#sahlia

[fifarts]

regret and rage 🌊🐊

[junos-oc-emporium]

11/11

[ultraviolet-cello]

A Sahl for all your strutting needs. She dyes her hair purple for the rebellious streak, and here you watch her steal Narali's wardrobe for a night out on the town I guess

[kaatiba]

much like hayao miyazaki, i am back at it again though i swore i was retiring lofm. i simply cannot resist it, because i am a disaster, and my writerly heart yearns for it. anyway. i've written the below and i like it and it feels right, and god, i hope it stays feeling right.

*

The moon is a heavy yellow globe sailing majestically over the horizon, so bright that it has swallowed the glimmer of the surrounding stars, so bright that it illuminates the whole of Qahtan to Halah’s view. She perches precariously on the edge of the minaret of the palace, legs dangling over the sheer drop of many hundreds of feet below her, and admires the view; the maze of the palace, the blocks of the capital stacked below, interspersed by the spears of minarets and the swell of domes, and all the way at the bottom of the hill that Qahtan clings to, the great walls like tired old sentinels enclosing the city. 

Past them, nothing but dark shadows to her eyes, lies the gentle rise and fall of the plains fields which nourish the city. And through it, like a ribbon, runs the King’s Road. In her mind, she follows it south in a journey that would take a handful of days before she would come upon her homeland of Souda, and the fortress there that is—was—her home.

Up in the minaret, Halah recalls herself. Savours the thrill of being up so very high and entirely alone, a feeling that had characterized so much of her childhood, where she would run and climb and explore and travel and generally exasperate her minders (usually one of her older brothers and sisters). It’s juvenile, she knows, to delight in herself for this little infraction. She’s not a child anymore. What’s more, she’s a lord’s wife. 

Raoul’s wife, in particular. Raoul, son of the Wazir and cousin to the King and the darling of Qahtan. The man that women young and old sigh over, the man that other men admire for his daring and prowess in the arts of war, the man that everybody writes poetry about. Raoul, who wed a provincial noblewoman of a minor house, third daughter and sixth child in a brood of nine, when he could have had his pick of women. Perhaps even a princess from Al-Amain.

And so there are a myriad of reasons why she should not be up here. The reminder sits heavy on her shoulders. She should be in her quarters, sleeping, or else occupying herself quietly and demurely, since the reason she’s up here at all is that she couldn’t sleep. She shouldn’t have snuck out of her rooms, avoiding the guards patrolling the halls, and made her way here, to the highest point in all of Qahtan. She should most definitely not be risking her life by sitting as she is.

But nobody knows she isn’t in her quarters, and so nobody can judge or chastise or worry for her. Not even her husband. And her husband doesn’t know where she is—or isn’t—because she sleeps alone, as she has every night since she was married, save the first. 

Halah stares up at the moon, so bright and fulsome, and breathes through the pain lancing through her. You chose this, she reminds herself. You chose him. All of this is your own fault. He never promised to love you. He never promised anything but to wed you and treat you with honour. And hasn’t he done so? 

He has. It doesn’t make her feel better. His scrupulous politeness toward her has been a wall between them that she cannot scale, which is ironic, given that she was affectionately called ‘sahlia’ or ‘little lizard’ in her youth for her propensity to climb anything and everything. But Halah has tried for months now to climb the wall of her husband’s distance, and he will not invite her into the fortress of his heart. He will not give her anything to cling to, anything to nurture.

And she doesn’t know why not. It’s the not knowing that hurts the most, she thinks. If she knew why, she could fix it, couldn’t she? She’s not ugly—she was considered pretty, and considered herself pretty, with only a little pride in her appearance. She had numerous qualities to recommend her. She has skillfully and appropriately hidden the wildest aspects of her personality. 

He had accepted her suit. Why do that, if he didn’t care for her? And he truly does not seem to care for her. What’s more, he doesn’t seem to care if she cares for him. He seems utterly uninterested in forging any sort of bond with her than the one of their marriage contract.

Her throat goes tight but oh, she hates crying and crying because her husband seems to want as little do with her as possible just feels…pathetic. Gritting her teeth, Halah scrubs savagely at her face and swings her legs back over the ledge on hops down onto solid groud. It is long past time that she went to bed. 

She makes her way blindly to the trapdoor and down the ladder, and then presses against the door leading out to the hall, straining her ears for any sound of the guards that patrol the palace…but all is quiet. Easing the door open, Halah peeks left then right and still sees no one. The hall is dark. With relief, Halah steps out—

—and a hideous, beastly face rushes at her. It happens so quickly she can only gasp, assaulted by a series of impressions. A face twisted in a leer, fangs bared, eyes white. Clawed hands extending towards her. Cuffs on its wrist, a collar ‘round its throat. And then it is upon her and she’s enveloped in a terrible strength that immobilises her completely. A voice like smoke hisses in her ear, curling into her mind, a life for a life, so mistress says. 

Halah screams—and then the world is all darkness.

Her scream echoes down the hall, sudden and shrill. A guard nearby jults from his daze and rushes around the corner, sword at the ready, but comes across nothing but an empty hall, where the door to the minaret is slightly ajar. Hefting his lantern higher, he peers this way and that, finally entering the room and climbing the ladder—but the minaret is empty.

Hours later, when Lady Halah is deemed to be missing, the guard will not think to connect the scream with her disappearance. After all, what would she have been doing up in the tower at that hour of the night?

[ancientgreekyuri]

Sahlia's design is so cute I wish she existed to be more than just character development for Shu(!!!!!!!!!!)

[bbrissonn]

dahlia and tessa for sure become friends when dahls goes visit will for the first time. like sahlia is nervous cause shes gonna be alone while will is at practice, abd shes been following tessa for a while

[norhimorovine]

Growth [Journey/Rite/Pilgrimage]

After waking up in a pile with her husband and daughter, and having breakfast with them, Norhi made her trek to Sahlia’s grove. Or rather, Zuki saddled Crystal and insisted she ride, rather than walk. She did not argue. 

Entering the glade and looking up at the massive willow tree, with it’s ritual ornaments artfully strung through it, Norhi felt a sigh of relief sweep through her. “I guess I should’ve realized I was worried this red sky would’ve harmed you. But you’re holding up,” she said, by way of greeting. 

And in spite of the peek of sickly red in the canopy above, the grove itself was virtually untouched. The hedge tree was surrounded by broken Amdapori style ruins. And a clear stream ran through and around all of it, congregating in a small pool in front of Sahlia, before trickling off further into the forest. And the marble and stone door in Sahlia’s trunk remained as tightly closed as before.

She felt the brush of emotion to her mind, warmth and welcome. Norhi smiled and slid down from Crystal’s saddle and retrieved the specimen bag. She then patted her chocobo friend’s side. “Go relax, Crystal.”

Norhi then hobbled over to Sahlia’s main trunk with the bag. “I brought you a souvenir,” she said, before carefully levering herself down onto a convenient root. 

She opened up the bag and pulled out a clay pot with a wire cage around the plant inside. She pulled off the wire house and held up the glowing flower as if showing it to Sahlia. “These are growing in Alvarium. The town I’ve been working in. There’s a girl there named N. And she has these powers that are... amazing. But these flowers are growing because of her!”

Norhi felt a push of emotion again, surprise and recognition. She blinked. “You know this flower?”

Known. [Unknown/Ancient/Lost] 

Fate Extant. [Survival/Hope/Joy]

Norhi puzzled her way through the emotions and hints of words. She looked at the flower then. “Ancient. Well, that doesn’t tell me much. But, it sounds like you aren’t interested in sharing those details either. Where would you like me to plant it?”

A root shifted slowly, next to the stream that ran around her. It left open a spot good for planting. 

Norhi smiled and scooched over there, grateful it was close. She used her hands for this, digging the dirt open and then pulling the pot free of the dirt and flower. She gets it settled, gently closing the hole in.

Norhi watched the flower change from a curious green to a lovely pink. She nodded and then looked back up to Sahlia. She ran her fingers over the bark of the root she sat on. “I’ve got so much to share with you. This might take a while.”

A brush of cold and wet is presented to her thoughts, focusing on her ankle. And Norhi laughed, reaching to tug the splint and sock off her sprained foot. “Okay, okay. I’ll soak my ankle while we do this.”

She slid off the root to a grassy spot and slipped her injured foot into the water of the stream. And at first it was cold, but a welcome clear cool, unlike the sharp frigid ice of Garlemald. But then the water warmed. And Norhi could see motes of aether flowing in the stream. She smiled softly. “Thank you, my friend.”

She then tugged a mirrored bowl and a bottle out of her belt pouch. She poured the moon-blessed water into the bowl and set it on the root. She then leaned back against the trunk and released a slow breath. She closed her eyes and opened her mind and magic.

She quietly shared moons of memories with Sahlia. The trek to Garlemald. Setting up Camp Broken Glass. Meeting N and Twelves. Meeting the Overseer. Watching Alvarium slowly build into a town. Having to return to Camp Broken Glass. Learning the cure for tempering. Healing so many people. The red sky and the blasphemies. The horror of watching people turn. Finally going back to Alvarium. Events there. The people there. The chaos, the joy, the tears, the laughter.

She shares the search for Misah’to, of finding him and of meeting the girls. And of how he might not be coming home for a long time. And how relieved she was that he was alive and okay.

Eventually, she falls asleep like this, curling against Sahlia’s trunk, with her ankle absorbing healing aether from the stream. Her dreams sort through the memories of conversations shared, adventures followed, people met. And somewhere in there, she felt a rumbling of stone, but thought it part of a memory in her dream.

It had been four bells, when that rumbling stone echoed through the grove and into the forest. Zuki quickly showed up to check on Norhi, concerned about the odd tremor. He saw the door was open and darted over to wake Norhi. He shook her shoulder. “Rhi? Rhi, wake up!”

Norhi woke groggily at Zuki’s shaking. “What? What’s... Zu? What’s wrong?”

Zuki reached and took Norhi by the shoulders, helping her sit up so she could turn and look. He pointed at Sahlia’s door. “I’m surprised the rumbling didn’t wake you! ... Or bring sylphs running to check on us.”

Norhi blinked in shock, staring at the door that she hadn’t seen open in nearly twenty years. She turned and looked at Sahlia. “But... Why? I didn’t finish the rite!”

You did. [Amusement/Maternal/Pride] [Encouragement/Joy/Pride]

Norhi frowned in confusion. “I did?” she echoes, before pushing to her feet. She idly noted her sprain hurt a great deal less now. But she doesn’t worry about it, hobbling to the open door. 

What she saw inside was enough to bring her to her knees, tears already streaming down her face. Not a hint of smoke. Not one wisp of damage. Everything was nearly pristine. Save for a strong layer of dust. The old shelf stood there, holding every single journal she remembered. “They... They weren’t harmed. You protected them this much? Even with what it cost you?”

Yes. [Responsibility/Duty/Legacy[ [Family/Kin/Mine]

Norhi covered her mouth and just sobbed. She felt Zuki wrap his arms around her and she leaned into him, crying her grief, joy, pain, and relief, into his shoulder.

And nearby, the little flower glowed a brilliant lavender and yellow.

When Norhi finally calmed, she looked back up to Sahlia. “I still don’t understand. How did I finish the rite? I never found that crystal in Grangran’s notes.”

Read. [Knowledge/Legacy/Journey] [Within/Gathered/Held]

Norhi huffed a laugh and shook her head. “Of course. Time to... read, I guess.”

Zuki just sighed in confusion and helped his wife up. “I know I’ve said it before. But this is still weirder than listening to one side of a linkpearl conversation. At least with those I can hear the buzz of the pearl.”

Norhi laughed and kissed his cheek, before she lowered herself into the chair inside the hidden room. “Oh, I’m sure it’s more than a little disconcerting. But... In short, she says I’ve finished my ritual. And to know how I did, I need to read these.”

Zuki looked at the shelf, when Norhi gestured at it. “These are all the annals of your matriarchs? The ones you told me about?”

Norhi nodded. “Hand me the last one on that lower shelf. I have Gran’s already. That one should be her mother’s.”

Zuki picked it up carefully and passed it over. “These are in amazing condition.”

Norhi turned the book in her hands. “I would not be surprised if Sahlia had some magic that preserved them,” she answered, before sighing and opening the journal, “Either way, time to read.”

Zuki smiled worriedly. “I’ll go make you some tea. And reassure Nhie’a that all is well. He got Vhene and Herah corralled so I could come check on you.”

Norhi winced and then smiled sheepishly. “Tell him thank you for me.”

Zuki chuckled finally and turned to go see to that tea. By the time he’d returned, three more journals were open and Norhi was back on her feet. And ranting at the giant sentient tree. “You’re telling me... that it wasn’t about that weird ass tea? I didn’t need some gods-bedamned rare crystal at all? I’ve been growing a bizarre thistle from Amdapor for the hells of it!? Gods above and voidsent below!”

Zuki stared owlishly and nervously cleared his throat. “My love?”

Norhi flinched and then turned to look at Zuki, her smile twitching to keep from a frown. “Zu, love... Hi.”

Zuki brought the tea over and set it down on the wooden table they’d put out here. “So... You didn’t need the thistle?”

Norhi bent and scooped up her great grandmother’s journal. “Nope. Gran’s mother journeyed to a village of the Lohengarde and learned of their magics there, bringing back a method for curing more injuries.” She set that journal aside and scooped up the next. “Her aunt was the matriarch before her. And she apparently visited Thavnair, bringing back one of our techniques for fertilizing the groves. I still use this technique!”

She gestures at the other journals. “Every single one of them did something different. And I still don’t know what I specifically did!”

Zuki smiled and shook his head. He took the journal from Norhi and set it aside, before pulling her into a hug. “Whatever it was, Sahlia deemed it worthy. Congratulations on finishing your rite, Rhi.”

Norhi sighed and hugged Zuki tightly. “Thank you. I’m... gonna clean this up and drink that tea.”

Zuki kissed her forehead before stepping back. “I’ll come back to get you for dinner.”

Norhi smiled and then turned to scoop the journals back into order. She sat down with the tea and looked up at Sahlia. “I brought no new techniques or materials. Just a plant that glows. What did I do?”

Lived. [Fire/Death/Fear] [Survived/Searched/Found]

Akizuki. [Love/Journey/Trust]

Vhene [Growth/Innocence/Nurture]

Wyda [Heart/Kin/Flock]

Brave [Leader/Conviction/Friend]

Misah’to [Blood/Lost/Return]

Overseer [New/Hope/Future]

Flower [Ancient/Unknown/Augury]

You came home. [Child/Mother/Mine]

Norhi sat there, stunned at this flood of emotion and concept trying to be understood. “I see,” she finally answered, before she started crying again. All this time, she was already doing the right thing. 

When she calmed yet again, she reached for her linkpearl. She had to share this.

[tktsunami]

I need more Salric, so I'm writing Part II

(English is not my mother language so beware :D And this are only shorts and moment for an AU. Also I can't decide which turn to take in the second year. This is just one of two xD)

In his second year Godric was sure he could hold his promise he made to himself. Never get other students involved in any dangers around himself. He still saw how Ron got hurt last school year, because he couldn’t stop them to help him. It would be hard, because they were his friends and he could understand that they wanted to help him. But he was an adult - at least in mind - and he had more experience - thanks to his life before - than them, so he should not involve them in his mission to help Hogwarts.

And he knew Hogwarts was in need of his help. He still couldn’t believe how some professors were still in Hogwarts and teaching! Professor Binns was a ghost and every student slept in his lessons. Even Hermione said it was difficult to stay awake! And Defensive against the dark arts? Every year there was a new teacher in this subject and everyone was teaching what they thought was the right learning stuff. There was no guideline in this subject. It was his second year and he still thought they should have learned more in their first year. And now there was this Professor Lockhart who was incompetent and a fraud. Really, what did they do when they hired a new professor?!

Godric was frustrated with this. When they found Hogwarts, they wanted their students to receive the best education possible and not… this!

But still… Even if the education in Hogwarts - and how the professors treat their students - could be improved, he was sure it was not the reason why the spell to reborn him was activated at this time. Could it be Voldemort? Maybe, but maybe because there were more than he had seen so far. Well, he might find out this year.

~~~

This has to be a joke. It has to be. “Well you could be.”

Godric wanted to laugh, but Hermione was right. He didn’t really know if the Potters were descended from Slytherin. It would be really ironic if he was reborn as an heir of Slytherin. Salazar would laugh at that and be delighted. It would be… nice to have at least one connection to him in this life. But he didn’t open the chamber. That he could speak Parseltongue… Well could be because he was an Horcrux of Voldemort and he was sure that at least Voldemort was a Parseltongue. Well he could try a spell which would show him, if he would be a descendent of Salazar. He only needed something from Salazar and he was in Hogwarts. Salazar lived thousands of years ago, but his magic was still running through Hogwarts and it could be used for this spell. In the night he channeled the magic of his younger magic to cast the spell. Salazar's magic came through Hogwarts. The magic touched but never connected. So he wasn’t a descendant of Salazar. 

Godric sighed and lied down, thinking. So, at least he wasn’t Salazar's heir. 

But because he could speak Parseltongue he should go into it and ask Sahlia what happened. He should have done this in his first year, but he didn’t know how to reach the chamber without alerting someone. Because he knew that in the office of the headmaster was an entrance which could be opened by any founder. Every other entrance could only be opened with the language of the serpents. He was sure that it wasn’t Sahlia - Salazar’s basilisk - who was the culprit. She was at Hogwarts to protect the students should all other defenses fall. So why should she hunt others now and turn them into stone? A basilisk could be only claimed and tamed by one person in their life.

So McGonagall's claim that the 'monster' could only be controlled by the Slytherin heir was invalid. A basilisk could be tamed by every Parseltongue as long as it wasn’t already claimed. Maybe Sahlia wasn’t alone? It could be.

Well he would only find out, if he would ask, right?

~~~

He had been blind, weak and incompetent. Godric hissed as the pain went through his nerves. He could only watch helplessly as the daughter of Salazar’s basilisk cried out in pain and died. The poison was already in his body and weakened him quicker than his two magic cores who tried to destroy the other. He would die here… But before… he had to rescue the youngest Weasly. With his last strength he walked to her, ignored the young version of Voldemort and looked at the diary.

As soon as he had held the diary he knew what it was. An horcrux like him. He wasn’t fooled when Tom showed him what he wanted him to see. Hagrid couldn’t even speak Parseltongue and a spider as a ‘monster’. Pathetic.

But he thought he could find out a little bit more about Tom, about Voldemort but then someone stole the diary and he didn’t know who it was. And that was his mistake. He should have destroyed this damn diary as soon as he found it! But he didn’t and so he had to kill a basilisk - a basilisk which fought against the commands of the one who had it claimed, a basilisk which was going insane because it was suffering. It was only fair that he would die through the poison of a basilisk. It was his mistake only.

He called his sword - which he had let loose after the kill - and took the diary from Ginny.

“What are you doing?”, said Tom confused with a slight concern in his voice.

“Killing a monster.”, Godric replied and stabbed the diary with his sword.

The diary got destroyed and with it Tom. As soon as the rest of the vision of Tom vanished, Ginny opened her eyes.

“Harry?”

“It is okay, Ginny. I know he made you do it. Go. Go to Ron, he is waiting for you outside. I… I have to do something else first. Go.”

She shouldn’t see him die.

“Harry! You’re bleeding!”

“Not much. Go.”

She hesitated, but then she went her way. Godric sighed and closed his eyes. He remembered the first time he was here.

“Doesn’t really look comfortable.”

“That’s the outside area. Come. I will show you the hiding rooms. There is space for beds and also a room for potions to heal students who could be wounded.”, explained Slytherin.

Godric smiled.

“Sounds good. I think it is a good idea to have space for Sahlia and a safe place for the students if Hogwarts should be attacked.”

“Thought that you would like it.”

Salazar smiled and showed him the rooms, also the storage room for potions.

“There will also be phoenix tears and antidotes for basilisk poison. Just to be safe.”

Godric opened his eyes again. Wait… The antidote could still be there. Groaning, he rose and staggered to the hidden rooms. Shortly before he reached the storage room he collapsed. Not good. All his strength had left him. But his magic was still there. Weak and still fighting but maybe…

“Accio basilisk antidote…”

His voice was only a whisper, but his magic reacted. The door jumped open and the vial with the antidote flew straight into his hand.

It was fair that he would die through the poison but Salazar would be sad and devastated if he would still live. His friends would want him to try to live as long as he could, fighting for Hogwarts. So he took the antidote and waited. 

After a few minutes he felt better. Slowly he rose again and walked out of the hidden rooms. His sight stopped at the dead body of the basilisk. Sahlias offspring. He could not leave her like this. Sahlia would come sooner or later and if she would find her like that…

~”What happened? Godric?”~

Too late.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

~“I’m sorry Sahlia… A student was here… The horcrux tried to kill her, so that he could live again. He…forced your daughter to kill me…”~, he answered in parsel. 

His voice was shaking in grief. 

“I.. my magic didn’t respond as it should have been and only my sword answered my call. I’m so sorry…”

He could hear how Sahlia reached her daughter, hissing in grief.

~”Don’t be sorry Godric…”~, she said after a while: ~”You were the one who held the sword, but it was not you who killed her. It was him. He forced you to defend a student and yourself against her. He forced her to kill the ones we swore to protect. She was never the same after she killed that one student 50 years ago. I just hope… she can be at peace now.”~

Sahlia touched him with her snout and Godric felt the tears of his own. Crying he collapsed again, shaking trying to hold her. 

Even though she said it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t believe it. He should have done something. 

~“You may be Godric Gryffindor, one of the best duelists that ever lived. At least in my eyes… But you’re only twelve years old at the moment, Godric. And you have problems with your magic. You did your best at that moment. Don’t think you should have done better. You couldn’t and I know you tried to save my daughter as well.”~

He did. He was climbing that damned wall not to reach her head. But because he hoped she would hit herself strong enough to lose consciousness. It hadn’t worked and so he was out of options…

”I’m still sorry. I couldn’t save her.”

~“Nobody could. Not you, not me, even Salazar could not have done it.”~, she whispered.

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked again to her daughter.

“My magic is okay again… I think… I can at least… try…”

Sahlia had her eyes closed, held still as he took his wand and cast the spell. The words came out of his mouth without thinking.

The dead body rose and crystallized. She would not rot here like some thrown away body. She tried everything she could and like him she lost this fight. But she tried and he wanted to pay her respect with it. The crystal was her grave and monument at the same time. He closed his eyes again.

~”I closed my eyes. Is this okay?”~

Sahlia was silent for a few minutes, before she nudged at him.

~”It’s beautiful and more than any of my kind had ever had after we died. Thank you, Godric.”~

He smiled, but then spitted blood. Too much. His magic cores were fighting again.

~”Godric!”~

It was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.



~~~

He came out a few hours later than Ron and Ginny. After they left the chamber it had closed and no teacher had reached him. Sahlia had watched over him until he woke up.

After everyone was sure that he was okay, everything got back to normal.

Dumbledore came back and called him to his office. 

Godric didn’t show how displeased he was that Dumbledore stored his sword in his office. The professors took it from him, after he left the chamber. But he couldn’t say that it was his and as Dumbledore asked him how the sword came to him, he only said that he found it in the chamber. Dumbledore didn’t really believe him, and Godric felt how he tried to look into his mind. He showed him a fantasy memory, not the truth, tricked him. Salazar had taught him how to do that. Godric used okklumentik in an instinctive reaction and was really good at it. But Salazar wanted to be sure that Godric could also trick others to believe they could use legimantik against him. It was easier if the enemy thought they were successful. 

So Dumbledore believed him. 

“Professor…”

He hated it to call him that. Dumbledore didn’t teach anymore, so why should he call him that?

“The basilisk… I don’t think she was there to purge the school.”

“Why do you think that?”

At least he could try to repair Salazar's reputation.

“She was angry at herself and repeated that she didn’t want to attack me. She fought against the commando of Tom. He said she has to kill me, but if she could she bought me time to avoid her attacks. Everyone was turned into stone. If a basilisk wants to kill, it will. But there were more than one incident where the person turned into stone. No One was killed. I also found a safe place for students in the chamber. I guess… the basilisk was there to protect us, not to hunt down muggleborns, Sir. Maybe the history we know is wrong. Since I heard the story I asked myself: Why build a school with someone who is like Salazar was described?”

“That is an interesting question Harry. But sometimes the true self of someone shows after time.”

Godric remained silent at that. No one said it would be easy to repair Salazar’s reputation. And when Lucius Malfoy entered the office, he knew the topic was finished. Now he had to help Dobby and he had an idea how.

[tascaskelton-art]

Commission done for (@) hedasophie_art (instagram) of her OC Sahlia 🐺💜✨

[vibrantshadow]

Okay so it's Blue Dragon's 15th Anniversary today (at least if you go by JPN release dates for the franchise, which I do)

*happiness noises*

So I've made a small thing to celebrate.

It's not much but eh

The individual pictures will be on a separate post, which will be a reblog from this one.

[dreamerkitty]

My favourite blue dragon girls~!

(I know I got some things wrong cause I drew them from memory + bouquet has my own outfit)

[fifarts]

sahlia biswas, daughter of the winds and waters 🌊🌬

(click for better quality)

find me on twitter, instagram, and tiktok for more art!

(twt: @/fifartsss insta: @/fifartss tt: @/fifarts)

[vibrantshadowsideblog]

[cliban]

T'is me, the ramble-enabler! What's something that you've wanted to share about the characters for a long time (either in their creation or about them in general)?

:o

Lemme think...

I'll just so some fun facts about my creating process.

-Something I find fascinating is how I decide character's sexualities while designing them! Want to know how I do it? I put earrings/makeup of pride flags on them and see how well it goes with their palette. That's it.

-The songs I'm listening to tend to define a character's personality while drawing them. So for example, Everybody loves me [Onerepublic] for Acri, etc.

-Even if a character is not a Diman, I design them as if they were. For example, Stitches crew Diman stats:

[incorrect-blue-dragon-quotes]

Shu: How would you like to live forever?

Sahlia: I'd hate it. Shut the fuck up.

[briarruler]

On the Nature of Heart’s Light

I was curious about what triggered the characters to regain their Shadows in Disc 3. Separated into general statements about Shadows and character specific Heart Lights.

General

“A Light Shines in (Character’s) heart.”

Quoted, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village, text displayed when Party members find their reasons to regain their Shadows.

“The light of your heart cast a Shadow.”

Quoted, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, text displayed when Party members reach full Tension fighting their Shadow.

“Our magic lies in our hearts! Our hearts are creating the magic for us…”

Quote from Shu, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

“It’s the power of our hearts.”

Quote from Shu, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

“Well, you see, we felt that we couldn’t let Nene get away with everything. While we were separated, we went to other villages. In all these places, Nene did terrible things to the people. We had to stop him. We had to save everybody! We wanted strength. And all that made me feel so… eeeaaggaahh!” - Shu...

“We couldn’t hold our anger back. And then, everyone’s magic returned.”- Kluke...

“I heard from King Jibral that the Ancients referred to magic as ‘the light that lies within oneself.’” -Zola

Quote from Cutscene , Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Glass Spires.

Important Dialogue from when Party Members actually regain their Shadows, Kluke, Jiro, Marumaro and Shu.

Shu

Shu confronts Sahlia as she attempts suicide. She tells him that when people say don’t give up that it is nothing but words and he’s just like everyone else.

“I don’t care if you want to throw it all away. I could never give up like that. But hey, that’s just me, I guess… I’ll never give up. I’m not gonna sit around here, waiting to be eaten by some tree! I won’t!” 

“It sucks to give up and die. It’s easy to say: ‘Don’t give up.’ But unless you turn those words into strength, you won’t get strong. You can’t even live.  But now, after all we’ve been through, I know what it takes to say: ‘I won’t give up!’”

Quote from Shu, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Devour Village.

Jiro

Jiro finds a family of three separated from each other and desperate to be reunited.

“Families do what they can to save each other. My parents were the same way. When I was dragged underground by a Land Shark, my parents kept digging until their hands were bloody. This isn’t just my battle. But I have to be strong to make things happen!”

Quote from Jiro, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

Kluke

A Light Shines in Kluke’s heart while talking with a Young Girl Waiting in Noluta Village. The girl is waiting for her parents to return; they left for Devour Village and the Freezing stops anyone from leaving their homes in Noluta Village, so the girl is still waiting.

“I can’t watch the same sadness as mine spread in the world. I have to fix things, not just for myself, but for people like this child as well!” 

Quote from Kluke, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

Marumaro

Marumao finds the village children trapped and miserable in the ice.

“If we don’t do anything about Nene, Maro’s brothers and sisters will end up the same way! Gonna get him. No matter what it takes, we’re gonna get him. So, Maro’s gotta get Shadow back. Maro’s true Shadow!”

Quote from Marumaro, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

Kluke, Jiro and Marumaro

“It’s the same thing! Nene goes from village to village, doing whatever he can to stir up fear, and then he enjoys it as people get more and more afraid!” - Jiro

“It’s awful! Nene’s so mean!” - Marumaro

“I can’t take this anymore. There’s no way this can go on. I won’t let this happen!” - Kluke declares and her Shadow starts appearing.

Jiro is looking at Kluke and his Shadow starts to appear.

“Everyone! We’re going to help you!” Kluke promises, haloed in blue light.

“I need to get my power back!” Jiro says as blue light started to gather around him.

“Magic! Come back to us!” Marumaro calls as he gains a blue-light outline, lifting his face to the sky, his Shadow beginning to appear.

Quoted from Cutscene, Blue Dragon, Disc 3, Noluta Village.

Conclusions

It seems regaining your Shadow requires you to find your resolve, to feel it and fight for it.

I think the resolves that they express reaffirm or build upon the reasons that led to Nene giving them their Light Spheres in the first place. Marumaro’s desire to save and protect his family and village. Jiro’s desire to support his friends and protect the people he loves. Kluke’s desire to keep those she cares about safe and avenge her parents’ deaths. Shu’s stubborn determination to try even in the face of death and refusal to believe that he will not succeed if he doesn’t just try harder.

And also ways that they have grown. Shu is learning that he can’t solve everything by fling himself at something to fight, that sometimes you have to retreat and reposition yourself before trying again. Kluke turning her grief from something that distances her from others and is focused on her pain, from vengeance into an empathy that reaches out and connects her with others, that drives her to save them. Jiro that if he wants to plan battles and work alongside his friends he can’t just rely on their power, he needs his own power too. Marumaro learning that you can’t just treat the symptoms you have to seek out the root cause, that which harms other people will likely harm your own too.

Why a character regains their Shadow isn’t the most important thing about them but it does tell you something important about them and what motivates them.