#and prayed to some sorta green dragon god

[darkdragon768]

Was taking a look into the zelda botw masters work book (or whatever it's called) again to look for my silly guys and...

I'm really fucking disappointed that the yiga got only like half a page. "Oh yea, here are the designs of the novice, officers and their leader, and a few fun facts, haha. That's all. Take it or leave it" Some concept art would have been cool, man...

Anyway, what's funny is that the creators were like

"Hey look, I designed those really cool ninjas that are out to kill Link!"

"Cool, but uh... why tho?"

"Uhh I don't know, I haven't thought that far."

I mean, I see a lot of people having the same kinda struggle with their OCs so it's not that weird but still funny to me.

[destinywillowleaf]

Oh hey look @greentrickster, I actually settled on an Apollo design. With both a composite look (sans the boots because shoes are still a struggle) and the piece-by piece, it's a miracle that I've actually made some vague attempt at a reference. I still have no idea how his hair works but that's a problem for future me.

(Left was done first, then the right.)

One of the things that quickly became apparent as a result of Apollo being the "Dragon's Dog" in this AU(acting as a lookout for the Defiant Dragons when he was younger) was the amount of dog symbolism/ideas that could still appear in his prosecutor design. Like how canon!Nahyuta has his Defiant Dragon tattoo covered by Ga'ran's symbol, obviously SOMETHING similar had to happen here. A glove didn't really feel right though (anything that looks like gloves is just me trying to draw hands), so instead it became something like the tag on a dog's collar.

Some things have yet to be fully fleshed out (colors, coat pattern, what the deal with his vest buttons is gonna be, if he has the Defiant Dragon tattoo and whether or not it's on his palm) but a transcript of the image text (and general rambling from me) is gonna be below the cut.

Trigger warnings in advance: gaslighting (to a degree), manipulation, mentions of death (but no one's physically dead).

LEFT IMAGE, TRANSCRIPT

~~vague concepts~~

-> Apollo is the "Dragon's Dog", maybe symbolism of a muzzle of dog on a chain? -> hair spikes stand up for surprise animation -> not sure if he'll have prayer beads like Nahyuta -> green said lawyer monk rights ->-> looser clothing around joints? (note: second half is cut off in image) -> bracelet on LEFT wrist -> shouldn't look overly fancy. he's put together but not royalty. -> either cloth over shoulder or around waist

(next to the small sketch on the right) kinda looks like a tail...

-> could serve as a way for Ga'ran to "keep him on a leash" and pull him back into line during Revolution...? -> jacket has loose/bell sleeves, tighter uniform/shirt underneath with collar+badge like a dog collar -> i swear he's not a furry in disguise. that's Agent Lang. -> if it is waist fabric it really is gonna be a tail lol. unless outside?? -> ...you know with the way Apollo's bracelet works it COULD be the collar. god how f*cked up would that be.

(underneath Apollo)

-> no eyeshine; regains it once all is resolved and he can be himself again

RIGHT IMAGE, TRANSCRIPT

"Casual"

-> turtleneck -> regular work pants -> "socks & sandals" like Puhray Zeh'lot b/c monk (I don't actually know what they would be called /~\ but I just didn't want to give him regular socks. This is both the "casual" look and the "first layer of outside clothing" look.)

Layer 2

-> vest thing; Ga'ran spider emblem on collar ->-> symbolic of dog collar -> like the glove covering Nahyuta's dragon tattoo -> boots??

(off to the side, top) Ga'ran's spider emblem

Prosecuting Outfit

-> bell sleeves to cover bracelet ->-> secondarily to make him seem younger/unfit for the position -> butterfly design on bottom of jacket is not final; might just be plain -> waist fabric is there to keep jacket closer to body ->-> also easy to grab & pull Apollo back. sorta like a leash & tail in one.

......

The reason Nahyuta's hand was covered was both to silence his role as a Dragon by covering the tattoo, but it also makes Ga'ran present in his daily life as well. Every time he would go to pray, her influence would be there, reminding him who he had to follow orders from. He couldn't separate his faith from the role he was being forced to play. He couldn't keep two elements of his life divided.

The same thing happens with Apollo here. His voice is a huge part of who he is, and sitting right on top of his throat his Ga'ran's symbol. Stifling the things he wants to say and preventing him from being the person he wants to be. She also influenced much of the rest of his clothing choices. The coat is a little big on him (which, really, is to be expected since the Khurainese royal family is on the taller side and Apollo is very much not)(no seriously Amara and Ga'ran are the shortest adults at 5'8", and Apollo is only like 5' without his hair spikes), which serves dual purpose in covering his bracelet and making him seem that much younger. If he weren't glaring so much, he wouldn't look like he was in his 20s. He'd look like a middle school or high school student trying to look more professional in clothes that don't fit right. Because that's all he is in Ga'ran's eyes. He's just a kid that tried to take her down and failed, now forced to serve her and prevent others like him from usurping her place.

It's a way for Ga'ran to continue minimizing the power Apollo has, keeping him in line and following her commands. When he starts to get agitated and acts "out of turn" in Turnabout Revolution, she's able to LITERALLY pull him back and keep him where she wants. She doesn't know exactly how his powers work, but she's aware that it does involve lies. If Apollo is refusing to listen or submit to her words, she will start to lie in order to cause him pain.

...

If that description makes you uncomfortable, that's the point. Ga'ran is not a good person and will do all within her power to keep things how she wants. She knows Apollo can't fight back without risking the lives of Amara and Rayfa, so she's free to more or less gaslight and manipulate him into the prosecutor she wants. Apollo is her attack dog now, not the Dragon's lookout boy. He obeys her commands, not those of his adoptive father and his insurgent group.

And it's not like most of the Dragons would recognize him anyway. As the lookout, he was always wearing a mask and barely spoke a word outside of alerts. He didn't stick with the main group, and most only saw him at the start, and only saw him at the end if it was a successful mission. But Apollo still remembers some of their faces. He remembers the people Dad recruited to fight back against Ga'ran and now he's the one condemning them to their graves on her orders.

Ga'ran holds the cards. There's not much that can be done in Khura'in to oppose her. Really, the only chance of things changing would be Nahyuta coming back, but that's less likely by the day. Coming back without a plan would be a death wish, but with no way to meet up and not have Ga'ran listening in, it's all too easy to let go of the false notions of salvation and accept that things won't change.

After all, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi is dead.

Drowned in a mountain river without a soul to save him. His body was turned to ash to prevent him from being paraded around like it was something to be proud of. His restless soul still wanders this world, because Ga'ran is the reason he is dead. Until justice is brought to her, he will be unable to move on and be channeled.

(At least, that's the story Ga'ran is told.)

(As far as Apollo's concerned, his brother is dead. Why waste time in holding onto hope when the reality of the situation is so clear.)

.....

I know I've probably said this before, but Green I really appreciate that you sorta let me go wild with this AU! It's fun to take a crack at character designs and "what-if" scenarios on how things would change, and explore different character dynamics that result. Granted, I also have the advantage of future knowledge and not being restricted to a limited case format so it's easier to make things connect and expand on characters outside of legal drama.

(also may or may not be drafting up ideas for Nahyuta's Plumed Punisher self-insert OC cause a friend asked and I got Ideas. >:))

[symphonic-scream]

Okay so here's the summary of what happens in the first section of the ML Genshin au. If you're overly familiar with the lore of the game itself sorry in advance cause things are gonna be different. It's a mix of wanted to incorporate new ideas and I don't remember everything exactly lmao

This of course contains Spoilers for the first three Archon quests in Genshin Impact :) so there you've been warned. Also warning: long post. I'm sorry

--

So the story starts with two travelers soaring through the skies, visiting world after world as they go. However their journey is cut short when they encounter a strange god in the heavens above one such world

The travelers hold out against her for as long as they can, but she gets the upper hand, capturing one of the two travelers. She seals away the powers of the other, trapping him in this world

Some time passes. Our traveler has spent his time trying to survive in the wild in this new world, and has now fished a strange creature up out of the sea. Some floating cat thing, that insists he's not a cat. He calls himself Plagg

Our traveler is blond, with striking green eyes. His outfit is very strange, looking kinda like,, a thick leather armour type stuff but softer. There are dark stars on his shoulders, wrists, on the belt, and in the centre of his chest, and his shirt cuts off at the base of his ribs. Pants are much the same, boots ending just below the knees, and he's got some fancy golden gloves and padding on the knees

The traveler explains what he remembers of his story to Plagg, introducing himself as Adrien. He's not of this world, and he's going to find his identical cousin Felix, who was taken by a strange god, no matter what it takes

Plagg decides to be his guide in this world, which he calls Teyvat, and agrees to help him find the god and his cousin. He explains that Teyvat is divided into seven Nations, each under the rule of one of seven gods called Archons, collectively "the Seven". The land they're in now is called Mondstadt, the nation belonging to the Archon of freedom. And Anemo, the element of wind

Plagg leads Adrien into a small valley, a statue resting in the middle of a small lake right in the centre. The guide calls it a Statue of the seven, this one modeled after Barbatos, the name used for the Anemo Archon. Plagg believes there's a chance the strange god could be one of the seven, so perhaps praying to the statue may give them some answers

However when Adrien gets close, he's infused with a strange power. He now has control over Anemo

This is odd to Plagg because in Teyvat, only humans with something called a vision can use elemental abilities. Visions are gifts from the Archons, used to show who has earned their favour through what's usually some inhuman feat or something like that I guess

The statue left more questions than answers, so Plagg decides they should try to find the god in person in the City of Mondstadt. However on their way to the forest that will lead to the city, a dragon flies overhead

Plagg decides a dragon is too much work to deal with and suggests they turn back, cause maybe your cousin will show up on his own- wait - hey come back here-

Adrien marches on, interested in meeting a dragon. He walks carefully through the trees, stopping short when he spots the dragon and a shorter figure

The person slowly approaching the dragon has their back to Adrien, with pinkish-red hair, wearing a somewhat fancy looking grey hooded jacket, black high boots, and dark cyan trousers. On their left shoulder, attached to their lapel, is a spring green/seafoam?? Kinda? Idk- coloured gem

Their hand is outstretched towards the dragon, who growls lowly as the figure shushes them. Adrien leans in to see better, snapping a twig beneath his boots. At the sudden noise the dragon shoots off into the sky, flying off. The figure whips around to face Adrien, summoning a sword from thin air (vision users can just do this?? There's really no explanation that I've cared to read haha). The figure turns and runs off into the woods after staring at Adrien for a moment

Adrien and Plagg continue on their way through the woods, coming out the other end with no other issues. Once they exit the forest, a woman is calling for their attention

She's dressed in for the outdoors, emerald kinda green overalls that are cut like shorts, white,, idk kinda like tights but thicker?? And brown boots, the same colour as the pretty much useless belt around her waist, where a bright green gem and little pouches rest. Under the overalls is a navy collared shirt, soft fabric, button open at the top, a brown half jacket (cut like a crop top) open over it. Dark hair in two pigtails, bright blue eyes

She introduces herself as Marinette, an adventurer assisting the Knights of Favonius, who protect the city, with keeping monsters at bay from the city. She asks Adrien what he and his, cat? ("IM NOT A CAT!") Are doing outside the city, and he tells her he's looking for his cousin, and maybe Barbatos

Marinette explains that they haven't heard from their god in years, and only recently have they gotten any sign that the Archon actually exists, with the first Anemo vision to be given out in ages and the dragon attacks

Adrien helps her clear out a little monster camp before they head into the city, with Marinette planning on taking Adrien to see the Acting Grand Master to see if she can help

But OH NO DRAGON ATTACK. Adrien hears a voice and suddenly he's got boosted abilities, flying (using a wind glider) up with the dragon, chasing it away from the city by blasting it with Anemo energy

When he lands Marinette asks him what the hell he just did, and someone else steps in, claiming they were about to say the same thing. This woman has orange cat ears sticking out of bobbed orange hair, and is wearing glasses over teal eyes

She's got a simple, dark blue jacket on over a light blue collared shirt, a brown vest between the two. Dark pants, tall metallic, silver boots, a small kinda waist cape?? Idk what they are but she's got one and it's white and furred. A pale baby blue vision hangs from the side of her belt

This is Sabrina, one of the Captains with the knights, Marinette explains. Sabrina escorts the two of them to the headquarters of the knights, claiming the Acting Grand Master wants to speak with them

The Acting Grand Master has long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, and tired blue eyes. She wears a long dark coat, an orangey brown vision just off the right shoulder. Under the jacket is a dark brown, thick blouse and vest combo. Her pants are a pale brown, and her boots are the same as Sabrina's. Her clothing looks rather lavish

The Acting Grand Master, Chloe, she insists they call her, listens to Adrien's tale. She explains she can help once things calm down with the whole dragon thing. He wants to help, but she can't just let him in for liability reasons and strikes a deal. If he can locate the one citizen that didn't check in and confirm their health after the attack, he earns honorary knight status

The knights and adventurers head out to seek out the temples of three of the four winds while Adrien and Plagg look for this missing person. They follow traces of Anemo energy, leading them to the roof of the knights headquarters where they come face to face with the figure from the woods, the missing citizen

The citizen attempts to run, but they stop her and say the knights are looking for her. The figure cautiously introduces herself as Alix Kubdel, watching the duo cautiously

Plagg speaks first breaking the silence, asking her about what she was doing with the dragon. You know, the dragon that attacked the city? Got an explanation for that?

Alix hesitates but explains that she was trying to calm down the dragon, bond with it. When asked why, she finally explains that she's the New Anemo Archon, and she's still getting used to what she has to do

New? What do you mean new? Plagg kinda hounds at her, Adrien apologizes, and Alix says the last Archon died, and she was eventually chosen as a replacement

By now the knights are returning from the temples and Adrien takes Alix in to talk with Chloe to convince her that they don't need to kill "Stormterror", the name given to the dragon by the city. Alix corrects them, stating his name is Dvalin

Alix has to reveal to Chloe as well that she's the new Archon in order to convince her to let them try Alix's "bonding plan", and they set into action. The group sets off for the lair of the dragon, to confront him headon

Adrien fights the dragon the same way as before, realizing Alix was the one that gave him the ability to do the funky blasting and flying, and then they've got him weak enough that Adrien can do some weird otherworldly healing thing on him

Apparently the dragon was poisoned by the monsters from the Abyss, and was under their orders. Without the aid of the Archon he couldn't fight it, but now that he's met the new Archon, Alix, all is great and dandy and they have a fun chat

They all head back to the city to celebrate, but they're ambushed by a group called the Fatui from one of the other nations, Schnezneya. During the ambush a woman known as Signora, one of the Harbingers who executes the will of the Cryo Archon, gets a hold of Alix

She snatches something called a gnosis from her, leaving her weak on the ground as they flee. The gnosis, uh, it holds like,, uh, the godly powers of an Archon? It's what makes em an Archon I guess? Sorta? Anyways Alix's was stolen so she doesn't have it now

And that's pretty much it. Alix goes to heal at this big ass tree and advises Adrien fo go check out the next nation, Liyue, and their Archon Morax, to see about his cousin and thats it

Adrien would do other stuff before leaving including meeting two Alchemists and helping them explore a mountain, assisting the two owners of the Harmony Tavern with some bullshit and all that but yeah

This is a very condensed version, of the events, but anymore detail and this would be that much longer lmao

If you have any questions comments complaints or whatever let me know. Sorry this was long I tried to condense it as best I could,