr. Noel Sung (RO) ⟡ Journalist
41-year-old (she/her) from London, UK (ℹ)
Your graduate school mentor who you credit for preparing you to land a job at The New York Times as prestigious as it is. She's now your direct supervisor, and she has quite the assignment for you.
⟡ tropes include the magician, high-powered career woman, absent-minded professor(/former forbidden love?), age gap, charismatic intellectual, intuitive leader, pragmatic idealist, deadpan snarker, determinator, shrinking violet, (your possible unrequited crush on her goes here)… ⟡ solo-route, workplace romance (technically; she's your boss now), slow burn
An ancient, hidden society of sorcerers ⟢
The Radiant Circle is the central governing body that maintains harmony and order among sorcerers, as well as keep their community secret. It was originally formed and led by the Resonant Soul (called the High Guardian—this is you) and the most powerful elemental sorcerers of the time (called the Founding Guardians—these are the four souls bonded to you) as an alliance of sorcerers from across the New Kingdom of Egypt.
After its formation, the magical community grew, and eventually, the Radiant Circle was divided into four smaller regional circles called the Ephemeral Circles: the Night Circle (you know the most about this one), the Dawn Circle, the Day Circle, and the Dusk Circle. These four circles, also called luminariates, are the main governing bodies of the current world of sorcery. Every known family of sorcerers lives under the eye of the Radiant Circle and one of the four Ephemeral Circles.
Only the Resonant Soul can be the High Guardian of the Radiant Circle. Only the four souls bonded with Resonant Soul can be the Founding Guardians. During periods where the Resonant Soul or the Guardians aren’t alive, these positions are left vacant and the Ephemeral Circles meet as the Radiant Council annually instead. Unfortunately, it's been so long since there has been a Resonant Soul that there aren't many people left who remember who sits at the top of the hierarchy.
You live as a Threshold—an uninitiated sorcerer, typically a child who can't use magic yet—within the luminariate called the Night Circle. You sit at the bottom of the hierarchy, but every other sorcerer you know? César is an Archumbricar, the right hand of the Night Luminary and leader of the Night Circle. Arseau and Rafa are César's High Justicars, his right and left hands. Your dads even play a role, advising the Luminary from their position in the Night Weave.
A single soul that can control all four elements, reincarnated once again—you ⟢
Before you became the Resonant Soul, you were a child born without magic to two prominent sorcerers sometime before recorded human history begins. Back then, it was common to put the child of every sorcerer through a resonance ritual, even children of sorcerers born without magic who always died in the process. But where there's a will, there's a way, and someone really wanted you to live and created circumstances that bound your souls together—one into endless reincarnation and the other into endless immortality.
You meet the four original Guardians over the course of hundreds of years. Your bonds are unique and have chained the fate of their souls with yours so that they are reincarnated in an endless cycle by your side. Even so, you've lived more lives without them than with them, lived more lives without magic than with it. Almost as if you're fighting a losing battle against knowing your true soul.
Only the Resonant Soul can resonate with all four types of elemental magic, but your magic remains locked away until you regain your memories (how're you supposed to regain memories you don't remember you need to regain? then again, how safe would it be to give you all that power and no recollection of all the mistakes you've made?). The Guardians are known for their extraordinary abilities in one element; their magic isn't sealed away, only their memories (which still isn't convenient—how are you supposed to know who they are if they don't know who they are?).
⟢ retweets & asks are welcome! there is no better writing motivation ♡
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i disappeared, but i'm not dead! in fact, i've been writing 💕
since i didn't feel very satisfied with my productivity in august, i decided to focus more on increasing productivity in september. my goal was to write at least 500 words a day everyday.
thankfully, i can say i definitely hit that goal, which means i wrote at least 15,000 words in september. (i wrote more than 500 words most days, but i stopped tracking after i hit that number.)
unfortunately, i also hit a few walls. some walls are easy to scale, and others are so tall that they seem insurmountable. as a writer, coming up against walls is rough. i got stuck (so many times lol), i worked in the wrong direction (and had to throw out thousands of precious words sobs), i created solutions for problems that didn't exist (yet--i firmly believe i will run into these problems and will need these solutions! just later...sometime...eventually...), and then finally i ran into a problem for which i didn't have a satisfying solution.
so that's where i am right now. 😭 since this is my first time writing an interactive story, i'm having to learn new skills along the way. or, in other words, find new solutions. problem is that sometimes a big project like this isn't the best way to learn something new! the struggle's real. but even words that are tossed were still written in the service of practicing, so they're never truly useless words. 😩 sure, it's super demoralizing to do so well writing words only to have to toss them to the side because after having practiced it more, i can see what could work better! but it's also really rewarding to earn that level-up.
goal for october is the same! just more words (at least 500 words a day). i know i have a few asks in the inbox, and i'm not sure when i'll get to them, but i haven't forgotten and will not forget and will absolutely get to them 🥰
so i said that i planned to continue trying to write an average of 500 words a day for august, but then i spent the first half of the month feeling depressed because living alone is deceptively difficult 😭 so i gave up having a goal to focus on self-care. thankfully, i'm in a much better headspace 💕
so in august i think i added around 2,000 words story-wise (i didn't keep track in an attempt to not feel so bad about a tiny number 🫣), but i also decided to add a major choice into the first plot beat of chapter one and that set me back a little. i also did some coding and moved my draft from gdocs to scrivener for the corkboard and color coding. in the end, the rest of my writing has mostly been spent on exploring the shared backstory between mc and all the ROs.
definitely the most fun i had this month was answering all of the great asks sent to me. i have a few more asks half-answered in my drafts so uh i guess expect more essays, and once i have those finished, i'll answer the newer asks i've got. thank you for sending them in 🥰
(i'm saving the nsfw asks for after demo release, which i'm planning to be the full first chapter. plan is still fall! but probably late fall.)
for those curious about the change in the chapter, you still arrive home, reunite with your brother, and spend some time with one of your dads, and then that's where there's a shift. i moved the reminiscing for the next plot beat when you arrive at your family's solstice party. instead, i decided to throw in a really fun decision that i won't spoil 🥰
coding-wise, we've got a profile now. also made some more unnecessary design decisions like changing the font and adding more colors. i love vibrant colors, but i know they're annoying lmao i'll definitely include a black/white theme.
here's a preview of what i've got so far, though same caveat as before: any of this design could change between now and the demo. some of it already changed in the last month like twice. i am indecisive as hell when it comes to aesthetics...
(the name on the profile is from a french band called odezenne that i really like if you're looking for a random recommendation.)
plan for september is to go back to writing an average of 500 words a day at least for the first half of the month. unfortunately, i have to work on my dissertation as well and the academic year starts near the end of the month, which means i'll be busy with teaching/grad schooling again. that'll slow me down for sure, so i'm sorry in advance.
approx what time period does this IF take place in/is inspired by?
contemporary
so right now-ish. technology, fashion, media, etc., is all current. but in the story, the world in terms of current events fades into the background because the concerns of a sorcerer are first and foremost with the magical community.
the important part to know is that magic has always existed as a hidden undercurrent in history. the human world is just as violent and hostile to humans as it is to sorcerers (since sorcerers look no different from humans), but protecting sorcerers is the entire reason why the radiant circle exists. to protect sorcerers all over the world, sorcerers have influenced key historical events in human history but subtly so that these events remain seemingly unchanged from real-world history as we know it.
wait am i dumb, are we supposed to know our soulmates or???
no anon you are not dumb!! 😭😭😭
no one (except me) knows who your soulmates are right now lol they'll reveal themselves slowly to you through the narrative, and there will be some hints along the way.
you can take your guesses who the soulmates are, but i'm not going to tell anyone if they're correct 😊 just know that i haven't introduced the full cast yet and not all of the soulmates are LIs (platonic soulmates! this is something i'm really really excited to explore!).
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💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?
answering this set about the mc as s/o in particular.
misses the mc easily:
rafa, gazi (easily, super easily), deniz
how they act when mc isn't around:
rafa would feel bored without mc around, so he'd end up going through his days in a sense of ennui and he wouldn't care if anyone noticed. in fact, he'd want people to notice how much he missed mc. he'd tell mc that that he misses them. he'd be really responsive over text or quick to answer mc's call, but he'd also give mc room and wouldn't be too nosy. he'd also send voice notes knowing how sexy he sounds...if he can tempt mc into paying attention to him, he absolutely will do that.
gazi would get a little antsy when mc isn't around. they'd check their phone a little more normal to see if they've heard from mc, they'd get lost in their thoughts thinking of what mc's doing, they'd send more random pictures. gazi would ask if it was okay for them to call every night, would ask if mc wants to stay on the phone and fall asleep together (or do other phone activities that don't involve sleeping).
deniz would be more antisocial than usual. because not having mc around reminds them that they actually don't really like being alone when they don't have to be with you there. ...but mc isn't there, so they're just left a feeling of emptiness. outwardly, they'd act pretty indifferent, bury themself in work and acquiring a new temporary hobby or a new niche research interest to the point where others would notice, until mc returned. they wouldn't contact mc more than necessary when mc isn't around but would always confess to missing mc.
césar is entirely too busy to miss anything or anyone. for him, life always moves forward and there's no time to dwell on what--or who--isn't there. but mc is someone who makes him feel less busy, so mc not being around would be something that'd play in the back of his mind. he'd appreciate if mc kept in contact though, like a text will do to know mc's safe or a one minute conversation just to hear mc's voice. but otherwise he'd let mc set the frequency of contact.
nothing would change at all. she wouldn't get into contact unless it was necessary. she'd likely have made a plan with mc to meet when mc is around, rather than miss mc or spend time thinking about how they're not around. she'd let herself get a little excited before the planned meet if it'd been a while, but that's about it.
hi!! im sorry for being dumb maybe im just overwhelmed by how amazing and in depth your lore already is (even without the demo out yet) but if mc is the High Guardian who can master all four elements then why they need to meet 4 other souls? do those single souls are also reincarnate and then bind with mc? i'll read ur intro post again but i just want to be sure imo
dear anon you're not being dumb 💕
first, i wanna say that i was really inspired by the idea of different types of soulmates, and i want to explore what soulmates mean in as many ways as possible… so i've made it really complicated in order to do that 🙃 i'm probably the one being dumb here tbh
i'll write and post more on this at some point for sure, but i wanna get a demo out before writing too much lore/backstory.
for your first question:
simple answer is that mc doesn't need to meet the other four souls. mc doesn't need them at all. i'm not afraid to say mc is OP because mc is OP as fuck. but there's a caveat! all that power is locked up and mc has no way of knowing. the guardians are more likely to uncover their memories of their past, and after that, they usually have motivation to help guide mc toward awakening their magic.
for your second question:
mc bound to the four soulmates separately across hundreds of years, so they reincarnate separately from each other and separately from the mc. their individual souls are now always bound with the mc's soul, and because of that, their souls have a tendency to reincarnate around the same time and around the same place as the mc.
...and for the long answer nobody asked me to write...
the caveat and the more complicated answer is that mc doesn't have any magic and doesn't have their memories from their past lives when born. mc has no way of figuring out that they have magic or that they had any past lives or any soulmates. basically a human, mc has no pathway to becoming the high guardian/head of the radiant circle, let alone remembering they're op. that kinda power has to come with some restriction, and in this case, it's that it has to be unlocked and it's almost impossible for mc to unlock it alone.
on the other hand, the soulmates aren't born with their memories, but they are born with their magic. they're able to become important sorcerers without memories of their past lives, and so they have access to and every opportunity to encounter a way for their memories to unlock. once their memories unlock, it becomes easier for them to recognize the mc's soul even if mc hasn't awakened their magic and memory. they're also usually motivated to help mc awaken their true potential. they're also sometimes against it.
💘 HEART W/ ARROW - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?
i tried to be more general rather than answer about mc but made a note if there's potential for mc to be their exception. answering the second question first...
believes in love at first sight:
gazi
yep just gazi (atp) lmao now for the first question.
out of all of the ROs, gazi is probably the only one who is looking for relationships. they believe in love and want to be in love. they love love. they look for people who are fun to be around, supportive and responsive, and physically affectionate. they look for people they can trust, who can they be completely vulnerable and themself around, who love openly and honestly.
emotionally unavailable #1 césar looks for reliability, dependability. his plans for the night circle include him getting married, having/adopting kids, raising the next night luminary while raising the status of the night circle. if he's going to have a relationship, it likely won't be about love but about realizing his dream and goals. he needs someone at his side who has those dreams and goals as well and can be counted on to walk the path alongside him. if love happens past that, it happens (ofc it will happen with mc).
emotionally unavailable #2 rather than looking for a relationship, rafa tends to chase what's fun, interesting. if he's going to be in a relationship with someone, they'd have to be fun, they'd have to keep his attention and interest. he likes a little mystery. he likes trying to figure out an enigma. in his experience, he usually figures out people pretty fast, and then he gets bored and doesn't let them truly know him. if he falls in love, it'll be with someone who found a way to read him despite all that (and ofc mc knows how).
deniz isn't looking for relationship(s) but hopes that one day they'll find someone who is patient and understanding (or more than one someone, if they're lucky). they know they can get really into their work, that their tunnel vision and hyperfocus might make someone in a relationship with them feel lonely. they need someone who will get that about them and navigate that complexity together. if that means their partner also sees other partners, that's okay with them.
emotionally unavailable #3 noel has been content to live without a single connection in the world for a really long time, and she would be content to continue living that way. there was a time, when she was young enough to still live at home, that she thought she'd fall in love and get married and have kids. she doesn't see that for herself anymore. so in a relationship, she's looking for something that's easy, lowkey, unobtrusive, for someone who'll go with her flow and never get in her way (and mc knows how to be that).
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anon, i must say, this was a hard question lol but i loved taking the time to answer it. i welcome anyone to imagine their voices sounding different than below, but these are the vibes i'm going with while i'm writing.
cesar's voice is low, husky, and tends to be flat. he tends to speak evenly and clearly. when he's mad, he speaks more evenly and clearly, enunciating each word like taking a bite out of it. he speaks faster in spanish but only just noticeably.
rafa's voice is more smooth than it is low, but he has a lot of control over his voice. he's an animated talker, will lower his voice into a ragged tone or go higher when he's really excited while talking. he sounds when speaking spanish.
deniz's voice isn't low but it's definitely not high. there's an ambiguous almost smoker-quality to it. although it wouldn't seem like it, their tone shifts a lot when they're talking; they have a natural rhythm to the way they talk. when they speak turkish, their voice is slightly lower.
gazi's voice is more soft than it is high. it's warm and sultry. the louder they speak, the lower their voice goes. they tend to speak more on the quiet and unhurried side, but when alone with their friends, they can shift into a more fast-talking hoarse new yorker style.
noel's voice is on the higher side and has an authoritative quality to it, especially when teaching. there's something about her voice that makes her always sound like she knows what she's talking about, a cool collectedness. sometimes, this slips away to reveal a simple sense of solitariness. not sad, but not happy...
Hello, I hope you and your family are well. Can you please help me recycle the post on my account? 🌺 And help rescue my family from the war in Gaza? 🙏 Thank you.
My name is Ashraf Alanqar, and I am 30 years old. My wife, Widad Issa, and I have a one-and-a-half-year-old son named Bakr. We used to live peacefully in the Al-Shuja’iya neighborhood, in a house we built just a week before the war began. I worked as a farmer and owned a large chicken farm that provided for my family.
Beloved of my heart (Bakr)
Then the war came and destroyed everything. Our home was reduced to ashes, and our chicken farm was obliterated. We lost our home, our livelihood, and even our basic rights. We've been forced to move from place to place in northern Gaza, simply trying to survive.
My House before...
Me.. while trying to recognize what has happened..
The terror we feel as we flee from heavy bombardment is unbearable. The sound of explosions around us, the constant fear as we navigate through the rubble of destroyed homes searching for safety and food, haunts us every day. My son Bakr is constantly scared and suffers from severe malnutrition and skin diseases due to the lack of food, water, and sanitation.
Our beautiful memories.. :(
We urgently need your help. I am asking for your support to fund this campaign to move my family to a safe place, provide us with a proper home, and ensure we have enough food, water, and medical care.
Baker used to play with his dog.
Your donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in our lives. We desperately need your support and solidarity during this difficult time. Together, we can restore hope and safety to Ashraf and his family.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering my plea. Your support means more than words can express. Together, we can turn a story of loss into a journey of hope and resilience.
Hello,,
My name is Ashraf Alanqar, and I am 30 years old.… Ashraf Alanqar needs your support for Hope for Gaza: Support Ashraf's Family
not dead just depressed ☠️ taking time to myself always helps so i'm feeling a bit better. just wanted to be transparent that i haven't disappeared! will get to asks in the next week.
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One of the highest ranking earth sorcerers in the world, César is seen as the unofficial heir of the current Night Luminary—and he takes the role seriously. As your brother’s best friend, he has been a permanent fixture in your life as far as you remember—another persistent reminder of the magic that has remained inaccessible to you and the community that left you behind. He’s at least an attractive reminder, even if it’s unfortunate that his rare smirk proves that he knows it.
Family name: Pico
Circle: Night Circle
Magic: earth
Birth month: November
Birth place: Tijuana, MX (territory of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Education: bachelor's
Occupation: Archumbricar
Favorite place: desert
Favorite drink: beer
Favorite color: he doesn't have one, but he'll say it's brown if asked
Always in bag: a book and business related paraphernalia
Family: he has a good relationship with his younger brother Rafa, and his father Alejandro and mother Tarhíata are proud of his influence in the Circle; on the other hand, he doesn't have much love for his uncle Tangaxoan or his cousin Eréndira, but he'd still kill for them
Friends: Arseau is his best friend, and he considers his younger brother Rafa a close friend and his guard Damianos an ally; he's not the type to let others know him well enough to call him a friend, though many might claim the title anyway, and you know he has never and will never consider you a friend
Appearance: amber eyes, dark brown hair in a short buzz cut, never clean-shaven, brown skin with a warm undertone, very tall (somewhere above 193cm/6'4"), muscular, lots of tattoos, wears earrings, usually dresses in a bespoke suit, favorite accessory is a simple necklace
Romance: solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), back-and-forth (borderline love/hate), (possible first love), one of the slower burns
You find César's brooding demeanor and deep sense of duty to be intimidating, but you knew him before he became an Archumbricar—when he was just your brother's best friend who made you laugh when you were sad. Those who look up to him call him a hero, the master of his own destiny. His cards in the Major Arcana are the Emperor and the World.
The younger brother of César....and also his left hand man even though he doesn't take his position within the Night Circle very seriously. He doesn't take anything very seriously except his freedom. Especially his freedom to flirt his way into anyone's good graces.
Family name: Pico
Circle: Night Circle
Magic: fire
Birth month: May
Birth place: Tijuana, MX (territory of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Education: bachelor's
Occupation: High Justicar
Favorite place: the beach at noon on a sunny day
Favorite drink: Mexican Coke
Favorite color: burnt orange
Most prized possession: his collection of nose rings (it's actually his collection of sheet music and instruments, but you keep that secret for him)
Handwriting: slightly more sophisticated than a scribble due to laziness
Always in bag: no bag; he carries a wallet and a pocket knife
Family: he has a good relationship with his older brother César, and his father Alejandro and mother Tarhíata are proud of his influence in the Circle despite his seemingly low-effort nature
Friends: he doesn't consider anyone his best friend, but you are the closest he has to one; otherwise, he's close with his older brother César and Arseau, his brother's best friend; he considers anyone he meets and makes laugh a friend
Appearance: brown eyes, soft curly dark brown-black hair, sometimes has stubble, tan skin with a warm undertone, tall but not as tall as his brother (about 190cm/6'3"), lean, usually dresses in a vaguely skater/surfer/street style, switches between different nose rings but favors septum rings, often with sunglasses
Romance: solo-route (with a possible rivalry with his brother), friends to lovers (but he has always wanted more), slow burn
Rafa’s effortless charm never fails to bring a smile to your face or light up any room, but beneath his playful charisma he carries a deep sense of loneliness and a fear of rejection. His friends call him a charming playboy because of reputation for casual relationships and an explorer because of his desire for freedom in all things. His cards in the Major Arcana are the Fool and the Sun.