#The Two Who Marius Owed

[lesmisscraper]

Marius trying to find one of the man looking for, who 'saved' his father. Volume 5, Book 5, Chapter 8.

Clips from <Il cuore di Cosette>.

[im-a-killer-queen]

Orm Marius x reader

Part 2

Summary: Orm sees a curvy girl with curly hair for the first time and he is in awe.

Author’s note: so here it is, the second part, honestly i don’t know if it’s good but i think i kind of owe you a second part so here it is.

Warnings: none? fem!reader, curly!hair!reader, chubby!reader, Orm being the werido he is in the surface, Arthur and Orm being brothers and i think that’s it.

Part one

You would say your life is normal, you lived in a town by the sea, had a nice job in a coffe shop and had a few friends.

That’s why when that weird guy appeared, you were amused, you felt like you wanted to know more and see him again.

Lucky you, Orm had the exact same plan as you, that’s why he talked to his brother, to know more about humans, about their way of comunicating and different tools that were necessary to keep in touch nowadays.

Arthur found the whole thing funny, but he also was scared his brother didn’t knew how to manage those feeling and how to treat a Surface lady properly. When Orm first asked him for advice he just told him: ¨Don’t be yourself¨.

Orm got human clothes and walked around the town, looking for you, Arthur decided to join him just in case.

He saw you through the cristal, in that little caffe. There wasn’t any costumer inside, so he just walked in, followed by his brother.

You looked up and saw him there, you offered him a big smile and Orm could feel his heart jumping out of his chest.

¨Hey¨ he said, his face was in awe.

¨Hey¨ you said back, he just chuckled.

¨I think i didn’t present myself properly last time and for that, i apologize¨ he bowed.

Arthur elbowed him.

You just chuckled and bowed back ¨i accept your apologies¨.

Arthur´s eyebrows went up ¨I get why you liked her, she is a freak like you¨ he whispered to Orm, who just shot him a bad glance.

¨So¨ you start ¨want a coffe or…?¨

Orm opens his mouth then close it.

¨Yes, two black coffees please¨ Arthur smiles.

You smile back and start preparing the coffees. While you are working Arthur has a little chat with Orm ¨You have to do something, you can´t just stare at her¨.

Orm nods and reunites corage ¨My name is Orm¨ he says bluntly, a little too loud to which Arthur covers his face with one hand, the other one on his hip.

You look at him and chuckle softly ¨Nice to meet you Orm¨ you reveal your name to them.

He smiles, sun making his face glow ¨You have a beautiful name, perfect for you¨, he says, acting like he is in a trance, like the first time you two met.

You blush slightly ¨Thanks Orm, yours is interesting, i like it¨ you give them the coffes and they sip at it¨It sounds like royalty¨.

Arthur almost chokes with the coffe hearing that and Orm just lets the coffe fall back from his mouth to the cup, not liking the flavour.

¨Is it that bad?¨ you say a bit ashamed.

¨Oh no! It´s not that¨ Arthur says, laughing to ease the mood ¨It´s nice, really¨ he drinks it ¨see?¨ he elbows Orm so he drinks it all.

He puts up a face and takes another sip, he smiles at you but doesn´t swallow the liquid.

You find it funny.

¨It´s really okay if you don´t like it¨ you assure them.

Arthur shakes his head, ready to tell you it´s not like that but Orm talks first ¨it tastes hideous, i don’t understand how you humans can drink this¨

You frown ¨W-what?¨

Arthur widens his eyes ¨Ahh… it´s his first time having coffe, that’s why he says that¨

You raise a brow ¨That’s why he says ´humans’ like he isn´t one?¨

They look at each other and start talking at the same time, trying to find an excuse.

¨It´s a brothers joke¨ Arthur says ¨We kind of have a game in which we think we aren´t human, long story, we were kids¨

You look at them both and stay silent for a few seconds, your gaze shifts from one man to another. They tense under it.

¨You guys are… brothers?¨ you say surprised.

They both let the air out.

¨Yes, we are!¨ Arthur says with an exagerated laugh.

¨From different fathers¨ Orm is quick to elaborate.

¨Oh, i see…¨ you chuckle ¨it´s nice to see you have a good relationship nontheless¨

They side eye at each other.

¨Sure¨ they say at the same time.

¨Okay…¨

You three stay silent, they look at you and you look back at them, unsure of what to do.

¨Number¨ Arthur says suddenly, pointing at you, he then makes a noise and touches his temple, he points at you again ¨Your number¨ he looks at Orm.

¨Ah, yes! Yes, your number¨ he chuckles and looks at you ¨I would really enjoy to have your company on more occassions so it would warm my heart if you could give me your number so we could… talk?¨

¨Oh¨ you don´t know how to react.

¨Freak¨ Arthur coughs out.

¨S-sure!¨ you chuckle ¨Yes, give me your phone¨

Orm smiles and stares at you.

¨Dude¨ Arthur says, the other just looks at him ¨your phone, give her your phone¨

Orm starts to touch his pants ¨Ah yes, just- just give me a second, i don´t seem to be able to… to find it¨ he chuckles, nervous.

He gets the phone and gives it to you.

¨I thought you didn´t have one¨ you tease taking it.

¨My brother just gave it to me¨ he answer in honesty.

Arthur just rubs his temple.

You write down your number and give him his phone back.

¨There you have it¨ you smile.

¨Thank you…¨ Orm is staring at you again, like he has never seen a woman before in his life, which, in a way, is true since you were very different from the woman in Atlantis.

¨Okay bud, that´s it¨ Arthur smacks his chest and turns him around, taking him to the door. ¨Goodbye good lady, see you in family meetings!¨

They walk outside and you just stand there, both confusedand amused.

You are defenitely gonna go to those family meetings.

Tags (the ones who asked for a part 2)

@nkatr84 @dark-silhouette

[emptyblaze]

Hey.

Has any other fan reread TVL and imagined where kinky scenes for the TV show could be added?

SCENE 1:

"Where's Nicki'?" I demanded.

Nicki is suspended in a gilded cage. He is....naked and dancing.

"what is this place?"

Armand rolls up a lounge chair made up of twisted 12th century bodies. "Welcome to the Kittycatacomb Club. Me-OW."

***

SCENE 2:

"Armand, you broke into my theater and are digging through my shit, throwing it all over on the floor! Where is Nicki's Violin?"

" if it was UP yo ass, you'd know it." Says Armand not looking up from my dirty magazines and who doesn't wear pants. "Wanna fuck like in this picture?" He points to gay sex.

***

SCENE 3:

"Gabrielle, I saved Nicki from Armand..." I said.

"Where is he right now?

"Oh I let Armand babysit him."

"isn't that dangerous?" Gabrielle asked.

"True, the bib and diapers Armand makes Nicki wear is a bit risque, but nah It's okay, those two kids just have so much fun! Armand sewed Nicki's hands to his dick and the only way to fix it was to cut it all off and let it grow back. Unfortunately Armand thought four hands and two dicks would grow back in place!"

SCENE 4:

"Mother, I keep psychically fucking this really hot Marius guy with 6-6-6 stats. Let's leave these insane vampires, take a riverboat to Egypt, marry Marius and live our best life and send really nasty letters to Dad."

"No." Says Gabrielle, " I'm sorry son. I like vagina. Has this ever been obvious to you? Because it's obvious to EVERYONE ELSE. I'm leaving you for two reasons. One, I can't get quality pussy when you're around, and two, see reason one."

[princessanonymous]

Of Trials- Part 3/3 (Ask)

Platonic Yandere Vampire

Previous Part

Story Chapter list

┉┈◈◉◈┈┉

The courtroom smelled of polished wood and old paper and ink. It was a grand place, decorated intricately with carvings in the wood. Each wall told the story of great pioneers, from the Original Sire to, the great Vlad, without forgetting the lady Carmilla,

The judges all looked different from the second – the first seat was surprisingly empty – to the last, the ninth. Some of them, he recognized, like Madame Rossignol, and he wondered why such a woman was ever voted to be part of the council for the next 18 years. There were three men and five women. He took note of two elderly-looking people, a man and a woman, with graying hair. It wasn't every day that he saw vampires turned at such an old age.

For his part, Dorian sat poised on the defendant's seat, looking up at the members. It wouldn't do to appear unruly on such a night, so he had taken great care to look presentable.

"Dorian de Beauvoir," called the first judge to stand up, the man who looked old with a gray beard. Despite his late stage of life, his burgundy eyes remained vibrant, contrasting with his dark skin. "You have been accused of the siring of an immortal child, a crime that, as you must already know, is punishable by death." There were whispers, but he held his head high. "We ask you now; how do you plead?"

"Not guilty," he answered, portraying no hesitation. There were even more whispers, and he himself was astounded by his own ability to remain calm.

"Very well," nodded the man, "I, Marius Thorn, member of the vampiric council, therefore announce the beginning of this session." He regained his seat.

On the fourth seat to his left, Madame Rossignol rose. She cleared her throat, then frowned at him. There was at least one person on his side, it seemed. He did not particularly like the woman, but the support wasn't unwelcome.

The atmosphere grew tense as the other judges exchanged glances. Dorian’s mind raced, but he kept his exterior composed. He knew that any sign of weakness could be detrimental. The charges were severe, and he needed to maintain his dignity.

Madame Rossignol's voice rang clear and authoritative. "We must remember that each accused is entitled to a fair trial. Dorian de Beauvoir stands before us, claiming innocence. We owe it to our laws and traditions to hear him out fully."

“Duke, when did you first come in contact with the young (Y/n)?” the interrogator asked, her voice slicing through the tense silence of the courtroom.

“Autumn of 1856," Dorian responded, his tone measured. "I am unsure of the specific date."

"And her parents?" she pressed, her gaze unwavering.

"Dead," he replied, his voice devoid of remorse. He believed firmly that it had to be done; they were links to her life that needed severing.

The interrogator raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing there was more to the story. "Before or after your encounter with her?" she asked, her tone sharper.

"After." His responses were succinct, unsure how his admissions would be received.

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Were you responsible for it?”

He hesitated for a moment before acquiescing, "I was," he finally admitted.

Most in the courtroom remained stoic, but a few whispered amongst themselves in disapproval, viewing his actions as a significant risk to their status of secrecy. Their concern was not for the mortals, but for the potential exposure his actions could bring to their kind.

He glanced up at the spectators' seats, something he had avoided since the trial began. His gaze first fell upon Elizabetta, the vile woman seated in a prime spot with a perfect view of the proceedings. When their eyes met, she waved at him mockingly. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly looked away.

Finding Killian was not difficult; he sat at the very front, his brows furrowed and lips pursed. Dorian scanned the area around him, searching for his daughter. His eyes landed on his partner again, silently conveying a clear message: 'Where is my daughter?' Killian didn't respond, averting his gaze, causing Dorian to grip his seat in frustration.

"Duke, I believe you were asked a question," Madame Rossignol's voice cut through his thoughts, bringing his attention back to her. He quickly apologized. "When did the decision to turn the young girl first come to mind?"

"A few weeks after our first meeting,” he replied after clearing his throat, though his eyes continued to wander, searching for his child.

"How old was she at that time?"

"Eleven years old," he answered. Noting their outrage, he added, "I did not plan to turn her until her twelfth birthday."

"And when did you turn her?"

"A week after her birthday," he stated plainly.

Madame Rossignol leaned forward, her eyes boring into his. "And that, even while knowing the risks of turning a child," she said, her tone heavy with accusation.

"She was twelve," he reasoned with a scoff, defiance in his voice.

Another woman stepped forward to stand beside Madame Rossignol. "Be that as it may, the law against immortal children takes many factors into account: their age at the time of turning as well as their own self-control." She glanced around at the onlookers. "I am sure you all remember the case of Maxim Penryhouse."

Everyone did, of course. The boy and his sire had created such chaos within their society, leading to years of suppressing rumors and whispers about vampires in the country. Maxim had been deemed an immortal child despite being turned at fifteen. Both he and his sire had their daylight rings removed and were left to burn under the sun's unforgiving glare.

"She can control herself," Dorian hissed through gritted teeth, desperation creeping into his voice.

The second woman looked expectantly at Madame Rossignol. She bit her lip, her brows furrowing into a soft frown. “It is neither true nor false," she declared, her power to recognize lies revealing the uncertainty of his statement. This ability was precisely why she held her seat on the council.

Dorian drew in a deep breath, his hands clenching and unclenching. "By the gods," he whispered to himself, feeling the weight of his uncertainty. Even he was unsure of his own answer now, and he suddenly felt awfully foolish.

The courtroom seemed to close in around him as he grappled with his own doubts. His gaze flickered back to the spectators, finding Killian once more. His partner’s face was stony, unreadable, offering no comfort or reassurance. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint murmurs of the audience.

Madame Rossignol's voice cut through the tension. "Dorian, the council needs assurance that the child you turned can indeed control herself. Her actions, should they go unchecked, could expose us all."

He nodded, swallowing hard. "I understand. She is different, though. She has a strength of will that is rare. I have faith in her."

The younger judge with piercing green eyes spoke again, skepticism clear in his tone. "Faith is not enough. We need evidence. We need proof that she will not be a threat to our secrecy. Bring the girl in."

Then, the door swung open to reveal (Y/n). His child hesitated to step forward, but beside her stood a man whose very presence commanded respect, a testament to the centuries he had witnessed. His skin was a golden tan, and his ebony black hair fell in waves.

His gaze was sharp, dark eyes seemingly aware of everything happening around him. This was a man who could not be caught off guard, having seen it all. Their eyes locked, and Dorian sucked in a sharp breath. Mikhail smiled at him, his sharp white fangs gleaming in the candlelight.

Dorian stood, driven by a sudden urge to pry (Y/n) away from Mikhail, to scream at him, attack him, or worse—but he was promptly ordered to settle down again. With great difficulty, he complied, feeling utterly powerless. If his sire dared to harm her, though, Dorian would not hesitate to pounce.

Mikhail rested a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder and crouched down to whisper something in her ear. (Y/n) nodded with a small frown. Mikhail straightened, looked at the council members, and nodded in turn.

"Very well," Madame Rossignol said, "let the human in."

This time, a door opposite the one (Y/n) had entered through opened. A young maiden, who could not have been older than twenty, was forced in, shoved by two vampires. She struggled and pleaded for her life as she was thrown at (Y/n)'s feet.

"What is this?" Dorian demanded, his voice tight with fear and anger.

"A test. To assess her self-control."

He knew what this entailed: one sip of the human’s blood, and (Y/n) would sign both their death sentences.

(Y/n) did not react to the human trashing and weeping, demonstrating her remarkable ability to control herself. She wasn't a rabid animal ready to pounce on anyone, obviously. Her restraint, however, was only the beginning of the ordeal. 

When the mere sight of the mortal failed to incite her, the woman was slashed, a shallow cut on her neck causing blood to pool on the floor. "Please!" she cried out, desperately clutching her neck in a futile attempt to stop the blood flow. "I don't want to die! Have mercy!" Yet he was certain his child was not listening; the sweet scent of the blood was probably more enticing to her at this moment. She wasn't one to care about the pleas of her victims.

"(Y/n)..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, as he saw her eyes turn red and her canines grow. He witnessed the fierce battle within her as she fought to restrain herself, to resist giving in to her primal instincts. 

She approached the woman slowly, and he blanched, hoping—no, praying—that she would turn away, that she wouldn't seal her own fate and—

She put both hands over her mouth, clenched her eyes shut, and turned her head away. He leaned back in his seat, exhaling a breath of relief, as he heard the onlookers whisper amongst themselves.

(Y/n) was led out of the courtroom by the same man who had escorted her in. Once again, he whispered something in her ear and flashed Dorian a grin. The tension in the room was palpable, but for now, she had resisted.

The next hour was a blur to him as he awaited their decision. Fairness was not a word in vampires’ vocabulary and this test, Dorian knew, was more for theatrics than anything. It was for them a small, yet entertaining performance that wasn’t likely to change their mind had they already deemed him guilty in their cold, unbeating hearts.

Mikhael sat on the only empty seat reserved for the council. He supposed he should have expected him to have this seat, Dorian thought bitterly. Why him of all people? 

He had to wait hours before the sentencing finally came. As the last member of the council advanced to announce their decision, Dorian stood rigidly unable to think of anything other than the next words that would come out of his mouth. 

The burly man shuffled papers in his calloused hands and cleared his throat before speaking in a gruff voice. He rambled on about the evidence, summarizing the entire session as if they hadn't all been present. But finally, the words Dorian had been anxiously awaiting were directed at him: "Dorian de Beauvoir, this court has found you not guilty of the siring of an immortal child."

Relief washed over him like a tidal wave, and he nearly collapsed, pulling his face into his hands and sighing deeply. Dorian had never imagined he would feel this light again.

"This is preposterous!" cried out someone in front of the spectators box. It was Elizabetta who had risen to protest, "She is clearly–"

"This council has made its decision," warned the first council member, "Are you questioning it?"

"That child, as well as her sire should be -".

"Elizabetta," snapped Mikhael, and Dorian couldn't help but flinch at the authority in his voice. "Your opinion on the matter is neither here nor there."

He watched as Elizabetta quietly sat down, shooting Dorian a bitter look. He instinctively wanted to listen, or just make himself as small as possible because, while these words weren’t directed at him, he felt as much like a scolded child as she did. 

⊱ ────── {⋆☾⋆} ────── ⊰

As he left the room, he soon came across Killian. He smiled and held him in a tight embrace, resting his face on the crook of his neck. Killian smelled of spices and wood. Stepping back, Dorian asked, "Where is she?"

"Outside, that's what they told me," Killian answered, and they walked together towards the entrance.

Opening the door, Dorian's eyes scanned the entry hall until he spotted her. (Y/n) was engaged in conversation with his sire. Dorian quickened his pace until he reached them.

She turned around at the sound of his footsteps, giving him a bright smile. But on the corner of her mouth, he noticed blood, and her eyes were red.

"You're here!" she cried out happily, though she didn't move away from his sire, who was also smiling.

"We are," replied Killian, stepping forward with a handkerchief to wipe the red liquid off her mouth. "When did you feed?"

"Just recently," she chirped. "Mr. Mikhael told me I could have the screaming lady after the trial."

His sire pinched (Y/n)'s cheeks affectionately and remarked, "What a sweetheart she is." Then he looked up at Dorian. "You chose her very well, Dorian."

"Get away from her," Dorian ground out hatefully. Killian shot him a surprised look.

The older vampire raised both hands mockingly. "I do not wish her any harm, Dorian."

Killian leaned in to whisper in Dorian's ear, " (Y/n) and I will be waiting outside." 

He left promptly without waiting for a response, clearly uninterested in being part of any quarrel between Dorian and his sire. Was Killian even aware that this was the blond’s sire? Now that he thought of it, he had never mentioned him to the other as he had always wished to squash any memory of the older vampire.

Dorian watched them depart but reluctantly remained behind.

"A lovely little family you have," commented his sire casually.

"You do not get to do that,” seethed the blond.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Pray tell, what do I ‘not get' to do?"

"You may not just waltz in. This is my family, you may not come into contact with them."

Mikhael stared at him, and Dorian found himself unable to hold his gaze. "I... apologize for Elizabetta's actions," Mikhael said after a moment. "I can assure you that she prepared this entire thing without my consent."

He hummed thoughtfully, processing Mikhael's words. "So she is indeed yours."

"Younger than you. She is good and took to our way of existence very quickly. Though not as quickly as you," Mikhael acknowledged.

Dorian's eyes narrowed as bitterness settled within him. "Of course. This must be why you left me to fend for myself the same night you turned me."

"You turned out so well," justified the older one, “mature and independant– more than your sister would ever be." Dorian scoffed, "I am serious. It had not been an easy decision, but I did it nonetheless, despite my instincts telling me to come back. You were the first vampire I sired and to now see you with your own little fledgling is heartwarming.”

"You would do well to remember this sight as it is one you will never gaze upon again," Dorian stepped forward, pointing a finger accusingly. "I know what you are trying to do. You’re attempting to get close to our girl so you can approach all of us and play happy little coven as if nothing happened. I will not allow that."

"Dorian..." Mikhael whispered, his eyes narrowing in response.

"NO! YOU LOST ANY CHANCES OF THAT THE NIGHT YOU LEFT ME—THE NIGHT YOU MADE ME FEAST ON MY OWN PARENTS' BODIES BEFORE VANISHING INTO THE NIGHT!" Dorian's voice echoed through the hall, drawing the attention of everyone present—judging him, questioning him, and perhaps even scoffing at him. But he paid them no mind.

It took him some time to collect his thoughts and calm himself once again and, when he did, his gaze hardened. "I will now step away. We will say our goodbyes and go our separate ways," Dorian declared firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Am I clear?"

He looked as though he might argue, but then he smiled and chuckled, disregarding the curious onlookers just as Dorian did. "I see myself in you. Even now, I do not regret turning you," he sighed. "Good evening to you, Dorian."

His hands trembled, and words failed to come out as he sent a final gaze and curt nod toward his sire. Turning on his heels, he left swiftly.

Arriving at their carriage where Killian and (Y/n) were already waiting, he collapsed into Killian's arms, using him as his lifeline. Dorian didn't care about (Y/n) seeing his tears at that moment; he just needed comfort.

"What is...” Killian began, concerned.

"We must go, Killian," Dorian interrupted, his voice cracking. “Let the three of us leave Britain behind."

[shitty-mechs-headcannons]

Ivy has banned all the other Mechs from the library:

- Ashes is obvious

- Tim and Jonny kept getting into fights

- Brian clanks too much (he vehemently protests this as unfair, since he can't help it. Ivy does not care)

- Nastya got oil stains on the books

- Raph kept knocking things over with her wings

- Marius made doodles of Lyfrassir inside a book (credit to my discord server for this one. If y'all see it you know who you are)

- The Toy Soldier brought tea in (no food or drink in the library!)

yesss. if you want a book you have to file a special request and know exactly what book it is. if you ruin it in any way you owe two favors to ivy

- mod fen

[vorbarrsultana]

the vampire lestat reread, pt. 1 (lestat and nickistat)

also known as "i decided to reread tvl after the season finale because some takes i've seen online give me the impression i read a completely different book two years ago". i've finished it two days ago, and turns out i have more than 5000 words of notes that significally exceed tumblr character limit. so, i had to split them into three parts.

here is part one, all about dramatic theater kids full of love, sad violinists of infinite beauty, and friends-to-lovers romances doomed by the narrative.

i love lestat.

i forgot how fun and likable tvl lestat is from page one. and how different he is from his fanon characterization!

lestatposting is fun, i get it, but i am starting to get annoyed at the amount of fanfics where lestat needs someone to help him adapt to modern times. he is doing fine on his own, thank you. it took him less than two weeks to start a rock band.

(and the whole iphone thing from "prince lestat" is more about him not seeing it as something useful since he has a mind-skype ability to talk to any vamp on planet earth, and they cannot decline the call.)

lestat is not stupid. impulsive? yes. stubborn? of course. but clever, resourseful, and cunning when he needs to be. all of this makes him a great hunter! also, really thoughtful when the mood strikes, and his quiet, existential moments have some of the best prose in that book.

i wish someone smarter than me wrote a good meta about lestat & social class because he really seems to buy into the idea of "noblesse oblige" i.e. the belief that aristocrats are obliged to take care of those less fortunate. it's present in the way he kills the wolf pack for the villagers (who live on his father's land), and later takes responsibility for the theatre troupe & remnants of armand's coven, even though he doesn't owe them anything.

also, characterization of lestat as someone socially cluesless is simply untrue. sure, he plays dumb on occasion (and hates it every time because early life illiteracy trauma), but he is also good at reading people. like, he got a pretty accurate read of armand behind the angelic facade during their first face-to-face meeting. the only people he has trouble reading are those closest to him because he heavily projects his abandonment issues on them.

lestat's struggle of being "too much" contrasts nicely with the struggle of never being enough which is so crucial to louis. hashtag made for each other.

and juxtaposition of lestat's desire to be loved for who he is and louis's struggle with identity is also delicious.

this time i also related so much to lestat's "malady of mortality" and his search for meaning in the world. which ultimately fails because he is forcibly turned into a monster, and now every ounce of happiness he might bring into the world (and lestat desperately wants to do good!) is outweighed by him killing to survive.

and marius later reinforced the belief that vampirism has no higher purpose, and no wonder that nola!lestat is a shell of his former self.

lestat's turning is the most classic horror moment of the vampire chronicles to me. the mina harker of it all. the creature of night shrouded in terror snatching an innocent victim from the arms of their love right before bleak november sunrise.

also, all the implications of what magnus has done to lestat were even more clear during this reread, and i wonder if that was the reason rolin "i-love-narrative-parallels" jones added bruce into claudia's story.

the book also explains perfectly why lestat is so well suited for vampirism. his curiosity, thirst for new experiences, and adventuring spirit are his eternal engine on the devil's road :)

however, the downside of that personality facet is that lestat steamrolls over his trauma telling himself "this is fine! look, satan, i am making the best of it", which in turn leads to the iwtv nola mess.

and i feel like this constant search for positives in vampirism (that unwilligly turned lestat & claudia share) is why they can't really relate to louis, who chose it for himself. if these two start to get too existential, the temptation to throw themselves into the fire might become unbearable.

lestat equating his loneliness with his evilness is interesting, but i have nothing to say about that for now other than equation being there.

lestat's explosive temper is also present in the book. there is a constant pattern of lestat doing things he regrets the most (like the theater performance fiasco or eating people at notre dame's steps) when he is angry or upset.

let's talk about nicki. i love him, despite half of fandom hating on him for some reason.

lestat has a type, which is "good catholic boy" with narrow view of good and evil. except louis is of a parent's favorite, conforming variety, and nicki is the rebellious one, driven to the utmost cynicism by religious dogmas.

however, despite being a self-proclaimed cynic, nicki practically drowns in catholic guilt, almost reveling in the fact that everything he does, from playing violin in the boulevard theater to having an affair with lestat, is wrong. there is no meaning in anything, and he is doomed to die a sinner's death.

he is doomed! by the narrative though.

lestat and nicki's philosophical difference seems to be that nicki (unlike lestat) does not believe in inherent goodness of the positive emotions. for him, "sin always feels good", therefore happiness they bring performing = sin.

but still, nickistat's love is so touching. after lestat ghosts nicki to protect him, he still trusts lestat's love for him and the troupe, thinks best of him, and shuts down all nasty rumours. in turn, lestat equates all the good that was in his mortal life, all his hopes and dreams with nicki. he is a symbol of everything magnus took from him.

AND THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH MUSIC, AND IT'S THEM AT THEIR BEST, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

nicki almost became lestat's charlie. when they meet face to face for the first time after lestat's transformation, he can barely contain his hunger magnified by attraction.

the most terribly sad thing about nicki is the unfairness of all that happened to him. he had seen lestat being shot right before him, then he disappeared with dying gabrielle, then the coven kidnapped and tortured him until he lost his mind.

and for nicki, the dark gift is a confirmation of everything he believes in being true. the meaninglessness of it all. evil being the only certain thing in the world. the way to fall into a deeper, darker abyss than the one that was before the mortal him. and it is a confirmation that lestat's inner light he loved so much will eventually burn out.

(his spark in the dark, if you will.)

(and lestat's dream before turning nicki hurts, because he dreams of growing up and growing old together, of maturing past magnus's eternal lelio with sunlight in his hair and summer sky in his eyes. oh, the lesdaughter of it all.)

there is certainly a parallel between nickistat's bitter "in darkness, we are equal now" vs loustat's comforting "in the quiet dark, we were equals".

[palamedespoetry]

close to finishing s1 of hbo rome and this show's julius caesar is basically the man marius thought he was / wanted to be...

like. hbo caesar is revered among the majority of romans; old and learned with a wisdom that's equal parts incomprehensible and indisputable. silent and yet so unmistakably strong in all his victories – don't forget humble, awfully humble – he forgives all, even those who don't deserve it, and it's a spectacle when he overwhelms them with an insistent hospitality. like a god, almost? you're at caesar's mercy, but he chooses not to, out of the goodness of his heart. you owe him the highest of gratitude, and perhaps it's the gentleness that seems even more humiliating than kicking your teeth him. the benevolent god, jupiter the second – caesar.

and that's the sort of guy marius tries so hard to be, i think. but he can't be a god – when given the literal choice to be, he ran (and for good reason)! because he can't, he just can't. marius has his wits about him, of course – but he still has a bleeding heart that beats inferiorly (differently) to caesar and all his attempts to either ignore it or tear it from his chest is what drives him to ruin. he wants to be the all-wise, the forgiving, the artist, the perfect son and the perfect roman – he cannot. you are not caesar, marius.

so does that. make sense? hello? maybe this is just an attempt at marrying two interests together but i digress. i realize i might've sound mocking in this – not intended. if anything, it pains me when i look at hbo caesar and think. huh. you're what marius wanted to be

[felixravinstills]

any hcs about felix when he was a kid? i'm curious lol

Hmm... See the problem is I don't know how much of my fics, you've read, anon, so I feel like I'm danger of repeating things you might already know. I feel like a lot of my headcanons get sprinkled across all my fics lol. Some of this might be familiar if you're familiar with my fics.

Thanks for the ask! (HCs below cut)

He was orphaned during the the beginning of the war at age 4 (going on 5)

He's raised in the Presidential Palace by President Ravinstill (whose pretty distant because that man has baggage)

He has two living cousins who are over 10 years older than him, Marius and Gnaeus. He isn't particularly close with either of them.

He doesn't remember much of his parents (or the rest of the large, dead extended family I gave him) as he grows older which is part of what reinforces the distance between him, his cousins, and his great-uncle.

To grieve with Felix would require them to remind him of what he's lost which would rip open wounds for the rest of them that are just beginning to try and heal. In the middle of a war, those three don't have the emotional energy. Once the war's ended, they all feel like it's too late.

He was homeschooled for the duration of the war, and doesn't join the rest of the kids until he's 8 going on 9 (around the time the war ends)

Being a Ravinstill offers him amount of confidence in social interactions. He believes that he's owed a certain amount of respect from his peers

He also offers a certain amount of respect back, but he can come across as rather patronizing

He doesn't actually pull rank (saying his great-uncle is the president or that his family is more prestigious). He expects people to to treat him that well without a reminder, and when they don't, he believes he's failing to fall into his idealized view of what a Ravinstill should be.(I weirdly think about John Locke's social contract when I think about Felix's views of his interpersonal relationships. Ravinstills are great, and everyone should want to be our friends! If they don't want to be mine, maybe I'm not doing it right? Maybe, I should be overthrown I'm not a worthy Ravinstill?)

For most of his childhood, he isn't really able to tell the difference from doing what he thinks he should and doing what he actually wants to do

Felix is jealous that Gaul can get his great-uncle's full attention so easily, and he develops a bit of a grudge against her from a young age. Plenty of other officials can get the president's attention more than Felix, but he's sensitive to how his distant father figure interacts with others and can see the president will pull his attention away from other matters if Gaul speaks.

[czerwonykasztelanic]

Really interesting thing about Les Miserables is that it combines a number of semi-independent stories - each of which, when isolated, is a fairly standard interpretation of a given trope - into a larger, inter-connected whole; and wherever the individual archetypes interact with each other, they set the stage for the introduction of things that are less generic and cannot be treated as a one-dimensional paradigm. Such a layered "collage" is possible because of two factors: first, a large (and varied) cast of characters; second, the fact that the events in the novel span a relatively long period of time (some 40 years*).

However, unlike many historical works of similar calibre, Les Miserables usually favors a surgical approach - in a way, the individual "puzzle pieces" and their intersections matter more than the final "big picture".

When you look at the collage, you start to notice patterns and parallels: how Éponine is a distant echo of Javert, and in turn how Grantaire can be likened to Éponine; the mirrored fates of Enjolras and Gavroche; the analogous-yet-divergent fates of Valjean and Fantine, and many more.

In and of itself, the joined tale of Marius and Cosette is a variation on the theme of Werther et al. But when you broaden your perspective and consider the preceding stories of the two characters, it suddenly expands beyond the conventions of the genre. They are more than archetypical Romantic lovers: Marius - by virtue of his conflict with his grandfather and his involvement in the June Rebellion; and Cosette - owing to the detailed account of her turbulent past. The lover, the wayward son and the patriot-martyr are all characters extremely common in nineteenth-century literature - it just so happens that Marius is all three. Similarly, Cosette's childhood is a typical, if harrowing, Realistic depiction of abuse and poverty; and yet she is also the angelic, aethereal "kindred spirit" venerated by the lovestruck Marius-Werther.

Then you have Valjean, whose life is part morality play, part Positivistic* success story, part psychological study of an eternal outcast; Javert, who is simultaneously a caricature of single-mindedness, a universal parable about the dangers of blindly following authority, and Hugo's way of critiquing the reactionary police-state of Napoleon III; Éponine, at once a cautionary tale and a sympathetic look at the seedy underbelly of 'civilised' society; and bishop Myriel, both a textually canonized saint and the jolly protagonist of a pastoral about the highs and lows of life in a provincial parish.

The characters evoke emotion not because they can be losslessly stencilled into the new millenium, but because their reality is multi-faceted enough for us to become immersed in it. It's as if Hugo put a bucket-load of archetypes and genres in a well-researched and digression-prone blender, and out of that marring of ideals came something that has perhaps lost some of its everyman appeal and universality, in favor of immortalizing a kaleidoscope view of life in the early eighteen-hundreds; and yet it remains relevant because the problems he tackles are relevant still.

[xprojectrpg]

Moment of Awesome - Kyle Gibney/Wildchild: In the aftermath of Behold A Pale Horse, two old friends have a serious talk.

“It won’t happen again." Finally, Marius dragged his amber eyes down to look at Kyle. "What would I end up as, that third time?"

"How about next time you just fucking tell someone, okay?" Kyle made deliberate eye contact. "Like, please, man, do I need to be in my feelings here? I will go get some more feelings if I have to. I don't get it, I don't get the relapse thing I don't get the medical stuff, I know, okay but I do get that, like, you can just say 'I think the hunger is back, please tell someone' and I'll tell someone else and never bring it up to you again if that's what it takes, as long as you tell me one time so I can make sure you're not doing this dumbfuck shit again, because I can't lose any more fucking friends. We've got a new Forge, and he's a complete asshole, we've got a new Julio and he's a kid and we've got a new Catseye and she's so fucking weird, and I can't go find a new Marius because there won't be one!"

Even through the fog Kyle's vehemence struck something in him. Marius' eyes widened, just a little, before he slid his gaze away again.

He knew Kyle considered him to be someone worth keeping in his life, and always had. They wouldn't have kept in contact for all these years if not for that. But now, in this moment, Marius couldn't understand why. He looked at the determination on Kyle's face and felt only a great emptiness.

Mate, you think I'm so much more than I am. You all did. But I've never been like the rest of you, however much I wanted to be.

But he could pretend. He owed Kyle that, at least.

"Right," Marius said aloud. "Well, no worries. I feel as if I've caused everyone enough trouble, eh? Consider this a lesson learned."

Kyle shut his eyes very slowly, in defiance of Marius' false even-handed tone. "Uh huh. Yeah, this isn't gonna be that. I had to take classes on this shit, I teach teenagers." He pulled a phone out from the depths of the terrible lime basketball shorts. "This is me texting Terry, and god I hope you like bread because expect she'll be showing up a lot to make it. The catering kitchen's still fucked. Whatever room they put you in, you get a roommate until, I dunno, I decide you're not gonna go toss yourself into a volcano." His voice finally had expression, firm stubbornness and a break as he said aloud the fear he had, that Marius would consider suicide. "We don't have any volcano kinetics here right now, don't get any ideas. You get me, my grading papers at 5am and Shamu sleeping on your butt."

"Eh, sorry?" Marius said, unsure whether he'd parsed the rush of words correctly. "I'm going to . . ?"

"You're going to be living with me until such a time that someone decides you're not actively fucking suicidal." Kyle said, eyes still closed, voice on the verge of a growl. "Which means my girlfriend is going to show up at all hours to make food, because that's what she does, and you're going to tolerate my cat who probably is going to sleep on you because he loves everyone more than me."

"I wouldn’t hurt myself," Marius protested, although even he could perceive the frisson at the end of the sentence that implied an unspoken 'here'. He shook his head dismissively. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but this isn't necessary. It's just . . . it's hitting me all at once right now, all right? Once my head's straight again she’ll be right. I'm adaptable. It's one of my few redeeming features."

"I don't believe you." Kyle said. "My ears still work, you were all 'what would I end up as the third time', and you're assuming it'll happen and assuming the platelets are fucked, and man, of everyone I'd think you know I'm not as dumb as I pretend. I'm the... " He cut himself off. "It doesn't matter, you get a suitemate for a while. If nothing else, it means if your platelets are fucked, you're safe. Consider me the emergency parachute."

Marius opened his mouth, then shut it. Finally he met Kyle's gaze, and held it.

"Never in my life have I thought of you as dumb," he said.

[monstersinthecosmos]

i'm curious to know why you're not a big fan of modern day armand x marius!

In some ways I can't really explain this because it's like, why do any of us ship anything? It just doesn't really click for me in the way that any other random ship doesn't click for me.

I think there's a version of them that I could buy if someone wrote it out and sold it to me, where they put in a lot of work to heal themselves & each other to a point where they make sense as a couple, but where canon leaves off I just do not see it at all. And that's the beauty of fanworks, like our job as fic writers is to convince the reader that this is plausible.

But when I think of each of them in the modern day, and how strained their relationship is, I just cannot really connect with what they could possibly see in each other or how it could possibly work.

Armand is SUCH a different person than he was in Venice and I feel so strongly about his need for respect and his need for boundaries so that he can be the person he's meant to be. And I'm not sure Marius will EVER see him as an equal, even at their best. Armand needs to be treated like a grown up, you know? I want him with people who respect his feelings fully and who take him seriously and see him as a complete person. (This is him and Louis lol.)

I also think Armand seriously & deeply needs time with people who don't need him to be a caretaker. I think it's natural for him to want to play that role and make a home for everybody and take charge, but I think there's a balance in here somewhere in that he can do things that make him feel good and centered without feeling like he has to. And Marius in the modern day is SO deeply traumatized I don't like Armand being burdened with it. I think it's outside of the scope of what he can deal with, and this was somewhat like their dynamic in Venice, that Marius at times relied on him emotionally in a way that was too much.

I just think everyone needs to put their own oxygen masks on before helping others!

And for Marius, I just think he's like so broken. Like within his lifespan I still think that the Akasha wound is WAY too fresh; UNFORTUNATELY I WILL BE SAYING THIS FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE BECAUSE I'M A MERE MORTAL but it's only been 30 years, right? Vs. the 2000 years he'd cared for her.

Part of Marius healing (to me) is also him dealing with some of his ego issues, because I think he's created this shell for himself as his own way to cope with immortality and the burden of The Parents and all the existential bullshit that entailed. And that kinda means like, being able to treat Armand as an equal (or anyone else) and the practice to get there and the work it takes might need to be done with a peer like Pandora or Mael. And those two particularly I think have seen him at his messiest and ugliest and imo are the only people in the world who actually know him.

He's also harmed Armand SO MUCH that I don't think Armand can be that person, or least I don't think it's fair for Armand to be that person. It kinda reminds me of the Ring Theory with grief/support except there's this like layer of parentification that I'm not sure how to plop into an infographic but

Basically, I imagine Armand being the very center, and Marius directly outside of him because he's the parent, and because he owes Armand the space lol. Marius should be traumadumping OUTWARD away from Armand while he works through his problems. LEAVE ARMAND OUT OF THIS LOL.

I think Marius is like, deeply hurt by things that have happened in the Coven since QOTD (even actually since TVL when Akasha drank from Lestat) and like, I don't get the feeling that he's really dealt with it meaningfully because he tries so hard to be stoic and like logic&reason his way out of feeling his feelings. I don't think he ever really had that reckoning in canon. And like I think him being hurt by Armand is completely genuine, even if he has to be accountable for his own part in it, and that's something they absolutely should talk about. Maybe it's even the conversation that Blood Communion alluded to.

But to me, canon ends at Blood Communion, and I don't see like a single conversation as enough to heal this tremendous schism between them.

I just think they're both so deeply disappointed in each other and it's gonna be like centuries before they can even begin repairing it.

I CAN'T EVEN CONCEPTUALIZE HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR THEM TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE IT'S OKAY. I believe they'll get there, but. I just don't see it and I haven't yet cracked the seal on writing post-canon sci fi taking place 200 years from now.

So anyway people ship things for a million reasons and like sometimes it's as simple as "hot" and sometimes it's "i want them to destroy each other" and sometimes it's domestic fluff and sometimes it's even all these exact points I've made--breaking them to pieces so that they can heal each other--but for me personally it just doesn't really do it for me. All the reasons I listed could be THE reason why someone else ships them in present day!! 😂 I just feel like so emotional and opinionated about what I want Marius to get up to in the modern day and I don't think Armand can help him. At least not in the Kacyverse!!!!! 😂😂

[theblackphoenixwritings]

ᴅᴀʏ 𝟷𝟸 - ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛs: ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ

ᴍᴀʀɪᴜs/ᴀᴍᴀᴅᴇᴏ & ᴍᴀʀɪᴜs/ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟ ᴀᴜ/ᴡᴇsᴛᴇʀɴ - ᴘᴀʀᴛ 𝟽

The day was ending again, and Marius was again beginning to feel the tension building. If Daniel was not mistaken and these creatures were somehow connected to Mr. Carson, then the damn priest, who preached discord and destruction by hiding behind a God who asked his worshippers to fight for him, was also entangled in all this. And his town, Cripple Creek was in immense danger. All these thoughts and the coming night almost suffocated Marius with worry. Daniel and Amadeo were sitting together near one of the sentry fires. They seemed to be engaged in exchanging vitriolic banter and seeing which of the two remained breathless first. It wasn't such a bad way to bond. Marius, in his life as a lawman, had seen men punch each other over a woman, and wear each other down, and learn the value of respect and friendship in what he thought was a mean way. He had seen men punch each other in drunken saloons for exchanging conflicting opinions, and then join in fighting the poor Christian on duty who had tried to stop them.

He had seen men teasing each other, until, they had seen a reflection of themselves in the man in front of them. And Marius, he thought, that was as good a way as any for those two to find their way to friendship. He watched them for quite some time, as illuminated by the iridescent heat of the fire, they exchanged gesticulating insults, Marius, could not help but smile when he realized that both of them had run out of ideas and looking at each other, had crossed their arms over their chests, observing each other and then looking away.

" It seems that their war is over, but they have yet to sign peace agreements, it would seem."

Teskhamen, had approached Marius and was observing the two at his side. The night seemed calm and the noises of the village were familiar and pleasant.

" Tell me Teskhamen, have you seen these creatures?" asked Marius as he continued to watch his boys.

"No, not in person, only through the account of my scouts, I guess Daniel told you that he was the one who stopped them before they engaged those creatures in combat." continued Teskhamen.

"No, we had other things to talk about, but Daniel told me that he's pretty sure that Mr. Carson is in cahoots with these creatures, how and why, I can't really say."

"Is there any other reason than greed that drives a man like Mr.Carson?" asked Teskhamen, who had a deep feeling of hatred toward Carson, to him he owed the death of one of his closest friends, Marius' father." Your father's death weighs on my conscience more than anything else, a good and righteous man who left in this world an intelligent and good-hearted boy who became a righteous and big-hearted man like his father." concluded Teskhamen.

"My father paid with his life for his ideals. He was a man of culture, curious and thirsty for knowledge, a man who did not put up barriers but tried to erase them.If at first his interest in your tribe was purely scientific, later it became purely one of respect and friendship. Neither Carson nor dear Santo, ever forgave him for welcoming you on his land, and allowing you to stay.I know because I was there and I forget neither Santo's cross shining in the sun, nor Carson's evil smile as he hanged my father." Marius, he was forced to stop and sigh, Teskhamen rested one of his large but slender hands on his shoulder," No one believed a little boy, and at ten years old what could I do against the two most powerful men in town? There was nothing I could do then, I spent years trying to make them pay for their crime and fighting them in their unhealthy ideas. I would not have imagined that they could go so far, but neither did I imagine that such creatures existed." Marius turned to look at Teskhamen's calm and peaceful profile," Your father was convinced that this land was rich enough for everyone.Everyone had a place here for him, he always repeated how there was wealth for everyone, enough wealth for everyone, but he could not understand the danger of greed and how heand his ideas inspiring the people of Cripple Creek, was harmful to those who made greed their very life."

Teskhamen mirrored himself in Marius' blue eyes; they were not the color of his father's, but they had the brilliance and strong calm determination.

"Daniel stopped my scouts, as I told you, they listened to him because they know how dear he is to you, they followed the creatures, and lost them in the vicinity of the beginning of Mr. Carson's lands. Your Daniel seems convinced that things are connected. I think he is right. And I think we need to figure out what they are plotting." said Teskhamen.

" Let's go to Daniel and Amadeo, Amadeo, too, unfortunately knows about the creatures." said Marius.

"Yes he told me about it while I was fixing his wounds."

"He was in pretty bad shape, I tried to keep his wounds clean, but without bandages and with rationed water, I couldn't do much." blamed Marius.

"You've done enough by the looks of it, the boy is alive, yes battered, but the body will heal despite the scars and disfigurements, the soul...well this I think is more the field he has entrusted to you." said Teskhamen with a smile, Marius seemed puzzled and embarrassed at the same time. Soft laughter and lively voices accompanied their path to the fire where Daniel and Amadeo where resting. Daniel noticing Marius, smiled sweetly at him, Amadeo on the other hand got up and threw himself into his arms, looking happy, as Marius could not tell, after all he had seen and suffered and how much he had struggled. Yet there he was clinging to his waist, his face resting on her chest. Teskhamne sat next to Daniel, while Marius checked Amadeo's bandages, who repeated that he was fine and that there was no need.

They all remained together sitting by the fire, Teskhamen quietly smoking, Daniel leaning against Marius's shoulder staring at the horizon, Marius sitting next to Daniel staring at the immense dark sky full of stars, and Amadeo had dozed off tightly to Marius, who had covered him with his own duster.

" What shall we do?" it was Daniel's practical and intelligent tone that pulled everyone from their thoughts.

"First, tomorrow, we will go back to the city, I have left Thorne alone to handle everything,and I have been missing too long. After that we will contact Zenobia, Avicus and Mael, for them to come to Cripple Creek. We need some help. And then we'll go pay a nice courtesy visit to Mr. Carson, and see what he has to say." concluded Marius.

[bookmaker-untaken]

defiantly almost a mitski lyric

vyn richter x reader // to the moon au

Word Count: 1,598

Summary: If your job has taught you anything, it’s that dying pretty fucking easy. Everything else about being human, though? For the birds.

Author’s Note: I was going to beat this chapter if it was the last thing I did wether you'll liked it oR NOT. Likely OOC as hell, tbh. New at this whole thing...

The funny thing about University campuses – well, not funny ha-ha, funny annoying as hell – is that you can spend your entire tenure in your little corner without ever venturing into the other buildings. It is, for this very reason, you are standing in the Phycology Building’s pristine hallway, looking incredibly confused and narrowly avoiding being trampled.

“Dr. [Name]!” You whirl around, squinting at the young man who strides up to you, a smirk forming.

“Marius!” You give him a quick hug, guiding yourselves out of the worst of the foot traffic, ending it with a clap on his shoulder.

“Don’t tell me you’re lost, Doc,” Marius teases.

“It’s not my fault the Phycology Building’s built like the little rat mazes y’all like so much,”

“Nobody does that anymore,” He says with an indulgent little smile and a roll of his eyes. “You looking for Vyn’s office?”

“Guilty,” You shrug.

It’s always weird hearing “Vyn” instead of “Dr. Richter” or “your-annoyingly-show-off-and-smug-about-it partner” (not that Marius calls him that). He always makes sure to add Doctor to your name, though – “diversity hire,” he had joked when you’d joined the team. You think he does it to piss Vyn off, but you can’t ever tell if it’s working or not.

“Did he give you directions?”

“Yeah,”

“But you weren’t listening,” Marius sneers.

“I was. I just didn’t take notes,” Marius laughs.

“Well, for starters, you’re on the wrong floor.”

“What? Well, shit,” He chuckles.

“I can walk you up, if you want,”

You glance down at your watch.

“Nah. I’m a big person. And don’t you have somewhere important to be or something?”

He checks the phone in his hand. “Well, shit.”

You laugh.

He gives you a wave, talking over his shoulder. “It’s down the hall and up two flights of stairs on the right!”

“Thanks!”

“Yeah! Bye, Doc!"

ii.

After only a few turnarounds, you reach Vyn’s office.

It’s predictably neat, clean enough to be reminiscent of a museum, save for the occasional accent – the pillow in the chair across from the desk, the papers strewn about the desk, a leaning book to cover for a missing one.

Vyn’s white lab coat lays on the back of his chair. Even now, he’s elegant, chin perched on his wrist, golden eyes scanning the holograph document. He brushes the silver hair out of his eyes slides his finger to turn the page.

“Dr. Watts,” He greets, sitting up straight.

You suddenly feel bad for shattering the little scene of comfort before your arrival.

“Dr. Richter,” You give him a two-finger salute. “You owe me lunch,”

He smiles lightly - the painted, perfect thing. “That I do,”

“Is that a new case?” You ask as he rises from the chair.

“I’m afraid it’s not nearly as interesting,” He says. “Only grading papers,”

“Yikes,” You say, as if you’ve never graded papers.

“I like it,” He says. "It’s interesting to see the generations thinking on a particular matter,”

You quirk an eyebrow. “Of course you’d say something like that,”

He simply smiles.

"And before you ask, no – I don't agree," You say. "They think just 'cause they can build a robot, suddenly means they don't have to have a conscious or empth – Wait… isn't that Marius?"

"And Captain Morgan." The two of you watch for a couple of seconds before he starts to take the handcuffs out.

"Shouldn't we ... stop him?"

"He has the bail money," You cut him a look and start to walk.

"Oh, hi, Rosa," You say, and her face relaxes in relief when she recognizes you.

"Dr. Watts?"

"You know each other?" Marius whines. "You've been holding out on me, Doc?"

"What's going on here, Officer?" Vynn asks. "Marius here is under arrest because he's a person of interest – "

"Of course," You and Marius say simultaneously - you annoyed, Marius smug.

Darius regards both of you tiredly. "For the death of Estelle Marino,"

"Oh damn," You say.

Vyn hums in agreement.

"I suppose we should come with you, considering you were going to call us already, right?"

iii.

"Oh, thank god," You say when you arrive and they already have your stuff out. "Oh, right, you've never seen a Memory Editor in person before,"

Rosa shakes her head. "I've only heard you mention it in court,"

"It's only /interesting/ in court," You say. "Now it's just a bunch of digging in trash cans,"

"They mean investigating," Vyn said.

"Right," You say. "Sure,"

"It's legal," Vyn says to Rosa's shifting.

"I'll help," Rosa says. "What are you looking for … exactly?"

While the two of them go across the apartment, you walk over and boot up the machine. It's not hard, but it's a long process, and there are a lot of little settings that could mess things up along the way.

"There we go," You say. "Now we wait,"

"Do you have to wait a lot?" Rosa asks. "I mean, I try to be forgiving, considering it's resurrecting memories from scrach, but yeah,"

Rosa looks between you and the machine. “Dr. Watts?”

“Hm?”

“What does it … “

iv.

“…Feel like?”

Like … being thrown into a pool. But it’s not a cold pool - it’s warm. But not, like, the weird kind of warm, either. And all the little bubbles rushing up are, like, feelings and - memories instead. And when you open your eyes to peer into the depths …

Who am I?

You are a beautiful woman.

Or not.

Fuck if you know.

You’ve got dark hair that falls effortlessly over your shoulders and thin blood-painted lips. A grand necklace with jewels reminiscent of the pools reflecting the night sky, held together with diamonds rivaling the constellations sits upon your slim and perfect neck. But your eyes are bloodshot and puffy and your dark mascara is smudged. You delicately raise your manicured fingers to eyes that are not yours -

“Dr. Watts -“ You jolt.

“Jesus,”

“Dr. Watts,” The voice glides over your senses like a clear stream and you swallow, hand on your chest. You are alone in the bathroom. “The time of death approaches. It will likely be gruesome,”

“No shit Sherlock,” You grumble, shaking your hands into the sink and palming at one of the plush towels. “Poisoning sounds, like, super uncomfortable!”

“Shh,” The voice reminds you, and you unwittingly clamp your mouth shut with a frown. “We wouldn’t want to alert your husband, would we?”

You toss a glare at the wall, try not to sputter over his choice of words. You brush your perfectly manicured fingers over the magazine cover, a dull feeling half love half anguish blooming in your chest. It’s sickening. Your husband is smiling, but his eyes are distant. The silk-gloved magician he is playing isn’t far from his role in your secret married life - disappearing and reappearing, disappearing and reappearing.

I’m sure you just wanted to tell me to shut up. Idly,you hover over the chocolate box given to you by that young upstart. He’s cute, but he has nothing on your man - even if said man thought so.

There was never anybody else.

There never could be.

There is no reply from the voice, but you know him - you can see, clear as day, that annoying little coy quirk of the mouth he makes that’s so frustratingly -

“Hmm?” He hums. You roll your eyes and throw a chocolate into your mouth. You can’t place the aftertaste - it’s strange. Sour. Citrus zest? No… You start to grasp at your neck. The necklace is too tight. You keep gasping for air and coming up empty.

“Help!” You’re screaming, banging on the door, but it isn’t enough.

“Help! Janus!” You’re clawing at the shared door between you and your beloved husband.

“Help! Janus! Please! Janus! I can’t - “ The hard-wood of the door peers down at you.

“Help!” You screech, falling to the floor. “Help! Vyn! Help me!”

You can’t swallow - you can’t - it’s getting dark.

Why would your husband not hear you? Isn’t he just on the other side?

It hits you, right as your vision fades to black and the door creaks open.

Ah. That’s why.

You inhale deeply, eyes darting around.

Who am I?

V.

“[Name.]” Vyn has you by the elbow and you swallow harshly.

Rosa is absolutely terrified, big eyes blown wide.

“Uh,” You say, wetting your lips with your tongue. “That doesn’t normally happen,”

“How do you feel,” Vyn asks in a voice you know he only uses for patients and the bereaved.

“Rosa,” You try to move your arm but he doesn’t let go. Then, he does. “Can you go get me some water? Poison tastes as bad as you would expect,”

“Sure,” Rosa says, standing and smoothing her shirt. She seems happy to have something to do.

You start to stand up but Vyn stops you. “I need to check if I set something wrong - that’s not suppose to - “

“Breathe,” He orders.

And you do.

“We can talk about it now,” He says. “Or we can talk about it later,”

“There isn’t much to talk about,” You say. “I probably messed up a setting and - “

“You called my name,” Vyn says.

“And,” You say, sharply.

“And we need to talk about it. If not as colleagues, as … “

“Whatever it means to call out to somebody when you think you’re dying.”

You hate how hard it is to read his face. “…Yes,”

“I can tell you now - I don’t know Vyn.”

“You don’t have to,” He says. “But we have to talk about it.”

“We have a case,”

“That is true,” He said. “But if we don’t talk about it - I’m suspending you.”

[neverregretthyfall]

AcTUM's Les Misérables

A few days I made a post about our local university adapting Les Mis for stage. Yesterday I went to watch the premiere and I really enjoyed it! It was super good and very engaging, the actors were fantastic and you could feel that they definitely read the brick as well. Unfortunately the pacing moved very fast and I think those not familiar with Les Mis might have gotten a little bit lost on occasion. All in all, I can definitely recommend going to the other two performances (June 17th and 18th) if you want to experience it for yourself.

Check out their website or their Instagram for more information (all in German).

Below you will find extensive notes on the stage play, keep reading if you’re curious ….

Technicalities: Modern AU, unspecified locations (just capitol city, smalltown, etc.), duration 2.5h (incl. intermission). The main message of the play was acceptance, tolerance and to show kindness to others.

(I will not rehash every plot-related detail that remains unchanged from the book, because otherwise this would get thrice as long)

‘Montreuil-sur-Mer’ (the smalltown) arc

We opened on JVJ being the mayor. He is the boss of a soup kitchen and to ease us into the story he talks to a new worker about his past. Unfortunately I cannot remember now if he really opened up about his own experiences or if he claims this happened to ‘a friend’.

Fantine is a recovering drug and alcohol addict and now works at JVJ’s soup kitchen. Due to her addiction she was forced by the court to give up Cosette into foster care (to the Thénardiers).

A letter sent to her by the court reveals her past to the colleagues and forewoman and Fantine is subsequently fired.

As she is now out of a job she turns to do illegal sex-work; they used some real cool shadow-play to show that, really enjoyed that part!

During this time she gets sick and is then caught by Javert, who wants to send her to jail for illegal prostitution. Fantine really panics then because she fears with a prison-sentence the court will never allow her to see Cosette ever again (!!)

The Arras plot is condensed to JVJ monologuing at the hospital with Javert overhearing him. While trying to arrest him, Fantine grabs a vase and knocks Javert unconscious (heck yeah, go Fantine!!). She then passes away from a combination of exhaustion and illness (one of the occasions that probably left non-fans super confused lol)

JVJ takes Fantine’s scarf as a memento and disappears …

Transition of dead Fantine rising and singing a song (aria) to Cosette (it was beautiful and very touching, I was super close to crying)

After getting Cosette from the Thénardiers, JVJ gives her Fantine’s scarf <3

‘Paris’ (the capitol city) arc

In true Marie (aka our Marius) and Cosette fashion they just stared at each other in the park, to shy to talk but really wanting to. Cosette then got called away by JVJ and accidentally left the scarf on the bench. Marie took it and vowed to find her again.

Marie studies law (as expected) and is an orphan (which she revealed super late).

Éponine is crushing hard on Marie, even reading a law book to impress her <3

Gavroche was super cool, he sang, made jokes, got the best one-liners and dabbed lol.

They included all of Thénardier’s aliases and he discovered the advantages of doing the ‘grandparent scam’ lmao.

Amis are introduced by running through the auditorium protesting, whistling, etc.

They are primarily fighting for queer rights (!!!)

Amis Count: 6/9

Named: Enjolras, Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Joly

Unnamed: one of the actresses said something very Combeferre-vibe-y, so I just decided that’s her then, lol; the other one I have absolutely no clue, Marie said to her at the barricade that she still owed her some money, which would make me think it’s Courfeyrac but he was played by somebody else, so alas, it shall remain a mystery ….

We got the ‘You don’t believe in anything / I believe in you exchange’.

Grantaire’s red waist coat was replaced by a huge-ass Enjolras-inspired tattoo on his chest, which was absolutely fantastic.

Making Marisette queer really improved the story, and especially Marie’s arc. Now Marie had a concrete reason for joining the Amis at the barricade (fighting for her rights).

We got super close to Cosette actually joining the fight, but in the end she didn’t unfortunately …

Lamarque’s funeral got replaced by a demonstration for queer rights, as expected the demo turns violent due to police brutality.

The Amis sang both a protest song and later – during the barricade fight – a drinking song (very DYHTPS and Drink with Me vibes)

Joly got very bad stomach ache when the fighting started but obviously he would never abandon his friends :')

When Javert got revealed as a spy, Enjolras threatened to shoot him and you could see how badly her hands shook (possibly an easter egg to ‘He could be your brother / He is’ ?)

Amis fought back bravely against heavy armoured police but alas, they did not make it this time either, rip …

permets-tu was fully included, long live the republic and handholding inclusive (!!)

Javert died via gun to the head.

The ending was super hopeful, during the four months Marie recovered in the hospital, queer rights improved and the biggest surprise of it all: JVJ survived!!

End Quote (paraphrased because I cannot remember the exact wording and I also have to translate it to English): “Freedom is a right but it's also a privilege that was bought with the courage of others!”

Various notes on appearances:

Thénardier looked straight outta the 70s (sans hair), fantastic outfit, 10/10

Enjolras wore a lime-green pantsuit and she looked absolutely excellent

The Amis had different coloured fabrics across their wrists, which I am pretty sure combined to the rainbow flag

Joly wore make-up and nail polish

unknown person at the demo: incredible hippie-look, also 10/10

Éponine had her hair up in some super cute buns decorated with violet ribbons <3

Gavroche gave hipster child vibes

Marie wore chic pants and top (she looked both elegant and laissez-faire)

Cosette wore a black pencil skirt, combined with a violet top and the pink scarf

Javert wore a very nice long black coat and a fedora

JVJ blending in with the rest and wearing a simple sweater/shirt combination

Courfeyrac wore simple slacks and a patterend shirt-top

Grantaire had a very revealing thin shirt/blouse thing going on combined with an orange/red scarf

Well, that's it! Thank you for reading up until this point. If you get the chance, please go watch this stageplay or check out their other works <3

[outpost51]

turning your own prompt back!! yes i copypastad sue me i'm on mobile:

You’ve given your characters the dreaded IKEA divorcemaker: the LIATORP TV storage combination. Obviously, this is no two-man job; no, with its 30+ page instruction manual, we’ve got all hands on deck for this one!

Who’s:

Tossing the instructions aside and diving straight in

Actually reading the instructions and making sure they have all the parts and tools

Gets the “most important job”: holding the hammer until it’s needed and not touching ANYTHING ELSE OH MY GOD

Providing snacks, drinks, moral support, and has a therapist on speed dial

Just here to take directions

Already has the bookshelf built, was this supposed to be hard?

you know what i told you i owed you cassi bros. content so here's your cassi bros. (and pops) content

Tossing the instructions aside and diving straight in

marius. just, marius. you KNOW he's not about to be told what to do by some fuckin paper. he was an officer of the turian army for fucks sake he can build a goddamn-- ah fuck, what screw goes here?

Actually reading the instructions and making sure they have all the parts and tools

teebs. he's known his dad the longest, he remembers the fiasco that was trying to put together his brothers' bassinets, and besides, his big ass hands ain't too good with those tiny washers. he can wield a knife like a master chef, but don't ask him to hold anything smaller than that.

Gets the “most important job”: holding the hammer until it’s needed and not touching ANYTHING ELSE OH MY GOD

teker!! good boy!! smart!! holding that hammer SO great wow!! do NOT touch this fucking shelf if you want to keep your crest, teker cassi.

Providing snacks, drinks, moral support, and has a therapist on speed dial

cnaeso is and has always been the level-headed one, he knows a lady that does reiki housecalls and his wife made snacks!

Just here to take directions

seius -- not a brother, technically, but his husband is helping, so he wants to help too!! he's never built a damn thing in his life, though; painted, yes, built, absolutely not. just point where you need him!

Already has the bookshelf built, was this supposed to be hard?

hericus. he's already moving on to the second bookshelf while his brothers scuffle in the background. pudge is an excellent holder of the screwdriver!! teker is allowed to give the hammer to pudge. "but i built my wife's trellis!!" he protests, and while this is true, he built it out of spite for beata's fucking hoa regulations. this is a tv storage combination for the family room. give the hammer to pudge.

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

Alright y'all, I've been wondering about Alice since season 1. Like, she married Daniel and divorced him, had two daughters with him. She may totally be a character the show made up. But I have dug deep into the wiki and have made some discoveries. So, here are 2 characters that Alice could be based on:

This one is less likely, but I'm putting it first just to get it out of the way. She's Alice Mayfair. Her father was Remy Mayfair, brother to Julien Mayfair, aka the Julien they kept mentioning on the Mayfair Witches. Considering how they've moved the setting to present day (give or take a year or two), Alice could be possibly be around the same age as Daniel in the Immortal Universe. But she does have a daughter, Beatrice, that marries Aaron Lightner in the books. In the Immortal Universe, Aaron/Michael Curry were merged into Ciprien Grieve. So it's possible they could use her, and have Beatrice be one of Daniel's daughters. Just with an updated name, or she's going by her middle name. (If I was named Beatrice, I'd probably use Kate or Lenora/maybe Lenore? It looks like Lenora to me.)

2. This one is still related to the Mayfair Witches, but Alice isn't actually a Mayfair here. Let me explain. Cortland Mayfair, aka the worst uncle ever, from the Mayfair Witches, in the books had a half-brother named Gravier Blackwood, bc their dad was a big slut. And Gravier marries a woman named Alice. The wiki only lists her on his page, and with his last name. But they have a son together named Thomas Blackwood. Who has a daughter named Patsy. Who is the mother of Tarquin Blackwood, aka Quinn, the main character of Blackwood Farm. Which is a book in both the VC and Mayfair Witches. So we're probably going to see some version of it, in some future crossover episode. Rowan could even be there bc Gravier was half Mayfair, if the show wants to. And it could sort of tie Daniel into the story, like either Alice calls him up and is like, 'my grandkid needs help. Yeah, the one got from the son I had with the man I married after I divorced you. But he is our daughters' nephew' Or one of his daughters calls up and is like, 'my dumbass younger brother's kid is in a Situation, help out, you owe me.' And then Daniel helps him get in touch with Lestat, and the crew has a zany adventure.

Idk, I only read the book bc it crossed over with the VC books, I don't really remember much. I do remember there was an intersex vampire, who I just looked up named Petronia. (And I don't exactly remember Anne writing that in a way that was respectful. I actually think they use the h-word.) But she was a Roman gladiator who fought animals and shit. When she was 14. So she was pretty bad ass. In the books some vampire named Arion buys her and gives her money and frees her to do whatever tf she wants. Except she has nowhere to go and asks to stay with him, and he eventually turns her into a vampire.

But Arion kinda just vanishes from the books. Though he may have been mentioned and/or in one of the Prince Lestat books, bc I don't really remember much of them. (Getting through the second book was a slog.) So my idea is that they could make Marius her maker, as he was Roman, and the time periods are close enough. Plus Petronia also disappears from the books. I think it would fit with what we've learned about show Marius so far. Buying someone from an abusive place; takes her in to give her a better life, they become lovers, eventually he turns her. I just think it would be neat to have an actual intersex character, since gender is a bit loose when you're a vampire. I think it could give a unique perspective on gender. And also there need to be more intersex characters on TV; they make up over 2% of people in the world. And two percent may seem small, but that's 2% of over 8 billion people. That's 160 million people. They deserve to see people like them on screen as much as everyone else LGBT+ Remember when we called it LGBTQIA? That's the I. Though I hardly ever see them brought up, unless they're being used in arguments about the gender binary. (Which is so weird to me, bc once I learned that being intersex was a thing, I was like, so why do we only say there are two sexes, if there are literally more of them? And my mom was like, Idk how to answer this to a 7 yr old.)

This post got kinda ramblely. But I will mention one more thing. The vampire Sam Barclay, screenwriter and Talamasca agent, who was teased to be another character (tbh it's probably just Laurent or Everard de Landen) could possibly be based on Barclay Mayfair. Being a Mayfair would probably suck as a man, bc only the ladies get the magic juju (except Julien bc he's special). It would explain the Talamasca connection, bc we know they've been watching the Mayfair's for a long time. He could have got vamped after he started working for them. Probably not, but I know they're gonna eventually crossover all the different shows in the Immortal Universe. And they gave Santiago a bigger part on the show, so maybe?