#pandora/marius

[desertfangs]

Necessity - Marius/Pandora - 948 words

Pandora watches Marius get frustrated and leave a council meeting, and follows him out to talk. Written for the @vcmicroficmay prompt "Necessary." I just reread Pandora and I've had her on my mind lately.

Marius tries to play it cool but Pandora sees his jaw tighten and his glare harden. Fareed is speaking at the front of the room, but no one is really listening. Lestat is smirking at Armand, clearly feeling like he got the better of him somehow in some unspoken game. Armand, for his part, sits statue-still, blank as a canvas, pretending not to be bothered. But beneath the table Pandora can see his fists clenched tight. 

Beside him, Daniel clicks a pen over and over until Viktor yanks it away from him. Daniel looks abashed, swallows, and tries to focus on Fareed.

Gregory might actually be listening but Pandora sees his rigid posture and the deliberate way he does not turn to look at the rest of the conference table.

Pandora watches Marius’ anger build. He tries to contain it but then Lestat makes some gesture at Armand, and Armand finally breaks his composure, sneering back. Then Benji’s phone blares some tinny, annoying ringtone and Marius explodes like a volcano. A slow flowing one, where the lava oozes out slowly into the sea, but a volcano nonetheless. 

He stands abruptly and leaves the conference room. Fareed, consummate professional, only pauses briefly before continuing his talk about results of his recent experiments exposing vampire blood to the sun. 

Pandora stands, more gingerly than Marius, though it is impossible to do so surreptitiously. She ignores the looks of the others as she follows Marius out into the hall. He’s gone all the way down the long corridor and turned the corner, where he now stands with his back against the wall, his eyes closed. 

“You’re in a mood tonight,” she says. 

Marius opens one eye. “I’m taking a short break.” 

Pandora folds her arms over her chest. “You know, there’s a trick professors use where they clap their hands and tell the class to pay attention. Then they don’t need to storm out of the room.” 

Marius sighs heavily. “What do you know of modern academics?” 

Pandora laughs. “I audited several classes at Vassar years ago.” 

Marius opens his mouth and then closes it again. She can tell he has questions but he won’t show interest, not now. He’s too busy being grumpy. 

“Fareed is an interesting fellow and his experiments are fascinating, but not everyone signed up for science class,” Pandora says.

“It’s not too much to ask that they pay attention for the duration of a weekly meeting,” Marius says. 

Pandora has to hide her smile. He’s so irritated by the tomfoolery, and she wonders what he expected when this Court was formed. Surely he remembers their time on Night Island and how any attempt to have a large group meeting was often foiled by something or another. The fact that he regularly manages to get them to the conference room is a feat in and of itself. 

“Don’t take it so personally. It’s not like it was your talk that was boring them.” 

He shakes his head. “It’s necessary that we make this work. It’s a chance for our kind to truly be united for the first time, to remake the world together in ways we’ve never dreamt of before.” 

Pandora puts her hand on his shoulder. For a second, she thinks he’ll pull away but instead, he relaxes, his muscles unclenching. “It’s not necessary.”

Another glare. She resists the urge to roll her eyes.

“It’s good, this Court that you’ve built,” she says. “It will have enduring effects on our kind for millennia even if it doesn’t last the centuries.” Marius presses his lips together in a tight line. She hurries on before he can argue. “But you can’t always take it so seriously. People goof off in meetings. Haven’t you ever watched The Office?”  

Marius scoffs. “No. Have you?” 

She shrugs. Marius likes to pretend he’s above the mindlessness of television but she’s seen him curled up on the couch with Daniel while all sorts of inane things play on the screen. 

“I’m saying you can’t make this Court the cornerstone of your existence. It won’t last forever.” Marius opens his mouth to protest and Pandora holds up her free hand. “It can’t, because nothing does. Surely you and I can both attest to that. But that doesn’t mean every poorly received meeting is a harbinger of doom.” 

Marius is silent for a long moment. Finally, he says, ”I suppose there’s some wisdom to what you’re saying.” 

She beams at him. “Only some? And here I thought it was brilliant. I was going to offer to give the next talk.” 

Marius reaches out and runs one of her loose brunette curls through his fingers. “I’m afraid the schedule is booked for the next few months.” 

Pandora holds her breath while he touches her hair and then smooths her cheek with his delicate, long fingers. She thinks of taking them in her mouth, of dragging him somewhere they can be alone for a while and forget the meeting. 

Marius drops his hand and sadness overtakes his expression, hardening over it like ice. 

“You’re not the only one who seeks reasons to continue, you know,” Pandora says. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting a purpose. But you don’t need to be so severe.” 

“Severe?” A faint smile. 

She smiles back. “What’s that expression Lestat loves? If the shoe fits?” 

Marius laughs, the ice around him melting. He shakes his head and then pushes off the wall. “Come, let’s get back. Fareed deserves at least half an audience.” 

He extends his elbow. Surprised, Pandora takes his arm and lets him walk her back to the conference room, glad that he seems a little less irritable, at least for now.  

Cross-Posted to AO3

[funtheysaid]

iwtv ships be like 🧶🕸️🌪️

[xxhellonursexx]

What?? Marius and Pandora actually enjoying each other's company? Yes! According to Pandora in her own memoir, it's a thing that really happened!

[I think I might be back on my Marius/Pandora bullshit.]

[sizeofyoursoul]

Anne Rice's Personal Fancasts for The Vampire Chronicles

(Important Disclaimer: I gathered this together as a curiosity, not as a comment on any past, current, or future actors playing these characters, and if you feel the need to use any of this to make anything other than positive comments on any past, current, or future actors playing any of these characters, I don't agree with you and I don't endorse it, and I hope Lestat comes and yells at you about it in your dreams)

Looking for her thoughts on a few things from her novels, I stumbled upon the weird fact that Anne Rice has a huge digital footprint of which actors she at some point had as her own mental image or ideal casting of her characters. I've collected as much as I could, and so, for fun, here they are! Unless otherwise specified, these were all posted on Facebook between 2009 and 2018.

Lestat

General Comments:

He is a "man", not a "boy"

He's a "big guy, quite tall and strong" (she emphasized this a lot)

He should be a guy in his late 20's so the actor doesn't change too much and can play a 250 year old immortal

He could be played by an unknown

He should not have dark hair or a five o'clock shadow

He should be good looking, because "Lestat's beauty is part of him, part of his self-assurance, his arrogance, his confidence and his seductive power"

First actor she thought looked like Lestat: a young Rutgar Hauer

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Chris Hemsworth (Mentioned at least x 3, said when she watched movies with him she could only see him as Lestat)

Richard Armitage (Mentioned at least x 3)

Anson Mount (Mentioned at least x 2)

Stephen Amell (Mentioned at least x 2)

Charlie Hunnam

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ

Leonardo Dicaprio (late 90's, mentioned at least x 2)

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Travis Fimmel

Harry Lloyd

Wes Bently (2000, was apparently considered for Queen of the Damned)

Louis

General Comments

Mentioned the idea of Louis and Nicholas being played by the same actor

Originally inspired by actor Alain Delon

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Matt Bomer (Mentioned at least x 7, mentioned a lot outside of fancasting, she was really in love with Matt Bomer)

Richard Armitage

Hugh Dancy

Marius

General Comments

"At least 40"

She did not care if he wasn't blonde (see her suggestions below for why)

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Matthew MacFayden (Mentioned a least x 7 but I eventually stopped counting)

Gary Oldman (late 90's)

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Paul Bettany

Armand

General Comments

Has to be someone in his 20's (also specified 25 or 30), a "baby faced man, a boyish man"

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Simon Woods (Mentioned at least x 2)

Johnny Depp (Late 90's)

Gabrielle

General Comments

Past 40, closer to 50

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Cher (Mentioned at least x 2, was a suggestion for Louis in the 80's when the idea of gender swapping the character was in the mix for IWTV)

Judy Davis (late 90's)

Eva Green

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Claire Danes

Evan Rachel Wood

Kirsten Dunst

Akasha

General Comments

Should be played by a black actress in tribute to Aaliyah's performance in Queen of the Damned being such an entry point for black fans of the series

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Lupita Nyong'o

Tiana Benjamin

Memnoch

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Russell Crowe

Pandora

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Eva Green

David Talbot

General Comments

Should be British

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Jeremy Irons

Anthony Hopkins

[vamptember]

𝖁𝖆𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘…

In honor of International Women’s Day, we will be hosting a week-long event taking place March 3 - March 9 to shine a spotlight on Anne Rice’s beloved female characters and/or the genderswapped versions of your favorite male characters! 💖

Create fic, art, playlists, moodboards, headcanons, meta, and anything else you can think of that centers the beautiful, brilliant, dynamic ladies of TVC! Base it on the books, the movie, the show, the musical, or even that other movie! Canon or AU!

𝕽𝖚𝖑𝖊𝖘 & 𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖘

Each day has THREE prompts in case one doesn’t speak to you! Pick one or combine them or rearrange them, it’s up to you! Make it SFW or NSFW!

Genderswapped and trans versions of canonically male characters are welcome! There are so many dynamics and possibilities to explore!

The event isn’t femslash exclusive with regards to NSFW content but it is highly encouraged!

AO3 collection here!

Tag your posts #vamptember so that we can reblog! If your post isn’t showing up in the tag, please don’t hesitate to send us an ask with a link!

𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉! 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖚𝖙!

Day 1: Darling Daughter | Bejeweled | Rosary

Day 2: Sleeping Beauty | Cradle | Starring Role

Day 3: My Sister's Keeper | Puppy/Kitten | Hairbrush

Day 4: Mistress | Garden of Earthly Delights | Venus

Day 5: Hell Hath No Fury | Butch/femme | Devour

Day 6: Cowgirl | Looks That Kill | Mother's Milk

Day 7: Queen of Hearts | Lingerie | Betrothed

[graphic by @mariusderomanus 💕]

[armandposting]

if you are caught up in what ships are "endgame" in the vampire chronicles or related media you are missing the whole point of anne rice vampires which is that they function like the worst most drama-filled queer community group you've ever heard of while being immortal and having unlimited resources. one of the last books in the series is about drama in lestats polycule because this guy that he pissed off ages ago kidnapped two of his boyfriends and his mom (who he is in love with as well don't worry about it) therefore provoking the ire of several of his other boyfriends because they were also dating those guys so they set aside their differences of opinion on whether or not they should farm the alien species that lives among them for easy blood in order to go steal back the cule members which lestat accomplishes by tearing the kidnapper's eyes out and eating them (which he didn't do before because the kidnapper was hot and so lestat was holding out hope that he would also join the polycule eventually). a side plot to this is lestat meeting a vampire he hasn't met before and bringing him home so the new guy and louis can read tolstoy together because as soon as lestat met this vampire he was like omg I need to bring this guy home for boyfriend enrichment. you cannot BEGIN to comprehend the complexity of vampire sucking and fucking in the anne rice universe

[hekateinhell]

loustat

early devil's minion

pandora/marius

bianca

[louisbxne]

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (2002) Dir. Michael Rymer

[chicalepidoptera]

Day 3 of @vampirefest 's vfkinktober2024: Clothed coitus

[desertfangs]

"Does Marius know where the clit is" as if Pandora did not make sure of that immediately.

[nothing-but-paisley]

Top 12 romantic vc moments:

12. Pandora and Marius have sex mortal style while arguing the entire time

11. Devil's minion movie nights with Daniel agreeing to watch Blade Runner 500 times

10. Distraught Marius reunites with Armand after he survives going into the sun

9. Bianca tenderly caring for the dying Amadeo

8. Lestat calling Armand good to embrace and good to love

7. Amadeo hacks through Marius' door with a battle axe

6. Lestat & Louis' first flight

5. Nickistat drunken makeout at the inn

4. Armand tells Louis he wants him more than anything in the world

3. Daniel's turning in the imaginary garden

2. Pre-concert Loustat reunion

1. The Villa of the Mysteries

[serafimo]

I COULD'VE BEEN A STUDENT, TOO! DON'T JUDGE A GIRL ON HOW SHE LOOKS! I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS, I DO!

Mya Rena Hunter and Jake David Smith starring as Éponine and Marius together in the Les Misérables North American tour. 🎥 — @medium-observation.

[xxhellonursexx]

Illustration from "Queen of the Damned."

You really gotta admire Marius and his "never give up" spirit. He just knows that the 259th gift he's given Pandora is what will really do the trick, and NOT cause her to throw him in the ocean!

[bubblegum-blackwood]

How I think the VC characters would feel about the pumpkin spice latte

Lestat: obsessed, can’t get enough, fall girl 100%

Louis: curls his lip up in distaste at the thought

Armand: fascinated by the concept and definitely enjoys it now and again

Daniel: tried it once because Armand begged him, but it’s a liiiiittle too sugary for his taste

Marius: probably likes it more than he cares to admit

Thorne: a fun treat for every once and a while, but not something he would order consistently

Santino: It is evil and indulgent! 😡

Quinn: thinks it’s kinda mid but drinks it for the aesthetic because he’s a dork

Nicki: actively makes fun of people who drink it

Mael: what’s a pumpkin spice latte?

Jesse: prefers it iced 😔

Seth: no hate but he doesn’t prefer it

Fareed: tried it once and that was enough

Khayman: he thinks it’s absolutely delightful

Pandora: prefers the iced pumpkin cream chai

Bianca: thinks it’s super cute and totally gets it as a more-than-occasional treat

Gabrielle: doesn't get the point of flavoured coffee in general

[vamptember]

𝖁𝖆𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘...

Join us in celebrating the many wives, mothers, lovers, and daughters of The Vampire Chronicles!

In honor of International Women’s Day, Vamptember will be hosting a 3-day mini event taking place the weekend of March 8th to shine a spotlight on Anne Rice's beloved female characters and/or the female versions of your favorite male characters! 🥰

Create fic, art, playlists, moodboards, headcanons, meta, and anything else you can think of that centers the beautiful, brilliant, dynamic ladies of TVC! Base it on the books, the movie, the show, the musical, or even that other movie! Canon or AU!

𝕽𝖚𝖑𝖊𝖘 & 𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖘

Each day has FIVE PROMPTS in case one doesn’t speak to you! There's SFW and NSFW options to chose from but be as creative as you want! Pick one or combine them or rearrange them, it's up to you!

Genderswapped and trans versions of canonically male characters are welcome!

The event isn’t femslash exclusive with regards to NSFW content but it is highly encouraged!

As of March 6, our ao3 collection is live!

Tag your posts #vamptember so that we can reblog! If your post isn’t showing in the tag please don’t hesitate to DM it to us!

𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉! 𝕯𝖆𝖎𝖑𝖞 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖚𝖙!

[prompts & graphics by @lovevamp 💕]

[killer-laurent]

Pandora and Marius (Commission) A birthday gift for @monstersinthecosmos from @hekateinhell and @apoptoses 💖💖💖