Shadow Knights - Tumblr Posts
The Shadow Knights
An oldish sketch of the shadow knights (pre Laurence departure) I feel like Laurence is a more scene/fey style of alt compared to the others darker athstetics, though Sasha is DEFINITELY a pastel goth leaning into more lavenders and greys with Zenix being emo and Gene being punk/grunge
…sub culture is my special interest so I have VERY Im depth headcannons about this stuff XD
okay i know i keep falling off the face of the earth, but
i made something im proud of
i just finished season 2 of pdh and... IF ANYONE HAD LISTENED WHEN I SAID BLAZE SHOULDVE BEEN THE ALPHA THIS WHOLE THING COULDVE BEEN AVOIDED
so i made a shorthand guide for customized uniforms that i made up, and i saved time by using self made bases so that was good
also i have a terrible disease called ‘get attached to characters that show up for 1 second’
no none of the heights are correct either ✌
Lil thought on Shadow Knights in MCD: what if you could accidentally turn. Like, hypothetically, Laurance sneezes REAL hard and his eyes go red and get the marks under em. It freaks the hell out of Dante, so Garroth has to explain it while Laurance tries to remember how to turn it off. It's silly and I like it
Aphverse headcanons(are they Mystreet or Mcd? You’ll never know!)
-Katelyn has a burn mark thing on the side of her face
-Travis’s natural eye color IS green but it’s more of a Viridian green like Enki
-All the shadow knights are dating
-Terry and Derek were actually pretty great friends considering both of their situations are very similar
-Blue hoodie guy who was friendly with Aaron‘s name is Valerian and he ends up being Aaron’s close friend!
-Both Katelyn and Garroth have nearly committed involuntary manslaughter!
-Diana and Jenny date after college
-Betty has a southern accent
-Most of the werewolves are Pacific Islanders
-Hayden and Joh are married.
-Nicole’s natural hair color is brown
-Nanas natural hair color is black
-June and Jenny are siblings
-Alex and Ivy date after they get over there internalized homophobia
-June has a birth mark over her eye
-Both Lucinda and Jenny have vitiligo
-June and Jenny grew up in Canada
-Zack and Elizabeth have most certainly focked, although she is not Eins mom
-Aphmaus bi awakening was Teony
-The Ro’Meave brothers were just told “you can’t have sex before marriage“ and that was their sex education
-Maria had Gene when she was really young, like, she was still in college
-Shadow knights have plants everywhere around their house
-Gene plants flowers, Sasha plants herbs, and Zenix has a collection of cacti
-Aphmau and Travis went to prom together in their senior year
-Aphmau and Travis just simp for everyone on Mystreet, mostly Lucinda, than Aaron and Katelyn, but mainly Lucinda
-Laurence and Cadenza are both 6’6
-All the shadow nights are over 6 feet except Zenix who’s 5’0
-Aphmau looks more like Zack then Sylvana
-This isn’t a headcanon but this is more of a question, does pdh have a Meif’wa class?
-Laurence has green eyes in Mystreet because he never went blind
-Donna is from O’Khasis
-Zane IS Leonas dad, the pendant was just a Werewolf maker
-Travis’s mom had something going on with Rachel and Ein’s mom
-Garroth knows how to play the harp
-Zane knows how to play the violin
-Vylad knows how to play the ocarina
-Travis knows how to play the piano
-Laurence knows how to play the flute
-Zianna used to sing the Ro’Meave brothers lullaby’s and when that stopped they would all play it on their instruments
-Travis is really skilled with making clothing because his mother taught him
-Azura helped Garroth runaway
-Azura is from Nahakra village
I think it’s funny that I headcanon all the shadow knights to be over 6’0 and extremely tall and then there’s Zenix who’s 5’0
Gene, Sasha, and Zenix watching true crime and critiquing their murder attempt
I feel like I have to drop an aphmau fanart now just to make sure yall know that I'm still posting about aphmau, I'm just also kinda insane about stardew valley rn. So have the Shadow Knights post PDH
Smth smth movie theater analogy about playing two movies yada yada take your disaster polycule (I say as if they aren't some of my favorite little guys)
thinking about shadow knight Dante… idc that he appeared in one mini game I want MORE.
mcd gene should be grateful he has dilfte who’s too kind.. mys Dante would NOT let gene treat him like the way gene treated dilfte 💀
more dante pookie hcs plz its rare to see dante stans
on it bro I’m giving u mys and diaries hcs cuz why not we gotta be more annoying like laurence stans
Mystreet:
he gets Gene gifts every Father’s Day since from his perspective he was the one who raised him alongside his mom and was the only father figure he had :,)
Has like 12 guitars (this isn’t over-exaggerating)
started dyeing his hair blue after freshman year of HS, his natural hair color is black
he was a late bloomer so he looked more feminine while the others looked masculine and were developing quickly, Nana thought he was adorable which is why she dated him also at some point Zenix thought he was a girl 💀 after 16 he started developing quickly and becoming more masculine till he finished puberty at 20
grew up in Nashville before moving to the city pdh is located in then he went to college in Spain then he moved to wherever Mystreet is (still haven’t decided but its the USA).
has a masters degree in engineering, and has a great paying job which makes it easier for him to travel a lot, he always takes Gene and his friends/family with him though, he hatessss travelling alone
ages gracefully currently he’s 34 in my rewrite and he still looks 24 same goes to gene (but Mystreet seasons 1 - 3 takes place in their early 20’s and mid 20’s; which is the past I know it’s confusing but so is my head so yeah. If ur wondering seasons 4 - 6 don’t exist and never will be canon to me :))
pretty masculine but still uses makeup and “women’s” perfume / skin care doesn’t care tho
cooks really well but he’s not the best because Laurence is and no one else can compete
when he was dating nana he learned Japanese for her and can speak around 80% of it, basically he can hold up a long conversation he can also speak other languages:
English (obviously, American accent)
French 65% Spanish (Mexican dialect cuz he’s Mexican)
(Spain dialect, he learned the European dialect first then worked his way up to Mexican dialect, he can switch between dialects easily)
he can also understand some Portuguese :)
very picky with fast food, he prefers healthy food but he does like pizza
really calm and chill (unlike his canon version) opposite to Travis who’s extremely chaotic and messy
long hair and refuses to cut it
Eventually he does dye his hair back to black in his 30s after feeling like he damaged it (thankfully he didn’t and won’t be balding like dilfte 😇)
Favourite band is Metallica
nerd when it comes to astrophysics and astronomy
only ex he’s in good terms with is nana who he dated for a while in HS before they decided to mutually split up (no he never dated Nicole I hate that ship)
MCD:
Loves wolves and tames them he treats them like puppies even though they can rip apart peoples flesh :3
is 7’2… …. ..
insanely beefed up because bro ran a village all by himself for 15 years and trained hard everyday also he canonically beat both laurence and garroth in a fight after the timeskip he’s a beast
ambidextrous and can use both arms efficiently when it comes to combat and fighting
Dilfte rarely shows his face like how Garroth used to wear his helmet back in s1? it’s like that
Extremely gentle and cautious with his wife and kids because of his size
has 7 kids including Dmitri and naoki (so 5 other kids) yeah he been busy
in s2 he’s in his early/mid 30s but in s3 of MCD and afterwards he’s in his early/mid 40s
Still madly in love with his wife and still in that honeymoon stage
Unlike Nicole he let Dmitri pick who he wanted to live with and Dmitri chose Dilfte and Nana
Wraps injured people up in his cape and carries them in it
physically very strong slightly above garroth (if we’re counting physical strength and not magic)
as intimidating as he looks he’s super sweet and wouldn’t hurt a fly
likes to go on picnics with his kids and wife
Extremely supportive of his kids and very progressive (keep in mind this is the medieval ages so it was rare)
finds lizards intimidating
bisexual but he doesn’t know what it means all he knows is women and men are both hot
Moved on “quickly” from Nicole because they already were unhappy and distant before breaking up, for months he thought they’d break up the next day so he spent that time wallowing and grieving their relationship until she broke the news to him and left him alone, then he moved on with Nana 2 months later. Which isn’t even quick if we’re being historically accurate.
limits drinking and refuses drinking around any kids, not that he’d go crazy and hurt anyone but still he’s extremely cautious.
Dilfte is probably the only dad who wants his kids to surpass him in the series 💀 he’s very proud of them no matter what though
long hair he puts it up usually (balding and short haired dilfte/dante ur dead to me.)
beard
Still tried to talk to Gene using the amulet even after the incident, Gene would always listen but never respond.
thanks for fuelling the hyperfixation
decided to draw all of my favorite guys (not gene) again
i mean hes better in mystreet but everywhere else he sucks
WHY IS IT SO LOW QUALITY RAGHHH
Warning: Mention of Subst@nce-Abuse
I want to talk about Shadowknights and what the call actually is.
I've seen headcanons and fics for Mystreet that explore Laurence's time with the Shadowknight Gang, mainly with Gene, and how the gang (Gene) got him on dr*gs. I don't really want to get into that in this post, but it got me think...for MCD shadowknights, most importantly Laurence and Vylad.
Theirs definitely an Analogy there to explore with the way that the "Call of The Nether" is portrayed in MCD for both characters. BUT I'm not here to get into that either. What I want to see explored more is the withdrawal from The Nether.
I know this isn't exactly new BUT I think that the long term and short term effects of removing from The Nether should be broadened with more depth. Nether Withdrawal essentially. I think that this adds more outward struggled for the viewer to visualize to Laurence's character other than ANGRY RAWR, and also adds more complexity to Laurence's relationship with The Nether and his shadowknight form.
And there is actual evidence for this within MCD as well!!!
We already know about Laurence's Post-Nether fever after his return. His direct physical reaction after removing from The Nether. A detox.
(I feel like he shouldn't have recovered from that as quickly as he did, I know he went blind for a bit, but I feel like it should have been a slow burn to truly recover his strength enough to normally function let alone be second guard in command. ESPECIALLY after being tortured!!)
When Laurence transforms I recall him describing that the power felt good but he didn't feel like himself. It feels good but he changes. I think this really ampts up the URGENCY of Laurence transforming. His tranformations were used mainly as a plot device to get out of a situation BUT if we must do it I want more consequences than "he felt bad about it".
I want to PHYSICALLY SEE how that reversed his progress by maybe returning a particularly bad symptom or Post-Nether habit. I want to SEE how each and every lost of control brought him closer to square one. I want to SEE how every transformation eventually brought Laurence closer and closer to the character we find by the Ned of season 2.
YES, I want the usual tropes like nightmares, sleepless nights, mood swings, body heat. BUT NOW I want to see aches and chills, I want to see nausea, I want to see cramping, I want to see extreme sweating, and itching.
Let. My boy. Suffer.
I want to SEE how he was called right back to that portal.
OMG!!! You get it!!
This is exactly what I was going for! I want to see the inner battle! I want to see how the flames of The Nether consume a person! Anger isn't enough! Give us a complete descent!
And I love how you connect it back to Shad, and the intentionality of that addictive nature and how that would ABSOLUTELY benefit him! I didn't even think of that!
I'd love to explore this idea further. Not just with Laurence, but the other shadowknights. Sasha, Zenix, Gene, Vylad, even Zane.
For example, I know the Fandom has a lot of issue with Zane's motives after his return as a shadowknight- and his over-the-top evil moments. BUTTTT (as a person with no moral F's to give) he'd absolutely feed into that addiction easily. AND THAT IS COMPLEX! Even for a evil-written character like Zane!
There is so much to explore here, I'm glad I'm not the only one sucking this up.
dude. xerith. idk if you saw my reblog of madcatlad’s post, BUT. they cooked. the issue on the table: nether withdrawals. i’m insane about this.
very much exploring the idea of the calling being more about fighting the addiction that is the nether itself for shadow knights, rather than purely the aggression part.
thoughts? musings?
Oh Cinn, oh Cinn you've brought my attention to something beautiful.
Little known fact about me because I'm still pretty decent about over sharing on the internet, addiction is something I've actually thrown hands with before. The idea of the Calling as an addiction to the Nether?? Now that's a concept I can latch onto.
I think that there could be ways to satiate withdrawal, but not in an exactly helpful way. The Calling is in Shadow Knights brains like "Oooh you wanna kill your loved ones and come back to the Nether soooo bad." But minor acts of violence and arson can make it shut up. Enough bloodshed, such as what happens at the Werewolf Wedding, is enough to make it so a knight isn't drawn to the idea of killing their loved one anymore because the urge for blood has been answered. Of course... Most Shadow Knights fighting the call aren't exactly happy when something like the Werewolf Wedding happens to them.
As for the urge of the Nether, they could always try to answer that with things that are like the Nether or remind them of it. Sitting by a fire, setting things on fire, sitting in a pool of hot water that can at least try and simulate lava, setting things on fire, existing in the bitter dry heat of an Arizonan morning, or setting things on fire. The Calling always responds best to the most violent solution, and even while trying to satiate it, it's still pulling at the mental strings of a knight to make the most violent decisions possible.
That idea of being able to sit by a fire instead of setting something ablaze really sucks for Knights who might have been traumatized by the Nether and struggle to be around fire for very long as a result, Laurance.
A lot of moments of a premature Shadow Knight lashing out aren't necessarily because the Calling is making them want to kill, it's because it's making them want to go back to something they know is bad for them. It's a drug that they've overdosed on and are trying to run away from still present in their veins and urging them to take another dose, regardless of its lethality. That kind of mental gymnastics and battle wears down at a person even when they aren't actively fighting. Even if they aren't in their head fighting the Calling and it's urges, it's still there. They still think about it.
Laurance doesn't want to go back to The Nether. He would rather die again than go back there. But when he sees the frame of a portal, when he's nearby one that's unstable, he has to fight. He has to fight his body and its urge to go back to that hell. Just one hit will make him feel better. Just a chance to touch netherack and breathe that ashy air will soothe his worries. Because being reminded of the Nether, even if it causes a trauma response, does cause a part of his brain to feel good. The Calling sees fire and gives him a shot of dopamine and excitement.
Wouldn't it just be so nice if he went back? If he didn't have to feel this constant drain? If he was in the Nether then the Calling would shut up, right? Wouldn't it be so amazing to just feel this good all the time? He's already dead, what damage can be done to his body afterwards?
Of course the Calling has two components, both addictive. One is of course the urge to go to the Nether. The other is that urge to kill your loved one and gain immortality. Doing one only makes the other feel stronger. Oh, you sat next to a Nether portal and made it so you're now comfortable in the over world? Bet you wanna kill your lord right about now, huh?
What's that, you actually killed your lord? Well, don't you just wanna come home to the Nether where you're surrounded by people who have all done the same and won't hate you for it? Go on, you know you want to.
Like everything else, it comes down to the Shadow Kings need to control. If he can make Shadow Knights into addicts of stuff directly associated with him, they'll be more loyal. They'll serve him to get a fix of bloodshed and hell fire. They'll come running back to him after ruining their lives for his enjoyment, and they'll fall at his feet for the chance to become a higher up in their army. He deprives them of everything they ever could have had and calls it freedom.
Him
I LOVE SHADOWKNIGHT LAWRENCE SM THAT I STARTED DRAWING HIM WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON A COMMISSION SO HERE WITH LIL 30 MIN DOODLE
Time to play am I a fluff writer or a horror writer.