#c: athenodora

[wastheheart]

As kind as Dora's words are, Esme isn't exactly wrong. Whatever gift of empathy and love she exhibits is hardly comparable to Edward's gift of mind reading. She is as unremarkable as she had been as a human and she was, perhaps disappointingly so, okay with that.

The suggestion she become different set her mouth into the briefest of grimaces. She had changed for Charles and once again after Carlisle had changed her; Esme had entirely forgotten who she was. To change again was an impossibility to her, she was still trying to find the woman obscured by vampire venom and abuse.

Esme's eyes flicker up to meet Dora's own until her attention is taken by glinting jewellery. It's a simple enough question, but Esme is still learning the ropes of vampire etiquette. For now, it's easier simply to watch the light refracting from Dora's multiple rings. "It is... an adjustment," she answers after a beat. Especially when she had been so ready to die. "Overwhelming at times, we can see and hear so much more... I'm not sure when I'm supposed to get used to it."

The slightest of smiles appears after her words. "Perhaps you can teach me how to embrace this life more fully," she suggests, almost regretting the words as soon as they leave her mouth. "So many of our kind have so many opinions about the way we choose to live."

"plain? oh, esme," dora exclaims on a sigh, shaking her head. "now that's hardly true. —ah! but you're young yet… you have time to feel differently. to become different, if you want." it's clear athenodora's transition from human to vampire had been easy with the way she speaks of it. as horrifying and traumatic as it had been, it had also been a gift unlike any other, and athenodora takes no shame in being a vampire. she was made for it, especially here—with caius, with those lucky enough to be called her family. perhaps she could understand why carlisle would want to spend his life with edward and now esme—the loneliness stung.

dora sits back in her chair and crosses one leg over the other, leaning towards esme with her arms crossed over her knee, hands dangling casually. her numerous rings, small and dainty, catch in the light of the sun. "so, tell me, how do you like being a vampire?"

[panlight]

These are the top 2-3 of each group of previous rounds of voting. Pick you favorite NAME, not favorite character.

Also looking at this list it reminds me of how many C and E names there are in this series.

[lumillsie]

ೃ⁀➷ fandoms & characters I write for. ੈ✩‧₊˚

the fandoms I'm currently taking requests for are marked red. my favorite characters to write for will also be marked red.

if a piece of media you want to see me write for isn't on this list, ask me about it and I'll see if I'm familiar with it or intrigued by it enough to watch/read it. this list will be edited in case I become interested in writing for another fandom.

banner credits : @dollywons <3

╰┈➤ movies ₊❏❜ ⋮ ⌒

- the twilight saga - aro volturi, caius volturi, marcus volturi, demetri volturi, felix volturi, sulpicia volturi, athenodora volturi, leah clearwater, paul lahote, jasper hale, rosalie hale, alice cullen, carlisle cullen, benjamin (of the egyptian coven)

- the hunger games - finnick odair, johanna mason, gale hawthorne, cressida, cato, madge undersee (platonic)

- the ballad of songbirds and snakes - coriolanus snow, lucy gray baird, sejanus plinth, tigris snow, livia cardew, reaper ash,

- james bond franchise (daniel craig) - james bond, vesper lynd, le chiffre, gareth mallory (m), maximilian denbigh (c), lyutsifer safin

- harry potter - godric gryffindor, salazar slytherin, rowena ravenclaw, helga hufflepuff, newt scamander, theseus scamander, tom marvolo riddle, abraxas malfoy, barty crouch jr, regulus black, severus snape, evan rosier, james potter, sirius black, remus lupin, peter pettigrew, lily evans, marlene mcckinnon, pandora lovegood, xenophilius lovegood, bill weasley, charlie weasley, fred weasley, george weasley, ron weasley, draco malfoy, theodore nott, blaise zabini, hermione granger, harry potter, oliver wood, cedric diggory

╰┈➤ tv shows ₊❏❜ ⋮ ⌒

- game of thrones - robb stark, sansa stark, jon snow, daenerys targaryen, jaime lannister, margaery tyrell, cersei lannister, ramsay bolton, tywin lannister, tyrion lannister, joffrey baratheon, theon greyjoy, viserys targaryen, oberyn martell, bronn of the blackwater, edmure tully, ygritte

- house of the dragon - otto hightower, alicent hightower, gwayne hightower, daemon targaryen, rhaenyra targaryen, aegon 'the elder' targaryen, aemond targaryen, jacaerys velaryon, mysaria, alys rivers, addam of hull, ser criston cole

- from - ellis stevens, sara myers, nathan myers, kenny liu, fatima hassan, randall kirkland, jade herrera, tabitha matthews, jim matthews, boyd stevens, julie matthews (platonic), victor kavanaugh (platonic), kristi miller, marielle sinclair

- elementary - sherlock holmes, joan watson, marcus bell, mycroft holmes, jamie moriarty, odin reichenbach, gareth lestrade

- criminal minds - aaron hotchner, jennifer jareau, kate callahan, emily prentiss, elle greenaway, spencer reid, derek morgan, luke alvez, penelope garcia, tara lewis, jason gideon, david rossi, will lamontagne

- bones - zack addy, seeley booth, temperance brennan, angela montenegro, jack hodgins, camille saroyan, lance sweets, daisy wick, arastoo vaziri, jessica warren, finn abernathy, vincent nigel-murray, wendell bray

- castle - kate beckett, richard castle, javier esposito, kevin ryan, lanie parish, tom demming, hayley shipton, alexis castle (platonic)

- gotham - jim gordon, barbara kean, victor zsasz, oswald cobblepot, edward nygma, sofia falcone, jerome valeska, jeremiah valeska, tabitha galavan

- brooklyn 99 - rosa diaz, gina linetti

- shadow & bone - genya safin, kaz brekker, nikolai lantsov, jesper fahey, zoya nazyalensky, nina zenik, inej ghafa, matthias helvar

╰┈➤ books ₊❏❜ ⋮ ⌒

- a song of ice and fire series (mostly fire & blood) - arianne martell, young griff "aegon", aegon ' the conqueror' targaryen, rhaenys 'the conqueror' targaryen, visenya 'the conqueror' targaryen, maegor targaryen, rhaena targaryen, aemon targaryen, baelon targaryen, aegon 'the younger' targaryen, viserys ii targaryen, aemon 'the dragonknight' targaryen, daemon blackfyre, shiera seastar, daemon blackfyre

- the secret history - julian morrow, richard papen, henry winter, camilla macaulay, charles macaulay, edmund 'bunny' corcoran

- the folk of the air - jude duarte, cardan greenbriar, locke, nicasia, valerian, dain greenbriar, the ghost, the roach, the bomb, liriope

- house of hollow - iris hollow, vivi hollow, grey hollow, tyler yang

[jessicanjpa]

for the friendship ask game, could you do 1 and 22 for caius and marcus ? thanks !

(from the Friendship Headcanons ask game)

1. What were their first impressions of each other?

The Illustrated Guide doesn't say much about Caius's impressions except that he was eager to ally himself and Athenodora to powerful friends. He liked the idea of being in a coven with Aro and Marcus, who were both gifted and were already making plans to take over the vampire world. So at first, he mainly saw Marcus (and his gift) as a source of protection and power. I like to think Caius came to admire his new covenmate for his innovative thinking and his poetic nature. What's the point of winning all those battles, after all, if no one writes any songs about it?

The Guide is very clear, however, about how Marcus did not trust Caius at first. Caius just wanted safety and power without really bringing anything to the table himself. With his gift, Marcus could tell that Caius's interest was not loyalty or even true commitment, but pure self-interest. And self-interest makes for an unpredictable ally. But Aro disagreed; he saw Caius's passionate hatred as a powerful tool that could be shaped and used. I think Marcus grew jealous when he saw how well Aro and Caius complemented each other's style; he had been Aro's first friend, not Caius. But in the end, he had to admit that Caius's energy was the catalyst he and Aro needed to drive their plans into action.

22. What's the stupidest thing these two have ever done?

I'm trying to think of a time when these two would be doing anything together without Aro calling the shots and interceding between the two of them. I think we'll go with that year Aro decided to go wife-shopping. He was very preoccupied with Sulpicia during her first couple of years, and happily neglected his work. So what happens when Aro isn't there as a buffer between Caius's hot-headed retribution and Marcus's dreamy megalomania? And these two are left unsupervised to run things?

C

H

A

O

S

.

Thankfully, they didn't run the world yet at this point, so their arguments didn't actually cause any world wars. But let's just say Aro came back to work one day to find seven dead guards, half the castle burned to the ground, and Caius and Marcus pointing at each other.

[alilaro]

What do you think the seven deadly sins are for volturi members? and their counter virtues? If you do not mind

—⊣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕����𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐞𝐬: ⊢–             ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉⁱʳ ˢᵉᶜᵒⁿᵈᵃʳʸ ˢⁱⁿˢ  //  ᵈᵒ ᶠᵒʳᵍⁱᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉᵐ, ᵗʰᵉʸ’ʳᵉ ᵛᵃᵐᵖⁱʳᵉˢ, ᵇᵉⁱⁿᵍ ᵛⁱʳᵗᵘᵒᵘˢ ⁱˢ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗʰᵉⁱʳ ˢᵗʳᵒⁿᵍ ˢᵘⁱᵗ

∙ ψ❂ ∙

———⊣  𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹𝑺: 

𝐀𝐫𝐨:   Gluttony (Pride)  ||  Patience 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚:    Greed (Pride)  ||  Diligence 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐮𝐬:    Pride (Envy)  ||  Diligence 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬:    Sloth (Lust)  ||  Humility 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚:    Pride (Wrath)  ||  Temperance 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐦𝐞:    Wrath (Envy)  ||  Chastity

———⊣  𝑮𝑼𝑨𝑹𝑫:

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞:    Envy (Wrath)  ||  Diligence 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐜:    Sloth (Gluttony)  ||  Chastity 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐞:   Sloth (Envy)  ||  Charity 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚:    Pride (Wrath)  ||  Chastity 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐱:    Gluttony (Lust)  ||  Humility 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐢:    Pride (Greed)  ||  Diligence 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢:    Lust (Pride)  ||  Charity 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨:    Pride (Greed)  ||  Forgiveness 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧:    Envy (Lust)  ||  Humility 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐚:    Lust (Pride)  ||  Diligence 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧:    Lust (Envy)  ||  Forgiveness

[bloxdstained]

The evening was quite dazzling, as one would expect such a party ought to be. As were the surroundings, of which Ana found herself incredibly curious about. From the sight of the guards at the castle entrances, she understood that going inside tonight would not be allowed, but she was more than happy to simply explore the gardens. After walking for quite some time around in the maze like depth of it though, further and further away from the party, she found herself struggling to remember which way to take to get back. Biting her lip she tilted her head around this and that corner, yet without any luck. She was almost ready to start yelling to be found, when footsteps crept closer. Thank heavens, she was in luck after all. Smiling with both warmth and relief at the woman who appeared before her, the brunette quietly had to wonder if the slight pull she felt towards the other was based on self preservation, or if there was something deeper at play. “Excuse me? Would you be so kind as to show me where to go to get out of this ahm.. very beautiful but maze like garden? I seem to have gotten myself lost.” 

@xxnxctis​ 

[volturisecretary]

Do you have any headcanons about Athendora and what do you think went through not only her mind but Sulpicia’s when Caius executed Irina during the confrontation with the Cullens? (Almost said Didyme then 😭 - I hate how we have no info on her or the fact she was killed off without us truly knowing her in canon except how Marcus’s grief etc is supposed to be paralleled with Edward’s)

Athenodora and I probably rolled our eyes and cringed an equal number of time during the whole ‘confrontation.’ More seriously, I don’t think Athenodora, or any Volturi member/guard for that matter, was surprised that Irina was executed. For whatever reason, false witness is a severe crime. I guess you could assume that it was merely a tactic to rile up the Denali Coven, giving the Volturi an excuse to go on the mass murder spree in the name of the lawTM. Although, I’m not sure how this would make the Cullens and other witnesses culpable. Either way, I think all of the Coven members and guards were aware of how the situation would go either way because it was probably discussed before in some capacity. 

Possibly Unpopular Opinion: The Irina situation annoys me, because the more I think about it the more I think she handled it the best way possible. Immortal children are supposedly incredibly charming, and if all of the Cullens + shapeshifters were under her spell, it’s no wonder Irina rushed to the Volturi. She didn’t want herself or her family to get hurt trying to rectify the situation, and to be honest it isn’t there job to clean up that mess. I wish SM would have kept Victoria going to the Volturi because she could have been executed on other charges (like using this whole situation to fuel her agenda or her conspicuous newborn army).

Yeah, poor Marcus. I feel so bad for him :c. Although, I do headcanon that most vampires (aka non-edwardian-like ones) are eventually able to get over their mates. But, it still saddens me and makes me wonder what the Volturi was like pre-Chelsea/assassination. 

[raindancer2004]

Headcanons - Dating Heidi

Warnings: fluff   Key: Y/F/C - Your Favourite Colour.

Author’s note: I have based these Headcanons on my Heidi with a Event Planner mate moodboard - link.  Hope you enjoy!

You meet Heidi when you organised a celebration for Caius and Athenodora anniversary

Aro wanted to throw an extravagant party for his brother and his wife and enlisted Gianna’s help

Wanting to ensure that everything was perfect Gianna searched for Event Planners and came across your website and was impressed by the reviews and the range of events you plan for

Heidi caught your scent on her way to Gianna’s desk as she had offered to help Gianna with the planning. (Aro wants to ensure that their secret is kept from you)

Heidi smiled knowingly at you but quickly composed herself enough to introduce herself to you with a warm smile

You smile back at her and introduce yourself, silently thinking how beautiful she looks

Heidi is impressed by your organisation skills and your attention to detail during the planning sessions

Later that night she looked up you and your website online and was further impressed by your portfolio of work and the reviews left by previous clients and smiled as she realised why you were her fated mate

Demetri noticed Heidi spending more time with Gianna than normal and his curiosity got the better of him and after speaking with the secretary worked out that his friend had finally met her other half in the Event Planner

 Heidi ensured she was available to attend any meetings you had with Gianna throughout the planning stages, so much so Aro became suspicious of her interest in you

You and your assistant arrived at the castle and oversaw the decoration of the ballroom, making sure everything was perfect for the big event itself

Heidi made sure that you were safe as there were many humans coming and going from the castle as they were delivering the decorations, flowers, chair covers and satin ties along with food and wine for the evening

You stayed for the event to ensure it went smoothly and to be on hand should there be any queries or problems

After Heidi finally got up the courage to ask you to dance, you spent the rest of the night talking and laughing together

Marcus saw the strong mate ties between the two of you and discreetly slipped his hand into Aro’s. Aro smiled wide knowing Heidi had finally found her mate and was looking forward to welcoming you into the family knowing your event planning skills would be a great addition to the castle as the residents did enjoy throwing parties etc

Caius and Athenodora were surprised by the party being thrown for them and was very impressed when they discovered that the successful event was organised by you (a human) Gianna may have received a pay rise as she was the one to find you online

Heidi was forever grateful to Gianna for she would never have met you if it wasn’t for her

Heidi planned your first date wanting you to relax and enjoy the evening rather than worrying about the details

Heidi took you an Italian restaurant that Demetri and his mate recommended (they went there many times before she was turned)

Heidi bought you a Y/F/C bouquet of mixed flowers, ensuring to remove the thorns from the roses

You blushed when she handed you the flowers as she complimented your appearance, loving you in your date outfit “You look so beautiful Y/N” “Thank you. You look beautiful too” You compliment her on her outfit too

The Kings and Queens approve of you and are looking forward to having you plan many more events in the future

Knowing you are not a threat to them or their secret you are able to continue to work outside of the castle as you didn’t want to give up your business

Heidi does everything she can to ensure you’re happy with her and encourages you to move in with her.

You sharing Heidi’s room and being shocked at the size of your new shared walk-in closet “I’d never fill this space” “Yes you will my love and we have an eternity to do so” Heidi replied holding you from behind

You enjoy adding ‘your’ touch to Heidi’s quarters now you would be sharing them with her

You becoming a little jealous when you realise she uses her ‘gift’ to entice the ‘tourists’ into the castle for dinner twice a month

Heidi reassures you that she loves you and only you, explaining to you how her ‘gift’ actually works

Heidi loves curling up with you at the end of the day for a cuddle whilst you watch movies together or whilst you read to each other

Shared baths and showers are a great way to share intimate moments and lavish each other with lots of TLC as you both enjoy feeling the other’s hands on your body

Girl’s days out – Heidi and you have regular shopping trips with Corin, Chelsea and Renata

PDA – Heidi and you hold hands, fingers intertwined as you walk around the castle and when you leave the castle for dates and days out. Kisses to each other cheeks and temples when around the other vampires in the castle, showing them that you two are mates

Intimacy – slow, sensuous kisses during intimate moments as you both like to take your time with each other.

Rough and needy kisses are rare between you as it is not often that you are apart from each other for long periods of time

The Kings give you time to acclimatise to the castle, the other vampire residents and the fact that you will become immortal

Heidi turns you when the time is right although she was worried in case she was tempted by the smell of your blood whilst turning you

Your self-control around Gianna is impressive for a newborn which the Kings appreciate as hiring her replacement will be inconvenient during your first year. (The Kings never forgot the number of secretaries they had to hire during Afton’s newborn year)

Everyone notices your calm demeanour around humans during your newborn phase although your demeanour changes when you are around the lower and transitory guards as they tend to bring out your ‘newborn’ tendencies

Felix and Demetri training you separately from the other guards as you were rather aggressive to the lower and transitory guards during your first few training sessions

Demetri also taught you how to bring down Felix as you were getting frustrated at never winning a ‘friendly’ sparring match against the giant vampire

During your newborn year your assistant took on more responsibilities and oversaw the events that you planned, staying in touch virtually. You also took on another assistant to help your original assistant with her new role as you didn’t want to lose your business just because you became immortal

Once you are passed your newborn phase you are allowed to continue running your business as you had proven you had good self-control around humans. Your assistant took on a more involved role during your newborn year and as this worked well, she continued to oversee events especially on sunnier days, your other assistant helping out too

You became famous among the vampire world over the years as ‘The World’s Best Event Planner’ as you always planned the Volturi’s parties and balls etc

Your new ‘title’ was something Heidi was very proud of. However, if vampires could blush you would be blushing regularly

You eventually started planning events for other vampire covens and charging them accordingly, loving how your small business had grown over the centuries.

Heidi enjoyed helping you plan the events too

Caius would brag about your planning skills ensuring the Volturi’s subjects knew you were better than a certain Cullen. This amused his brothers greatly

Heidi was not just your mate and lover; she was your best friend and your entire world and you looked forward to spending the rest of forever together

[lucifers-daughterr]

modern Caius and Athenodora — moodboard

in a different life athenodora is an architect with strong interest in art and history. she takes great pleasure in horse riding and painting. her biggest dream is to travel the world for two months with her loved one. as for caius, he has been singing for quite a while, hoping for it to become his professional career. for now, he is a cardiothoracic surgery resident in one of the hospitals in nevada. caius and athenodora met in the equestrian centre, where he and his band were to perform that night.

a. - c.fitzgerald

c. - j.c.bower

[volterran-wine]

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 - 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟐𝟑: Thicker than Blood — Athenodora, Caius & Corin

Summary: A holiday celebration is underway in the Palazzo, and while everyone is having a merry time; one seems to be in a somber mood. Caius is a vampire known for being able to hold his liquor quite well, but for once he confides in one of his trusted guards to watch over him as he surrenders to his inhibitions. Corin stumbles across her Sire and becomes quite worried, unburdening the guard and helping her master to him and his wives shared quarters. Sentiments that has been kept secret for millennia is shared, and nothing will ever quite be the same.

Wordcount: 1308 words

Authors note: Another piece firmly set within my worldbuilding, I know not everyone finds these as fascinating as I do; but there are some great character moments in these stories as well despite lacking Shipping and Self Inserts. Thanks to @loyalmuse for listening to me ramble about my worldbuilding and giving me ideas.

!Warnings! Heavy Alcohol consumption by Caius.

𝐄𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲

Volterra, 1344

Drunken laughter could be heard hollering down the halls, various party goers were rushing back and forth on the floor below them. Some had even ventured into the gardens and were dancing across the powdery snow that had just fallen. On any other occasion Corin would have been enjoying the festivities with the rest of her coven, perhaps she would have let Demetri dance her into a stupor. Instead she had been called to one of the kings private solars by Felix. Caius had been in a particular mood the entire evening, and at some point he had grabbed his second and dragged him off the dance floor. Now Corin had the joy of guiding her sire into the arms of his dear wife. She let out a huff as the king leaned his entire weight on her as they walked down the carpeted hallway.

“Sir, you are quite heavy, I think you need to watch your physique.” Corin teased as they began ascending the stairs towards her king and his wives shared quarters. A boisterous laughter escaped the man she was supporting, wrapping an arm around her head and placing a sloppy kiss against her temple.

“Lies Child! I am fitter than anyone here!” Caius exclaimed, a lazy smile upon his lips. It was difficult to keep her serious and stoic expression, there was nothing quite like her Sire when he was inebriated. Why her sire had felt the need to drink so much was unknown to Corin, but she was thankful for her perfect memory; this was something she never wanted to forget. Luckily their strength did not deteriorate while drinking, so shoving open the door to the private rooms was no struggle.

“Oh dear, I can practically smell the alcohol” a voice called from within the quarters, soft steps were heard before Athenodora appeared in the archway. With a shake of her head did she cross her arms across her chest, directing a mock expression of annoyance at her spouse. "Well, my husband seems to have had a good time."

The moment Caius caught sight of his wife his expression softened, "My only qualm is that she refused to honour me with a dance." Athenodora was highly amused and chuckled as her husband attempted to spin Corin in a small circle, not quite as gracefully as he usually would have.

"That is a true offence, to refuse such a magnificent king!" she jested, intending to take on the duty of fussing over her husband. But he had other plans, for he spun away only to let an arm fall around Corin’s shoulders once more.

Caius scoffed, a little bit more undignified than usual; the alcohol loosening up his behaviour. "Nonsense! She is the one who is outstanding… ahead of her time by centuries." Corin was about to lift his arm off of her shoulder, another intellectual jab at the tip of her tongue; but the hand on her shoulder tightened.

"Corin is the only good thing I have ever created." Caius proclaimed proudly as the room fell silent.

Corin was stunned. And her surprise only doubled when he reached out to run a hand through her hair, tucking some of it behind her ear. "My precious daughter..." Caius seemed to be lost in thought; eyes growing unfocused in the candle light; perhaps he was remembering her turning? She had seen this happen a couple of times before, and it was never his fondest memories he got lost in. "Even if she is only mine..." he trailed off, looking towards his wife with a pained and sorrowful expression.

All was still, they could faintly hear the ruckus of the party that was still underway 5 floors below. The two ancient vampires were caught in an intense staring match, both of them gauging the others reaction. Caius looked as if he was prepared to engage in an argument, sobering up by the second as he was starting to look more irate. Athenodora would have none of it however, her inviting expression had soured, eyes dulling to a darker hue. "You believe I do not think of her as my own?" her tone was accusatory, and Corin could feel how Caius shifted besides her, raising to stand at his full height despite his current state.

"I loved her the moment you brought her home from Gaul." Athenodora took another step towards the two of them, prompting Caius to gently push Corin to the side. She highly doubted her queen would ever do harm to either of them, but the kings protective nature seemed to have been ignited. With heavy steps did he meet his wife half way, staring her down.

"She is of your venom Caius, the first one you were able to turn." Athenodora did not raise her voice, but her tone grew more stern; as if she was trying to explain a foreign concept to her husband. “I was fiercely proud when you came home.” This seemed like a dance they both had participated in many times over, perhaps for centuries.

"I love you, and all the children you bring into this world." Hands rose to cup his cheeks, gently caressing them as Caius was overcome with emotion. A hand reached to grasp hers, turning it towards his face so he could pepper it with kisses. "Dora..." her name left his lips as a whisper; a prayer. Corin watched as the couple held one another, clinging to each other as if it would be the last time they embraced. What had started out as a spirited and jovial evening had now entered foreign territory that none of them were quite certain about traversing. The urge to give the two of them some privacy overwhelmed Corin, she felt as if she was witnessing something forbidden.

Perhaps when dawn broke on the morrow everything would be as it was; for she could not quite believe this was happening. For years had her master been friendlier with her than others, but still demanded the same amount of respect and pageantry he asked from any other guard. It had confused her since she was turned so many years ago, their relationship had always felt like something more; more than just a useful guard and her king.

"Corin."

Caius' voice made her stop in her tracks, her hand that was reaching out towards the door stilled; waiting for her king to further instruct her.

".. Come here." It was not an order, the tone was too soft for that. His cheek was pressed into Athenodora's hair, head turned in order to look at Corin as she had attempted to retreat. "My child."

The world felt as if it was literally falling apart, as if broken shards were landing as perfect puzzle pieces; finally unveiling that image she had dreamed of. "Thank you,—" her throat clenched up, as if a hand had wrapped itself around her dainty neck and squeezed. She weighed her next words carefully, it was important that they came across the right way, that her emotions rang true. "... Father." she whispered, afraid that such an endearment could tear the fragile moment apart. But there was not much to fear, for a softness had settled in Caius' eyes for the first time in forever. Athenodora's grip around her husband tightened for a second, until she raised one of her arms; beckoning Corin into their embrace. She hesitated for a second, but all doubt left her the moment her father stretched out an arm as well. In a blink of an eye she rushed into their arms, burying her face into her Sire's other shoulder. Caius' soft laughter shook her as she felt venomous tears begin to fill her eyes.

Corin let the feeling of acceptance wash over her as she felt two sets of arms embrace her.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭

What is up with Corin & Caius: This icy king is Corin's Sire within my worldbuilding. The first vampire he ever turned in 2 AD.

𝐈𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠: Caius as a genuine father figure? Who would have thought. Well, it has always been my headcanon that Caius had children before he was turned, and he has some complicated feelings about leaving them behind and creating newborns as a sire. He has in fact only done it three times. One is Corin, One has died and the last one? He does not show up until later.

I really wanted to depict different family dynamics in this Christmas Calendar. We got a brief look at Aro's relationship to Sulpicia and the twins on the 14th, but I really wanted to showcase Caius and his little family as well. Within my verse Caius is a family man through and through.

[wastheheart]

It's the first time since arriving here that Esme has had space to breathe. Carlisle had given her the rundown about the members of the Volturi (including their mates) but hearing about them and meeting them were two different things.

Esme had refused to give Aro her hand; the decision caused quite the stir, muttering rippling through the guard. Aro was rather nonchalant about it, but there was that look in his eye— one that assured her he wouldn't forget.

She stupidly thought their room would finally provide some respite, but as soon as Esme has perched upon the vanity chair to fix disheveled hair, Athenodora appears. Esme spots the woman's reflection first, hardly registering her company before her hands are enveloped in the those of the blonde's. Esme barely gets the chance to speak before Dora shifts again, now lounging across the chair, her other hand eagerly gesturing to the empty chair beside her.

Esme joins her with the most tentative of smiles, her eyes starkly contrasting against the red of Dora's. A nervous laugh spills from Esme's lips with the woman's comments, not sure what she can say beyond what Carlisle has already divulged. Esme doesn't particularly consider herself particularly interesting, and unlike the residents of Volterra, Esme hasn't lived long enough in this life to be. Athenodora easily has a few thousand years on Esme.

"Ah, yes, I remember," Esme replies, her fingers linking loosely together on her lap, "I apologise, I'm not very good with names, but it's a pleasure to meet you Dora." Or she hopes it is. Esme still isn't entirely sure what to make of them all. Still, Esme continues with a lingering smile, "you'll have to forgive Carlisle... it's not exactly easy to have anything to tell when his mate is, well, as plain as me."

❛  what do you need?  ❜

athenodora looks decidedly genuine as she stands in the doorway of esme's room. aro had given her and carlisle one for their stay, although athenodora knows precious little about the duration. she knew it was special, though, because this was the first time carlisle had brought esme—his mate. athenodora was instantly curious, eager to meet someone carlisle loved so much. he had taught her quite a lot in his time with them and had become her mentor in a lot of ways. however bitter she might still be about his leaving, she loves and respects him enough to honor his mate.

she'd shut the door behind her after entering—she hadn't waited for a welcome. "nothing important," dora answers before confidently walking over to esme and reaching out to grasp the other's hands inside her own as if they'd known each other forever. they weren't friends—they had met only for a few moments upon their arrival—but that doesn't bother athenodora. "i wanted to see how you were getting acquainted, and i thought you might like some company… we could get to know each other a bit."

releasing esme's hands, athenodora moves with a supernatural speed to sit on a lounge chair facing the window, the sun glinting beautifully against her blonde hair. she looks carefree here, and eager to get to know esme. "athenodora, if you don't remember… caius' mate—we only met for a moment," she says, smiling, "you can call me dora." she motions to the chair beside her, gesturing for esme to join her. "carlisle hasn't told me anything juicy about you! i do intend to have a talk with him about it."

@wastheheart

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Request: Heart Break (Marcus Volturi x Reader)

You were very young when taken in by Marcus, around three or four years old. It wasn’t easy for either of you, the two of you only becoming truly comfortable with one another by the time you were six. In that time, your bond had become almost unbreakable and you in particular had become very close to Marcus. For not even a second, did Marcus regret his decision of taking you in, even when things were at their worst. To be a parent was certainly a gift and the precious moments he had with you was his reward.Although everyone could tell you knew something wasn’t right with Marcus. Not that he was a vampire but instead that he seemed sad, all the time. In fact that seemed to be the major barrier between the two of you. 

“Oh my…” Marcus could help but chuckle at the mess you hair was in. The front was well done, but the back was knotted worse than it likely was when you woke up. “What on Earth happened here?” Marcus walked into the bathroom. “I couldn’t get them out!” Your tiny voice replied. “Then it was taking too long!” Marcus chuckled, you were just like Didyme. She too was never patient enough to fix her hair. It drove Sulpicia to madness that Didyme just couldn’t sit still for that sort of thing. She preferred to be outside or even reading, doing anything other than that. Didyme always had been an adventurous girl, even as a child and specks of that nature seemed to resonate in you. “Patience is key, my dear.” Marcus smiled, remembering he’d had to say the same to Didyme many times before. “Now let’s see if we can fix this, hm?” Marcus picked up the comb. “Let me know if it pulls, understand?” You nodded. Marcus was careful to separate the knotted hair to give it selective attention. Slowly and lightly pulling the comb on the ends. As he made his way up, knots he remembered many times Didyme standing in front of him. 

“Blast these things!” Didyme huffed. “No ones hair is supposed to sit like this!” Marcus chuckled. “Patience is key, my love.” Marcus hands were weaving into Didyme’s hair, removing every little pin that kept her hair in place. “I’m never letting Sulpicia touch my head again! Mark my words! She overdoes it every time!” “Nearly done…” Marcus reassured Didyme. 

Marcus’ eyes lifted to yours in the reflection. “Nearly done…” He barely managed the words out as he realised how similar the scenes were. Instead of it being an impatient Didyme, it was his impatient child’s hair he was fixing. “There. Now to smooth it out and it’ll be done.” Marcus frowned slightly, his lips moving into a tight line, doing his best not to get upset in front of you. He noticed your eyes flicker up at him through the mirror. He exhaled, doing his best to hide his heartbroken expression from you. “There, all done.” Marcus briskly left the room without another word. “Thank you…” He heard you say quietly. He kept walking, a hand covering his mouth.

No one could forget the first time you asked about Didyme. It was when Caius took you to bed one night. “Uncle Caius?” “Yes, sweetie?” Caius said quietly as he made sure you were tucked in. “Do you know why Dad is so sad sometimes?” Caius paused, looking at you. He was uncertain of how to answer since you were so young but perhaps it was better you knew rather than being kept in the dark. Caius lay down beside you and you immediately leaned into him. “A very long time ago, your father was married. Sadly, his wife passed on and sometimes he is very sad because he misses her.” “Where did she go?” “We don’t know, sweetheart. Some of us would like to think she’s now in heaven.” “Like an angel?” “Yes, my dear, a beautiful angel watching over us all, even you.” Caius smiled slightly at you. “Will dad get a new wife?” Caius looked over at you, somewhat sadly. “No, sweetheart. No, I don’t think so.”

The leaders discovered you loved to draw and it was often a pass time as well as a distraction to keep you occupied whilst they worked. Aro smiled as you ran up to him paper in hand and seconds later Alec was behind you. “Hello, little ones.” Aro’d smile gleamed as he smoothed back some hair out of your face. “What’s this?” Aro bent down to your level. “Did you do this?” Aro looked down at the drawing of a butterfly. Of course it wasn’t accurate, it was a child’s drawing. Although that didn’t make it any less sweet to look at that. Especially your grinning smile behind as you presented it. “Alec helped me colour it!” You rocked on your heels. Alec moved to Aro’s side. “That’s divine, dear ones. It’s magnifico!” Aro nodded at Alec whilst giving the two of you praise. Aro knew Alec tried his best with other children. Jane wasn’t as open to the idea. For Alec to make an attempt with you, was very promising. He always seemed to watch over you. Not quite protective, but Alec always had his eye on you - just in case you were to wander off or be hurt.

“You’re very special, you know.” Athenodora smiled at you reaching out for you. You were ten and only had more questions about everyone’s behaviour. The twins were always angry, your father always sad. Caius was and Aro could be scary at times and the other guards...none of them were the same towards other people as they were to you. Now that you were older, you couldn’t help but notice. “I am?” You asked walking into her arms. "You see, you have a gift." Athenodora said as she lifted you into her lap, prepared to do it as much as she could whilst you were still young. Then again, you had another thing coming if you thought you wouldn’t be in her lap even as an adult.  "I do?" "Yes, and it's not a gift in terms of a shield like Reneta or illusions of pain like Jane or even the ability to read ones mind. You've had it even as a baby. I can tell you about it if you like." You nodded. "Well when you were brought here, only an infant at the time, we were going to care for you. Aro, Marcus, Caius, myself and Sulpicia. You gravitated towards Marcus very quickly and soon enough we took a step back and Marcus became more of the traditional father figure. We, in turn, took a more secondary guardian position. However, it wasn't long before I discovered one of your many greatest qualities. You were attached to him because you can sense the vulnerability in people and welcome it. You appreciate it and you're the type of person people can trust themselves with. If you catch on to any void within a person's soul, you will do everything you can to fix it. That's a beautiful trait, (Y/N)." "So I'm not gifted like the twins?" "No, dear, not like them. You are gifted in your own way that's just as important as the most powerful gift. You open your heart to people and overcome any pain that comes with it."

When you became a teenager, sometimes he still had these moments of pain but now you were more equipped for them, prepared even to help him.

You found Marcus kneeling on the floor of his room. “Dad?”  “Yes little one?”  “Are you okay?” He didn’t speak but slowly nodded. “Yes.” You barely heard it and knew immediately that he wasn’t okay. “Dad, look at me please?” Marcus turned, his black eyes meeting yours with a look of heart-break. 

You immediately hurried forward crouching behind him and wrapping him in a hug. You rested your head on his shoulder. Marcus’ head lowered slightly before you felt him lift your hand and press a light kiss to the top of your hand.  “You’re very sweet.” He said quietly.  “I hate seeing you sad.” You mumbled.  “I found her necklace.” Marcus opened his palm revealing the necklace. “I thought it was gone, or that she’d lost it.”  “It’s really pretty.” You gazed down at it.  “One of many.” Marcus wore a ghost of a smile although it was drowned out by sadness. “This one had much more sentimental value to her.”  “Maybe she’d be glad that you have it and keeping it safe.” You lightly offered the comfort to him. Marcus didn’t respond. You never said her name. You didn’t know what to consider Didyme since you never knew her. You didn’t know if she was your mother and you didn’t know how much pain it would cause Marcus to hear her name, so you didn’t dare.  

You didn't know what to expect when Marcus summoned you to his room. Since that night he had been keeping to himself, still healing from a wound that happened so many years ago. "Dad?" "Hello, my dear. Come in." You closed the door behind you and moved to sit beside him on his bed. "I have something for you." He said. "You do?" Marcus nodded with a small smile before standing up and moving to his drawers across the room. He held something in his hand but you couldn't see what it was. "I've thinking about you a lot lately." You went to speak but Marcus beat you to it. "For once I haven't been worrying about you." "Then, what's wrong?" "Wrong? Nothing is wrong, my dear. I've just been thinking about all these years, watching you grow up. You remind me of my beloved Didyme." You were startled that he said her name. "You always have, even as a child. I'll admit that I once feared that about you but I began to see the gift in it." Marcus opened his hand and you saw the golden pendant in his hand. "She adored this necklace. Every time she left the castle, she wore it, even if it was just to the gardens. She had many jewels but she never had as much love for them as she did for this one." "Why that one?" You asked. Marcus cracked a smile. "It was the first one I ever gave her." Your face softened, looking down at it. "Ever since she never parted with it." Marcus took a breath. "She'd hate that was hidden away in here and quite frankly so would I. We never had children of our own blood but I know she'd have wanted to pass it down. If she was here, I'd quite frankly never hear the end of it." Marcus held out his hand. "So I'm giving it to you, our child." "Wait, what? I couldn't- it means a lot to you." You said quickly. "Because it meant a lot to her, but i know what she'd have wanted and I'd like to see it worn again." Suddenly you remembered his words. "Did you say 'our child'?" Marcus smiled. "I know she never got to meet you but...I also know she'd love you more than anything in the world. If I'm your father then she is most certainly your mother." You felt a lump in your throat, overcome with emotion.  Marcus stood up, moving behind you to place the necklace on your neck and clasp it. Finally, he moved any hair in the way. "That's better." Marcus smiled slightly and no longer could you hold back your tears. You covered your face immediately. You didn't dare even say her name after all these years but to find out Marcus considered her your mother. It was a bittersweet feeling, that only made you wish you met her even more. Yet still you were elated to know you had a mother. "I know, dear one." You heard Marcus say as he sat beside you once more. He pulled you into his chest, kissing the top of your head. "I know." He did. He knew the feeling better than anyone. Marcus wished more than anything that you'd have gotten to meet Didyme. You two were so alike after all. You looked up at him against his chest and for a brief moment he saw you as a child again, your eyes boring into his own, mouth slightly agape with wonder. "Thank you..." Your childlike voice said. "For what, little one?" Marcus asked before blinking, shunning his imagination away. "For being my dad." You were older again, tears dripping down your cheeks. "You don't need to thank me." Marcus shook his head. 

[panlight]

TIL that three most popular names in Roman Empire were Marcus, Gaius (which is the same name as Caius) and Lucius. Sorta made me feel that maybe smeyer intended to make Volturi Latin all along with Aro being the only one from... *somewhere/when else* (only trail I found was Finnish and that seems to be a little off) In that case their names would be though not very subtle, but nice detail (L. was the most popular, and M&C are secondary yet powerful etc). I can believe she just forget about it

The Volturi names are . . . pretty inconsistent.   Sulpicia, Caius and Marcus are screamingly Roman.  Athenodora and Didyme are very Greek. SM has said she basically made up “Aro” (I can’t find the quote now but I swear it was during promotion of the Eclipse movie on the various fansites--gold star if someone can find it!) because she wanted a specific sound, so I think it being a Finnish name is a coincidence.

Before the guide there was a general assumption in fandom that the Volturi were Etruscan, a pre-Roman civilization in Tuscany, and that some of them eventually took on Roman names, but that they had always been ‘Italian’ (Italy as an idea didn’t exist but you know what I mean, they lived in the area).  Then the guide came out and they were Greek and it was like, “oh, okay, hmm.”

I honestly would not be surprised if SM hadn’t seriously thought about it until she sat down to write the guide. The wives don’t have names in the books so they might not have been decided until then, either, which explains why two of them at least got Greek names.  Sulpicia came later (how much later? Who knows) and so could have been actually Roman.  

[alilaro]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬:

(note: I headcanon vampires to be a nonbinary species.)

—

𝐀𝐫𝐨: He/They || Pansexual || Nonbinary / Trans-masculine.

𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚: She/Her || Pansexual || Nonbinary.

𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐮𝐬: He/They || Bisexual / Demisexual || Nonbinary.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬: He/She/They || Bisexual || Nonbinary.

𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚: Any pronoun || Bisexual || Nonbinary (intersex).

𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐦𝐞: She/Her || Bisexual || Biromanantic Asexual.

—

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞: She/Her || Aromantic Lesbian || Nonbinary

𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐜: He/Them || Aromantic Asexual || Nonbinary.

𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐞: She/They || Biromantic Asexual || Nonbinary.

𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚: She/Her || Aromantic Asexual || Nonbinary.

𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐱: He/She || Pansexual || Nonbinary.

𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐢: She/Her || Biromantic Demisexual || Trans woman.

𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢: He/They || Bisexual || Trans man.

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨: He/They/She || Gay || Nonbinary.

𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧: They/Them || Gay || Nonbinary.

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐚: She/Her || Bisexual || Trans woman.

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧: He/Any || Pansexual || Nonbinary.

[aro-volturi]

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[amongwclves-archive]

yo but everyone go follow @unkncwnstories b/c i have no fucking self control.