How Could It Be Anyone But You?

Don't mind me just screaming into the void because I cannot for the life of me nail down this chapter.

Seconded and adding the image of Laurent, frustrated with the eye-strain, dropping his book of choice into Damen's lap one evening with an "Attend me."

Damen indulges him by reading aloud but when he suspects Laurent has drifted off or isn't paying attention anymore he makes increasingly unlikely additions to the text. If Laurent notices and wants to varify Damen's claims he should really try the lovely magnifier his husband got him for his birthday...

i think often about damen and laurent growing old together—imagine this; laurent’s trying to read his novels in the palace library but finds himself struggling due to his waning eyesight. Damen teases him that he should start using a magnifying glass and tells him about an exciting new development where you can physically place them on your face (the modern equivalent of eyeglasses) Of course Laurent is just as stubborn as Damen and loathes the idea…

😭🤣🤣🤣 I love the fact that it’s canon that Laurent loves reading

So silly but I went to Eras and now this is happening. Are my other Capri X Swifties out there? 😅

Just some lovers being soft one evening. 🖤

(We're not learning how to background today so let's call this one done.)

BG3 has me in a chokehold so hear me out on a concept: The Regent as a warlock patron posing as Laurent's Uncle in public. Laurent wanted to be a wizard when he grew up but Auguste was gone and he needed help fast. Now the only way out of his pact is with the help of Damianos Prince-Killer.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Laurent was picking out his chiton because I need to know if somebody brought that to him as a sincere option or if he had to request it.

Like one minute this poor Akielon attendant or what have you thinks he's going to get eviscerated for suggesting this tightly laced Prince show some ankle and the next Laurent is like "And how much thigh can I justifiably have out?"

Not to do the cringe *characters talking in the authors notes* thing but spellcheck just tried to change 'between Damen's legs' to 'between women's legs' in the chapter I'm writing and I felt Laurent's full-offence-taken in my very soul.

Yes and it's so well-managed in relation to Damen’s bisexuality too because (at least as far as I remember) he doesn't allude to Laurent being feminine. He's so clearly attracted to him as a man we're never getting the impression that he views him in some kind of best-of-both sense and that's so refreshing.

I also like to think about how Laurent passably playing Jokaste has implications for how strong the feminine beauty ideal looks in Akielos, which is also a wonderful thing.

i'll forever love that c s pacat is bold enough to make laurent being androgynous effeminate canonical so much so that he's able to pass as jokaste with flying colors and even gets complimented on 'her' beauty. it's so rare to find a character like him. beautiful things happen when genderqueer writers play with gender expression in their books thank you pacat!!

Okay hear me out: Laurent and Nicaise cosplaying Howl and Markl (flawlessly). Damen is a pannelist for some show he works on and he doesn't get a lot of this geek culture stuff but damn that guy over there was hot. Hello hot costumed stranger. I'll totally watch Ghibli if it'll get you back to my hotel room.

I can't tell if it's funnier if Laurent is a fan of Damen's work and has to play it cool, or if he thinks his show is straight up trash and Damen has to work for it. Nicaise is not ambiguous he definitely thinks it's trash.

Just a lil wip of some Kings in love.