Haha, so I'm working my way through making Shanras and Aldoran but…well. I may have them a certain way on paper, but they could act a different way from what I expect when I actually write them. *points to Marland* Also, Shanras is kinda going on different sides of the spectrum on me, so I asked
lucathia-rykatu to throw prompts at me to see if I could settle her character on me. :3
Let's just say her prompts were awesome (though I couldn't write some of the ones I wanted, because that'd spoil. D:) and it definitely did help! Except a lot of the prompts wanted to be written from Aldran's pov. Nooooo, need to know Shanras' thoughts!
Uh, I was going to say that the way I pronounce Aldoran is Al-duh-ran or Ald-ran but I think I'll simplify it to Aldran. Which is a character from The Order of the Stick. Hmm. Think I'll still use it. :3 Also, Aldran kept the tail and ears, but mostly lost the tattoos. If it's a choice between tattoos and xeno-qualities, the xeno stuff always wings wins. Oh, *facepalm*
Shanras is now Ras, because she doesn't like her name. XD;
These ficlets are in as chronological order as I could manage. XD;; Some could be in canon, others are there because I just wanted to write them. X3
Now watch me try to find the mid-point between medieval speech and casual speech. :P
First Encounter
The first time Ras and Aldran meet.
The sun was setting and Ras sighed, drawing her cloak in close, the mud sucking at her boots. She just had to-
There was flicker of blue to her left, and Ras snapped her head to it, drawing back a step just in case.
The flicker was a small blue flame hovering just above the ground before it dipped down, passing right through as if there was nothing there. A breath later, a spark jumped up from that spot and as Ras watched, blue lines swirled out across the ground, glowing with magic. In seconds, a circle had been mapped out, and it was when something started to form in its centre that Ras realised what it meant.
But, that couldn't be right. She glanced left and right. There was no-one else there in the street. So that meant…
As Ras watched, wide-eyed, the shape solidified, turning human-shaped, though she could see the tail, the pointed ears. The circle faded, and she waited, wondering what would happen next. She knew the stories, but she'd never been allowed to see if she had any magic of her own. Trying to do it without any instruction never worked.
He stared at her through sleepy eyes before they snapped to wakefulness and he lunged at her.
Ras' back hit the ground with a dull squelch, her breath snatched out of her.
Wide purple eyes stared down at her, and Ras had the perfect view of fangs as he grinned ecstatically. "You're-"
Ras punched him in the face.
Hug
Aldran really wanted to hug Ras.
Aldran really wanted to hug Ras, but he couldn't, because then he'd have to explain why, and he couldn't.
That was if Ras even let him that close. She probably would.
Belief
Ras and Aldran out shopping.
Ras sighed at him, shaking her head. "Put that down - they're lying."
Aldran gazed down at the crystal ball in his hands, seeing his own reflection stare back at him. But, what if they weren't? What if he really could see the future? What if he really could see what would happen next?
But then…did he want to?
Aldran ran a thumb over its smooth surface and then set it back down again, hurrying after Ras.
Blending In
Aldran tries on a hat.
Ras quirked a grin as she watched Aldran try on a wide-brimmed hat, carefully tucking the tips of his ears into it.
"Why do you want that?"
Aldran's tail swung in slow arcs as he turned to her, the brim shadowing his eyes. "It's so less people notice my ears," he said quietly. "They keep staring."
"Huh. Well, okay," Ras said with a shrug, her gaze sliding down. "But don't you want to do something about your tail too?"
Aldran's tail froze, and then slunk in close to his leg, as if trying to hide.
Recognition
Ras realised something about Aldran.
Ras studied Aldran's face as he picked at his food - she was sure he looked familiar -though they obviously hadn't met before- but who…?
Long dark hair that brushed past his shoulders, an angular jaw, wide shoulders. His pointed ears poked through his hair, but Ras ignored them - the person had to be human.
When Aldran realised what she was doing, he raised his purple eyes to her, his tail twitching at the tip. It was the look he gave her, his eyebrows drawn in, as if he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react, that was when she understood.
She burst into laughter, her knee banging on the table, the plates rattling. "You look like my mum!" It was subtle but it was there, in the shape of his face, the set of his eyes, the tone of his skin.
Aldran stared at her, his eyes wide, his mouth open. "I-I do?" he asked hesitantly, ducking his head. "…Are you close?"
"Naw." Ras shook her head. "She'd wanted a girl." She grimaced.
Aldran's eyebrows drew in further, his expression confused. His eyes flicked down before meeting hers again.
Ras smirked, knowing his glance wasn't anything more than that. "She wanted a girl who would stay in the house, and get married as soon as I was able to, not a girl who was more interest in exploring, or fighting with boys." She blew air through her teeth.
"She named me Shanras." She saw Aldran's uncomprehending look. Right. He probably didn't understand that. "It means 'Beautiful Woman'."
"Oh." After a brief pause, Aldran's gaze slid away.
Ras frowned, worry growing in her when he didn't look up again. She went over the conversation again, slotting in what she knew of Aldran. "You think I'd hate you because you look like my mum?"
Aldran blinked, and then huffed softly, a small smile on his face. "No."
Stuff I learned
Shanras has rejected her name. XDD;; Oops. So it's Ras from now on.
Aldran's taller than Ras.
Aldran is a little more awkward than I thought he would be. He's more conscious of his looks; I don't think the bonds are rare - it's just that it's attributed to Powerful Magic.
Aldran looks a little like Ras' mum. And since they have a connection with each other, Aldran thinks there's a reason why he looks like he does.
Ras talks in a more casual speech, which, is really hard for me to keep consistent with the setting. XD;;
Aldran does not have a lot of practice with what's acceptable behaviour. XD;;;
Stuff I need to look at
Omggggg, I need to find out the name of the 'slaves'! That's why the first one is so awkward! I couldn't continue it on a little further, because I needed to know what the heck Ras would call him! (The next bit is Aldran looking dazed and no longer on top of Ras.
'Why did you do that?'
'That is not how you greet people!')
The mythology behind bond. What's the common story about it? Why are people pushed towards fighting against the geists when they form a bond? (okay, powerful magic, but… I guess people wouldn't want them to be 'wasted' on something mundane, if they even used their magic)
Ras still needs to get looked at. She's not fully-formed yet. =/
Still need to write a fight scene, so I can work out how the magic works.
Need to show that magic is more normal here!
If you want to throw prompts at me for this, feel free! :D Throw lots, because I don't know what ones will bite, and if I'd be able to write non-spoilerific ones. XD;;;