Cocktail Hour
I've been wanting to do something like this for some time, the Kazinian royal family having their traditional pre-dinner drinks on the western balcony. The main thing stopping me was the fact that I only had Shizaaqa designed, then Assili a coupla months ago. The boys? NO idea. I actually made them all up on the spot here, so that was fun. LOOK NO LINES. My god you guys, it is so much more fun drawing without lines. Lines suck. I just frustrate myself trying to get them looking nice in Photoshop, and the long sweeping lines NEVER do. I don't know if it's the fault of the tablet or my unsteady hand or Photoshop or a combination of all three, but I just hate doing it. So I've boycotted lines now. Gives more freedom in drawing the faces, too, which is fun. Look they have character and stuff :D
Clothing-wise~ lots of batik and gauze. Sarongs for men are going out of fashion a bit, but they'll still use batik to decorate the pants if they're rich enough for it, maybe a sort of mini-sarong/sash thing around the waist for a bit more bling, but I couldn't be arsed making more.
And now, because it breaks my heart to shrink this thing down so much, close-ups! These are at 100% working size this time, and with introductions to the ones you don't know.
Empress Shizaaqa (Shi-ZAH-kuh)
I felt like giving her traditional peacock feathers this time, and a cosmopolitan because it works. I've actually figured out how to draw glass, finally. Do some outlines and joints between stem and base, stem and cup-bit in black, then throw on the reflections in white. Wai :D She's also the only one not wearing her family Colours, because she's the smegging empress. She'd rather show off her fabulous forties figure. She really only wears her Colours when doing official business, and not all the time then, either. You can see them on the kids, anyway, since you inherit your Colours from your mother. Crown will almost always be worn, because it's gold and feathery :D
General Misbah (MIZ-bah)
Kazinians don't marry, so Misbah's as good as Shizaaqa's husband. He's the father of her kids, certainly, but since there's no marriage, he's not actually royalty, so no crown for him. He's the General of the Assiraz army, so that keeps him happy. It tends to be the way that the empress ends up with her General. Misbah is hard as nails, and will not take suggestions from anyone but Shizaaqa and his Commanding Circle. He'll listen to whatever his boys have to say, then correct them in the most belittling way possible.
General Nazir (Nuh-ZEER)
Shizaaqa's father, technically retired, but he still gets called General out of respect. He's supposed to be 64, I think, but I had way too much fun with his wrinkles and the bags under his eyes and sagging chin so he kinda looks to be pushing 70 now. Never mind, we'll just say Shizaaqa has an older brother or two floating around somewhere. Nazir and Misbah are the only two men whose opinions Shizaaqa values. She won't necessarily do as they suggest, but she'll certainly take their thoughts into consideration. Misbah veeeery occasionally comes to Nazir for advice, but most often the old fart steps in to give advice when Misbah doesn't feel he needs it, most often about those three boys in the picci there. He's one of those 'kids today 9.9' types. The royals are, for the most part, just waiting for him to cark it.
Prince Sahid (Suh-EED)
At 20, Sahid's the oldest of Shizaaqa's kids, and~ he's a dick. Kazinian men are, for the most part, not relied upon for their brain power. They're only good for manual labour and army work, which mostly amounts to the same thing. The only male brain power that's valued is battle tactics, so naturally the princes are all groomed from an early age to rise up the ranks of the army. They're expected--by society as much as their parents--to get into the Commanding Circle, which is the group of guys who advise the General and the Empress on what course to take.
Sahid... takes more pride in his weapon, much to Mummy's and Daddy's annoyance. Meetings are boring, and he doesn't mind pouting and saying this, either. He's made it as high as Sergeant so far (one up from the bottom rank, but he is only 20) mostly because he likes power and being able to throw his weight around. If people won't obey him as Sergeant, he'll make them obey him as Prince and threaten to sic Mummy on them. She'd do it, too. Shizaaqa might berate him in private, but in public she'll make it clear that her boys are not to be disobeyed.
He has a giant dragon tat, cos he's a dick. He also has that sort of flower symbol from his Colours on the back of each hand, so if he puts his thumbs together it makes the said Colours. Lot of people, especially the rich ones, get their Colours tattooed somewhere, so that's not particularly unusual.
Prince Kanera (Kuh-NEH-ruh)
Who has Sallie as a custodian :D Cos there were too many royals to design so I pandered one off onto my Sallie <3! Kanera inherited too much of Mum's looks, the girly thin eyebrows, long nose and, most annoying to him, the curly hair, so he keeps his hair cut short to stop it going curly. He also can't wait to grow a beard. Sahid taunts him daily. Oh yeah, the boys get crowns, just plain gold ones tho, cos they're only boys. I don't know if Kanera has any tattoos, let Sallie tell me :D They'll be easy enough to add in <3
Prince Shoaib (SHOW-web)
Only little, only fifteen~ and he gets picked on a lot by Sahid. I told you he was a dick =( He wants so much to be one of the guys, but he's probably only ever going to be just a kid in Sahid's eyes. Misbah's trying in his own Misbah way to get the boy to be more assertive and start yelling right back at his big brother--and anyone else in the army barracks who starts giving him any--but the best Shoaib can really manage is to tell Mummy. The world will be amazed if this kid ever actually makes it to the Commanding Circle. He'll probably get unceremoniously shipped off to one of the outlying provinces to try and be a Commander over there. Shizaaqa's ruthless like that. The same will likely happen to Sahid, too, if he doesn't pull his head in.
Crown Princess Assili (AH-sil-LEE)
Named after Empress Assiraz! Because Shizaaqa was absolutely stoked to finally have a daughter after three freaking BOYS. Assili, as has been mentioned, is basically a mini-Shizaaqa, but this is no mere child. She's twelve, but if you dare treat her as a twelve-year-old she'll give you a right old ribbing and put you in your place. She's the future empress, and she won't let you forget it. She doesn't throw her title around like Sahid does (he's a dick, remember, even Assili can see this) but that intrinsic threat is there underlying every word, just like Mummy. She never had a childhood, but frankly, she didn't want one. She had the same responsibilities lecture thrown on her from a young age as Nol, only with considerably more venom and threats of military coups if she didn't get it right.