#tau urusov

[majestyrising]

Tau is woefully under-drawn by yours truly, despite being both very important to my lore and incredibly fun to write. Here he is hanging out at the Velvet Fang’s bar, waiting for Big Boss to show up so they can cause mischief.

[majestyrising]

The Hitman

Note: Tau visits an incarcerated hitman. No warnings required, I think?

It makes him feel more at home than he could possibly expect it too, but then again it should come as no surprise that the thing to cross over the borders from the frigid south would be the prisons.

It’s clean, sterile, and it saps the life out of you the minute you step inside. From the glowing signs to the ever present humming of electrified fences, doors, and walls, it’s very clear that this place is made to cage men like animals.

Or cage men who are like animals. That might be putting too much faith in the system, though.

“Inside here,” the security guard says, a hand on his back pushing him inside the visitation room. He resists the urge to wheel around and pull a knife. It’s just an instinct, the ‘don’t touch me’ the kind, the kind borne out of the shit that he’s gone through.

The visitation room has a dozen tables, all metres apart. Various prisoners sit with their guests, talking in hushed tones. Eyes move around, shifty, and some glance off of him. There’s only one man still sat alone. 

He drums his nails on the table before glancing up from under long, thick eyelashes. When he notices Tau, he grins, nodding him to come closer.

Tau wanders over and stops at the table, looking down at him. The prisoner looks up at him for a few moments before speaking.

“Tau,” he says, looking him up and down, “I assume?”

The prisoner smiles widely, and it seems surprisingly genuine a room full of breakouts in the making.

“Shambhala,” he explains, “Or Bal, if you don’t have the time. I know it’s a mouthful.”

“I’d stand, but-”

His smile falters slightly, a knit in his brows. He adjusts how he’s sat, legs spread. It’s a sign of confidence, sure, but there’s something else there too.

To demonstrate, he tries to pull his hands up from the desk and the whole thing clanks. He’s chained to the table.

“Oh,” Tau notes, interested, “You’ve been a bad boy.”

Tau chuckles as he sits down.

“It’s part of my charm,” Shambhala answers, with a wink, “I like to stab first and ask questions later. It’s safer in a place like this.”

He moves to gesture with his hands but it only makes the table rattle more.

“I’m sure,” Tau says, not unkindly.

After a moment he steeples his fingers as he relaxes back into the chair. He lets out a slow exhale and meets Shambhala’s blue-green eyes.

“Our offer,” he drawls out, without blinking, “Thoughts?”

Shambhala meets his eyes before he tilts his head up and looks off to the side as he deliberates.

He doesn’t deliberate for long.

“I’m in no position to turn away your assistance,” he answers, softly. A sigh escapes his lips before he continues. “Especially not of your calibre.”

He swallows and ducks his head to scratch his forehead against his shoulder.

“I’m curious,” he adds, “I’d like to ask you a question, if you’d indulge me.”

Tau raises his eyebrows, playfully, tail swaying behind.

“Shoot,” he says.

Shambhala looks at him sidelong from where his head is ducked.

“How did you find out about me?” he asks. It’s hard to read his tone. He sounds relaxed enough, but there’s a tension in his eyes as he continues, “Neo Necropolis is insular, and you’re not even from the Expanse.”

Tau crosses his arms, lifting his chin to look at the ceiling. It’s not that like he’s about to give names. Not under pain of death would he give up his contacts. It’s the principle of the thing.

Besides, one of them is- important to him.

“I have connections,” he says, languidly, “Contacts, you may say.”

Shambhala watches him thoughtfully. Those eyes are wickedly shrewd, Tau notes, and that’s one of the reasons he wants this man to work for the Syndicate.

“Inside,” Shambhala correctly ascertains, “My. I thought no one escaped alive.”

“Not without the scars,” Tau agrees, after a moment, “But alive. You could too.”

Shambhala falls silent for a moment, the space filled by the ambient sound of the other prisoners and their guests talking to one another, and the buzz of the lights.

“I suppose,” Shambhala says, though he doesn’t sound too convinced by the notion. He chews on his lip before he continues, “I’ve been in here a long time.”

“Then you’ll love the fresh air,” Tau replies, easily, giving Shambhala a smile.

“That’s definitely true!” Shambhala snorts, “But I’m alive in name only. In here for multiple homicides for some well supported individuals-”

He turns his head and spits onto the floor.

“The worst of the worst,” he says, with enough venom to kill a man, “But those are the best supported kind.”

Tau looks down at the ground with mild disdain before he meets Shambhala’s eyes.

“I have that under control,” he says, simply. “Are you interested in our proposal?”

He folds his arms over his chest, languidly scratching at his chin.

“You’re right that you don’t have a great deal of choice, but I want to know, personally, that you want to join us,” he explains, slowly.

Shambhala considers this, a slow blink.

“You’re a PMC,” he says, “If you’re here for me, then...”

A smile spreads over his face, a sardonic look and smirk of pearly white teeth.

“You’re elites,” he purrs, “Not to big myself up, but I’m not cheap. Never was. You have the clout to get in here, a foreigner, and you’re asking me- no demands.”

“Who says I don’t have demands?” Tau says, with a chuckle as he brings his hands behind his head, leaning back in the cheap seat, “Alas- yes, we don’t do hits for pennies. We vet our clients, sometimes the targets.”

He smiles in turn, looking up at the ceiling. The look of a man in power.

“I’m not trying to tell you that we only kill those who deserve it. That’s too subjective for me to safely say,” he muses, “And I don’t care for lying like that.”

Shambhala hums in interest, watching the small movements Tau makes, his foot tapping.

“That being the case,” he continues, “We’re more discerning than most.”

Shambhala nods sharply, looking past Tau at the guards, then back.

“I’m nothing but a cold blooded killer,” he says, without any emotion, “Blood is blood, no matter how dirty.”

With a sudden movement he raises his hands and rattles the chains. A few men look over at him, the guards too. They glare, but do not move towards the pair.

“Despite that,” he hisses, “I want to make this world better. Sometimes that means clogging up the gutters with meat.”

Tau’s smile is like a shark’s.

“You sound like my brother,” he says, sardonically, “Which means you’ll fit in nicely. Let me invite you in formally.”

He unlinks his arms from behind him and puts a fist to his chest.

“Join my Sub Rosa,” he says, “I will aim you at the right places and you can cut the dead flesh from the world. Oh- and you can protect the kind of people who deserve protecting.”

Shambhala laughs softly. It’s a surprisingly kind, nice sound, for a man whose still in prison and looks the part.

“I like the way you think,” he says, “And the way you word things. I accept your offer.”

Tau puts his hands on the desk, tail swaying slightly behind him.

“Good to hear,” he purrs.

He nods for Shambhala to lean in, which he does.

“In a week, they’ll release you. There’ll be a driver waiting for you, and they’ll bring you to the outskirts of the city. I’ll meet you there and lead you to the Cathedral,” he explains.

At the very last word, Shambhala’s eyes narrow. His eyebrows furrow down, and his entire energy seems to change.

“Cathedral?” he echoes, with an edge.

“At ease, soldier boy,” Tau reassures, “It’s not what you think. We’re not a religious organisation. More of an aesthetic choice.”

Shambhala inhales. His frown doesn’t disappear, but some of the tension does abate.

“Right,” he murmurs, softly.

Tau takes note of it all. It’s an extreme reaction. He got what he could of the man’s backstory- he was an independent hitman who lived a double life working in a crisis centre, and he was involved in a project for which his current moniker has borrowed the name. A project which caused a large chunk of some very evil men to disappear, bloody. He’s been in ever since.

But to have such a reaction? He must have history with some sort of religious order. He’ll see what he can dig up in the next week. He has to know exactly who he’s bringing into the fold, after all.

“I’ll see you in a week,” Tau says, standing up, “Get ready for life on the outside, yeah?”

Shambhala shifts the last of his hesitation away. He strains against his handcuffs to lift his hand- and shake Tau’s.

“I can’t wait,” he chuckles, dryly, “They’re gunna miss me in here.”

[majestyrising]

Quick sketch of Tau again because I’m trying so hard to nail down his design. Art is so hard.

[majestyrising]

Liquorice

; This is from a RP between myself and my dear boyfriend @hellkite-fr​ but I think this scene works as a stand-alone to post; in it, Prince Tau, the head of the Sub Rosa division, has a meeting with his subordinates about the newest brothel in town, the Velvet Fang.

Above, in order: Taahu Vasilisk Urusov,  Aisha ibnat Ibraheem bint Rahat al-Sheikha, Mikail Harun, Gustav Tantastrom.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tau props his feet up on his desk, vape in hand, and inhales sharply, exhaling a plume of black liquorice that makes Mikail visibly cringe. "Do you have to do that?" Mikail complains, crossing his legs as he sits on a chair off to the side- Aisha lies down on the desk, legs and head dangling off the edge. There's the quiet patter of cold rain that hits the circular window, filling the room with peaceful ambience and dull grey light. Tau shuts his eyes, smiling mischievously. "Yeah," he says brightly, licking his teeth as he hands Aisha the vape. Despite the fact that she thinks his choice of flavour is disgusting, she smokes it anyway. "Gus is late," Mikail adds, knowing better than to pursue this any further- "We taking bets on why?"

"Hm," Tau muses, tapping the bottom of his shoe on the desk, "He sampled the merchandise." "He's lighting a candle for Viktor," Aisha says, mildly. "So?" Tau counters, "I love Viktor but that man has no idea. He's too into my old man." "Prayers all around," Mikail agrees, solemnly, "I think he robbed someone." Aisha sits up, spreading her legs comfortably. "Murdered a freak," she muses, "Brothels always have perverts. He knows better than most." "Just a random murder without us?" Mikail replies, offended by the prospect, "What a bitch." "Heads up, minions," Tau interjects, then louder, "Come in!"

Gustav pushes the door open, a little damp from the rain. Sparks run along his feathers and his hair, protesting the rain in little bursts of blue as he pulls his jacket off and puts it up on the back of the door. He dips into a bow, Tau waves a hand dismissively. "So," Tau says, languidly, "What kept you?" Gustav blinks in confusion, looking between his boss and his fellow associates who are all looking at him expectantly. He retrieves something from his pocket- a pendant topped with a bright blue diamond. Mikail coos appreciatively. "Did you kill him?" Aisha prompts. "Duh," Gustav replies, brow furrowed, "He was rude. I followed him home and ransacked his house. So sad that men aren't even safe in their own homes." "That's hot," Mikail says, folding his arms behind his head. "Sexy," Tau says, "Give it to me." He catches the necklace as Gustav throws it to him. "How did it go?" he adds, turning the gemstone around his fingers. It's not real, but whoever buys it doesn't need to know that. Gustav doesn't reply immediately. His eyes flick down in thought as Mikail kicks a chair towards him. He turns it around and straddles the chair, using the back as an armrest. "Better than expected," he admits.

Tau watches with unreadable eyes, the palest blue-green glow in the soft light, as Gustav retrieves his journal from his shirt pocket and throws it on the desk. It lands in Aisha's lap, who hands it to Tau. "He actually proposed we do business." "Oh?" Tau prompts, leafing through Gustav's notes, his tone simple and curious but deeply serious. "For security," Gustav explains. "They don't have security?" Mikail asks, bemused, "That's a pretty high priority." "Not enough," Gustav amends. "Good thing we've all worked brothels before," Aisha notes, checking her nails, "It's rewarding work." "Do I get to smack bad customers?" Mikail asks, looking from Gustav to Tau. "Not my call," Tau replies, "But yeah, sure, eat their teeth." He takes a drag of his vape. Gustav cringes as the smell of liquorice fills the room once again. "He has to ask his boss first," Gustav explains, waving away the smoke, "You were right about that." "Of course I was," Tau says, not brusque but confident, "Like I said, it's unusual for the workers to run a brothel. Pimp or madame?" "Pimp," Gustav says. "Ugh," Mikail mutters, "That's unfortunate." "Do you think he's abusive?" Aisha asks, her voice soft against the sound of rain. Gustav rubs a hand over his chin. "I don't think so," he says, "But he's not attentive. Azizi was bruised when I got there. And no one seemed surprised by it." "Of course not," Mikail says, bitterly, "That's what it's like- you know that." Gustav's feathers flick in annoyance. "It shouldn't be," he replies, sharply. "An optimist!" Tau says, "Did he suck your dick or did something else happen to make you change your tune?" Gustav flushes a little. "He didn't suck my dick," he says, "We just talked." Tau smiles, teeth like a shark. Gustav narrows his eyes. "You knew we would, didn't you?" he asks. Tau mimes zipping his mouth shut. It annoys Gustav, but it's impressive how accurately Tau can predict the actions other people will take- even people he's never met. Mind like a machine indeed.

"Sexy, sexy, very sexy," Mikail says, "Can we go out now? Oh, or can I go the brothel? I want to drink somewhere different for once." He turns to Aisha. "You want a change of scenery too, right?" She opens her mouth but he doesn't give her a chance to respond- "I think all three of us need to drown our sorrows," Mikail concludes. "I'm not included?" Tau asks, mildly. "No sir," Mikail replies, graciously, "You're in a healthy relationship. I have a crush on my ex boyfriend's current boyfriend who he dumped me for-" "You were dead," Aisha interjects, raising an eyebrow. "Not from my point of view," Mikail snaps, "I took a dirt nap and then I was single. You have a thing for Holland but you're too much of a pussy to tell him, and Gustav is in love with Viktor who is already dating Koschei. Yeah?" "Get your facts straight," Aisha says, leaning back once again as Tau hands her the vape, "I'm not a pussy. I don't have feelings." "Yeah, whatever," Mikail says, affectionately, "You're a real bad bitch." She exhales. "Don't forget it," she replies, without disputing the rest of what he's said. "You don't need to remind me of how lame my life is," Gustav says, knocking his forehead against the chair he's straddled, “Fuck me.” "Fuck you," Mikail echoes. Aisha raises her hand. "Fuck this," she says. "Shut up, losers," Tau says, brightly, "You're all dismissed. Except Gustav. My yoruba is rusty so~" "Sorry," Gustav says, blinking. "Hey, it's fine," Tau says with a snort, "Let me just get this shit down so when this pimp comes calling we're all on the same page, you feel me?"

[majestyrising]

They grew up so I present to you his majesty king E’Ro Amvrosii Urusov & his eminence crown prince Taauhu Vasilisk Urusov.

[majestyrising]

Gemini

(Do you hate me?)

Tau’s thoughts stop mid sentence, bringing him fully into the cold, silent room. He is acutely aware of the casual way he is sat down on this chair of steel, made for prestige and not comfort, and how Rho is stood before him- not looking daunting, but like he did when they were both just children- his head turned slightly to the side as if he doesn’t wish to catch Tau’s eye.

Rho has always been patient. He is now, not pressing for an immediate answer; he will, however exeruciating it may or may not be, wait until Tau answers of his own volition.

It’s an easy enough question to answer. But it catches on the skin of his lips.

No. He doesn’t. He did, maybe, just after the accident. But that was hate born of agony, and betrayal. He’s far past that now- it was an accident, an accident, but it still shaped them both into who they are today.

It’s why Rho is stood almost a full metre away. Out of range. No one can be hurt if they stay away.

He’s beginning to think he internalised that very same lesson, just in a different way.

“No,” Tau murmurs, finally, his eyes creasing as he studies the fold of fabric around his legs. “No. I don’t hate you-“

He looks up-

“Rho-“

(I love you.)

Tau blinks. Rho finally looks him in the eye, painfully open and almost sheepish- and Tau breaks into a smirk.

(Don’t make me say it again.)

“Oh,” Tau teases, rising to his feet, “Are you blushing?”

(You know I can’t blush.)

“You big softie,” Tau coos, crossing the gap and engulfing his smaller, very non identical twin brother in a bear hug. “You love me!”

(I shouldn’t have said anything.)

Rho doesn’t reciprocate the hug, stock still as he is, as Tau snickers. But those snickers die as the oppressive bullying gives way for a moment, and the bear gives way with it. Tau’s hands creep into something softer.

He swallows all the lead in his throat.

“I love you too,” he murmurs, into the warm fur of Rho’s coat.

Rho’s reciprocates the embrace, at first gently, like handling broken glass, but within a few seconds it grows as solid as the floor beneath their feet.

(Asshole.)

Tau snickers as he feels Rho half-heartedly kick him in the shin.

“Turd,” Tau replies.

[majestyrising]

The seventh generation of Urusovs, E’Ro Amvrosii Urusov and Taahu Vasilisk Urusov, plus the (current) on site 1-1 Urusov lineage.

I’m so frickin happy it’s not even funny T^T They’re both gorgeous and this project was super worth it

[majestyrising]

look who turned three today, it’s the urusov triplets! happy birthday you old farts, i think this is the first birthday where i’ve actually fleshed out all three and now understand them as a UNIT