el-loy

[el-loy]

in light of recent Sanguinarch lore

[el-loy]

[el-loy]

ANATHEMA.

love as hunger, the night as a fever. a nameless narrator tells the tale of a particular meeting between the Prince of Blood and the future Lord of the Banshees.

[el-loy]

memeing my way into 2025

finishing last year's stuff. honestly I just wanted to sketch them skateboarding, but remembering this meme was inevitable, so

[el-loy]

I don't have any relevant pic (again), but happy new year everyone! 🥂 All the best to you and your loved ones.

Thank you so much for supporting my art in 2024. I'll continue to share my silly pictures in 2025. (I didn't post my art vs artist 2024 here for the fear of random reblogs, but you can take a look on twt or lofter while it's up🙂)

I know many of you are content makers too. May 2025 be fruitful for you. Wishing you lots of inspiration and strength to bring your ideas to life.

One of the things I use my art for is connecting with people who share my interests. I'm happy to have found fellow shippers/my fav characters enjoyers, well, you know, those based people of culture with great taste🤓😁

Drank a toast to you all😚

cheers!

[el-loy]

this pic is cursed. I meant to draw it, like, in april(?), but struggled with getting the composition right. When I got it I planned to finish it for the arktober prompt "memory" but work happened, and I failed to do that either. Finally finished it now and not satisfied with the result at all, but whatever i guess, better to let it go😕

for those who have nothing better to do: there are 8 👁️ in the picture lmao

[el-loy]

part 2 from the event😄

no mutual respect whatsoever👍🏻

[el-loy]

Some silly stuff from a Christmas vampireslime lofter event. (One more post incoming). I went with silly mostly (and a little bit teasing) so as not to make things seem too OOC, 'cause still in my mind Christmas is about the cozy and fluffy vibe which, yeah, I enjoy, but ngl I have trouble picturing this specific couple in it😁

@spicyvenom , again thank you very much for organizing the event and for having me, I was happy to be a part of it. I have a wide experience of participation in similar fandom activities, but it's been a while since I last did. Reminded me of the good ol' days😄 I like having external deadlines motivating me to finish my works.

Merry Christmas to whoever celebrates it! Enjoy your holidays🎄

[el-loy]

I suck😓

[el-loy]

it's very cold outside. which got me thinking, like, can the Damazti freeze because slime lol... So here it is. Has nothing to do with canon, but nonetheless hilarious to imagine.

I've drawn them melting once, but not frozen. and that one IS5 relic with an apparently WinRARd and hibernating cluster fragment lost in the mountains (gives +5 hope) looks so pitiful...

[el-loy]

holy shit my follower count is suddenly back to normal from the wild inflated by bots numbers I've been seeing since summer, I finally see the real picture lmao

We are 509🥳 got no pic for this occasion but again thank you for being here with me, whatever the reason is. And thank you for sending me asks and stuff, I'm honestly a pretty talkative person and I like it.

also just a reminder that it's okay to unfollow if things I post are not to your taste. Fandoms, ships, characters, whatever. I often see people subscribing after liking some very old stuff or pics I drew as gifts. In 99.9% of cases that means I'll most likely never draw for the fandom in question again, don't be too optimistic (abandon hope all ye who enter here)😁 Unless it's one of the fandoms I was heavily invested in like warframe, sound horizon, etc. those have chances still and I have them in my featured tags😁.

[el-loy]

DONT DO THAT

[el-loy]

Skadi: “Captain, can I ask you something weird?”

Ulpianus:

Skadi: “I feel like I don’t really get along with Gladiia, and it can affect our teamwork adversely. What do you recommend, Captain?”

Ulpianus:

Skadi: “True, annoying as it may be, it’s probably better to just talk to her. On the other side of things, I feel like Laurentina… She’s not avoiding me, per se, but she does make sure to spend time with a lot of people, and I worry she’s annoyed by me.”

Ulpianus:

Skadi: “Well, yes… It’s true she’s not fragile anymore, she’s improved a lot since she was stuck in bed, I cannot help but worry, but she likely doesn’t want me to worry as much now that her body is, well, hers again. All this introspection got me hungry, though. I could go for some pizza now, but the line at the pizzeria is so long…”

Ulpianus:

Skadi: “You know? You’re right, you always know what to say, Captain!” *crashes right through three dozen people while sending them flying like bowling pins*

Laurentina, who just arrived, witnessing Skadi’s Orca Bowling Technique: “…And you just… Let her do that?”

Ulpianus, a single tear of joyous pride rolling down his rugged face:

[el-loy]

the witch's hat and her kiss

PROMPT: mean thoughts and cheap shots

CHARACTERS: The Sanguinarch, Damazsti Cluster, Laqeramaline

SHIP: Duqramaline (Duq'arael/Laqeramaline)

RATING: T for kissing

GENRE: Fluff and Crack

CW/TW: Mentions of blood. also Duq'arael is a warning in itself but he's surprisingly tame in this one

NOTES: For @el-loy, and was based on their Halloween art (as well as our silly convo on twitter). I hope you enjoy this one!

Also, as a general note, I'm experimenting in terms of writing style, so please be warned. It's nothing drastic, though.

she was gorgeous.

not that she wasn't gorgeous on a daily basis. even amongst the other Banshees and the members of her Court — even taking into account all the millennias that he had lived through — Laqeramaline was one of the most beautiful women that he had beheld with his eyes, irrespective of her purity of lineage. 

tonight, dressed in a pointy hat and a witch's attire, she was more beautiful than ever, exuding an aura of elegant charm. more importantly, she seemed to be having fun with the other women of the Sarkaz Royal Court, one of them being the Lich King's attendant. in fact, none of the other Royal Court men seemed to make it to attendance. the Regent was nowhere in sight; so was his right-handed man and Nezzsalem (normally the only other member of the Kazdel Military Commission that he deemed worthy enough to gravitate towards). not even the Confessarius could be seen anywhere.

normally, the Sanguinarch would grumble about how they all went missing on such an important cultural holiday of the Teekaz people (definitely not because he was aware that Laqeramaline was the organiser of this party) and he would gladly take cheap shots on them to anyone with a working set of ears and within his complaining range (on this night, it's definitely the Damazsti), but this time, he was actually quite silent, taking demure sips from the glass of bloodwine he was holding while watching the Royal Court ladies having fun and decorating their respective pumpkins.

...it was definitely not because he felt ridiculous, no. and not due to any reasons that others would think would be the cause.

hell, he wouldn't think that he would feel ridiculous, either. especially because of that.

"do you ever think of wearing something else that's not your boring regular clothes?" asked the green-haired Cluster sitting beside him on the bench, eyeing him with a gloomy look while holding his scythe (one that looks a bit too real to simply be a prop for the party). "especially since she invited you personally this year, Old Red-Eye. we would have thought that this event is important to you, too — being an old cultural holiday and all that."

"well, yours isn't all that different, either," pointed out the Vampire, rather testily. he certainly had a lot to say about that — based on his correspondingly mean thoughts about them — but he was holding himself back, a bit. not because he didn't want to ruin her party with his temper. "my clothes aren't 'boring' — it embodies all sorts of historical and cultural significance from my Court as well as the Military Commission. additionally, it wasn't as if she did not invite me in the previous couple of years, I was simply occupied with court business. in any case, how did you come to the knowledge that she invited me personally this year?"

"we, at least, bothered with the equipment," mumbled the Damaszti, but he heard it, and he shot them a nasty look. the Cluster winced in response to that. "and we were knowledgeable of the fact that she invited you tonight — as well as the fact that she did not invite you in the previous couple of years — because we borrowed your form before. not that we particularly enjoy it."

"oh, is that so? so now you are an expert on my feelings and my history, Lord Damazsti?" Duq'arael suddenly finished his drink in one gulp, usually a bad omen. "are you also aware that calling me a liar has consequences? I said that I had been busy in the years prior to this one — she did send me invitations, but they have been collecting dust, understandably so. hence why she invited me personally this year. between that and the personal insult directed to me — that last bit — you should learn to be more careful with your words. although you do have to try harder, if you would like to insult me."

a scoff followed his words, and he sent the other a withering glare, one that would actually kill, had the Damazsti weren't also a member of the Military Commission -- had they not been in Laqeramaline's Halloween party. his conversation partner flinched in response, although annoyance flashed through their eyes.

"if you felt insulted by our words, then we believe that is on you, Prince Duq'arael. but...we are genuinely curious. do you truly think that we are all unaware of what transpired between you and Laqeramaline — your feelings towards one another, the history you two shared?"

the Sanguinarch bristled visibly at that. he had more than mean thoughts and cheap shots to say to that, but a familiar voice and presence interrupted their conversation.

"both of you seemed to be having a lively conversation," her equally beautiful voice was as elegant and spellbinding as always, although it was infused with an undertone of mischief, one that might not be apparent to those who did not know her well. despite the anger that he was forced to swallow, the Vampire instinctively turned towards the direction of her voice. the sight of her alone makes the peculiar, uncharacteristic insecurity welled up again within him — one that the Damazsti had touched earlier. perhaps he really should have worn something else. "Prince Duq'arael. Lord Damazsti. thank you for coming."

"it wasn't a 'lively conversation' as much as it was an attempt to murder us," grumbled the Cluster, although Duq'arael was much too engrossed by her presence to send them another nasty look. "even so, many thanks for inviting us, Lord Banshee." 

"I am not the one who started it," stated the Vampire, shooting them a Look, although he made an effort to give the lady a diplomatic smile. "this idiot aside, it was my pleasure, Laqeramaline. although I was, admittedly, surprised at your invitation."

"was your surprise a pleasant one?" she calmly responded, accompanied by a laugh, the soft, melodious tone of it echoing in the dusk, putting the night breeze to shame. "it's rare to hear you speak of your feelings so openly, Prince Duq'arael. the pleasure is mine, however — although I must admit, I was surprised, too, that you decided to come."

"if we may interject, we thought that the Old Red-Eye is always too honest with his feelings and his thoughts," quipped the almost-forgotten Cluster, and the Sanguinarch instinctively shot him another glare, even if a smile was still playing on his lips. "needless to say, we were surprised, too, that you chose to invite him out of all people, Lady Laqeramaline. are you not afraid that he's going to ruin the party with his displays of so-called 'excitement'?"

"who asked you?" shot the Vampire, finding it harder and harder to restrain his urge to shut the other up. permanently so, preferably. he does not care anymore if the Cluster was also old enough to remember their people when they have yet to become 'Sarkaz', a rootless, persecuted people — it wasn't as if he'd actually done something useful for their people with this knowledge, anyways. "if you are picking a fight with me, Lord Damazsti, I would gladly indulge you anytime."

"thank you for your concern, Lord Damazsti. but I think I am more than equipped to handle this one," the Banshee interjected, smiling amusedly, her melodious voice still so serene and unruffled — although the fact that he felt her grip on his arm right after the words left her beautiful lips speaks volumes. that grip was no joke, either. out of instinct, the Sanguinarch shot her a glare, too, but it evidently had no effect on her, since she remained unfazed. "speaking of which, may I borrow him for a moment? I'd like to speak with the Prince. in private."

"of course we would grant you the honour — although some honour it was. as a matter of fact, you need not return him for the night. we would like to enjoy the festivities without him glaring over our shoulders."

"perfect," Laqeramaline sounded so pleased that it was hard to stay annoyed at her and this entire 'talking about him as if he weren't there' thing. well, almost. Duq'arael opened his mouth, about to violently protest and make a scathing remark, but she cut him off before he could do so. "then I'll be taking him along. enjoy your Halloween, Lord Damazsti."

again, before he could so much as offer a protest, Laqeramaline dragged him away — at least away from the crowd. to be perfectly honest, he had no interest in doing anything else aside from spectating (and offering scathing commentary, although he wouldn't call it that), and thus, the thought of having to do something silly (like decorating a pumpkin) almost made him shiver. well, it would certainly make her happy, but at what cost? his pride?

"what are you doing?" Duq'arael finally blurted out, once there was quite a distance between them and the rest of the guest list. irritation underscored his tone, although this action of hers induced a strange feeling. a more erratic heartbeat. moving through the gravestones, her pulling him along, it felt as if they were lovers heading for a secret tryst — two gods, not the almost, half-dead thing that their relationship was. not Machiavelli's prince and lady Hel, not the monarch of the Crimson Court and the Elegiac Court, but a man and a woman, boy and girl, stumbling through the cemetery like yesterday's child. "Laqeramaline. you owe me an explanation."

"...here," she simply said, ignoring his words, pulling him to a corner near a mausoleum. he obliged, although scowling slightly at her, but instead of giving him what he demanded, the Banshee smiled, and suddenly took off her pointy hat. tiptoeing a little, she placed it atop his head. "much better."

"what is this? are you also taking a cheap shot at my outfit?" the scowl on his visage deepens. it was precisely what makes him feel so ridiculous tonight — and the fact that it does annoys him to no end. it shouldn't annoy him, after all. he could wear and do whatever he wanted. "why are you giving it to me?"

"so many questions," she was obviously stifling a laugh, and wasn't doing a very good job at it. deftly, she adjusted the hat. "you do not have any horns, so it is not a very good fit. however, it still looks good on you."

"it...does?" she took him off-guard, and the Sanguinarch blinked. another peculiar feeling surfaced, or perhaps resurfaced — she was standing so close to him, after all. 

"don't you trust me? you never change, after all."

"should I be someone else?" the words came out less bitingly than he intended. soft. much too soft. so soft, it hurts. a pause followed his words. the smile on her lips was haunting, a reminder that he was not only haunted by the dead, those echoes of the myriad souls from the abyss — including his brother, long dead and gone — but also by someone still alive. "if you would like me to trust you again, then prove it."

that one left his lips before he even realised it. there are so many things left unsaid between them, exit wounds and whispered wars, but at the moment, there was only her and him, the bright, silvery moon their only witness. 

to his surprise, Laqeramaline took a step forward. 

and then another.

her fingertips fluttered, alighting on his cheek like a butterfly's wings. much too soft. so soft, it hurts — transforming him with strange tenderness. he almost flinched. transfixed, Duq'arael bends down slightly, and their lips meet halfway.

(his bones ached for her.)

"...there you go. a Banshee's kiss, on the night of Halloween," she whispered against his lips, after the kiss. they both lingered — a fact that he was secretly glad about, since that means the peculiar feeling's mutual — and she pulled the brim of the hat (that was still sitting on his head) slightly down, as if covering their intimate proximity from any prying eyes, stifling another laugh. "you still owe me a proper costume, though, my Prince."

"I suppose I could try to make it up to you," he stole another kiss from her lips before he responded. "would a bottle of wine of my choice do?"

"you can do so much better than that, Duq'arael," she laughed, pulling back. her ruby eyes twinkling with mirth, rivalling the stars. "is my favour worth only that much to you?"

"fine, then," he arched an eyebrow, finding her arm and pulling her close, gently. her heartbeat picks up, and he unconsciously smiles — perhaps a genuine one. after all, the language of blood never lies. "I'll throw in a date as well. what do you think?"

"well, I think you still need to work on your wooing skills — you're not exactly Prince Charmless, but there's still room for improvement. and it's hard to say no to that smile, admittedly," her hands found his cheeks, cupping them, and she pulled him down, kissing him full on the lips. "my answer is yes. but wear something proper next year, okay?"

a part of him wanted to point out that she was also a witch dressing up as a witch, and...well. that is, if there is a next time. would they still be on good terms next year?

still, the Sanguinarch kept these words to himself. instead, he kissed her back.

that, in itself, was a promise.

FIN. 

[el-loy]

14-18

I assume that's all the questions from 14 to 18? Alrighttt let's see 14. whats your favorite thing about drawing?

Seeing the finished piece 👍🏻

15. least favorite thing about drawing?

My least favourite thing about drawing is DRAWING😂 It is so sad but true. Somewhere along my art journey I completely stopped enjoying the process and never got the passion back. But ironically it's exactly when I started progressing. I participated in lots of fandom battles where I was just drawing whatever was needed of me, I did commissions, requests, I drew a lot and I didn't give a single fuck about what I was drawing. It was more like a habit and "you need some skills, I have some skills, no big deal". Drawing for me is just a tool, an instrument which helps me to bring my ideas to life. A means to an end. I draw because I can, not because I like to. And I strive to improve just because I want all the ideas executed the best way possible🫠👍🏻

16. how do you motivate yourself to draw?

I... don't lol I often use that one trick where you just force yourself to start something no matter how unwilling you are to do so, and after working on a piece for about 15-20 min it stops feeling like an incredibly heavy burden. Still boring, but bearable.

17. what is something youre confident about in your art?

…nothing. I'm very insecure about my art. I'm a perfectionist in the worst way possible and I see that what I draw is nowhere near my own standards of quality art💀

18. something you feel like you need to work on?

A lot of things… But two main points I'm trying to focus on currently (to no avail tho) are coloring and sketching. I'd love my sketches to be less stiff and more lively, more dynamic. I'm practicing that in my sketchbook a lot and my practice pose sketches are kinda okayish, but somehow I still have trouble applying all of this to the characters I draw. I assume it's because when practicing I'm less pressured to make them perfect, I feel more at ease and I use far less lines to capture a shape. So it's more of a psychological barrier I guess. And as for the coloring it's also a "barrier" problem, because I'd really love to use more saturated colors, but I'm constantly afraid that I'll fuck up and it will look like an acid trip vision, so I subconsiously pick less saturated colors for my pics and they end up looking dull. That's also the reason why I often don't even bother with colors at all for quick sketches/comics and leave them in b/w.

Thanks for asking!

[el-loy]

11

11. do you listen to anything while drawing?

😁I do. Music mostly. It's funny because I'm a massive metalhead with a strong preference towards extreme genres and harsh vocals, so I might be sitting and drawing the cutest tooth-rotting fluff, but my headphones would be blasting something like Hate, Meshuggah, Carcass etc. Such music gives me plenty of energy. Apart from the already mentioned bands I'm a big long-time fan of Dark Tranquillity (sadly their two latest albums have disappointed me, but that was expected with all the lineup changes). Be'lakor, Kataklysm, Cult of Luna, Swallow the Sun, Lorna Shore are my faves too. I genuinely like prog bands as well, like, TesseracT are my obsession, absolutely 10/10 band. Dream Theater - goes without saying. Leprous are pretty cool. (But I love music in general, it's interesting, I play and write music myself, I grew up listening to absolutely various genres and I'm very open-minded towards any of them, from folk songs to classics. Hell, my second most listened genre after metal is french pop😄) Also often songs inspire me to draw things, you've seen perhaps from the latest ones it's that one Dorothy comic, or the Sanguinarch/Laqeramaline pic. And this vampireslime comic happened because of Barbara Pravi's songs. I listen to those "source songs" while drawing such pics too, it helps me to catch the desired mood better. So yeah, something like that. Thank you for the chance to yap about music!

[el-loy]

4

4. piece you wish got more love?

Hmm... that's a tough question actually. I don't really think of such stuff often 'cause I honestly have never been drawing for huge numbers, lots of interactions and lots of love in the first place (also years in rare fandoms/liking rare ships has been quite a humbling experience that contributed to it and extremely lowered my engagement expectations lol). So if a piece doesn't receive much attention in most cases I won't really care and will just move on and proceed making the next one. If anything I just wish the characters I draw got more love from the fandom. There were several times when people told me "I started shipping this pair/liking this character because of your art" and every time it brings me so much joy. I cherish this. I'm kind of a quality over quantity type of person:) Thanks for asking!