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My Little Bony Lineup

there they all are lined up lol

Nights meant to be taller lol, but yeaugh

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nicaise, thinking that he'll throw erasmus in ancel's performance during patrans visit and it will ruin the deal: and that's when it hit me. the best idea i've ever had in my entire life

laurent, literally just predicting his every action: that's the worst idea you ever had in your entire life

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A little while ago, I posted a question about puzzling lines in Captive Prince here.

Specifically this line where Nicaise reacts in horror to the idea that Laurent might tell the Regent that he wants him:

This has clearly been humming away in my subconscious for a while as I woke up this morning with a feeling of clarity.

Pacat nearly always layers her meanings and purposes, especially when it comes to Laurent. There’s always more than one thing going on.

Laurent knew that what would wreck Nicaise is: 1) that if the Regent knew Laurent wanted Nicaise, he would never let him go or allow Laurent to have him. He’d keep him as a pet in name only, out of spite, and have no interest in him, leaving Nicaise abandoned and hurt and alone, but trapped with no escape, no alternative path where he could heal and grow. And 2) it would wreck Nicaise to have to actually choose between the Regent and Laurent…

My take on it is: Laurent likes Nicaise. He’s probably watched him grow over the last three years and seen him go from young and innocent, to being fundamentally changed by abuse. Not irrevocably at this point though. Laurent gives Nicaise hope that there is a life for him after the Regent abandons him, and underneath that poor, bitchy, twisted, manipulative surface, Nicaise actually likes Laurent, maybe even loves him. Enough to be startled and put out by Damen having seen Laurent naked (not because I think he is jealous or finds Laurent attractive in that sense but because he secretly wants a closeness and intimacy with Laurent and doesn’t really know how that works with older males unless it’s sexual). Enough to steal the letter, and to risk his life defending Laurent.

Laurent has an unsettling ability to penetrate most people’s psychology; when he says he left it “half-done” with Nicaise, he knows he was halfway there to winning Nicaise completely to his side, while the other half still clung desperately to the Regent. Nicaise is no foolish Aimeric, trauma leading to him holding on to the delusion of love, but he is young and frightened and unsure of what the future will hold for him. Laurent offered hope, and understanding. The two had so many similarities in how they learned to cope with abuse of this kind. I think, especially through Laurent making it clear that he wouldn’t want him in his bed, Nicaise was slowly but surely beginning to see Laurent as an older brother figure, someone who cared for him and saw him as more that just his pretty face.

The Regent used Nicaise in a casual manner; as messenger and errand boy as well as pet, but we never see Nicaise deployed fully against Laurent by the Regent against his will. The trick with the slaves came from Nicaise and his need for oneupmanship with Laurent (as part of the games they played with one another which actually are also the way the two of them express intimacy), not wholly from the Regent per se.

If Nicaise truly had to choose the Regent over Laurent, that would be one thing that could wreck him. To choose between the only person who has shown him ‘love’ but ruined him vs the person he’s afraid to love but offers him hope. I think Laurent thinks Nicaise would turn away from him if so, and that would wreck the boy as he would be forced to burn to ashes the one relationship which gave him value outside of sex, irrevocably damaging him.

And as for what would happen if the Regent retained Nicaise as a pet but ignored him otherwise? This would also wreck him entirely, a) because he still thinks the Regent cares for him on some level and as Laurent well knows, abandonment by the Regent hurts, and he would have no chance to move on properly, stuck in a non-relationship with him (like…Laurent himsef) and b) his entire purpose and value being based around sexual worth as a pet, and then having that taken away. One of the worst, most horrifying things about Captive Prince for me, is how Audin is mistaken by Damen as a relative of Nicaise and then casually offers him up to Damen as a sexual reward. How many others do that? Pimp Nicaise out, even though he’s the Regent’s favoured pet? What would happen to him if he then fell from favour- how would he be used and abused? Especially as sharp-tongued bitchy Nicaise is protected by association, and that would go. What would happen to his psyche then? And layered on top of that is the fact that Laurent always hoped he could help Nicaise be better. After Nicaise’s death, this conversation between Laurent and Damen makes that clear:

Laurent wanted to help Nicaise to heal and to show him he has value outside of his looks. Laurent always had the memory of Auguste to help him and understood that having one person’s love (even after death), one figure like an older brother, can be enough to save you from becoming the worst person you’re capable of being. With Laurent’s influence gone from Nicaise’s life, trapped by the Regent’s side, I think he would have been wrecked and Laurent can see that clearly.

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I got to wear nice earrings today!

Of course, there was no other option than blue 💙

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"in the end the only person on his side was him"

three years ago i read the first book and then spoiled myself what happens to Nicaise, i never read the other two, but he is forever in my heart

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ERASMUS: ‘‘I told you that I would repay you. You did so much to help me in the palace. And... And I didn’t like the Regent. He burnt my leg.’’ ANCEL: ‘‘A whore. So what if I am? I’m not ashamed of it. I’m good at it. I can make men want me.’’ NICAISE: ‘‘I don’t care. I just wanted to… I don’t care. I’m going back to bed. Don’t tell him I came.’’

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— whether his beauty would survive adolescence, no one would ever know, for nicaise would never see fifteen now.

📷 : the gorgeous @leyenfilm ( i can't thank u enough )

🪽 : costume / cosplayer ( myself ) @anharion

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» Nicaise is dangerous. «

( with charlie as nicaise )

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in terms of loving patience damen is to laurent what laurent is to nicaise. bringing that whole “i know what you're trying to do and i know it's because you're afraid and hurt. i will now answer your certified asshole comment with kindness, gentleness and compassion because i love you” vibe to the party

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So she chose violence today ….

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captive prince as ao3 tags

Damen:

Laurent:

Nikandros:

Ancel gossiping:

Lazar:

Nicaise:

Aimeric and Jord:

Erasmus:

Like everyone’s dad in the whole series:

pacat:

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my roman empire in captive prince trilogy is "Whether his beauty would survive adolescence no one would ever know, for Nicaise would not see fifteen now."

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It was the earring. Laurent was always so austere. The earring reframed him. It gave the appearance of sensual side, sophisticated and subtle.

But that side didn't exist.

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I miss them so much!! I love the little menace and Laurent interaction BAHHAH

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Commission for Atlas📚

I loved doing every detail of this commission! When Atlas came to me asking for this, I was delighted! Thank you once again💞⚔️👑