LC - Come to the Ball

I hope that this makes you smile because I felt like smiling the entire time I was drawing it.
_{(Cinder is a blacksmith (apprentice?). Kai is the prince of the Eastern Empire.)}

Based off the scene that goes something like this:
_{Kai: I think you should go to the ball with me.
Cinder: Stars. Didn't you already ask me that?
K: I'm hoping for a more favorable answer this time. And I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute.
C: How charming.
K: Please?
C: Why?
K: Why not?
C: I mean, why me?
K: So if my escape hover breaks down, I'll have someone on hand to fix it?
C: *rolls eyes*}
—Cinder, pg 224

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The Lunar Chronicles (c) Marissa Meyer // profile | gallery | REBLOG ON TUMBLR | Like on Facebook??? | texture from lostie815
_{Lines | Mon/Tues, Mar 17-18 // PDN (flats) | Wed-Sun, Apr 30 - May 4 // PS (flats/shading/highlights) | Sun-Tues, May 4-6, 2014}

{more Lunar Chronicles art here}
More AU stuff:

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Additional Notes:
<sub>01. I thought about doing yellow/orange lighting from an offscreen hallway torch. Tried it several times. Didn't really work out. Looks like I'm not quite that pro yet.
02. So instead, I tried highlights (thank you, ctang15, for the inspiration). Unfortunately, those also took forever to get decently right. {no highlights version | lineart}
03. I don't know why Kai is wearing a sash. He just is.
04. Apologies to mayuralover; I didn't give Kai blue/silver clothing like I said I would. The wine red color just looked really appealing at the moment.
05. Yes, yes, I know that Cinder has fingerless gloves on. She should have regular gloves on, but I thought that fingerless ones looked cooler. (In this AU, she'd probably have a metal leg (like Hiccup!) but not a metal hand.. since.. that'd be a bit too complicated in terms of technology. )
06. There is no reason for Cinder's insanely long scarf.
07. I feel like every single LC comic I draw/think of drawing involves Cinder going like -____-;; at the end. XD
08. To porsheee: I did a rough estimate on the amount of time I spent on this. It came out to "18 hrs + 3 days (<--w/e that means)," so yes, I think it's safe to claim that this probably took me at least 30 hours to complete.
09. The "background fades to white" idea is subconciously inspired by ThePrinceOfParties.
10. @ ReubenDeFlash, when I asked for AU ideas, I was actually referring to the fairy tale!AU that NightmareSiren and I have been discussing, but your High School!AU works too! I am excited!
11. This has pretty much become a "How Many People Can I Tag in One Post" game. XP
12. I stayed after school to finish drawing this (I started in class, obviously) so that I could scan and upload it on the same day. But then I decided that it'd look more exciting if I actually colored it. Hence, it is 2 months late.
13. While coloring this, I realized that it's been nearly two years since my last major digital art piece, and  way over two years since my last super-involved piece. D:></sub>

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Feed me more Lunar Chronicles AU (or crossover??) ideas!