quietmagics

[quietmagics]

Marius Vaughn’s Familiar: Akachi 

Atheris squamigera is a venomous viper species endemic to west and central Africa. They grow to an average total length (body + tail) of 46 to 60 cm, with a maximum total length that sometimes exceeds 78 cm. Females are usually larger than males. A. squamigera inhabits mostly rainforest, preferring relatively low and thick flowering bushes. Name Etymology: Means "the hand of God" in Igbo. 

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text || charlotte & marius

Charlotte: You know we don't do holds, right?

Charlotte: If someone else wants to buy, you'll lose your quantity, just thought you should know.

Marius: Really? That's not what your workers tell me.

Marius: So do you not know the rules of your own establishment, or do you just have a habit of employing liars?

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text || charlotte & marius

Charlotte: it's your lucky day: we've got moonstone in finally.

Charlotte: what do you even need that much moonstone for anyway?

Marius: Good. I will be by to purchase some soon.

Marius: That is none of your concern.

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offeralnature‌:

“Seer huh…” Marshall says it thoughtfully as his brows furrowed. Marshall, after living with August for a while, has surprisingly learned a little more about witches then he previously cared to know. But everyone knows what a ‘Seer’ can do. Marshall’s not sure what to think about him and why he’s bringing this information to him. But its a step in the right direction for him and so he continues to think of what this means and tucks his cigarette behind his ear for the moment. “Color me intrigued, alright.” He started off. “So not to be rude but I’m far more familiar with the darker side of things.” He doesn’t actually care if he’s rude this is just how he’s known business to be done more than not. 

“You really don’t have to give me any information, frankly you could leave me high and dry.” Marshall wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t care enough to explain things or whatnot, it’s just how some people work and he’s used to it. He used to have to deal with people like that a lot back when he ended up staying a few places for a time to build up some money. It’s just a tactic he sees happening here right now. “Don’t get me wrong, the information would clear up a lot for me and I’m interested in having whatever you may or may not be offering here. But I also expect the worse from everyone who has something I want.”

Marius leveled the werewolf with a bored stare. What was he saying, what was the point of anything coming out of his mouth? Stating the obvious. Of course Marius didn’t have to give him any information. He might as well have been pointing out the color of the sky. He did not sigh, but if he were fifteen years younger he might have. Truthfully, he was almost insulted- here he was, offering his assistance for something that he didn’t even need to be involved in, and this idiot was sitting here talking about how he was expecting the worst? 

Do you want my assistance or not? The note was abrupt, and Marius’ expression never wavered as he passed it over.

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suscitat-mortuos‌:

He had just turned 25 when he was sent to Ashbourne Penitentiary. It was the sort of place one cannot explain. But it’s hard to forget it. Constantine’s cell had been cold and empty, with a stone floor and stone walls. The window  too high for him to reach, but sometimes he could smell the rain outside, frigid and forbidding. The first week he paced, sometimes waiting for rescue, sometimes determined to escape himself. He found a piece of loose rock and carved the days onto the walls, the floor, anywhere which might receive his rambling occupation. He didn’t know where his sister was, that bond which had been so firm since infancy had suddenly been severed, and she could have been in the cell next to his or a thousand miles away. He counted the stones which made up his imprisonment, getting close to five hundred, and wondering how long it would take him to go mad from sheer boredom. Each day seemed to take an eon, and with his constant pacing he would thought he’d soon wear grooves into the stone floor. There were seven days of that, seven lines carved persistently beneath his window. Then they came, and he lost all awareness of time.

Now that he thought of it, he was not sure why it took them so long to find him, they were the sort of creatures that no one could understand. If they had motives, they were lost upon him. Perhaps they took pity upon him. Or maybe they simply had more souls to torture than they had time for. It is said wraiths feed on someone’s soul until they have drank them all dry, and all that is left is a mind filled with the torment of all their sins. He could not really describe it. But he did remember feeling very cold, his breath would echo in front of him whenever they passed by, and by that he knew that they were coming once again. If they stole his memories he couldn’t tell you but whatever it accomplished it left him muddled and half-mad. 

Days bled into one another, and he often slept like a man suddenly put into a coma. No longer felt bored, or if he did, he could not remember it, and it was as if his whole life were placed upon scraps of parchment suddenly thrown the wind. It was so jumbled he hardly knew who he was, or why he was there. Even if he had his magic returned to him, he wouldn’t have known what to do with it. The whole universe was encompassed by that cell, the bland food fed through a door so he never saw any human contact, and the constant visits of the wraiths. The name Constantine Vogel was carved upon his cell wall but at the end of it he wasn’t even sure if that was his name, or somebody else’s. 

And now he was out, vomited into the world after spending almost a decade in the bowel of the beast. The mark carved into his wrist as a reminder that he was, by all intents and purposes, castrated. If they thought he would simply continue with his existence as a mere mortal then they had another thing coming. A call to the right person was all he needed. Well, in this case a text message since a one sided conversation would be pretty fucking pointless. Simple request. Marius, it’s Vogel. I’m out. Let’s have a drink. My place. 

And that was where he was. In his childhood home. The Vogel estate stood in the outskirts of town like a carcass that had been left to rot. Strangely fitting. Was not long before he heard the knock on the door. No electricity for him to have a doorbell yet. Constantine made his way down the stairs and opened the heavy door coming face to face with Marius, who - to his surprise - wasn’t alone. Maybe he should have specified. “Marius, nice to see you again. Who’s your friend?” @selenebellona @quietmagics

The fact of the matter was this: When Selene put her mind to it, she was quite good at portraying herself as an insolent child. Calling him an old man, pushing fashion choices and technology on him that he had no desire or need for... well. It was an annoyance. She had her good qualities, of course, that was made clear by the fact that he kept her around at all. She was young, not yet settled in to her full abilities, but she would. In time. And in time suffering through the rest of this would be worth it. 

Some of her seemingly useless tirades had actually worked out for the better, at least. The phone, for example- he’d resisted for a long time, until she’d taken matters in to her own hand. He’d refused to use it out of pure spite, at first, but begrudgingly he’d come to see it as a useful tool. The texting bit, at least, though he would have just as soon not allowed people any more means of contacting him than strictly necessary.  There were still times when he questioned whether or not it was worth it- but this wasn’t one of them. 

The Vogel twins were a pair that Marius found quite interesting, indeed. All too often the Seer was apt to look down on his fellow witches, irate while they squandered their abilities. If you were born with a gift, the least you could do was appreciate it. He would always view his own magic and the path he’d taken as being on a level above all the rest, but he’d always had an interest in necromancy, in any of the darker arts. An appreciation for it. 

He hadn’t realized they were being released, so recieving a request to meet came as a pleasant surprise. A drink, lovely. He’d go, of course he would. Selene had been with him when he’d recieved the text. He’d considered going alone- had very nearly done so- but what an opportunity this presented. A test. She seemed to cling to the light, most of the time. Kept herself held up to her golden ideals, but Marius didn’t think she was cemented there. He believed she could be guided past that barrier that kept so many of their kind from reaching their true potential, so he’d invited her along. A drink with an old friend, he’d told her. A rather flowery way of putting it, but it had done the trick. She’d followed him along to the Vogel’s old home.

A decade did make a world of difference but Constantine seemed well, all things considered. He supposed etiquette would have dictated sending the man a warning that he wouldn’t be arriving alone, but Marius had possessed little interest both in such a notion and with granting him the opportunity to raise an argument. ‘Hello, Constantine,’ He signed. ‘Good to see you as well. This is Selene. She is a Seer too.’ A pause, and he offered a short smile. ‘Don’t worry. She is bound by oath to keep my secrets.’ Magically, of course. He didn’t expect such a distinction would have to be made aloud in his present company. 

@selenebellona​

Something Wicked Is Here | Constantine, Marius & Selene

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letemburnmoore‌:

Curious…attractive…

Dresden curled in his bottom lip, sucking it in thought as a smile worked its way forth. Should he let him go or not? Missed opportunities were such a shame, and well, if he turned out to be someone aiming to screw him over, fire could always cleanse those problems. Before Dresden could offer another word, some cute little dove caught his attention, and oh it was too easy.

The fae looked from her to Marius, catching that look and near laughing aloud from it. Time to test this new stranger. With a half cocked grin, Dresden vanished from sight, and for a moment it seemed the night may have come to an end. There wasn’t a sound, the human making her way a little further before she gave a small squeak in surprise. Dresden had reappeared before her, one hand going over her mouth as he kicked her legs out from under her. 

After that it was only a matter of dragging her back to where he’d been previously, a few glances over his shoulder to ensure no one else had seen. She clawed at him, working her mouth free enough to deliver a bite to the corner of his hand, and it would be the last thing she did. 

Dresden hissed in anger, jerking his hand away and delivering a sharp backhanded strike to her head, knocking her unconscious in an instant. “Fucking bitch.” He ground out, fire licking around his hand in a desire to burn her to a crisp. 

This fae, Dresden, had a demeanor that spoke of mischief. Marius’ expression did not falter as he disappeared from sight, simply tilted his head and turned his gaze to the human. When he killed, it was hardly ever for sport- there was a goal behind his actions, a reason for it, and he was careful because dealing with the fallout if such things ever became public knowledge would be quite troublesome indeed. Perhaps he was being foolish, allowing this fae a glimpse at his true nature. 

It could be said that these killings had a purpose as well. Research, study. They were humans, at the very least- not his own kind. That would have been a waste. If a witch was going to die, it might as well be as something more than simple fodder. He was rather amused by the bite, would have laughed if he’d been capable of doing so. 

He wandered closer, hands tucked idly in his pockets. The woman was limp, then, no fun to watch so he fixed the majority of his attention back on Dresden. He made no move to participate- he wouldn’t- but the flame drew him in. If there was anything in the world that Marius well and truly loved, it was magic. His own, most of all, of course. Witches were capable of such a variety, but there was no denying that there was something wonderful about the magic that Fae possessed. Especially those with an affinity for fire. He withdrew his hands from his pockets. ‘Well?’ He signed, and gestured towards the body, as if to say- come on, get on with it, both curiousity and hunger lighting up his eyes.

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txliabites‌:

He wrote fast, which of course she assumed was from years of talking to people who, like herself, knew no real sign language and couldn’t be bothered to try and learn. The thought crossed her mind for a moment, she had learnt other languages throughout the years, but it didn’t stick long before she took another sip and continued to read. “Only Hackles so far.” A smirk played on her lips before sipping again, trying not to dwell on that thought either, “I have to admit, this place does sort of bring out the alcoholic in most people.” Talia laughed again before answering his final question, “I sing. I mean, I’m a singer, performer I guess, at Black Diamond in town? Have you been?”

Marius shook his head with a grin. It did, truly, and on some distant level he supposed it was unbecoming to find amusement in the townspeople’s weaknesses and shortcomings but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel abashed. As the years passed, the joys he found in life grew less and less numerous, and if internally mocking the beings of this town with a distant, cynical glee was amongst them, well, that was what it was.

I’ve never been, Marius wrote, but it sounds as if I’ve been missing out. Perhaps I will have to stop by and listen to you sometime. Briefly, he considered throwing in an invitation along the lines of unless you want to give us a demonstration now, but she wasn’t here to work, and he wouldn’t ask. He slid the paper across the table and took a sip of his drink instead.

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a-painintheneck‌:

He waited for the witch to write his thoughts on paper and at the same time he scanned his posture. Looked like he could handle himself even with the lack of voice. When the other man finished his scribbles and showed the note to him, Malachi read it over and stopped at the word Seer. Well, that was interesting. He could not recall ever meeting one before but from what he’s heard of them they were a curious bunch. Predictions and the like. Were they able to contact the dead? He’s not all that sure. Honestly it would not hurt to have one at his disposal just in case he needed one. “Great. Perhaps you can read my my future someday.” He adds with a smile as he starts to walk past him. Not need to be lingering more than he needs to. Oh, one more thing though. “I’m Malachi, by the way. What should I call you?”

A simple nod was all he gave in response to the vampire’s next statement. Everyone wanted to know their future, but they were hardly ever happy with what he had to tell them about it. Even the least idealistic amongst them tended to have some picture of what they expected it to look like, and most often it seemed as if people were looking for a confirmation of what they wanted rather than the truth. Immortals often took it easier. They had time to fix things, after all, when others did not.

Marius. He didn’t bother writing a farewell or some useless platitude about how nice it had been to meet him, just gave his name and tore the scrap of paper out of his notebook before handing it off. He passed it to the vampire with a slight grin and lifted his hand in a short farewell before turning and resuming on his way.

END

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ariafcwn‌:

Aria resisted the urge to laugh. Not because she found it funny that he was single and disparaging the holiday. In fact, she’d be a big damn hypocrite if that was the case. Instead she found it so amusing how they had that in common. But, unlike Marius, Aria (theoretically) had time. Marius did not. The thought sobered her amused expression up. It wasn’t right he didn’t get to experience a bit of fun before the day he was too weak to. The cruel fate of such powerful beings.

“… I don’t know, I think it’d be a good idea.” Lie. At least for her. “You should stop by there, you never know.” Aria smiled. “Could be fun. Even if it’s just for a night.”

Marius’ upper lip curled despite himself, and he shook his head. ‘No way,’ he signed. This... was not the conversation he’d expected, coming here. ‘Watching people embarass themselves is fun,’ he admitted, after a moment, but would even that be worth it? Perhaps he’d go for the drinks and a bit of amusement, but certainly not for a date. He wasn’t a heartsick teenager, for gods sake. If the girl had been trying to get rid of him, she’d succeeded- he’d have nothing more to do with the topic. ‘I must go.’ He stood, took ahold of his gift, and gave her a nod before disappearing just as suddenly as he’d come.

END

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faeotically‌:

( closed for @quietmagics )

   Clover rarely let little time pass in a town before she meandered her way into every establishment and place in search of new souls to spent time with. The only issue with that was most of them seemed to neither fear nor respect the providence of her nature, and she’d been hustled out of most of them with little thought and her own chaotic sense of nature seeming, perhaps, a bit too blustery in its moment.

   Still, it didn’t stop her from trying and trying again, and even now — with seemingly little concern for her own person or the fact that people were giving her strange looks — she strode through The Vine Tavern and towards the owner’s office with each step seeming to be chosen just so; she seemed as if she was meant to be there, even though it was evident she did not.

   It was with such a gait that she crested the doorway to Marius’ office and tilted her head as she found someone sitting there, a smile blossoming across her crimson lips as her lips parted and she offered, “Oh great, someone’s here… I was wondering, what kind of jobs do you offer here?”

   … it was unclear if he was even hiring, but Clover was as Clover would always be.

It had been rather quiet so far, but for this time of day that wasn’t unexpected. As usual, Marius was enjoying the silence. It would end far too soon, always did.  That was the nature of the world. He just hadn’t expected it to end so soon. A woman appeared in the doorway of his office, and he leaned back in his chair as he studied her. Pretty enough, a friendly smile. Her energy was not human, and with a bit of effort he identified her as fae. He ran a pub catered to witches, but far be it from him to miss out on a potential employee just because she wasn’t one of them.

He’d seen nothing of this meeting ahead of time so he was going in without any clue as to what to expect, but that didn’t bother him. It was a largely inconsequential ordeal. Another bartender would be nice to have, but they were making do without one if she didn’t seem like she’d be a good fit. ‘Hello. Do you know American Sign Language?’ He signed, the movements clear and easy to read provided she knew how. That was the first test. He didn’t bother with employees he couldn’t easily communicate with at a moment’s notice. 

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ezekielxhartxurquhart‌:

Marius’ displeasure was both apparent and familiar, Hart was not averse to rattling the seer’s cage, it was necessary. “I brought potions that’ll help with the pain and the cold, your energy levels, too.” Hart said, serious, it was that dark realm of death that taxed the seer’s body so, the Otherworld, but again, he was not here to judge nor pry as to the what and the why. But if he was so unwell, perhaps there was a reason for it beyond the usual wear and tear of the seer’s declining health.

Hart took Marius’ hand in his own and clapped his fingers tightly against the back of the other. His other hand came to settle on his chest, it rested firmly over the other’s heart as the healer began to whisper old words under his breath. He called on the teachings of the Asclepiades and on the all-father of medicine while the incantation fell lowly, evenly and undisturbed from his lips, his eyelids fluttered heavy and closed. A warm light illuminated the fabric of Marius’s shirt, under Hart’s palm as he traced from his heart chakra and probed up for a few moments to follow the lines that connected Marius’ heart and throat. 

The spell faded as Hart’s hands came away, the room seemed to dim suddenly as it returned to the state it had been in before. Ajax sat, tail wagging and smiling as Hart watched Marius, “have you been traveling to the Otherworld lately? That would explain this particular… state you’re in.” There were more tonics he could provide, balms that Marius could bathe with, the Otherworld in itself was like a sickness. It could cling to you, but Hart expected the seer to know that.

The process wasn’t anything unfamiliar by now. Hart’s hands had taken those very paths numerous times before, just a brief touch, but one that Marius likely wouldn’t have allowed if it had come from anyone else for any other reason. Having a replenished stockpile of potions was a welcome notion, he was going through them far too fast these days, and he gave only a simple nod in acknowledgement. 

The question, however, had Marius looking away, an uncharacteristic display of weakness, of avoidance. Six months ago, a trip to the otherworld would have been the explanation. But he hadn’t ventured there, lately, hadn’t felt up to it. He stared across the room for a moment, his expression serious when he answered. ‘No. I have not.’ There was nothing else to say on the matter. He was in this particular state because his body was beginning to break down. Because his time was running out. Because the power he had access to was addictive, but came at a price far higher than any other type of witch had to pay. 

Most of his life Marius had been determined to figure this out, solve the problem, find a solution to the rapid deterioration that plagued those with his particular skill set. Lately that determination had been veering more and more into the territory of desperation. If nothing else, Marius was resolute in the fact that he must be honest with himself. Some days, though, some days like today it was far too easy to allow hopelessness to sink in to his bones, in to his blood. In to the very core of his being. Most fates were malleable. He knew that. But some, some had the odds unfairly stacked. Sometimes people didn’t get what they wanted. Sometimes they didn’t figure out the right combination in time. 

And it was becoming increasingly clear that Marius was running out of time.