#;;muse aesthetic: the little prince

[kaitlinamberxo]

“Grim, I lost her once! I'm not gonna lose her again!”

kaitlin's 100 favorite fictional muses — 96/100: Prince Eric

[peach-cant-sleep]

[[ BEHOLD. MY OFFSPRING. @antiiinnocence is the father.]]

[regaleur]

// Tag list 2

[polyesterpeacock]

// tag drop

[beforecreation]

tag drop

[storyvibes]

tag drop

🖊 magic & abilities

🖊 aesthetic

🖊 musings

🖊 visage

🖊 regarding // little red riding hood

🖊 dynamic // little red riding hood

🖊 regarding // the huntsman

🖊 dynamic // the huntsman

🖊 regarding // the wicked prince

🖊 dynamic // the wicked prince

🖊 regarding // the hidden moon

🖊 dynamic // the hidden moon

🖊 regarding // the fox

🖊 dynamic // the fox

🖊 regarding // the evil queen

🖊 dynamic // the evil queen

[niightravcns]

Tags

welcome to my wonderland [ooc]

silence is golden [ic]

an idol in the sea of infamy [visage]

good things come with strings [musings]

twisted nights and sick delights [aesthetics]

so what does it matter if tou become mute? [headcanons]

struggle though you may; the rules won't bend [memes & prompts]

now sing and keep singing [playlist]

according to my ultimate design [psa]

taste their tears and hear their screams [gallery]

just one teensy little thing [reply]

you wouldn't want to mess with me [answer]

up above they hate chatter; or so i've been told [dash commentary]

good luck and breath deep [dash games]

guess your dreams ain't turning out so swell [wishlist]

that's the price; that's the bargain [plotting call]

as for love; all of the above applies [shipping call]

everybody's bill comes due [starter call]

well go on; take it or leave it [inbox call]

jewels begin to lose their glow; cities go to rack and ruin [open starter]

is it binding? goodness yes! [closed starter]

i always get just what i want [saved]

style au courante [mun's art/edits]

you'd better watch your tail [crack]

since you're in love with a prince [shipping]

these poor unfortunate souls [promo]

they say he's so quiet; so shy and demure [self promo]

wild soirees of exquisit sin [nsfw]

[liarwolf]

drop

🖊 the big bad wolf // musings & aesthetic

🖊 dynamic // the big bad wolf & little red riding hood

🖊 dynamic // the big bad wolf & the huntsman

🖊 dynamic // the big bad wolf & the wicked prince

🖊 dynamic // the big bad wolf & the hidden moon

🖊 little red riding hood // musings & aesthetic

🖊 the huntsman // musings & aesthetic

🖊 the evil queen // musings & aesthetic

🖊 the evil queen // magic & abilities

[suzukiblu]

Day eight of “Kon meets pink kryptonite and decides to fuck Tim and his boyfriend about it” behind the cut. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Pet,” Tim says, idle and easy, and Kon immediately stops caring about anything any more complicated than whatever he’s gonna say next. “Hands behind your back. Show off those pretty tits of yours for me.” 

It’s not actually an active decision, listening to that order; Kon just does it. Or–his body just does it, maybe. His hands go behind his back and one latches around the other’s wrist to hold them there and–and he doesn’t exactly push his chest out a little more than that gesture already did on purpose, but . . . 

Tim told him to “show off” for him. So like–so he maybe does do just a little of that, yeah. 

“They are very, very pretty tits,” Bernard muses, inspecting Kon’s chest with shameless admiration in a gut-heating way. Kon’s dick is definitely not gonna get any softer under these circumstances. “I mean, we're not talking full-on Starfire levels here but we're in that weight class, seriously. My sole criticism is that you didn't see fit to pierce your nips when you got all that metal put in your face and ears. Or your dick, come to think of it. You'd look fucking sweet with a Prince Albert or a Jacob's ladder. Maybe both, I’m a greedy man.” 

Kon feels–flustered, a little, and maybe a little flattered too, even though it’s obviously just another jokey little fantasy Bernard wants to run his mouth about. Just, well . . . this jokey little fantasy . . . 

“I, ah–thought about it, but . . .” he trails off with another flash of embarrassment, trying to figure out how to say but I didn't know anybody who I thought would like it without sounding like a total fucking freak and a half. 

But Tim’s Tim, of course, so he zeroes right in on that and asks, “But what, pet?” 

Kon turns red, and is positive he sounds like a freak and a half when he says, “But I didn’t know anybody who I thought would like it.” 

“. . . ngh,” Tim says. 

“Man, I could get you an online petition going right now and bet your aesthetically-perfect ass it'd go viral inside an hour,” Bernard says very feelingly and while even more shamelessly ogling Kon's chest. Kon–flushes, for some reason, and doesn't really know how to . . . respond, he guesses. 

“Sure,” he tries, not really sure why he feels so fucking flustered about the idea. About the idea of–of maybe changing something about himself like that for . . . for, like . . . or at least because of . . . 

By Tuesday it literally won't even matter if Bernard thinks he'd look good with those piercings, but he can't help thinking–he can't help thinking–well, he could still do it anyway, right? It won't matter anyway, so . . . 

“I mean it,” Bernard says, reaching up to very pointedly pinch one of Kon's nipples and flashing him a crooked grin as he does, and Kon suddenly feels like he's in this position for more reason than Tim just wanting to see it. Like he's–like they actually wanna just–just get out a needle and–tell him to make it invulnerable, tell him to let it through his TTK, tell him to–to let them–

Kon–he thinks he actually might let them, if they actually wanted to.

[i2stargirl]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

𝐇𝐄𝐘! i’m emy ( she/her ,, 22+ ,, gmt-3 ), and after being away from the tag for a while, i’m back and looking for new rp partners on discord ( 18+ only ). if you wanna know more about me, my guidelines are here. i’m down for all genres, no specific preference, and i write m x f ,, f x f ,, and m x m pairings. i love exploring different themes and can write smut too, though i prefer it not to be the main focus. as for triggers and limits, i don’t have many, but we can discuss that more when planning our plot. just a heads-up — i won’t write pedo, incest, rape, or discrimination (racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.). under the cut, you'll find some plots i’d love to dive into with someone, but if you’ve got other ideas, i’d be happy to hear them! so if anything here catches your eye, like this post, and i’ll reach out to you.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthis one’s a bit inspired by gilmore girls, with a rory x jess dynamic, but you don’t need to know the show to get the vibe. basically, muse a is the town’s golden kid, loved by everyone, super smart, college-bound, bookworm, never gets into trouble. muse b is the total opposite — troublemaker, with a bad reputation, and definitely not someone the town wants to see with their golden girl. maybe we could do a little enemies to lovers with this one? would love it!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤvampires, please! think twilight or tvd/the originals, or a mashup of both, doesn’t matter to me. i’d love to do something dark with this vibe. maybe even a multimuse, but i’m also cool with just one muse.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤhistorical vibes are a must — i need that period romance aesthetic, set around 1700-1800. debutantes, roguish dukes, maybe an arranged marriage, or even a forbidden romance like a duke and a prostitute or a debutante and a servant. the possibilities are endless!

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤmedieval fantasy, yes please. think an acotar or the cruel prince world — fae, strong-willed protagonists, kingdoms, a couple who can’t stand each other but also can’t live without each other ( jude & cardan vibes ).

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤi usually do oc x oc, but i won’t lie, i’d love a harry potter inspired world, especially around the marauders' era! give me a cross house romance, maybe a by-the-rules student and a rebel, always causing trouble.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐢’𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫: : enemies to lovers, toxic relationships, age gap, celebrity romance, apocalypse, dystopias, horror, second-chance romance, pregnancy plot, university life, opposites attract.

[prpfz]

Hey hey!! I have a muse of mine I’m currently dying to write right now: he’s mid~ 20s, very tall, pretty beefy, a rugged type of guy - think tons of tattoos, bruised knuckles, smudged eyeliner for the aesthetic, trench coats and combat boots. He’s a bartender and aspiring artist. He has a deadly RBF and a tendency of throwing hands, getting into fights, and has a history with drugs and gangs (all in the past, could bring it back in if we want angst.) He’s very much an intimidating looking guy who uses that to his advantage in sketchy situations. He’s struggling with a few things, but he’s getting there.

Despite all his roughness, I want a semi-soft plot for him. I want him absolutely smitten with someone, his partner’s the only person to see the vulnerable/soft side of him, someone he just utterly melts for. I’m open to any pairing/gender for this! I’d like someone who’s generally a bit ‘softer’ and friendlier than him, more open and positive - but, not someone who’s completely innocent, naive, subby, or some soft prince/princess. He’ll also pair well with fiery, stubborn, angsty people, so please give me someone with a backbone and who’s not going to rely on him for everything and hide behind him. Two rough people who are only soft and vulnerable together? Incredible. A confident, cocky person and their attack-dog looking bf that they hold the leash of? Immaculate. Give me complex and nuanced characters!!

A bit about me: I’m 21+, looking for anyone 18+. I’m an advanced literate multi-para writer, can be novella when the situation calls for it! Usually write anywhere from 500 words to 1500 depending on what’s going on and I’d like someone who loves to ramble and add detail! I love plotting, world building, playing side characters, and building up this story of our characters! I love angst, hurt/comfort, misunderstandings, character development, fluff, and I like a lil’ bit of smut! Here’s a bit of a catch though: I’m open to smut here, but I much prefer my guy to be a submissive switch/top/service top. I want this big broody looking guy to be pathetic for his partner and he’s not going to be a rough dark dom, I’d much prefer if your character is the more dominant one in bed, regardless of position. (They don’t have to be a ‘dom’ or rough in bed either, just take the lead a little.)

Anyway, this is getting really long SO: I write on discord, not daily replies please be patient, usually like 2-4 a week, sometimes more if we vibe well. I love ooc chat! Please spam me with aesthetics and songs and tell me about your day! I have very few limits and am absolutely open to some sweet angst and dark content. I respect limits, but things that might generally come up with him/his past: drug/alcohol abuse, gang violence, financial struggles, abusive families, internalised homophobia. All of this can be vague and kept in the past, or some could come up to play for some angst if we want. I use irl faceclaims and prefer them, but on your end I don’t mind. I’d love to hear about your thoughts and muses so throw anything my way when I reach out!! 🥀

give a like and anon will get back to you

[saburaii]

              サブ — the living dead, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐬𝐞 - 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡.

                                     can't you see that i'm busy .

                                        — 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

                                        english - speaker, 21+.

                                   high - activity & high - muse.

TRIGGER WARNING: nsfw & violence; blood will be present.

SABU IS SHIPPED WITH MIEKO @tsunoii.

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄.

✞ ( FULL NAME ) - saburai ito. ✞ ( NICKNAME ) - sabu. ✞ ( AGE ) - 18 - 43 ( verse dependent ). ✞ ( SPECIES ) - human. ✞ ( GENDER ) - cis-male. ✞ ( BIRTHDAY ) - october 13th. ✞ ( OCCUPATION ) - yakuza heir.

✞ ( HAIR ) - deep, crimson red - dyed, spikey & longer on the top, short on the sides mohawk. REF. ✞ ( EYES ) - golden - brown. ✞ ( HEIGHT ) - 6'6". ✞ ( OTHER ) - full body yakuza - style tattoos, lion - themed. including the back of his neck, down the knuckles, ankles and all else. multiple ear piercings, gauges on the lobes. three jacob’s ladder piercings. severe facial wound, ripped from the lip to the top of his jaw on the right side, will only keep uncovered around people who he trusts. otherwise, covered with a face - mask, or a bandana - depending on the day.

raised from birth in a family of yakuza, sabu is considered a yakuza prince. he has no real want the lead the group that he was born into, despite having all the rights to its assets. prefers to be a silent leader, rather than an up - lifting, present one. very off - putting to those who talk to him. not apt to give away personal information, he holds the rights to all of the riches his family passed off to him. will only give his name as SABU .

early life, high - school.

in youth, sabu was less of a quiet, level - headed person. filled with lots of rage towards his family, especially his father for the way he was raised; constantly thrown into ever - growing dangerous situations. as the second - oldest son in the family, he held little worth in their eyes, lacking the potential to become the next head of their family business. being tossed into underground fighting rings, learning to fight for himself at a young age - his anger was constant. lashing out in different ways, whether it was wreaking havoc on the maids or picking pointless fights at school. he acquired a love for all things violence - filled, horror movies, rock music, degrading pornographic imagery - occult paraphernalia.

when he was nineteen, his face injury occurred - the product of an illegal underground fight; where his opponent used his teeth to rip the skin from sabu’s face. tearing on the right side, from the top of his jawline to the chin, ripping half the lip. the worst pain that he had ever felt in his entire life. with a family that did not believe heavily in the support of doctors or hospitals, he was left to at home remedies, with little care from his parents if he lived or died. relying on heavy pain - killers & incredibly painful methods to ensure that it scarred up enough to keep from infecting.

soon after his facial injury, he became reliant on the painkillers - taking them more often than he didn’t; mellowing out his personality a great deal. a relief to anyone that had to withstand him working at his parent’s mansion.

the death of his older brother became the conspiracy that had many thinking of him as a monster. convinced that he would kill his own sibling to solidify his place as the heir to the family business, giving him all of the rights to the family fortune. the truth behind his brother’s murder remains a mystery, and he refuses to say a word on it; his younger sister taking the side of believing that he had a hand in it, but he remains apathetic.

present.

after many years, sabu still retains his favored gothic aesthetic; considered to be quite extra about it. his home is decorated in blacks & reds; his two favorite colors. most of his business remains a mystery to those who are not involved - only keeping few close acquaintances.

his only real close friend is a single right - hand man, with a child who he quite openly treats as a niece. estranged from his own family, the yakuza that he maintains is closer to a family than his true blood to him; not that he openly admits to such.

at forty - three, he no longer possesses the same aggressive personality that he once had. becoming someone a lot more cold & calculating over the years; be - fitting of a leader

[novella-writers]

Hey hey!! I have a muse of mine I’m currently dying to write right now: he’s mid~ 20s, very tall, pretty beefy, a rugged type of guy - think tons of tattoos, bruised knuckles, smudged eyeliner for the aesthetic, trench coats and combat boots. He’s a bartender and aspiring artist. He has a deadly RBF and a tendency of throwing hands, getting into fights, and has a history with drugs and gangs (all in the past, could bring it back in if we want angst.) He’s very much an intimidating looking guy who uses that to his advantage in sketchy situations. He’s struggling with a few things, but he’s getting there.

Despite all his roughness, I want a semi-soft plot for him. I want him absolutely smitten with someone, his partner’s the only person to see the vulnerable/soft side of him, someone he just utterly melts for. I’m open to any pairing/gender for this! I’d like someone who’s generally a bit ‘softer’ and friendlier than him, more open and positive - but, not someone who’s completely innocent, naive, subby, or some soft prince/princess. He’ll also pair well with fiery, stubborn, angsty people, so please give me someone with a backbone and who’s not going to rely on him for everything and hide behind him. Two rough people who are only soft and vulnerable together? Incredible. A confident, cocky person and their attack-dog looking bf that they hold the leash of? Immaculate. Give me complex and nuanced characters!!

A bit about me: I’m 21+, looking for anyone 18+. I’m an advanced literate multi-para writer, can be novella when the situation calls for it! Usually write anywhere from 500 words to 1500 depending on what’s going on and I’d like someone who loves to ramble and add detail! I love plotting, world building, playing side characters, and building up this story of our characters! I love angst, hurt/comfort, misunderstandings, character development, fluff, and I like a lil’ bit of smut! Here’s a bit of a catch though: I’m open to smut here, but I much prefer my guy to be a submissive switch/top/service top. I want this big broody looking guy to be pathetic for his partner and he’s not going to be a rough dark dom, I’d much prefer if your character is the more dominant one in bed, regardless of position. (They don’t have to be a ‘dom’ or rough in bed either, just take the lead a little.)

Anyway, this is getting really long SO: I write on discord, not daily replies please be patient, usually like 2-4 a week, sometimes more if we vibe well. I love ooc chat! Please spam me with aesthetics and songs and tell me about your day! I have very few limits and am absolutely open to some sweet angst and dark content. I respect limits, but things that might generally come up with him/his past: drug/alcohol abuse, gang violence, financial struggles, abusive families, internalised homophobia. All of this can be vague and kept in the past, or some could come up to play for some angst if we want. I use irl faceclaims and prefer them, but on your end I don’t mind. I’d love to hear about your thoughts and muses so throw anything my way when I reach out!! 🥀

Like if interested!

[spectralstitions]

There must be a blue moon gracing the sky tonight, because would you LOOK AT THAT. IT'S MEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I know you're just bursting with excitement to read this right now. In 2024, I got a firm grasp on the direction I wanted to take my art style, including what aesthetics call to me the most and what vibes I wanted my artwork to capture. But some of those conclusions felt slightly at odds with my characters as they were, so for the past couple months I've mostly been drawing my sona and letting Tristan Vik take over my life. But as a result of letting my oc thoughts drift around backstage, I came to realize that ALL ALONG, SILAS ROSE WAS THE PERFECT CHANNEL FOR ALL THE SPARKLY DARK FANTASY VIBES I'VE BEEN CRAVING. Part of me feels reluctant to let go of how grounded these characters have always been, but deep in my soul I know I've just gotta let go and FOLLOW MY HEART. And if that means imbuing my characters and world with sparkly dark fantasy goth cheese then that's what I'm gonna do, god-dammit. (I think I also might change this project name from Dear Drifter to something more sparkly sounding, but we'll see...)

ANYHOW WOW I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT TO WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO WITNESS HERE BUT WE'RE NOT EVEN TO THE POINT OF THIS POST YET. UH. ALAKAZAM POW

I HAVE SILAS ART TO USE AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR YAPPAGE. SO LET THE YAPPAGE BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!! This post will get into the NITTY-GRITTY of my Silas design thoughts! Silas is half faun, or, well, my own twist on fauns that I'm using as a commonfolk species alongside elves (since humans aren't a thing), and half.... well.... half something else that I'm STUCK ON CURRENTLY. I'm leaning on half daemon because the connotation makes more sense on first read, but oh I love the word faerie so much and I like that it creates an implication that faeries are fucked up little guys. Open to input on anything in this post, by the by.... EITHER WAY, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT HE'S HALF SOMETHING INHUMAN WITH NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS. Whatever miracle hybrid Silas is, it's comparable to something like an imp, especially in the eyes of the superstitious fauns he grew up around. He's also considered THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS!!! Just in case you needed an understanding of the vibes we're gonna start kicking up around here. The prince title likely comes from his inhuman side, though the exact implications of it are still being workshopped and OUUUGHHHH THERE'S SO MANY POSSIBILITIES IT'S OVERWHELMING HOW DO PEOPLE MAKE NEW WORLDS AND OCS CONSTANTLY. IN ANY CASE... I'm not really here to discuss broader worldbuilding musings ANYWAYS. I just wanted to give some CONTEXT FOR THE DESIGN!!!

This drawing of him is meant as an idea for how he looked during the Finlay Era of his life aka late teens through his young adulthood. It's the age I draw him at the most, so it was the first one I wanted to explore his shape language for, this time with an emphasis on giving him traits that'd make him stand out from commonfolk. Relative to Finlay, I wanted Silas to be fuller and made up of soft boxes, but in an elegant and dainty way, hence his sleekness and the way nearly every piece of him trails off into a delicate point. Along the way, I imbued him with anime-star and swirl shape language, which wasn't planned, but it ended up feeling pretty natural. I incorporated the star shape or elements of it into his face and body patterns, tail, hair, and claws, and the swirl shape is likewise repeated in a few different areas of his body. In terms of the significance of those shapes, I've long used stars as a layered symbol of yearning for Silas, kind of like light he can never reach (since his domain is more like the space between the stars rather than the stars themselves. Prince of darkness and all...) so blacked-out star shapes are a nifty way to represent that. As for the swirls, I've related those to the concept of swirling, dancing shadows! I want Silas to look so very much like he was meant to Play and Dance with whimsical friends in the woods. Gosh if I ever make another shadow-based character they are definitely going to be a dancer. Anyways.

I wanted as much of him as possible to look like it was being slowly swallowed by shadows (like his fingertips) or dripping with shadows (like his hair). His overall color palette is very monochrome in order to give him the appearance of a shadow for both aesthetic and symbolic reasons, such as how he carries himself and how he forms relationships with people etc. etc.

Design cohesion is something that's SUPER important to me and for the longest time Silas' horns messed me UP but I think I finally found a solution by meshing them with the curve of his nose bridge. Long tails are also very tricky to naturally integrate into humanoid designs in general, but I think I found something I liked here by having the tail stick out a ways before becoming more wiry and flexible. Initially, I was going to give him a classical devil style tail, but it looked a little disjointed. So I messed around and ended up with a crescent shape, which, hey! He's got star motifs on him already! So that kinda fits! It's really subtle, but I tried to match the points to the shapes of the tips of his hair and his claws to help with cohesion even more... The curvature might also work with the curve of the horns, WHICH ALSO MIRROR THE EAR SHAPE, BY THE WAY! Oh can you tell I'm obsessed with shapes.

I also realize that it kiiiinda sorta looks like he has top scars. But he does NOT! Those patterns are merely a product of self-indulgence in that I'm obsessed aesthetically with tracing certain shapes on the body and flat chests are one of those things. BITE ME!!!!!!!! And? The star nipples and bellybutton? Well I added those to make the undereye stars feel less out of place. And then I realized, it makes sense anyways to just have patterns in those spots because he probably was not conceived/born in a normal way. Therefore he would not have developed those specific bits ANYWAYS! Slash half silly. It can just be up to interpretation I think LOL. This is why I love cartoon styles soooo very much.

To touch on the stars under his eyes, the reason those are even there in the first place is for SYMBOLISM! Why else.... They're the precursor to the pattern he develops later in life during his villain arc where he romantically-sad maxxes. They're meant to evoke permanent tears, as if he's crying stars! Or I guess normal tears that are sparkling a lot.

I was going to tack on another Silas infodump about how his appearance changes through his life and his relationship to how he looks -- but this is getting long so I think i'm just going to make a SEPARATE POST! SO.... SEE YA THERE MY FELLAS!!!!!

[corcnaiism]

───※ ·❆· ※─── 1 and 2 for the Munday meme! ❄️ - @vintersang

𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒔𝒌.

1. What does your URL mean, and why did you choose it?

;-- ah, my url is supposed to say coronaiism but ya know tumblr stuff, and once upon a time, this blog was a single muse blog that only hosted noctis from ffxv and, well, bc he's a prince/king and all that fancy jazz, i chose the spanish version of crown = corona, and my silly little thing whenever i create new blogs is that i always will have that -iism in the end, so i just combined corona with -iism and ye. ofc the "o" turned into a "c" bc tumblr and ye. i'm not really creative shrug.

2. What is your blog or graphic aesthetic or motif? Why?

;-- umm, i guess i just really like darker tones and wanted to give myself kinda like a regal vibe? like dark reds and kinda silverish vibes? what i imagined in my head was thinking of royalty like a king or queen walking down a red carpet wearing silver accessories like a cape or a crown. that's where my vision originated and wanted to give off that warm, dark feel bc again this was based on noctis even tho he never really wears red or silver shrug but idk i just wanted to go that direction and it kinda just stayed since. and i also like religious aesthetic and mine is kinda like showing religious trauma in a since so im mixed some of that in there too.

[magistralucis]

The Lantern Fair [Zultanekh/Djoseras snippet]

(More of the same fic I was writing in this post. After Szarekh imposes peace on their dynasties, the two princes roam a festival together and talk kindly side-by-side. The inspiration for this scene borrows from a flashback Trazyn has in The Infinite and the Divine, a wish-lantern ceremony to hail good health for the new year. Lantern fairs are a very familiar aesthetic to me (I'm Asian), and I wanted to draw something from that mood, that bright and breathless nowhere. More below cut.)

----------------------

It was like how he'd claimed, over the peace treaty they signed, that the next time they spoke it would be to greet Djoseras as dynast. In truth, that never came about, because they did meet again shortly afterwards. Szarekh's peace had far-reaching consequences. All the way over in Gheden, at a New Year's festival, did the two princes meet once more - where among the lords of a hundred dynasties, he recognized Djoseras right away.

"Hail to you, fair kynazh! Come alone, then, or with Oltyx in his splendid magnificence?"

It's a miracle what being in neutral territory can do, as haughty as the Nihilakh are and were. Helps to keep things objective.

Here is a catalogue of their last mortal meeting. Zultanekh is portly and handsome, Djoseras slim and graceful. Zultanekh wears rich warm fabrics, Djoseras cool and plain. Zultanekh is fond of the finer things in life, and would never say no to a sparkling goblet of sulphur-wine, while Djoseras is perfectly at home with a glass of tea. ("That's different," he'll protest when Zultanekh inquires if he does not drink with his brother, "Oltyx is my warrior's life.") In the company of others Zultanekh is a mirthful giant, a bold and booming and vivacious fire of a man; Djoseras, on the other hand, is a soft-spoken august creature, dark-haired and dark-eyed like a well kept secret.

Those eyes fix into his now. "Come together, and he is splendid indeed." Djoseras's voice is as stoic as ever, before it sharpens a little and his eyes flash with warning. "But I must tell you now: there's no room for two on the throne of Ithakas, no matter your fox-cunning."

That's his red hair again. The Crown Prince laughs. "Zultanekh gave you his word, did he not? He will not reckon with your brother. It is not Zultanekh you ought to worry about, but the admirers from your coreworlds, which he appears to be accumulating at a rapid pace."

He nods towards the square. He hardly needs to single out Oltyx among the crowd; ever since the younger scion came of age, he has been much wooed and courted, evidenced by the many lords surrounding his person. Standing closest to him is an exceptionally beautiful youth, turning heads by virtue of his existence, yet with eyes for Oltyx alone. ("The heir to the House of Aetis," Djoseras will explain later, betraying the slightest distaste in his tone, "on Sedh. His radiance is well known, though 'tis a pity to shine in a fringeworld.") The prince's sidelock has been cut and he is sturdier than ever, standing proud as a war hero ought to stand.

A fine sight, but a time come and gone for the older ones. "Already it does men our age no good, all this posturing and flattering. Be reassured that Zultanekh prefers a calmer soul. After all, is it not peacetime?"

It ought not to work, this level exchange of words. Peace does not become the necrontyr. Even so, Zultanekh is rewarded when the kynazh's expression softens in response. "Then it is not just you, since a dose of calm will do us all good," he muses, before - finally - a little smile breaks through. "I wish you luck in finding it, Crown Prince."

Not the thin blade-edged smiles of war. A genuine one, soft and slightly modest.

"Oh, I shan't struggle. Ithakas is a rose-garden even in winter."

He wants to see how far he can take this. If Djoseras was being his fastidious self he'd have pointed out that's the Nihilakh, with all the bright lights and vast nocturnal gardens surrounding them at present, but he has not. Zultanekh's eyes hood over with daring, and not a small amount of pleasure, as he steps forwards and offers his hand. "Since this is no place for our aged souls, Kynazh Djoseras, and the youth are content where they are - what say you to a walk?"

Djoseras glances down at it. Looks away, silver robes shimmering as he walks straight past him.

Stops, some eight steps ahead, before turning around.

"For once the Crown Prince would best lead." He says, and grins, sending love's long-lost shock though Zultanekh like a catastrophe.

For a moment he stares, heart stirred to breaking point, before collecting himself. Outwardly it's as if nothing happened. But for once, he feels he can do naught but follow.

Let it be known that Gheden that night was a phantasmagoria of wonders. Along every quarter incense burns sweet upon altars, and the whole place is lit up like the sun, though the winter be cold and dark. As the princes walk through the Lantern Fair they are shined upon like dialectics, turquoise like polar night against Zultanekh's red, the gold mellowed by Djoseras's silver. They spend long stretches of time in silence to take it all in, but spend just as long in deep conversations. Lost between a hundred dynasties, for this one night they might talk man to man - and there's a surprising amount of the world they see alike.

They see other things too. Other people. High up on a ziggurat they glimpse their host, the lead archivist of the Nihilakh, playing senet with the famed diviner of the Sautekh. Now that's a pair seething to strike like vipers one moment, yet are as thick as thieves the next, couched in some arcane understanding afforded by mutual experience. The young could stand to learn from them. They trade silent bows with the Overlord of Pyrrhia, who is alone and melancholy as always. Perhaps he will be so until the end of the world. Zultanekh points out on a balcony the nemesor from the East, the one who oversaw their peace treaty, fanning himself slowly as if he's seen it all. Djoseras expresses some misgivings about his commoner vargard, not in that he's present but that he is idle, nestled faithfully by his master's side. "That may well be the nemesor's wish," Zultanekh suggests gently after they've passed by, for it did not escape his notice how content the pair looked. The Crown Prince has a generous heart for enjoyment. "Does heka preclude rest, Djoseras? No, it does not. He has every right to command it as much as he would action, and to do so tonight makes sense."

Djoseras sighs, exasperated. "They are too leisurely out here in the East, it is unorthodox; it shall be their detriment." What follows, however, is no moral judgement on the nemesor nor the vargard, but a surprisingly vulnerable confession. "I have thought... much about this peace of Szarekh's, in the time we have been apart. Doubtless he wishes for us to be at ease. The necrontyr have ever wished for a purpose, and it would not do to carry our many grudges into it. Yet I do worry about where that leaves us, whether in his pursuit of his great purpose he will erase all of ours. Will we remain how we were after this war? Or will we be subsumed - dissolved - vanished into this calling of the Silent King?"

"Might we not change but remain ourselves?" Zultanekh does not give much thought to those things. He's had the privilege of not needing to, it's true - it's not the Ogdobekh who are concerned about their independence, nor how to define themselves - but for most part, it is simply due to his easygoing nature, confident in every course Anathrosis set them upon. "If not for Szarekh's treaties, would Zultanekh have believed that he would one day walk the same road as the prince of Ithakas? To agree on peace was itself a shift in our ways of thought. Who's to say we cannot permit more?"

"But I do not wish to be changed. I should like to remain myself, thank you very much."

It is clear his answer displeases the kynazh, although he does not have the will to pursue it strongly. After all, it will be millions of years before Zultanekh will understand Djoseras envied him this night, and lamented he could not be the same. Djoseras pauses, his cheeks flushed with rare emotion (Zultanekh admires the height and curve of them quietly), before he glances up at Zultanekh and all is calm again. "I apologize, Prince Zultanekh. It's just that we have been shaped by war, my brother and I. Knowing that we go from there to another war, I..."

A lock of hair has fallen across his forehead, disturbing the surface. Zultanekh longs to brush it back for him. "I do not know whether to call that change, meaningfully speaking."

"If it would reassure you, I can say this much: between the old gods and fair Djoseras, Zultanekh knows whom he would rather have as his enemy. Is it not meaningful that the nature of the combatants is different?" Zultanekh smiles then, and bids the kynazh stand closer; there's a group of Nihilakh lords passing by. It's not quite hand-holding, but Djoseras does not refuse him when Zultanekh touches over his shoulder, which feels like victory enough. "Like you, I was forged by war. I am curious to see what follows it. Say that Szarekh has his way, that the Old Ones are defeated - will we choose peace again, or disorder? I do not know, but I am eager to find out."

"Eager?"

"Yes. Perhaps some day, you will see the excitement in it too."