Peter Solarz
No title available
Claire Keane
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sade Olutola
trying on a metaphor
occasionally subtle
Janaina Medeiros
if i look back, i am lost
shark vs the universe
taylor price
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
sheepfilms
dirt enthusiast
Sweet Seals For You, Always
JBB: An Artblog!
noise dept.
NASA
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
ojovivo
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Romania
seen from Türkiye
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from Canada
seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Venezuela
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
@ofdragondreamers
natalie scatorccio & bella swan @ofdragondreamers
"are you doing like.. the halloween thing?" natalie asked the other. at this point in their life they'd had enough scary shit happen to them and they weren't so keen on dressing up but any excuse to get booze and natalie was there.
"I think my life's been enough of a horror show as it is, honestly." Bella replies, shrugging her shoulders. "What about you? Are you into that sorta thing?"
for a moment, eccarius did not speak, only listened. to the cadence of armand’s voice, the way it trembled when he spoke of the past — the forgotten names, the buried pain. this was no seduction; it was confession, and eccarius received it as such, with a reverence that bordered on devotion. the moment the other vampire broke silence again — venez à moi — the space between them ceased to exist in any meaningful way. it wasn’t an order; it was gravity. his steps were soundless, deliberate. he didn’t rush; he didn’t have to. immortality had made patience a form of seduction.
when he reached him, the air itself seemed to thin. candlelight wove gold through armand’s hair, the faint shimmer of it matching the hue of his eyes. eccarius’ gaze lingered there, tracing every line of that immortal face as though memorizing it — or perhaps revering it. his hand found armand’s shoulder first, a slow and purposeful touch, then slid upward to the curve of his neck, where cold skin met colder still.
so much had been taken from him — names, warmth, a childhood swallowed by cruelty and time. and yet, here he stood, still so alive in the only ways that mattered. eccarius thought, fleetingly, that he wanted to paint him — not as the tragic figure the world had once captured, but as he was now. a testament to endurance, to the defiance of beauty that refused to wither. "tu n'es pas une relique," he murmured, "tu es ce qui survit après la ruine." you are not a relic. you are what survives after the ruin.
their faces were close now — close enough that he could see the faint tremor of breath that wasn’t truly needed. a pause hung between them, fragile as a butterfly's wing. the scent of candle wax, of old velvet and memory, filled the room.
"you speak of your maker, your name… of what was taken," he spoke quietly, "but look at what remains, mon cher. what survives." he reached up, fingers tracing the edge of armand’s jaw; not tenderly but deliberately, as if to confirm he was real. "you think yourself a relic, a painted figure from another age. but i hear you. i see you. and i am here, despite every reason not to be. and perhaps this is what love truly is," eccarius whispered, eyes fixed on armand’s mouth. "the wanting that refuses to die, no matter how many times we do."
he didn’t move forward — not yet. but the distance between them was a living thing, a single heartbeat away from breaking. a heartbeat that was not meant for monsters like them.
Armand was at a loss for words, now -- some part of him knew that Eccarius would be accepting of his past, and yet, he was also surprised by it. As if undeserving of this. He had told Louis, yes, and it was like Louis wasn't even there -- half distracted by a ghost, the ghost of Lestat, perhaps. Everything Eccarius says, in both languages, causes Armand's undead heart to ache. Perhaps acceptance was all he had ever yearned for. From his parents, from his maker, from Louis, from his fledgling, from... Eccarius, now. "Merci," He murmurs, barely audible. He looks down, as Eccarius does -- feeling incredibly exposed. "Merci, Eccarius." The other vampire's fingers tracing the edge of his jaw, and it felt... freeing. "Mon amour..." One of his hands fall to Eccarius's waist, pulling him closer. Not wanting any distance between the two of them, now. The silence is not awkward, not like one would expect. He slips his other hand into the vampire's hair, running his fingers through it, before cradling the back of his skull. Armand leans forward then, and kisses Eccarius deeply -- sighing into the kiss. "Je te désire." I desire you, Armand whispers against his lips, kissing him once more. Someone sees Armand in his entirety. Finally.
@gcthicpiink -- Lydia & Robin.
"Robin, hey." Lydia says, smiling softly at her. They both worked in one of the local comic book stores, and she quite enjoyed working alongside Robin. "How are you today?"
@wvsteria -- Jane & Caius.
"Caius." Jane greets -- nodding at the other. "This place is... nothing like our home in Volterra. It seems nothing like the world before as we knew it. Is it truly that different?"
l'amour. — love. — there it was, the one word that haunted eccarius like a shadow of a black cat in a dark alleyway. from the tender touch to the gentle gaze that the older vampire held; all of it together brought back a memory that he tried to bury deep in his mind and drown with liquor or blood. sometimes both. still, he relented, allowing armand to guide him, their eyes meeting, illuminated by the dancing flame. eccarius held the gaze for an elongated moment, watching the other like an artist memorising their model's facial features while getting ready to put their portrait on canvas.
armand was the sun... it burned to look at him, but at the same time, it took all the strength he had in him to look away.
eccarius lowered his gaze after a little while, forcing himself to pull away as he got himself up on his feet. no, he had no intentions of leaving. while he did not voiced the answer to armand's question, the sole fact that the younger vampire was still here was answer enough. instead, his feet led him towards one of the windows, the very fingertips brushing against the thick, expensive material of the drapes. turkish, perhaps. maybe even persian. both of the men seemed to share a taste for a lavish lifestyle. perhaps it wasn't as uncommon for their kind. still, it caused a corner of his lips to tug upwards in a crooked smile.
"you never get used to it, you know?" he spoke quietly, in a half-whisper, but he knew that armand was able to hear him still. he had their enhanced hearing to thank for that. "the cold, i mean. hot showers, baths... they help at first, but they do not last very long. it goes so quickly... " eccarius paused again, fighting within himself whether or not to finish the thought. "you're left with that awful reminder that it's what you are, in the end. dead and cold." — he shut his eyes, heavy eyelids draping over his eyes not unlike the thick handwoven curtains that remained as the only thing protecting him from sunlight. the sun and the awful memories that it brought.
Perhaps Eccarius thought the two of them were moving too fast -- because as vampires, they had all the time in the world. Armand had only been in Washington for one month, and they had known each other about as long. However, Armand, on the other hand, felt like when he knew, he knew. He'd had many loves. His relationship with Louis de Pointe du Lac proved to be the longest lasting, and perhaps, ended on the worst terms. He sat still, watching as Eccarius got up and moved to one of the windows, guarding the vampires from the sun with its drapes. Armand did not require it, he could go out into the sunlight without issue. Eccarius, however... Armand furrowed his thick brows, golden eyes never leaving the other. Dead and cold. Eccarius was right. "I have never made another vampire for that reason, except one. The idea repulsed me. Repulses me, still." He pauses, "I have lived so many years in this world that I do not recall the name I was given at birth. My maker called me 'Amadeo', and my parents named me... 'Arun', I think. Though I cannot be certain." Armand was the name he preferred -- he did not want to be reminded of his maker, or of his parents. "My parents sold me into slavery in Delhi, and my maker purchased me from a brothel, when I was--" He pauses, again. "I do not know, the age I was. Just that I was far too young." Armand remains in his seat, lost in thought, in trying to make sense of those memories as he speaks them aloud. There was no making sense of them, not really. "There is a painting of my maker and I, in the Louvre, in Paris. It is called, 'Adoration of the Shepherds with a Donor'. No one has painted me, since then." Armand had been staring into space -- now, he looks at Eccarius, again. "Venez à moi." Come to me. He wishes to be close to him, now. Now that he has shared this part of him that he does not share with anyone else. Not even Daniel. Louis knew, of course -- but had he paid attention, when Armand told this story? No, not like Eccarius would.
He paused, shrugging before answering. "Grateful? I guess so." He said. He did quite like it, despite some of its drawbacks. He felt years younger and he thought he looked pretty good. "But leaving me afterwards was kind of a dick move." He pointed out. "And I'm not worried about Louis. Though Claudia I am. I'd love to meet her. I'm sure we'd get along with our mutual distrust of you." He said pointedly, shaking his head. "Why'd you do it?" He asked. "And why leave after? I needed... someone to help me." He would not say he needed Armand. He wouldn't stoop so low.
"I mean, you were practically begging Louis to turn you back in San Francisco, were you not?" Armand points out -- some hint of jealousy there, still. Whether it was towards Daniel or Louis, he did not know. And yes, the boy was right. Leaving him afterwards was kind of a dick move. Armand crosses his arms over his chest, then shrugs again. Looking away for a moment. He feared he might not have a real explanation for Daniel, not one that wouldn't require bringing certain emotions to the surface. "I knew that you had Louis, that he could help you." Armand replies, softly. He pauses. He does not wish to say it, but he knew the boy would be persistent, if anything. "I did it to save you."
@fiveofswcrds -- Delirium & Abigail.
"This place is peculiar," Delirium says to the other, nodding her head. "I suppose it's like any other place in the normal world. But something about it feels different."
@gcthicpiink -- Lisbeth & Yor.
"Are you lost?" Lisbeth asks the other, raising her brows slightly. She'd only been in Washington for three months, and was still trying to learn the ropes of this place -- figure out her way around the city. "I am not sure I can be of much help, but I can try."
(¸.• ♛ → she stopped her tracking when someone spoke to her. for a moment, alicent looked both sides to make sure that it was her that the blonde was referring to. "uh...i'm sorry, i believe that you are mistaken." she says now looking at the girl. "you okay?"
"Something is wrong," Helaena points out, pausing. "Something is... altered, about you. Your recollection, perhaps." She looks away for a moment, frowning slightly. "I am not mistaken, you are my mother. Even if your recollection of me is off." Helaena shrugs her shoulders. "I am quite alright. Are you okay?"
@wvsteria -- Lisbeth & Padme.
Lisbeth didn't mean to look standoffish. That was just how she often appeared on the outside, at least to other people -- with her usual dark makeup and piercings. She worked for the government as an agent, but spent her off time on her laptop, seeing what else she could do to help out, there. Since she'd been a hacker, before, when she lived in her homeplace of Sweden. "Vad?" What? She asks, pulling her earbuds out of her ears. "Sorry, I did not hear you."
@youllalwaysbemyporcelain -- Rhaena & Ji Na.
"So, what do you know about this place?" They ask the other -- because honestly, Rhaena didn't know much about Washington. She'd only been here two months, and the research she was trying to do on this place was coming up blank. Not much history had been recorded. "I am kind of new here."
Closed starter for Isaac!! @ofdragondreamers
"I don't like not knowing where I am, - do you happen to know where we are ?" the girl asked, not quite liking how she just randomly appeared.. but she didn't like feeling out of control.
"We're in Washington D.C.," Isaac tells her, shrugging his shoulders. "It's a ways away from Vermont, which is where I'm from. A drive of ten hours." He says, "Where are you from?"
"Bella. I remember." Angel nodded his head in greeting. "I hope the way I am remembered is a good way." He knew it wasn't often. He was feeling a little lost, unsure these days.
"You're remembered in a good way, yeah. Why wouldn't you be? I mean, you're a nice guy." Bella was glad to see him again -- she always wanted to have more kind faces around. "If you're doubting yourself, you have no reason to, trust me."
"la vie est hérissée d’épines," eccarius spoke, turning his face away, letting his gaze linger on a dancing flame atop a lit candle. despite it being middle of the day, the thick curtains that covered the windows offered solace from scorching sun, and thus a gentle glow of the candle provided a comforting atmosphere for deeper self-reflections, inspired by the french writers from the age of enlightenment. "je ne sçais d’autre remède, que de passer vite à travers ces broussailles." — life is thickly sown with thorns; i know no other remedy than to quickly pass through them. — quoting voltaire seemed more than fitting given the current state that the younger vampire was in, both with his thoughts and emotions.
the most gentle touch upon his hand by the other felt like the very bramble voltaire was talking about. each stroke of his thumb burrowing under his skin like a thorn of an acacia tree, and yet he didn't move away from it, accepting them as some twisted version of self-flagellation. he was a glutton for punishment. "it isn't about what concerns me, armand," he finally responded after a moment of silence. it wasn't the right word for it. eccarius knew the one, but just as the predicted, he was cowardly enough to speak it out loud. instead, he allowed the other vampire's touch to linger for a little longer, inviting the proverbial thorns to dig even further in, locking him in place. another long pause before eccarius parts his lips to speak, his gaze now focused on armand's hand on his. "cannot help but think about what keeps me coming back, passing the afternoons in such company."
"En effet, c'est le cas." Indeed, it is. Armand speaks softly, still. Only interrupting Eccarius for a moment before pausing to listen further. The sunlight didn't affect Armand -- not anymore, not after so many years of being immortal. It was nice, in this room, with the curtains drawn and a candle lit. It had a... romantic essence to it. Eccarius seemed to speak in poetics, much like Armand often did. It was in their nature, to speak this way. He does not falter -- he continues to brush his thumb against the other vampire's skin, the most tender of touches. "Is my company so terrible that you must wonder what keeps you coming back to me, amour?" He asks. "Regardez-moi." Armand moves his other hand, placing his palm on Eccarius's cheekbone, tilting his face up slightly so that the vampire looks at him. "It is not by mistake."
@hiddendarkrosesx -- Armand & Lestat.
"Bonjour, Lestat." Armand says -- with a tilt of his head. He wasn't exactly pleased to see Lestat again, given their past together. He'd be even less pleased to see Louis, in all honesty. "How do you fare?" He was amused, more than anything, at Lestat's presence here. Knowing it would be easy to get under his skin.
@hiddendarkrosesx -- Bella & Lestat.
"You look familiar," She says to him, leaning forward. "Have we met before?" Then, Bella pauses -- thinking for a moment. "You look like a rockstar, also. Do you sing?"
