Some more fan art of @barbwritesstuff Thicker Than, featuring my single parent Vampire, Dr. Roxane Blackwell, playinging ukulele while sininging a lullaby to her son, Percy.
The top image is of Roxane before her death, in Percy's nursery singing her infant son his favorite lullaby "You Are My Sunshine" while he's nodding off in his crib cuddling his stuffed rabbit. Underneath are the lyrics of the song's chorus, bordered by glimpses of Roxane and her son. One image is of Roxane in a red dress lifting Percy in the air after watching his class play of Peter Pan. The other image is of Percy giving his stuffed rabbit to Roxane, because even this young he knows how much his mom misses him. The bottom shows an older Percy in his room, next to Roxane during her imprisonment. In almost a mirroring of the top image Percy is playing his mother's ukulele along with an old CD Roxane burned of her singing and playing Percy's favorite lullabies. Meanwhile Roxane is laying in her cell, cuddling her son's stuffed rabbit and singing the same lullaby.
It's interesting to think about Roxane's three allies and fellow prisioners potental reaction to hearing a parent Blackwell trying to stave off the isolation by sing a lullaby. Espically since Tracy, Marcel, and Iliya all have their own issues when it come to family and parent child relationships.
Tracy was the first to find Roxane, and learn she had a son. She knows better than anyone the kind of grief Roxane going througe, having been an unwed teen mother before her death. Tracy never got a chance to raise her own son, she could only watch him from a distance untill he eventually dies from old age. This only adds to Tracy's guilt not only for getting Roxane involved with the Night Court to begine with, but because she knows Roxane is going to experince the same loss of outliving her son. Only with the Night King's 100 year sentance Roxane will not only miss her son's last moments, she might not be able to find his grave anymore.
Marcel while being one of the oldest vampires in the cell oddly enough could probably relate to Percy the most. Roxane confided in Marcel about where her son lives, because the foster home is in his territory, and thankfully he has kept his promise to her about keeping them safe. Considering the time period Marcel was born into he never got the chance to know his own mother, and being raised on in souther plantation it's possible the other adult slaves acted as foster parents for him. Marcel would have had to experince being ripped away from the mother figures in his life over and over again. Watching them being sold off, or even dying due to the abuse they suffred at the hands of their masters. Even after 200 years and the end of slavery, Marcel knows too well their are still many threats to people like himself, Roxane, and Percy. A brilliant and beautiful black woman like Roxane, trying to raise Percy by herself while becoming a doctor. No wonder Marcel was so drawn to Roxane, even with his fondness for fledgings, she was able to have a family and finish medical school with top marks! These were things that seemed like a dream for Marcel when he was still human! This also fuels Marcel's hatred for the previous Blackwell and the court that they stole Roxane's family and future from her, espically since during those 5 brief years Roxane has become so dear to him (either as a lover or friend depending on the playthrough).
Iliya's cell is right next to Roxane's so he would potentaily be able to hear her lullaby the clearest. While Iliya might agree with the other's Roxane's singing is better than his, the song is probably painful for him to hear. Eventhough Iliya never had children of his own (at least that he knew of) he does still keep in touch with Judith, the grandaughter of an old flame, and probably feared for her saftey as well as his own when Lucius hired him. While Roxane can potentaly introduce Iliya to Percy during his romance route, it's possible he could have already learned about Roxane's son while spying on her. Iliya was a soilder before his death he knows very well how quickly family can be used as leverage, and how easily innocent civilans like children can wind up as casualities. He would not wish those same horrors and tragities he lived through on Roxane and her son. Eventhough he did ultimately did side with Roxane over Lucius, Iliya will probably spend the rest of his immortal life trying to make amends for betraying Roxane's trust. Even if she does forgive him Iliya has spent the last 5 years learning about Roxane. She's inteligent, witty, driven and very easy on the eyes but still judges herself more harshly than anyone else. Roxane tries so hard to be a good mother to Percy and a compassonate doctor to her patients. Espically since under diffrent circumstances Iliya could have been under Roxane's care as an elderly veteran (and would have shamlessly have flirted with her, as Roxane would definatly be prettier and smarter than the doctors and field medics Iliya knew in his youth). She doesn't deserve any of this!
