Miwan & Zelgadis

Slayers

Commission

I love getting to draw school uniforms, so this was a fun one. Also I just like Zelgadis' design. It's always a good time when drawing him.

two of my latest reblogs tagged charactercore

Like I personally think Rezo would be okay with just about any Zel/whoever ship you care to name. Zelgadis and Amelia? Sure, she seems like a lovely young woman and he thinks she's good for Zel. Zelgadis and Lina? That's nice, the two of them seem to have a lively relationship and it's good to see Zel happy. Zelgadis and Gourry? Rezo has gone on record stating that he thinks Gourry is an absolute moron, but the man clearly cares about Zel deeply and if Zel is happy then that's all to the good. Zelgadis and, uhhh, idfk, Miwan? He's a nice a boy and he's good to Zelgadis, Rezo wishes them many happy returns etc.

But Zelgadis and Xellos? Rezo is inventing the fucking shotgun just so he can shoot Xellos with one.

you guys remember miwan? you guys enjoy heartfelt-but-not-necessarily-great fanfiction? you guys like reading about characters hangin out and being close platonically? then boy do i have a deal for you!

What was Zelgadis’s plan here? Yeah, he managed to slice the hold Evia had on Miwan, but in doing so, she was dropped into the spring still trapped in the water bubble. Didn’t really help her situation there...

This episode

Zelgadis: ... I’m sorry. I’m a man.

Miwan: So am I!

Zelgadis: ... what.

for the choose violence askmeme: do these for slayers so that if i watch i can keep an eye out. 13. worst blorboficiation, 17. there should be more of this type of fic/art, and 10. worst part of fanon

worst part of fanon

There's a tendency to portray the mazoku lords as being like. One Big Quirky Happy Family, which I think is mostly just fans deliberately bein' goofs but does get portrayed seriously or semi-seriously enough for me to go "Hm."

Quick info dump explanation: There's the dark lord Ruby Eye Shabranigdu, the most powerful of mazoku, basically our equivalent of Satan and wants to destroy the world. He made five subordinates named (iirc) Chaos Dragon Gaav, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, Dynast Grausherra, Beastmaster Zelas Metallium, and Deep Sea Dolphin. Each of those five mazoku lords has made various subordinates of their own, referred to as the mazoku generals and mazoku priests. Xellos, general-priest of Zelas and her only subordinate, is also the only one who appears in the anime.

Anyway, there's a tendency to have it like "Shabranigdu is the grandpa, the five mazoku lords are his kids, and the generals and priests are the grandkids :)" with things like Xellos referring to the mazoku lords aside from Zelas as aunt or uncle. Again, this seems to be mostly a joke but you know how it is with fandom jokes that kind of start getting treated as actually how things are.

I don't particularly care for this because I straight up think it's OOC for them to relate to one another in a familial way or even have much affection for one another. The most I can see is the priests/generals having a sense of fealty towards and a desire to be valued by the specific lords that created them, as well as all mazoku-kind being like. Shabranigdu is the most powerful and the most important of us, his goal is our goal. But I don't see them hanging out or calling each other auntie or nephew or anything.

-I just wrote out this whole ramble and then I remembered that there's "Rezo is a sexual predator who probably molested his grandson" content out there. Actually that is the worst fanon. The Mazoku Bunch is fine, actually.

worst blorboficiation

tbh I'm not sure what blorboficiation means. The character the fandom most obsesses over??? Probably Xellos and/or Zelgadis, but I feel bad calling them the "worst" because I like them and think they're interesting. Good blorboficiation.

there should be more of this type of fic/art

[sweats desperately as i try to think of an answer that isn't the obvious]

Uhhhh I think I'd like to see more stuff of the various minor characters, from one-offs like Ashford and Miwan, to more secondary characters like Zangulus, Martina, or the Overworlders from TRY. Slayers in general I think does have an interesting world and I kind of wish it was explored more in fic, which tends to be very centered on shipping tbh and doesn't really prioritize other stuff.

-Related, this may be part of why I am not as bothered as other people by the main party becoming more supporting protagonist-ish in the later seasons.

I posted 764 times in 2022

That's 728 more posts than 2021!

297 posts created (39%)

467 posts reblogged (61%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@trans-zelgadis

@get-along-try-again

@yami268

@mechanicalhoundz

@derpykawaiidog

I tagged 586 of my posts in 2022

Only 23% of my posts had no tags

#slayers - 192 posts

#zelgadis greywords - 66 posts

#miwanposting - 24 posts

#gourry gabriev - 23 posts

#lina inverse - 16 posts

#xellos metallium - 14 posts

#slayerscore - 13 posts

#miwan slayers - 10 posts

#amelia wil tesla seyruun - 10 posts

#puddingpocalypse - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 130 characters

#whenever zel grew out of or got tired of a toy as a kid rezo would appropriate it for his collection of toys and dolls and whatnot

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

the basic law of zelgadis - "there's no way in hell i'm doing this shit." - "...welp, guess i'm doing this shit."

35 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

#4

See the full post

36 notes - Posted March 1, 2022

#3

ohhh to be a mazoku of above-average rank on a mysterious and secretive mission, following around some unusually interesting human travelers, purposefully irritating them and never helping unless its beneficial to you personally

40 notes - Posted March 8, 2022

#2

GOD did i ever post this image. idk time to post it

40 notes - Posted March 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

xellos is actually just a tourist everywhere he goes. i love that for him. xellos runs a travel blog but half the photos have lina casting a dragon slave in the background and he never addresses it

72 notes - Posted March 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Fic: Taisetsu

Relationship: Zelgadis Greywords/Miwan

Characters: Miwan, Zelgadis Greywords

Tags: Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Rescue

Summary: Miwan has been searching for Zelgadis ever since Lina-tachi left Femille. Finding him isn't what he expected.

Note: I intend to continue this at some point. Set after Evo-R. For the Springkink prompt: Slayers, Miwan/Zelgadis: stalking, romance, hero worship - After the incident in Femille, it had been easy for Miwan to slip out. Finding Zelgadis, on the other hand, wasn't easy at all.

AO3 link

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Miwan had lost hope in ever finding him; he'd traveled far and wide since he had left Femille in the turmoil that had followed the Reveal. He had heard stories that he had used to try to follow him, but not knowing his name certainly put Miwan at a significant disadvantage.

He sincerely doubted the stone-skinned man's real name was "Lulu."

From the slip when he had introduced himself, it started with an X or a Z, or maybe even an S. But that wasn't a huge help.

And, of course, Miwan hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him after the Reveal. That really wasn't surprising; his mother had been so infuriated at the Reveal—which had spread throughout Femille like wildfire despite her best efforts—that she had called for the imprisonment and execution of him and his comrades. Something that Miwan had stalled long enough for them to disappear.

And disappear they had. By the time he had followed, they were out of reach. After nearly a year of fruitless searching that had often put him in awful situations, Miwan was seriously considering giving up and returning to Femille—if the city was still standing.

He had actually started on the journey back when he was accosted by bandits. Not that he had anything of value after so long on the road and so many times being robbed. What was worrisome about these bandits was their curiosity regarding his gender; despite everything, being raised as a woman had left its mark, and Miwan was used to this curiosity in the outside world.

What he wasn't accustomed to was the lewd quality of it—at least not enough for it to be unsurprising. Miwan had encountered it before, but the interest had disappeared with the revelation that he was biologically male.

But these bandits, before he could clarify, proved that he had been lucky in those previous encounters.

"Who cares what it is. It's pretty."

The terror helped Miwan find the strength to break the hold they had on him, made him run faster. But unless he found help…

He ran right into someone when he stumbled his way into a clearing, and he could only hope that they weren't a bandit as well.

The voice that intoned, "Fireball!" was familiar. So familiar that Miwan nearly crumpled in relief. But unlike the first time, that fateful first meeting, he refused to pass out. Not until he'd at least confirmed that it wasn't a figment of his imagination.

He looked up to find a familiar stony face, metallic hair poking from an off-white hood.

A face that showed no recognition, only mild concern and… a bit of curiosity. A face that was quickly covered by his scarf.

Miwan hadn't realized he was a shaman, but he'd never seen his real clothing. Somehow, it wasn't terribly surprising to find that he was that powerful.

"Did they hurt you…?" he finally asked.

The drawn out pause combined with his expression made Miwan realize with embarrassment that, once again, this man had mistaken him for a woman. And his voice would hardly clear that up. He hadn't been able to break out of his feminine speaking patterns, even after a year.

"Thankfully, no. You stopped them. They didn't seem to care that I'm a man."

There was a little spark of recognition at that, but his savior shook his head as though to clear it. "Well, you may as well pilfer their pockets while they're unconscious. They certainly deserve it. You should be careful on these roads; solitary travelers are easy targets."

Miwan could only nod, and then kicked himself as the other man made his way toward the edge of the clearing, as though to disappear.

"Thank you," he said quickly. "This is the second time you've saved me, Lulu-san."

He stopped dead, his whole body stiff in surprise at that. When he turned, his eyes were wide. "Miwan?"

He nodded, relieved that the shaman had at least remembered his name. "I'm sorry. I don't know your real name. I never got a chance to hear it before you left."

"Zelgadis," he murmured after a moment. "Zelgadis Greywords."

The name fit him, and not only because it was masculine, not only because it was the first true name Miwan knew to call him. It was a strong name.

"You're a long way from Femille," Zelgadis said after a moment. "Don't you have escorts, as the prince?"

Miwan shook his head. "I left shortly after you did. The turmoil after the Reveal made it easy to slip away."

Zelgadis frowned at him. "That was almost a year ago."

"I know. I was about to give up and go home."

The shaman eyed him, and Miwan knew he was taking in the shabby clothing, his gaunt appearance. He hadn't had anything to eat in several days, and it was hard to sleep in the wilderness with the threat of bandits keeping him from lighting a fire and nothing to keep the wild animals away.

"It can be difficult to leave home," Zelgadis finally said, completely misinterpreting his words. "I can escort you. It's not very safe in this part of the world after all the upheaval."

Miwan shook his head. "No," he murmured, blushing slightly. "Now that I've found what I was looking for, I'm… not ready to go home."

Zelgadis didn't seem to realize what he was saying at first, and then he blinked, wide-eyed and shocked. The blush that spread across his cheeks was actually quite charming, standing out against the blue stone skin in a way that was almost adorable.

"Me?" he managed.

"Yes. You saved me from bandits, and then… Well, you saved me from being forced into the role my mother expected me to take. I might not be the most masculine person, but at least now I get to decide. You gave me that strength."

Zelgadis stared at him, shaking his head, but Miwan didn't give him a chance to protest. "Really, you're probably the most important person who has ever come into my life."

He knew that wasn't reciprocated. After all, Zelgadis was clearly an adventurer, and had likely met all sorts of interesting people. Miwan had likely only been a random person he'd met, a blip on his journeys.

"You shouldn't put me on a pedestal," Zelgadis finally murmured. "I'm no hero, no saint. I went to Femille hoping to find a cure. Everything I've done has been for that. Not that it matters anymore. I'll look like this, a monster, the rest of my life."

His words startled Miwan, in no small part because he had put Zelgadis on a pedestal. Had hero-worshipped him. It was the basis of his crush. He'd never considered who Zelgadis might really be, hadn't even realized that the stone skin wasn't natural. Hadn't considered that he might be in a similar position to Miwan himself.

Seeing him as something other than a saint was new, but instead of pushing his feelings aside, it only made them stronger, made him want to be someone who could ease the sorrow he heard in Zelgadis' voice.

"We're in the same boat, more or less," Miwan said after a while. "I'll never be female, and can never really be male, either. Technically, I'm both, or neither."

It wasn't exactly the same, but he would never fit into normal society—and he was sure Zelgadis had the same problem. Maybe the difference was that Miwan was getting tired of trying.

"So why can't we be ourselves?" Miwan whispered.

When Zelgadis sighed softly, he realized abruptly how exhausted the shaman looked. Physically, and maybe even deeper than just that. Miwan may have had a difficult time during the past year, but it looked as though Zelgadis' year had been even more stressful.

A bandit groaned from where he had been thrown from the force of the Fireball, and Miwan decided to take things into his own hands. He strode over, kicked the bandit in the head to render him unconscious again, and then took Zelgadis' original suggestion, taking what loot the thieves had on them.

Then he turned back to Zelgadis.

"You look exhausted, and I'm not much better. Let's find an inn, pig out, and get some sleep. We can figure out what to do next after that." He smiled tiredly. "My—or, rather, their—treat."

There was only a moment's hesitation before the shaman nodded.

Miwan would see if Zelgadis would let him travel with him, would be patient.

He might never become Zelgadis' important person, but, if nothing else, at least they could be friends.

HAHA I HAVE A MONOPOLY ON SEARCH RESULTS INVOLVING THE ONE-OFF CHARACTER FROM THE ANIME THATS OLDER THAN I AM

had a dream where nonbinary zelgadis real, which is funny because thats not even my headcanon for the guy, how'd you wriggle into my subconscious bro

sometimes i am acutely aware of how cringe i am. but sometimes i push on regardless

cringe doodles for my fail blog

shoutout reddit r/traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns for the peak meme format

heres that little snippet of miwan's first quest i offered... its not much but please take it

Martina stood and stretched, admiring the icon of Zoamelgustar she had drawn in the sand. “Ugh! Guys, this is so boring!” “No kidding,” yawned Miwan. “How long is this going to take?” Amelia, standing on top of a tablet with binoculars, called down to them. “Maybe if you found a way to help, you wouldn’t be so bored! That’s what I’ve been doing!” “Help Lina Inverse? I’d rather die,” Martina huffed. Miwan, meanwhile, looked up at Amelia curiously. “What are you doing up there, Miss Amelia?” Amelia looked back down at him, still holding the binoculars to her face. “Keeping lookout, of course!” “For what?” Amelia fell silent for a moment, then shrugged. “Dunno! Bad guys, I guess!” After another moment’s silence, Amelia seemed to have a lightbulb moment. “Hey, Miwan! How about you get up here and keep watch in the other direction? I’ve only got one pair of binoculars, but we can take turns!” “That sounds like fun,” Miwan grinned. “But, um… Can I have some help getting up there?” “Oh! Right, sorry!” After a bit of struggle, Amelia hoisted Miwan up with surprising strength- nothing that would shock people who knew her well, but certainly coming as a surprise to Miwan. Once he was settled in atop the stone tablet, she passed him the binoculars. Peering in, Miwan saw more or less what he expected- a great expanse of sand and stones, as far as the eye could see. The only thing of interest was the tablet the rest of the party was investigating, which… Still wasn’t all that interesting. “Riveting, isn’t it?” “I could do this all day,” Miwan joked back. “What about me?! What am I supposed to do,” Martina called from below, “if you two are hogging the binoculars?!” “I thought you’d rather die than help Miss Lina?” Crossing her arms and grumbling, Martina was tragically unable to form any retort, and sat in the sand indignantly. Giggling, Amelia turned back to Miwan. “So… Miwan?” “Yeah?” “You and Zel went out shopping together the other night, right? How was that?” Miwan beamed, seemingly still excited by the very memory. “It was awesome! I’ve never had so much fun in my life! I could never really click with anyone in Femille. I was considered kind of a weird kid, and anyone who didn’t mind that was usually weird about being around royalty. But Mister Zelgadis, I can just… Talk to him! When I was talking to him in Femille, it was… Really the most understood I’ve ever felt. Not many people at home took the time to just talk to me, you know?” Amelia nodded, a smile illuminating her face. “He’s very nice, isn’t he? You’re lucky to have befriended him. He’s not usually the type to hit it off with strangers, you know.” “Huh? I never would have guessed!” “I know, right? He’s so sweet when he’s interacting with you! I dunno what it is about you, Miwan, but he seems awfully fond of you.” Miwan thought for a moment, then nodded. “When we were in Femille, he said… He wanted to help me. He said he knew how I felt, being controlled by my mother.” “That’s what I thought. Zelgadis… Well, he had some family issues of his own. But, hey, you wanna know how that got dealt with?” “Hm?” “Zelgadis’s grandfather turned out to be a vessel for a Dark Lord my friends had to kill!” Amelia clapped for emphasis, grinning with pride on her traveling companions’ behalf. “I wasn’t there, but I heard it was awesome! Although… I mean, it’s not like I’d cheer for the death of family members if they didn’t summon Dark Lords,” she added sheepishly, cracking Miwan up to the point of almost toppling off the stone tablet. “That’s awesome,” he giggled, struggling to speak through his laughter. “I wish I were as cool as your friends! Mr. Xellos told me Lina knew a spell that could destroy cities! Is that true, Miss Amelia?” “Yeah, the Dragon Slave! I tried to convince her to teach me it once, and she wouldn’t have it one bit, heh! It’s not too big of a loss, since I’m so good with my fists, but-” Suddenly, Amelia went silent. “Hey, you’re starving the eavesdropper down here,” Martina yelled from below, but Amelia shushed her. “Miss Amelia? Is something the matter?” “Can you

pass me the binoculars, Miwan? I think I see something out there.”

Getting bored of the lack of conversation, Lina cleared her throat. “Hey, Zel?” “Hm?” Zelgadis’s ear twitched attentively, his face still focusing attentively on the giant tablets of knowledge. “Seeing as he’s not around… Why’d you bring that pipsqueak Miwan along? Don’t you think it’s a little dangerous for a kid like that to be following us?” Zelgadis shook his head. “He didn’t want to be left alone in town.” Resting against the stone tablet, Gourry spoke up. “Why couldn’t we have gotten Martina to keep an eye on him?” “You really think we could have gotten Martina to stay away from us? All she knows how to do is antagonize Lina and swoon over Xellos, and she can’t do either of those things if she’s in town and we’re out here.” “That’s not what I meant,” Lina butted in. “I mean… Why did you take him from Femille in the first place? You’re usually the most goal-oriented of us, always the one complaining when something gets us off track… So why would you, of all people, be the one who makes everything harder by picking up some kid?” Zelgadis finally drew his attention towards Lina, tilting his head curiously. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m not heartless. He didn’t want to be there. He was unhappy. The Queen raised him to be a shrine maiden and the future queen, despite his wishes, and then had the nerve to call him an embarrassment to our face when he tried to do something about it. I know you’re not the type to do things out of the goodness of your heart, Lina, but I would expect even you to understand.” “Amelia suggested it was because you had grandpa issues,” Gourry added, ignoring Lina’s indignant simmering, and even spurring a chuckle from Zelgadis. “I guess that’s part of it,” he answered, with a playful shrug. “Amelia does know me well, doesn’t she?” Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced through the ocean of sand. “GUUUUYYYYYYYS! MISS LINA, SIR GOURRY, MISTER ZELGADIS!” “Speak of the devil, and she shall arrive,” Lina sighed. Amelia was running towards the group at full speed, Martina and Miwan struggling to keep pace behind her. “Amelia? Hey!” Zelgadis approached her, narrowly preventing Amelia from tripping and faceplanting into the sand… And realizing a bit too late that falling in the soft temple sand might be a bit more comfortable than being caught by somebody whose whole body could be measured on the Mohs Scale. “Oof! Oww…” “Sorry, sorry!” He raised his arms in submission and stepped back, bowing apologetically. “It’s okay, Zel, don’t worry about it,” Amelia chuckled, wincing only slightly from the less-than-ideal landing. “Don’t get distracted, guys,” Lina urged them. “Amelia, what’s up, what’s the matter?” “Right, right! Miwan and I were keeping watch, and I swear I saw something moving around out there!” “I helped, too, y’know,” Martina rattled, having successfully faceplanted into the sand, out of breath. She was sharply ignored. “Something? That doesn’t help us! What kind of something?” “Well, I’m not really sure,” Amelia admitted. “But, um… It kind of looked like a little old lady?”

MIWAN MONDAY

MOTHERFUCKERS