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en-scribed · 13 days

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CENTER OF THE WORLD [fantasy short story]

Personified immortal Stars have lived secretly on Earth throughout history. This piece takes place in 16th century Florence, right at the brink of the Copernican Revolution. Sol, the beloved sun king, is presented with an endless battle and an impossible choice. The Stars' world was created by myself and @heirmyst. Previous post: [THE THREE BIRDS] [ORION'S FINEST] [GATHERER OF GRAIN] Word count: 4,453

The air grew colder by the moment as the sun set. Sol, soaring through the overcast sky, had to stamp down the instinct to burn brighter. Instantly, as daylight faded, the flight grew tedious, but not because of the cold. Sol hastened his wingbeats to reach his destination sooner; anything to stop having to dim his flames.

Finally, he descended into the old Medici palace’s chapel, only letting the protective cloaking field drop once the walls securely surrounded him.

Beaming, he spread his arms, ready to receive his fellow Stars. “I am here!”

His flight-blurred vision cleared, only to reveal… nothing. The cavernous space of the chapel only echoed back his own words.

And the sound of a loose page turning.

Sol walked toward the steady, calming light that radiated from an opposite corner. Cann sat alone, hunched against a wall in a way that couldn’t have possibly been comfortable for their wings and engrossed in a bound tome.

“I said,” Sol repeated, with greater enunciation, now that he spoke only to one fellow Star. “I have arrived!”

“I can see that, my king,” Cann said mildly, without looking up from their book. “I heard you the first time, and knew you were coming well before then.”

He stiffened. “Did I fail to disguise my light enough?”

“Oh no, it was more than enough for the mortals,” Cann said with a laugh, their eyes glowing with lavender flame to make the point. “But there’s no hiding from me.”

Sol sighed. He folded his wings back down and leaned against the pillar facing the other Star. “Where are the others, Canopus?”

Cann shushed him, impatient. “I’m almost done!”

“Is it truly that riveting?” Sol asked flatly. “You read too much.”

Cann didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding to the remark, or even acknowledging that they heard it. They simply flipped through the last fifty pages in the span of a few minutes and put it aside. Finally meeting Sol’s eyes with the utmost seriousness, they said, “No such thing as reading too much.”

“There is for you!” Sol argued. “You can know anything without lifting a finger. What use would you have for mortal books?” Absently, he picked it up, ready to cast it aside before the words on the cover caught his eye. It read, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres.

“For one,” Cann said, smiling, “It’s an invaluable resource on keeping up with the mortals. I know what I know, but it’s useful to keep a finger on the pulse of what they know.”

Sol found himself leaning forward. “And… what do they know?”

“It appears that one of them has taken a shot in the dark.” They held a palm out and produced a small pocket illusion; two spinning orbs, one large and golden, the other small and blue. “He has come to the revelation that the Earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around.”

Before Sol knew it, he was perusing the book. The words blended together, but the diagrams scattered throughout held his attention. He vaguely remembered secret keeper al-Tusi and the rest of the observatory students in Iran shoving quaint pictures in his face, some near identical to the ones in this tome. Somehow, their legacy had carried itself to a mind several lands away.

“How did the astronomers of the caliphates never come to this?” Sol asked.

“A misguided question,” Cann said, ending the illusory demonstration. “You cannot judge them by the standards we have because of what we know, especially because they were brilliant on their own terms. I believe you would be better served asking why this man did make this departure.”

But Sol’s mind did not have the space to ponder Cann’s philosophical proposals. Basking in the satisfaction of finally having his centrality out in the open, no matter how fringe this mortal’s reach might have been, was too momentous to be disrupted by anything else.

He caught Cann’s wry, knowing stare and tossed the book back to them. “As if I needed the humans to tell me what we’ve always known,” he said, trying his best to wipe the smile off his face. “Well, leaving that… why have I returned to an empty palace tonight?”

Cann stood, smoothly snapping to attention. “Hauntings have decided, very unwisely, to camp outside the city walls. A show of force, I gather. The others have flown out to neutralize the flock.”

“All of them?” Sol asked, surprised. “Even Sirius?”

“Especially Sirius,” Cann corrected. “Vega insisted upon having him. You know how they get when the other side of fate’s scales tips even an inch downward.”

Sol nodded proudly. “North Star V never misses,” he said. “Still. How have they not asked you to join?”

“We aren’t that desperate just yet,” Cann said lightly. “Some blasts need to be held close to the chest.”

On cue, colorful flames lit up the chapel’s entrance. As Sol hastened to adjust his crown and take his place on the steps, Cann strode forth to meet the Stars. The group, freshly out of battle, frantically scrambled to make their various reports known. V shoved their way to the front of the group, buzzing with urgent blue lightning, but at the sight of Cann, considerably relaxed.

Placing a sympathetic hand on Cann’s shoulder, V said, “I wish you only the absolute best of luck.”

Cann only blinked at them, confused. “For what?”

“My king!” Alpha Pavonis’ cry rose above the other Stars’ chattering, catching Sol’s ear. “May I have a word?”

Before Sol could open his mouth, Cyon sprang to hold Alpha Pavonis back. “Oh, don’t you dare!” she yelled. “You do not get to skip your way directly to the king, Pav. This is unacceptable!”

The two continued to struggle against each other, the arguing punctuated by warning blasts. V turned to Cann. “Enjoy dealing with that,” they said. “I’m going to do away with the debris from the latest flock.”

“Wait, the latest flock? Vega!” Cann protested, grabbing for their hand, but V was too fast, making a quick exit in a flash of lightning. Cann gestured wildly in Sol’s direction.

“Stars, silence!” Sol commanded. Instantly, the room quietened. Cyon had managed to pin Pav to the marble floor, before she was pulled to her feet by Sirius, who whispered calming words to her. Satisfied, Sol made his way down the steps. “Bring forth your reports one at a time.”

“Affirmative,” Cyon said, dropping Sirius’ gloved hand and walking toward Sol. “You see, the matter at hand is that Alpha Pav—”

Sol held up a hand to stop her. “Now, if you will begin by recounting a fellow Star’s argument, I would rather hear it from the source themself.” He glanced at Pav, who was getting back on their feet. “The sky is yours, Alpha Pavonis.”

“Ah… thank you?” Pav stammered out. Quickly regaining composure, They stood tall and trailed their peacock hued robes behind them. “My king, as I’m certain you have gathered from the North Star’s words, we have not one Haunting flock on our hands, but a ready, almost endless queue. Every time we neutralized one at the walls, another rose to take its place. We slowed it down, and even then, Vega might meet another while they’re gone.”

“Are you implying we are low on firepower?” Sol asked. “Has Sirius’ deployment not eased any such concerns?”

“Yes, but—”

“Yes, and,” Cyon corrected sharply. “Show some respect.” Beside her, Sol could have sworn he saw Sirius grinning under the cover of his mask.

Pav glared at the two, but went on undeterred. “Why continue the grueling task of taking them out one by one, when we have what it takes to frighten them off for good?”

They paused, as if their implication was obvious. Sol glanced back at Cann, who only shrugged. They were as confused as he was.

“Explain yourself,” Sol said.

“Why… we have you, my king.” Pav said. “If you send a warning using the most magnificent celestial body in the sky, they’d be forced to take heed, yes?”

“Sol,” Cann began, warningly. “This proposal is too ambitious for its own good.”

“You’ve spoken above your station more than enough, Pav!” Cyon piped up.

“Sirius,” Sol said. “Please restrain your wife.”

“Of course, my king!” Sirius’ constant flames brightened as he reached for Cyon’s arm. “Regardless, for the benefit of the court, Pav’s suggestion would be a severe violation of our arrangements with the Medici. Any unforeseen celestial events here will be seen by the entire population of Florence, and we could be—”

“Cyon,” Sol cut in, already tired. “Please silence your wife.”

“Heard loud and clear, my king.” But she was still glaring daggers at Pav, who was looking back at her with presumptuous, smug satisfaction. Sirius was barely managing to hold her back from attacking again.

Sol decided he had no time for this. “Cann!”

Cann stepped forward, wings and arms spread to usher everyone out of the room. “Say no more. Because no one here is my wife.”

“Your loss,” Sirius said, and collective airy laughter echoed around the chapel.

Sol let himself breathe, relieved by the tension dissolving. Sirius laced his fingers through Cyon’s and led her out of the room. The other Stars swiftly followed them, their conversations now far more lighthearted. Only Pav lingered behind, slow to budge. Sol took a tentative step toward them.

“That means you too, Alpha Pavonis!” Cann ordered, cutting any action short now that Pav had no choice but to listen. “Move!”

“All of your concerns have been heard!” Sol promised the exiting Stars. “Allow me until the next sunrise. We will proceed only with what is best for you!”

“You heard him, next sunrise!” Cann repeated for emphasis. “For skies’ sake, don’t let me catch any of you out of your quarters before then. I will know!”

Once everyone else left the hearing range, Sol sank into the altar seat, gripping the crown on his head tightly between his hands. He only had some hours to figure this out, and failures awaited him in every direction; which of them would be less shameful to bear?

Cann cleared their throat. “Is everything alright?” they asked, the calculated performance of the king’s advisor flawlessly shifting to the softness of a friend.

Sol tried to smile back, but it felt hollow. It always did when he was with Cann. And yet, even as he knew there was no use, he found himself saying, “Yes. Hauntings and mortals have never stopped us before. This is an inconsequential matter.”

Cann raised an eyebrow. They both knew full well nothing involving the sun could ever be inconsequential to Stardom.

“I… must think this over,” Sol said. “Alone.”

“If you say so,” Cann said easily, no trace of accusation in their voice. Sol watched them gratefully as they marched out of the chapel without another word. He loved it when they played along this way; it almost lulled him into the false comfort of thinking something could get past their sharp, all-seeing eyes.

With no one except his own light for company, Sol mulled over the decision, thinking about every angle hard enough for flames to rise his fingers, carelessly scorching the wooden chair. Skies above, fragile human furniture was a pain.

He stood, hating how he couldn’t even claim ownership to the walls around him. Resentfully, he let his gaze drift over the painted frescos surrounding him, scenes of mortal processions and hunts. He’d find the pomp endearing if it wasn’t so offensive right then. These were the beings he and his people had to hide from? When would they wake up to the truth that the Stars outshone them in every way?

Except… His stroll through the hall finally came to Cann’s forgotten pile of books. On top rested the one that spoke of the sun’s centrality.

Some already had woken up, hadn’t they?

Coming to a decision, Sol walked out of the chapel, steps as delicate as air. He could not sit idly. The lurkers thought they were out of reach, with their clever queue rotation, but Pav was right; they’d run at the first sight of Sol. He weaved through the palace corridors and bypassed the nearest window in a flash of light.

Veiling his fire as well as he could given the stark contrast against night, he fluttered carefully into the air.

Lightning struck the palace roof; V had arrived, landing unsteadily against the rough masonry. Sol moved instinctively, backing himself against the nearest wall to hide. Did they have to return just as he was leaving?

“Vega?” Sirius’ voice floated in, his footsteps rushing to join them. “Did you manage the mess? The wall remains untouched, yes?”

Catching their breath, V laughed. “Managed,” they repeated bitterly, with a break in their voice that made Sol worry. Were they hurt? “Guess who came to taunt me when I went to clean up?”

Sirius sighed. “Another encampment?”

“I don’t know where they keep coming from! It’s as if they can’t leave the walls unoccupied for even a wingbeat, the stubborn fucks.”

“We outdo their stubborness, then,” Sirius said, his voice far less confident than the words. Sol’s heart sank; his strongest soldiers were battling themselves to exhaustion, all for the feeble, sheltered minds of this city’s mortals. “We need a plan of action. Between Pav and Cyon, whom do you think—”

“Stop,” V cut in, irritated. “Your nonsense infighting can wait until sunrise. We aren’t even supposed to be out of our quarters. In, now!”

Their footsteps and further conversation faded. If Sol’s resolve ever faltered during his exit, this hardened it beyond return. The Hauntings’ intimidation tactic could not be allowed to stand anymore.

Letting the anger fuel him forward, Sol set a course straight for Florence’s walls.

The closer he flew to the edges of the city, the murkier the sky became. Too soon, every precious star adorning the cloak of night disappeared, and he had nothing to glance up at for strength.

Enough, he thought to himself, steeling his nerves. It is I who must give them strength now.

The weight of the blotted sky burdening his every wingbeat, Sol arrived quietly to the scene of the northern gate. Below, three Hauntings lay in wait on burned grass. Sol didn’t know it was possible to make nighttime even darker; these sentient black holes masquerading as earthly creatures always proved him wrong. He set his feet down on the wall’s brick facade, stepped off the end, and let his light burst forth.

“Leave these walls!” he yelled.

Immediately, high whistles rang out as the Hauntings rushed into formation. One of the quicker front soldiers, clam-like in shape, launched a black-stained pearl the size of a boulder.

Sol braced himself, burning hands ready to intercept it… but the hit never came.

Just as the cannonball corralled to knock into Sol, he was on the ground, untouched, the pearl dropping unceremoniously a few feet away from him. The Hauntings froze, confused, inadvertently allowing him a moment to regain his bearings.

Enough to see that the stained pearl now glowed lavender.

Keeping a flame at the ready to ward off the Hauntings, Sol looked up at the wall behind him and yelled, “Cann!”

On command, a head emerged at the top. Cann peeked down. “My king,” they greeted, not bothering to sound the slightest bit chastened.

“What are you doing here?” Sol asked. The clam Haunting unwisely decided to rush him. Sol’s flame cut him down in an instant. “Out of your quarters, at this hour?”

“I could be asking you the same thing!” Cann swooped down at the last word, tackling both remaining Hauntings at once. “Did you think you could hide from me?” Even as they punctuated each word with a calculated strike, Sol got the feeling the anger in their voice was not for the creatures. “Or did you want me to graciously look away, as you crept off to this endless fight?”

Successfully, Cann brought a frail reptilian Haunting flat onto the ground. The companion, an armored, plump one, continued to trade blows with them.

Sol rushed to their side, knocking the Haunting off course with one fatal punch to the head. He shook off the flame, triumphant. “That will teach you.”

“Sol…” Cann whispered warningly.

“Don’t… think this is over,” a new voice said, wet and halting. The clam Haunting was still on the ground, a hole burned into his weak internal flesh. That did nothing to compromise the smugness of his declaration. “You can’t take us all.”

Sol’s fist burned, but Cann touched his arm, silently telling him to save it.

“Wonderful,” Cann muttered. “Another entry in this queue will be here any moment.”

“Oh, don’t act as if this was wrong of me!” Sol shot back. “Would you rather I sat comfortably in the palace while this went on? Pav said—”

“Pav is a showboating windbag,” they said drily. “Why are we listening to them?”

“It is our only option,” he said. “These Hauntings need to be cleared out, and if the cost is some inconvenience to the mortals—”

“The cost is you, Sol!” Cann’s voice rose to a volume Sol had never heard before. Softer, they went on, “You don’t have anything to prove to mortals, or Hauntings… anyone.” Desperate, they reached for his hand. “The sun’s face is all the more precious because it’s our secret. Why would you throw that away?”

“Cann…” Sol’s words died in his throat. He never considered what he’d be giving away. Even if he frightened the Hauntings, what would become of the Stars if they were unveiled to the mortals thanks to his carelessness?

He was the center of the world. For the first time, he hated that truth.

A dark mist closed in, followed by quick feet hitting the ground. More Hauntings were coming. Sol’s heart raced. What was he going to do, surrender to the enemy, or betray the secret? He racked his brain, at an impossible loss.

Until he locked eyes with the Star beside him, and everything fell into place.

“Do you know what I’m thinking?” he asked.

Cann’s smile shone even brighter than their burning eyes. “I know everything.”

Without having to say anything else, the two of them parted, Cann holding their ground against the incoming flock as Sol took to the sky. Trusting Cann to keep the Hauntings busy, Sol watched the horizon, waiting for the perfect moment.

The smallest glimmer of the coming dawn’s fire was all he needed. “Now!” he yelled.

He glanced down, only to realize with horror that he’d distracted Cann at a crucial juncture. A well-toned amphibian Haunting seized the opportunity, wrestling Cann to their knees as the force of the flock descended on them. Sol hovered uselessly on the spot, paralyzed by the sight, his eyes darting between the battle below and the sunrise.

He could not fail. Not like this.

Then, the sky cleared.

A concentrated beam of lavender light had cut through an opening between the Haunting’s limbs and shot into the sky like a beacon. It reached its zenith and dispersed, sending a dome of thin, shimmering illusion descending onto the battleground.

A curtain. They were safe from outside eyes.

Cann brushed their horrified assailants off and struggled to their feet. They looked up at Sol. “Do it!”

The sun was now painting the sky red. Sol caught hold of its fire and, working like a strategically placed glass, focused its wrath on the toad Haunting who had led the latest charge. The skin ignited. High-pitched screams pierced the air, from the toad and the rest of the flock alike. Sol glared, unblinking, making his silent threat clear. The sounds faded mercifully fast into the distance as the Hauntings made their escape, away from the walls of Florence. Cann joined Sol in the air, wasting no time in putting distance between themselves and the retreating flock.

“Are there more coming?” Sol asked.

Cann briefly scrunched their face in concentration, then relaxed. “No,” they said, satisfied. “All of them are retreating.”

The weight of the sky seemed to be lifted off Sol’s shoulders as the two Stars made their way to the wall. They’d done the impossible, put an end to the endless fight.

Sol landed on a higher palisade of the wall, and beamed at Cann when they followed suit. “Let it never be said you don’t deliver, Canopus.”

“Never be said?” Cann asked. “Even by you?”

The joke lacked their usual flair. Still, Sol didn’t let that chip away at the euphoria of a hard-won victory. “You’ll catch me saying no such thing.” He clapped Cann on the shoulder. “Truthfully, I don’t know how you—”

The force of the playful hit made Cann stumble a step forward. They caught themself in time… but that slight gesture shouldn’t have fazed one of his strongest Stars at all. Sol noticed too late that they were clutching their robes pointedly to the side with both hands, as if to cover something.

He stood at attention, now alarmed. “Cann…?”

“It’s alright!” they managed through shallow breaths, smiling so genuinely that for a moment, Sol fully believed the words. “We won.”

They collapsed at his feet, and the protective dome above faded to nothing.

“No!” Sol sank to his knees beside them. He turned them over to reveal viscous black staining their robes. The lead Haunting had poisoned them in the scuffle; it had corroded deep enough to graze their skin. He brought a flaming palm to the sizzling wound. Even in the warmth of his arms, Cann was shivering. Their eyes did not open. “Fight it,” he begged.

He couldn’t win this way. This cost was too much to bear.

“Over there!” a voice called from the sky. V led Cyon and Pav to the wall, their excitement and relief palpable through the wind. As they flew closer though, V’s smile instantly fell. The three Stars landed on the top of the wall.

“Cann, you idiot…” V cursed under their breath. “What happened?”

“I used the sun to drive them out,” Sol said, not taking his eyes off Cann.

“Oh?” Pav asked, with barely restrained glee.

“But I made certain no one would see it.”

“Naturally,” Cyon said, pointedly glaring at Pav. “Because how thoughtless would the alternative have been, right?”

Sol’s face burned with embarrassment. As if he needed to be told now.

“Both of you need to shut it!” V took it upon themself to say. “Make yourselves useful and get them to Sirius, before the Haunting venom spreads too far.”

The Stars gently pried Cann away from Sol’s grasp. Still continuing their debate wordlessly with their eyes, Cyon and Pav flew off, supporting Cann’s weight between them. Sol watched after them, only snapping out of his thoughts when V spoke.

“The old ‘illusion of safety’ curtain trick, yes?” V asked, impressed. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Would it have ended better if you had?”

“Don’t say that, it ended well enough! If the Hauntings have even half a brain between them, you scared them off for good!” V argued. “And Cann will be fine. It’s Cann, for skies’ sake.”

“They better be.”

V sighed. “I’m going to clean up this mess.” They gestured vaguely to the fires and black puddles. “Go back to the palace. See how they’re holding up.”

Sol was off to the palace practically before they finished speaking. To mask his flight, he followed a sunbeam; it was, thankfully, much easier to disguise himself in the daytime.

He practically kicked down the ornate door to the chapel.

“Come now!” Sirius was saying. His gloves were off, and his constant flames were uninhibited as he tried to hold a struggling Cann down to the altar. He was succeeding, but only barely; Cann almost matched his strength. “Would it end to you hold still for—”

Sol cleared his throat, and the two of them snapped to attention. “Everything is in order, I assume?” he said.

“Yes, my king!” Sirius said. “But I need to attend to them at least until noon. It’s simply Haunting wound protocol.”

Cann scoffed. “Spare me the protocol, Sirius. The poison barely even took.”

Sirius crossed his arms. “And whose fire is to be credited for that?”

“If I may,” Sol said, amused. “Sirius, allow me a word with Cann. Protocol will be followed unfettered after this.”

Sirius bowed his head and stood. “As you wish.” Leaning closer to Sol, he whispered, “Make sure to dedicate at least some of your time to telling them to stay put.” He vacated the chapel, leaving Sol and Cann alone and shutting the door securely behind him.

“Ironic,” Cann remarked. “That he believes you can tell me anything about staying put.”

Sol didn’t return the humor. “Do not deflect from the matter at hand.”

“Oh, are we doing this? Fine,” Cann said with a roll of their eyes, like they were being asked to perform a menial chore. “Yes, I’m perfectly intact and will be back to fighting shape by next sunrise. No, the poison is not your fault, and if you even try to insist otherwise, you fundamentally misunderstand why I followed you. And don’t worry, as far as the other Stars will know, your unbelievably rash stunt did not happen, and the curtain was our brilliant plan all along.” They took a breath. “Did I miss anything?”

Sol stammered a few half hearted responses, having to give up in the end to avoid appearing even more foolish. He took a seat beside Cann. “I wish you would stop taking all the gravitas out of my heartstopping speeches,” he said finally, smiling despite himself.

“You are very predictable.”

Companionable silence overtook them. Sol draped a wing around Cann’s side in case the biting cold of the poison hadn't subsided. Cann did not pull away.

“It bothers you, doesn't it?” they asked softly. “That I can read your intentions like an open book, but you can never have that certainty about mine?”

“It would help,” Sol admitted. “If I knew you intended to take every hit at the wall…”

“You couldn't have stopped me,” Cann said. “No more than I could have stopped you from sneaking out.”

“Well, thank the skies for that, I suppose.” He watched the murals around him, feeling pride, more powerful than the envy or indifference the pieces had inspired before. Despite it all, the truth remained that he’d survived more in the past hours than the commemorated mortals would face in a lifetime. He could make peace with that, if nothing else. “Stardom lives to see another day.”

#writing #fantasy writing #short story #original character #oc #stars collapse #en writes #historical fantasy #last of this miniseries finally! i finished it #more importantly i have released cann into the world #cann broke containment and forced their way into this honestly but still #also sol is here. being himself.#anyway please talk to me about how much copernicus owed to islamic astronomy thank you

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aur0raaura · 1 year

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Twin Princes AU

LEGEND

Part one | Part two

Buy me a Ko-Fi!

AAAAND SCENE! Wow wow! I didn't expect for what was supposed to be another doodle comic...end up with me putting a lot of effort-!

Life got in the way plenty of times- making me take quite a bit to finish this...even contemplating on just putting this on hiatus and just do something else-

...but I did it! I didn't let any discouragement, nerves and bad feelings get to me.

Now I'm sure many are wondering- HOW did this come to fruition? Simple: my friend pointed out that my next comic should focus on Kyurem's involvement in this! Many were wondering what sort of role the old dragon played after the previous comic (Family) and the art piece that accompanied it (The Giant Chasm)! So I went for a more artistic approach to this, making the artwork look like a tale at first, but then shifting to a more crude and cold atmosphere- I was going to polish these last nine pages, yet my friend would tell me that the sketchiness helps with the narrative- and honestly, she was right! Thus I tried to add some subtle sketchiness on pages 7-11 on part one! I wonder if people noticed that detail...? Anyways, time for some fun behind the scenes stuff...!

Here's the very first concept of my Original Dragon design, including his human form!

You can tell I did some adjustments in the final product, but I really wanted to make sure this dragon had characteristics of the tao trio in some way, plus-- I wished for him to have a unique sort of feel- kinda ethereal? I also gave a teeny bit of eastern dragon influence because...well...tao trio. The tail is actually inspired by a plasma engine!

It's why I gave it a bit of a swirl to it- ...kinda reminds me of ice cream- His human design...well, I wished to make sure he looked like the princes yeah-? He is their dad after all! So I made sure to reflect that- Same with his clothing as well! Ah right...I should show the design of our princes yes...?

WHOA WHOA WHOA-- those faces... Hmm... I wonder if people can start piecing together why this au is called the "Twin Princes AU" with this and what was told in this comic...? The design in itself was conceptualized by a rough idea my friend sent me a whiiiiiile back, but asked me to refine it further! Make it fancy, royal, elegant--!! You get the point. XD Though this is the finalized design i came up with as I brainstormed this comic! I hope I could convey how magical yet refined they are! As for Kyurem....oh my! What a reveal as well huh?

What a throwback....! I drew these a while back!

Well, there's certainly some familiar design choices...! And another clue to this whole puzzle- unless some of you have figured it out! Let me know through my ask box! ;D

I really didn't expect such a warm reception towards this au me and my pal cooked up last year. To think mixing concepts from our ocverse (GUARDiANverse) with pokemon could work so well...! I suppose fantastical elements mixing with another fantastical setting aint such a bad idea...! This AU has kinda expanded since it's conception... to a point of having other stories of other characters that take place in this version of the pokemon world!

Though for now, I may need a bit of a breather. 20 pages was QUITE the endeavor! Yet...that doesn't mean I wouldn't be opposed to tell more of my tale in other ways! Shoot me an ask, tell me! Who knows, I may answer with a doodle comic! For now, I'll just slowly cook my next idea! Maybe I should give the witness to these tales some spotlight...? I dunno...but honestly, feel free to shoot asks. Well, I hope you all can be patient with me in the meantime!

#submas #sbms #pokemon #twin princes au #aura's art #oh man it feels good to finally show this to it's completion!#I was having quite the rough time while trying to finish this...making things take way too long #I also participated in the PokeMas art contest too! ...in which delayed things further #haha woops...! but i really wanted to give it a shot!#oh right! I also added a Ko-Fi link- i wasn't sure if to put it there...but it's there if you want to have a way to tip me!#I just hope it's not too invasive x'D #once again...thank you for the support thus far and for being so patient with me! i really appreciate it #im not used to such positive feedback and it means a lot that this many people are interested in our story

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let-me-call-myself-olga · 5 months

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Hello, Ace's shuffle unit au(a while back now cause I've been writing this on and off) really got me pumped up, so I'll be sharing my own!!!

The band: Shiho, Akito, Minori, Nene - More/Gas

Working away at the live house, Shiho gets the chance to see Akito perform and is impressed by his abilities. She makes it so that the two of them can speak privately and they realise that they are quite similar in character, as well as their personal goals. Shiho tries to recruit him for her band, but seeing that he isn't really interested due to his own goals she makes a proposal: combine their respective skillsets and throw the greatest concert ever known, therefore beating RAD WEEKEND and guaranteeing going pro. Akito, seeing that he has nothing to lose from this, accepts.

Just as the two of them get ready to leave, Shiho realises that a new song has been added to her playlist. Not knowing where her confusion stems from, Akito tries to approach her, but the two get enveloped in a curtain of bright light. Once their vision comes back, the two find themselves in a somewhat familiar place: the backstage area of a live house, although the two of them have been conversing outside. Their revelation is interrupted by the sound of footsteps as a new character comes into view: Hatsune Miku*insert Akito's reaction to SEKAI*

The green haired girl introduces herself and explains to the two the concept of SEKAI, revealing that this SEKAI came to life from their mutual passion and perseverence and that they have to find the feeling which is the root of this fiery spirit and transform it into a song. With each passing moment of the explanation Shiho gets more and more aggresive, Akito's nice facade starting to break as well. Seeing that she doesn't have anyone to work it, Miku excuses herself and tells them how to leave. The two finally get back as she wishes to soon see them again. Although a bit shaken up by all that happened, Shiho and Akito decide to work together.

*****

Minori was one of the very few people who didn't have any prejudice of Shiho, a great friendship being able to bloom between the two and Minori's closest friend, Kohane. She was very happy about the progress her friend has made to achieve her goal and unintentionally starts lamenting over her own dream of becoming an idol. Even though it hasn't been fully drained, her hope of becoming an idol has been a bit diminished by the sudden end of her own idol's career. Even though Shiho doesn't want to intervene, she can't stand to watch her friend sulking, so she tries to give Minori alternatives, painting it as "something Haruka would do", which reroutes Minori's journey, now the girl having to find ways to hone her skill.

*****

Akito goes to the rooftop in search of a certain blue haired girl only to be stopped by the quiet humming coming from a nearby bench. The hums end up forming words and the angelic voice that offers them life along with the well known music style make Akito realise that he hit the jackpot coming there. The voice belongs to none other than Nene, who profusely apologises once Akito makes his presence known. As she tries to leave he compliments her singing and expresses sadness at the idea of wasting such talent. A disgruntled Nene is only able to give a tired look as Akito gets to his main point: that she would benefit from joining his group. Even though she is a bit reluctant, she ends up asking for more details. Once she is given said details, Nene decides to meet with Akito and his mysterious partner sometime during the weekend, with the one condition that the area is secluded.

Weekend comes and drags along the chosen day, Nene making her way to what appears to be a live house. After being introduced to Shiho, she makes sure that something is clear: there is a good chance that they might get nothing out of this, so they shouldn't have their hopes up.

Once a music sheet with lyrics is given to her and everyone is ready, the instrumental kicks in. Seeing how much they are putting into the performance, Nene let's herself free and she is finally able to say that she is confident in front of an audience, albeit small. She ends up getting praised for her own efforts and it is decided that she's part of the band. Shiho and Akito end up leaving earlier than planned and as Nene is about to leave, a thought infiltrates her mind: is she doing enough for the band by just singing?

*****

After school, Minori is delighted about Shiho's progress but her energy dampens as she gets asked about her own progress. It is then revealed that Minori didn't have as much luck, her attempts of perfecting her choreography being the only ones to get better. Kohane suggests to look at her singing from a similar perspective as her dancing. Thinking a bit about it, Shiho comments that her problem could be solved by trying to associate the lyrics to the rhythm. Curious, Minori asks her if she knows methods that could make her better and she advises that Honami could help with that problem, as she used to be the drummer of her childhood band. Minori thanks Shiho for the help and starts to search for Honami. The other two decide to let her be.

That same day Akito and Nene are just finishing the band practice schedule when Akito suddenly asks if Nene is going to trust him. Even if she is a bit suspicious of him, Nene ends up agreeing and before she knows it the scenery changes with a flash and the two of them are in this seemingly abandoned live house. She starts freaking out and demands an explanation, but before he is able to say anything someone decides to interrupt: Kagamine Rin. After everyone calms down, the newcomer introduces herself and describes what SEKAI is. Not yet warmed up to her, Nene can only sit there and watch her as she goes on stage, a hand asking the girl to come join her. She ends up agreeing, although it is pretty clear that she feels a bit forced.

This little improv ends up working well, but Rin notices that Nene had a bit of a problem keeping up. She reveals that Miku told her about their other band member, much to Nene's surprise, and advice them to go look for "their beat". The two are soon to leave as they find nothing else worth talking about.

*****

During their next practice session, Shiho reveals that she was able to get for them a slot for next month, but the two are soon to cut her off as they talk about their encounter in SEKAI. Even though surprised by the new face, Shiho is able to assure the two, her childhood friend Homani having offered to help. The only problem left for them was to find a lyricist.

*****

Minori is seen in her room, practising with a simple drumset given by Honami. Even though her skill isn't the greatest, her singing has improved by a lot and she is pretty capable of keeping the rhythm. Once the song finishes she stretches and goes to grab a water bottle, a small vibration right next to it startling her. Upon unlocking her phone, she finds a few messages from Shiho, who was updating her about her progress. A smile appears on Minori's face as she congratulates her, now finally being able to respond with her own development. Her expression suddenly changes into one of confusion as a new message appears, asking her if she is good at coming up with lyrics. Thinking about it as something Haruka would do if she was in her place, she takes on the challenge, questioning Shiho about the type of lyrics she wants, she is only able to get the personalities of the other bandmates în order to make a song that fits all of them. The two end up agreeing on getting the four to meet so that Minori can get a better idea of they really are.

*****

After Shiho is able to coerce the other two into accepting her invitation, the four end up meeting at Weekend Garage. After An takes their order and makes a small comment on Akito(which amuses Nene), Minori introduces herself and presents the two on the other side of the table a questionaire. Although perplexed, the two end up taking it as the girls message each other, Shiho asking if it was necesary to go this far.

Getting to talk with each other, Minori makes it clear that this will be the first of two official hangouts, as she wishes to spend the rest of their day with each one of them. They begrudgingly agree and it is established that she would be sending her time with Nene after the meeting is over.

*****

A few nights later Shiho gets the lyrics from Minori and is surprised to see how good she proved to be. With every new word read she could see a contour of herself and the others appearing in her mind. By the end of her read she asks Minori if she could meet with the others again to establish a melody, with which she agrees.

Now curious, Shiho starts searching up idol songs to see what Minori's inspiration could have been. It soon sinks in with her just how different the two piece are in terms of content. A rather sad Shiho tells Minori good night as she herself gets ready to sleep.

*****

Now that all five of them were together, Minori instructs Honami on the beat and is soon to start humming the melody. As the 'demo' is finished, Nene finds herself bringing up a lot of suggestions that the group ends up testing. Nene's remarks are able to creat a proper melody, Minori cheering and the finale of the performance, praising Nene's voice, to which she becomes bashful. The two of them end up e changing phone numbers to make later collaborations easier.

Now that their first song is finally finished the five decide to celebrate at Weekend Garage, Shiho reminding them that after they will have to work every day from then on.

*****

It is a week before they show their hard work to the world and terrible news hit the group: Honami is unable of making it to the concert due to personal reasons. Akito quickly proposes that they ask Minori since she seems to know how to play the drums and she has already been helping them with the lyrics. Shiho protests, stating that she already asked her, but it was clear to the other to that it wasn't the case. Wondering what could be her reason for doing that, the two start to question her about her relationship with Minori to the point where she ends up breaking into years and running away.

The pair ends up leaving the cafe soon after, disgruntled by their sudden problem. Nene takes initiative, calling Minori and telling her to get to their location as soon as possible. As the phone call is done, Nene proposes that they should let Minori know about SEKAI, but Akito is against it as they don't know if she is really going to be their drummer, but she refutes by pointing out that she is already their lyricist. As he is left no other choice, Akito ends up agreeing.

*****

Minori is out of breath as she gets to the two bandmates, questions coming one after the other. They tell her that first they need a private place to hold their conversation and before she could make any suggestions a mist of white blocks her vision.

She suddenly wakes up in a strange place similar to a somewhat familiar backstage scenery. She is about to scream as Nene covers her mouth, finally starting to explain the situation. Minori is left flabbergasted by the news, but is soon to recover as she procceses the information. She says that she was on good terms with Shiho so she doesn't have much of an idea about her sudden outburst.

Their discussion is interrupted by both Miku and Rin as they go to get a snack, Minori debating in her head that this is just a weird dream, but she is soon taken out of her thoughts as Rin hugs her, happy that they finally found "their beat". Upon further questioning, Miku reveals that this SEKAI was founded from the mutual feelings of the four and now that they are together they can finally turn their emotions into a song.

Seeing that the three aren't as joyous, the girls asked them if something happened with them. After a small sumarry of the situation, Rin asks Minori what she wants to do next, to which Minori answers that she wants to talk things out with Shiho. Understanding where she was trying to get to, Miku asks the girl what she'll do after that, what she'll do for the long run.

Surprised by the question, Minori replies that she will find out when the time comes. Happy with her answer, the two songstresses wish them the best of luck in getting to Shiho and, as soon as they got there, the trio was gone.

*****

Now making her way out of school, Shiho is surprised by the sight of Minori in front of her bandmates and braces herself for the worst. It all starts off with a simple question: "Is there something wrong, Shiho?"

Not wanting to drag this any longer, Shiho recognizes her true reason for running away. The three are shocked to find out that Shiho felt like she was driving Minori away from her true goal of becoming an idol, therefore making her want to cut contact with her as to not hurt her in the long run.

Shiho is then startled by a pair of arms wrapping around her as Minori embraces her, recognizing that even though she is deviating quite a bit from her path as an idol, it wasn't the career itself that attracted her, but the feeling that with hard work she could spread hope just like how she experienced and that if becoming part of the band meant that she could give that hope to Shiho, then she would be happy.

*****

The four of them are all on stage. They give each other a few glances before Minori gives the signal and they start with their song. It goes well and the four of them end up laying exhausted on a couch as they are approached by two figures.

Miku and Rin appreciate the little iteration of their experience and congratulate the band for their big succes.

Before they can leave Miku tells them that they have found their true feeling and that a song can now florish from them. The group looks at each other before getting up and grabbing their respective instruments.

#project sekai #pjsk #puroseka #shiho hinomori #minori hanasato #akito shinonome #nene kusanagi #unit shuffle au #NOW FOR THE ME TAGS #This took too long💀#And how I keep writing myself into yuri is still a mistery #Like I was thinking “yeah I'll make a small sumarry for the story of each group” and then I did this #Everyone thank ace ig #Also their name is More/Gas cause their main trait is that even with the hurdles in their was they are still able to keep that fiery spirit #The 'more' comes from Minori since she is (once again) the key piece of the unit and the 'gas' is all about #The flame of determination that doesn't let them get... destroyed by the outside word(for lack of better intellgence😔)#Yeah... 🎉🎉🎉 I FINALLY FINISHED THIS WOOOO #This is a first and final draft so beware

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darabeatha · 2 months

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/ OFFICIALLY CAUGHT UP ON H.SR

#;ooc #ooc #FINALLY I BEAT THE FINAL BOSS AND FINISHED ALL THE STORY UP TILL NAOW #WAHOOOO #i want to personally kiss on the forehead c.aelus; n.atasha; m.arch 7th and a.cheron #thanks to them i was able to beat the last boss #i can finally write one--#all im missing is--- :looks at list: -GRABS HIM- S A M P O.#ALSO NOW THAT I LOOK BACK ON IT- i think that i can finally beat a.rgenti too- my god it feels like its been ages #i lost so many times i left that mission but im stronger now

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nico-the-overlord · 6 months

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HI kids! Me and my best friend

,mark;

#nico rambles #mark and friends #ashur is so unerving in this #and even after that lore video I watched #MARK WAS ONLY 10???#at least tjat helped answer alot of my questions because man my mind was reeling #I also have never doodled someone faster after watching their show #maybe I’ll actually do some finished pieces later #I think it was just Ashur’s normal eyes but those rinhs around the pupils…stuck out to me so much #story was fucked but so so interesting #I also thought Billy just got knocked out in the end I didn’t know he straight up got killed #you go Mark!#thank you wide billy for finally getting me to watch this series

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uhbasicallyjustmilex · 10 months

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💌 i’m very pleased to be able to say chapter 4 of four walls will be posted this weekend! 💌

#moving flats and getting covid and then not getting better from covid really put a spanner in the works #but i persevered and it feels SO good to finally have it finished #i just have to make a few last tweaks courtesy of my lovely beta #and then it’s good to go!#it’s been a bumpy road but this one has some of my favourite bits so far in it and i’m so excited to share it with you!#thank you to everyone for being patient 💗#i’m sorry for the extended delay - please know that this story is still very much alive!#four walls #lulu posts

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vv-ispy · 12 days

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(Old mond game talk) I think it would be really interesting if the game were to be designed in mind for the target audience knowing barely anything about old mondstadt beforehand. That being said, the idea of deca being a god shouldn’t immediately be introduced. The player starts off the game thinking the story is just about overthrowing a corrupt government leader, until some offhanded comment is made somewhere about his tyrannical rule lasting “thousands of years”, and the few physical descriptors/appearances of him prior to the final bossfight start off with him looking fairly human but as you get further along he looks less and less normal (glowing hair/eyes, appearance warping and shifting, etc etc)

Oooo that's an interesting idea. My initial concepting + rambling to my gf was rather joke-y actually — I described nb as someone who 'woke up and decided he was gonna kill a god' to avoid subjecting her to an hour of genshin lore before I can get on with describing the game idea :P

Which is to say, it didn't even occur to me the possibility of introducing Deca as anything other than a god? That's an interesting idea. On one hand, you play as nb and nb knows that Deca is a god. On the other hand, we don't necessarily need the audience to know everything nb knows. It may be fun to talk about Deca in such a way that any description of him could also apply to a corrupt government to further draw parallels between the two, and have the audience slowly come to the conclusion of 'oh this is a god'. On the third hand, I wonder if Deca being the God that oversees Mondstadt is such a big part of nb's life and motivation that it's one of the first things you learn about nb and his world, and having the audience figure it out ends up giving an impression of 'this god is no different from a corrupt government'. On the fourth hand, Deca is the government. And a corrupt one at that. And many imperial rules that lasted hundreds of years were legitimized with 'This Person Was Chosen By God'

I suppose it will also depend a bit on the themes the story ends up exploring, but tbh I haven't given that much thought yet, my current focus is the mechanics and the programming.

Saying that I do love the idea of a three phase Deca boss fight with him getting increasingly unhinged in appearence, as it hits you that while he may wear the skin of a human sometimes, he is a god. This is a god you're fighting. Good luck

#carmendeiact2whenplz #but yeah thanks for this idea! Didn't even occur to me but it's Interesting. Will play with it further #the unfortunate thing is i'm really bad at finishing projects. i really hope to stick to this one bc of work reasons but. it's a lot #i've pretty much only got the bare skeleton of a story needed for a general idea of what to program next #the old mond discord definitely was the initial kickoff for this project so def going in the credits if/when I finish this!#esp for everyone's discussion and ideas!#i'm hoping to at one point in the next few months have at least a small mechanics demo of it #like how nb and wispti is controlled and their abilities to get some feedback on that #probably will give more thought to story/story ideas once i get to that stage lol i haven't even thought about the dialogue system #re: the crazy insane list of enemies — yeah so much is gonna get modified and maybe cut. it's brainstorming #most games take years to make and that's with a team ahha I have Ideas but i'm not setting crazy high expectations for the final product #old mond game talk

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feywhimsy · 10 months

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requesting ambrosia for that ask game pretty please 🙏

ofc!! also tagging @invinciblerodent because they also requested her ♥

this got quite long, so I'm putting it under a cut. thank you both for asking about her, i adore her so much and being able to talk about her is always so wonderful 💕

Full Name: Just Ambrosia. Her "real" name is Lysarra, but circumstance had led to that name being dropped. In her original campaign, the name change was a conscious choice on her part on her journey to becoming a cleric of Nusemnee. For bg3 though, it was a result of the memory loss! When she woke on the nautiloid she was clutching a holy symbol with "Ambrosia" etched on the back, so she assumed that was her name.

Pronouns: She/her!

Gender and Sexuality: Ambrosia has never really thought about her gender and feels comfortable in her gender. She also has never tried to put a label on her sexuality, and struggles to put it into words. She also believes she can't and shouldn't get close to anyone, given who she is and what she struggles with. She doesn't want to hurt them. She's also never really assumed she'd be lucky enough to be in a relationship, and life has... really not been kind to her. Knowing what I know about her, and her past, I'd pin it as like... demiromantic-bisexual? She definitely has to know someone before she can open up to them romantically, even though she desperately craves that connection.

Ethnicity/Species: I don't have a lot to say here. She's a human, she didn't grow up in one place, and given she's trying to shed her past, there isn't anything she feels a strong connection to.

Birthplace and Birthdate: Ambrosia was born small village named Triel, north east of Elturel, to parents that did not care about her. Before she was sold, they never celebrated her birthday, and the mercenary group she was part of didn't care about any of that either. She doesn't know her exact age, but she'd estimate she's in her late 20s. (I'm going to say her birthday is in 1464, making her 28 at the time of the events of the game.)

Guilty Pleasures: murder drinking an entire bottle of wine on her own. Ambrosia is quite Large so it doesn't hit her quite as hard as it might others, but she still feels bad when she drinks an entire thing herself sometimes.

Phobias: I haven't really thought about this before, but something in my guy tells me Ambrosia is a bit claustrophobic.

What They Would Be Famous For: Ambrosia is delightfully unremarkable in most ways. She doesn't want to be famous, she doesn't like that kind of attention. If she had to be, though, she would hope it wasn't for the murders. Something that would leave a positive impact on the world.

What They Would Get Arrested For: Beating up people who are mean to kids. She might not consciously remember what happened to her as a child, but there's some scrap of it there in her subconscious, and it really shaped who she is. If she sees a child getting mistreated, especially by their parents, it takes a lot for her to keep her cool. She'll do anything and everything to care for that kid and show them their worth. The Arabella situation was hard for her, because she had half her brain thinking about the tragedy of it all, and the other part of her screaming to step in and ruin Kahga's week.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Ambrosia grew up poor and then was sold off to a mercenary group, so she doesn't actually know how to read 💔 But if she's listening to stories, she loves a slow-burn romance. Not that she would ever admit it out loud. But her life has been such a mess, just a simple slice of life story of people falling in love despite the circumstances always gets to her.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Fake happy endings, especially if the happy ended was worked for/deserved. To rip it away at the last second is the worst thing you could do to someone, she just hates it. (She does not realize how this relates to her own life.)

Talents and/or Powers: Mechanically, Ambrosia is a War Cleric with proficiency in Intimidation, Persuasion, Medicine, Athletics, and Insight. Despite having no proficiencies in it, Ambrosia is really good with animals, she loves them a lot and they're her lil buds! Original Ambrosia loved dogs, so getting Scratch in this game was just so!! good! she got to live her best life and have a friend!

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Ambrosia is. So stubborn. About even the most trivial things. She has her way of doing things, she has ideas of how things are going to happen, and she doesn't back down. Back in her original campaign this was a huge problem, because she was convinced she could show Strahd the harm he'd done and convince him on the path to be better. That obviously did not go well, but she never gave up.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Ambrosia is so stubborn. She refuses to accept a bad outcome to situations, she works hard to make sure everyone's happy and getting what's best for them. That includes herself, she's very hard on herself about the mistakes she's made and for the things she's done, the people that have died because of her. But it also means she pushes her party members into what's good for them and their well being! And she's always searching for solutions to whatever they might be dealing with, because her friends deserve good things happening to them.

How They Change: This is likely still a work in progress, as I'm only in Act 2 with Ambrosia, but so far she's learned to be a lot kinder with herself when it comes to her urges. She was actually able to open up to her party about what she was dealing with, initially out of necessity because of what happened at camp, but as time went on she realized she could trust them to help her through dark times.

Why You Love Them: Ambrosia was my... second? Third? D&D character ever. She was made for a Curse of Strahd campaign that sadly never finished. It makes me so happy to have her have a place again, and to get a story that has been so satisfying! I've always wanted to see how her story ends, and while a lot of her original plot was dropped (she ran like a redemption paladin, though mechanically a war cleric), she's still very much herself and it's just. So amazing. I'm hoping there's a happy ending option for Urge, because my girl has been through a lot, and I'd like to see her happy.

as a bonus for making it to the end of this post: here is my playlist of all of my ambrosia vibes music! it's all stuff from her old campaign, but most of them still apply. i'm going to make a bg3 version soon ♥

#thank you so muuuuch i hope this wasn't too much #sorry it took me forever to write. long day at work left me with little energy to think </3 #but i really appreciate it SO much #i hope u like my girl #i really need to finish her playthrough so i can finalize her story #bg3: ambrosia #ask

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