#rc profiles

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. Few know anything personal about Noel—formerly Dr. Sung to you—and she prefers it that way. All you know is that she left behind an entire life to live this one, her dedication to uncovering the truth matched by none (except for maybe you).

Family name: Sung

Birth month: January

Birth place: London, England

Education: doctorate

Occupation: journalist

Favorite place: Jeju Island

Favorite drink: soju

Favorite color: she doesn't do color

Most prized possession: none, everything is replaceable

Handwriting: almost calligraphic, slow and measured strokes

Always in bag: spearmint gum, notebook, pencil, recorder

Family: she is estranged from her family by choice

Friends: she considers no one her friend, but she maintains a wide network of work acquaintances from all over the world; now that you've graduated, she might even consider you an acquaintance

Appearance: black eyes, straight jet black hair, light/medium skin with a cool undertone, about 165cm (about 5'5"), slim, usually dresses in a glamorous style, favorite accessory is an elegant watch

Romance: solo-route, workplace romance (we'll pour one out here in memory of the forbidden teacher/student dynamic they could've had before), slow burn

You find Noel's commanding presence intimidating and her sharp mind captivating, but it's her particular combination of brilliance and elegance that motivates and inspires you the most. She is known as the magician in the field of journalism because she uses her charismatic intellect and intuitive leadership skills to gain the power she desires. Her cards in the Major Arcana are the High Priestess and Judgement.

A talented water sorcerer, Arseau is well loved within the Night Circle's upper echelons, but he'd never brag about either. 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).

Family name: Nassiet

Circle: Night Circle

Magic: water

Birth month: October

Birth place: Seattle, USA

Education: bachelor's

Occupation: High Justicar

Favorite place: the snow-covered mountains or the beach

Favorite drink: beer or cold brew

Favorite color: blue-green

Most prized possession: his friendship bracelet with you

Handwriting: almost a calligraphic print, always looks like he took his time to write every letter

Always in bag: no bag, just pockets; carries only a thin wallet in his back pocket and keeps his keys on a ring attached to a belt loop

Family: your dads Michel and Théodore Nassiet love him; he is very close with you as your protective older sibling—he'd do anything to take care of you, even at personal cost

Friends: César is his best friend, and he considers César's younger brother Rafa a close friend as well; otherwise, he maintains a large variety of acquaintances around the world thanks to his kind nature

Appearance: blue eyes, shoulder-length light brown hair (often tied up, with an undercut), always clean-shaven, warm undertone, tall (188cm/6'2"), slim, beauty mark below his lips, usually dresses in a casual style (flannels on flannels on flannels, and he's always got one ready for you to borrow if you're cold), favorite accessory is a bracelet

You’ve always looked up to Arseau for his unwavering strength and kindhearted nature. His calm and steady presence provides you with a sense of security that's impossible to find with anyone else. He is the caregiver among his peers. His card in the Major Arcana is the Empress.

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."

Family name: Nassiet

Circle: Night Circle

Magic: none... (for now, and then all of them)

Birth month: October

Birth place: Seattle, USA

Education: doctorate

Occupation: journalist

Favorite place: changes by region

Favorite drink: changes by mood

Favorite color: changes with the seasons

Most prized possession: your friendship bracelet with Arseau

Handwriting: leans cursive, messy to start with and then gets messier the longer you spend writing

Always in bag: phone, notepad, many pens and pencils, recorder, gum, deodorant, and various other junk

Family: your dads Michel and Théodore love you; your older brother Arseau and you are very close, almost like twins although you're five years apart in age

Friends: you're not one to need many since you have Arseau, but the ones you do make are near and dear to your heart—Rafa, your only sorcerer friend; Deniz, your first school friend; and Gazi, your first (and so far only) roommate

Appearance: you look more like your dad Michel and, thankfully for you, he’s quite handsome, so you’re not bad off carrying on his attractive genes; you two have the same color hair—even the same texture and, at times, the same length; the same frame; the same color eyes and long lashes; the same strong eyebrows; the same slightly hooded eyes, which you share with Arseau; the same nose—a little on the wide and flat side compared to your brother

You are the sage among your peers. You are the analytical brain of every investigation team you've been on. Your card in the Major Arcana is the Wheel of Fortune. You are a determined and inquisitive soul, always seeking to uncover the truth. You've never let your lack of magic define your worth.

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

Most prized possession: book collection

Handwriting: somewhat unserious looking, simple print

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.

ⓘ Deniz is gender-selectable, but this profile uses they/them pronouns for simplicity's sake.

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. Deniz's family immigrated to the United States from Turkey when they were twelve because the volatile political environment made the country no longer safe for their family, especially for their mother as a feminist scholar. You are their first friend in Seattle, and they are your first friend who is not in the magic community.

Family name: Yılmaz

Birth month: February

Birth place: Istanbul, Turkey

Education: master's

Occupation: private investigator

Favorite place: Antalya

Favorite drink: their mom's tea

Favorite color: red

Most prized possession: laptop

Handwriting: no conscious thought goes into it except is it legible enough...?

Always in bag: wouldn't you like to know

Family: close with their family, who usually call them Deni; their extended family is still in Turkey, and they visit annually during winter break

Friends: close enough to you that they let you call them Denzi, but they don't really do best friends...or friends, really... they even hate it when you call them your childhood friend (despite its factualness)

Appearance: dark brown eyes, slightly wavy dark brown-black hair that’s always a little crazy, keeps eyebrows perfect (and it takes a bit of work, don't judge), light brown skin with a cool undertone, about 180cm/5'10" (but tends to slouch a little), lithe, usually dresses in a grunge style, wears glasses and earrings

Romance: 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

You've always appreciated Deniz's quiet strength and resourcefulness. While others find them difficult to befriend or even engage, you know that under their calm and composed façade is a fiercely protective nature that has saved you from trouble more than once. Those who know them call them the jester because they always have something to say that'll bring the laughs, but they're also valued for their loyal support and street-smart instincts. Their card in the Major Arcana is the Magician.

ⓘ Gazi is gender-selectable, but this profile uses they/them pronouns for simplicity's sake.

Your roommate and best friend ever since you moved to NYC, they’re always ready to help you investigate something new and dangerous. Life's hardships left Gazi without any immediate family at the tender age of eighteen and without the social peculiarities to have any luck making long-lasting friends—until you show up in their life as a sane person with a clean room for rent.

Family name: Gharib

Birth month: March

Birth place: New York City, USA

Education: doctorate

Occupation: photojournalist

Favorite place: Central Park

Favorite drink: bubbly

Favorite color: they'd say black and if told that's not a color they'd say firetruck red

Most prized possession: each and every one of their cameras

Handwriting: precise and neat, exaggerates rounded letters and sharp angles

Always in bag: at least one camera

Family: they have a few aunts and uncles (related and also the old retired folk from their old building) who'd move mountains for them if they asked (but gazi would never ask them for anything)

Friends: you are their closest friend and the only person they've ever called a best friend in their entire life; they have a ton of friends aged 40-55 and also an online group of friends in the photography/photojournalist community they consider like family

Appearance: black eyes, coily jet black hair (often dyed, currently dark purple), brown skin with a cool undertone, about 178cm/5'10" (and usually wears shoes with a bit of a lift/heel), thick, usually dresses in a sexy style (who doesn't love a good harness moment?), loves accessorizing

Romance: solo-route or poly-route with Deniz, roommates/besties to lovers (and you can start at the lover bit if you'd like because this romance is a...), faaaaaast burn

Gazi's vibrant personality and creativity draw in even the most serious of misanthropes, but their unwavering support and infectious optimism hide many wounds they're afraid of showing to anyone—including you. Those who know them call them innocent because of their desire to find safety and value them as an encouraging charmer and empathetic communicator. Their card in the Major Arcana is the Star.