Nutcracker Season 2022 Day 1 - Nutcracker meeting other nutcrackers
And so, it begins! I skipped out on Goretober so I wanted to do this! Also, it’s just fun drawing nutcrackers. The prompts for this year are really interesting and going to serve as a challenge! So here’s my boy Winter, and Auran who belongs to my dear friend @inkabelledesigns Check out her stuff! She does lots of cool drawings, doll customizations, and voice acting. We talked about how our boys would interact. Auran is a dancer, and so is Winter. But Winter is pretty shy about it. So here’s the result of that conversation. Note their girlfriends applauding in the background. Also, I tried coloring this piece, my markers are kinda old. A lot of them are dried out so it kinda limits my colors. So I’m likely not gonna colors all my nutcracker season pieces. But I may colors a select few, we’ll see…
This is what I was keeping under wraps. Ladies and gents, humans and dolls, let me introduce you to my nutcracker, Auran.
So last night, my parents showed me a Christmas card that came in late from some distant cousins of mine, and their granddaughter happened to be holding this adorable nutcracker that she’d decorated herself. His paint was messy, the hair was all over the place, but she looked so happy with him. And I thought to myself, wow, wouldn’t that make for a fun story. Picture this, a nutcracker that got put together by a child, someone who was once cold on the battlefield now softened to cater to a sweet little kid.
Auran was made as a result. Previously fighting for the doll kingdom’s army, he was like any other nutcracker soldier. One day, a day just like any day, their camp in the forest was ambushed by the mice, and while they fought valiantly and pushed the fight as far from camp as possible, there was a terrible fire that broke out among the trees, burning down a nearby settlement that also hid in the woods. Auran was ripped apart and left behind, until a little girl named Marie happened upon his broken pieces. Loading him up in her tiny wagon, among what few supplies she could salvage, she took him back to the remains of her home and tried to piece him back together. Auran has protected Marie ever since, considering it a life debt, as not only was she extremely kind to him, but he also harbors some guilt for not being able to protect any of the people living in the woods. Especially with Marie’s parents being gone, presumably dead, he sees it as his duty to care for her, leaving his position in the army as a thing of the past and letting her repaint him as a sign that he pledges himself to her. The snowflake crest on his chest was drawn by her for that very purpose. He still hasn’t fully patched himself up, but who knows, that could change. My six year old brother was asking me about him when I pulled out my sketchbook, and his suggestion was to have them go visit a castle next. I don’t know where I’ll take this story, if I’m able to continue it, but for a six year old, my bro has some good ideas.
I’d be dishonest if I didn’t say I’m super insecure about sharing Auran. I feel so inadequate with all the other wonderful stories I’ve had the pleasure of diving into. I’ve seen a lot of really beautiful nutcrackers out there, many of which are a result of @shinyzango ‘s amazing original project. I want all of you to know that I ADORE what you’ve done, the stories and the friendships I’ve watched be built from the outside have been amazing, and you all have so much to be proud of. I want you to know that you inspire me and give me so much joy whenever there’s an opportunity to see your work, be it visual art or literary. I know I don’t quite fit the nutcracker mold that’s been set, but Auran and I are still cheering you on from the sidelines. Keep doing what you do, it’s absolutely fantastic.
