#So here’s me dropping my AU’s champion lore

[imnotditzy]

The what ifs

Captain paused, as they touched the ground of the ruined park, a consequence of the ended battle.

“What did you say?” Billy asked, Captain nodded in the shared interest.

 The person whispered, quietly.

“I'm sorry, I can’t understand you.” Billy admitted, a small tinge of upset budded within himself. He paused, bringing his attention to Marvel. 

There was a loose smile laid on Captain’s face which seemed to indicate Marvel understood as much as Billy did. 

“Who are you?” Billy asked.

They replied, but he couldn’t hear.

The loose smile fell into a nervous one, and Billy was beginning to feel redundant, “I’m sorry…Can you please speak up?” He asked, timidly.

“𝔶o҉𝔲…҉ f҉𝔦n҉𝔞l҉𝔩y҉ t҉𝔥e҉ w҉𝔦n҉𝔡 𝔥a҉𝔰 𝔢c҉𝔥o҉𝔢d҉ t҉𝔥e҉ w҉𝔬r҉𝔡s҉ o҉𝔣 𝔱h҉𝔢 𝔲n҉𝔦v҉𝔢r҉𝔰e҉, 𝔱h҉𝔢 𝔰n҉𝔞k҉𝔢 𝔥a҉𝔰 𝔟i҉𝔱t҉𝔢n҉ i҉𝔱s҉ t҉𝔞i҉𝔩.҉ t҉𝔥e҉ e҉𝔫d҉ w҉𝔦t҉𝔥 𝔱h҉𝔢 𝔟e҉𝔤i҉𝔫n҉𝔦n҉𝔤 𝔞s҉ t҉𝔥e҉𝔶 𝔢x҉𝔦s҉𝔱 𝔱o҉𝔤e҉𝔱h҉𝔢r҉ i҉𝔫 𝔦m҉𝔭e҉𝔯m҉𝔞n҉𝔢n҉𝔠e҉…” They whispered.

Captain narrowed their eyes as they tried to decipher what the unknown voice said.

 “Uh…I…I’m sorry, you’re confusing me.” Billy paused, “Impermanence? Did you say that?”

“𝔡a҉𝔯e҉ i҉ s҉𝔭e҉𝔞k҉ l҉𝔬u҉𝔡e҉𝔯?҉ y҉𝔢s҉ i҉ d҉𝔬 𝔡a҉𝔯e҉, 𝔦n҉𝔡e҉𝔢d҉. 𝔫o҉ r҉𝔢g҉𝔯e҉𝔱s҉ m҉𝔞y҉ r҉𝔦d҉𝔡l҉𝔢 𝔪y҉ f҉𝔲n҉𝔠t҉𝔦o҉𝔫l҉𝔢s҉𝔰 𝔟o҉𝔡y҉…”

Marvel blinked again, eyes widening too, almost in registration. 

The words made Billy wonder if he was hard of hearing or just too light in the head. His confusion was interrupted as the odd voice spoke again. 

“Iḿṕéŕḿáńéńćé, ӳőú áńd í. Áś ẃéĺĺ áś ćőńtŕádíćtíőńś, főŕ í éxíśt főŕévéŕ áńd ńő évéŕḿőŕé. I bŕéáthé thŕőúǵh ḿӳ hőńőŕ áńd áḿ śháṕéd thŕőúǵh thé ćŕúéĺ ẃőŕdś— I, á tőŕtúŕéd śőúĺ, ḿáӳ ńévéŕ ŕéśt. Bút ít íś áĺĺ I ćáń dő…á ŕéśtĺéśś ḿíńd, á áćtíőńĺéśś bődӳ. Téĺĺ ḿé, á féĺĺőẃ ṕŕédíćtéd śőúĺ, thé ẃáӳ ẃé fúĺfíĺĺ thé díŕéćtíőń őf thé úńívéŕśé. I ẃőńdéŕ íś thé úńívéŕśé át thé éńd őf thé śtŕíńǵ?”

Billy started to feel like a fool. The words, Billy didn’t get what any of them meant. He wanted to frown, despite his incapability to do so at that moment, he had too many questions and no way of answers. Goodness, the words didn’t make any sense anymore.

“Captain?” 

Captain Marvel’s head swung toward the voice, and their eyes landed on Superman.

“…Yes?” They muttered, sheepishly scratching the back of their neck. The look in Superman’s eyes and the furrow of his brows made Billy want to squirm, and Marvel began to fidget on their feet. 

The voice spoke up again, no more coherent than the last, “Thé štörÿ thé qüîłł háš ćréátéd áñd šîgñéd för ÿöü, îñtrîgüéš mé. Wîłł ÿöür démîšé bé áš hörrîfîć áñd grüéšömé áš thé pášt wéré? Wîłł ît bé bÿ ÿöür öwñ háñd, á háñd töö šîmîłár tö mÿ öwñ? Ör šháłł ÿöür špîrît ñévér röám thé Röćk öf Étérñîtÿ, —för étérñîtÿ… Î šháłł wáłk wîth ÿöü, îf ñöt.” The voice paused, “Ör wöüłd wé škîp? Höwévér háš thé évéñt bééñ šćrîptéd? Öh, pérhápš théÿ’d áłłöw mé tö táké á péék. Thé hörrîbłé šîght ćöüłd błéšš mÿ éÿéš áš Î göügé thém áftérwárd…” The voice droned, a smile present in their tone.

Billy sighed internally, and Marvel did the same.

“Ñéw Ćhámpîöñ. Ćhámpîöñ. Thát wáš mÿ tîtłé öñćé, ñö ñümbér, ñö łégáćÿ tö öwñ. Î ám thé réášöñ för ÿöür éxîštéñćé, béćáüšé Î ám á fáîłüré. Fáîłüré, áłł Ćhámpîöñš áré fáîłüréš, máÿ Î fáîł. Máÿ ÿöü fáîł. Máÿ thé ñéxt fáîł šö théré áré öthérš tö fáîł. Fáîłîñg îš á ćöñšéqüéñćé öf bréáthîñg, áñd thîš ��š öñłÿ trüé bÿ mÿ áćtîöñ. Łîštéñ tö mé, łîštéñ tö mé.” The voice repeated that last part over and over and over and over an—again. 

Billy wanted to frown, the voice was wearing him down like an old shoe. The person was still speaking nonsense, or was it nonsense, yes it was nonsense. And Billy started to feel bad for the voice, despite the reasons why he shouldn’t have because he knew their words were rooted in reality, they seemed out of it.

Billy decided to focus on someone else, and shifted his attention to Superman. He was looking at them, oddly. 

“Captain, can you hear me?”

What a silly question, of course he could. Adults often did a thing where they asked pointless questions to him, maybe Superman had entertained the habit, too. 

Billy responded this time, “Yes, Superman. You’re perfectly heard, fine, for sure.” And they gave him a toothy smile.

That didn’t stop the look. “I…” He cut himself off, “Okay, Captain.” 

Good, Billy thought, maybe he understood now. 

Captain smiled wider.

Something landed in the grass before them and their eyes focused on it. The shiny golden liquid began to drip onto the ground as if it was watering the grass at their feet. 

The golden substance seemed familiar. 

The liquid continued to drip past their eyes, and rain onto the floor.

“Captain?” 

“Hm?” Marvel looked up, staring Superman in the eyes.

His tone became…harsher, “Are you alright?” He said.

Marvel nodded, which caused something to trickle down their forehead and down the sides of their head. 

Did they move their head into the gold rain?

Superman spoke, “Captain Marvel, can you look at me?” 

Billy was certain Superman was doing the thing now, the adult thing.

So, Captain Marvel laughed. “I am.” They replied.

As they laughed, the liquid shook down their head and fell down their neck. 

Captain raised their arm, and tapped their forehead.

They stopped, eyes wide.

It was covered in thick gold.

[justcallme-ange]

an anon asked me a similar question and i wanted to see your answer! if two of your dreams from any au switched places, how would they react? how would things go for them? - loyal

Oooh that's a good question! @simplepotatofarmer Well, if we're going with my two more developed AUs - CHF!Dream and AH!Dream would have one heck of a time adjusting. Quick premise, in the RivalsChildhoodfriendsAU the DSMP is a roleplay group that performs and livestreams similar to like Critical Role. All the characters are friends, and none of the damage is real.

AccidentalHuman AU is set in the world of the DSMP, timeline adjusted to where Dream was in the prison for a time, but Techno was in on the plan from the beginning and had the plans to bust him out. So no major damage to Dream's psyche happens here - he still has some issues but they're not as bad. He joins the Syndicate after being broken out and joins them on their missions.

------

So CHF!Dream would be hella confused when he drops into the world and the people who he's friends with, and was just talking to hours before not only don't respond to his questions but are actively try to kill him. Thankfully he's not too far from Techno's cabin, which the coordinates are the same in both worlds, and he's super happy to see some friendly familiar faces. That is until he see's Techno... XD I'd think after some explaining, they determine what happened and the poor members on the Syndicate add another weird phenomenon to their growing roster of things to fix. It's a bit of an adjustment, him hearing that this world plays out like his RP but it's real - kind of sends him into a depression for a bit. (He's also super sad to learn that the Exdee of this world is cold and manipulative). AH!Techno would be kind of weird/awkward around CHF!Dream for a bit - mostly because CHF!Dream acts super familiar with him. I think most of the group would be a little weirded out by CHF!Dream tbh, because he's like super normal? Like their Dream is not unfriendly, but he's a little cagey about certain things, and a little more battle-hardened. But this Dream? He's like an open book. I mean CHF!Dream is no slouch, he's still a champion fighter, but he doesn't flinch at certain names, or get upset when Tommy is mentioned. Actually he's super fond of Tommy and Wilbur, which weirds the hell out of AH!Techno for a bit. He's just... lighter. He has a good time in this world all considered, and kind of lifts everyone's spirits just being a little sunshine boy. On the flip side, AH!Dream would be a nightmare for everyone for a bit. He wakes up swinging, and it takes Exdee the better part of the day trying to calm him down. Only for him to go right back to fighting when CHF!Techno shows up. The Syndicate is called in and after AH!Dream sees some more familiar faces he kind of calms down. It's very clear for the people around him that this is not their Dream, and after a lengthy process they manage to get enough info on the situation to start to formulate a plan. (The fact he's lived their RP story and actually went through the things they pretended... kind of horrifies the group). First thing though, they send out a message to the rest of the DSMP that Dream would not be attending some scheduled RP streams due to... "extenuating" circumstances. (Tommy is def not allowed to visit for a while). So in the meantime, AH!Dream ends up staying with the Syndicate, for the other's safety mostly. This time it's his turn to be weirded out, because everyone is so friendly. Phil is super parental to him, and Niki and Ranboo are relaxed and don't seem haunted? Not to mention Exdee being around, and like... fretting over him? At some point he overhears Techno talking to Sapnap and George explaining that something's happened and they'd have to postpone some lore stuff, and wonders how in the world they're in contact. To say he is skeptical about the whole situation would be an understatement. The group makes it a point to actually get AH!Dream some therapy because some gut reactions he has to situations kind of scare them a bit. It takes him a while to believe that he's not actually in danger, that this is not an elaborate trap, and that the people around him are actually his friends. At some point he actually starts to envy CHF!Dream because his life is not as complicated as his.

How they switched and how they get home idk, they do return to their respective lives at some point, but yeah, they're not to dissimilar from each other so I don't think it would be catastrophic, its kind of like if an actor and the character they play were to switch places? (It would be totally different if it was c!Dream dropped in either world...)

[billdenbrough]

@naturecalls111 prompted me kevaaron + massage when i needed a warmup prompt bc she is the best. waves hands this is a vague au and heads up for some suggestive content ahead but it's just prelude vibes lmao

The thing is. The thing is that Aaron’s hands, while smaller than Kevin’s, are firm. It was a fuck of a thing, coming onto this team after two years of Volshan’s huge, bone-cracking hands, and being told this small blond with sharp eyes and a clever, pretty mouth would be the one helping Kevin with keeping his body well-tuned.

He certainly feels like an instrument right now, strung too tight. Everything is taut. He’s only halfway sure it’s his muscles. The rest of it might just be him, here, right now, in this moment. 

“God, what have you been doing to yourself?” Aaron mutters. He digs his thumb in deep, and Kevin can’t help the low, guttural groan that rings through the air. Aaron pauses. Kevin buries his face in the bed.

“Well, clearly that needed some working out,” Aaron says. He resumes his motions, pausing only to re-lotion his hands, and it’s just - Kevin is just -

Kevin is a fucking professional, okay? You don’t get onto as many teams as he has—let alone at the international level—without going through the team PT’s hands a time or twenty. But it’s just.

Aaron’s kinda funny, see. He's got this dry, quiet humour, usually pretty cutting, and these blunt remarks that make Kevin snort even when the recipient of such a remark sends him an injured look. The breakdown in relations with his teammates is worth it when Aaron sends him that little smile. And Aaron is smart. Obviously, medical professional, but he likes trivia and has opinions on the best way to hide a body (“My something-in-law,” he says once, in the world’s vaguest lore drop. “He’s got a variety of skills.” Which, like, ominous? If Jean were here, he’d be telling Kevin that the fact that Aaron clearly being related to some sort of serial killer isn’t flagging his boner at all means Kevin truly has taken too many Exy balls to the head. It might be true. Doesn’t change the fact that his boner remains undaunted and his neck prickles whenever he hears Aaron enter a room, so aware of him) and confiscates Kevin’s Exy racquet when he catches him at the court too late, but doesn’t make him go home. 

Which is how they end up here, actually.

Aaron says, you’re going to injure yourself, don’t be a fucking idiot. Kevin says, I need to get better. Aaron says, you’re already the best person on that court, you perfectionistic fuck. Kevin grins at him, quick and fierce, then remembers himself, and says, I can always get better. Aaron arches an eyebrow and says, not if you blow out your knee trying to conquer the world. Kevin wants to argue, but Aaron reaches over and tugs his Exy racquet free, placing one hand on Kevin’s bicep as he does so. Kevin is so struck by it that he lets him. 

Aaron says, you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to go back home. Kevin doesn’t ask how he guessed or what he’s implying. Kevin asks, what are you doing here? And Aaron says, checking the office. Thought I could get some paperwork done.

And Kevin asks, do you want company? And Aaron looks at him, expression a little unreadable, then says, yeah, okay. Come on, Kevin Day.

And he goes. And Kevin follows. 

And now here’s Kevin, getting an impromptu massage because Aaron narrowed his eyes at the way he was moving his left leg. And now Aaron’s fingers are moving up the back of his thigh, digging in, and all Kevin can think about is how badly he wants those fingers to be digging in because he’s holding on. Because he’s pulling Kevin down on him, clutching at him because he doesn’t want to let go. Or because he’s clinging to Kevin’s shoulders for dear life while Kevin proves to him that all his chat about the stamina of champions isn’t just chat. Kevin’s not picky. He’s just losing his mind a little, maybe, with how it all feels right now.

“Did you want me to do the front?” Aaron asks. “I can check your knee.”

Kevin shakes his head quickly. “It’s fine,” he says, but Aaron is frowning at him. He moves around the bed to face Kevin, and Kevin can’t escape his gaze, lying down as he is.

���Are you sure?” he asks. He presses the back of his hand against Kevin’s forehead—if he thinks Kevin has a fever and benches him, Kevin is going to be absolutely insufferable, especially because he’s fine, he’s just horny. Then he does something so completely unforgivable, and flips his hand absentmindedly, cupping Kevin's jaw. 

Kevin lets out a low whine.

Aaron steps back, and Kevin goes, “Shit, sorry, it’s—Keegan bruised me there earlier.”

The look Aaron gives him is unconvinced, but he nods. “Okay,” he says. “I'll just do a warm down then, if you’re sure.”

Kevin swallows, nods.

But then Aaron's hands are back on him. Gentler this time, for the most part, but digging into softer flesh, more tender spaces, and then—

Kevin makes a kind of gasping noise as Aaron’s hand slips a little, a little too slick from the lotion. Aaron’s apology is swallowed up by the gasp, but then cut off completely as his hand brushes against Kevin’s hard dick.

“Oh,” Aaron says, and then, “Is this why you were being so—Kevin, it’s fine. This is really normal. I promise I've seen it before.”

Appallingly, Kevin’s first instinct is to indignantly ask “Who?!”; however, cooler heads prevail and he says, “Uh huh.”

“No, I promise,” Aaron says. His voice is a little strange, but there’s sincerity in it, Kevin can tell that much. “I know it’s just a reaction, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s natural.”

Kevin blames Jeremy, who is the least honest but most sincere person he knows, for what comes out of his mouth next. Jeremy, who never tells anyone shit but is always so encouraging for people to be open with their feelings. It’s his fault, Kevin decides, because Kevin’s stupid fucking mouth decides to say, “I wouldn’t say anything.”

Aaron goes really still for a moment. Kevin is still not looking at him, so he only knows this from the sudden lack of breathing. Then, finally, “What?”

Kevin huffs, then turns over. No point hiding it now that they both know he’s hard as a rock.

It's embarrassing, but he’s said it now. He can’t unfuck that. So he stands his ground instead. “I wouldn't say it’s entirely meaningless.”

Aaron’s looking at him. Mostly his face, but he glances down at his dick, and Kevin feels it stir with interest beneath the attention. He's about to feel embarrassed, but then Aaron tilts his head, and his eyes darken just a shade, and Kevin thinks—oh. Kevin thinks, maybe this isn’t such a lost cause after all.

[cassioppenny]

top 5 pkmn rivals OR top 5 non-pokemon video games :D

starting with rivals...

5) silver

he is so silly his favorite video game is probably unironicly shadow the hedgehog. i think it's sad he has never interacted with red once not even in pokemas which is so weird to me. milesverse silver and red (also leaf/green but she's from an alternate universe so she doesn't count) are brothers (same dad) so uh yeah. more milesverse lore silver basically tried impersonating red during the main story ethan like immediately figures out he's full of shit not only because he looks nothing like him but also silver dropped his trainer id so lmao. the team rocket grunts he fights don't realize though. so uh yeah the meow meow

4) blue

kanto trio sweep. i love blue a lot but like specifically the made up version of him in my head and also anything post gen 1. gen 1 blue by himself isn't like incredible or anything though he is easily the best character in gen 1 by virtue of being the only character with more than four lines. though milesverse gen 1 era blue is my little meow meow i have given him every mental illness

3) cheren and n

i don't know who i like more so i put them together. very swag dudes i like them a lot

2) all of the sv rivals

i love them so much i had to put them all on here but i didn't want to put any of them higher than eachother i love them all equally they are my besties for real

1) wally

walter my little meow meow he was born in a wet cardboard box all alone i will protect him with my life he is my little guy. here's some milesverse lore he's like basically the main character in the gen 3 adaptation though brendan is like thoroughly convinced he is. wally, brendan, and may end up calling themselves team sky when they start going against magma and aqua. wally kinda just blurts it out during the part at the waterfall place and the gang rolls with it. also wally summons rayquaza like how the player does in emerald so uh yeah wally swag moments. he also becomes champion at the end

and now vidya games

5) sonic 3 & knuckles

i love sonic <3

4) sonic adventure 2

i love sonic <3

3) undertale

undertale sweep i love undertale so much. when i was a kid i though aus were so cool i made an au where all the characters were pokemon. i love that game. i actually like deltarune more but it's not done yet so undertale takes its place for now

2) persona 3

it's an incredibly wonderful game about living your life to the fullest even though death is inevitable with characters i adore. it is also a game created by a guy who said that he has never had a friendship with a woman and it shows. never play a persona game worst mistake in my life 0/10 don't recommend. it is also one of my favorite games of all time. special mention to the new content added in persona 5 royal actual peak fiction it is so good and on its own could be my favorite game of all time. too bad it's still persona 5. persona 4 is just bad for the love of god never play persona 4

1) kingdom hearts 2

i am. a big fan of kh. sorry for liking the disney game i can't help it. the kairi in my url is in fact kairi kingdom hearts. i will defend her honor to the end of times no one gets to bully her when im around. i kinda hate the kh fandom though specifically the people who are really invested in the ships there is a lot of misogyny there i fear. back to the game kh2 is fucking amazing it's so fun to play and the ending is so cool and the first four hours is good actually fuck you. hashtag kairi sweep give her a game square enix you cowards

[mirage-of-the-virtuoso]

{Welcome welcome! This is where all gw2 related content goes, and asks are open! I promise we won't bite!

Characters available for questions:

Chrysallus (Commander/Aurene's Champion/Mesmer)

Aurienal (Mender/Lieutenant/Mesmer Mentor)

Arioch (Ex-NMC/Resident chaotic bastard/Alchemical Engineer)

If you don't know what to ask or how to ask it, conduct it like an interview! Be nosy! Just don't expect straight answers from in-character responses!

Click here for the latest ask game I've reblogged. Will change periodically. Any asks sent without a specific character chosen, I will assume means you want every character's answer.

Making this both an rp and an ask blog now. Why not do both?

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List of important tags:

#ramblings of chrysallus - blog updates and random nonsense from the blog writer

#nightmare's call - NMC!AU of an oc

#dreams gone wild - anything I can use as fanfic ship bait for an oc

#crystal echoes - things that occurred in an oc's timeline

#shards of the hourglass - angst tag ;;w;; I am sorry in advance

#people watching - hi, my ocs want to interact with your ocs OwO consider this an invitation

#vibe check - currently functioning as both the aes tag and the playlist tag. Might leave it like that

#passiflora blooms - romantic ship bait

All things beyond Personal Story (PS) will be tagged as spoilers (ie "PoF spoilers/lws2 spoilers", etc)

Screenshots will be tagged as "wild [character] spotted!" because it's fun

Inbox: Empty

Asks: Open

Anons: On

Blog updates under the cut! ~🌸}

3/7/23: Thought I'd switch up the pinned post a bit, make it less long. Also have a ref of Chrys and Luna during HoT

5/25/23: Reminder that the ask box is open for any and all inquiries! Expect in character asks (can even rp if you want to shake our characters together in a hamster ball).

Also thought I'd mix up the pinned a bit while I am working on the lore.

6/4/23: Dropped the HoT-lws3 lore arc for Arioch finally! Will adjust it as necessary.

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Anyone want some playlists?

Chrysallus

Aurienal

Arioch

(Currently, Auri and Arioch needs more on their playlists. Just made them recently, but they both have at least 10 songs. Hope y'all enjoy them regardless! If you see nightcore on the playlists, it's to make sure I know which song I'm looking for to replace it with later)

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Current lore project: None. Give me suggestions for people in my ask box!

If you like a headcanon that I put thought into or add-on to, don't be afraid to reblog it! I'd love to see others that have thought about the same stuff I have!

Also, if you are one to mass like/reblog my stuff, I see that as a compliment, so don't worry about clogging my notifs!

[luthorao3]

I don't suppose you would mind explaining what K/DA is? Because I have no clue but I feel like I need context before reading the very... interesting fic snippets I've seen cropping up

you have no idea how excited this message made me, lmaooooo. i love sharing the things that i like with others sm.

basically, k/da is an au branch off from league of legends, but you don't need to know anything about league to enjoy it. you can, of course, read up some league lore on the champions who are in this group if you really want to (would rec, if you're into it, as it offers a tiny bit more background), but it's not essential as k/da is set in a whole different universe.

their first single came out 2018 - pop/stars. this single song did so much, it still stuns me that so much was created from so little material, but creative types will be creative.

and then their ep came out last year, with another music video created for their song more. would rec listening to the full ep (villain, drum go dum, i'll show you) and the single that dropped before it (baddest).

you can read more about the k/da 'verse on the league website here. there's some more info about the group members on there if you click through it, and also this little mock interview which, along with a very good friend of mine, is the sole reason i got as into this fandom (and ahri/eve as a pairing) as i did. my bias is very apparent and i'm shameless about it.

there are a few other bits and pieces here and there, that will be super easy to find if you want to look for them, but there isn't really all that much meat in this au. which means that fanfiction writers (hello!) have done whatever they wanted with it. hmu if you want recs! <3

[sabraeal]

The Noblest Prince the World Hath Known

Written for @onedivinemisfit on the occasion of her birth!! She asked for a little bit of an Scandinavian Lore AU we had tossed back and forth a year ago, with Shirayuki as a huldra and Obi as svartalfar, and I was all too happy to oblige.

When father sat upon Tanbarun’s throne, he loomed head and shoulders over any who approached, a giant among men. Yet Raj sits in the very same chair, and he has to crane his neck to peer over the crowd.

It’s unfair, that’s what it is. He could see the doors if he wanted-- he’s not small, like Clarines’ prince. Or well, their second one. He hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting their king-to-be, but he’s heard rumors. Three whole alen if talk is to be believed; which it never is, and even less so now that he’s seen Zen is only little over two and a fot.

But if it was, the first prince of Clarines would be able to see the doors from the throne-- which he never would, because only the royal line of Tanbarun was allowed to sit upon it. But in this particular thought exercise-- what his tutors liked to call the tedious puzzles they inflicted upon him as training and to increase his moral fiber-- he could and he was, and Izana Wisteria, due to be first of his name, saw easily from one end of the hall to the other.

Unlike Raj, who could not. Or rather, unless he wanted to look like he was trying, which according to various philosophers on the subject of royalty, was a mistake that could only result in tragic consequences. That’s the hardest part of this whole princing business--  trying to look like you’re not trying while you’re really trying quite hard.

“Do you see her?” His neck aches from all this effort. Especially all the effort he’s putting in to make it seem effortless. “Is she here?”

“It does not seem as if she is, Your Highness.” Sakaki shifts beside him, needlessly vigilant and still mild as ever. “Do not strain yourself. I can see quite easily--”

“You don’t need to rub it in,” he mutters, slouching into the red velvet. “You’re an adult after all. If my father is any stick to measure myself by, I’ll be quite tall, Sakaki. Even taller than you. Three alen at least!”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“You might try to sound like you mean it.” He folds his arms across his chest, elegantly sullen. Father might say such a look isn’t becoming of a man of his station, but Raj can name at least three ancestors whose official portraits contained a regal slouch. That seems more than enough to prove his point. “Why isn’t she here yet? Doesn’t she know royalty arrives last? It’s terribly rude to make a prince wait.”

Sakaki clears his throat. “Not for the vette.”

Raj huffs, cross. “I don’t see why not! It’s a simple precedent. One does not keep their betters waiting.”

His aide hums, gaze fixed to the doors. “In the opinion of the vette, they have no betters.”

“No betters?” Raj squawks. “Did not the Lord give man dominion over the land and the animals? And then among them, did he not raise up his chosen as kings?”

The muscle in Sakaki’s cheek twitches. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Raj throws up his hands. “Then what’s the problem?”

His aide clears his throat, so delicate, before he says, “I am afraid they are not much moved by the laws of Christ when so many of them are older than the Lord himself.”

He doesn’t realized his jaw has dropped until it is cushioned by his cravat. “You cannot be serious.”

Shirayuki-- the protector of the wood herself-- hardly looks older than twenty. A damn sight younger, by his count. He’d accept a hundred years for her, give or take, but older than Christ--?

Certainly not. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sakaki,” he scoffs, waving a hand. “You should know better than to believe old wives’ tales. Nothing could live so long.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” His mouth pulls thin. “Still, they do not consider themselves to be subject of any mortal king. They rule themselves.”

“W-well we didn’t tell them they could do that!” Raj sputters. His fingers loop into the grooves of the throne, golden claws dripping down from his fingertips. “Ridiculous! What makes them think they can flout the will of God?”

Saki’s mouth twitches; it is not toward a smile. “What do they need with the Lord’s kingdom when they were once gods themselves?”

He stares, heart beating fast in his chest. “You don’t believe that.”

“No, Your Highness.” Sakaki’s shoulders set in a tense line. “But it doesn’t matter what I believe. It matters what they do.”

Raj’s mouth works uselessly, trying to bid an answer to fall from him lips but--

But he is saves but a stir in the crowd, by the grand doors swinging wide, and there she is--

Shirayuki.

Her hair shines in a burnished halo, reminding him of nothing more than the stain-glass angel in the chapel, her arms thrown open over the altar, blazing in the morning sun. It is no wonder than man used to look upon women like her and call them goddess when even he, Defender of the Faith, the Lord’s most devout champion, sees her and only divinity leaps to mind.

“The vette is here,” Sakaki says.

“I can see that,” he snaps, jutting out a hand. “She’s standing right there!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The nobles bend to her in awe, but it is her companion that keeps them skirting back, fear in their eyes. Obi may be as formally dressed as any man in this room, but whereas Shirayuki can pass for something more than human, he is something less. His teeth flash sharp and white against the black of his skin, so dark that he seems to consume light rather than repel it.

Svartalfar, some whisper, but on the same breath, demon. Even wearing his master’s livery, Obi cannot escape the suspicions of another, darker one.

“You’re supposed to open the floor with her.”

“I know that!” Raj jolts from his chair, storming down the dais. “I planned it!”

Sakaki lingers a step behind him. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Raj slows his stride as he approaches, taking care not to seem too eager, too hurried. He will be king one day, after all. A king rushes nowhere; the entire world spins at his pace--

“Prince Raj.” A slender hand holds itself out to him, and when he chases the sun-kissed skin, it leads him to Shirayuki’s radiant smile. “You’ll face me?”

He scowls, shoulders itching beneath the wool of his jackets. “Coming from you, Lady Shirayuki, that sounds like an invitation to duel.”

“Then let us set our terms.” There is no malice in her words, no challenge; only the playful sing-song of her kind. “We’ll see if we’ve managed to improve this bond between us.”

Her shadow huffs at that, but it’s good humored, no threat within it. Even Sakaki’s hand doesn’t stray toward his hilt.

“If you have selected the ballroom as your field of honor, and dancing as your weapon--” he takes her hand, guiding her into his arms-- “then your victory is assured.”

Quite dashing all in all, if he does say so himself. A real tour de force

The crowd gasps, though not at his prowess; that is solely the provenance of Shirayuki’s dress-- or rather, what is inside it. He leads her onto the floor, and that they all see what he did that day in the woods outside Tanbarun: a beautiful woman whose back cuts away from her flesh, as hollow inside as a log.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” She grimaces as the orchestra hesitantly plucks out their next piece, eyes still stuck on the huldra in their midst. “I’m not exactly, um...”

“Come now.” He smiles wide, cajoling. “I have seen Zen’s winged vette on the floor. Even with a fraction of her grace, surely you are nothing but a-- OW.”

“I warned you,” she hissed, the cream of her face flushing a rosy pink. “I’m not very skilled in, um...” She bites her lip; less divine presence and more comely young debutante. “My gifts lie in other areas.”

“Ah-haaa,” he groans, resisting the urge to cradle his foot. “Yes. I’m sure I’ll be glad of that later. For now we must...make do.”

She nods, and ah, she makes it so easy to forget is not some pretty mortal girl. That is the way of the huldr; always longing to be human. “Sorry.”

“No, no.” This time the band chooses another, easier tune, upbeat but well-paced. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had a terrible partner, if you can believe it. I mean--” Sakaki glares at him from across the floor-- “not that you’re terrible.”

“It’s fine,” she giggles, stumbling over her feet. “There’s no reason not to call a spade a spade.”

He stares down at her, her cheeks rosy as any maiden’s. “I think you will find very few people think that way.”

Her brow quirks, sly. “Ah, I forget. Mortals are so fragile. Even your feelings are delicate.”

“A funny thing for a vette to say,” he scoffs, leading her into a turn-- one she botches, stumbling over her own feet. “Wasn’t it one of yours that wanted to destroy the world because it bothered him that another was so well loved?”

He expects her to frown, to show him the same gentle disappointment he’d come to expect from her these last few months, but--

“They did.” Her mouth curves, mischievous. “Perhaps you should take that as a warning, Prince Raj. It could take so little to displease me.”

She’s teasing; the humor lights her face like the sun does the dawn. But his heart sinks even still, hand tightening on her waist.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did want to demand satisfaction,” he admits, sullen. “It was my duty to keep you safe, and I’ve done a terrible job of it.”

She laughs softly, like the babbling of a brook. “Prince Raj--”

“No, it’s true,” he insists. “What good is a prince who can’t even keep a woman from being kidnapped in his own castle? Name your second.” He winces. “I suppose it is Obi, and I have no chance at all.”

She shakes her head, mouth curved in a rueful smile. “You’re not the first to blame himself for my troubles, and it’s no more your fault that his. Besides, you aren’t Zen,” she reminds him, “you have only men at your disposal. And no man is a match for a vette.”

He bites his cheek. It had only taken him, the useless prince of Tanbarun, to chase her away from her place of power. Whatever the vette had been, they were it no longer.

That wasn’t a point to bring up on the dance floor, however.

“I’m glad you wore the dress,” he says instead, and this time when he spins her out, she comes back gracefully into his arms. “I was afraid you might not like it.”

“Ah, yes.” She blinks down at the gown, missing a step he quickly compensates for. “It is quite...revealing.”

“I thought it made a point.” His fingers twitch on the silk. “Though I must admit, I wasn’t quite sure where to hold you.”

Shirayuki laughs, bell-like and clear. “I’m just like anyone else.”

Raj glances at her from the corner of his eyes. “Far from it.” He coughs. “I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered from the last time I saw you.”

He nods at the buds that stud the line of her back, the moss growing lush along the edges of it. None of the brown lingered, nor the bare patches.

“Ah.” Her gaze tangles with his, his heart beating faster. “What withers only grows back stronger. I will bloom again.”

“Lady Shirayuki, when it does...” His heart pounds, words choking him with their earnestness. “I would like to see it.”

Her feet still entirely beneath her. “If you are asking me as a friend, Prince Raj...” Her mouth breaks into a wide smile. “The sure. Happily.”

[mal-dambra-blog]

had anyone asked to you about Sha Lin for the ask meme?

Nope. @rururinchan almost did, but she asked for Mal’Damba instead, which was absolutely great since I could have an opportunity to express my love for snekman. Anyways, here you go!

Favorite thing about him: 

HIS VOICE. I have a million things I love this about this man, but his default voice stands out quite. I think that’s why I kept on playing him pre-OB50 (and the deadly logs he calls his ‘arrows’). There are some lines where I go, “oh hey is this a 12 year old speaking” and “okay nevermind he is an adult that attempts to goof off,” but yes. His voice is something. I find it slightly ‘meh’, but really, I can’t stop being reminded of it? It’s oddly addicting.

(+ Memes. Your sihgt fails you, desert boi)

(+ Vigilante AU that made me actually like the vigilante/guardian/crime fighter skin)

Least favorite things about him:

Look. I spend so much time drawing Sha Lin and such, which makes it easy to assume that I absolutely love this character to bits and have nothing about him that I dislike. But no, that’s Mal’Damba and Inara you’d be talking about. They got the free pass.

If I loved everything about this character, I would have named my blog, uh, Sha_eyeLiner. Not Mal’Dambra.

Let me list out the three least favorite things about Sha Lin. They’re on equal level of hatred, so I can’t choose one. This is probably going to be one of the longest ‘least favorite things about [character]’ sections, and I am not ashamed of that. Time for me to take out my salt container and grill the shit out of this boy with hyperbole!!

1. He is really hard to draw, surprisingly. I’d rather be cranking out sketches of Fernando’s armor than Sha Lin’s face if it weren’t this odd attachment to the character. It took me months for me to get accustomed to drawing him. When I mean months, I mean almost half a year. What’s better is that Sha Lin’s hairstyles in the icon and in-game model are so different, I don’t even know how to draw his hair anymore. (Also, I have no clue on how his hair in general works out, which is another bonus.

2. Wishy-washy character with a vague ‘goal’. Sha Lin is that one character where my monkey brain that is supposed to analyze goes nuts and enters a mid-life crisis instead of the actual bowman himself. A huge chunk of the champions here are pretty defined, even with extremely minimal hints of lore. Their voice lines and card art are pretty descriptive on their own. They have character. But Sha Lin? Dude’s like mayonnaise. Hella bland.

On the outside, he’s the standard, “Oh hey, I’m a nomadic warrior that has spent a good chunk of my life TRAINING and TRAINING and I want to meet and challenge new people!!!! GLORY!!! EXPERIENCE!!! YEHA!!!”

If you hear some incoherent screaming from the distance, that’d be the sound of me crumbling to pieces. It’s not like I’ve seen countless characters like this every Saturday morning at 10AM when I always turned on Cartoon Network as a wee baby child. And he’d be the heckin’ protagonist as well. Might either be that one kid from Pallet town or that other kid who invented a battling game from cards dropping from the sky. Who knows?

I don’t even know, man. Sha Lin seems like a humble sweetheart. A cinnamon roll possibly in his mid-twenties. Aw sweetie. Go become the very best, like no one ever was. Boy’s also got the Naruto headband already; he should probably live the life of an anime protagonist and awkwardly try to flirt with other champions. Hah, what a prick. Also there are a lot of implications about royalty and such, so oh wow. At least that seems interesting?

If I stopped right there, I’d simply have progressed on my life- forming headcanons on characters that I actually empathize with. I could have drawn the line with Sha Lin being a generic dojo character that embarks on a journey for a vague-ass concept that is ‘glory’. He could have just stuck there, at the bottom of the ‘likeable champions’ list. 

Well, he seems like a sweetheart, so he’d gone up a couple of steps. Anyways.

3. His voice sometimes comes off as annoying, although I did say it was my favorite. A good number of the traits I love about him are simultaneously the traits I dislike. Except for the ‘generic protagonist’ trope. Some might absolutely dig it. I, a cynical ass, am not the biggest fan.

Favorite Lines (aside from his puns): 

- My journey leads me to battle. So be it.

- A small victory, but the battle is not over.

- Think about what you have done.

Random Headcanons: 

I’ve. Destroyed the order of how the ask things go, but that’s to redeem the shit I said for No.2 of the ‘least favorite thing about Sha Lin’. I do have to admit, I exaggerated on his character a bit, since he’s not necessarily a full-on generic protagonist. I just get frustrated sometimes. (Why am I even attached to the guy?)

Here’s a headcanon: Sha Lin is a balanced embodiment of humility and ambition. He values battles and doesn’t over-glorify them. It probably comes from experience and life lessons. He’s also a balance of goof and seriousness, which is also a plus.

That’s the thing. He’s an…. intricate character the more you look at him. I’ve stopped taking him lightly anymore, although he’s pretty distant from dead serious characters like Lex.

Unpopular opinion: The bowman would probably dislike Aladdin. I mean okay, there are common points with the two characters, but Aladdin exerts power using a magic lamp that grants wishes in a snap. Sha Lin, who had been mastering the art of battle for years, could “low-key” resent that. After all, he had ‘years of training’ to get to the level he currently is in.

But, he’d probably go along with the Aladdin jig just for the laughs.