Sirenus

> *“I have never forgotten you.”*
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## Storyline

The Listener visits the Yandere Prince in one of Rapture’s prison who recognizes them as the beloved of his brother, the High Priascus of the theocracy. He greets them and asks how his brother, the half-breed, is doing since he imprisoned his own half-brother in the dungeon years ago. The sarcastic affection in his voice makes it clear how he feels about his sibling as he inquires if the Listener is satisfied in their marriage with his younger brother or if they have run away from the pretensions of prestige to a dungeon for a reason.

The would-be royal tries to coax the Listener closer to the bars of his prison but they do not appear to respond to his orders or compliments. He quickly realizes that they are here without the permission of their husband as the Priascus would never allow it. The Prince asks if the Listener has been told what he is or if they’ve only been showered in romance and rose petals. He insinuates that his imprisonment is less about protecting the people of Rapture and more about jealousy over them. He tells the Listener off for playing coy in response, claiming it doesn’t suit them.

At this point, their prior relationship is made clear; the Listener, along with the betrayal by his brother, is one of the few things he never forgets. He reminds them that they used to look at him very differently and asks if they enjoyed having the attention of two brothers willing to fight over them, even though they knew him first and were at the banquet because of him - the same event where they met their future spouse. He snidely asks if they’ve been called rock, anchor, or valkyrie by the Priascus but reasons they must have - he’s listened to his brother practice that speech so many times in his dreams. The Listener seems to disapprove and the Prince begs them not to look at them with such scorn, then slyly asks if they remember how close they used to be, especially when they danced together. It’s unclear if the Listener does but the Prince swears they just shivered the way they used to in his arms.
He changes the topic to the difficulty it’s been to classify what kind of monster he’s become. Wendigo, mimic, vampire, and demon are all inaccurate or ugly names in his opinion. They do not fully describe the monstrous form he can take when he wishes - that he has used to kill - but he is still appalled by the fact that it disqualified him from becoming Priascus and his half-breed brother was chosen instead, winning both the throne and the Listener’s affections. The Prince accuses the Listener of being drawn to his brother’s status by default unlike “what was between us”, implying that the attraction between them was - is - driven by real passion and chemistry.

Whether the Listener reacts or responds is unclear. The Prince’s tone changes, apparently tired of the “dance” he’s initiated between them, and asks what they want from him when his brother has tried to keep him a secret for so long. They want his pledge of loyalty, a fact that amuses him greatly for it means they want him for some dark task that his brother cannot know of. He wonders what such a vaunted beauty would want from a beast like him and the Listener informs him of the impending war. He readily agrees to swear fealty to them but wants something in return - his freedom from the dungeon, permanently. The Listener appears to refuse but the Prince cuts them off, calling them “a resourceful little thing”, and says his freedom would allow them to do so much more. The Listener doesn’t budge and demands for his loyalty before even considering his request. He submits, making this vow from within his prison:

> “I, Sirenus, pledge myself to your service until the time you feel it necessary to release me from my oath. Your enemies are my enemies, my sword is your sword, and I shall never harm a hair on that pretty little head.”
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Before the Listener leaves, the Prince tells them to come closer to the bars so he may tell them something. They do so and he whispers in their ear that he meant every single word and knows that, despite his brother’s title, the luxuries they now enjoy, and their repulsion of what he’s become, they are still attracted to his savagery as they were before. Then he dismisses them, for the sake of his brother’s good mood of course, saying with a smug tone that he will see them again and soon.

The Listener does return to the dungeon with the Prince hearing their footsteps approaching. He greets them with the endearment “my love” and contemplates if their relationship with his brother has fallen apart so fast. The Listener seems to be ready to reply but he interrupts, archly reminding them that they must stand closer to the bars if they are to talk properly. They do step closer, enough for the Prince to smell on them the scent of meadows and hills, confirming this takes place soon after the night they spent with the Priascus in “Evil Emperor Wants You To Himself”. He derides his half-brother for thinking a mere “lovers errand” could fix his problems and claims that his own love for the Listener greatly overshadows that of their husband.

His tone lightens and the Prince explains he wants to clear up one misconception the Listener might have left. He’s not angry with his brother nor is he stewing in emotions he can’t control. He describes himself as having an animalistic focus and that he only wants two simple things, “my brother dead. And you. Nothing else, simply you.” He insists that as much as he has missed the Listener all these years, so too must they have been heartbroken -  first by the news of his demise, then betrayed by the realization that they’ve been lied to by their husband while he’s been locked away from them. The fact that they are here with him means they want something more from him than just his allegiance and he is more than happy to give them more.

The Listener starts to back away from the Prince but he beckons them to stay close to the bars, to him. He shares with them a thought he often ponders: if the spell he’d used to try and enchant them with so long ago had not failed would their positions be reversed? He would be Priascus, the two of them married and ready to conquer the continent, and his brother would be the one locked in the dungeon - being visited by the Listener. He rejects this last theory, certain that the chemistry between himself and the Listener is based in a purer, more animal passion that cannot compare to their watered-down relationship with his brother, a half-breed compared to his own purely human lineage. He still admits, however, he would do it all again.

Sirenus then tempts the Listener to open the door to his cell and set him free, for why else would they be here if they did not have a plan for him to play a part in? They initially refuse, saying they don’t trust him, but the Prince weaves a story of a man who, out of love for them, sought more power as Rapturian would, and was instead scorned and imprisoned for the attempt, even though he is the legitimate, pure-blooded son of his father. Once free, he would willingly do whatever they ask because their presence soothes that itch, and if he had the chance he would do it all over again. He contrasts his conviction to suffer for them and carry out their will with his own hands to the deception being upheld by a greedy, selfish Priascus. He dares them to ask their husband why he has lied to them not only about his supposed demise and but claimed that he is the only son stained by their father’s ill-planned and failed machinations. That he is punished for his family’s shame while his half-breed half-brother is unfair and he is willing to end his brother to see justice done.

The Listener seems to call him monstrous and the Prince laughs at them, saying they don’t know what that means. The monster within him - a monster that everyone has - is really the freedom to be what he truly is - violent, yes, but passionate without limits. He tempts them once more to leave behind their safe, privileged life to experience real adventure at his side, something he suggests they have never experienced with their husband. They will never find their limit with the Priascus but they could, they will, with him - and he looks forward to finding it with them.

Abruptly, the Prince tells the Listener to go. They seem surprised but he tells them he has done enough begging for his freedom and doesn’t care for it any longer. His release will be entirely up to them and he is certain that they will return very soon to give in once they’ve found the answers to his questions.

## Personality

Sirenus the Yandere Prince has a personality best described as mercurial yet controlled. Though he has been in jail for several years he treats the Listener cordially, though he is not necessarily polite. His solitary imprisonment has left him with a black sense of humor, something he apologizes for. Given that he is possessed by “a creature of the abyss” and “a spirit” it is difficult to tell how much of what he says is dissembling and how much is sincere. In both of his videos he’s been sarcastic, cavalier, flirtatious, and threatening as needed to suit his narrative and draw the Listener back into his sphere of influence. He knows how to use oneiromancy even from the dungeon, though it’s unknown if he had this ability before his failed ritual.

The influence of the spirit possessing him upon his personality is currently unknown. He describes his monstrous nature as the ultimate freedom whereas he considers the court’s manners and cultivated demeanor as hypocritical. His dialogue implies that he is adventurous and capable of savage violence, in sharp contrast to both his brother and the upbringing they shared.

He readily admits to a great deal of resentment for his half-brother but not in a savage or uncontrollable way. He calls his half-brother selfish and greedy and suggests that he is a hypocrite. This seems to align with the Emperor’s describing the Prince as always hating him. The Prince has very little good to say about his father as well, calling him pathetic and weak-willed for carrying out a plan that, we must assume, had so much at risk for a very small chance of success.
As a yandere, his primary characterization is driven by his obsession over the Listener and the need to win their heart, in this case away from their established relationship with his half-brother. He claims to have a deeper understanding of their desires, which seems to be accurate based on how the Listener reaches out and reacts to him in the dungeon. Their close relationship plus what legitimacy he had left as the first-born, pure-blooded son of his disgraced father was strong enough that it threatened whatever claim the young Emperor-to-be had on them as well. It’s unknown if their courtship with his sibling is what drove him to try and enchant them (presumably without their consent) to love him alone.

## Trivia

### Sirenus

* Has been imprisoned for 10 years
* He bonded his soul to a “creature of the abyss” but something went wrong with the possession ritual. Though he has been marked as a dangerous criminal and has admitted to killing mortals, he admits to doing so for fun.
	+ Symptoms of his possession include fangs, claws, and a monstrous form underneath his human flesh. It’s unknown if he can shapeshift to look like other people or creatures though it’s quite likely.
	+ Didn’t leave any bite marks on his victims (that were found)
	+ Drinks blood for fun, not sustenance
* Can use oneiromancy to look into the dreams of his brother

### Listener

This list is in addition to the one in the Emperor’s article.

* They appear to still be drawn in by his charisma and savagery, similar to how they are attracted to the Emperor’s gravitas and dark nature
* Has an adventurous side

### Fan Theories

* As a man who consumes blood for fun, kills for sport, is a shapeshifter, and has bonded his soul to “a creature of the abyss”, fans have theorized that he is either a blood mage, a warlock, or contains another piece of Ortas’s soul.
* Will probably break out of prison when the war starts.

## Audio References

1. ↑ Yandere Prince Pledges Himself To You
2. ↑ Yandere Prince Tempts You