Their done! Better digital References for the Color quadruplelets and Shadow!
I might work on some writing too but this has been a pretty fun au to think about, this red for Shadow I also think is going to end up becoming a gen ref for Shadow no matter the au or version because holy shit he is NOT consistent when I draw him
So...I'm really excited to share this one specifically, and it's been hard, because Shadow's hcs in particular contain more information about the sort-of plot for this AU. As well as why it is called the Porcelain AU in the first place. So i'm so glad it's finally time to post this. ^^
I will say that there sort of is some need for warning for this one since it does have some heavy/sad/darker themes compared to the other, which...sorry? To be fair it might not be that bad, but I'd rather warn, just in case. I'll try to add the CW in bold in front of the specific parts that applies to the warning.
Anyway, as always....HCs/Trivia below the line~!
CW: Dark themes, death (canonical Shadow death ofc), kind of suicidal ideation? (sorry in advance?).
And remember this... "All things come with a price."
To start off! Our boy Shadow is a Taurus! On the cusp, so he was almost an Aries. April 20th ^^
He is the second shortest of the bunch at 5'5". Like Blue, it doesn't bother him, plus I mean...he can float? He can be at eye-level anytime.
Living with him is like living with a cat almost, *cough*black cat*cough*, he is mostly chill but he has bouts of sudden zoomies and mischievous behaviour. But for the most part his personality is a bit more relaxed than before.
He is very loyal, and though he is mischievous and sometimes taunts others, he is kind and well meaning. He does have some insecurity about himself and his ability to be good but is making good progress with the help of the others and is quickly gaining his confidence back, which is great to see.
Shadow doesn't really weigh too much at all, like Green, but it's more to do with his species/race than his abilities. Shadow doesn't really have all the internal organs, etc that hylians or humans have, because he is made of magic essentially. Sort of a magic construct in a way? He is a "Living shadow" afterall. Plus it makes sense for the others when they connect the things they've seen him do with his body before, i.e. like spinning his head/body round full circle, etc.
It's worth noting, because it will come up, I like to generally keep relationships sort of ambiguous or open to interpretation, mainly because I actually don't mind any of the ships between any or multiple of the gang, but I will say that Vidow is an established/endgame ship in this AU. I have a soft spot for the ship as it was one of my first ships when I was younger that I was in love with basically lol. Anyway.
Shadow tends to steal or run off with items belonging to the others, can sometimes devolve into a keep away game of chase he finds so fun lol. He can get pouty if there's no chase and they give up too easily, but will return the items, especially if the person is genuinely upset and wants it back. This has happened a few times, but he has been reassured that as long as he gives it back when they're serious that it's ok and to not feel guilty.
Stealing Vio's reading glasses to wear is one of his favourites though! No chase needed. Vio thinks it's adorable.
Shadow is very like ethereally beautiful, Link was pretty but Shadow is like unnaturally pretty. When I say them I mean like beyond human ability, kind of like the fae if that makes sense? I can elaborate on that if needed lol.
He is naturally curious but due to the trauma of dying, being separated from the boys, etc, he is kind of clingy. Doesn't really like to be alone for too long. Usually hangs around Vio and Blue the most though, but he doesn't avoid any of them, he just tends to go to Vio and Blue more often than the others.
Also worth noting in case it wasn't noticed, but I've decided to change the age they were on their adventure from 12 to 15. Mainly because I kind of wanted it so that they were at an age where falling in love would be more reasonable? If this makes sense. Like not really puppy dog eyes but more like I am in love and want to marry this person possibly in the future. It's mainly because I wanted it to be more believable that it was a factor in Vio wanting to bring him back. A strong motivation basically, and I didn't really think being in love was super realistic at like 12, sorry just my experience lol.
I think Shadow likely has major abandonment issues so that is something he struggles with, as well as some social and general anxiety. Depression too, to complete the trifecta lol. Am I projection? No you are lol. But has some self-worth issues, he's working through it though with the other's help! ^^
Shadow's feelings are pretty complicated when it comes to Vio mainly, at least definitely in the beginning of this AU. I mean, he made his first friends and fell in what he determined was love (though it wasn't confessed), then got betrayed by the only person he let in, then got killed by the gang via sword blasts.
He was at a low point when he crawled back through the mirror before Zelda confronted and comforted him. He thought 'fuck what everyone believes I am...I want to be good...someone worth staying for." (sad I know, sorry it's gonna get kind of worse ^^;).
CW - Suicide Ideation (sort of). When he met up with the others, he never really got the chance to speak with Vio so many things were left unsaid. And then his sacrifice....I feel like with his mental state at the time he might have been desperate to prove himself and maybe even a part of him thought it was inevitable? The gang was losing, they needed to shatter the mirror to actually end Vaati. So Shadow shattered the mirror himself, partly because he wanted those idiots to live, partly because he wanted to prove to them and himself that he was good, but also something he wouldn't admit easily is that he felt that they were going to shatter it themselves so he just beat them to the punch. He would rather it was himself who did it basically.
CW - Death. Shadow's last memory of this moment after shattering to moment was pain, then slowly fading away while the others surrounded him. In the moment he couldn't really hear them, which later is brought up sort of. Basically they were all saying some stuff, Vio may have confessed, but ofc Shadow's basically in overwhelming pain and his hearing is cut out so when he gets brought back and doesn't mention it at all, Vio sort of assumes that his feeling aren't returned for a bit.
His memories of being dead are kind of blank, at best he can describe it as being in an endless black void where time was uncertain. Somehow feeling like it took eternity and yet like no time at all.
CW - Dark themes. His resurrection was messy to put it simply. Everything has a price. Vio had been too confident. They were all there (the gang plus Zelda) when he had to be dragged from the newly constructed dark mirror. Death and the void are not simple things, and they don't like when others try to take away what is theirs. So it was basically tug of war almost, he was being dragged back to the mirror, and it took three of them to drag him from it enough to get him out. Zelda and Vio were preforming the binding spell that would keep him in the living realm, using Vio as the anchor. Unfortunately, while they were ultimately successful in the end and were able to shatter the mirror to stop it from reclaiming Shadow...he didn't come out of it unscathed. He lost one of his eyes (Left one in the picture above), as well as his feet/legs (left one slightly above the ankle, and right at mid-calf).
He has scars that resemble the shattered mirror, they glow in the dark lol. But most importantly you'll notice the starburst shaped scar in the middle of his torso/chest. It along with the shatter scars aren't textured like real skin or scar tissue, more like ceramic or something similar. Especially the one at his chest, that one is incredibly sensitive and also feels a bit fragile even though it is as tough at the rest of him. This was Zelda's doing, it is crystalized light force basically. He has a heart (which he didn't have before) constructed of light force.
Due to this, his powers aren't as powerful and he doesn't have the endless well of magic he used to. He can do all the things he could before, though he doesn't have endless energy so he needs to take breaks and consume magic energy & items to refill. It can be refilled with rest but eating magic makes it refill faster.
Example, floating/flying takes barely and energy but he cannot be doing it constantly without pause. They tested it, he was able to go without a break for almost 2 days. but this was without him using any other abilities, just floating/flying.
Another major example is his shapeshifting ability. He still can but the shape has to be of equal mass as him or smaller. When he used to shift to something bigger than him he would gather more darkness around him to pack onto himself kind of like playdough. But due to his new lightforce in him, he cannot take on additional darkness so he is stuck with the darkness he already has (himself).
The no feet thing doesn't bother him too much now, granted it did in the beginning when he was getting used to being alive and he was wary of the others. But he gets by fine usually by floating like he originally did. He does have some prosthetics that were made for him but he only really uses them when he doesn't have any other choice, he doesn't like how they feel and are a bit of a reminder of what he lost.
On that note. He doesn't like being picked up. Especially without permission, he finds it a bit insulting/demeaning. Sometimes when he's feeling especially clingy and doesn't have the energy to float and doesn't want to wear the prosthetics (Or has forgotten them. Which he does sometimes, somewhat purposefully because he struggles with his inability to walk on his on now. Don't worry Vio always has a set on him, man is prepared for everything), he'll let Vio or Blue carry him. Mainly those too, leaning more towards Vio when their relationship progresses. Definite sign of trust.
If this happens and no one is around that he trusts, he tends to just sit for a bit, snack on some magic, or if he needs to really like escape he can shapeshift into something small. This is a good option for him because it will allow him to refill him magic while not using much because his body is now smaller so his wellspring seems bigger because of it. I can explain this more in detail at a later date if anyone wishes. ^^
His left eye is gone entirely (which is why his eyes in the picture look different lol). He wears a false eye. His first was actually made by Vio! ^^ This was the moment he really started to reconcile and open up to Vio again after his betrayal. The others will make some and paint them themselves and he cherishes every one of them.
He's definitely helped Red sneak animals into the house before, he thinks it's hilarious.
Design wise, I gave him wider eyes with mad eyelash game, mainly to show that while he is a spicy little gremlin, he is surprisingly innocent since he doesn't really have a lot of experience in the outside world. I gave him a lip piercing because projection lmao, also because I think he'd really enjoy the ability to express himself however he wants too, freedom basically. ^^
His hair is more wavy-curly, hairstyle being somewhat similar to Red's (Red helped him cut it and they share hair tips), but while Red's ends a little past his shoulders, Shadow's hair goes a bit past his butt. He can change the look and style of course with his shapeshifting ofc but this is the look he likes most as of now. Still purple, but I went for the more grey toned purple I prefer to use for like all versions of shadow I draw, mainly so it won't be overwhelming and it makes his eyes stand out a bit more. I went for a pale skin tone with more of a brown toned grey undertone so he didn't look too much like a vampire lol. And freckles! love to add freckles to Shadow. Adds flavour.
I gave him more downturned ears, somewhat to display his uncertain nature and latent anxiety/guilt, but also to differentiate with the others. Also his shatter-scars are pretty pronounced and obvious to the general public, he can't easily hide it, takes up too much energy. You can see where it goes over his missing eye, which somewhat is where the path of destruction way. Basically the lightforce filled in the cracks like kintsugi. You'll see in future drawings and sketches, but Shadow's legs/feet weren't clean cut, think more of Wisp from Warframe, it looks more like hers do, and the stump/inside part it the same gold-white of the scars. Kind of reminds me of geodes now that I think of it, huh.
He tends to wear tops that are more loose fitting or are open chest, he likes to fluster the others, but it's actually because the scar at the centre of his chest/torso is sensitive and tends to sting and hurt more when rough fabric is rubbing against it. He doesn't like to touch it and doesn't let the others, bar Vio. (I'll explain why in Vio's post ^^).
My first week of exams is over, the physics test was something
To celebrate my return, here's this drawing I made yesterday (With my sister by my side trying to play Dead Plate and failing) of a Four Swords AU that I created a few days ago.
The name of the AU I chose is: The Return of the Four Heroes.
AU Synopsis (Manga Events): After Link put the Four Sword back on its pedestal after his fight against Vaati and Ganon, and after a while he began to hear the voices of the Four Links in his head and sometimes each one even managed to have control of the body. And after six years Zelda called Link to a meeting and warned him that she felt some evil in Hyrule again and told him to go to the Sanctuary and get the Four Sword, he accepted the request and before leaving the princess gave him a gift, the bow she wore as a child, and Link's father also gave him his cape red with a brooch with the Triforce symbol, Link left and went to the Sanctuary and at the exact moment he was going to get the Sword a strange portal appeared and pulled Link along with the sword to a place unknown, similar to Hyrule but different, after walking a little and being mistaken for someone by some people, he stopped in a cave to rest and was immobilized by an arrow containing sleeping pill, and when he woke up he saw a boy sitting in front of a fire, and when he turned around Link saw that he looked a lot like him,but the strangest thing is that he had a light purple tail, like a cat's.The two Link then begin their journey to find out how he was taken to that other world and maybe they would become friends
This is the synopsis, sorry it was so long (I was inspired by this synopsis) maybe I'll start drawing the Comic after my second week of exams.
In the drawing, the one on the left is Link from the Four Swords Manga and the one on the right is Link from the game.
In the drawing I ended up using a base to help me but please don't judge me I really needed to use a base.
I hope you guys like it and I'm glad I'm finally back on Tumblr and soon I'll be posting this drawing on DeviantArt
Hundreds of years ago the fire moth people, or Nari'shi, lived on volcanic Islands to the South. Unfortunately, there was a catastrophic period of forest fires in the nearby lands that spread from the wild, to crops, and finally villages.
The Nari'shi contain the ability to generate enough heat to create flames. This is because they naturally have a sixth sense to read energy through their antennae and have a much higher resistance to the natural heat from the volcano's they live nearby and depend on. Due to these factors, they can use their own stores of energy and release that through the friction their thick fur creates in fast movement. They even had group dances that would create sparks from the fast movements and touches.
However, that ability to create flame is why they were blamed for the tragedies that continued, even if they was no real evidence they had done those things. Due to complicated politics of the time, including the greed and power tactics of many leaders, they were used as scapegoats for not just the fires but many other things.
During their season of Dormancy And Rest, or Winter, many attacks were made against them using cruel techniques. IN the end their rule was dismantled and they were forced to pay for "retributions." Having no home and no wealth, they agreed to contracts that essentially trapped them and their families in generations of forced labor, abusive surveillance, and working conditions that violated many human rights.
Most work in the Fire Works, where their energy is used either to forge weapons with their fire or create magical energy capsules for a variety of purposes. It's a grim and gruesome reality. Schooling and any method for empowerment or escape from that lifestyle are banned using racist ideas to back it up.
Red, or rather Flicker in this au, worked and lived in those horrible conditions. One day, an older man who had taken care of him, was being yelled at by one of the surveyors. He was too slow. It didn't matter that he was overworked, exhausted, and slowed down by the years of intense labor. He'd be punished for his slowness anyways. Most of the time, the only reason it happened was just to make an example.
At a certain point, everyone reaches a limit. Even though it was stupid, and the elder man begged him not too, Flicker tried to defend him. Tried to make an excuse or aid him in some way, to make the pain less. Things only escalated unfortunately. Then other people were roped into it. More serious threats were made.
Flicker, well, he ended up determined to defend him. And with his own temper his own flame flared up. So hot it broke his own restraints. Apparently, he was "gifted" with a strong fire. People like that were sent down to the Tartarus Plant. No one ever came back from there. No one that ever went there saw the sky again. The beautiful sun would be a dead memory.
So he ran. Sure, it was a rather explosive escape. Sure, if he was caught he'd face a fate worse than death itself. Maybe he accidentally did cause several fires because of the adrenaline and lack of restraint paired with this "gift" (more like a curse.) Miraculously he manages to escape on a raft. Or well, he would've been shot down if Flicker did that. The Island was full of guards.
It's more accurate that they thought he died and then he thought he died when the small boat exploded around him. Flicker wasn't exactly sure what happened. A selkie folk, who knew the ocean and its depths, wouldv've realized that he'd been dragged off by a vicious rip current. And managed to survive purely because he was entangled in a boyyant piece of the small boat he stole.
As for the whole "drowning" issue? No clue on that, for all anyone would ever guess is that either some guardian spirit was watching over him or maybe he just was so near death and hot that he just created an air bubble from all the water he was heating up. Who knows honestly.
Of course, when he washed up in some small cave on the cliff side of some foreign land, he had to admit he was relieved. Sure, there was no way out due to the tides that blocked the exit of the cave. Perhaps, he'd never leave this place and he'd just starve inside, it wasn't like he could swim. Honestly, it was better than whatever fate was awaiting him at the Fire Works.
But then he noticed a frozen chunk of ice near the corner of the cave. At first, he thought it was a strange rock, he'd never seen ice before. There was even clams growing around it as well. He felt droplets melt as he touched it. While he observed the strange thing, he noticed a strange shape inside. So, he melted through it. And then...
A MEAL- Okay, it was probably some dead disease infested animal that died some unfortunate death- But cmon! It PROBABLY wouldn't kill him and honestly- Maybe he could make this work! He'd get enough energy from eating that weird freaky looking animal and maybe he'd learn how to fish! He could just- Drink the water dripping from the stalactites above! He'd survive!!
Well, that's what he thought before he was about to try to cook the dead thawed thing and then it suddenly opened its eyes and shrieked and bit him. Oh, and then it turned into a whole freaking man with weird white hair and crap.
Then the guy started screaming more! Sure, maybe it was because Flicker was screaming too- But in his defense he didn't expect his dead meal to just BECOME A RANDOM GUY?
Things calmed down and they established that they didn't want to kill each other. Then they both demanded what the hell was up with the other dude in the cave. Apparently "Buwe" was trapped in ice or cursed or something. He seemed strangely concerned for Flicker though, Flicker couldn't really understand why.
After a bit of peace and making up for the "accidentally trying to eat/bite you" scenario with some fish that Buwe had caught they chatted some more. Buwe was determined to take Flicker home with him. But the more Buwe talked.. Yeah, Flicker wasn't exactly schooled, but he started to realize everything this guy was describing.. From money and the state of the kingdoms and whatever else? He sounded like he was alive when the Nari'shi were free.
So, they started to put together that Buwe's entire family and tribe were probably dead because apparently he'd been frozen in ice for over two hundred years.
Buwe, brilliant man that he is, decides he's going to cope by adopting Flicker. Flicker, who doesn't want to die and is appreciative of this strange man who has provided food and protection find's himself accepting this agreement. Even though he's literally an adult but apparently, "Smol brother is smol brother" was enough reasoning for Buwe so this was just his life now.
They tried to go back to Buwe's old village, but after seeing the way the grief absolutely wrecked Buwe, Flicker encouraged them to find a new life elsewhere together. Buwe agreed and they set off.
