#xiaolian

MEET LA CRETURA!! (Xiaolian Pianzi)

more Xiaolian!

she talkin bout plants <3

Xiaolian, while she is not conventionally pretty like Airong, she does appear to be cute whenever she feels like it.

The spider lilies in her hair are also a homage to the House of Fire Lilies she used to be part of before joining Wu.

Most of the time whenever I draw Xiaolian, I portray her as a child because of her childlike gremlin behavior. I really need to start drawing her as her actual age xD

Did I mean to end up revamping a higher level NPC for a Changeling game I will never play or write at 1am on Christmas morning?

No, not really, but the plot bunnies are fast little fuckers, and you have to grab them while you can still see them.

Several of her merits and flaws- Faerie Eternity/Bizarre Seeming/Bard’s Tongue/Echoes- are because she’s spent so much time as a guide in the Dreaming that now even mortals read her as somewhat uncanny/unsettling. Either she finds her way back to Arcadia or she is completely undone by Bedlam at some point, and we all know which is more likely.

She’s a bad liar (see twitch) but has spent several decades covering up the fact that she brutally murdered the noble whose incompetence lead to her sister’s death.

At some point she was probably haunted by his ghost and had to go on a quest to redeem herself (and get unhaunted) and the medium merit is a leftover. But even though that’s all done & backstory (see: NPC) it would still be the death of her reputation if anyone ever learned what happened.

Her armor is spotlessly white at the one trick of her viole, because I didn’t really want it to be special in any way EXCEPT that it doesn’t stain. Which started as a practical&aesthetic thing but actually might make a cool metaphor if I tease it out later.

Prompt List

Yessss, I imagine Red spoiling her more than MK does. MK is trying to be the serious one but he gives in still.

4. “How did I get so lucky?” 73. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”

                                  --------------------------------

 Xiaolian, their little baby, their little lotus, was running around the house before bedtime. Xiaolian was only five years old and full of energy. Xiaotian and Red were trying to put her to bed but she refused to listen. She was beautiful and a great combination of her parents, she had red fiery hair and MK’s eyes. She looked mostly human everything except for the monkey tail and two horns from her head. She was polite, energetic, a great inventor like her papa. Her grandparents, great uncle, and aunt adored her. They spoiled her rotten, Tang and Pigsy, well mostly Pigsy taught her to cook, Tang on the other hand shared stories, Wukong would sit her on his lap letting her play with the baby monkeys, Macaque ruffled her hair. Sandy had let her sit on her shoulders and Mei spoiled her with plushes even DBK and Princess Iron Fan loved her. The demons had repaired the relationship with their son completely after the last fight four years ago with the White Bone Spirit but had been somewhat around for Xiaolian’s birth which MK suspected was what finally convinced them to go good. It was great for Red to finally have the love of his parents back and they were heavily invested in their granddaughter’s life.

 No one spoiled her as bad as Red did. He loved his baby girl so much. He got emotional over every little thing she did. He cried when she cried the very second she was born, cried over when she tripped after taking her first few steps, cried over her first invention, everything was emotional. MK hoped his husband would grow of it. Gods knows what Red would do if she got a partner! Now MK was more reasonable about the whole thing or at least he tried to be, someone had to be, but even he found himself giving in.

 “Xiaolian, it’s time to go to bed, sweetie,” MK reminded.

 Xiaolian bounced up and down on the couch. “But daddy, papa, I’m not tired! Five more minutes?” She gave puppy dog eyes to her parents.

 Red cooed. “Maybe she can have five more minutes, Noodle Boy.”

 MK crossed his arms and glared at his husband. “No, we already let her have five minutes, five minutes ago. Red…”

 Red smiled nervously at his husband. “Okay… listen to your daddy, Xiaolian.”

 Xiaolian got off the couch and frowned. “Okay, sorry papa and daddy.”

 MK ruffled her hair and got on his knees to look his child directly in the eyes. “It’s okay, love. The sooner you sleep, the earlier you wake up, the more you can play, okay?”

 Xiaolian’s face quickly morphed into a grin. “Okay, daddy!”

 Red repeated his husband’s actions then kissed her on the forehead. “Let’s go, little lotus.” He carried her in his arms and made their way to her room. He pulled the covers away and gently laid her down, placing the covers over her.

 “Can I hear a story?” Their baby asked, her eyes sparkling and her feet kicking under the covers.

  Red wanted to reply with ‘As many stories as you want.’ But his husband responded before he could say something. “Okay but only one story and then go to sleep.”

 “Okay, daddy!”

 MK and Red sat on her bed as they told her their love story. The story of rivals with completely different goals battling against each other until they started a friendship and fell in love and had a baby. They didn’t use specific names or specific details but they could tell their daughter loved it and in the middle of it, she fell fast asleep.

 They both smiled at their daughter and kissed the top of her head, making sure she was comfortable before they left. Red put an arm around his husband’s waist and led him out and into their room. They shared a kiss and got under the covers over their own bed.

 “You have to stop spoiling her so much, Red,” Xiaotian commented.

 “Never, love. Never.”

 “What is she turns out too spoiled?”

 Red rolled his eyes. “She has us as parents, it won’t happen.”

 “Okay… jeez I don’t know what’s going to happen when she grown up and has a partner,” he teased, nudging his husband.

 Red’s face paled. “Par- partner?”

 MK kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, honey. It won’t happen until 12 years or so.”

 “She’s not allowed to date. Ever.”

 MK laughed and grabbed his sketchbook from a drawer along with a pencil and began drawing. “Sure, whatever you say.”

 What would he do if she had a partner? Yea, she was too good for any partner, she definitely wasn’t allowed to date. Red shook himself out of his shock. He stared at his husband and thought of their beautiful daughter, he had gotten so lucky. He had a wonderful husband and the most perfect baby.

 He kept staring at his husband until MK spoke up. “You do know you’re staring, right?”

 “Hm? Oh, something is on my mind.”

 “What’s that?”

  “How did I get so lucky?” MK looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

  “Red, you always say that.”

  “But how did I? I never imagined this as my life now I have a baby and husband that I love more than anything in this world.”

  “You asked me first.”

  “You said yes when you could have said no. Thank you for not rejecting me back then, thank you for agreeing to marry me, thank you for having our child, just thank you, Noodle Boy.” He leaned and smooched his husband. “Thank you.”

 A blush was left on Xiaotian’s cheeks. He put his sketchbook and pencil on the bed. “You don’t have to keep thanking me. I did all of this because I love you.”

 “I love you too. I just… never expected this… I’ll keep thanking you forever how long because you deserve it.”

 His husband shook his head. “I’ll do the same too. You’ve been amazing, raising our daughter.” He ran a hand over Red’s face. “You’re fantastic, Red.”

 “You are too, my love.” They shared another kiss. It wasn’t long until after that that they decided to turn in for the night.

 They didn’t get that many hours in before “DADDY! PAPA!” They awoke each with sleepy gasps.

 MK rubbed his eyes. “Xiaolian is up again.”

 Red kissed his husband. “I’ll handle it.”

 “You sure, Red?”

 “Yes, I can.”

 “I’ll be there in a minute. Just need to force myself out of bed.”

 Red nodded and bolted towards his daughter’s room. The sight of her broke his heart, she was crying. “Little lotus, what’s wrong?”

 “PAPA!” She screamed and ran towards her papa, hugging him tight.

 Red got on his knees and hugged her back. “You’re safe now. I’m here. What’s wrong?”

 Xiaolian sniffled. “I had a nightmare, you and daddy were gone, you were hurt by some meanie and never woke up!”

 Red gasped. “That is never going to happen! I promise.”

 “But papa, what if it does?”

 “Your daddy has his staff, I have my powers and inventions. Your daddy and I have been through a lot and we’ve been perfectly fine.”

 “But… but…”

 “It’s okay, baby. Daddy and I wouldn’t let anything hurt you or us.”

 “Okay…” She kept sniffling, Red kissed her forehead.

 He was trying to soothe her sobbing as he attempted to explain that nothing was going to happen to them.

 “Do you promise?”

 “Huh?”

 “Do you promise that nothing is gonna happen to you and daddy?”

 Red smiled. “Of course, my love. I promise.”

 “Yay!”

 Red began singing in a soft tune to her. She cuddled up with her papa as she was placed on his lap and handed her monkey plush which Wukong had bought her. MK stood in the doorway of their baby’s room, he loved hearing his husband sing.

 Red stopped his singing and kissed his baby’s head. “See little lotus, nothing will happen.”

 MK approached his husband and his child. “Daddy!” She reached out for her daddy.

 MK shifted her from Red’s lap to his head. “Hi honey, did you have a nightmare?”

 “Yea! Papa made it all better!”

 “Awwww, did he now? Papa is a hero.”

 “Yea!”

 Red smiled. “You’re going to make me blush, love.”

 MK replied, “That’s the plan.”

 Red kissed his husband. “Ewwwww.” Xiaolian stuck her tongue out in disgust at her parents’ affection.

 Red smirked and began tickling his daughter. “It’s not ew. You silly lotus.”

 She laughed. “Ack, daddy help me!”

 Xiaotian laughed along and started tickling his husband. “Hey noodle boy, you’re supposed to be on my side!”

 Xiaotian playfully rolled his eyes. “Not this time.”

Hello friends.

I did a variant cover for EAST OF WEST 32 in honor of Women’s History Month.  The proceeds from the sales will be donated to Planned Parenthood.

East of West is Written by Jonathan Hickman . Drawn by Nick Dragotta . Lettered by Rus Wooton . Colored by Frank Martin

Xiaolian makes a grand return, riding Gullinbursti to battle!

Now here’s a basic intro for new followers meeting Xiaolian as well as old ones getting reacquainted with her.

Name: Xiaolian

Chinese: 笑莲

Onyomi: Shōran

Xiaolian was a young child found in the ruins after the war against Dong Zhuo. She was taken in by Songan and was raised as her youngest daughter alongside Airong. She grew fond of her older sister, and often tries to mimic her skills. However, due to Xiaolian’s loud nature, she’s often caught and scolded by others.

Xiaolian joins Airong in serving Wu, under Sun Quan, and quickly grows an attachment towards the other retainers. She fondly addresses the older retainers as Uncle, while the others such as Lu Xun and Xu Sheng she refers to as brothers. In battle, she’s usually paired with either men for them to keep an eye on her but Xiaolian tends to rush into battle the moment she sees an enemy.

She’s a brash child, sometimes also being labeled as a wild child when she gets aggressive in battle. On the few occasions when she loses her temper, her childlike personality is replaced by an almost insane anger that scares others. She’s pretty dense to most things, and doesn’t understand figurative language.

—————————

So Xiaolian’s design retains mostly the same with just a few minor updates. I changed her sashes to resemble Airong’s old design but kept the patterns the same.

Nothing else really changed for Xiaolian. I like her gremlin personality and her relations towards Wu and my other OCs.