SaDiablo Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer, Saturday Evening (Fandom Time)

[glacial_queen]

The first week Karla, Warren, and Raven had been back, they had been granted a leave on lessons. After all, Warren and Raven had just graduated from high school and that was an accomplishment of some note. Even Lucivar had announced his morning exercises for the week were voluntary only, making the three of them (okay, Raven and Warren) immediately popular among the coven and boyos.

Granted, calling the lessons "voluntary" was kind of a joke, because Lucivar was a prick, but it was the thought that counted.

The following week, however, it was business as usual, or, rather lessons as usual. Though Karla was the youngest at eighteen, Saetan had a firm rule that while Jaenelle's friends stayed at the Hall, they took lessons. The coven and boyos privately agreed that it was a last-ditch attempt to keep them out of mischief while they stayed, but since they'd all run off the most obnoxious of tutors years ago, the lessons that remained were no hardship.

And some, like Protocol, were necessary. Especially when dealing with the kind of Protocol only found in Courts. Some Protocol lessons were taken together, polishing the give and take between the sexes in a Court. Others, like this one, were separate, with the boyos sitting down and learning about what it was like to act as Consorts to Queens. Granted, Saetan hadn't been a Consort in over fifty thousand years, but that didn't matter. Saetan was the foremost expert on Protocol, then and now.

Comments

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

"The Dea al Mon go for brighter colors," Chaosti said, sounding a little smug. "But then, any makeup we apply is meant to enhance the actual painting we do."

Pulling his mirror over, he began to outline thumbnail-sized bright gold oak leaves from under his eyes, following the contours of his cheeks. "Silver would be better for my coloring," he added. "And bright green to fill it in. And I'd follow it up with purples around my eyes and lips."

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

Khary was reaching for the powder and the gold dust that Saetan had mentioned earlier. "We go for more subtle," he said. "For one thing, anything likely to streak or run after a brisk ride on horseback or a lively dance would just end up looking stupid. But high cheekbones are considered a sign of attractiveness, so anything that can highlight those are an asset. Morghann adds a hint of rouge just below her cheeks, in the shadows, to kind of make hers stand out more--" not that she needed it, in his not-so-humble opinion "--but I have no idea how she makes it would without looking like a clown."

[wwiii]

Aaron's talk of the patterns reminded Warren vaguely of the henna art that women- still women- wore in India. It was intriguing as well, in its own way. And, really, probably the only body art that he'd be able to keep for any amount of time without resorting to a Sharpie. But he had a task at hand already, and it was probably best to let Saetan call the shots, at least this time.

Warren only let himself balk for a moment before scooting his chair closer to Saetan's, leaning forward to grant the High Lord a better view of his face. If everyone else in the room was doing this, it wasn't like he even really had any reason to be embarrassed about it, but he just couldn't shake that touch of self-consciousness that he used to get before, just because people were looking his way.

"Sorry," he said, low enough to keep the apology between just the both of them. "I'm trying not to be awkward about this."

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"It will get easier with practice," Saetan assured him, also speaking quietly. The other lads could continue to chatter between themselves for awhile, laughing and teasing one another as they experimented with colors.

Saetan made a mental note to have some of the merchants in town send him more face paint. All of his was tinted for Hayllian males: brown-skinned, dark-haired, and golden-eyed. The boyos were from short-lived races and were correspondingly paler.

"Hmmm," he said, coming to the same realization about subtle that Warren had before. "We're going to have to go dramatic with you. But not much. Just around the eyes. Anything else will be too much, unless we go with the slightest hint of color on your lips." He leaned forward, pot of kohl and brush at hand. "May I?"

[wwiii]

"Might as well," Warren replied, quirking that almost uncertain, sideways-awkward smile of his. "I'm not skittish with things around my face or anything."

Because why should he be? Saetan could stab him in the eye with that brush and he'd shrug it off within moments.

"I'm kind of getting more experienced at dealing with 'dramatic,' too."

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"Oh?" Saetan asked, cupping Warren's chin and pulling his face gently closer. "The male I first met would have preferred almost anything, I think, that being 'dramatic.' Close your eyes please."

[wwiii]

Warren obediently shut his eyes, though he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose a little at that statement, either.

"All I ever knew how to do was hide, when we first met," he murmured. "And then a few months ago I surprised the hell out of myself by spreading my wings on-- well-- I just... I made certain my entire world saw what I was with their own eyes. I hardly recognize that other guy myself, these days."

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

The brush flickered over his eyes, tiny little bristles tickling as they passed, spreading color as they went.

"You are growing up," Saetan said softly. "You are getting a better idea of who you want to be and how to get there. You're also getting a much better idea of what you're willing to compromise on and what you aren't." Warren couldn't see Saetan's grin but her could probably hear it. "Like face-paint, for example."

[wwiii]

Warren was answering that grin with a wry little smile of his own.

"I can't help it, I feel kind of silly right now," he admitted, wanting so much to blink, even though his eyes were already shut. "But I'll try this sort of thing once, sure. If it's for Karla, and it isn't like it's doing any harm..."

Besides, he'd dyed his wings rainbow-colored once. At least makeup washed off when you decided you looked ridiculous.

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"If it makes you feel better, this isn't an every day thing," Saetan told him with a warm chuckle. Then he raised his voice to include all of the boyos.

"Again, reserving this look for special occasions will keep it intriguing and potentially arousing." Saetan continued to apply makeup to Warren's face, keeping up his explanations as he did. "It doesn't need to be limited to fancy parties or anything, simply consider the effect you want to achieve for the evening and whether the face paint will help you in that endeavor. It's also a good idea to keep an eye on other males who are wearing makeup, especially in the early days of the Court. You will be challenged for your position as Consort many times, males bucking for the prestige of being a Consort. Even after your relationship is established, you'll still have to keep an eye out for males interested in taking your position, but that's a discussion for another time."

He leaned back and surveyed his work. "Hmmm," he said. "You know, I quite like that. Hold on a moment, though. It needs something more."

A few seconds later, Saetan had another small box, filled with various kinds of rings. "Put these on your fingers," he suggested. "Then look in the mirror."

[wwiii]

"Uh... thanks," Warren murmured, opening his eyes and peering down at the box. Now he was getting all blinged up to go with the... the pretty princess face? Still and all, he did as he was told, since Saetan obviously had way more experience than he did with this sort of thing.

So... rings, which looked pretty hardcore on his black-clawed fingers, and then he was leaning over to look at himself in the mirror.

...

"Whoa."

He kind of looked like he was about to curbstomp somebody at a Marilyn Manson concert.

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

The boyos would have no idea what he meant if he said that aloud. But that was okay, they were all clustered around him anyway, complimenting Saetan's handiwork.

"Looks good on you, Warren," Khary said with a grin. "And see? You doubted."

[wwiii]

"It looks good because Saetan did it for me," Warren decided, smirking a little as he glanced back at the boyos. Not that he could take his gaze off of his own reflection in the mirror for long.

This was too weird, okay?

"If I was the one doing it, I'd either look like a raccoon or a mime right now."

Or a football player, but he was pretty sure the boyos wouldn't understand that one.

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"Well, lucky enough for all of you, you get to continue practicing long after the evening is finished," Saetan said, basking just a little in their praise. He moved among Khary and the others, offering suggestions, fixing details, making tiny improvements as he went. "Remember these exact designs, lads, because by this time next week, you're going to be capable of painting your faces to look just like this. Perfectly. And by yourself. I'll be available for assistance and to loan you face paint, but by next week, you'll be able to do it all yourself."

That...wasn't up for negotiation.

[wwiii]

Warren managed by some miracle to keep his wings from drooping. A week? A week to master guyliner?

With claws?

"... I get the feeling you're going to be seeing a lot of me this week."

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"It's fortunate that I don't sleep often, isn't it?" Saetan asked with a small smile. "My door is always open to you, if you wish."

The smile grew broader when he added, "Now then. Shall we put this lesson to the test?"

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

"...The test?" Aaron asked, distractedly. He'd been playing around with his paint and had only been half-listening.

[wwiii]

"The practical, I bet," Warren offered, glancing over at Aaron with a bit of a wry look on his face. Yep. Yep, he was totally going to have to go out in public looking like this.

What was this world he didn't even...

"Unless you figure Saetan's got us painting ourselves up so that we can compliment one another on our pretty eyes all evening."

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

"I'l like to point out that my eyes are pretty," Chaosti said with a brief flash of his understated humor. "I'll understand if you lot are feeling a bit inferior."

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

Khary mimed a punch at Chaosti, who simply batted his darkened lashes at the Warlord. "And on that note, off to see what the ladies are up to," he announced to the room in general. "Because I'd rather play cradle that feed this one's ego any further."

[theboyos.livejournal.com]

"Agreed," Aaron said quietly. "Besides, we all know that I'm the pretty one."

[wwiii]

"Now now, boys. You're all pretty."

Pretty pretty princesses, the lot of them.

"Let's go see if our ladies agree, hm?"

Or if Karla was just going to laugh at the raccoon-eyes look that he had going on, there.