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X-I-L2048 — HetaFly Refs: Shadow and Hera

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Published: 2014-09-18 07:28:07 +0000 UTC; Views: 1431; Favourites: 13; Downloads: 18
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Description Other Bios:
~ Londinium and Sihnon
~ Persephone and Ariel

Gracious me, these things are so time consuming. But it’s finally done, woo! I’m pretty pleased with their updated designs, particularly Shadow’s. I was never really satisfied with how I’ve drawn him in the past or even in the first batch of sketches for this piece, so I’m glad I finally got it to where I wanted it. Their personalities were also pretty fun to develop further, since they weren’t the most fleshed-out of characters before. And since this’ll be a pretty consistent thing I’ll just say it here: like most of the Border planets, their ethnicities are mixed. Comes with the territory of having no indigenous population to speak of.

So again, for those not familiar with Firefly canon, Shadow was Malcom Reynolds’ home planet. It was one of the three most pivotal players in the Independent movement against the Alliance and became the de facto center of Independent operations. Many of its young people volunteered to fight in the war. However, about 3-4 years into the war, the Alliance bombed the planet heavily in order to teach the Browncoats a lesson, rendering the planet uninhabitable and killing its personification. … Anyways, I always imagined Shadow’s default outfit as stereotypical ranching clothes, since most of the planet was used for agriculture and livestock. I really like the way his hair turned out. Drawing very short hair has always been a challenge to me, but I think I’m slowly getting it. (Many thanks to PwnedByPineapple for helping me develop Shadow further, as he’s her character first and foremost.)

Copy-pasting what I’d put in a previous artist’s comment elsewhere for brevity’s sake, Hera was the breadbasket of the ‘verse, with incredibly rich soil and a very strategic location in the quadrant that allowed it to be one of the central trading hubs of the whole system. While some parts of the planet are still this way, much of the planet’s fertile soil was destroyed by the Alliance in the last days of the war when they carried out an extensive bombing campaign to end the war as soon as possible. I decided to go a different route for her part of the ref sheet, since while technically her physical appearance is that of the top right picture in the “present day” part of the storyline (i.e. heavily scarred and hair cut short), I really wanted to give her a break and draw her in her default appearance for most of her life, where she was much happier and content. The war really did a number on the poor girl. ;~; BTW, the patch on her skirt is not because she’s too poor to afford a new one (she does quite well for herself, actually), but because she didn’t want to throw it out since the rest of it is perfectly serviceable.

I know Hera has a “canon” flag. I don’t care. I like mine better. So there. =^= Shadow’s flag is… a bit cliché, but I do like it. I might give it a redesign at some point, but for now, I think it will suffice.


”My last name, I'll defend it 'til I'm gone
I try to do what's right, sometimes it comes out all wrong
Hell, I've never been an angel and I'll never claim to be
But I've always been me

I'll take the blame when it's my fault
Get knocked down and stand up tall
Screamin', ‘Bring it on, I ain't scared!’
Never gone out of my way or acted fake
To impress anyone and that's okay
Sometimes I'm too proud, too loud
What you get is what you see
I've been called it all from bad news to a crazy S.O.B.
But I've always been me

I don't make excuses for none of my mistakes
I am what I am and I ain't what I ain't“
- “Always Been Me” ~Josh Thompson
    
Name: Ezekiel Dalton

Nick Name: Zeke

Nation: Shadow

Age: 17-18

Appearance: Shadow is tough and solidly built with a lot of upper body strength, standing squarely at 5’7” One of the first things people notice about him are the deep dimples at both corners of his mouth, which become even more pronounced whenever he smiles. His dark green eyes represent the lush plains and prairies that cover most of his planet, and he has a small unmanageable strand of hair behind his left ear that represents his people’s courage and unconquerable spirit.

Personality: Indomitably independent and with a natural distrust for authority of any kind aside from his own, it’s really no wonder that Shadow has quickly risen to be one of the most influential planets on the Rim. He’s confident, charismatic, expressive, and ambitious, and that enthusiasm can be downright infectious at times. He’s not easy to intimidate or control, and any attempts to try will backfire on the perpetrator spectacularly, mostly because Shadow can be rather intimidating himself. He’s innately a take-charge type of person, naturally seeing what needs to be done and able to steer everyone in the same general direction. An instinctive forward-thinker, Shadow is always on the lookout for ways of doing things better, since more than almost anything, Shadow values competence, both in himself and others, and being good at what you do is one of the most surefire ways of impressing him. He is unabashedly blunt and direct, and expects others to be as up front with him as he is with them. That being said, while he does tend to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, he doesn’t necessarily always tell the whole of it. Depending on the situation, he sees no problem with stretching and/or spinning the facts to suit his own needs (this has, needless to say, come back to bite him a few times). Even though he is not stupid by any stretch of the imagination, many people see his rough-and-tumble exterior and automatically write him off. To be fair, he usually doesn’t immediately do much to dissuade people from that notion, preferring to not waste his time on them unless he sees reason to spring his hidden intelligence on them unexpectedly. He’s a bit of a troll that way, really.

Strengths and Talents: While some might dismiss him at first glance as simply dumb muscle, Shadow is smart. And he not only possesses the intelligence to make big changes in his little corner of the ‘verse, but also the courage and determination to go and implement those changes, naysayers and doubters be damned. Organized and placing high stock on results, he doesn’t wait for life to happen to him, instead going and making it happen himself. He loathes inefficiency, illogicality, and indolence, and tries to nip that sort of behavior in the bud wherever he finds it. A natural leader, Shadow is very good at seeing the big picture - the clear, unobstructed line from point A to B - and devising the shortest, best way of getting there, as well as micromanaging resources and people to ensure everyone moves in the same direction. He’s charismatic, friendly, and inspiring (if not always the most diplomatic of souls), and it’s easy for him to impart some of his own confidence and self-assurance to other people to convince and/or motivate them. In fact, his talent with communication – not to mention his love of arguing for arguing’s sake – makes him a very tough opponent in any battle of wits; he’ll win, more often than not. In addition to this, he’s a great strategist, believing that luck is on the side of the prepared, and therefore he always has a few backup plans in his head for any given situation if things go wrong. As for other talents of his, Shadow is a gifted handyman, and can fix almost anything if given enough time and materials. He also has this rather odd fascination with clocks; he's constantly tinkering with them, and he specializes in repairing and restoring them. He is acutely interested in the agricultural and livestock industry of his planet and devotes a lot of time and effort into helping develop and modernize those industries (such as developing better systems of irrigation, crop rotation, or breeding programs). Speaking of livestock, Shadow absolutely adores horses, and spends a lot of his time taming and riding them.

Weaknesses and Flaws: As already stated, Shadow is incredibly intelligent, and while this is by no means a bad thing, it can unfortunately make him arrogant and self-centered. Because he might see no problem with a particular course of action, he sometimes assumes that everyone else will automatically see that his way is best and fall obediently in line, steamrolling over other perspectives in the process. He can be one of the most opinionated, judgmental, and stubborn personifications in the ‘verse, and starts with the basic assumption that he is right and must be proven wrong, rather than the other way around (to his credit though, once he actually is proven wrong, he’s very quick to change). He has a difficult time empathizing with people, preferring to deal with the situation at hand in a rational manner instead of relying on nebulous feelings to solve problems. Needless to say, if he’s not consciously taking steps to mitigate his natural attitude, he can inadvertently be very emotionally insensitive, and is often confused when people don’t behave logically, or what he perceives as such. Even with those he cares for deeply, he has difficulty expressing affection verbally. Shadow is also sometimes accused of being manipulative, as he always has a contingency plan or twelve on hand just in case something goes wrong and knows just how to press people’s buttons to get his desired result, though he’s usually very blunt and upfront about his intentions, whatever those might be. Another thing he’s accused of is being overly critical and impatient, and this would be entirely correct. His ego can tick him into believing he can handle anything that’s thrown at him, and Shadow strives for excellence in everything and demands it from others as well. When expectations inevitably fall short because neither he nor others are infallible, this frustration, stress, and feelings of general incompetence can manifest as a harsh, violent temper.

Likes: independence and autonomy, being in control, debating, making people’s lives better, machines, farming, competence, guns, history, military science, horses, dogs, falcons, puns, whip and rope tricks, chess and other strategy board games, writing, storytelling, bonfires, BBQ, meat, marshmallows, muffins, oranges, camping, hiking, exercising, fixing things, clocks

Dislikes: unreliability, stupidity, willful ignorance, failure, boredom, making decisions based solely on emotion, inefficiency, excuses, complications resulting in a sudden and unapproved change in plans, irresponsibility, lack of common sense, lack of control, being controlled, dishonesty, the Alliance, mosquitoes, rabbits, chocolate, milk, spinach, water (aka swimming)
 
Ships : Romantically involved with Clotilde Klien, Hera’s personification.


“Let it go
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know
The hardest part is over
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
We will only just remember how it feels

Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders,
These twists & turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain”
- “Little Wonders” ~ Savannah Outen
    
Name: Clotilde Klien
 
Nick Name: Cleo

Nation:   Hera

Age: 17-18

Appearance: Hera has light brown skin with a heavy smattering of freckles across her cheeks, shoulders, and back, which represent the many clusters of islands scattered at intervals across her planet’s oceans. Her auburn hair is the same color as the soil that grows much of the food on the planet, and the flyaway piece of hair on top of her head represents the twin cities of Mykines and Argos. She’s about 5’7” and has a relatively average build, all gentle curves and soft edges over rock-hard muscles.  

Personality: More than anything, Hera likes it when she feels like she’s made a personal difference in someone’s life. Quiet, caring, and hardworking, she’s essentially become the big sister of the outer planets - the glue that holds them all together - making sure everything runs smoothly and good relations are maintained as much as possible. Despite this enormous responsibility, she’s a very modest and unassuming person, so it’s very easy to overlook her even in small groups even though she’s arguably one of the most important outer planets. Introspective and quiet, she comes across as a deeply serious person much of the time because she’s usually so focused on her work and what needs to be done, but she actually is secretly very playful and has a quiet but quick sense of humor. Though deeply committed to her family and people, Hera values her privacy highly and is rather independent, preferring to take charge of her own life instead of being ordered about constantly. However, because she abhors outright confrontation unless totally unavoidable, rebellion on her part tends to be very passive-aggressive and subtle than overt (though she can dole out some spectacular tongue-lashings if adequately provoked). Firmly rooted in the present and past, Hera is instinctively distrustful of the future, and prefers to know exactly what she’s getting into and how to prepare for it rather than to chance trying something new, only to have it fail.

Strengths and Talents: If you need something organized, cleaned, or planned, go to Hera. She excels at managing the day-to-day tasks of life, and finds comfort and stability in tradition, routine, and order. She is extremely reliable and meticulous with her work, and can always be counted on to do her best in whatever she does. Hera possesses a very clear and precise memory – she’s scarily accurate with facts, figures, names, and faces - as well as vast reserves of patience when dealing with immature personifications or ornery animals. She can usually be relied on to be the one to try to step in when things become tense and to come to a win-win solution. Her nurturing skills are also second to none, and she could happily spend all day cooking food, bandaging scrapes, and lending a listening ear to whoever needs one. She has a pretty comprehensive knowledge of herbs and basic first aid, as well. However, this does not mean that when push comes to shove, she cannot defend herself or the ones she cares about. She can fire a shotgun or pistol with the best of them, but she really prefers using whatever’s available to her as a weapon, namely her farming equipment. She has one particular old hoe with a sturdy wooden handle that she’s very fond of, which makes an excellent quarterstaff. A loyal and dedicated supporter Hera wants to make a difference and is willing to spend a lot of time and effort fighting for or contributing to a worthy cause, striving for win-win situations whenever possible. While she doesn’t particularly like being in charge, and is perfectly content with staying in the background doing damage control, she is a pretty competent leader when the need arises. Hera is also an immensely observant person, able to pick up on the littlest things about a person, particularly when it comes to their emotional state. And while she’s undoubtedly pragmatic and down to earth, Hera can also be very imaginative and artistic, especially if she finds something that particularly fascinates or inspires her (popular sources of inspiration are flowers, animals, the sky, and her family).

Weaknesses and Flaws: Hera may have a very good memory, but unfortunately that memory also includes every time someone’s wronged her in the past (or at least, what she perceives as such). Because she dislikes confrontation if at all possible, she will instead quietly stew in resentment toward someone for an inordinate amount of time before her anger and frustration finally comes to an explosive head. And her rage, once aroused, is not pretty. In fact, , though not much else truly bothers her, she can be rather emotionally oversensitive when it comes to criticism - particularly from people she cares about or looks up to – because she takes everything so seriously. Her warm-hearted and generous nature leads to a tendency to never refuse a request for help, which can in turn lead to her being taken advantage of or placing far too much responsibility on her shoulders, resulting in an increase of stress and anxiety.  While she’s deeply pragmatic, this pragmatism can manifest as intense negativity and can become outright pessimism if she is not careful, where she can only see what is wrong or what might go wrong and forget to look on the bright side once in a while. While Hera does enjoy being around people and is quite personable on a one-on-one basis, she can still be rather shy if she doesn’t know them that well, which can be perceived as standoffishness or unfriendliness. It is difficult for her to share her innermost feelings and thoughts with anyone but her closest friends and family. It’s also hard for her to think outside the box by herself if not prompted to by an outside force or party; she tends to get too stuck in her ways to be very receptive to change unless there’s a very good reason for it.

Likes: baking, cooking, tending her garden, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially watermelons and bok choy), ice cream, lemonade, harvest time, autumn and spring, cleaning, embroidery, sewing, nature walks, picnics, charcoal drawing, sunsets, astronomy, playing her guitar, reading, word puzzles and games, peace and quiet, children, babies, baby animals, following the rules, taking care of people, being able to contribute and help, being appreciated

Dislikes: cruelty, mud, weeds, disorder, wastefulness, messiness, conflict, chaos, change, bad grammar, loudness, ungratefulness, pollution, blizzards, people who talk too much, chronically late people, rebelliousness (without good reason), cheating, disrespect, disloyalty, brownnosing, most insects, mice, rats, snakes, caves

Ships : Romantically involved with Ezekiel Dalton, Shadow’s personification.
    
Hetalia © Himaruya Hidakez
Firefly © Joss Whedon
Characters © X-I-L2048 and PwnedByPineapple
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Comments: 10

PwnedByPineapple [2014-09-28 13:22:20 +0000 UTC]

Aww, babies. 8D Looks good! I love Hera's freckles, they're really cute, and Shadow's expressions. Their flags are nice, too. (We've taken a lot of liberties with canon, changing one flag is fine. xD).

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X-I-L2048 In reply to PwnedByPineapple [2014-10-02 06:39:44 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I'm glad they meet with your approval. Shadow's expressions were really fun to do. I liked playing around with them and trying to find ones that fit. (Well, it was either change it or try to draw a detailed picture of the actual goddess Hera, and I decided that I didn't really want to spend the time, thx. Plus, I was researching flag designs when trying to come up with theirs, and I read you really shouldn't make your flag too detailed. It's supposed to be a symbol, easily recognizable, and something a 5 year old should be able to replicate easily. Hera's "canon" flag doesn't fit that. So I decided YOLO, I'll change it. XD)

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PwnedByPineapple In reply to X-I-L2048 [2014-10-10 15:08:53 +0000 UTC]

(Yeah, keeping flags simple seems like the smarter move. And I feel like the design you made fits her better, anyway.)

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L-MASTER [2014-09-21 18:41:06 +0000 UTC]

great!

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X-I-L2048 In reply to L-MASTER [2014-09-22 03:01:19 +0000 UTC]

Thx!

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Halowing [2014-09-18 07:56:30 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful job

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X-I-L2048 In reply to Halowing [2014-09-20 06:02:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!  

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Halowing In reply to X-I-L2048 [2014-09-23 06:31:00 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome~~

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UmihoshiAnze [2014-09-18 07:45:11 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! Espesh how you draw eyes.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

X-I-L2048 In reply to UmihoshiAnze [2014-09-20 08:32:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! The eyes are often one of my favorite parts to do.

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