no thank u

Vs Lestat when a random girl says Armand is more interesting than him:

https://wheelofnames.com/dng-wgq

i’m coming, wait for me

be a lurker. just read things and think about them without feeling the need to weigh in or call out or disseminate everything you encounter. it's so nice and so freeing and it's a good way to learn things.

Every day, you heal a little bit more. Then one morning, you wake up and losing her isn't the first thing you think about.

not that essek is particularly masculine on the face of it lol but I do think it's interesting he's one of the only drow we meet who has very short hair. which might just be because elves and long hair traditionally go hand in hand in fantasy, but it could also be an example of kryn fashion leaning feminine by default, especially the kind of formal fashion worn by people in politics who want to be taken seriously. and we know that essek is the rebellious progressive youngster of the court, so it makes sense that the non-conformative hairstyle is a subtle little rebellion against social norms

we kind of take for granted that essek dresses and presents himself the way he does - the mantle that broadens his shoulders, the cloak that makes him look big and boxy, floating to make himself taller - to look intimidating and powerful, but we're coming at that from a pov where masculine = powerful. in a world where femininity is the default and superior gender - where the queen and most of her high-ranking officials are and always have been women - why would that be the case?

anyway this is all to say that essek coming to court for the first time with his short hair and shoulder pads and plain black oversized cloak looked like this to the other drow: