#CTYH Swap au

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Babygirl aka Guardian Blixer (CTYH Swap)

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Ctyh swap au, decided to tweak Blixer and Cube's designs a bit more. Blixer having more floral patterns or at least fitting to the fact he's the Guardian of the Garden whilst takes a much more simpler and more mech-like approach.

I always took her as someone who'd def does mechanical engineering, considering the whole claw and saw deal. Which is how she built the mechs (they're actually small but when fused, they become big) and they act more like house pets than the intended purpose of their creation: house security

Also a lil farmer Macabre and bounty hunter Sam

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Each of them are unrelated, there is no story, no trilogy, they did not have s

They had a sleepover, that's it

Characters and AU belong to @afrothunderxx96

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[Artifact voice] did you just stabbed me? *stabs back*

A continuation from the last comic I made, wahooo

CTYH AU and designs belong to @afrothunderxx96

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Guardian Blixer my favorite babygirl

Jsab AU and character design belongs to @afrothunderxx96

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I put thought into this like a crafty racoon trying to break into a trashcan--

The whole "the Artifact is a living thing" came from this post where I answered an ask completely unrelated from it but i like making excuses to info dump.

Also! I think I've jotted down a design for Cube when she becomes CTM (equivalent to Blixer's New Games version + crown) while Blixer here is New Games with more cat-like behaviors and over protective instincts over the artifact.

CTM is tired cause she had to fight The Nameless one through a fucking volcano just to get the artifact back and give it to NG who is now calm (like giving an egg to a chicken). Yes, NG has that orange cat behavior, please do not separate the artifact from him or he will lose his mind again.

CTYH au and designs belongs to @afrothunderxx96

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Oh poor Artifact... I wanted to make a continuation in which the knights realized "Oh fuck wait this isn't right" and then all hell breaks loose. But for now, here's your local Guardian experiencing psychic damage!

CTYH au and designs belong to @afrothunderxx96

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oml i just had an idea of something

*in ctyh-swapland (well the relatively far future of it)*

cube: *proposing to blix*

everyone: *happy*

blix: *very happy*

rave, still baby and still following society expectations: *whispering* isn’t the boy supposed to be the one proposing and the girl is the one accepting?

cuda: *whispering back* yes a lot of the time but cube doesn’t like fitting in

Guardian Blixer would wear a dress that Lycan had designed for him! It’s fitting plus he’d rock one hell of a wedding dress while Cube rocks a suit

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Can I hug guardian Blixer?

She was never hugged before so this is new

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Does Cube in the swap AU just CTM but not full of rage most the time

Kind of, yeah. I did say the reason she's very defensive and hostile is because it's a defense mechanism due to her rough childhood and never being taught about what trust is and how to give and receive kindness in a way (The corrupted knights are responsible for that because they wanted for her to grow into a strong independent warrior but were actually feeding into her paranoia and treating her more like a warrior in training instead of a child who needed familial love and care)

CTM, despite her demeanor, has taught herself some self control. She doesn't lash out THAT much and even if she's not that expressive, she has a soft side she tries so hard to hide because she feels as though if she reveals her "weakness" then someone will take advantage of that.

Pretty sure when she and Blixer started to grow more close (after she kidnapped him cause he wouldn’t spit out the Artifact after he shoved it into his mouth) she has second thoughts regarding Blixer's true intentions and suddenly paranoia starts kicking in. She was scared that Blixer is just warming up to her to lead her into a false sense of a security, then striking when she least expects it. She doesn't know how to verbally express her worries and she's scared of getting hurt emotionally because for the first time in forever; she felt like she had a close connection with someone.

And Blixer doesn't know this, of course he knows what it's like to be insecure and question the things around them but he never had a full grasp of the complex situations outside the garden he resided in with Lycan and the flowers. He wasn't aware of the paranoia Cube had, he wasn't aware of it and he worries too that Cube wants the Artifact more than she wants to get to know him.

They both struggle verbally expressing their worries because they were never taught about it. They feel like there's still a forming barrier in between them.

But despite that, they both want one thing: to be seen as an individual.

CTM likes to read in her free time, she listens to music in her room and would cook herself breakfast or try to learn how to bake because she still has yet to pick up that cook book she borrowed from Cuda and Rave's library, she likes to watch sitcoms late at night, she likes bird watching whenever she's out of the house, she'd probably love to play competitive games but would have a hard time teaming up with other people, her favorite ice cream flavor is pistachio with chocolate chips, and there's so much to her.

Now that's normal swap Cube but let's talk about when she harnesses- or, well, receives the Artifact's power and turns her into what's similar to a "New Games" form which would be, well, her Close To Me form.

Unlike how the Artifact had forcefully retaliated against the Corrupted Knights, eventually creating the Unnamed One which represents the discord/chaos that the Artifact has now caused. It's good to note that the Artifact here is deemed as a living thing/animal with supernatural abilities that almost make it God like but still has the same mental capacity of your common critter.

The Unnamed One is... how do I describe this? Do you know how there are animals that inject toxins into their opponent or prey in hopes to immobilize them or completely change their entire bodily function and brain chemistry to the point it's almost like an active sickness that has taken over? Yes. The Artifact fighting back was akin to an animal retaliating by sinking it's fangs into its opponent and expelling toxins into their system.

Instead of, well, killing the Corrupted Knights; it resulted into a tragedy which the Unnamed One is formed. This is due to the Knights having already tempered and damaged the Artifact beforehand with their powers.

Now what about Cube? Well, she got her powers thanks to Blixer-- or, well, Corrupted Blixer. With the Artifact Corrupted and in a frenzy, affecting its surroundings and practically held hostage under the Unnamed One, this does affect Blixer to the point he becomes NG.

NG's goal is to get the artifact like an enraged motherly animal finding out their cub had been picked up by poachers. It's like triggering the 'caretaker' in him that takes over his entire body and now he's just, like, a mama bird holding the egg close and will peck anyone who tries to take the egg.

During a very epic and very destructive battle, which Lycan and the flowers end up participating but were blown away due to the disasters, the corruption slowly spreading to the flowers. Lycan decides to assist Cube as it has reached the point that at any moment, an irreversible danger will spread across the land with the Artifact eventually destroying everything and everyone.

Due to the flowers being given life by the Artifact YEARS ago, they decided to give Cube the power to harness whatever is left of the Artifact's energy. This leads to the flowers becoming normal flowers and even Lycan... Cube, now turning into CTM, is now on a mission to put things right.

In a way, she's the protagonist of the story. She does the right things for good reasons and the stakes depend on the person she cares the most. She wants to save Blixer, she wants to out an end to this tragedy, she wants things to be normal with a few good changes. She has dumped her normal plans of world domination and has replaced it with the simple goal of a better future for her AND her loved ones.

It's funny how far you're willing to go for people you care about. It's nice, to Cube, to feel a sense of closure once all is done. She feels like the hole in her heart has been filled with flowers with a little note that says "I love you". While she is in a now happy romantic relationship with Blixer, she also made new friends.

...so that's what Close To Me really stands for! She wanted closure!

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can i give swap au cube an affectionate headpat or two

I always imagine Swap Cube having a hard time processing kindness and expressing her gratitude or anything, it's due to the fact she grew up in tough environments that forces her to be the "bigger shape" in means of appearing and acting intimidating, rough, and overall someone you don't want to approach unless you really wanna have problems.

It does mess her up though as she's unable to properly express (verbally) any compliments nor her gratitude to others. The same goes to receiving anything positive, she's always used to getting into fights or tough situations that she'll assume the other person wants to have beef with her.

This genuinely affects her in a negative way because there have been moments where she's vulnerable but shuts away because the only pace she feels safe opening her heart is when she's by herself... that is, until Blixer came along.

Little by little she's getting used to having the surprisingly dumb and also thrill-seeking Guardian roam around in her house and even to the point he might as well be living with her. She tolerates him but soon grows to understand him more in a way that makes her question if she cares for him or not.

The two are different shapes with different background, one is scared of hoping and the other is scared they might not be a real individual. Yet the two have something in common as they grew onto eachother: that it's okay to hope again and that you'll always be your own person, no matter what anyone says.

Blixer showing Cube that it's okay to hope again, to find good things in life, even if he had never been around the world or even outside the temple for so long- it never hurts to hope. Even after everything she's been through, she deserves to have her own safe place and to seek happiness again instead of fighting more battles because it's something she's been accustomed to from a young age.

And Cube showing Blixer that experience makes a person and that he will always be his own person no matter what. That he's not an extension of the artifact or just a homing gift for the temple, he's a real individual with his own thoughts and dreams, and that he'll always be loved for who he is. He isn't a blank slate-- he's real. He exists and that's good. He will always be someone to her.

Anyways, papaya am I right?

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I don't know why, but for some reason I think the thing that'll snap Blix out of Self Defense Mode would be Cub hugging him or smth.

Maybe or maybe not! Been thinking more regarding how New Games would function here. Considering he's connected to the Artifact and the Artifact is PISSED at the moment, his whole self defense gig is like a protocol incase the Corruption happens (Artifact going haywire) and his main goal is to get the Artifact back.

Tho that doesn't mean he's aware of his task or his surroundings, he has completely snapped at that phase and has zero sense of what and who is around him. If you get in his way, then get the hell out NOW.

This also gives me the excuse to talk about how the corrupted knights did what they did to "gain the Artifact's power". The prophecy they were given described an Artifact with the power to give life, it surrounds itself with the branching essence of life while keeping itself protected by forming mountains to surround its perimeters.

Essentially, the Artifact here is more floral based in means of powers with its whole garden theme but that's only because it's residents/shapes who originally lived here had started migrating, only then when the temple was left completely unattended that the Artifact started to transform its surroundings to protect its home and giving life to new residents which are the flowers (Lycan and the minions)

The prophecy goes something like this:

> From morning to night, extending across sea and land, there resides the heart of all life.

> Branching out like roots of an old tree, it has the power to give life... and death.

> Causes of floods, causes of plagues, an infection shall spread across the land the same way a flower blooms at the peak of summer.

> What has the ability to sustain good has the ability to sustain evil. The fate of the world lies under a single item with no thoughts or morals.

> With great strength and mind, spirituality and bravery, only four shall make the risk of taming the heart of all.

The Artifact was both giver of life and bringer of death, it was also the reasons plagues had happened across certain areas, producing sickness and poison. It's glorified as an item that seals away such power and thus shapes have chased after it in hopes to gain it, no matter what intentions they have. The Artifact surrounds itself with the style of peace and chaos, that both go with each other hand-to-hand. There's a proverb that has circulated around the temple throughout centuries and its still said even within the minions.

"For the land to flourish, the volcano must erupt."

It's why the area is surrounded by mountains-- sorry, no, volcanoes actually but they're not as active as before (due to the Artifact making them during terraforming).

Anyways, besides the Artifact being a symbol of peace and chaos, the corrupted knights were the "chosen four" to find the artifact and gain its powers.

Shamrock being the one to hold it still with his strength, Flax being the one to electrocute it to weaken its defenses, Cider having to pacify it so it doesn't retaliate, and Cyan giving the final blow.

What they're doing is breaking its seal, again, the Artifact is described to be an item that contains such power. To do that, they have to break its shell to get there.

And that's where the misconception started, the Artifact is described as just an item when its actually a living thing. It is a living thing connected to other living things, just in a way that's almost god-like in means of abilities.

What they did was harm the Artifact and piss it off so badly that it went HAM and, of course, like a cornered animal, fought back. It was life or death at that matter and the Artifact really said:

"Augh! Call an ambulance!" [Pulls out gun] "But not for me."

The way the Artifact is portrayed here is like an animal and the prophecy is just the concept of a spectacle towards said animal. (If you've watched the movie Nope, it's basically akin to the message).

And that instinct of fight or flight ended up extending towards Blixer when he's in his New Games form, a form where he snapped and he was fighting for his life. The same thing the Artifact is doing.

I actually have thought out how the Artifact and its subjects have essentially evolved and how they're portrayed in this swap au because, like, wouldn't it be cool if the Artifact was just a powerful living thing that has animal-like instincts and studying behaviors (pattern association n whatnot) with Blixer, the guardian, being born as a sign of evolution from said living thing!

Also, it might be worth noting, this au is not really mine as it's based off of Afrothunder's designs of Guardian Blixer and Corrupted Cube (swapped roles), the corrupted knights and their TIO form (the Nameless One). Take all of what i said as just fan headcanons and I'm diving deep into the rabbit hole ^_^;;;

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For the CTYH swap thingie: you don't have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable, but have cube and and Blix ever...done it? And by "it" I mean each oth-

Have... they.... stolen government files? Maybe! I think that's more of Cube's district cause Blixer doesn't have a full grasp of what a government is nor is he actually educated regarding the outside world and its various of political systems-- actually, that highly depends on the world of CTYH.

Is it a monarchy? Or, is there a monarchy? I think there might be. Now let's say Cube committed treason--

Wait, I don't think this is what you're referring to huh.

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I am now very much interested in this au O_O

I'm gonna assume you're referring to the CTYH swap au comic +doodles I've made (designs- especially the knights, belong to @/afrothunderxx96 !)

I'll admit, I've been rotating this au around my head for awhile because of the several possibilities. One being Blixer being a Guardian in a garden-esque temple with lots if plants and overgrowth, a nod to his minions who were originally just flowers in the garden back when it still had its native occupants but due to migration, the artifact gave life to the flowers and they became sole worshippers who tend the temple.

When Blixer was born, he was obviously clueless. But soon became the out going guardian who parties with the garden, though he does have his personal struggles such as his own identity and self worth. He associates all of his worth with the artifact due to him being connected to it, convinced that the reason the garden loves him is because he's just an extension of the artifact.

Lycan, also a blue flower but much more of a leader and smarter compared to the rest, attempts to convince Blixer that he is worthy for being him but Blixer has a hard time believing it.

I imagine Corrupted Cube here is someone who grew up in rough conditions and had to build herself up by being strong and scary, intimidating anyone who comes near her because it's a survival mechanism. Due to her entire childhood revolving around it, she genuinely has a hard time reacting to sheer kindness in a proper manner. She assumes it's a trap qnd she lashes out. In short, being nice to her is something she's not used to.

For the Knights, there's a lot to unpack but a majority in means of design and visual characterizations are already done by Afro in her tumblr blog. She made concepts and even their Corrupted TIO form which made me kick my feet and giggle!!!! I love the design so much.

I imagine that the four knights gain the artifact but the artifact ended up remaining the four due to them combining their powers together to access its theorized abilities, leading to the artifact chaining up the four and thus creating the Unnamed One. (Oooh boss battle)

I'm unsure exactly how Cuda, Macabre, The Grey Twins, and etc (rest of the ctyh cast) would be in this AU. Not sure if I wanna pitch in onto that, really, I'd like to wait and see!

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ooh ooh and you could have macabre in sams role and sam in macabres role

Funny enough maybe! Was thinking the same thing. Sam would probably have a staff or something. Personality wise, still the same but Macabre's just a farm girl who will beat the ever living crap put of you if you don't pay for the fruits and Sam is just a wandering shape who def is involved with shady business.

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The swap au*

>Cube and Blixer's childhood?

I did mention swap Cube had a rough childhood growing up, surrounded by bad people and didn't have anyone to depend on other than herself. She grew up to look intimidating, developed trust issues, poor social skills, and is always on edge because she refuses to let her guard down b a second.

She didn't really have parents before, more of an orphan, and she went from house to house to get by. It's possible, at one point, she was taken under the wing of the corrupted knights temporarily hence how she was familiar with them, especially Cyan, but when she grew up she ended up leaving to go build her own home.

She would eventually discover the mechs (Helicopter and Ship) and take them in as her minions/pets. She cares about them.

Now, for Blixer, it's hard to say if he had a childhood specifically but he grew up in the temple garden upon creation. The Artifact created him out of the blue and the flowers immediately took him as part of their own, he was guided and taught the way around the area.

Lycan and the flowers didn't want to bring Blixer out of the temple or over the mountains due to the concern of Blixer getting harmed by outsiders and the lack of knowledge of his purpose (as in why was he created by the Artifact? Does he have a special task?)

I mentioned how the Artifact is a living being and not a magical item, having the animal-like instincts and behaviors yet unmoving and holding supernatural powers which are ancient. It's equivalent to if the Artifact was a stray cat who was fed by a kind stranger and in return the stray cat brings her newborn kitten to the stranger so that they could feed the kitten too.

That's basically that.