#delzeena

[kavrillia]

Delzeena running for her life

I drew this for the new cover image but it's going to be too small there to see any details so here's the full size version as a teaser. Xorax is still in progress.

[kavrillia]

Vazali:  50% cinnamon roll, 25% fairy tale queen, 25% stubborn idealism

Bronzar: 60% worrying/overprotectiveness, 20% hopeless romantic, 10% self-doubt and self-loathing, 10% Dad of the Year

Zenni:  80% cartoon trivia, 20% maternal abandonment issues, 10% trouble

Delzeena:  40% sass, 30% trauma, 20% sweetness, 10% berserk defensiveness

Zarolyn:  80% cuteness, 10% drool, 10% tragic backstory

Xeebec:  50% selfishness, 40% daddy issues, 10% snark

Kazaneta:  70% done with her siblings’ drama, 20% middle child syndrome, 10% hermit artist

Xorax:  90% brainwashed bloodlust, 10% care for family members, 0% tolerance for idiot minions

Nartok:  65% daddy issues, 20% chauvinism, 5% arrogance, 5% halitosis

Abarok:  70% dumb jokes, 20% political savvy, 10% heart of gold

Zadie:  60% dumb jokes, 35% whoopass, 5% soft vulnerable center

Minalla:  70% yelling at kids on her damn lawn, 30% patriotism

Ambruk:  80% stern-but-fair dad energy, 20% past-his-prime-but-still-badass

Describe your OC with percentages (ex.: 20% bad puns, 30% caffeine, 50% anxiety…)

[kavrillia]

Writer Q&A: Delzeena

🤐 - What’s one secret they never want to tell anyone?

Some of things she saw while homeless still haunt her, but she doesn't want to burden others by sharing the memories. (Yes, she needs therapy. Badly.)

😵 - What could tempt them away from their goals?

If we define her goal as surviving, well, if she's truly cornered with no way out she accepts her fate, but otherwise she'll fight to the last.

😂 - What’s one thing that always makes them laugh?

Xeebec suffering.

😘 - Who was their first kiss with, and how did it happen?

That hasn't happened yet.

😴 - What do their sleep habits look like?

She's used to getting short bursts of sleep when and where she can.

😡 - What’s their biggest pet peeve?

Rich snobs with low empathy. (Oh hi, Xeebec.)

😎 - When do they feel the most confident?

When she's able to strike back against her enemies instead of being a victim.

🤑 - What’s the silliest thing they’ve ever overspent on?

Overspending would require money.

🤩 - Who would make them star-struck?

Meeting the empress was shocking, but I wouldn't say she was star-struck. I don't think anyone would cause her to have that reaction.

🤔 - If they could have one question answered, what would they ask?

"How did I end up on the street after the orphanage had to close?" (She was too young to remember.)

😩 - What’s one embarrassing memory they can’t forget?

Barging into [spoiler redacted]'s room, screaming, after a nightmare.

😈 - What’s the evilest scheme they’ve ever come up with?

She dumped a garbage bag off the roof onto Xorax's head, but he totally deserved it.

😱 - What was the most shocking moment in their life?

Getting a lunch invitation from [spoiler.] Also other spoilery things later on.

😍 - What does it take to win them over?

Be genuine, not patronizing or condescending.

[kavrillia]

I played around with an online dollmaker program and made some Kavrillians. They're not perfect; I had to do some paint program magic to erase their ears and add antennae, some of the colors are off, the outfits aren't that accurate, and they're a bit too cute for some of the characters, but it was fun to mess around with.

(The art and game credit text wasn't optional, so I added my own as well.)

[kavrillia]

Text Post Memes with Bronzar, Vazali, Delzeena, and Vizada

[kavrillia]

Delzeena's like, "Oh cool, Vazali's here. We can go swimming now."

Meanwhile, in Bronzarvision, Empress Vazali is doing the Baywatch run in slow motion while soft-focus anime love orbs float in the background and roses unfurl around her.

Hey, Bronzar, remember that solemn oath you made to always keep professional distance between yourself and Her Excellency? How's that working out for you?

(Thanks to Pixabay for the royalty-free roses and sparkly pink background.)

[kavrillia]

Delzeena, Zarolyn, Zenni and Kazaneta watch [spoiler]'s [spoiler]

Note that everyone who's old enough to understand what's happening is not happy, while little Zarolyn is just :D

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For this pic, I did something a little different. I drew the line art by hand, then scanned it and did all the color in a paint program. Normally I use colored pencils, scan it, and then edit in a paint program until I'm happy(ish) with the result.

Did it save time? Hell yeah. Does it look as nice? Maybe. The textures aren't as rich, but I could probably work on improving my skill with the paint program and still save time compared to the pencil method. The problem is, I enjoy using the colored pencils. So I guess I continue to experiment.

[kavrillia]

A chance meeting between a homeless orphan and the empress sets events in motion neither could have imagined

Excerpt below!

If she cut across the park behind the amphitheater, she could leave the same way she had entered. Delzeena walked with her head down as she followed the wall, wishing she had never come downtown today in the first place.

Maybe she could salvage the day by finding something valuable on the ground on her way out of the neighborhood. Crowds of this size invariably dropped things. With luck, she might find some money or a snack. Better gloves were probably too much to hope for, but you never knew.

At least it stopped snowing, she told herself in a conscious attempt to lighten her mood. It makes the winter seem shorter if we don't get a big storm until after--

“Halt!”

The sudden, sharp command made her jolt with a cry of alarm.

The same voice barked, “Keep your hands where I can see them and turn around! Slowly."

She froze, put her hands in the air and shuffled around.

A tall, strong-looking Lanarian in a black suit and sunglasses was pointing a handgun at her. The insignia on his lapel identified him as a member of the Imperial Guard. "State your purpose here!"

"I...I wanted to hear the speech," Delzeena stammered.

"This is a restricted area."

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" Her agile brain began attempting to formulate an escape plan. At least the man had lowered his gun upon seeing her age.

"Is there a problem, Bronzar?" came an amused, feminine voice. The figure who stepped into view from behind the stage was a young but dignified woman with long waves of reddish-brown hair. She wore a lavender dress underneath a stylish, blue-gray trench coat, and was nearly as tall as her guard, given an added boost by her high heels.

There was no mistaking the empress, whose face appeared on so many of the magazines and newspapers Delzeena saw on newsstands. The girl's jaw dropped open. What had she gotten herself into?

"Stay back, Milady!" The guard held out an arm to block her path while never taking his eyes off Delzeena.

"Oh, for goodness' sake. She's only a child!"

"Assassins come in all sizes, ma'am."

“Does she look like a killer to you?” The empress brushed past him and leaned forward with her hands on her knees to be at eye level with Delzeena. "Hello. What's your name?"

"Delzeena, ma'am," she said softly.

"What a beautiful name." Despite the compliment, the empress' tone conveyed more pity than admiration.

Delzeena had seen that look before. Rich people thought it was oh-so-very sad that a girl her age was so bedraggled and alone. Sometimes they gave her a bit of money to make themselves feel better. More often they shook their heads and looked the other way.

The empress did neither. Instead, she asked, "Do you live nearby?"

"Uh...sort of?" Delzeena answered with a shrug.

"Milady, the audience is waiting," Bronzar reminded her.

"They've been lined up since daybreak. What’s a few more seconds?" Nevertheless, she straightened up and turned toward him.

Delzeena saw her chance and took it, bolting off through the park as fast as her numb feet allowed.

Excerpt and art  © Katie Sullivan

[kavrillia]

The Herald of Irokori fails at Grandiose Villain Monologues

(Original art 2023, reworked in paint program 2024)

[kavrillia]

Commander Delzon and Doctor Kaylana (Delzeena's grandparents)

[kavrillia]

The original pic was done in 2019 and was mostly fine except my scanner was acting up at the time so it was all washed out. One digital facelift later, here's homeless orphan Delzeena.

[kavrillia]

Text post memes with Delzeena, Xeres, and Zarolyn

[kavrillia]

Text post memes with Zadie, Abarok, Delzeena, Zalani, and Leva

[kavrillia]

Xorax channels Kylo Ren. Zola is not amused.

[kavrillia]

Delzeena's like, "Can you two dial back the lovesickness just a little bit? It's getting old."

Meanwhile, Zenni is like, "Who are you and what have you done with my dad?"

[kavrillia]

I can't believe I never thought of making AUs of my original universe before, but here are two crazy options: Emperor Bronzar and Chief of Security Vazali, and poor orphan Xorax with vengeful Delzeena (wearing Delzon's uniform and medal, no less.)