ITS HERE AKJDKAKDKSKD YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IâVE BEEN WAITING FOR
as you can see it does have what appears to be a razor cut of some sorts, and both covers and spine came severely damaged and scratched so i will be returning it for a new one which sad because i was really looking forward to it but thatâs alright, it happens,
anyhow AKHDKAKDK ITS FINALLY IN MY HANDS. i havenât been able to read it cause of daily pass from webtoon which i absolutely hate cause i love to binge read, so more content maybe? but who knows cause iâve said that like five times already and iâm still not fully back but anyways, yall, get yours too if you have not already itâs amazing.
I usually buy long-sleeved shirts to wear under my t-shirts, so I only paint the sleeves. Manhwa Noblesse is my favorite obsession âĽ
It took me several weeks to complete this work, it was not easy to choose only a few of my favorite panels
Edit: THE SONG IS EXPLICIT PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND BEFORE LISTENING, SORRY CHAT
I saw two people enjoy my M-21 art and comic concept and immediately got so happy that I started a Frankenstein wip for them both in response. Also put the song I've had on loop that inspired this >:] .
I'm sane I promise đđ
Ref pic under cut!!!
Rubs my hands together like an evil fly
(I had to stop bc it was half 7 in the morning and sleep deprivation was giving me a migraine đđ)
Okay, this idea has been on my mind for days and it won't let me sleep peacefully if I don't get it out of my mind.
We all know Raizel's brother, right? Well, from what little we've seen of him, we can gather that he possessed the same or nearly the same powers as Raizel. The Blood Wings are one example of this.
And if Raizel's soul weapon is his blood, then it's also his brother's. And what happens when the wielder of a soul weapon enters eternal sleep? Their soul then resides within the soul weapon, and that weapon passes to their heir or their closest living relative.
Where am I going with this? Well, what if Raizel's brother's soul had actually been with him all this time? But for obvious reasons, only Raizel can hear and communicate with him. I don't know if you understand my point, hahaha.
My idea for a zombie noblesse. Ish. Is he even noblesse? Who knows. AU potential in the future maybe.
Depicted in my drawing is Raizel whose tears of blood flood, corrupt, and mutate everything they touch. Nothing can be reversed until he finds and fills the hole in his chest with his currently missing heart which was forcibly torn out of him by an ungrateful mob, presumably because he was exhausted, fell into a slumber, and, in their eyes, didnât fulfill his duty thus deserved a punishment befitting a divine being who âneglectedâ his duty.
Raizel wakes up from his slumber to discover that his heart had been stolen from him. He continues to help humans as he searches for his heart, but to no avail. As time goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to conceal his decomposing skin and flesh. At first, wrapping himself in more layers does the job, but then the stench comes through and penetrates even the thickest of garments. Soon enough his help is no longer needed and even unwelcome as the humans who once cried, begged, and even started wars in attempt to monopolize his existence now drive him away in fear, shouting curses at him until he vanishes into the horizon, only to then murmur wishes of misfortune to befall their enemies by hoping âthat monsterâ would wander into their territory and spread his terrible curse there.
Even the few kindhearted fellows who join in on Raizelâs journey with vows to stay with him until they manage to retrieve his heart together as a team end up leaving him, often in silence or with a tearful apology. Some even blame themselves for not having the willpower to honor their promise, and they hate themselves even more because Raizel never harbors any resentment towards them.
Raizel understands. But⌠it hurts. His chest aches. His soul is lonely. It hurts, and it hurts so much. His tears will never stop falling until he is reunited with his heart. He shall cry, and cry, and cry. But he must carry on and muster all his strength to drag around that heavy, corpse-like body of his. And whatâs weighing him down the most? Those muddled, colorless wings on his back that cling onto him like a disease. They once reflected iridescent colors of rainbows. They lifted him up and carried him across the sky. And now it is his turn to carry them. Yet he grows more weary by the day with his already sluggish footsteps slowing down even more. His stiffening limbs refuse to cooperate as if theyâre relentlessly mocking him for his pointless struggles. But he must keep walking. He must walk, and walk, and walk. Until the day he inevitably collapses one last time. And then he will die.
Raizelâs heart needs to be returned to him for his existence to become whole again. Only then will he fully regain life and be able to undo the âcurseâ heâs been involuntarily spreading. Ironically, the humans insist on attributing this phenomenon to other bizarre causes because they refuse to admit their grave mistake of stealing from him in the first place. Clock is ticking for Raizel, the humans, and the planet which is on its way to become a polluted wasteland of nothingness. One could say that the humans deserve what happens to them as the direct result of their greed, that humans will never change, that theyâre bound to perish completely sooner or later. But some humans are also innocent. And Raizel is willing to forgive them regardless. He already forgave them, because he never condemned them in the first place. Guilty or not, they must find his heart, and do it quickly.
Where is Raizelâs heart now? Resting on a velvet cushion inside a bejeweled treasure chest thatâs passed down from generation to generation as some familyâs most prized heirloom, or locked away and buried in the deepest lair of a dungeon for it is the origin of the planetâs perpetual plague? Or is it drifting endlessly in the ocean, in the farthest place beyond mankindâs imagination? Where will Raizel go now? Who will help him?
Itâs all a mystery.
Depending on my mood I might expand upon this idea so fingers crossed. But for now Iâd like to think that Raizel isnât the only ânoblesseâ that exists on the planet just that the others all avoid him out of necessity because theyâre the most susceptible to corruption/mutation if exposed to him though a zombie ânoblesseâ with or without a heart are still very different on a fundamental level. Those that have undergone mutation but still have their hearts intact wonât get to his level but would still resemble something like a zombie. They do infect other living beings albeit at a slower/less successful rate, but they wonât experience a âtrue deathâ like the one Raizel is heading towards. A different way for Raizel to become whole again is for another noblesse to tear out their own heart and give it to him but that is useless in the big picture because theyâll then become a heartless zombie noblesse and cause the others to mutate anyway. So in this general sense a zombie apocalypse is only triggered under the condition that a noblesse is harmed and their heart is taken from them. Maybe this disaster was even prophesied long, long ago, in a warning from humans from the ancient times, though gradually forgotten with the passage of time. Iâd also like to think that the noblesse are simultaneously prisoners and wardens. To be precise, they are prisoners from the heavens sent to the lower realm until they effectively serve their time on Earth as the wardens of mankind. The only physical feature of heavenly beings theyâre allowed to keep are their wings though they do retain a small portion of their divine powers. As for what Raizel had done to be where he is now⌠well. Thatâs for another day ha.
From âA pair of strangers trudging in the snowâ by an earl. The passage being referenced is in chapter twelve
I canât read the next three chapters due to how busy I am and it is killing me.. very excited to read to say the least !! its eating me alive(â§ââŚ) heh anyways the animation is still a wip i think like 50 more key frames, 4 sections, but I realized its almost been a year since ive started drawing this soâŚ. hopefully ill finish this soon âŞ( ´â˝ď˝) Ive been wanting to yap abt certain frames so,,
Originally the plan was to start when Raizel says âDo you think,â But the two lines before hand made him more intimidating, and Raiâs contemplation of his past, and how itâs currently affecting Frankenstein can be felt, so I drew them in. Rather than it being drawn in Raiâs pov itâs drawn from the âcommonâ nobles who wouldâve heard of the Noblesse, as I felt that Raiâs recollection felt to be in a more third person pov rather than Rai breaking down how he felt.
The red representing his power among other things.
Through the next couple lines Rai clearly feels guilt at what he believes is his fault hes so serious (ď˝°ď˝°;) âFor murder so minuscule?â Rai imo feels like hes the worse of the two and that Frankens spiral is partly/entiriely his fault & the animosity directed to Frankenstein from the nobles. Thiss is what I think his main reason for trying to sever franken is.
âhe comes forth, closing the space entirelyâ - Was incredibly nervous for frankenstein here cant wait to draw the scene out o(^â˝^)o
This is meant to be be garth., He was great icon love him, hes grown on me. His death was brutal, very cool. This is between âfor murder so minisculeâ because.. well Frankenstein kills prasis later. These frames still needs some lettering added to it (like the first couple frames) before theyre finished,, Theyâre red + sketchy because of the intensity,, and theres so much blue already,, Rerendered one of the frames because seriously frankenstein looks good with warm lighting
The line âloatheâ goes to chapter 8
Back in the cave! One of the most atmospheric chapters it was great with frankenstein wanting to prove himself worthy of Raizel, and then chasing that lady (i cannot remember her nameđ) Rai getting lost peak i fear. The rest of this bit (Frankenstein asking about heath) shows up near the end of the animation but hasnt been drawn past a sketch,, along w chapter four which
what a wet kicked puppy..
His feelings hopefully will be conveyed through his expressions & colour. He wouldnât be as expressive because heâs trying hard to hide whatever it is that hes feeling,, but Itâs rai pov & rais seeing past his facade regardless of how hard franken tries to hide..
Chapter four was such a treat to read! Rai worrying frankenstein would leave him, run. That rai would never be able to find frankenstein ever again. Rais guilt at having indirectly injured frankenstein (Maybe he felt worse because that only happened because rai didnât trust in him in that moment, which lead him to opening the bond to find franken..) Frankenstein swallowing his pride.. and him saying , "âŚYou knew I was coming back, before, right?"
They are misunderstanding galore and itâs so entertaining to watch
Onto an unrelated note, the foreshadowing is really good, every reread I find something else that def tied into another thing chapters later its amazing o(â§â˝âŚ)o
This is my OC, Raegyn Kertia! He is Regis and Raelâs son, and the latterâs heir.
I havenât gone in depth with his backstory yet, so I figured I could do that lol. Heâs one of my 15 âmainâ characters of my Millennium AU and his full bio is up in my pinned post.
Iâll be mentioning some other names in here too so to quickly recap, Raegyn is the older one of the two Regis/Rael kids and his full-sibling and younger sister is Arya K. Landegre. (Raegyn has three half-siblings, with his elder half-brother Kaelestis Blerster on Raelâs side, and younger half-brother Garyth J. Loyard and younger half-sister Alethea J. Loyard on Regisâ side.) Raegyn has a pretty good relationship with his loving family, buuut it wasnât always like that, which is the fun part Iâm getting to later. Woo!
Raegyn is a really interesting one and I had so much fun making his design and I canât wait to dive into his story in detail. Letâs get started yaaa! My beloved Rayâs (almost) full backstory.
So we already know that Raegyn is the smartest and most popular of his generation. The star of the show, the center of attention, Lukedoniaâs local celebrity⌠the number one guy. Loved by all, respected by all. Everyone wants to be his friend, maybe even competing with each other for his attention. People constantly shower him with admiration. Itâs like heâs walking on the red carpet wherever he goes. People just canât get enough of him. Itâs always âhow is Raegyn?â, âwhat is Raegyn doing today?â, and âI need Raegynâs advice, where can I find him?â⌠etc. People are always saying his name, and frankly, he enjoys the attention he receives. Sometimes he thinks itâs funny how heâs not the Lord yet he arguably gets more enthusiasm from the general population than she does. Hah. Hilarious.
Raegynâs just so lucky, isnât he? Heâs got the brains, a radiating confidence, an irresistible charm, a loving family, and a literal empire of friends⌠if life is a giant lottery then he had already won it all. Life canât possibly get better than what it is now, can it? Well, for Raegyn, life is good indeed. Very good.
Everything he has ever wanted gets handed to him easily. If not, he just needs a minute to work it out in his head and say a little something to make the other person give in, and it works every single time even when his requests are obviously beyond reasonable. Basically, Raegyn knows how to use his thinking skills and his natural charm to his complete advantage. Thus life is easy for him.
But because everything comes so easily, life⌠is also boring. There was nothing to surprise him, to make him go âwell that was freshâ. Now what? Life is predictable and repetitive, at least from his experience, because he is so capable of fine tuning things and people to be the way he wants. And the thing is Raegyn does like to be in control of every precise detail in his life, so he would rather have life be a bit boring than to give up on steering everything in his direction. Sometime in his early childhood, he had a single taste of being in control, and he has been hooked ever since. To lose that control would be a big no-no for him. Frankly, without it, he probably has little idea of how to actually live life as it is, which is letting things naturally unfold without his intervention. Yeah. Heâd actually physically cringe if he had to stay idle.
This leads to my next point, which is Raegynâs childhood. Oh boy. How do I even begin. Raegyn is the first child between Regis and Rael, but heâs not Rael first child. Rael is the soul fragment donor of Kariasâ heir Kaelestis, who is Raegynâs elder half-brother. This means Kaelestis is technically Raelâs first child, though the latter is merely a donor in both title and practice. Despite that, Rael was very much involved in Kaelestisâ early childhood as an adult figure, a mentor etc. Kaelestis adored his donor âother parentâ, and Rael loved his sweet Blerster boy very much. Donor and son were close and made wonderful memories together, which led to Rael becoming very excited to have his own heir. Maybe even the exact reason why Raegyn was born not very long after Rael and Karias had Kaelestis. (Raegyn was born when Kaelestis was the equivalent of a 6-8 year old human) Rael was more than ecstatic to bond with his second son, his beloved heir, the light of his life. He loved his little boy with all his heart and he couldnât wait to experience the joy of parenting. He was certain that it was going to be great.
Eeeexcept it didnât go quite as Rael had expected. Uh oh. The fact that Raegyn didnât automatically love Rael wasnât even the worst part about it. Raegyn seemed to despise him. This hurt Rael very much, as he didnât understand why his heir didnât want anything to do with him. Raegyn resisted being communicated with telepathically, ignored words spoken at him, never responded to questions, looked away when being looked at, and squirmed with all his strength when any adult tried to hold him. At one point Rael gave up on trying to read Raegynâs mind because he would find some⌠not so nice things Raegyn had to say about him, and he didnât need to break his own heart any further. Rael didnât know what he had done wrong, if anything. He had already gained experience as a parent from his time with Kaelestis; he learned how to be around kids, what to do and what not to do, and in general just how to handle them. He just couldnât get his second son to like him. Something is wrong here. Kaelestis was fine with him, then why doesnât Raegyn like him? And it wasnât just Rael. Regis was also very puzzled by their sonâs behavior, as Raegyn seemed to actively resist him as well. Regis tried to comfort his husband by telling him to not take it personally, because Raegyn⌠well, he disliked everyone equally. Rael was not convinced at all. Rip. At least Regis tried.
And so this went on for a while, until by complete chance a very tired Regis chuckled something along the lines of âYou know what, child? Your behavior isnât helpful in the slightest, and your father and I are having a hard time. Here, why donât we make a deal so all of us get the most out of it while weâre still living in the same house?â Boom. That was it. The correct answer. To both his parentsâ surprise, Raegyn actually responded. He turned around, stared at his fathers in the eyes, and said âOnly if you have something good enough to offer. Just so you know, I wonât settle for less. Very well, Rael Kertia and Regis K. Landegre. Convince me.â Regis swore he heard Raelâs jaw drop to the floor, and he himself was speechless. So their son was capable of communicating with them after all, itâs just that he never did simply because he didnât want to. The two of them came to the conclusion that their son didnât like being treated like a child, and they were using the wrong approach the entire time. Regis and Rael thought they were doing the right thing, but they were quite mistaken, as their son needed to be treated as an adult, basically as their equal. None of that kiddie talk, mushy coddling, nonstop love smothering⌠nope. Interact with him like they would with any other adult? Yep, that got Raegyn talking and assured that they would get milder and even positive responses from him.
Thatâs when Regis and Rael realized that Raegyn was different, even if they canât put their finger on it. It was a mix of surprise and curiosity. As impressive as it was, they couldnât help but feel uncanny. Maybe they were even a bit reluctant to admit that they were uneasy, but Raegyn was their son after all, and they didnât want to overthink it. I mean, this kidâs first (spoken) words were him trying to bargain with his parents. Maybe their son was just being funny and pranking them all along. They laughed it off, no big deal, all while still keeping an eye out for their unusual kid. From then on theyâd modify their approach with their son and things changed for the better and Rael was finally able to bond with Raegyn, though not quite in the way he had expected. Anything is better than nothing, so Rael has no complaints. He might as well beg his son for attention if he really is that desperate.
What about from Raegynâs perspective? Well, unfortunately, Raegyn wasnât being funny nor was he pulling pranks on his parents. He was dead serious. He was no ordinary child, and he hated being treated as one. To Raegyn, his parents and the other adults treating him like a baby was a direct insult because he thought the adults were messing with him. Thatâs correct. Raegyn believed that the adults somehow conspired together and formed a sort of mutual agreement between them where they all treat him like he doesnât know any better because they think heâs too dumb or something. It wasnât until later, when Raegyn eventually realized that he himself was the outlier, the odd one out, not them. The adults handled him like they would with any normal noble child. Still, Raegyn disliked it, and it felt disturbing to him. In his eyes, it was like some sort of shallow game of pretend, ill humor that he can never bring himself to appreciate.
Thatâs why Raegyn purposely ignored the adults even when they demanded his attention, because why on earth would he respond to their silly games? That would just be positive reinforcement and theyâd force that shit on him even more. But being the extremely smart kid he is, he is aware of his own gains and losses. He knew he didnât want to pretend to be a normal kid, he didnât want to copy their mannerisms just so he could fit in, because that just isnât him. Blegh. Gross. Reducing himself to their levelâŚnuh uh. But he also figured out that pretending to be one gets him what he wants. To be precise, when Raegyn is his usual self, the adults feel uncanny and have mixed reactions. On the contrary⌠when he pretends to be normal, they react very positively. Isnât that weird. Turns out adults like cute kids that act like kids instead of kids that make them uncomfortable by acting way beyond their age.
So Raegyn adapts. Inquire about their day, be enthusiastic and beg to be allowed to tag along, maybe even cry some fake tears they say no until they say yes. Smile at them and watch them sign boring paperwork all day. Fake interest in their tedious gardening tasks, patrol duty, anything the adults were up to. And when thatâs done, ask for new toys and clothes. That shiny ruby brooch? Pout and say you like it very much and want to have it, and Clan Leader is the best dad in the world because he gets what Rayray wants. And with that, maybe a matching bow tie. And a matching silk shirt. And a matching fur coat. You get it. It didnât take long for Raegyn to master the art of acting and now heâs got everyone wrapped around his little finger. Thatâs where the fake smiling and enthusiasm began, and he never stopped ever since. Regis and Rael were happy for their little boy, because he finally acted more like a normal child. But deep down they knew he is an outlier, as they had been dealing with his true self until now. They didnât understand why Raegyn seemingly became normal overnight, but to question that would be useless. Well⌠at least Raegyn looked like heâs enjoy finally himself now, and thatâs a good thing, right? Deep down, they knew something was up. Obviously there was a reason for Raegynâs sudden behavioral change, but to investigate it would break Raegynâs trust so ultimately they did nothing and hoped for the best. For Raegynâs future, and their future together as a family.
Raegynâs always constantly evolving depending on who heâs dealing with. By the time he was around the equivalent of a 10 year old human, his false persona is such an integral part of his life, he never goes outside without this metaphorical mask. Despiteâs Raegyn success at adapting himself into society in the present day, his childhood was a difficult one, at least in the very beginning. It did get better as he got older, but fundamentally, he is still the same on the inside. Raegyn hated how things were structured and the expectations he was obligated to fulfill. Raegyn didnât understand why he was automatically expected to give his parents his unconditional love, respect, and attention just because they were the cause of his birth and entire existence. Thatâs the reason? Wow. He never asked to be born, not that he minds existing or anything, but more so it was just weird to him how now heâs permanently stuck with two adults who are way too obsessed with him for their own good, and he wonât be able to get away from them for centuries. His parents got sad when he didnât respond to them, especially Rael. What did they expect anyway? To Raegyn, things like respect and love had to be earned, and no one automatically deserves it just because of âfamilyâ or whatever shallow term they use. And this applies to his own parents as well. If Regis and Rael wanted him to obey and love them, then they have to earn it, and prove themselves worthy. To Raegyn, even if they are his parents, theyâre just like any other person out there. They were strangers he couldnât separate himself from. The point is Raegyn isnât purposely trying to distance himself from his parents specifically; thatâs just how his brain works.
The good news is Raegyn eventually does develop genuine love for his family, which happens during his childhood. Itâs true that Raegyn had his doubts about unconditional love and whether that even existed or not, but being the smart person he is, he did pick up on his parentsâ love for him. They genuinely care about him, and he⌠appreciates that. So they were being serious this whole time. Raegyn, who is always right, was wrong, for the first time in his life. Raegyn was finally defeated, in a good sense. It feels good to be loved. But as much as Raegyn was impressed, he was also bothered by something. He was touched by Regis and Raelâs sincerity, and for that he is grateful, but something felt off. Thatâs when Raegyn realized he was feeling guilt for the very first time, for everything he had done to his parents. To this day, guilt remains the only emotion Raegyn can immediately and correctly identify, which is something I will bring up later. Every other emotion, even the positive ones, he has to think about it.
For the most part, Raegyn is neutral. Even when his little sister Arya was born, he didnât feel anything. She was just another being he had to live with from now on, just because they share the same parents. Not only was he expected to tolerate her, he was supposed to take care of her. Ick. Luckily Raegyn does develop a genuine bond with Arya, even if it took a long time. They are close as siblings, and Regis and Rael? They were super relieved that Raegyn seemed to accept his little sister immediately, and even more relieved that Arya was a normal child with normal development. To be honest, Regis and Rael were nervous about having their second child aka Regisâ heir because they were afraid that Raegyn would react negatively. Surprise surprise, he didnât. That is character development right there, from resisting his own parents to welcoming a new sibling with open arms. The truth is Raegyn simply made an effort to prevent his true apathetic self from seeping out because he didnât want to ruin the moment for his parents. If he were to be honest, well⌠he couldnât care less if Arya vanished into thin air on the spot. Raegyn only did it because he didnât want that feeling called âguiltâ to bother him for years to come, so he might as well be nice. Even if Raegynâs goodwill didnât stem from true consideration, it was still a massive improvement. He is still learning, but he is getting there⌠right? Only he knows.
To say that Raegyn doesnât doubt his relationship with his family anymore, and that he trusts them unconditionally, would be a lie. His parents would die for him, and his sister adores him. Heâs sure of that. But on second thought⌠do they really? This is how Raegyn falls into the perpetual cycle of questioning himself. Thatâs why he is so conflicted. He feels guilty because he is doubting those he should trust the most, and then he decides to give them his complete trust in order to get rid of that sense of guilt he got from doubting them in the first place, and finally ending it by rescinding that trust because he realizes he was foolish enough to trust anyone but himself. Rinse and repeat. Then again he overthinks it because he just canât help it. This entire ordeal bothers him, and he would never admit it. In the long run, Raegyn overthinking things would go on to hurt his own ability to make meaningful relationships with people, and that is something I will bring up later.
Now onto the last bits of Raegynâs childhood before I move to the time skip. I want to mention Raegynâs relationship with his peers too. Ever since Raegynâs birth, he has been silently watching and judging everything and everyone. He could be minding his own business, but his eyes were always looking at something. Even if he didnât want to be a part of whatever the other kids were doing, he wanted to know whatâs up, so he observes them from a distance. And he was always disappointed, of course. I mean, this is Raegyn, why wouldnât he?
They werenât bright enough to hold an interesting conversation with Raegyn. They got bored, whined, fidgeted, or fell asleep when he wanted to talk about a very long and obscure piece of ancient Lukedonian history that he recently taught himself. Or that time when all the kids just got up and left, when he promised them he was bringing âsomething super valuableâ to their next âplaydateâ, and everyone expected a treasure map or something and instead Raegyn rolled out a five meter long checklist on how Lukedonian laws can be improved. Raegyn is, of course, very offended. This is was his ideal vision of a playdate, after all, because playing means having fun. And this really is what Raegyn thinks is FUN. And his peers? Raeganâs giving up on them. Theyâre all under-qualified. Every single one of them. Too slow, too dim. Too hyper, too lazy. Too impulsive, too cowardly, etc. They werenât worth his time, and to spend an extra minute with them was a waste of his energy. Thus Raegyn was a lonely child. He was surrounded by people, yet he didnât like their company. He didnât enjoy what they had to offer, yet he couldnât fit in as himself either.
Raegyn wanted something else. Something more grand, more controversial; something that shakes the very foundation of noble society. History, philosophy, ethics, anything really. The deeper it is, the better. Sometimes even the more taboo, the better, as he likes a good challenge. He wants to hang out with someone who has the capacity to prove him wrong, and reaaaaally force him to get those brain cells working. A good, long debate is more thrilling than the best spar. He needed someone to share that joy of thinking with, someone who truly resonates with his passions. An intellectual soulmate basically. Just a reminder that Raegyn is still the human equivalent of an elementary school kid at this point. He already knew what he wanted in a friend, which is someone who can really match his wavelength, yet this person simply didnât exist. Raegyn was frustrated. And the thing is Raegyn is an extrovert by nature so he does need a decent amount of socializing to stay healthy emotionally, except there no one at his caliber to keep him in company where he genuinely feels fulfilled. This is where things get complicated, and Raegyn is conflicted. He needed that company, but he couldnât find the right people despite his best efforts. Raegyn was lonely, and his fathers noticed how their son would just slouch and sigh all day.
This would lead to Regis and Rael insisting on Raegyn hanging out with the other kids, because there must be something they can bond over, rightâŚ? What they werenât aware of was how Raegyn was simply at the top, and his loneliness couldnât be solved with a simple solution, if at all. What about Raegyn? Well, he knew that obeying his parents would cause him less trouble than resisting them, so he obliged. If it makes his fathers happy to see him happy then⌠heâs willing to pretend to get along with the others for as long as his sanity remains.
So what happened was Raegyn put aside his desire to talk about great subjects and deep matters, and simply went with the flow. He pretended to enjoy their tea parties, tree climbing, fishing, wrestling, etc. It was all so boring and tedious. And then it hit him. Hey⌠they didnât whine and run away this time. They reacted quite positively when he pretended to be interested in their shallow activities. They even invited him back. Now that was easy, wasnât it? Raegyn remembered the tactics he used on his parents and the adults. If he could manipulate them, maybe he could do it to his peers. He did crave that social interaction, and even if what was available to him wasnât nearly enough to satisfy him, it was still better than nothing.
And even if he honestly wasnât interested in his peers and what they were doing, the principle of making and having friends wasnât bad at all. Raegyn already knew that if he made an effort to someone, they would reciprocate it. Take that, and times one thousand, maybe even more. If he shall pretend to be friendly to one person, might as well do it to everyone, because the amount of effort he has to make is the same anyway. And you never know when having a bunch of friends is useful. Who knows. He could get some of them to run errands for him. Give him their things. Tell him useful secrets and information that they shouldnât be spilling. Maybe one of them will even be willing to die for him. Neat. And this is when Raegyn decided to go all out, and there he established his signature false persona of a friendly, enthusiastic, altruistic, diplomatic, insightful and responsible Kertia heir. He calculated his potential gains, and his conclusion was that the pros outnumbered the cons and this was the way to go. Not only could he impress his parents, but he could also get himself an empire of friends that might become useful to him. Surely this is a better alternative to wandering around aimlessly trying to find his own match. Now he could aim to climb to the top AND find his own match at the same time, sweet! Kiddie Raegyn is tapping into his ambitious side, how wonderful.
(FYI Izar does come up later on but that dude is only interested in math and astronomy, which isnât enough for Raegyn. And there is an age gap between the two of them: Raegyn is roughly 200-400 years older than the traitor clan kids group so Raegyn was already an adult by the time Izar came into existence. And I say âroughlyâ because nothing with the ages are set in stone and Iâd like it to be flexible so thatâs just approximations for context. Anyways)
Yayyyy. Fast forward to Raegyn in the present day as a young adult.
Raegynâs reputation is perfect. He is perfect. His ambitious childhood goal was to make everyone love him, aaaaand he 100% succeeded. People knew his name, and you could bet that at any given moment, someone in Lukedonia is talking about him, praising him for everything he has done. Heâs the big shot. No one would ever guess that behind the glorious, radiating light of his persona hides a cold and apathetic true self. He worked hard to get to where he is today, and he isnât going to admit to everyone heâs been lying this whole time because that would be throwing his merits away. He has his empire of friends, why would he give up on that? They love him for his false persona, then so be it. Heâll keep it up until he dies.
Part of him legitimately believes that his gains are worth it, and part of him feels like he has gone too far to go back. As much as Raegyn would hate to admit it, he isnât quite sure who he would be without his false persona. As in, he is afraid to know what will become of him, what will remain of him if he is left alone with his true self. Which is funny because for a person whose hobby is thinking, he doesnât want to think about that. In a way he is running way from himself, and he knows he feels slightly uncomfortable because fundamentally, that isnât what he wants. But all these years he couldnât find his match, nor did Lukedonia have anything else to offer to satisfy someone of his intellectual level. He was losing his patience, but there was nothing he could do. Raegyn never forgot his true self, and he never abandoned it either; he is just suppressing it⌠to the best of his ability. His vision of a fulfilling life wasnât realistic, at least from his perspective, so he turned to what he is doing now. He has many, many friends, but no one whom he truly bonds with. He owns many things and people also keep giving him things, yet he has no use for them and isnât interested in them either. Raegyn started to feel restless. Despite that, he made sure that side of him never showed, to not worry his family, and because he is also too prideful to admit that heâs sick of it too.
Thatâs when Raegyn discovers a new method of entertainment. He is a nice guy, right? Everyone loves him, thatâs a fact. They didnât know that he had been silently judging them, being nice on the surface and saying mean things about them in his head at the same time. Raegyn needed a new rush of fun. Something fresh to make him feel excited again.
And then⌠yeah. Raegyn sets his next goal as âseeing how far he can discreetly push peopleâs buttons without getting into real troubleâ. Only a few individuals have his complete respect therefore excluded from his list of âpeople I can smartassâ list⌠and for the rest of them? Theyâre all there for his amusement. Even Lord Raskreia.
Oh yeah, her. Remember how I mentioned that Raegyn only believes in authority that is earned? Well, heâs one of the nobles who believe that Raskreia is incompetent. In his eyes she is not qualified to sit on the throne. Too dependent on her feelings, too stubborn, too impulsive⌠he could go on forever. It if werenât for the Previous Lord, she wouldnât even be sitting there on the throne. Raegyn thinks heâs a better candidate for the position of Lord than her. Maybe even the best candidate. Too bad Raegyn isnât interested in becoming Lord, even if he is curious about the idea of what it is like for him to become Lord. Real life Lord? No thank you. Too many responsibilities, bleh. He wanted to have fun without responsibility, and being Lord would mean having all sources of his entertainment cut off. And his own clan, the Kertia, and Grandia, are pretty cool so⌠youâre welcome. Meanwhile he can just judge her from the side and keep testing her discreetly to see how smart she is. Which is even funnier because Raegyn should fear Raskreia, as she is his Lord. But just as much as he believes authority should be earned, the fear that comes with authority should also be earned. And Raskreia doesnât even qualify for that from Raegynâs perspective. She doesnât deserve his loyalty. (His cousin Reiner does, which I will explain in a future post where I highlight the cousinsâ relationship with one another)
Anyways. Despite Raegynâs false friendliness and hidden apathy, he does encounter people who genuinely want to connect with him in the midst of him fooling around with his celebrity persona. He is aware that most people love him for the show he puts on, and heâs fine with that. But every now and then there would be someone who wants to know more about him. Someone who doesnât just want to know Raegyn the great and glorious, but also the mundane Raegyn. The everyday Raegyn. The kind of music he enjoys, what flowers he finds pretty, even the kind of weather he finds the most soothing. The smaller details of his life that people usually donât associate with him, because heâs known for his great accomplishments. And Raegyn is capable of detecting genuine effort and⌠this is exactly what makes him uncomfortable. He is confused, surprised, and doesnât know what to do.
This is where my previous point comes in. Remember when I said Raegyn is struggling in a perpetual cycle of guilt and doubt? Well, this is because Raegyn believes that all relationships are fundamentally transactional. Let it be parent and child, friends, lovers, ruler and subject. People only stuck together for some sort of gain, for their own benefit. It took him a long time to accept his own parents and develop what he would call love for them, and even then, heâd occasionally find himself questioning their relationship. Itâs even harder for outsiders, whom he basically categorizes as anyone who is not direct family. The thing is Raegyn is incapable of forming meaningful relationships with anyone. He has a massive following, but no one good friend to share his life with. Not because they didnât make an effort, but because he kept pushing them away. Raegyn was the one who drove them away when they got too close, even if that meaningful connection was what he yearned for. You can say that Raegyn is projecting himself onto others. Raegyn is almost entirely unable to treat someone genuinely, as he is used to a life full of manipulation and lies where he is the one doing all the manipulating. This is the problem because heâs been doing this for so long, he doesnât know how to treat someone genuinely. In fact, he canât really recall when was the last time he treated someone with honesty. By his logic and projection, he believes that those who are trying to take a further step to connect to him are trying to manipulate him, and theyâre being dishonest. Do you see where I am getting at. He mistakes all of that for deception from the other side. Karma, reaping what you sow⌠whatever it is, is coming to kick him in the ass. Now heâs stuck in the loop of pushing people away and complaining about why he just canât find people to bond with.
If Raegyn could just set aside his need for finding his so-called intellectual rival, he couldâve found a best friend already. Someone who doesnât necessarily share his capabilities, but truly cares for him. His unrealistic standards and need to maintain his pride is hindering him, yet he canât quite let it go. Raegyn the glorious is truly pathetic. What a shitshow.
Good news is, eventually he does find a best friend! Like an actual best friend. No bullshitting, no lies. Someone whom he is comfortable enough with to completely drop his act and just be himself, and that person is⌠Jia! Wait, isnât she the dumb one? Arenât they the complete opposites? Yep! Theyâre healthy best friends, which is nothing less than a miracle. They bring out the best in each other. Iâll be talking about that in a future post!
More on his general personality. Raegyn is a bit snarky and arrogant at times, but people canât ever get mad at him. He always gets away with being a lilâ shit, because⌠well, heâs never wrong. No matter how much you want to slap him in the face for something he said, even if you are dead sure that he definitely had no good intentions, when you think about it again⌠hey, heâs actually right. It makes sense, even if it hurts to hear. Heâs totally right. Damn, how did you even get mad at him in the first place? That was dumb, wasnât it. Now you should slap yourself in the face. You are wrong, because he is right. This is Raegyn, after all. He can present an insult as a compliment. He can turn something totally unfriendly and malicious into a piece of enlightenment, and all of a sudden you actually owe him because he gave you precious insight.
Now youâre curious and decide to stick around to see what other interesting things he has yet to show you. You discover that heâs very friendly and outgoing, and heâs actually considerate and always has solutions to your problems, and makes an effort to make your day. Heâs witty, humorous, and a joy to be around, even if he throws a dark joke every now and then, but again you canât help but let it slide. You start to really appreciate him and donât even realize this is exactly what he wants to trick you into thinking. One more follower to add to his already super massive following; another shiny chess piece that he has successfully collected for his observation platform of⌠whatever they truly are to him. He makes it so that you feel like heâs there to entertain you and keep you company, but in reality, itâs the opposite. Youâre there to entertain him, for as long as his shallow interest in you remains, which likely wonât last for much longer either. And when he gets bored and very discreetly kicks you out of his life, youâll feel like it was your fault and now youâre jealous of his other friends and yearn to hang out with him again, even if it means doing whatever it takes to get him back. Raegyn is 100% aware of this, and he definitely enjoys it. He didnât ask for an encore, yet it came by its own accord. Nice, even more drama for him sip on to ward off some of that boredom before he finds a new source of short-term entertainment.
(BTW just for clarification Raegyn never does anything illegal or anything that can potentially get him in trouble if he gets caught. Heâs probably smart enough to get away with it anyway if he really wanted to commit crime for fun but then he doesnât need to do that. His smartassing, bullshitting, manipulation etc is just on a personal level and never goes beyond that. Even if heâs borderline desperate for entertainment, he wonât do anything that has actual consequences. Thatâs why heâs not dangerous, heâs just petty and at most a pain in the ass. Canât throw him in jail or anything, even grounding him would be excessive. He eventually does join Gloria and her search party for Reiner for a certain reason and thatâs for another post too)
Just donât delve any deeper or try to look behind Raegynâs mask, because you will find something you donât want to see, and something he doesnât want to see, and itâs going to be a hot mess.
When heâs not being serious, he is pretty funny. If you can refrain from questioning his personality, heâs actually quite the humor depository. It manifests in the way that when he tries to be funny, itâs like heâs insulting you and when he is actually insulting you, you think heâs just being funny. If youâre in for a short-term, superficial friendship or just need to waste some time, heâs the perfect person to hang out with. Heâs not going to be serious anyway, so if youâre interested, meet up and chat away. Just donât actually develop an attachment to him and youâre good, because itâs no good for either of you. If itâs just for fun and nothing serious, totally go for it. Heâll keep you entertained and (hopefully) youâll keep him entertained, and you can handle some occasional arrogance and cheekiness from him, youâll have a blast, and heâll make you laugh. Win-win!
(I wanted to get to the details of Raegynâs crush on Umbra + who he actually eventually settles down with in this post but it was already too long so Iâll do it separately in another post in the future)
And thatâs it! Maybe Iâll do another one of these long character posts in a few months. Idk. When I feel like it. Feel free to let me know if there is any particular one you want to see next (did Kaekae last time, Raegyn this time, so 13 out of 15 left) but I will get to all of them eventually. Maybe will take years to complete but I want to get it done lol.
Again, thank you for reading, and stay tuned for future posts!
Quick OC Doodle. Downloaded some new photoshop brushes and Raegyn is here to help me test them out. The pencil effect is kinda neat I like it.
Funny stuff. As a little kid Raegyn always looked pissed because heâs just disappointed in everyone and everything lmao. At his level thereâs almost nothing he finds interesting or worthy of his time. He actually only started to smile because he discovered that hey⌠yknow what? Smiling and acting all nice and cute gets him what he wants, so why not. All he has to do is control a few facial muscles, make them stay in position for a while, pout his lips and blink his eyes in a certain way, and maybe even tell some pretty lies, and boom just like that he can get his Clan Leader and basically anyone to give in to his every demand. Heâs got this allllll figured out. Yeahhhhh. This kidâs got his acting stats all maxed out.
As for his expression here⌠idk. Probably Ray is not too happy about his parents putting him in the same clothes as older half-brother Kaekae, just because of âtwinningâ ⌠or whatever shallow business the adults are up to. Pah, theyâre not even twins! Damn, his parents must be insane. Karias is also insane. Theyâre all insane. Ray obviously thinks heâs better (and way cuter) than Kaekae so them dressing identically is obviously an insult to him, lol. Fortunately Ray eventually grows out of his âbow down to meâ phase⌠orrrrrrr maybe he just got better at hiding it. Manipulating it. Or something else. Worse. Who knows. Eh. Heâs cute for now, so he can be forgiven while heâs still at it. Once he loses his kiddie cuteness heâs gonna need to come up with new tactics and you can be pretty damn sure heâs gonna succeed.
Looking forward to writing about him in the future. I do have something very long planned so stay tuned!
