#baahubali fandom challenge

[thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge]

THE BRISK BAAHUBALI BAKE OFF CHALLENGE - 2021

Hey y’all! 

Welcome to the first edition of THE BRISK BAAHUBALI BAKE OFF - 2021! We are pumped to be hosting this event amidst this pandemic and despite the bazillion lockdowns that they throw at us, we took an oath (unlike our Amarendra) to whip up something fun and borderline crazy for this fandom. Yes, this fandom which brought together hundreds of similarly insane lot, who’ve managed to change each of our lives with even the littlest of their fics! 

Let us brave the storm in the best way we know - BAKING COOKIES, Y’ALL, IT IS THAT SIMPLE! Time to tug out your whisks and whip us up some smooth, flaky, chunky, gooey, dark, crumbly and melt-in-our-mouths kinda cookies!

Start prepping your batch after receiving your prompts because y’all have got two weeks to get cracking. At the end of the given time period, we shall display your artisanal cookies on our page. Don’t forget that we will be tasting each and every one of your batch of cookies!

Down here, you can find all the goodies you need to make that delicious cookie, baking ingredients and instructions to get you started with that dough-cument!

Ingredients:

Baahubali Characters (of your choice) - 1 or 2

Dark AU prompt - 1

Other AU prompt - 1 

Crack prompt- 1

Instructions:

Choose any two items from ingredients 2, 3 and 4 in the above-mentioned list. (you may choose all three, if you like to live a little dangerously. But do remember to put out warning tags to your readers before they consume the cookie)

Use the central character that you have chosen and marinate them in the above mixture along with any other character/ characters of your choice. 

Rest your cookie dough-cument (fic) with a sleek and shiny cling wrap till it cools to 200-500 words. Or Artwork/Gifset/Poetry/Song/Podfic (of your choice) which sticks to the word limit.

When you think you are satisfied with the consistency of the Dough-cument/Artwork/Gifset/Poetry/Song/Podfic, pop it into the oven, and crank up the heat.

Bake your batch and post 'em on Tumblr within two weeks of receiving your prompts of our choice, add appropriate tags and warnings. And finally, tag our page so we can feature all your fabulous cookies!

You can even post more than one cookie if you like! The choice is all yours. Hell, we’d sign up for a whole box if we could. 

Timer (Schedule & Sign Up):

Start signing up at the pantry to pick your favorite ingredients!

Use this format to sign up here.

Name:

Fic/Artwork/Gifset/Poetry/Song/Podfic:

Choice of Characters:

AU/Canon Compliant:

Pantry Closes On - June 16th

Deadline and The BIG REVEAL - July 1

---

Contact us directly for more queries.

---

P.S: If you do need to extend the deadline to bake your uncooked dough a little longer, feel free to pop in a message at least 5 days prior to the big reveal (July 1st).

#baahubali #baahubali bake off challenge #the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #artwork #pod fic #songs #poetry #drabbles #one shots #baahubali fandom #gifset #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #quarantine writing challenge #short shots #multiple shots #cookie box #cookies

[carminavulcana]

Prompt:  DARK AU - Bhadra is actually Mahendra. The soldiers killed Sivagami and recovered the infant. Devasena doesn't know. @ruminationsofaraven @bleedinknight @thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge

Mourning The Unknown

Blood doesn’t call to blood

When stained by the dirt 

of tainted love. 

A mother in name is not

the giver of life. 

A father of dead flesh is not 

the giver of a name. 

Rage bleeds and trickles down

the curve of emaciated breasts,

and revenge stirs the dying embers

of a fire that was never extinguished.

The messiah died 

on the pyre of hope. 

His shell lives on in the ruins

of his mother’s broken home. 

#the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #the big reveal #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #artwork #podfic #song #poetry #drabbles #one shots #gifset #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #quarantine writing challenge #short shots #multiple shots #cookie box #cookies #baahubali fandom #baahubali

[avani008]

My prompt was: Crack! - Bhalla has a doppelganger who is born to a farmer in the neighboring village. Kattappa and Baahu encounter the man during their pre-coronation tour.

“No,” says Kattappa, as firmly as he can manage through lips quivering with laughter; and yet Baahu’s grin only widens.

“Yes,” pleads his irrepressible, impossible nephew. “Only imagine the look on Bhalla’s face! And it wouldn’t be for long, only time enough for ah, my new friend Bhola—“

They turn as one to consider the man before them, attired in honest homespun, known by an outlandish northern name, as he obligingly pauses in ploughing his fields to gawk back at them. By itself it is an unremarkable expression; but on features shared by the elder prince of Mahishmati, it is—

Uncanny, Kattappa decides. He does not add aloud: rather more pleasant than Bhallaladeva’s usual glower.

“Bhola needs somewhere to escape his creditors,” Baahu continues, “and one day’s beating won’t be enough to deter them. They need a reason to fear Bhola himself, and I know no one who might do so more easily than my brother.”

Kattappa raises an eyebrow. “And meanwhile…”

Baahu’s smile, once earnest, turns impish. “We wouldn’t want Mother to worry about Bhalla’s disappearance, would we? Happily we have someone who might take his place while he deals with matters here.”

Altruism is not among Bhallaladeva’s graces; Kattappa has no doubt the exchange between prince and pauper will not be voluntary, at least on Bhallaladeva’s part. And yet, would that be so bad a fate? It is past time Bijjaladeva received his comeuppance, and given certain conversations Kattappa has overheard….

“Only until the coronation,” he finds himself saying, and prays he won’t regret it.

Tagging @thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge @bleedinknight @ruminationsofaraven

#baahubali #queue ho gaya na #the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #the big reveal #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #artwork #podfic #song #poetry #drabbles #one shots #gifset #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #quarantine writing challenge #short shots #multiple shots #cookie box #cookies #baahubali fandom #kattappa #amarendra #another crack! bhalla fix-it romp? it’s more likely than you think #….as soon as i actually come up with a plot lol

[aprofoundrickmaniac]

Hey all, this is my cookie for the brisk baahubali bakeoff challenge. Hope I did the prompt justice. :)

Prompt (Crack) : I am personally offended you didn't ask me to be your fake date!

Look, Deva,I really didn't think like that..

Deva

Deva

DEVA

"What?" She hissed narrowing her eyes at him.

Please Deva,will you listen to me for a minute please please pretty please??? Amara asked trying his famous *I can melt anyone's heart in a moment * puppy eyes look.

Though she would deny it vehemently later,she did melt a bit looking at her best friend literally begging her to listen.

"Okay",she finally relented.

Relieved, Amara took a deep breath and opened his mouth but no words came out.

"You have 15 seconds more."

Gulping, " Look I was really desperate. It was a diplomatic state dinner. That trade deal was necessary . And we both know how diplomatic you are. A fake date with you would alone suffice to be the final nail in the coffin,we both know that.You probably would have wanted to rip their innards listening to their pompous stories. Not that I would need much motivation. Also Amrita is practically my sister so please don't be mad, he pouted.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK AMARENDRA BAAHUBALI! AND I AM SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND."she seethed ,her eyes flashing.

"Exactly Deva. Also there is something I wanted to tell you for a long time.I look at you not only as a best friend but also much more than that. I.. I love you, Deva. Amara confessed looking at his feet nervously.

"I didn't want to out on a godforsaken dinner like that as our first date. " He mumbled.

When he felt a gentle hand on his chin forcing him to look up,Deva's eyes were filled with tears. "I love you my Amara." She said sincerely.

" But, she scowled stubbornly, I want a compensation. "

"Anything for my lioness.",gathering her securely in his arms."What does my queen need hmm?"

Deva shivered when his deep baritone voice dropped a few decibels.

"Cuddles,tea,rasgullas made by your own hands and a searing toe curling kiss. She said smirking. "Also not necessarily in that order."

A peacock danced joyfully in the garden of the royal palace as a shower of blessings dropped on the earth from the clouds,signaling the start of an everlasting relationship of love and devotion...

Hope you enjoyed it:)

@thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge

@ruminationsofaraven

@bleedinknight

#the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #the big reveal #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #artwork #podfic #song #poetry #drabbles #oneshots #gifset #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #short shots #cookie box #Cookies #baahubali fandom #baahubali #amarendra baahubali/devasena

[acemoppet]

ভাবুনা - bhabuna

Written for the @thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge

@bleedinknight @ruminationsofaraven

Thank you so much for this lovely event! I had tons of fun writing this.

My prompt was Dark AU: Baahu chooses the throne over Devasena. Enjoy!

ভাবুনা - To think, to wonder

There’s a moment where he almost chooses her.

She sees it in the way his eyes keep falling back to hers, in the way his hands twitch to hold her, in the way every part of him grows towards her like a plant thirsty for the sun.

(She’s never felt this way before…)

But unfortunately, Amarendra is too much a prince, a son, to do her any justice, and just as Ram condemned Sita, so too does Amarendra condemn her.

(...and she’ll never feel this way again.)

For the rest of his life, Amarendra wonders if he made the right choice.

If he asked his citizens, they would praise him. “Of course you made the right choice!” they would exclaim, bringing up his irrigation inventions, his cutting of the absurdly high Farmer Tax, his protection against Mahishmati’s enemies, both inside and outside. “Mahishmati is great!” they would say, looking up to him as a God.

If he asked his ministers, they would commend him. “Of course you made the right choice!” they would say, citing his pushback against the various tribes and countries that threatened the kingdom, his contributions to the treasury’s wealth, his patronage to the arts and sciences. “Mahishmati is powerful!” they would proclaim, looking up to him as the King.

...If he asked his mother, she would tease him. “Of course you made the right choice!” she would proclaim, pointing out his elated citizens, his satisfied ministers, his fulfilled duty to the kingdom. “Mahishmati is happy!” she would declare, looking up to him as her son.

Great, powerful, happy… Mahishmati would not have been any of these things if he’d made a different choice back then. Perhaps everyone is right. Perhaps he did make the right choice back then, even if it had been a difficult one to make.

Then he remembers Devasena’s eyes as she’d gotten on the swan boat, looking down at him as a man.

And he wonders all over again.

#amarendra baahubali #devasena #amarsena #angst #not a fix it #the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #the big reveal #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #drabbles #one shots #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #short shots #multiple shots #cookie box #cookies #baahubali fandom #baahubali

[desi-lgbt-fest]

An AO3 work for our fest y'all!!!!

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, Gen, Multi, Other, F/M, M/M

Fandoms: Original Work, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan, Chak De! India (2007), Baahubali (Movies)

Summary:

made for desi-LGBT-fest's tumblr 30 day prompt challenge. each chapter corresponds with a prompt. all lowercase for the ✨aesthetic✨

if you're just here for ajeeta and navanthi (which is very understandable), they're in chapter 2, chapter 4, chapter 5 is the same universe and navanthi's in it but it's not about ajeethi, chapter 10, chapter 17 is again in universe, chapter 18 (more to come)

the percy jackson chapter is number 15 <3 <3 <3

#Give it some love guys!!! #It's really cool! #they're writing about all thirty prompts #desi lgbt fest #30dpc #day: ALL #lmao #short story #fiction #OCs #percy jackson #desi queer #desi lgbt #desi pride #desi tag #desiblr #ao3

[herawell]

Hiii Ally, happy birth month! Will you-will you not write for Baahubali anymore?😟

Hi anon! I'm not doing the challenge because I'm busy with school this summer. But tbh, I haven't felt inspired for Baahubali in a while -- nothing against the fandom, I've just moved on. I'll still read and comment on people's fics, but I might come back to it in the future!

#anonymous #answered

[teambaahubali]

Announcing the winners of the 2019 Baahubali fandom summer challenge: Team Kuntala!

(But in truth, we are all the true winners, regardless of team or participation. Look around at our fandom, full of new creations, that still collect comments and discussion days later; look at all the amazing new things we have learned to do; rest assured that our fandom is alive and well, no matter what!)

Thank you for participating, everyone, and I hope you all had fun!

#results #winner's badge #congrats to us all #baahubali #image from the official concept art

[worddiva179]

~Challenge 6~ Milana : Fandom

Spotify song rec list for a Baahubali fan :

1. If you liked Kanna Nidurinchara, you might also like

—Mukundha Mukundha (Tamil // Telugu ) : I.e the OG Krishna song we’d all dance to on Janmashtamis. Perhaps it was the way they’re written or sung or just the vibe but Kanna had reminded me so much of this the first few times I’d listened to it.

—Swagatham Krishna : (Telugu) You wouldn’t think it’s from a Pavan Kalyan’s film. This is such a beautiful song, you need it on your playlist. I love how the lyrics go past the language barrier.

—Ghar More Pardesiya : C’mon, women getting together, singing and dancing on a festival, also slyly drawing parallels bw their (soon to be) lovers and their fav god they’re singing about??? (Someone gif this)

— Sooha Saaha : The vibe is entirely different but it is a lullaby which is what Kanna Nidurinchara is supposed to be I think???

— Albela Sajan : Fun, festive, high energy.

—O My Lovely Lalana : (Telugu) The girl in this song complaints about how Krishna is always helping her with life but refuses to show himself despite her pleading but turns out Krishna had been with her this whole time, only disguised as her lover. Idk I thought this went well with the whole pretend part of AmarSena’s relationship.

—Kanha : Like Kanna Nidurinchara, this song too, talks about the male lead from the female’s perspective in context to their own situation/relationship.

(Honestly, there are so many Krishna songs that I can make a separate playlist just for this one song)

————-

2. If you liked Dhivara you might also like -

Okay so fun fact : Apparently, Dhivara’s chorus is a verse taken from Hanuman Chalisa where Jambavan hypes Hanuman up to boost his morale because Hanuman thinks he couldn’t go to Lanka and carry their plan out himself

(This brings me to a question if Avanthika’s supposed to be Jambavan but let’s leave that, okay.)

— Beera : High energy, earthy beats unlike Dhivara’s electronic, bits. Both songs introduce us to the characters, describe (rather praise) them, share the Ramayana theme (this one’s about Raavan).

— Pataakha Guddi : Hype song with female pronouns. Not as glorifying, obviously, but goes well with the recklessness Mahendra shows.

— Madhuram Madhuram : (Telugu) Speaking of sloka verses in songs, this is rendention of the Madhurashtakam.

— Jugni : Promises of freedom, journey into a land unexplored, exploring curiosity are the themes which I associate with this phase which

— Samayama : (Telugu) Sounds similar. Definitely different lyrically.

————

3. If you liked Manohari, you might also like

— Suraiyya : Not as...seductive as Manohari but definitely as fun.

—Oye Boy Charlie : Both are playful and teasing in a way.

— Jor Se : (Telugu) Not a personal favourite, but it’s from Rajamouli’s Magadheera so has a similar feel to it

— Rajasekhara : (Telugu) Go see the video to witness an 21 yr old Rana awkwardly standing in the middle of a bunch of pretty women.

— Namak : Probably the only song in the list which is close to Manohari’s sensuous vibe.

@teambaahubali

#baahubali summertime challenge #teambaahubali #omg its doneeee #i half assed it to max because i KNOW how many perfect songs i didnt even list #but i shall make a revised playlist

[raat-jaaga-paakhi]

If You Like Baahubali, You Will Also Like These Indian Literary Works.

1. Valmiki Ramayana

This goes without saying, of course. Many before me have said it already (looking at Shubhra Di and others), and I am not adding anything new. What I can say, however, is that Baahubali is something of a fix-it universe for Ramayana, not in the sense of the plot (where Amarendra dies – damn it), but in the sense of the characterisation, not only of Amarendra/Rama, but many other characters. That being said, considering Baahubali as a fix-it for Ramayana may have a few unsettling (and ignorant) connotations too. Ones not as familiar with both the works as most people in the Baahubali fandom are, might see Baahu’s act of standing with his wife as leading to his downfall. This is not me blindly conjecturing; an acquaintance (not part of the ‘organised’ fandom) made this speculation, and I couldn’t talk them out of it even after a 20-minute (mostly one-sided, namely mine) debate.

To sum it up, it would be interesting for fans not yet familiar with Ramayana (which is quite unlikely) to go through it, if only for the sake of eyes-go-round moments where you notice the parallels and can’t help but compare between Rama and Amarendra (the fix-it characterisation that jumps out the most).

2. Adbhuta Ramayana 

I know, I know – but with the many versions floating around, I find it imperative to give credit and proper mention to each. Nothing is canon in my head, so this becomes even more important. Don’t read the entirety of it – just try to catch lines of where Sita laughs seeing Rama helpless on the battlefield and fights Sahastra Ravana himself and imagine Devasena in Sita’s place, Bhallaladeva in Ravana’s and...wait for it, Mahendra in Rama’s place. 

Seriously, whenever Mahendra was being beaten up by Bhalla, half of me was cheering for a crack AU where nice! Bhalla gives his errant, long-lost nephew a proper lesson on how to court women---‘Seriously, boy, you have my damned genes, work that charm to some use!’---in the absence of his soft-hearted father, while the other half of me wished Devasena would just snatch up a bow and an arrow from somewhere, pin Bhallaladeva to the pyre in Arjuna-style, and light him up... blast the damned Agni-prasthana.) *pants*

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. :D

3. Vyasa’s Mahabharata 

Do I have to say this? But oh, well, I said Indian literary works, so what is better than Mahabharata? As @mayavanavihariniharini aptly pointed out, we Bengalis grow up with the ‘Ja nei Bharate, ta nei Bharate’ proverb, translating to ‘That which isn’t in Bharata (Mahabharata), isn’t in Bharata (India)’. Any work – film, book, music, whatsoever – with India-centric themes will always, always, find Mahabharata to be its mother. And while (in my head) Baahubali is something of a Ramayana fix-it, it owes its spice, flavour, aroma and character (somewhat) archetypes to Mahabharata. I cannot say more; everything will pale in comparison to reading the actual text – to those who haven’t yet (again unlikely). (Also, there is the teeny-tiny fact that this has been said before.)

4. Silapaddikaram 

Repeating Shubhra Di’s rec, because this needs to be repeated. Want more of all that southern charisma and magnificence? Go for it! Ethics and doctrine are central to this story, as they are to Ramayana, Mahabharata and Baahubali itself, and you’ll find yourself in deep contemplation at times. Very thought-evoking on concepts such as relationships and governments like the monarchy. 

I would suggest Manimekalai for the lovers of sequels, but Silapaddikaram is more suited to my tastes and perception and is more relevant in the present context. Kannagi resonates strongly with Devasena, and oh, this is to fantastic, grievous courtroom scenes.

5. Rajatarangini 

I don’t know why exactly this came to my head. But there’s a lot of lineage game going on, and monarchy things, so... 

It can be monotonous, but Kalhana (the alleged writer) stresses on the exploits of a certain king Lalitaditya, who, I think, resonates a lot with the princely side of Amarendra Baahubali. There is that charismatic privilege, the gait of a king who is meant to be, the surrounding miracles... Hm. *shrugs* You may like it if you are into the fantastical side of Baahubali.

6. Devi Mahatmyam 

This list cannot be complete without the mention of this. While Devi Mahatmyam is more popular in Eastern India, especially Bengal, it is a major part of the all-India Shakti culture, and one of the first expressions of organised worship of the Female Supreme. Given Baahubali’s feminist undertones, and how most of us love it solely for Devasena and Sivagami, both of whom resonate as warrior goddesses, you will enjoy a read-through. I would suggest taking the over-reverent prayers (the least interesting parts, according to yours truly) with a pinch of salt – I personally imagine laughing at the eulogies with the Goddess to wave off the humdrum of it. Just imagine Devasena and her entirely unimpressed looks at the disguised Kattappa. *chokes*  

----------

Tagging @teambaahubali and @teammahishmati for Fandom Entry - Milana - Summertime Challenge. 

#medha recs #baahubali #ramayana #mahabharata #silapaddikaram #devi mahatmyam #rajatarangini

[thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge]

Queue your cookies - 01/07/2021

Hey guys!

Here are some submission guidelines you need to follow to post your stuff for the bake off.

Queue your fic/artwork/song/podfic/poetry/gifset for 01/07/2021 (1st of July, 2021, until 12 am of your time zone) as we will be doing the big reveal of your awesome cookie box on the very same day.

List the prompts you have chosen for your piece. If there are multiple posts, then specify the corresponding prompt for the respective post(s).

Add these mandatory tags - the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021, the big reveal, writing challenge,  baahubali fandom challenge, fic writing, artwork,  podfic, song,  poetry, drabbles, one shots, gifset, bake them cookies, writing during the pandemic, quarantine baking challenge, quarantine writing challenge, short shots,  multiple shots,  cookie box,  cookies, baahubali fandom, baahubali

Make sure to tag the central characters of your cookies (works) and the relevant ships too.

Tag the mods - @bleedinknight & @ruminationsofaraven

Don't forget to tag the page - @thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge as well.

Tagging the final bakers list - @carminavulcana @mayavanavihariniharini @avani008 @amarsenadiehardfan @chameli @acemoppet, @rippys-chai @sea-salted-wolverine & @bellairestrella

---

It doesn't matter if there's a bit of fluctuation during the reveal as we have participants from different parts of the world too and the time zones will evidently differ.

We had a great time hosting this event. Hope you guys bring all your dark, crunchy, ooey-gooey, melt-y and crumbl-y cookies on July 1st.

Toodloo, bakers.

---

#the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #baahubali fandom #quarantine writing challenge #baahubali bake off challenge #the bakers list #fic writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #writing during the pandemic #mod post #mod reminder post #submission #submission rules #queue your cookies #queue your works #the big reveal #july 1st

[carminavulcana]

A Tale Of Two Suitors

Prompt:  Crack! - Jayasena sends a proposal to Sivagami Devi in his youth only to go toe to toe with Vikramadeva. @bleedinknight @ruminationsofaraven @thebaahubalibakeoffchallenge

Story:

It was not common to hold a swayamwar for those not of royal blood. While a noble birth brought with itself the comforts of royal living and a measure of social authority, certain privileges were reserved for princesses only.

But that was not true for Rukmini, the daughter of Nandankesava, the governor of Madurai. Nandan often worried about his youngest child, a stunning but untamable force of nature. As a child, the entire residential complex of the royal ministers and courtiers had been in perpetual fear of her mischief and antics. Now, she was both, the pride and envy of many young women… and for very good reasons.

Rukmini was a remarkable woman in every visible sense. Her tall, strong body curved in all the right places. Her long, black hair rippled past her hips and down to her knees. Her eyes, sharp and coy at the same time, had broken many hearts over the years.

But now, she was to be married.

The governor had found a suitable match for her. Verma Jayasena, the crown prince of Kunthala, had asked for her hand in marriage. It was a matter of great fortune. The queen mother of Kunthala, had sent nine gold platters piled high with nine types of precious gems: diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls, garnets, musgravites, alexandrites, and grandidierites.

But Nandan’s foolish daughter had laughed derisively at the emissaries from Kunthala, before dismissing them and their proposal.

If the prince of Kunthala really wanted to marry the fiery and beautiful Rukmini, she told them, he would have to prove himself worthy of her. He would have to defeat an opponent of her choosing in a set of challenges designed by the woman in question herself.

Everyone had expected that such a ridiculous demand would be refused. But to everyone’s surprise, Jayasena had accepted.

Nandan was now dreading the actual day of the contest. Oh! When he had prayed to the gods for a little princess, he hadn’t realized how literally his wish would be granted. Princesses, by definition, were spoilt to a fault and treated with gloves of air. His daughter Rukmini was a princess in every way except for the blood that flowed in her veins.

XXXXX

“Child, you have to let us know what this challenge is,” Nandan pleaded with his daughter. “And who is this mysterious ‘champion’ of yours. If he is one of the village boys, I swear I will…”

“Father, you will do nothing,” Rukmini said flippantly. “If I am to be married, I won’t be married to a poltroon. It is my right to choose my husband.”

“Jayasena is a good man,” Anjana, Rukmini’s mother tried knocking sense into her daughter’s thick skull. “We know of his prowess in battle. Remember the expedition he led last year against those tyrants from Dharaveera. His mother sent you such fine jewels and silks. Why must you throw it all away?”

Rukmini yawned. Her parents were idiots! She had suspected as much since childhood, but now she was convinced. Silks and gems? What was she? Some idol in a temple?

Did silks know how to pleasure a woman? Could gems replicate the dirty humor of a man drunk on desire? Could precious metals let go of their senses in her expert, merciless hands? Ugh, these stupid elders never asked the important questions. More importantly, could inanimate objects partake of sin with her and ride the horses of sacrilege right to the ditches of hell?

Rukmini knew that her thoughts and her words were too dramatic and scandalous to voice out aloud. But she had her ways of getting what she wanted.

This time would be no different.

And she had no desire to spoil the surprise for her parents.

Her mysterious champion, as they called him, would give a perfect welcome to her so-called royal suitor. After all, he had helped her come up with the contests. And the filth in her mind was not just her own. The inflammations of passion were never a one-sided road.

The challenge itself was going to be easy. She simply needed to see if the man she was to marry could keep up with her.

XXXXX

Jayasena worried incessantly about the upcoming challenge. His power mother could not understand his obsession with the mad daughter of a mere governor.

“Son, so many other kingdoms wish to form alliances with us,” she groaned. “Why must you agree to the humiliation of a swayamwar.”

“You have not seen her, mother,” Jayasena responded feverishly. “Her eyes are the color of black gold, her skin is the hue of the sun’s shimmering warmth, her voice…”

The rajmata rolled her eyes, “there he goes again.”

In the days leading up to the challenge, he took the help of his little sister to prepare. Devasena, all of eight years, was smart and quick-witted, much like the fabled Rukmini of Madurai.

She taught Jayasena to flirt.

“Offer her flowers. All women like flowers. String them together and make an ornament for her hair.”

She taught him a romantic lullaby.

“Mine is meant for little Kanha, but you could change the words, see… Rukmini nidurinchira, Rukmini nidurinchira…”

She taught him to dance.

“And then stretch you belly out… no! not like that, you imbecile. You want to look impressive and strong. Right now, it looks like you ate too much and need to go find a chamber pot!”

Jayasena wasn’t sure how much Devasena’s tips would help him. But since his mother was unwilling to help and he didn’t have any other adult females in his life, Devasena was his only option. Though he suspected that it was just a game for her, a matter of amusement. He didn’t think Rukmini would judge him on his dancing prowess or his ability to sing her a lullaby.

He hoped the challenge would be martial in nature. His weapons were extensions of his hands. They had never failed him before. He hoped they would see him through this time as well.

XXXXX

The day of the contest arrived. Nandankesava’s entire house was in a state of chaos. Rukmini, already considered neurotic by most of the servants, was even more impossible to deal with this morning.

“Aiee! Have you brought the cactus?” She demanded of Ramesh, one of her father’s manservants. “I told you it needs to be at least as tall as me. And I hope the thorns have been replaced with the… decorations… I ordered.”

“Yes, akka, the cactus is exactly as you asked for,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t ask him to produce it before her.

“Hmmm,” she gave him one of her famous death glares and turned away. Ramesh sighed in relief as she approached Kaumudi, one of the cooks. “Has the prasadam been prepared according to my instructions?”

“Yes, akka, but…” Kaumudi tried to reason with her master’s crazy daughter yet again. But to no avail. Rukmini dismissed her with a wave of her hand without even looking at her.

In another wing of the house, Anjana brought out her ancestral jewelry for her daughter, a bright yellow and pink saari, and a bottle of lavender-scented oil to massage into her skin.

But Rukmini was too busy overseeing the preparations to worry about mundane, inconsequential matters like her wardrobe for her own swayamwar.

It was only after Anjana screamed through the mansion at the top of her lungs that Rukmini went running into her room to get dressed.

Between plenty of yelling and name-calling and insults, Rukmini’s older sisters managed to complete her sringaaram.

“Ow! That hurt, you old cow!” Rukmini snapped at Bhavani, the sister closest to her in age.

“How dare you call me a cow?” Bhavani screeched. “You know what? To hell with your sringaaram. You are a shrew… a wild, beastly, bad-mouthed shrew. You are not meant to be a wife. I already pity your future husband. Poor bastard will be saddled with a witch for his whole life.”

“Better a witch than a stupid cow like you…”

“Watch your tongue, little one,” one of the older sisters warned Rukmini just as Bhavani lunged at her and had to be held back by several of the other women in the room. It took yet another hour to get her ready.

XXXXX

Finally, Rukmini sat regally on the stage. Her skin shone and her eyes sparkled. A demure smile played at her lips. But those who really knew her could sense the bubbling laughter just waiting to break free from between her teeth.

As the fourth prahara of the day ended, the gong announcing the opening of the challenge was sounded. The two challengers, dressed in practical battle gear with their faces covered, stood ready with their weapons drawn.

Adhyaman, the advisor to the governor, and also Rukmini’s favorite uncle, stood up and announced the rules of the challenge.

“Listen, o suitors carefully,” he began in his sonorous voice. “This is a challenge unlike any you have ever faced. A challenge of a lifetime. There will be three rounds. The victor in at least two out of the three rounds will win the hand of our beloved Rukmini, the most beautiful and accomplished daughter of Madurai’s esteemed governor, Anna Nandankesava.”

Behind him, Bhavani made an ugly, strangled noise in her throat that sounded like a cross between a snort and a groan.

For the first challenge, two large steel platters of assorted ghee-enriched sweets were brought out.

“The first challenge is easy, my friends,” Adhyaman said. “You must finish the last scrap of the sweets on your platter, lick it as clean as you can. Our daughter must be able to see her face in the platter and braid her hair looking into it, for you to be considered successful. A flawless platter would be a flawless victory in this first challenge. And you may not use your hands. Only your mouth.”

Jayasena could not believe his ears. The first challenge was to eat a platter of sweets? Without the use of his hands.

His mother had been right. This was beyond humiliating. He considered giving up for a moment, but then his eyes met the gaze of Rukmini, smiling sweetly, poisonously at him, as if challenging him to give up.

Jayasena never gave up. It wasn’t in his blood.

He started eating from the platter. Without the use of his hands, it was clumsy and embarrassing but one sidelong glance at his competitor showed him that now was not the time for propriety. On and on it went. He ate like his life depended on it. But as he reached the half-mark on the platter, he felt a discomfiting pressure between his thighs. What the? Why was he feeling so hot and bothered all of a sudden? He looked up to see Rukmini. There was open glee and lust in her eyes. Or was he imagining it? Was there… was there something mixed in the sweets? He had only ever heard of such substances. Oh dear Lord! What had he gotten himself into? Was Rukmini looking for a husband or a pleasure slave?

From that point, it got harder to focus on the task. But he had to win. With no care for what was happening around him, he ate. After finishing the last scrap from the platter, he licked it spotless, his tongue moving methodically in long, circular motions.

Rukmini watched the two contenders with a large, impish grin on her face as the perplexed audience, including her parents and the elders of the family stared with revulsion and shock at the spectacle unfolding before them.

At long last, the competitors stood back. Rukmini stood up and casually strolled into the field. Her loosely tied hair billowed in the hot summer wind of the coast.

“hmmm,” she remarked as she judged the two platters before her. She fixed her Kumkum by looking into the platter licked clean by Jayasena. There were streaks of residual butter on it but not a single crumb to mar the perfection of her sordid reflection. The other platter was a touch more spotless, She could see the fineness of the strands of her hair in it.

“My champion wins this round,” she declared in her booming voice. “Jayasena, you must perform in the next contest if you hope to remain a suitor for my hand.”

Crestfallen, Jayasena looked at the young, boyish face of the other contestant. He didn’t like the glint in his eye. Oh! He would find out his name and teach him a lesson later!

The next round was even stranger.

A troupe of sensuously dressed male and female dancers were led to the field and two large pitchers of wine were placed before the challengers.

“Your next challenge is to admire the beauty and performance of our most talented dancers and enjoy your drink as they entertain all of us. And as you do this, you must keep your eye out for the horserider in the background. On his flag, is a target that you must hit. Whoever does it successfully, will win this round. Remember, you can only pick up your bow and arrow after you have finished the last drop of wine in your pitcher.”

“What is wrong with you, daughter?” Nandan hissed angrily in Rukmini’s ear. “You have destroyed your reputation for good with stupid stunt. You wish to be remembered as a harpy? Or as your sister has named you so aptly, an untamable witch?”

“Shhh, father,” she replied coolly. “Just watch.”

Jayasena did not know how potent the wine would be. Had he known, he might have consumed it slowly to avoid getting hit badly by the psychoactive and inhibitory effects of the drink. But in his zeal to complete the challenge first, he drank like a man possessed, even as he could feel the liquid sloshing around in his belly. The dancers, with their suggestive moves and riveting, rhythmic music did nothing to soothe the burn in his loins. At this rate, he felt he would be driven mad.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the other challenger dancing drunkenly with the dancers, his pitcher balanced dangerously on the top of his head. The other man took long, lazy sips of the wine as the dancers touched him inappropriately in several places. Gasps of horror could be heard all around as the competition went from strange to outright obscene.

Jayasena did not care for any of it. The moment he finished the last of his wine, his eyes started searching for the horserider. But before long, the wine made its potency known to him. His vision swam, his arms and legs felt heavy and uncoordinated. As he tried to shoot his arrow, his bones wiggled like jelly in his arms. He lost his footing and fell on his ass on the hard, unyielding ground. But instead of indignant fury, only wet little giggles and burps burst forth from his lips. He continued to sit there uselessly and laugh as the rider passed by him multiple times, the flag and the target tantalizingly close each time. While Jayasena tried unsuccessfully to stand up through his uncontrollable chortling, the other champion finished his wine and gave one last salacious look to the dancers. With his arms and feet as steady as ever, he mounted an arrow on his bow and searched for the rider with his eyes.

Aha! There he was.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow whizzed past Jayasena’s still giggling form and hit the target right in the center. In response, Jayasena only let out a tiny, breathy, “hee hee,” before dissolving into yet another round of undignified titters.

The winner was clear. The mysterious champion had won two challenges consecutively. There was no need for a third.

“The challenge is over, ladies and gentlemen,” Adhyaman announced, his voice thick with badly controlled mirth. “It is decided. Rukmini, our precious child of the governor, shall marry Vikramadeva, the crown prince of Mahishmati.”

The stunned crowd took a long moment before erupting into cheers. Nandan gaped at his daughter, speechless. Whispers broke out among the women and the ladies-in-waiting.

No one paid any attention to Jayasena, who was still on the ground, grinning like a fool. “Mahishmati… hee hee… the brain of a buffalo… buffalo brain… down in a drain… like brainy buffalo…hee hee… hick. Hick. Hee hee… hick.”

Jayasena, now hiccupping in between his gurgling burps and sniggers had to carried off the field on a stretcher.

By the time he was sober, he was back in his bed in the royal suite at the Kunthala Palace. “You made us very proud, son,” his mother said coldly before giving him a drink of water. Bleary-eyed and in pain with a killer headache, he remembered only bits and pieces of the challenge for Rukmini’s hand in marriage.

“What… what happened, mother?” he asked, squinting to see her face properly.

“Why don’t you tell me?” she retorted and stomped out of the room.

He hung his head low and began to piece together the events of the swayamwar. As he pieced together his recollections, a deep wave of shame and despair swept through him.

Never again. Never again would he accept a swayamwar.

He doubted he would ever get over the humiliation of this one. It would be a wonder if any princess agreed to marry him after this disaster.

As he craned his neck to look at the familiar surroundings of his room, he noticed a figure standing at the edge of the room. He couldn’t make out the face because the figure, presumably female, was covered from head to toe in a heavy sari and a cloak that covered her head, face, and arms.

“Excuse me,” he rasped. “Who are you.”

There was no response.

“You cannot be here,” he tried again, this time with some authority in his voice. “These are the private rooms of the crown prince. Leave at once.”

Again, there was no response.

Enraged, Jayasena stumbled out of bed and pulled the cloak off the woman.

But to his utter astonishment, it wasn’t a woman at all. It was a cactus. A tall, thick cactus covered in brightly colored feathers where there should have been thorns.

On closer observation, he saw a note fixed to the “arm” of the cactus which read—“Thanks for attending the swayamwar of Rukmini. If you can find no one to marry you after your embarrassing performance, marry this cactus. The feathers are soft enough to mimic the softness of a woman and useless enough to mimic your equally useless manhood. Good riddance!”

Jayasena flushed with rage and ripped the note to shreds before he could see it. Somehow, he would find a way to pay back the witch of Madurai. He would bide his time and humiliate her someday just as she had humiliated him.

Of course, he did not know that his opportunity would come in the form of his firecracker of a sister whose favorite lullaby was still echoing through the halls of the royal nursery.

XXXXX

“You were very harsh to him,” Vikramadeva said to Rukmini as they basked in each other’s company after the long day.

Despite her disgraceful display and the terrible nature of the challenge, nobody could say anything to Rukmini anymore because she had done even better for herself than her father. Mahishmati was an empire that controlled most, if not the entirety, of the southern peninsula of the Indian subcontinent. She would soon be the wife of the crown prince, and the would-be queen of that vast, endless imperial dynasty. Kunthala was a small, insignificant vassal kingdom by comparison. Even a thousand Kunthalas could not match up to the one and only Mahishmati.

But for now, she was with her beloved. She didn’t care for titles. She only cared about getting what she wanted.

“Oh! Loosen up,” she stuck her tongue out at her beloved. “All is fair in love and war. All this swayamwar drama could have been avoided had that loser never sent a proposal. No one sends a proposal to my father unless I allow it. He will think twice before sending any proposal to anyone after this.”

Vikramadeva laughed heartly and pulled Rukmini closer to himself.

“Well, now that this is settled, can we move on to more important topics?”

“Yes, and what would those be?”

“Well, the first is the name I wish you to take after marriage?”

“I like my name,” Rukmini pouted. “What’s wrong with it? I won’t change my name.”

Vikrama smiled tenderly at her.

“You don’t have to do it,” he said as he gently brought her lips close to his. “But I would like it if you did. There is a reason.”

“Tell me the reason first,” she purred softly into his strong chest.

“Rukmini is the fun, frolicky daughter of Madurai’s governor,” Vikrama’s voice was low and thoughtful. “But Rukmini cannot be the queen and eventually the queen mother of an empire as large and fractured as Mahishmati. From day one, people will look up to you to ease their pain, to hear their woes, to calm their fears… they need a wise woman of knowledge and duty. This sweet, naughty ‘shrew’ shall be only mine, and that too in the safety of our conjugal chambers.”

Rukmini considered his words. For the first time in their relationship, she thought about what it would mean to be the queen of Mahishmati.

“What name do you propose?” she asked him.

“Sivagami,” he answered. “The one who walks in the path of Siva. Durga and Parvathi, Kaali and Bhairavi. Life giving and death enforcing.”

She thought for several moments before answering him. In the end, she understood and agreed with his reasoning. He wanted her to rise above her petty, shallow, and vain self. He wanted her to grow into the shoes of a great queen, a woman who would be remembered kindly in history.

“I accept,” her words were simple. But something had shifted in her tone. Her life of mischief and antics was over. It was time to let go of her childish ways and embrace her destiny.

Much like Jayasena, she did not know what fate had in store for her. Sivagami would face the wheel of karma too. She would have to answer for the anguish caused by Rukmini’s ‘harmless’ pranks. And the weight of her atonement would test the limits of her endurance. The shrew’s manicured, pampered hands would know the pain of shram and shraddha in intimate detail.

#the brisk baahubali bake off challenge 2021 #the big reveal #writing challenge #baahubali fandom challenge #fic writing #artwork #podfic #song #poetry #drabbles #one shots #gifset #bake them cookies #writing during the pandemic #quarantine baking challenge #quarantine writing challenge #short shots #multiple shots #cookie box #cookies #baahubali fandom #baahubali

[avani008]

The Mother’s Day Challenge!

Because I….only just remembered that it is Mother’s Day this weekend, a meme! Send me a female character from any fandom who canonically has children, whether biological or adopted, and I will tell you, as I choose, either:

* Three things she taught her child/ren and one she learned from her own mother (or vice versa, i.e., three things she learned from her mother and one she taught her children)

* Three secrets she kept and one she revealed (or vice versa)

* Three letters she sent and one she didn’t (or vice versa)

* Three names she considered giving her child/ren and one she did (or three names she refused to give her child and one she didn’t)

* Three gifts she gave and one she received (or vice versa)

* Three promises she broke and one she did not (or vice versa)

* Three ornaments/clothes/accessories that had sentimental value for her and one weapon she mastered (or vice versa)

* Three places she wanted to visit and she actually did (or vice versa)

* Three lives she destroyed and one she saved (or vice versa)

* Three ways she did not die and one life she never lived.

You’ll notice that not all of these necessarily have to do with the character’s child/ren alone: because many mothers have plenty of other aspects to their life as well! Send me any requests as you please (though earlier might be better for my sanity’s sake) though I will save alI receive to post on Sunday (Mother’s Day )and of course, feel free to take up the challenge yourselves!

#askbox #mother’s day challenge #fandoms are baahubali ja mythology various and assorted movies and books #pretty much anything that you know i know!

[bleedinknight]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Baahubali (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Bhallaladeva/Kumara Varma Characters: Bhallaladeva (Baahubali), Kumara Varma Additional Tags: Angst, Canon compliant bhalla Summary:

Kumaravarma felt somethig. It was new and hopeful. But the object of his affections was far removed from anything he could possibly conceive.

@teambaahubali summertime challenge.

Fortnight four

@mayavanavihariniharini @avani008 @heyifinallyhaveablog

#Bhallaladeva #kumaravarma #team kuntala #Kumaravarma pov

[heyifinallyhaveablog]

Resolutions for the Baahubali Fandom Future

I @heyifinallyhaveablog pledge to do the following by the end of the year 2019, if at all I survive. 

1. Get the Bhalla/Vallabhi fics, (of course inspired by @mayavanavihariniharini​) to finish themselves, within the year. My fics take an identity (albeit very clumsy), of their own, and that is kind of involuntary, so yeah, GAIN CONTROL OF THEM AND GET THEM TO A PLACE WHERE THEY BECOME STORIES, WOMAN! (all this is internal screaming)

2. Manage at least two bonus, RPF/ or fictional GIF-sets or edits besides the Summertime Challenge. AH! Baahubali’s you’re therapeutic for writers’ block! <3

3. Read and comment on as many fics by @mayavanavihariniharini​, @medhasree​ @carminavulcana​ @avani008​ @ratnas-musings​ @bleedinknight​ and a whole LOT of other brilliant writers, artists, and content creators in the Baahubali universe. This shall be my further venture into this fandom as a neophyte. AH! This is REALLY an artists’ paradise!

4. Make a sensible podcast on the feminism angle in the Baahubali movies! And of course, how the women in Baahubali: The Conclusion stole the show. I mean c’mon guys, you DO know that the women lit the screen up with their literal, scorching star-power!

#okay! #team baahubali #teambaahubali #resolutions for Baahu #The Baahubali set of resolutions #DONE! #I mean once you sit to write these out there'll be many #but one HAS got to limit one;s own self to what is possible particularly for someone as lazy and laid back as me.

[chaanv]

3 Fandom Resolutions

For @teambaahubali Event Three:  Samay, @teammahishmati

1. Heavily inspired by @worddiva179, but to watch both (if both are available) of the Baahubali films in English dub by the end of the week, because this is now something I really, really want to do. :)) (I realize they may be damn terrible, but still.) 

2. To write at least 5 metas (which I am worst at) for the Baahubali Summertime Challenge, by its end. 

3. To create at least 8 more art pieces for the Baahubali Summertime Challenge, by its end. 

#team baahubali