#it was my first time drawing Marius actually

[zurdurer]

I rewatched the hnoc performance again

Seperate drawings under cut

[mmelolabelle]

Armand is someone who has been has been trained (in brothels, by Marius, and by 500+ years worth of life experience) to adapt himself to what the people around him want. Throughout seasons 1-2, different people get very different versions of Armand, depending on who they are and who’s retelling the story at the time.

It’s the primary way Armand protects himself, whether he’s a teenage sex slave or the oldest, strongest person in the room. It’s how he controls people. Fundamentally, it’s the only way Armand knows to make people love him (an approximation of love at least). Worse, it’s the only way Armand knows how to love — by twisting and contorting himself into whatever form he thinks his current obsession wants or needs him to be. He even does it to his victims for crying out loud.

And then here’s Daniel, who is constantly seeking authenticity and truth. Who’s bullshit detector is never “off”. Who cannot tolerate any kind of masquerade, manipulation or lie – no matter how kind or well intentioned. Not out of any moral or ethical objection, but because Daniel simply cannot leave things well enough alone once something attracts his attention. He has to know. He has to see where it goes and how it ends.

“It’s my job, I’m built this way”

“It’s in your nature, Mr Molloy. Couldn’t get out the door without lobbing one more bomb.”

Daniel knew something was off about “Rashid” from the beginning, so he began to pick the situation in Dubai apart until Armand revealed himself. And then he kept going until he completely destroyed the narrative Armand had spent 77 years constructing.

Daniel deliberately and systematically pulled “Armand, Amadeo, Arun” apart and laid him bare with nothing but but a laptop, some free time, a near-suicidal disregard for his own personal safety and a mouth that just wouldn’t quit.

There’s power in being seen, in being known, ugly parts and all. What would it feel like, to be completely exposed like that for the first time in centuries?

So yeah it makes sense to me that Armand, who puts on all these acts and artifices to draw people in, but which only serve to ensure they’re kept at a distance, would turn his big sad orange eyes on the person who blew them all to smithereens and be all “…I wanna do this forever, actually.”

[camthecatchameleon]

cranking the image description out for this one boys

lineups of the Crews from the two Legends of Avantris campaigns I’ve actually listened to with consistency (still not finished with EoM but I’m on 21 so I’m getting there dont worry) + artists notes

Highly suggested that you scroll below the cut for this. (my handwriting is not the best + its small + some hidden design notes too :eyes: )

Image 1: Carnivalé LeCroux (not drawn to scale lmao)

(from left to right)

Hootsie: least fun to draw (Boring shapes) (draw the least). Typically I imagine her as a horned owl owlbear so her canon “eyebrows” flatten out and connect to her neck. I just think it gives her a nice silhouette. Frost: least fun to draw (cat). I’ve been drawing him with Chinese/vaguely East Asian-inspired robes because he’s from the mountail of Yulong and you can’t just give me a place called “Yulong” and expect me NOT to go ham on the east asian inspiriation. (east asian artist here.) Gricko: don’t draw nearly enough, most fun to draw (hair). I gave him a permanent cowlick on his bangs and I think the shapes are nice. Chunks ripped out of his ears are from Hootsie when she was younger and couldn’t control her strength. Kremy: most fun to draw (lizord), draw the most, did the most reference study for. I may love to draw lizards but crocodylidae are so uniquely shaped. Scrolling back through my ouaw posts and you can see I am still getting used to it. Torbek: most inconsistent, stupid machinery doesn’t make sense. The shape of his canisters and the collar with a keyhole both are from the first time I drew him, which was without a reference, and they just. Stuck. Gideon: Big boob indulgence, stupid machinery doesn’t make sense. Drawing him with awkwardly long hair, post-trauma fat, and smile lines is my favorite passtime. His marriage rings are on a necklace because they get in the way of punching clowns. Twig (pre-death): draw the least (can’t figure out her shapes). Drawing her fractured glasses and refracted eye is my favorite time.

Image 2: Witchhunters!! (I think my headcanon height difference is funny)

Shortest to tallest (briggsy and farryn are the same height):

Briggsy: Still figuring out how to depict distinction from Kremy (gator). So far i’ve got more spikes and a thicker neck and thats about it. I’m working on it. Farryn: fun shapes! skinny L. Ever since learning how to draw body fat I’ve never gone back its actually so hard to draw skin-and-bones skinny people now. Marius: least consistent (can’t decide how curly her hair is), armor L. Yes I headcanon he/she marius do you have a problem with that? Bat-like ears because heehoo. I just realized the symbol I drew on his chestplate looks like the Horde symbol from she-ra FUCK can you tell I don’t look at references? Jericho: most fun to draw!!! (draw the most). I like to draw virgil!jericho with four-pointed-star slits instead of just orbs with pupils because I think shapes are fun. Lethica: drew her wrong for WAY too long. I hadn’t paid enough attention to her actual ref and covered up her chest initially I’m so sorry queen. shes so pretty though. Although I do think its infinitely funny to headcanon that she actually looks pretty average. Tall women my beloved. Yorgrim: least drawn, Beard + Big indulgence. No seriously I’ve only drawn him twice. Hes awesome though soft rectangular shapes ftw.

[cloudabserk]

How's show Armand not racist though he did specifically write the trial to lynch them and added racial aggressions against Louis too

uhhh look. i don’t wanna definitively say armand isn’t or is racist both because i’m white, and because there’s so so much nuance there. how does armand view himself, or the non white members of the coven, or louis and claudia? after his history of being trafficked and sent to various majority white european countries, and ordered to rule as the master of the coven?

what does he think about louis & claudia’s history with slavery: being descended from american slaves, and louis having inherited his money from a slave plantation, claudia’s resentment of lestat as their white “master”. vs his own history: enslavement being the first thing he can remember, his being so conflicted over belonging to marius, wanting to belong to lestat (and being passed over for louis and claudia, who resent and kill lestat!) is he jealous? resentful? sympathetic? uncaring?

let alone the question of: did armand write the trial? we don’t actually know that. we know he directed it, but a huge amount of the behind the scenes details are ambiguous for now. (i assume by “racial aggressions” you mean the idea of louis being predatory towards lestat? i do think this could have come from armand, but we don’t actually know that. it could be a “see lestat didn’t really want him over me, it was all louis’s idea” manifestation of jealousy, which does rely on the audiences racist belief that a black man is more sexual & predatory… but the version of louis that armand sees, and likes, is dominant in bed & ran brothels as a human, whereas armand grew up abused in brothels. or is he aware of louis’s shame at both being gay and a vampire, and he’s pressing on that to hurt him? idk. as of now, it could’ve been armand or the coven imo)

my personal interpretation is that armand is actually… less racist than most of the characters? daniel has his modern day american biases, and lestat’s first words to louis were basically “how’d they let you in here?” which. christ lestat wtf. whereas armand has always felt like an outsider and an otherworldly being. by the time he meets louis, i don’t think he believes almost anyone is his equal.

anyway. i don’t think killing claudia and louis inherently means that armand is racist, and because his exact level of involvement in the trial is so ambiguous i would hesitate to draw firm conclusions about his character from specific lines just yet. and i would keep in mind that slavery is a big part of armand’s backstory and references to it aren’t always targeted at louis.

overall what i meant was i just think some people on twitter are being silly for saying armand is too evil to ship with lestat and louis specifically because armand might be racist. they are all evil. also he let their daughter die on purpose.

[whoreofabaddon]

I apologize somewhat insincerely for the pause in my regular posting, but I'm about to talk in depth about some of the power dynamics we see at play in IwtV.

Particularly, something that has been weighing on my mind is this post by @platoapproved in which we see Louis lightly stroking the bruises of Armand's trauma. Despite the fact the OP caught those hints so amazingly, the reblogs turn into an absolute cesspool in which there are many baffling accusations. So I wanted to touch on this from the perspective of someone who has both been in multiple D/s relationships (albeit as a lesbian and not a gay man) and is also a psychotherapist so trained in trauma responses.

The first thing I wanted to say is that we’re never given any reason to believe Louis is anything but a compassionate and skilled dominant partner. There are no moments portrayed between them where he oversteps any of Armand’s boundaries or where he uses their dynamic for manipulative purposes. We’re actually shown the opposite of that in the scenes where their power exchange come into play. He soothes Armand’s trepidation around setting boundaries and doesn’t force him to witness a new vampire being made. The one time we see Louis truly push Armand to accept a command is when he’s preventing him from killing Daniel, and even then, he validates that he’s hurt Armand enough to understand why he wants to. 

Similarly, we’re actually never shown Armand pushing Louis to take part in that dynamic when he doesn’t want to like so many keep claiming. I suspect that it was actually thrilling for Louis to meet a vampire older and more powerful than his maker, only to find that vampire would willingly allow him to have the control and authority between them. After having spent years in an abusive relationship, it must have seemed to be a gesture of great love to be shown such deference after Lestat had treated him so cruelly and disrespectfully. 

If anything it’s likely healing due to the change in the pattern. And that, I think, is also what is happening when we see Louis begin to draw from Armand’s history of trauma and introduce that into their dynamic. I fully believe he is playing with this dangerous subject because it is something Armand has never finished processing; he's such a trusted figure in Armand's life that it is safe for them to do this together. Armand's not been able to complete the loop of thoughts surrounding his abusive childhood, and so his mind is going to replay it over and over and seek out ways to ‘master’ it. That means his brain has to be convinced that he’s ‘solved’ the issue and the risk is abated. So he is going to keep returning to it or desperately avoiding it, and Armand’s patterns lean towards pursuing the subject matter over and over. The fact that it is Louis drawing on the memories means he knows he’s able to have the freedom of changing the ending; he goes ‘to coffin’ with his maitre at the end, he’s not truly given away for someone else’s sexual pleasure, and the fear and humiliation is touched on but ends before it can get worse. This time the offer is declined, this time he can reply snappily ("I wouldn't let you near my neck..."), and this time he doesn’t have the horrible emotional push-pull of ‘how dare you do as I tell you’ which Marius tended to use against him. (I also think Louis is referencing Armand’s blood being addictive to Daniel in the books, but that’s another layer to explore at a later time).

So I’ll say that, unlike some commenters, I don’t think it’s ‘ugly’ that Louis is mirroring aspects of Marius’ behaviors. Instead, I think the vulnerability and trust that it would require for them to successfully do this shows something very beautiful about the way they relate to each other.  

(Mandatory disclaimer that I am not suggesting that everyone ought to drop out of therapy and process their trauma using an untrained partner and kink. There is a high chance that you can trigger your partner. I am simply illustrating the psychology and perceived intentions at play and why this could feel satisfying to the characters).  And tagging @thequeenofsastiel for the promised meta.

[pilferingapples]

@bobafish, re:

#please elaborate on courf's temper 👀👀#tbh I hadn't heard that before

OK! :D these are just Thoughts about him character wise and not like...deep XD

to be clear I don't think Courfeyrac has a BAD temper, I don't think he's a screamy scary guy who blows his top all the time! I want to make that clear; Courfeyrac is clearly A Delight and a charmer.

I do think he has a quick temper, though--quick like a firecracker, where it flares up and dies back in a blink, and , usually ,doesn't do any harm. Two main points make me think this: 1- the Charter Torching Scene. He's just talking with Combeferre, who he knows fundamentally agrees with him, but he gets so worked up about the existence of the Charter itself that he has to throw it in the fire. This is fine! It's a stupid pamphlet none of them need, he's being Dramatic and it's very funny-- but it's definitely not a Relaxed Easygoing Move XD It's pretty much a summary of how I think his temper works-- he gets riled up, he makes a quick comment or gesture (in this case: Setting A Thing on Fire) and he's done. A quick temper, not a bad temper. 2- "Hold your tongue, you cask!" said Courfeyrac. (Night Falls on Grantaire) Couldn't think of any better leadup to it than that XD Courfeyrac is the first of the barricade fighters to lose his patience with Grantaire; it's not a big scene , it's just a quick "shut up" with a little extra insult, and --as I've said of Enjolras' rebuke to Grantaire in this scene-- it is fully deserved, Grantaire is being an ass in this scene. I don't think Grantaire even processes it, he just launches off in another direction. >< But he is the first person to tell Grantaire to shut up, getting exasperated with him even faster than Enjolras, who is pretty much Done with Grantaire's nonsense from the get-go.

There's also the way he's so quick with teasing, sometimes with results you know he doesn't want (like Marius avoiding him for days XD) . All of the Amis are pretty jokey, but Courfeyrac's noted by the narrative to be particularly fast on the draw with a nickname or a bit of a jab.

Again I hasten to say I don't think this makes him a Terrible Person-- I actually kinda roll my eyes at the level of Offense some people take off him -- but I think it's a little piece of characterization that separates him from Legle's more monologuing style of puns, or Grantaire's ...whatever the heck Grantaire is doing XD Courfeyrac gets associations with fire, for his warmth, and sometimes even a nice well contained fire can send out a spark that makes someone yelp; and he gets compared with cats and kittens, and sometimes even a very sweet cat will catch someone with its claws in passing- or on purpose, now and then .

(I bet he can be absolutely brutal when he wants, but that's reserved for people who have it coming. Like Rousseau. Kick his ghostly ass, Courfeyrac.)

[kissofthemis]

Hello!Can i request the nxx biys with a slightly weird s/o?

Like weird as in they're always happy and goofy 24/7 even in dangerous situations?Like maybe something happened to them in the past that made then this way(you can decide on what happened :D )

Oh,and can i be the K Anon?My keyboard lags a lot if i use emojis,so I hope you don't mind if I go by K Anon here :D

Sorry if this is a super long request it's just been brainrottingbin my head 24/7 and i don't have enough writting skills lmao

❤ Artem ❤

At first, he doesn't notice that you have a tendency to laugh off your pain or make morbid jokes. He thinks that he's just more uptight or strict than most people, so he suspects your behavior is actually more akin to how "normal" people act.

It's when you act blasé after a dangerous encounter that he realizes that this seems to be a unique trait, specific to you.

He specializes in criminal cases. He knows that people who feel threatened or have experienced dangerous situations can react in many different ways... but to be this carefree is not something he's seen before.

You don't lash out, but you don't withdraw. You don't scream or cry, but you aren't bottling your pain either. You're an anomaly.

"Mr. Wing, it's a dark world out there." He knows that. "If I'm too serious, I'll crumble." He's never heard you speak in such a flat, detached tone. "So I stay silly!"

He isn't going to pry into why you feel you have to laugh all the pain away, because he trusts you to tell him if/when you're ready.

He knows what it's like to mask his true feelings.

Instead he offers you his shoulder. "If you ever need to turn away from the shadows... I'll shield you if you need a moment to be vulnerable, before putting that smile back on your face."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💛 Luke 💛

Your smile and laugh make him warm inside. He likes that you can stay cheerful even when faced with stress or with gloomy situations.

He soon realizes that you're a bit too goofy, a bit too relaxed, a bit too much of a jokester. He's not mad about it, but he wants to figure out why you're this way.

At first he doesn't want to tell you he's investigating your behaviors. He's in detective mode and NSB agent mode at the same time; he won't ask for help nor reveal his intentions when he asks to spend more time with you.

He cares, but his pride can get in the way.

Finally he pieces together the puzzle, with clues and hints he obtained partially from you and partially from totally legitimate public sources, no hacking involved. (/s)

"You could've just asked me!" You laugh and wave him off. "It's no big deal!"

Luke gets stern with you. "You were subjected to immense psychological and physical abuse."

You just smile. "And you haven't been?" His scowl gets deeper. "Tell you what! Promise to look after me, so you don't have to worry about me getting trapped or endangered ever again! And then I'll be able to smile freely all the time!"

He reluctantly agrees.

Don't ask if the plush dog he gives you the next time you meet has a camera in it.

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💜 Marius 💜

Your cheerful and carefree nature is what draws Marius to you in the first place.

He's constantly under stress. Whether it's school, tutoring, Z, or Pax, he always has some project pending and is subject to intense scrutiny.

You're a breath of fresh air from stuffy old men. You smile, you laugh, you play. He wants some of that l joy back in his life.

Unfortunately, trauma knows trauma. The more time he spends with you, the more he picks up on eccentricities that... don't quite line up with "innocence" the way he imagines it.

He understands the value of secrets and how they can protect others. He's had to keep secrets to protect his family, the company, reputations, wealth, you name it.

But he also wants to work on being more honest with himself, and that means being more honest with his closest friends. He doesn't have many friends, so he wants you to be able able confide in him the same way he can confide in you.

Of course, while he's a bold and bright businessman, he's a timid and inexperienced friend.

He'll try to tease and pout his way into your heart and mind. "Aww, are you laughing at me again, miss/mx/mister?" Tugging at your sleeves and your heartstrings. "Trying to trick me with a fake smile? Miss/mx/mister doesn't trust me..."

Turns out he has to be direct and blunt. You two end up having a heart to heart about your respective fears and struggles, the horrors you've faced, the sorrowful smiles and the humorous tears.

He comes up with an idea. "Here's a key to my studio. Want to turn pain and fear into something bright? Show me what you can paint."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💚 Vyn 💚

In case it wasn't readily apparent, Vyn picks up on your act instantly.

He's a psychiatrist. He doesn't know why you act this way, but he can figure out it's unnatural.

(Not to mention he enjoys card tricks. He's also good at perceiving sleight of hand and other "magic" that involves showing someone what you want them to see, instead of showing them the truth and mechanisms behind the magic.)

Instead of playing games or trying to snoop his way into your secrets, he just observes you.

He's skilled at sitting back and watching, waiting, picking up pieces and fitting them together.

You catch him by surprise, however, when you call him out on his behavior.

"Vyn, am I your patient or your friend?" You pout at him and fold your arms over your chest in a highly exaggerated manner, one that is almost comical in nature. You shift back into chuckles and spin around as you wait for his answer.

Your one moment of frustration could easily be brushed off as a joke, but Vyn hears there is actual hurt in your words.

"You are... quite the anomaly," he replies at last. "You wear both the masks of comedy and tragedy. I couldn't help but wonder which was your real face." He leans closer and whispers, "I want to see my friend's true face, beneath all the masks and pretenses. Is that so wrong, dear?"

[hekateinhell]

lestat/armand priesthood au but when they try and kiss for the first time the portrait of jesus falls off the wall and armand gets spooked because he actually believes in god!!

no listen lmao just this morning i was thinking about andrei and i got so fucking upset 😂

idk if other people do this but when i'm writing AUs there's like different versions of armand i'm considering on drawing from when i think about characterization like is my armand character going to most resemble andrei or amadeo or cult armand or dm armand or full form armand, you know?

so i think this would make such a great andrei au i love him so much 🥹

i'm still hot off your succubus!lestat idea so that's what i'm thinking of right now like lestat was made for the "fuck or die" trope

he would so creep into andrei's bed at night and make him think he's just having wet dreams while lestat fucks him but then he wakes up in the morning with bruises on wrists and deep bite marks on his inner thighs hole gaping and sore

but he's too ashamed to ask bishop marius for help bc what if marius thinks andrei was out there breaking his vow of celibacy with cute village boy daniel who really spent too much time talking to him instead of confessing what must surely be a plethora of sins in the confessional

i think eventually lestat gets addicted to andrei in particular though but being fucked by a demon on the regular every night takes its toll and andrei starts to lose it and daniel is so concerned for him because he doesn't want to see him sent away so he spies on him and lurks at his bedroom window and one night soon enough he catches the demon lestat spellbinding the pretty little priest as he spreads andrei's legs open and pushes his knees up to his shoulders

does lestat get pissed when he notices another human? or does he see a chance to add at least 10 other sins to daniel's precarious soul and invite him to join in? 🫢

[alicemain0541]

hello, mechanisms enjoyer. who is your favourite mechanism. what is your favourite album. what is your favourite song. what is your favourite photo. do you have a favourite live recording.

I have already been asked lol but im happy to answer again!

I dont have a favourite mech but here’s some random facts. I was obsessed with ts when I first saw them and I spent like four months drawing nothing but it. I got into the mechs through Tma and jonny and he is such a bastard I love him (looking back on my dash you’ll see the dehumanisation of jonny in art I blog). The only mech ive cosplayed is raph in both her more humanly form and her more birdy form. Again ashes was someone I was already familiar with because of frank being in Tma (same with Jess and Jonny) and id heard about Tim through rqg mentions etc. I wish I had more to say about ivy, nastya, Marius, Brian etc but tbh I just dont. I love them but dont know much about them outside of the mechs and never felt quite so drawn to them.

My favourite album again isnt just one. Id say of the main studio albums its a tossup between tbi and udad. Again I love them all but I listen to those the most. Ttbt 1&2 are also constantly playing (lost in the cosmos was my top song in my wrapped) and I listen to them probably the same amount. Also Frankenstein oml I love you mwah im so normal about it and im totally not an English nerd studying classic literature at college😅😅😅.

I feel like favourite song kinda falls into the same vein as the last question. While i cant actually pick my top 5 (in my wrapped) were lost in the cosmos, Loki, ties that bind, underworld blues and sirens so think of that what you will. I said this last time but I have a chronically short attention span so often ttbt songs are the best way to get my fix without having to listen to a whole album. Im sorry mechs purists but most of the time i dont listen in order cause who can be asked with that.

I dont actually have a favourite photo but I’ll add a bunch of my widgets from my phone because ofc I had to make my Home Screen mech based. (Art by @reegis)

In regards to live performances I guess dttm. Its the first live performance I watched thats actually mechs. I love lashings a “totally normal amount” but considering thats more Carmilla era idk if it counts. Either way its those two and I know some of yall are doing amazing work cleaning up the audio and getting transcripts made so send them my way if you want id love to see them.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Do you think we'll see Akasha in S3?

I was thinking if they combine TVL & QOTD, it might be split over two seasons & I can kind of imagine S3 either ending when Lestat goes into The Earth pre-Marius (as we've not seen an into-the Earth-to-sleep-for-a-long-time yet, so I think it could be powerful to end with a Lestat Voiceover, as he shrivels, in grief) but seeing as it isn't a cliffhanger in the sense we'll know Lestat is alive I think the split point might also be an Akasha moment - maybe the first time they drink mutually from each other? Or Lestat leaving Marius after?

Surely we won't get as far as the concert and Lestat's songs that wake Akasha in S3? Or the last moment of S3 could be Akasha waking? I hope it isn't Akasha kidnapping Lestat, as that's surely way too much for one series?!

In this sense, I'm curious how it will work. In the books, Lestat becomes a rock star partly to save Louis by drawing attention away from him and onto himself, as he needs to do now on the show. BUT he does the most controversial songs about Those who Must be kept etc. For that, we need to get as far as the story of Those who must be kept before we can hear Lestat's songs about them. So I wonder how you think it'll all work?

The thing is… the books repeat themselves, story-telling-wise (of the characters I mean) and that is something I doubt the show will do.

So. We won’t get (much) of a repeat of Armand‘s story in TVL I bet - other than maybe what was different then.

Therefore… I think it could be cool to let Akasha narrate parts of the later book, namely the history and the part she spent with Marius. And Marius the rest maybe in combination with Lestat.

Personally I do think we might get to the concert in s3 - and then segue into s4 with Akasha and Marius as added narrators. Or who people narrate about.

So actually I do expect the kidnapping as cliffhanger in s3. I don’t see many cliffhanger-worthy events before that though the story in and by itselfnis riveting of course, but more… contained. In the past.

We‘ll see. But those are my current feelings on this^^

[myhandisfatemywordislaw]

Therapy

Ashes is having trouble dealing with their past, and does the unthinkable - approach Marius for help.

Read this fic below the cut or here on ao3!

Marius lounged back in his chair, feet resting on the table as he squinted at a diagram of a brain in a book Ivy had given him. He looked back at his drawing. He thought he was doing a great job of an abstract art piece, really. ‘Scientific’ drawings were for people who hated fun.

He glanced up curiously as the door handle slowly turned, and he scrambled to put his feet back on the floor as it opened tentatively. Ashes poked their head around the door warily.

“Ashes!” he called out excitedly. He took on a theatric tone. “What can I do for you? Surgery? Psychoanalysis? Therapy?”

“Hello, Marius,” they said, sullen, but resigned. They sighed. “The last one.”

Marius’ mouth fell open.

“You… you actually came to me for help? For therapy?” He indicated himself, confused.

“Yeah, alright, don’t let it go to your head,” they muttered. “And don’t tell anyone,” they told him through gritted teeth.

“My lips are sealed,” he said, nodding sagely as he mimed sealing his mouth shut and throwing away the key. “Patient confidentiality is very important to me.”

“You gossip and brag every time you give therapy, Marius.”

“That was one time!”

“Only because you’ve only managed to convince a crew member to have therapy with you once before.”

“But you’re here, aren’t you?”

Ashes sighed.

“Do you have a method for this?”

“Yes,” Marius lied.

They raised their eyebrows at him.

“O-oh! Yes! So, uh, first you should sit down.”

Ashes glanced at the chaise lounge sceptically, their brow wrinkling.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes, definitely,” Marius assured them. “It’s vitally important for the process.”

They sat down cautiously, glowering at him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Ashes grunted, rolling a pair of dice between their fingers.

“If you felt ‘fine’, you wouldn’t have come.”

Ashes huffed out an irritated breath.

“Not fine.”

“Would you like to elaborate?”

Ashes shrugged, staring resolutely at the wall.

“Okay, we’ll try something else. Try drawing how you feel.” Marius handed Ashes his notebook, open on a blank page, and a pencil.

They took it, and looked at the pristine white paper for a moment. They picked up the pencil, gripping it tight in their fist, and drew deep, dark, jagged lines that crumpled and tore the page. The pencil snapped in their hand. They calmly handed it back.

“So, I think that’s an accurate representation of my feelings,” they said nonchalantly.

“…Right. That’s good, we’re getting somewhere. And would you like to talk about what’s making you feel this way?”

They shrugged, tossing the dice in the air and catching them.

“I, uh. I’ve been having nightmares again,” they said. Marius nodded, trying to make an empathetic face. They gripped the dice tightly. “And, I keep seeing his face in the fire, and I can’t stop thinking about- about burning to death, the way it felt, choking on the smoke, and when I smell burning it- um- it makes me scared, and it all feels wrong, I keep thinking I see his face in the mirror behind me, or the corner of my eye, and I- I don’t know what to do,” Their voice cracked as they spoke, straining with emotion. “I don’t know what to do,” they said again, voice hardly above a whisper.

They looked away. Marius stood and reached out to touch their shoulder comfortingly, but they flinched and brushed his hand away.

“Don’t,” they whispered. Ashes’ whole body was shaking slightly and they still wouldn’t show Marius their face.

“Are you crying?”

“No,” they said unconvincingly. Marius sat down next to them and gently nudged their chin, so they were facing him, tears spilling down their face. He wordlessly produced a crumpled tissue from his pocket, and they took it gratefully.

“Sorry,” they said, trying to inject a lazy, careless drawl back into their voice, and somewhat failing.

“So, it’s worse than it was before?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have any idea what might have caused it?”

“Uh I think- you remember we did Lucky Sevens in a concert a few weeks back?”

Marius nodded in confirmation.

“It all just kind of came flooding back, like it happened yesterday. I just- I don’t know, we’ve played it a hundred times before, I don’t know why it’s only affecting me now.”

“Trauma can have strange effects on the mind,” Marius said wisely.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you? And I’m not ‘traumatised’, or whatever.”

Marius raised an eyebrow. Ashes glared at him.

“I don’t know why I came, this is a waste of time,” Ashes muttered, making to stand.

“Wait,” Marius grabbed their arm. Ashes growled in irritation and sat back down.

“We can talk to Jonny, and not play Lucky Sevensfor a while, for as long as you need,” Marius suggested.

Ashes nodded.

“Do you want to tell me more about the nightmares?”

“No.”

Ashes looked like they might start crying again, and Marius pulled them into a hug. They hesitated, then hugged him back. They breathed shakily into his shoulder.

“I don’t think this is how therapy is usually done.”

“Is it working though?” Marius asked, smirking obnoxiously.

“Yes.”

[0junemeatcleaver0]

𝖁𝖆𝖒𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝕯𝖆𝖞 𝕺𝖓𝖊

Prompt: Pantheist Characters: Pandora, Marius Rating: T Word Count: 860 Is it only 12:32 AM where I'm at? Yes. But I told y'all I was antsy for Vamptember to get here so here, have this.

The resin hisses as it catches, bubbling on the hot coal. Cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary. The smoke is thick and fragrant, hanging heavy in the air. Two hundred years later and the protocol remains the same; clean hands, clean clothes, palms up in supplication. 

Over my shoulder I feel him glaring and consider it better than the pacing he had done while I made my preparations. Pulling my focus back to my task–cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary–I take a deep breath and begin my prayer. Aloud. 

To annoy him. 

“Noble Akasha, Mother of our kind, I pray to you, I do you reverence. I ask your grace and favor that you might allow us to continue to care for you. May you know the sincerity of my request by this offering–” I hear him turn on his heel, start up the stone steps into our house, going to get the offering, “--that we give; may it find favor with you.”

I bend forward and kiss Her foot, the skin hard and cold beneath my lips. Footfalls above, footfalls on the stairs behind me, slow and stumbling. I continue.

“Divine Akasha, may you be well, may you look kindly upon us. I ask that you might continue to favor us. May you know the sincerity of my request by this offering that we give; may it find favor with you.”

“What’s the meaning of thi–” The drunk man is cut off, shoved roughly–too roughly, Marius still upset with my display of pomp and circumstance–to the floor. I feel him land beside me, struggling to shuffle into a seated position.

I kiss Her foot again, reverent. 

Breath held, I wait a moment to see if she’ll move. Marius’s grip on my elbow is tight, pulling me off the floor. But I resist him–his blood and Her blood strong in me, making me able to resist him for just a moment before I give in and allow myself to be moved. Pulled back towards the stairs, back through the smoke where it’s thickest–cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary. 

The offering rises, stumbling towards us. He makes it three steps before Marius and I are suddenly halfway up the staircase, past where it bends. He thinks we’ve disappeared into the smoke, figments of his imagination or perhaps ghosts. He is uncertain, too confounded by panic for rational thought. 

Marius tugs at my arm again and again I resist him, listening to the noises coming from the temple below with baited breath. She does refuse them, from time to time. I never know why. 

She doesn’t speak to me anymore. 

If this were the temple of Isis, I could wait for another Priestess to draw Sortes to see if we have won Her favor, if we have pleased Her.

“She is not a Goddess.” Marius hisses into my ear as if reading my mind. I’ve not bothered to make my devotion secret–the thrill of having something to pour so much of myself into that actually reacts to my worship in tangible ways. I had craved this with Isis, had thrown my whole being into my time at the temple when I was there and had gotten very little–aside from a sense of community with the other women, which I cherished–in return. 

Nor is she yours, I think, about to air my grievances when a scraping sound rings out below us. My heart leaps and with Marius now distracted by the noise, I wrench my arm from his grasp to descend a few steps–just enough to peek around the corner at the now screaming offering. 

The wind goes out of me. It is Enkil who has risen from his throne, his stone-like face blank and unknowable, his hand rising to crush the back of the man’s skill in his fist ending the annoyance his presence has become. I watch our somnambulant Father move slowly back to his throne and take a seat and wonder not for the first time just how present he truly is. We rarely notice he’s moved. He has never spoken to either of us. Is he aware enough to have grown sick of the drunkard presence? Or had Akasha told him to end her irritation? 

I hear Marius sigh over my shoulder, knowing in my heart that he too is disappointed that our offering has been rejected. My anger flares as he takes my elbow in hand again and I whirl on him. 

I’m momentarily taken aback by just how wary he looks and nearly give up my anger until I remember I am the source of his discomfort. 

“Hypocrite,” I hiss, “You act as though I don’t watch you cut flowers for her. Dress her lovingly. You think because I cannot use the Mind Gift on you that I don’t know you speak to her silently? I see you rub perfumed oil into her arms. You are just as devoted as I, and yet you have the gall to despise me for it?” 

He gives me a withering look before releasing me. I hold myself back from stomping up the stairs and instead ascend as calmly as possible, above him and above his duplicity. 

[seesboy]

hello it seems i'm back here again with my Ambiguously Late 2000s AU except i managed to draw almost everyone this time around. woohoo

design notes && extra stuff under the cut :-)

~ if there's one design i'm not completely confident about it's combeferre's x_x i honestly didn't know where i was going with it outside of designating him as the Blue in the red/blue/yellow thing i did with enj/him/courf respectively. i might revise it in the future to make it fit him better but for now this is what i'm sticking to

~ there isn't much reason behind bahorel's clothes being similar to feuilly's it was 10pm when i drew him and i got lazy. i don't have much of an issue with how he turned out though

~ grantaire's hair is naturally wavy/curly (somewhere between 2b and 3a? i guess?? looking up hair types didn't help as much as i thought it would. btw it's vv much based off of my own hair lol), but it appears straight in most cases through a mix of him actually straightening it and it just being Greasy. i've drawn it naturally before though !

~ éponine's hair is dyed, naturally it's a lot like the light brown hair gavroche has. oh and the racoon tails are extensions lol

~ speaking of gravroche, while i don't know if it's completely obvious, certain parts of his design (namely the beanie) are based off of what i did for grantaire. he and ep are living with R in this au so i think he looks up to him a ton && really really wants to be like him (albeit in a "10 year old idolizing Some Guy" way) and that's somewhat reflected in his design

~ in an earlier draft of the second part i had a montparnasse design all set up and partially colored before i realized it would've made more sense to add gav lolol... i still have it saved but he's like. a Generic Emo Boy here so i don't feel like i'm confident enough in his design to add him to this post </3

~ oh yeah and i tried adding acne to a lot of the guys (gender neutral) but i don't think it's really noticeable outside of marius -_- i think i'll have to keep studying it to figure out how to draw it better

so yeah ! there's my update to this au, at the moment the fic (which i rewrote shortly after posting the first drawing) is sitting at over 5k words which is like. the most i've written Ever and it's still going strong... it's also taught me that i'm prone to writing scenes that drag and drag </3 thankfully revision helps a ton so hopefully it'll be decent when i finally finish it

[elliott-the-queer-artist]

top 10 reasons why I love movie/musical Marius Pontmercy (book Marius? ehh..._)

#1 - He's a cinnamon roll / a sweetheart

#2 - he has FLOOFY hair

#3 - he and cosette are a power couple and nobody can convince me otherwise. if you could actually kill people with kindness, then they'd be the first to acheive it.

#4 - he's dramatic (which is funny)

#5 - eddie redmayne

#6 - the fact that he gives main character energy but is actually only a supporting character

#7 - he's loyal

#8 - the fandom makes fun of him mercilessly but we actually love him I swear

#9 - I made a drawing of Marius one time that I really really liked and I hung it up on the wall right next to my desk so every day I look at the drawing and I'm like ''hi marius'' and it makes me feel better about life

#10 - I also think its cool that marius always wears blue (typically light blue) and Enjolras always wears red which I think is cool cause it shows the contrasts of the different characters personalities.

[the-bird-and-the-flute]

Marius - unchanged by time - random comments

warning: if you didn't read Marius "All Through Night" you'll get some spoilers in the last part of this card

Damn, I was not expecting this bittersweet feeling after reading this card.

I thought the card was going to have some smut but no, it was actually quite sad in some parts. For example, when rosa questions marius about his true intention of inviting her to decorate the house and take part in the ceremony.

Marius is that type of guy who sometimes does stuff that actually has a deeper meaning. And if you know him at this point you know that he is always up to something. So of course he didn't explain exactly why he bought all the decorations at first or why he had a hard time saying out loud things he wished his mom could hear.

I think Rosa was a bit pushy during the part she was pretending to be marius ancestor ghost.

Her intentions were pure and it was clear she was worried about him, but I think eventually marius would come clean with her. But, well, that's just what I'd probably do if I were rosa. I'd wait him vent XD

Overall, it was not my favorite card, but I'm so glad I got it. I could learn more about von hagen's traditions, see his dad for the first time and laugh a lot because marius has the power to make me interested in the most silly things. I think now that I have lots of marius 🥰 I can rank my favorite ones \o/

My favorite moments:

rosa and marius drawing in the rice paper. He is such a teaser ahaha

blushing marius (this is the part they talk about all through night card)

marius being clumsy as fuck (I can relate 🙊). If you like clumsy marius you're gonna love this call because the carpet was not the only thing he ruined lmaoo

[fenicenera83]

Would I be here or anywhere else if it were not for you?

Oh boy, to think I've been wanting to do this post for a long time, but I always put it off. Now it has already happened that for the Marius/Daniel ship I have argued, mainly because of what is written in those two lines in, I simply call it, 'Atlantis'. Forgive the little dedication I have for that book. I was told that 'Marius lost Daniel to Armand' has only one meaning, and only one way of interpretation, that there is no room for anything else, except of course the throwing away of one for the other. And I make no apologies for saying that this pisses me off. First of all, because I love Daniel's character, and his journey of pain and loss of self is something that has always made me think a lot. The thing that causes me more annoyance, however, than those who support this theory, is the fact that in my eyes, it creates a Daniel Molloy, who is a profiteering, carrion, and emotionless bastard, and Daniel IS NOT THAT. We can talk endlessly, meta, canon, headcanon, there is no way you can convince me that this is the case and that it is justified that it is so. Daniel has his flaws, like everyone else, but he's a loving, giving character, even when it hurts. What actually happened, I personally think, is because of Daniel's good heart. In fact, at that moment in the story, everyone was against Armand, no one shared his vision, no one wanted to listen to him, so much so that, as we know, even Marius gets into a very serious discussion with him, which leads to harsh sentences. What I think, is that Daniel understood Armand's loneliness and isolation and also his anger and frustration, that he sensed how he was suffering from that situation, how being openly against Marius marked him, because only Marius has the power to generate such strong feelings in Armand. Conflictual and non-conflictual. I think that the moment Daniel understood, he decided to comfort Armand. Perhaps, it could be that even Daniel himself shared Armand's view on this problem. Be that as it may, I am not talking about love in the romantic/passionate sense but about a different kind of love, seeing someone we love suffer is destructive, seeing their pain and inability to make themselves understood, together with the fear of what they fear might happen to those he loves as well. This is a Daniel I like, one who is him, a Daniel who, in order not to leave someone dear to him alone, decides to separate himself from the One who saved him, and loved and protected and cherished him. An act of altruism, dictated by the need to live up to the one who brought him back to life. Marius taught him to trust again, to open up again, to love again. So what I think those words mean is this, that Daniel followed Armand because he feared for him, so as not to leave him alone.

Also because in fact, those two lines do not speak of love, no romantic/sensual love is mentioned. There are no references to anyone's heart or need. Yes exactly I'm drawing a parallel with Blood Communion and where Anne Rice, clearly spoke of, an Armand needing Marius and an Armand reopening his heart to Marius. In 'Atlantis' there is none of this. I firmly believe that the only reason Daniel decided to follow Armand is out of empathy, and it is perhaps also because seeing Marius so convinced, so committed, so dedicated, he thought that at that moment Marius did not need him there. Which, as we know, is not true, Marius suffered greatly from that detachment. I believe that in good faith Daniel did not realise this. And obviously, because I always have to put tenderness between Marius and Daniel, Marius let him go, because he loves him, respects him, trusts him and his judgement, and would never impose anything on him. And this is love, the dedicated kind, the strong and pure kind, where you are afraid, you feel pain, but you leave it up to the one you love to embrace his or her own life, with his or her own decisions.There, that is my final and personal thought on this. The way I see Daniel Molloy, and the way I see how he would never hurt Marius, how he would never go against him, how everything they went through together supporting each other created a unique and unbreakable bond between them, blessed by love.