#servants in art history

[resplendentoutfit]

The Maids of the Victorian Era

In the1800s and early 1900s the role of maid was relegated to women from families of modest means. It was a job that required a great deal of subjugation and a steady mood. It's presumed that some maids were subjected to the various moods of their employers, at the very least. At worse, servants were overworked and sometimes physically or sexually assaulted.

In terms of clothing, the role of maid required very little. The maid, while at work, either wore a uniform or a plain work dress. A white apron and cap were standard.

Wilhelm Amber • The Maid • 1862

The painting above shows a whimsical scene that if discovered by the employer may have resulted in a reprimand.

Except for the very rich, most households employed one servant – the "maid of all work". She was often a young girl who was taken in from the local workhouse. As the name implies, the role included all the chores of a household: cleaning, shopping, cooking, mending and washing. This grueling job paid very little due to the benefit of room and board. The maid often worked from early morning to late evening, with very little time off.

A simple black dress was often the uniform beneath the white apron. Notice in the photograph below that the two women are dressed identically.

George Lambert (Australian, 1873-1930) • The Maid • 1915 • National Gallery of Australia, Parkes

References:

Jane Austen's World: Regency Servants – Maid of All Work

My Learning: The Family at Shibden

Elizabeth Bailey's blog

[idanit]

Dear Jeeves and Wooster fandom, lovely fic writers, my betters in bertieprose. Why are we sleeping on Lady Malcolm’s Servants Ball, held annually in London from 1923 to 1938 specifically for people in domestic service, with a reputation of drawing in queer and gender-nonconforming working-class crowd? A servants' ball where people were, for a time, "allowed" to crossdress and dance with same-sex partners? (Before it drew too much attention and got banned.)

Where are my fics about:

Jeeves moving his day off around so he can attend the ball, crossdress, and/or dance with other men?

Bertie finding out about the ball and asking questions?

Bertie sneaking into the ball pretending to be a servant and crossdressing in order to dance with other men? Perhaps he has been doing this for a few years until the year he hires Jeeves, and that year they accidentally meet at the ball. Perhaps they're both in drag, or only one of them is in drag. Perhaps only one recognises the other, or both of them do (I believe this was a costume, though not necessarily a masked ball). Perhaps Jeeves has to explain that if he has questions, they're not precisely objections, and he only worries that Bertie might be recognised and blackmailed — or perhaps Bertie has to explain that Jeeves is not in any danger of losing his job and Bertie doesn't mind him crossdressing at all. And they dance.

Bertie ordering a fancy bespoke dress for Jeeves so that he can go to the ball? ("Wealthy households would fund their workers to go, with some even loaning them evening dresses." [link 2 - though it probably means dresses for maids]) Bertie getting some jewellery for Jeeves and watching him apply make-up?

Bertie finding out that this is the best ball for servants around and telling Jeeves that he should totally go because he always has to attend the fancy parties as a butler or Bertie's valet, not there to have fun, and Jeeves agreeing because he's very insistent? Perhaps Jeeves is very secretive about the costume he's preparing even though Bertie's dying of curiosity. Perhaps once Jeeves leaves, Bertie starts having all these Very Strange Feelings, and after suffering in the flat for a few hours, he ends up going as well. And then he either can't find Jeeves until Jeeves chooses to reveal himself to him, or he finds Jeeves and almost perishes on the spot. And then, of course, they dance.

or whatever silly plot come on this is so juicy

ADDED: I wrote all this and then I discovered a great Jeeves fic that does make use of the ball, except it's not Jeeves/Wooster, but Wooster/Haddock (which is how it initially escaped my notice). If you don't mind that, go read it and enjoy the queer dancing, the crossdressing, and a delightful version of Jeeves: We Want Haddock.

[illustratus]

War by Henry Singleton

[royalty-nobility]

Henry IV Receiving the Spanish Ambassador

Artist: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (French, 1780–1867)

Date: 1817

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Petit Palais, Paris, France

Description

Henry IV Receiving the Spanish Ambassador depicts Henry IV of France playing with his children whilst receiving the Spanish ambassador, with Marie de Medici seated at the centre.

[footnotelovenote]

Sketches of "Costumes of China" (1805)

Drawings by William Alexander (English, 1767-1816) [all images © The Trustees of the British Museum]

Portrait sketch of the Purveyor to Lord Macartney's Embassy; three-quarter length to front, wearing a fur (?) coat and carrying a box with handle in his left hand [Graphite, with watercolour] (ca. 1816)

'A Soldier in an undress'; wearing a long coat with big sleeves, decorated with a golden eagle in a circle on the chest, a cap on his head, long braid over his shoulder, holding a long stick in his right hand; from an album of 82 drawings of China [Watercolour, ink and graphite] (dated 28 November 1793)

'A Peasant and his Child'; a man seated on the ground grasping a small child, whose hands are on his arm but who is twisting away from him, around the waist; from an album of 82 drawings of China [Watercolour, ink and graphite] (ca.1793-97)

'Tartar soldier in his common dress'; full-length, with a flag, bow and arrows; from an album of 82 drawings of China [Watercolour, ink and graphite] (ca.1793-96)

'A labourer'; facing right and pointing ahead with his left hand; wearing a cap on his head and with jacket unfastened, revealing his bare torso, holding a pipe in his left hand and a tobacco pouch suspended from his waist; from an album of 82 drawings of China [Watercolour, ink and graphite] (ca.1793-96)

Portrait of Qiao Renjie (喬人傑) [inscribed "Chou-tazhin, a Mandarin of the civil department; in his Dress of ceremony"]; full-length, wearing a hat with a peacock feather, a string of beads around his neck and with a scroll held aloft in his left hand, standing by a large block of masonry to the left, boat on a body of water and mountain in the right far distance; from an album of 82 drawings of China [Watercolour, ink and graphite] (ca.1793-96)

More info about Qiao Renjie ("Tianjin daotai" at the time this portrait was made) and how "'the eight different classes of mandarin could be distinguished by the style and colour of the buttons on the top of their caps, which ranged from smooth red coral for the first order to engraved gilt brass for the eighth' (Legouix, 1980, p. 54)" at the BM page.

[cartoonistcoop]

In 323 BCE, Alexander the Great begins to fear.

Fearing the destruction of his pothos — his longing for life, ambition, and eternal conquest — from old age, Alexander embarks on a quest for the elusive Water of Life while accompanied by his wisest, most trustworthy Servant.

As they experience a series of countless fabulous wonders, including glass submarines, naked philosophers, Amazonians, and talking prophetic trees, Alexander confronts his complex legacy and reflects on the life and deeds that will cement his transformation into one of the most unforgettable figures in world history. READ MORE

[froggi-mushroom]

I could’ve swore I reblogged something about this but since I can’t find it, I’ll post it myself

Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies, English School, 1650s

I adore this painting, it’s one of my favourites from the 17th century overall, as it’s not only a wonderful depiction of an upper class woman of colour in western art, with her shown as an equal to her white counterpart (note the fact that they’re dressed the same and are physically on the same level) but it’s a fascinating look at pox marks and how someone with darker skin would’ve worn them, which is why I love it so much

[galleryofart]

Cleopatra's Feast

Artist: Jacob Jordaens  (Flemish, 1593–1678)

Date: 1653

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia

Description

Jordaens. Cleopatra (68-30 BC), Queen of Egypt, was famed not only for her intelligence and her beauty, but also for her extravagant behaviour. Once, seeking to amaze with her wealth her beloved, the Roman commander Mark Antony, she dissolved a large pearl in a glass of vinegar, and then drank it down to the very last. Jordaens depicted the moment when Cleopatra drops the pearl earring into the vessel, while Mark Antony, his companion and a negro servant freeze in silent amazement, experiencing a mixture of envy, regret and admiration. Only the court jester shows with the gesture of his right hand and his grotesque grin the ridiculous nature of Cleopatra's wastefulness. The allegorical composition was seen as a judgment on Pride or Vanity, and this didactic subtext was typical of the Flemish school.

[darabeatha]

@holymost​ said ; ok listen I know they're fictional characters named/based on but every time I see an aztec god's name pop up on ur blog I'm like "??? WHY ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT AZTEC MYTHOLOGY?" and then I remember JHSDGFSJHDFHDS my hispanic ass got my ass once again I simply know nothing abt fate

/  AOAOAOOAOAOOAOO IORYTOIYUTOY IT- REALLY DO BE LIKE THAT! it’s so cool! and I can’t imagine how funny it must be to see one day greek mythology and then boom; Aztec and Maya mythology,,, and then Indian mythology and so on so forth; and to someone who isn’t too familiar with f.ate, i can imagine how funny it would be to look at someone u’ve read about in books and look at their anime version OITRUTIUORT LIKE;; what do u MEAN Achilles has bright GREEN hair?!?! it’s so silly sometimes, and it has its good and bad things, but i’ll always be grateful to f.ate for helping me discover more about history and mythology from all around the world which i love love love reading about!. But talking about my mesoamerican muses, I currently write five (5)!! 

Moctezuma II: in game they gave him a different name (Izcalli) but that’s more of a f.ate lore thing and a specific kind of situation that doesn’t really have anything to do with Moctezuma’s story so in my portrayal he is directly Moctezuma II the ninth emperor of Aztec empire or more commonly known as the last Aztec emperor (even tho after his reign there were two other more emperors but their reigns were very short so usually its default like that). He was the one who had the first official contact with the europeans amongs more but i won’t get into details because then this will get super long but yes- There are a lot of misconceptions and myths around his figure and quite frankly, not as much information about him, or well; objective information about him; f.ate wise, I got too attached to him and he shakes something in my heart;; maybe something along the lines of being misunderstood, rage, impotence, his story in overall being kind of put to the side, the strong emotional side of humans, expectations, fears and how these affect us all, etc etc. I think his character was not explored much in detail in f.ate and was a little rushed, which in exchange brough a lot of bad opinions about him and as a result, increased my curiosity over him. There’s also this thing where in fiction its often discussed the ‘negative’ traits a character has but these tend to linger on the usual ‘not too disliked’ traits, so when a certain side of a character is explored that doesn’t really match what we are used to see, it tends to create some sort of rejection towards it. In this case, i think his rage was seen as something petty and only that, which i can understand since not everyone will enjoy all characters but,, that limits his character a lot u know? There is something that hits me when a character has a big dislike ratio (like with constantine) and it made me feel more curious about him and to try to understand him further than what we were shown, which in return has made me grown more attached to him. Its me and mocte against the world frfr 😤✊ /OK JKJKJKJK! For some reason he lives rent free inside my head and by god there should be more art of him so i’m always drawing him nowadays. I could ramble about his f.ate design endlessly and talk much more about him but i’ll cut it here before i go overboard.

Tezcatlipoca: one of the central deities in Aztec religion! he is the god of darkness and night, of conflict, war; characterized by his duality as a desctructive god and creator, the enemy and the merciful of duality itself; associated with hurricanes and obsidian, jaguars. He is an omnipotent, ( the definition being: '(of a deity) having unlimited power; able to do anything’) omnipresent, (that can be present everywhere and anywhere at the same time, making him something akin to an invisible being that you can’t see but that he is there regardless) and omniscient god (that knows everything; he can see the truth in human’s hearts). He can also see through the hearts of men! he is also the brother of Quetzalcoatl in some Aztec tellings and the two of them are central to the creation myth, and there is s o much more! very facsinating god. In fate he’s a silly guy, i think in terms of personality; his character was portrayed wonderfully; the duality of Tezca truly shows and its just -chef kiss-

Tláloc-Huitzilopochtli-Tenochtitlán: now this character is kind of confusing if you are not too familiar with f.ate, and even to me it’s still kind of ??? as her spirit origin’s story is mostly tied to f.go lore, but basically, in fate she is the personification of the city of Tenochtitlán but she presents herself as Tláloc or Huitzilopochtli, as she mentions that by enshrining these two gods, Tenochtitlan (the city, aka her) thrived, and I can kind of understand the general idea they might have tried to go with as it -is- true that these two deities were incredibly important; from the side of Tláloc, he was the god of rain and was turbo mega important and venerated in mesoamerica particularly with the agricultural towns, as he had a crucial role in favoring the prosperity of harvest. He was so important that there were a lof of festivities and ceremonies held in order to receive his favors (their economy on the side of agriculture demanded for a lot of rainy days as there were long dry seasons so Tláloc was highly praised) and we still have a lot of items related to him in museums! I wish i could emphasize more how important Tláloc was but I’m gonna cut myself here and introduce Huitzilopochtli real quick;; he is the solar deity in Aztec religion and he’s tied to war and sacrifice as well (like tezca as well) he was like the patron god of the capital city of Tenochtitlan so you get the idea of just how important he was as well

Kukulkán: in fate, kukulkán also has some kind of odd story tied in that takes place in the f.ate universe, but my kuku is mostly- well; kukulkán, or known as the plumed serpent who’s origins mostly trace back to the Maya most specifically around the classic period. To some researchers, Kukulkán is the same as Quetzalcoatl which is why in f.ate, Kukulkán and Quetz are more like sisters to say; kuku being technically the eldest between the two even though she looks up to Quetz a lot. Kuku was considered a creator god and was associated with the winds and rain as it was said they brough them in the first place. a lil curious note; when the weather gets moody, clouds tend to have this sort of serpent-like shape which is from where the association comes from. Funnily enough, in f.ate she claims to be quite an airhead which im not sure if its a reference to her ties with the wind or not but if that was the case, it would be indeed a funny lil detail.

Camazotz: the Maya bat god from Popol Vuh! a god that dwells in the underworld (Xibalba) and is at the service of the lords of the underworld. Xibalba is packed with tests and trials, and if attempting to enter the underworld in the first place wasn’t already difficult, it keeps getting even more tricky! there are five houses and Camazotz rules over the house of the bats, where there is constant squeaking and shrieking. In the Popol Vuh, the hero twins must be able to spend the night in the house of bats (whose snouts are like blades that they use to attack) in order to pass the test, and they almost do it flawlessly until Hunanpu, (one of the brothers), by attempting to take a peak from the blowgun they were hiding inside of, tries to see if dawn has come, which ends up with his head getting decapitated by a bat. To this, other events pass by and he’s able to come back to life and with his brother they defeat the lords of Xibalba at the end. Popol Vuh aside, the bat as an animal had a lot of associtations such as with death, decapitation (from observing bats flying and snatching fruit from trees), night (even day! as they linger in caves but can also be seen flying in daytime across the skies), sacrifice (linked to the previously mentioned decapitation + blood), the underworld (as caves were a gateway to the underworld), etc, etc. Not to mention how important they are for agriculture as they help pollinate crops as well as help in controling over abundance of insects like mosquitoes. In any case, Camazotz is really cool and i love his design in fate!

[meri-dawn]

Young woman with a servant

[akitauma]

SAME

"back on my bullshit" in reference to recurring hyperinterests dating back to middle school and beyond

[azurecoffin]

I have issues with Fate/Genshin for a multitude of reasons but man

I really enjoy the fashion I love the patterns and color palettes

Om Om good food

[nightingale-prompts]

Alfred's Apprentice- DCxDP prompt

Alfred isn't immortal and he can admit he's not getting any younger. It also wouldn't hurt to have someone else to take on the workload since the family isn't going to get smaller.

Instead of finding help, help found him.

"Call me Nightingale. Danny Nightingale." The young man said presenting a black card with perfect white ink calligraphy.

Danny was about Tim's age. He had already graduated early according to records. His record was perfect in all respects. Smart. An intellect comparable to geniuses in respects to science which had more uses in the households then you'd expect. He was very precise when it came to cleaning. Every surface needed to be cleaned regardless of how much use they see. In fact Danny would carry a blacklight and wipe anything with fingerprints. His almost supernatural strength allowed him to move furniture for easier cleaning.

Alfred had suspicions that Danny had a history in crime scene cleaning. He chose not to say anything.

The kid was a damn good cook as well. Though his tea isn't up to Alfred's standards. At least heist his aim is good.

Bruce at least didn't adopt this one and leave Alfred to take care of him.

"Nightingale, did you clean the ceiling?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, sir. Please leave any hard to reach places to me. The chandelier is especially finicky to polish and you have better things to tend to." He said bowing at the waist.

Bruce was still uncomfortable asking Danny for anything and let Alfred instruct him on what he should do. He has suspicions that Danny was being trained to tend to Damian should something happen to him. Alfred would come up with a contingency like that.

The others took to Danny as best as they could. Most treated him like a brother with the exception of Tim and Damian. Tim couldn't really see past them being the same age but Danny was able to understand his babble about theories and help him. Thought Danny was also to wait out Tim's insomnia easily and take him to bed.

Damian had no issue seeing Danny as a servant which was exactly what he wanted. Dick would criticize him about being rude but Danny would assure him that Damian was not being rude, he was just giving Danny a job to do.

It was during an outing with Damian that Danny was put to the test. They were just visiting an art supply store. Danny carried Damian's bags to the car and put them away in the trunk. As he opened the door to let Damian in a group of kidnappers tried to steal the young master.

It was likely a crime of opportunity as they saw a rich boy and his butler out and about.

As the group tried to drive off with Damian in tow, all the tires on their van blew out as Danny had already thrown down caltrops under the ties.

Gracefully and with the dignity expected of a bulter he pried the rough hands off of Damian, breaking every finger as he went.

"Please refrain from such brutish actions. I'd usually be unwilling to let this go but you must be very desperate to commit a crime so blatantly as to steal a child. I'm in a rush to get the young master home for dinner. So remain here, the police will be here in a few moments."

With that Danny escorted Damian into the car and drove them home.

[teyviary-art]

2006 was a long year

[dresshistorynerd]

Historically Accurate Jasmine

Another remake! I remade Jasmine for my series of "Historically Accurate" Disney Princesses. I honestly don't like the first version of Jasmine I made five years ago. It's not well drawn, I don't like the design, it doesn't look Jasmine and I incoherently mixed elements from different time periods. I also made some embarrassing blunders in history while explaining my thought process, since back then I was much less familiar with the history of Middle East and India. So I definitely wanted to redo her.

I do like Aladdin a lot, but let's be real, it's a very Orientalist film. Orientalism is the colonial lens through which the west looks at Asia and North-Africa, or the so called "Orient". It's dehumanizing and fetishistic lens - the west at the same time despises and covets the "Oriental" body. The "Orient" is flattened as one single entity and it's all savage and exotic, backward and mystical. Orientalism is fueled by jealousy and entitled superiority. In Aladdin it's very visible in how the setting blends a lot of very different Asian cultures, flattening large parts of a very diverse continent. It's set in sandy desert, but a lot of the elements of dress especially are much more Indian in aesthetic. Certainly fitted bodices and exposed stomachs are not practical clothes in a desert climate. The characters too are frequently exotised and fetishised with most female characters including Jasmine dressed and posed to appeal to the colonial gaze that covets brown bodies. Jasmine is sexualised much more that any of the white Disney princesses.

Originally the story was going to be more focused, though I can't imagine it ever lacking in Orientalism. It was supposed to be set in Baghdad, but during the production the First Gulf War happened, so they tried to distance it from the original Iraqi setting by setting it to the fictional city of Agrabah. Would there have been less Indian elements? Probably. It is pointed that in the wake of American forever wars in the Middle East, to not cause a stir Disney elected to make the movie more Orientalist. Orientalism was the inoffensive option.

Deciding on the historical setting to ground the redesign in was not simple considering the mess that the movie's setting is. One Thousand And One Nights is a collection (or many collections) of Islamic folktales from Northern Africa to Central and South Asia. So India (especially Mughal India ruled by Muslim dynasty) wouldn't be an incorrect setting and certainly neither would Middle East. The problem is that the film seems to imply there's no meaningful difference. Rather than trying figure out what is the most fitting place and time period for the film, I looked to the origins of the story of Aladdin. Apparently Aladdin’s story was added to One Thousand And One Hundred Nights by a French translator in 1709. He got the story from a Syrian-born Maronite storyteller, Hanna Diyab, who might have come up with the story himself. Most of Syria (at least Aleppo where he was born) was at the time part of Safavid dynasty Persia, so I decided to set my version of Jasmine in 17th century Persia.

I basically based the design on the illustration from 1702-3 by Mu'in Musavvir first below. The more fitted and tailored style with wider skirt likely influenced by European fashion it represents became fashionable in mid 17th century, so it still fits the time period I'm aiming at. The colour is simply perfect for Jasmine and I really like the overall desing. I did look at other art as well to get a better understanding on how the cut of the dress works, so here's couple o more references: second one is "Two Lovers with a Servant Woman" from 1696 by Mu'in Musavvir as well, third and fourth are details from paintings in the Chehel Stoun palace in Isfahan from 1646. Eyebrows grown together was considered especially beautiful feature so of course I gave Jasmine brows like that.

I of course gave her a crown, since she's a princess and depictions of Safavid princesses seem to always have a crown. I found that usually in art women had a white veil with their crown which is why I made her veil white, even though with the scarf band, which was the more typical headwear for women, colourful veils seemed to have been much more popular at the time. The veils in 17th century were also very long. For the crown and jewelry I wasn't as concerned to be using references from mid to late 17th century specifically, since these tend to change slower than other fashions. I based the crown mostly on the first illustration below from c. 1600 by Muhammad-Sharif Musawwir of a Seated Princess and the earrings on the second illustration from c. 1540 by Mirza ‘Ali of a Seated Princess with a Spray of Flowers.

Most of the images I found on this very useful blog which had gathered A LOT of Persian illustrations and paintings in handy timeline. A lot of the information of Safavid fashion I got from this MET Museum write up by Nazanin Hedayat Munroe.

[high-dragon-bait]

Pleaaaaase Zevran and Lucanis 💖

Note: I got the request for Zevran and Lucanis A LOT. So there will almost certainly be more banters between them. I'm still grasping Lucanis and am rusty with Zevran, so consider this a trial run as I feel out their hypothetical dynamic. Enjoy!

___

Lucanis: The worst crow in history standing at my side. 

Zevran: So it seems. 

Lucanis: I should kill you.

Zevran: Yes, you very much should. 

Lucanis: The crows' reputation never truly healed from your humiliation in Ferelden. 

Zevran: Humiliating for you, perhaps. That story ends very well for me. 

Lucanis: Are you really going to argue perspective while I debate your life? 

Zevran: Seeing as you haven’t killed me yet, why not? 

___

Zevran: So, how much did you cost? 

Lucanis: Three-hundred sovereigns. Starting rate. 

Zevran: My that is impressive. I was a mere seven. 

Lucanis: Your talon agreed to contracts worth only seven sovereigns!?

Zevran: Oh, it is contracts we are discussing. 

Lucanis: What else could we be discussing? 

Zevran: How much we were purchased for of course. 

Lucanis: You were… purchased?

Zevran: From a pen of brothel bastards. Where did the crows buy you?

Lucanis: House Dellamorte does not purchase our fledglings. You are born. Or you are chosen. I was born. 

Zevran: Ah. This explains so much. 

—-

Lucanis: I was not aware any crow houses still purchased recruits. 

Zevran: But, of course, it is the simplest way to find them, no?

Lucanis: No. The simplest is to scrape the gutters of Treviso. Plenty of far more willing recruits to find there. Free of charge. 

Zevran: So purchasing children is beneath you, but feeding off the desperate is not? 

Lucanis: With how many fledglings already never reach the rafters, I’d rather not waste the gold. 

—-

Zevran: What did the training of the first talon entail, Lucanis? 

Lucanis: Torture. 

Zevran: Yes, obviously, but what kind of torture did Caterina favor? 

Lucanis: Beatings. Starvations. Often combinations of both. 

Zevran: You are not good at being specific, you know that? 

Lucanis: Once, I’d been challenged to starve in a windowless stone cell for an entire moon. At the end of the third week, the servant tasked to bring me only water and a new chamber pot left the door unlocked. 

Lucanis, cont: I waited, but no one returned. I dared to venture out to where Caterina stood on the other side. She scolded me for falling into such an obvious trap and used her cane to break every bone in my arm. 

Zevran: Ah, there is the difference. My talon would have taken the whole arm. And never provided a chamber pot.

Lucanis: Fewer hands hold fewer knives. Making for a more poor assassin. 

Zevran: Another difference. It seems your grandmother lacked not only discipline but creativity. 

___

Zevran: Why did your cousin not simply kill Caterina? 

Lucanis: She is family. 

Zevran: So? 

Lucanis: The world is made only of enemies and contracts, family is all that matters. Caterina taught us that. He could not even use his own hands to kill me. He could never harm her.  

Zevran: If he cannot put aside such feelings for a contract, he is a terrible crow. 

Lucanis: Yes, he is. 

—-

Zevran: It surprises me, Lucanis, that I have never heard tales regarding the Demon of Vyrantium’s skills in the art of seduction. 

Lucanis: I do not practice that... art.

Zevran: What!? Is it not one of the greatest skills of a crow!?

Lucanis: I was taught the heart was a target. Not a toy. 

Zevran: There are many ways to strike at a target, you know.

Lucanis: But not all of them so needlessly cruel. 

Zevran: Cruel? If you know someone is on the last night of their life, you might as well help them enjoy it, no?

—-

Zevran: What is the longest you can last with your head held beneath water, Lucanis? 

Lucanis: Eight minutes if I can manage a gasp first. Six if I cannot. 

Zevran: Ah-ha! I can manage nine minutes with a breath, and seven without. 

Lucanis: With how much you like to talk. I do not believe that for a second.

Zevran: Fine. Meet me in the baths tonight, and I’ll prove it. 

Lucanis: And I’ll prove you wrong. 

Zevran: I knew you could be fun. 

—-

Zevran: So, if you have any questions regarding the techniques I showed you- 

Lucanis: Don’t. 

Zevran: -Or require another demonstration. I am happy to oblige. 

Lucanis: Stop. 

Zevran: That is not a no I hear. I’ll be waiting. Patiently.