mariusthevampire

[mariusthevampire]

period moodboard: Italian Renaissance (requested by anonymous)

one short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, and death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die

[mariusthevampire]

| brussels, belgium |

[mariusthevampire]

Tonight was a rare sort of night.  Rather than leave on business or duty, Marius stayed in for the night.  The doors and walls were made thick and sturdy, but Marius still felt as if he were a part of Venice’s nightlife.  Water sloshed and moved softly down canals, and Marius heard the way the water broke as gondolas cut through on their paths back and forth.  Then there were the voices, the laughter, the music.

But there was reserve within these palatial walls.  On this most special night, Marius did not even retreat to his rooms for business or take his leave to work on his latest artistic re-creation.  In his hands was a delicate print of the Dialogus Creaturarum Optime Moralizatus.  

He finished reading the parting words, “Ille cito se dissolvit qui per doctos se non movit,” quite amusing all things considered, and perhaps too relevant, before looking up.  The book in his hand closed with a dull thud.

“He smells fine, I am quite sure,” Marius’ tone had a hint of chastizement as it was not decent to talk such a way of a learned person. “I cannot speak to his yelling but to ask what you are doing to make him so angry that he must yell?”  

Riccardo was not a bad boy; Marius knew this because he could see into the soiled and bruised heart which sat before him in a gilded chair, full of fine foods and spices.  Life had rather stained this youth’s nature, marring it by terrible circumstance and abuse.  Time would correct what time had already done, but it was a process that took patience.  Riccardo acted out from time to time, as if he wanted to push Marius into banishing him from his home.

-hidden smiles @mariusthevampire -

It had been almost 4 months since Riccardo had come to live with the Maestro. The beginning was rocky and took a great deal of adjustments but so far everything was well. It was still just the two of them and the servants and it was pleasant. Riccardo had warmed up a great deal to his new master but there was a tiny part of the young boy that didn’t believe his place here was permanent.

The sun had set and the two of them were sat down to dinner, even if Marius didn’t eat, he worked on ledgers and made sure Riccardo ate his fill. Talked about their day. The young italian watched as his Master was reading, surely distracted. The child’s innocent brown eyes scanned over the silverware. He knew how much they were worth on the street. At least a good meal of stew, bread and ale. And so he carefully slipped it into his pants. Sneaky Riccaro.

“I don’t like my teacher,” he finally chimed after a long moment of silence. Crumbs all over his face, he eyed his Master, “He yells and smells funny..”

[mariusthevampire]

Sacrifice of Isaac, 1598, Caravaggio

Medium: oil,canvas

[mariusthevampire]

The night at Court was as fulfilling and exhausting as ever.  He’d spent the night at the fringe of the music and dancing, watchful though reserved.  To be honest, he was still worn from all recent dramatics, both emotionally and physically.  There was something about the music, laughter, and conversation that gave him an easy reprieve from his grim thoughts, and that was why he stayed rather than retreat away for a time.

Marius noticed all as he watched, observed things both grand and small.  He watched Lestat and Louis make affectionate conversation.  Pandora was absent, full of malaise, shutting all out for a time.  Not even Marius had been admitted to her rooms, though he had sought audience.  Armand appeared more agitated than he had been the last few nights, which made Marius a bit wary.  He thought that perhaps Armand was beginning to revert back to the self he had only just recently been.  All progress lost.  Normally, Marius would give Armand his space, but there were things at risk.

The music and shimmering lights left behind, Marius walked the long and old corridor to where Armand kept his residence, a series of rooms much like medieval “apartments” within a palace or castle.  To Marius’s credit, he did knock, but after the knock he eased the door open.  “May I enter?” he asked, decent enough not to cross the threshold. 

The New Court @mariusthevampire

Armand had spoken briefly with his master after Lestat’s triumph and had attended the ball at Marius and Louis’ insistence. After all the fanfare was done, Armand retreated again to his rooms. This time he didn’t take Benji or Sybelle. He was still upset at Lestat and his own feelings reborn for Marius. Both his love as Amadeo and his hatred at Armand who blamed the one who made him for showing no mercy as Rhosh had with his fledglings. Now that he knew everything, his jealousy of Lestat was apparent. He couldn’t hold back his emotions nor compose himself so he retreated.

[mariusthevampire]

Reblogging myself because I added Daniel

🎭 - How does your muse handle their emotions? Do they bottle them up or pour them out as soon as they start to feel?

// Marius is really complex, so excuse me if some of this is contradictory.  Marius has a set nature, but has always reacted to certain people differently, and given more of himself over to some than others.

Marius is restrained, part of that old Senatorial Roman elite that was taught to be so.  I think it’s also just his normal personality; he was likely a quiet but thoughtful child who matured into a quiet and thoughtful man.  But I imagine he was someone who would nonetheless speak up when necessary or when he had something to say.  Restrained, yes, and careful, probably an easy conversationalist, but not shy or meek.  The restraint of which he currently exhibits probably wasn’t fully matured until he was a man around 30 and had to “grow up.”  I don’t imagine it was hard for him to transition.  He’s even moreso now.  Marius contemplates, he thinks more than he says, and doesn’t often like to waste words.  When he dislikes you, you know, but he is a polite and dignified man and won’t stoop to arguments unless his mood is bad.  He  does bottle his emotions, mostly, because he sees emotions like anger to be undignified and below him.  He doesn’t want people to see him suffer, and he certainly does not want pity.  When he releases his anger he does stupid and hasty things, and can lash our viciously with words.

Individual by individual…

Pandora is likely the only one capable of understanding Marius, but there is a bit of a chasm in which she doesn’t necessarily sympathize when he is suffering.  She’s too much of a know-it-all (I say this with love) to indulge Marius.  The Marius of Antioch was a bit gentler, but the Marius of now is frustrated with her, and his patience is limited to a degree by his frustration.  They are distant the way any pair with a thousand and a half year gap would be.  He counters Pandora’s weakness with throwing his hands up up at it all, and he is prone to speaking discontented things to her.  He’s stubborn with his feelings for her and won’t easily oblige.  He won’t easily admit the tender things he feels for her.

Armand his feelings for has changed drastically from what they were to what they are.  When Armand was a mortal, Marius was tender and sweet, and he loved to love Armand.  While Armand was no confidant and Marius did not confide his feelings beyond love and desire.  In his eyes, Armand wasn’t mature or capable enough to handle all of Marius’ emotions and truths.  Armand was, though, an outlet of the feelings manifested by others.  The current Armand is different in that that tenderness and gentle, passionate love is gone.  He loves Armand, but he won’t give sweet emotions away to Armand easily.  Marius feels guilty for all that has happened.  But he doesn’t mince words– he’ll tell Armand off if he needs to, he’s not so guilt-ridden that he wants to pamper.

With Bianca, I think Marius always found her to talk to and confide in.  Out of all of his relationships, he was probably the most open with her.  Which made for some epic fights.

His relationship with Daniel has transformed as drastically as the one he has with Armand.  At first there was resolved pity, annoyance.  Daniel was a ward, not someone Marius connected with emotionally, so he likely gave Daniel little in the way of emotion.  But by the time we get to Prince Lestat, we see that at some point some change took place.  Daniel’s feelings for Daniel are, at the risk of sounding strange, as sweet as they were for Bianca.  I can see Marius telling Daniel a lot of his feelings, his wishes, but still holding best so as to appear strong and capable at all times.  To reassure Daniel that he is loved, protected, and cared for.

[mariusthevampire]

🎭 - How does your muse handle their emotions? Do they bottle them up or pour them out as soon as they start to feel?

// Marius is really complex, so excuse me if some of this is contradictory.  Marius has a set nature, but has always reacted to certain people differently, and given more of himself over to some than others.

Marius is restrained, part of that old Senatorial Roman elite that was taught to be so.  I think it’s also just his normal personality; he was likely a quiet but thoughtful child who matured into a quiet and thoughtful man.  But I imagine he was someone who would nonetheless speak up when necessary or when he had something to say.  Restrained, yes, and careful, probably an easy conversationalist, but not shy or meek.  The restraint of which he currently exhibits probably wasn’t fully matured until he was a man around 30 and had to “grow up.”  I don’t imagine it was hard for him to transition.  He’s even moreso now.  Marius contemplates, he thinks more than he says, and doesn’t often like to waste words.  When he dislikes you, you know, but he is a polite and dignified man and won’t stoop to arguments unless his mood is bad.  He  does bottle his emotions, mostly, because he sees emotions like anger to be undignified and below him.  He doesn’t want people to see him suffer, and he certainly does not want pity.  When he releases his anger he does stupid and hasty things, and can lash our viciously with words.

Individual by individual…

Pandora is likely the only one capable of understanding Marius, but there is a bit of a chasm in which she doesn’t necessarily sympathize when he is suffering.  She’s too much of a know-it-all (I say this with love) to indulge Marius.  The Marius of Antioch was a bit gentler, but the Marius of now is frustrated with her, and his patience is limited to a degree by his frustration.  They are distant the way any pair with a thousand and a half year gap would be.  He counters Pandora’s weakness with throwing his hands up up at it all, and he is prone to speaking discontented things to her.  He’s stubborn with his feelings for her and won’t easily oblige.  He won’t easily admit the tender things he feels for her.

Armand his feelings for has changed drastically from what they were to what they are.  When Armand was a mortal, Marius was tender and sweet, and he loved to love Armand.  While Armand was no confidant and Marius did not confide his feelings beyond love and desire.  In his eyes, Armand wasn’t mature or capable enough to handle all of Marius’ emotions and truths.  Armand was, though, an outlet of the feelings manifested by others.  The current Armand is different in that that tenderness and gentle, passionate love is gone.  He loves Armand, but he won’t give sweet emotions away to Armand easily.  Marius feels guilty for all that has happened.  But he doesn’t mince words– he’ll tell Armand off if he needs to, he’s not so guilt-ridden that he wants to pamper.

With Bianca, I think Marius always found her to talk to and confide in.  Out of all of his relationships, he was probably the most open with her.  Which made for some epic fights.

His relationship with Daniel has transformed as drastically as the one he has with Armand.  At first there was resolved pity, annoyance.  Daniel was a ward, not someone Marius connected with emotionally, so he likely gave Daniel little in the way of emotion.  But by the time we get to Prince Lestat, we see that at some point some change took place.  Daniel’s feelings for Daniel are, at the risk of sounding strange, as sweet as they were for Bianca.  I can see Marius telling Daniel a lot of his feelings, his wishes, but still holding best so as to appear strong and capable at all times.  To reassure Daniel that he is loved, protected, and cared for.

[mariusthevampire]

👧 - What was your muse’s relationship like with their siblings? Who did they got along with best?

// The information given in Pandora is vague, but we do know that Marius had “sisters,” which implies more than one.  My memory is fuzzy, but I am certain Marius mentioned brothers, again plural.  So, at least two brothers and two sisters.  It’s also not known how old they are, whether his siblings are all older, younger, or a mixture of both.

Marius would have gotten along with them because he is mostly, at least then, an amiable man.  Given his nature as a human (keep in mind a lot different than him as an immortal as we know), he would have been very affectionate to younger sisters, tried to be a role model to younger brothers, accommodated his older sisters, and respected his older brothers.  As Pandora said, though, Marius was known to be a “bad boy,” a “poet,” and a “loafer,” so I can imagine they sometimes did not approve of his choices and lifestyle.  Especially that he decided to forego a public, civil, or political career in favor of wandering the world writing stories.

[mariusthevampire]

🌺 - Does your muse have a favorite flower? Why do they like it?

//Cherry blossoms for their delicate beauty, the way the just cover the ground like colorful snow, and because of their legend.

The Dahlia because it is a generous and full flower, and because there are so many species and thus different shapes, fullness, and a plethora of gorgeous colors.

Roses, of course.  They are just beautiful flowers.

[mariusthevampire]

👩 - What is your muse’s relationship like with their mother? Is it good, bad, or complicated?

// Marius’ natural mother died giving birth, so he never knew her.  And his father avoiding discussing her for various reasons.  Two of the most prominent were because he barely knew her, as she was nothing more than a beautiful slave, and because it was inappropriate... out of respect for his legal wife.

As for Marius’ step-mother, she was very good to him.  He had a happy childhood, not marred by trouble or neglect.  Though a bastard child, he was legally adopted into his family (side note, that means his cognomen would have ended in -anus and that’s just rudely funny to me because, though in my 30s, butt jokes are still funny)which means, and his step-mother treated him as one of her own.  Yes, she was less affectionate toward him, but this suited him fine.  He did not leave to see the world because he was necessarily unhappy, but because he wanted to see the world

[mariusthevampire]

VAMPIRE THEMED SENTENCE STARTERS

a mix of human and vampire dialogue. change pronouncs as you see fit!

❝I can’t turn into a bat, now stop asking.❞

❝What happened to all of the O positive bags in the fridge?❞

❝I’m actually a vegetarian vampire.❞

❝Vampires have hard-ons longer.❞

❝I’m ____ years old.❞

❝Did you really think holy water was going to work on me?❞

❝Did you try to stake me in my sleep?❞

❝You have no idea how many lives I’ve lived.❞

❝Your blood tastes so good.❞

❝I actually sleep in a bed, not a coffin.❞

❝I can’t live another century without you.❞

❝You’re the first human I’ve loved in hundreds of years.❞

❝If there’s anyone I want to stake me it’s you.❞

❝You call that a stake?❞

❝I thought that if I turned you we could be together forever.❞

❝You really don’t know anything about vampires, do you?❞     

❝I’m a vampire. Duh.❞

❝Vampire hunters have been after me for years.❞ 

❝I’ll rip out your heart and drink it look a juice box.❞   

❝I’m not going to turn you.❞

❝I want you to turn me.❞

❝Are you saying that my blood is gross?❞

❝He screamed at me that he was a creature of the night and tried to drink my blood.❞

❝My vampire boyfriend is going to kick your ass!❞

❝I’m going to drag your ass out into the sun!❞

❝Bite me. I want you to do it.❞

❝I can’t believe the person I fell in love with is a vampire.❞

❝You could have killed me!❞

❝What special powers do you have?❞

❝Please don’t eat me.❞

❝Do you really think you’ll live forever?❞     

❝I’ve been hunting your kind for years.❞

❝You healed that fast?❞

❝You turned me against my will!❞

❝Did you think turning me would make me love you forever?❞    

❝I’m so hungry right now.❞

❝I’m so hungry I could eat a horse…or you.❞

❝I like biting that special place right between the thighs.❞

❝I just want to bite you all over.❞

❝How badly does biting someone hurt?❞        

❝Can’t we feed on each other?❞

❝Just because you turned me doesn’t mean we’re together.❞  

[mariusthevampire]

John the Baptist (Reclining Baptist), 1610, Caravaggio

Medium: oil,canvas

[mariusthevampire]

There were nights during which Daniel came alive, when he was especially vibrant.  It was always from a distance, avoiding a crush of wonton bodies, that Marius Daniel in this element.  Daniel’s body moved perfectly with the flashing lights and music, as if they were all separate extensions of the same bacchanal muse, which found perfect primal rhythm when these parts at last came together.  Marius was loathed to join him in the throngs.  Besides, he wasn’t much a dancer, rather an observer.  This wasn’t his brand of hedonism.  

People were drawn to Daniel’s beauty and energy, and Marius enjoyed observing how Daniel unintentionally he captivated those around him both man and woman.  There was no doubt that Daniel was beautiful with his preternatural eyes and skin.  And then there was that touch of occasional innocence, of naivety, in the worldly young man and vampire that beguiled.

Yet Marius was, though he did not realize it, affected by those very qualities as well.  He wanted to give Daniel everything and enjoyed their nights together.  He convinced himself that it brought him happiness merely because it assuaged his minor touch of loneliness and melancholia.  

Taking Daniel by the hand, he led him toward where the humans danced, laughed, drank, beaded with salty sweat and libations.  They were momentarily carefree, young and alive, in this glittering and throbbing world.

“A man then,” Marius repeated, confirmation that he had heard and would make it so.  Perhaps then his own icy blood would perhaps be warmed.  It usually took more blood than he could receive from one human to satisfy his blood and body.  Afterward, per chance he could take Daniel somewhere they’d never been before.  There was no telling when they would move, wanting a different setting and different scenery.

Studying the crowd, he sough one fully inebriated.  Far easier were these mortals to convince to come to them with little intervention of mind and other gifts.  And there were standards.  Marius did not simply want the drunkest man in the room, but also one with allure and charm.  There was no shortage of men such as this, which was precisely why these places were the best to find victims.

“Come with me.” Marius decided to forgo his usual reservation to move into the intoxication congregation.  Bright blonde hair that flashed in the lights caught his eyes and he walked toward it.  Eyes of a dark grey noticed Marius coming toward him, and generously formed lips smiled just a bit.  It was a consenting smile, inviting them to come closer if they chose.  And chose Marius did.  

“Come with me.” The very same command Marius had given Daniel he gave this human, who did not think it strange that Marius spoke not in a yell but could nonetheless be heard above the music and revelry.  

Little convincing required.

He trusted Daniel followed along.

There were no quiet or dark corners, but they did not need one.  It was the very center of the crowd that oddly afforded them the most privacy.  Everyone was so caught up in their own excited pleasure that they scarcely noticed what was happening around.  Daniel was brought to stand directly in front of the man.  Marius, taller, was able to lean slightly around Daniel to speak in a more intimate way, not because he needed to, but because it would excite the human, making him a more compliant target.  “This is Daniel.”  The boy would not remember. “He’s going to dance with you.”  Not a question or request.

Marius put his hands on Daniel’s shoulders, not needing to repeat a similar demand as it was known.  To Daniel he gave a different directive.  “Kiss him.”

[mariusthevampire]

Artist: Samuel Prout ~ English painter 1783-1852 

[mariusthevampire]

The past echoes in our souls. Our passion is a burning flame, eternal. Antiquity is a part of us.

[mariusthevampire]

Palacio de los marqueses de Fronteira

[mariusthevampire]

||Do you think Marius would want any more fledglings? Is he perpetually lonely?

// I do think that Marius would in the future if he meets a human he comes to love.  He’s not anti-fledgling like other vampires have been, he can just be a bit picky (Sybelle and Benji a nice aberration).  He’s not too lonely now that he has something to do at Court.