#maryam khaimov

[gwennafran]

Elements

Pale Lights fanart.

Fire, water, earth and air. 

I've worked on this on and off for months. Got it done before book 2 ended. Yay me!

[sun-in-splendorhaditcoming]

My favorite is here let's gooooooo.

[booksandchainmail]

Hmm. I'm having some theories about Maryam in Pale Lights book2 chapter 46, mainly prompted by this line:

“Please do not curse me,” Adarsh Hebbar politely requested. “…ma’am.” Maryam approved of the ma’am – all folk should address her thus, really – but cocked an eyebrow at the request.

To me, this does not particularly sound like Maryam, who has certainly been prickly and sarcastic, but not this kind of arrogance, even internally. What it does sound like is:

“I am not without mercy,” Not-Maryam informed them. “Should each of you cut off your right hand and beg earnestly for your life, I will allow you to depart afterwards.” Incredulous laughter. “And who are you, exactly?” Meihui asked. “The last princess Volcesta,” Not-Maryam said. “I rode with the wintersworn, stood on the shore when we gave the river seven lords of Malan. I am the Keeper of Hooks, first and last of the Ninefold Nine.” Her chin rose ever so slightly. “You may kneel,” Not-Maryam generously allowed.

Once she rips away at this entity, which I have a feeling is not a good idea at all, it seems to me like some of who it is comes away as well

But when Maryam first used her rings to pull away at the entity, she has a brief flashback:

Palms against the stone, Maryam Khaimov emptied her stomach on the ground. Jakov. Oh gods, Jakov. The first of the captains to join the Wintersworn, the kindest. The laughing man who’d taught her to throw axes so she could win rings off of drunken warriors at feasts. He’d been so proud, when she first nailed five throws in a row. She could almost see him lying on the ground, half his skull a blackened ruin from where the cannon shot burned it. How long had it been, since she thought of Jakov? Too long. Bile rose up in her mouth again.

Now this could just be that she hadn't though much about him for mundane reasons, and is suddenly being reminded, but I'm inclined to see this as a flood of associated emotions coming back from something that was just flat memory, if she consciously recalled it at all.

Which brings me to chapter 44, where Maryam confronts her shadow:

“I did not give you that,” she said, voice cold. “I would never give you that, you hateful leech. You show yourself a liar.” “But you did,” the shade said. “And it’s worse than giving me the whole, in truth. You just force-fed me the colors.” The shade brushed away her hair, the moment gone and now a face like a sister’s meeting Maryam’s own. “Did you think you could get rid of the ache, of the tears, without washing out the dyes?” she mocked. “You wander around as a gray ghost, Maryam Khaimov, blanching and bleaching everything you touch.”

So it seems like she has offloaded much of her emotional memories to the shade, and without them her current presence is muted.

So. The real question is whether Maryam pulling pieces of the shade into herself is making her more like it, or more like herself

[gwennafran]

Free Hugs. Maryam loves them (Hint: Don't hug Maryam if you value your life)

Pale Lights fanart

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights / W.I.T.C.H. Crossover

This might just be one of the nerdiest things I've ever done. I'm also fully aware that there probably is very small fandom overlap between a two decades old European magical girl's comic by Disney and a Lovecraftian Renaissance Mystery online book.

I had fun, though. I made a lot of W.I.T.C.H. fanart some ten-twenty years ago. So referencing the comic art style again was super nostalgic. Combining early 2000s tight polyester with hints of Pale Light's setting fashion was also quite the experience.

I made "Not-Maryam" (Naryam) the Keeper of the Heart because she's basically pieced together of a soul, a bunch of aether and a whole lot of spite. And traditionally the fifth element has been assigned to aether. She might even stick around and help the rest of the group if they grovel appropriately.

Somehow, Angharad manages to both have least revealing - and most practical - clothing item with the breeches. And still show off the most skin.

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights Fanart - Horses

I drew pretty horses in my sketchbook while watching silly Youtube drama videos. Then I cleaned it up digitally and put two pages together to one image.

Maryam rode with her mother's army of raiders. She probably is the most experienced horseback rider in the Thirteenth. Raiding style.

Angharad undoubtedly had proper riding among her many homeschooled classes. She probably also got perfect form.

Song is tricky. She most like knows the basics, but hoses are expensive and not part of basic Tianxi military formations, so I don't think she has actual experience. She undoubtedly looked super self-confident getting on the back of that massive warhorse, though.

Tristan I figure never has been on the back of a horse in his life. And he doesn't plan on starting either. That is one of the most obvious contract backlash catnips you can find.

The Erraticana Discord has declared that Fortuna (obviously) has claimed the back of Tristan's poor beginner pony. He's not using it, anyway.

[gwennafran]

Hogwarts Thirteenth – Pale Lights Intermission 2024

Fanart for the online book Pale Lights. And Harry Potter, I guess.

One final kid’s themed intermission piece. Made before there’s more than four people in the group (the top banner says it’ll happen).

I had fun trying to update the hairstyles of 11-year-old versions of Thirteenth Brigade into something more modern. Mostly I added bangs. Against all odds, I ignored the big hats. They’d take up too much room, hide character expressions, and I liked the visual joke of Maryam using the hood in the cloak.

Angharad is *that* well-meaning Gryffindor idiot jock. On the plus side everyone will expect her to fail all her wisdom checks, so she’ll probably do great. Most likely to join a quidditch team. In her first year.

Tristan probably tried to trade places with Maryam. Or at least talk her into letting him have a Hufflepuff disguise. Song stopped them, pointing out Maryam probably would not survive wearing Slytherin colours without actually being one.

Maryam could fit into several houses. If not for the tiny little fact that nobody would want a “half-hollow”. And while it would be hilarious for the Hufflepuff house to reject her for not living up to their ideals, they’re foremost known for accepting *everyone*. Yes. Everyone.

Song is still cursed. The real question is if her curse is particularly worse than what is pretty common to happen at least every other year at Hogwarts.

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights, Book 2 chapter 44 - Reference sheet

I went a bit wild playing with clothing. You might even say I rather overdid it and made two dresses for Angharad. Whops. Not sorry.

Clothing rant below

Fortuna got a hat. Just because. Still rocking her Renaissance wear.

Tristan got late baroque clothing in the style I suspect Asphodel to favour for the simple fact that EE in book one said they had cravats as a big part of their local fashion. And that actually leaves a pretty slim thirty-year long window of fashion, when Word of EE also is that most fashion inspirations are from before 1700. You can actually see how tiny Tristan is in this overcoat. Variation with torn up coat and head injuries. I feel like it’s a universal tule that Tristan is to have bruises on his face at most time. I refuse to flat out add it as part of his character design, though.

Angharad seems to really like outfits that makes her shoulders and upper arms larger. The first one is an amalgam of several Baroque decades as well as pure fantasy. And I’m still not sure it’s quite right. The second one is pretty solidly Renaissance. Angharad also amusingly seems to cover up her chest a lot when given the choice. While gladly taking in the view when other women shows off that part.

Song is rocking a Mind dynasty inspired Chinese hanfu and hairdo. For once she gets to look slightly less controlled than the braid. I generally go with Mind Dynasty for Tianxi inspiration. As the other option for about the same time period has one of the worst male hairstyles in history. Mandated. On everyone.

Maryam got to show off some layers. I originally put a partlet on top of the dark cream jacket, because I figured she’d prefer covering up the otherwise rather revealing deep cut showing off a lot of skin. EE then added a shawl in the next chapter, so maybe I should remove the partlet? On the other hand, I think Maryam really prefer covering up a lot. She’s probably already displeased with the practical three-quarter sleeves. Also, this week I learned blue was one of the few colours that really took to linen. Blue linen aprons were as a result very common among the working class.   The pistol is hilarious. Maryam, you’re not subtle. At all. Even if you left the axe.

[gwennafran]

Baby Maryam – Intermission 2024 fanart for the online book Pale Lights.

Don’t worry. Someone will stop baby Maryam before she gets sick from eating all those mangoes. And thus, Maryam the mango fiend was born.

[gwennafran]

Kites – Pale Lights Intermission 2024

Fanart for the online book Pale Lights.

Song got a lot of missed childhood activities to catch up to. And let’s be real, the same probably is the case for Tristan.

It’s not a competition, but Tristan is still going to make absolutely sure Maryam get her kite high into the air first. Bad luck consequences be damned.

[gwennafran]

Baby Thirteenth

Collected little gremlings

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights Fanart - Thirteenth

Quick little thing in my sketchbook. Me ruining my good black lineart microns while listening to dumb Youtube videos.

(Song looks so happy she has a scary cabal behind her)

[gwennafran]

No chapter art, Today.

Have an updated Work in Progress on this one. Already finding stuff I want to correct on the lineart.

Also, poor Maryam need more sun. And some shading that'll make the bags under her eyes look more as I'm intending them to look.

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights Domestic Disturbances Fanart

Don’t listen to the slander. Tristan would never mix up his socks just to disturb Song. And he certainly wouldn’t buy the loudest patterns he can find for the same reason either. 

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights, Book 2 chapter 24 - Princess Maryam dress up

I did this even before I did my traditional reread of the chapter to dot down all the character descriptions to my growing excel sheet.

Because my priorities are flawless.

[gwennafran]

The ensuing playfight between the vampire and the sith lady ended, when the sith in a very enthusiastic way threw herself into the hypnotizing vampire's seductive embrace. Dipping herself to expose that defenseless neck. At which point Maryam let go of Angharad. Dropping her on the ground.

Artist's notes: Noble upbringing and good manners be damned. We all know this is how Angharad would react to a lightsaber toy. 

Maryam is borrowing confidence from her costume. 

Song is dressed up as a Kalaviṅka. Pretty dress + pretty feathers kinda sold me on it as the artist.

Tristan as a catboy is a bad joke. Times two with the cat suit / cat thief getup.