#azani

So lovely.

One of the first people Ebenholtz makes friends with in Kayalana - where she’s been taken to recuperate after the illness and assault that nearly took her life - is Nera, Akari’s mother.

Few people could be more different than the humble widow net-weaver from a small fishing village to the north, and the elegant but venomous courtesan lady of Machra-la. But they are both feeling out of place in the royal palace where they’ve come to live, and cautiously interested in the other woman sharing their private wing of the castle.

Ebenholtz has been shaken enough by life’s cruelties lately to be grateful for genuine friendliness and is not beyond playing nice when so called for. And she is enthralled by Nera’s lovely cherry-red hair - “I could have killed for hair like yours,” she says, and probably means it quite literally. The mousy fisherwoman is hardly used to such compliments and is utterly flustered, but also almost girlishly giddy at the unusual attention.

One too timid, one too vicious, neither has had any real, close female friends for a very long time... and for all their differences, it’s surprisingly nice.

A very quick and doodly sketch, but some Pangaea is better than no Pangaea?

Naturally best way to try and find one’s way back to a storyverse is to focus on the delicious suffering of characters, and victim of choice atm seems to be Rannon? He really shouldn’t have stubbornly attended that Council meeting so shortly after the whole public flogging thing...

Cue a deeply comatose week of needed healing.

Petty Akari, very nice! I can really see how this is giving Rannon all sorts of conflicting problems and feelings that he could really do without.

Ha! Yes! Even the sun has its spots, and Akari really, really doesn’t like Maqaxha/Kitsune. I’m sure he keeps his assaults quite low-key and out of sight of the higher-ups, though, no need to give poor Rannon a headache about it. (Rannon is, indeed, already conflicted enough about Maqaxha’s presence at court as it is.) And for all that Maqaxha every now and then gathers backbone enough to state that he is Saya-rehu Isokell’s First Servant, and in her name he deserves to be treated with respect, he doesn’t want to tattle and escalate things either.

So it’s mostly just the occasional scuffle and sulky snarl. Most of the time they take their respective duties seriously enough to behave. ;)

I’m having a shit day, so let’s return to some shit days for characters to feel better. -_-

It’s easy to be regal when in full royal garb, but few people manage once the crown is off and you’re down to skin. Rannon does, though. Not a moment of weakness or hesitation, that would mean letting the bastards win and we won’t have that.

Jarezin would no doubt notice the same quickened pulse Azani did, though, adding it to the mental chart of Rannon-puzzle pieces, for future reference.

He’s a funny one, Jarezin, possibly the one person in Kayalana who could out-ice-stratege Rannon. Of course he considers them enemies, but in his case it’s more a professional occupation than any personal hatred. And while his default expression is one of blank severity, there’s always just a hint that he’s vaguely amused by something only he knows. Which, well, being the top spymaster could very well be true. It’s unnerving either way.

But insofar as he ever really feels anything, he is quite impressed with Rannon’s ruthless dignity in the face of pain and humiliation. And the fact that the former tyrant damn well shows up to the next council meeting less than a week later, albeit still obviously a bit of a wreck - there’s work to be done, no time for rest. And proceeds to draft a plan for the upcoming battle with the warlord in the mountains that not only contains ruthless squashing but greatly investing in and improving the quality of life for the people in the war-torn region. As a strategy to win back their loyalty to the crown, sure, but even so.

Not enough to drop the antagonism, of course, but a microscopic sliver of respect between enemies never hurt anyone, right?

She is! Edra is a powerhouse, whose strong hands could just as easily smash a man’s head in as gently tend to a wound. (Being a trained Mishra healer has its advantages as a mercenary - you know exactly where to land your blows.)

And she would no doubt already be carrying him if he hadn’t between clenched teeth expressly ordered her not to - there’s a vast amount of palace halls and a lot of people between the council chamber and his quarters, and he will damn well not be seen carried like a child throughout it. (At least not until one step inside the doors to his own wing of the palace, upon which walking will simply cease being an option…)

I am sorry but Rannon has the expression of a regal cat RUFFLED into disarray by some kid with a death wish XDDD Who did that? Did he do it himself or did Akari? That would be such an adorable scene XDDD

Haha, he does! XD

Thank you! I had fun drawing Azani’s face - she’s got as pretty face, but the whole idea was to contort that prettiness into sheer furious rage. :D Definitely screaming bloody murder at the crowd of vultures. ♥

I wasn’t going so much for conscious as “muscles locked up in pain despite being comatose”, but sure, I can roll with “exhausted but rigid in pain”. I’m flexible in my character suffering. XD