dargorian

[dargorian]

My partner showed me the "Nine Months" meme (I believe they were LoL characters in the pic he showed me but I don't know their names. I'm sorry!) and he suggested I draw Callum and Rayla like this. What didn't help was one character had a blue scarf and looked so much like Callum that the idea festered until I just had to draw it. I had so much fun drawing them older (and making this kid look so much like Callum as well). And there may be hints of horn buds under the blanket. My next pic should be the ambitious one when I can bring myself to start it. wdym I need to write my fic? I'm procrastinating. 

[dargorian]

I stumbled across the deleted scene where Callum initiates a kiss after he returns from talking to himself, and after talking to a friend of mine for about twenty or so seconds, I convinced myself to draw it. So I spent the past couple of days working on this. While I am a little miffed we didn't get this kiss, I am, on the other hand, happy as it's spurred a few people to draw it out themselves. I almost drew them the wrong way at first and had to bring up references of them from the other side to make sure I didn't. The number of times I was so close to erasing Callum's hair to draw in what I saw as the correct side is shameful. I at least remembered his book was reflected (and his bag), the rest I relied on references to remind me. I also forced myself to stop at this point as I knew I'd keep messing around with the ripple effects, shading etc if I didn't. This was also done as part of a collaboration in a way on a discord server I'm in (my friend drew where they're holding hands, and I drew the kiss after). So for continuity's sake, we used the same background.

[dargorian]

I'm alive, I swear. Just been reaaaaaally busy working.

Please accept this peace offering (a small snippet from my next fic aboard the Sea Legs).

Callum nodded, “And when I punched him for hurting you, he… he knew. So he chose to hurt you more instead of me...” He trailed off, leaning into her touch. His hand rose and pushed her palm further against his face. Rayla’s brow pinched in worry, stepping closer, “What did Finnegrin know?” His breath was warm against her wrist, nose nuzzling the heel of her hand. When he looked at her, he swallowed, voice barely above a whisper, “What you mean to me.” Should she tell him? Or should she wait for Callum to tell her first? Finnegrin could see he still loved her, but they hadn’t had that conversation yet and she’d feel like she was pushing him for a response if she told him that she loved him - had always loved him. She searched his eyes, finding him looking saddened, guilty even. He was blaming himself for the pain she endured and she knew he shouldn’t - Finnegrin was to blame. So she swallowed her confession down and ran her thumb over his cheekbone, under his swollen eye. They were so close that with a gentle tilt of the head, their foreheads touched. Her eyes closed and she sighed softly, cupping his face entirely in her hands. Gently, she ran her thumbs across his cheeks as his arms pulled her closer, holding her. I love you, she thought, sliding her hands from his face to his neck. Her thumbs traced his jaw to under his ears as her fingers curled around his nape. “Callum?” She started, eyelids fluttering open to meet his gentle green gaze. Her touch again moved along his jaw, “What do I mean to you?” His forehead rocked slightly against hers in a tiny nuzzle, “Everything.”

I have a couple of Rayllum pics in the works too. One's a meme, another is rather ambitious of me (background-and-lighting-wise) so we'll see where that goes.

[dargorian]

Figured I'd at least share a tiny update with my fics, and I say tiny but it's probably not.

This is my "everyone is a year older" Rayllum AU notes/ideas where I put down anything and everything I think of to do with that AU. I also expand on ideas, flesh out bits to include and recycle parts I've excluded, and I'm very quickly losing control of it following a conversation with a friend of mine.

I have six fics planned now instead of four (and so many potential titles for the AU that I really need to sit down and think over what to actually call it before I post my Sea Legs fic - which should be soon at the rate I'm roughing it out).

I'm trying to write them in order now (the previous post 7x09 sandwich fic I mentioned is now in the AU, following the same conversation with a friend of mine). All of the fics have titles too (two are tentative until I can get more plotted/written and then I'll have a definitive title for them).

What I can do though, is share the timeline for the AU and where the fics take place. Note that only the first fic has its title shared, otherwise it might spoil the plot of that fic if I just outright share the title.

"The Lavender Inn" (5x02 inn fic) - complete and on AO3

Aboard the Sea Legs (5x08 fic) - being plotted out thoroughly before I write it. A couple of scenes have been roughed but not enough to share snippets. This has a tentative title.

The Frozen Ship (6x03) - base plot for the most part done

The Starscraper (6x06) - basic plot roughed. Two scenes roughly written.

Aftermath of the S7 battle (7x09) - just notes rn, and the other tentative title.

Post 7x09 fic - spent a good few weeks roughing this out before I intergrated it into the AU. Several scenes are roughed out but also not enough to share snippets of.

And there might be more squeezed in here and there.

Feel free to guess and speculate.

.::Adding on that I saved this as a draft and went back to writing a few hours ago and I have since broken this file down into each story's notes instead so it's easier for me to keep on track with each story. I was bouncing between stories and adding things here and there that I kept having to step away to refocus. I should be able to focus more easily now and get stuff done quicker::.

Stating again that everyone is a year older in this AU. (And I mean everyone).

[dargorian]

"You know what I love about you? ... Everything."

✨ I wish you all Happy New Year! ✨

I planned to finish this picture in 2024, but was sitting on it waaaay longer than I should have (which... doesn't really show, but uh... will just post it before I change my mind).

[dargorian]

Not me having watched S7 putting my second Rayllum AU one-shot/minific on hold for a moment as I plan out a post 7x09 sandwich fic.

Inspiration's hitting so hard right now, like jfc I also want to draw so much too

If anyone is interested, my one-shot/minific is on the sealegs, with thoughts of potential consequences coming to light after what they did in my inn fic.

The inn fic had sandwiches. The sealegs fic may also have sandwiches because it's like she almost died but he's also injured and is he sure he should be doing this in that state. This post 7x09 fic meanwhile is 100% sandwiches AND has a title already. I'm also losing control of it. Send help.

(The Lavender Inn is what my first AU fic is called on AO3. Don't have a title yet for my sealegs fic but I should when I've done more)

[dargorian]

I spent a while on this and pushed myself to get it done today before season 7 dropped. Despite my attempts at making this a simple drawing, this instead became a challenge to do. Namely with the angle, lighting direction and Callum's cheek squish. I am happy with how it turned out; it's super cute! But I'm also mad at my past self for choosing this specific angle. Why can't I draw normal angles that are easier to figure out 🙃 I used so many references making this not only for the angles but for the shading too (I, no joke, have over 600 saved images in a reference folder). I imagine that after their kiss they kept giving each other little pecks, giggling all the while. They move to Callum's hammock when Rayla yawns and they cuddle together. There they talk, sharing small kisses when they can't help themselves, giving gentle nuzzles and overall enjoying this closeness again. They fall asleep like that, snuggled in each others' arms.

[dargorian]

arcane/ tdp 6x03 redraw, tried replicating the rendering style

[dargorian]

Final chapter is now up!

This is an AU (kind of) - the only difference being everyone is a year older!

Tiny warning, I go off about sandwiches in the notes at the end so feel free to skip.

While there's no sandwiches in this chapter, there is the topic of the morning after and sooooo much fluff.

If people enjoyed this, please let me know by commenting on it (even keyboard mashing is fine lmfao).

When I can, I'll start on the next fic (it's veeeery rough right now aboard the Sealegs. I have a starscraper sandwich fic too planned, also roughs).

[dargorian]

Chapter five!

Reiterating again that this is a kind of AU - everyone and I mean everyone is a year older.

There's sandwiches in this chapter. Do not read this fic if that is not your thing.

Content warning just in case.

[dargorian]

This was a fun challenge for myself trying to emulate her moonshadow form. I spent a couple of hours watching and rewatching her going into and out of it until I was confident with how to draw it. And the effects (which you can't really see with the rim light) took me a bit to figure out as well. Her pose is more or less the icon of her stealth attack in the Xadia game (Rayla is fun to play as but I keep forgetting she dodges forward while Callum dodges backwards. I haven't thrown myself off a few ledges as her. Nope, not at all 😅). I also love how she sometimes yells out "Surprise!" as she attacks lmao.

[dargorian]

Fourth chapter is now up!

Once more - this is kind of an AU as everyone (and I mean everyone) is one year older. I've started pecking at the next story of this AU btw.

There's kind of sandwiches in this chapter. Do not read this fic if that is not your thing.

Content warning just in case.

[dargorian]

I've finally managed to get Xadia on my phone and it's fun to play. I've been playing as Callum mainly and after seeing him cast Tempestus, I was inspired to draw him using it similar to in game. And part of me hopes he'll use it in the show. This idea also let me challenge myself with lighting. His mage wing runes are glowing too, a suggestion made by a friend of mine.  I have a Rayla picture almost done too. So keep an eye out for that.

[dargorian]

Third chapter now posted! And a reminder that everyone is a year older in this kind of AU. (Aaaaand if enough people like it I'll continue it as a series. I have two more fics in mind to write. One of which is sandwiches at the starscraper).

There are sandwiches in this chapter. If that is not your thing do not read this fic.

Buuuuuut if it is? Enjoy

Content warning again to play it safe.

[dargorian]

Second chapter of my fic. Which happens to be the longest and has one of my favourite parts in it that hit me in the feels.

Reminder that everyone is one year older in this kind of AU.

And there will be sandwiches from the next chapter onwards. If that is not your thing, then neither is this fic.

Content warning again just in case

[dargorian]

After a year of writing, I finally got round to posting the very start of my inn fic.

It's kind of an AU where the only difference is everybody is a year older (and I mean everybody). There might be some sequels too (I have at least two planned, one of which is a starscraper fic).

The entirety of this fic has been written out (~34k words, 6 chapters the last time I checked) so the schedule should hopefully be weekly.

There will be sandwiches in later chapters. If that is not your thing, do not read the fic.

Putting a content warning on this post as well just in case.

[dargorian]