Marius de Romanus

The Roman Scholar, Beloved of many, Adoring of few. Vampire Chronicles Character - Marius ((None of the things belong to me!)) FC: Eugeniy Savchenko

[bodymob-blog]

||Closed rp

Bliss was looking over a few mediocre trinkets in one of the new shops that turned up close to her ‘home’ ( Let’s face it she wouldn’t be there for too horribly long. ). There was a particular glass bobble that she took an interest in, it was cute, even for her taste.  She gave the little thing a shake before walking around a bit more. There really wasn’t much, just things that looked and seemed so horribly old, not that it was a bad thing it just wasn’t what she expected here. She gnawed on her bottom lip as she looked over the place for a minute before placing it back on a nearby shelf.  Attaching to little things like that might not be the best thing to do, they always wound up broken in the moves and it always made her upset to some extent or another. Oh well! If she was going to get anything she could always pick up a new mandolin or something sharp to give to her twin. Those always lasted, unfortunately she wasn’t to good at finding things like that.   ‘Uhm…. Heyo! Is anyone here, or am I just like, talking to the store like a crazy person!?”   She knocked her fist together and tilted her body around a little. “ Need some help… “

[romaninred]

Marius' head appeared from the upstairs office a moment after the bell rang out its announcement of her arrival. He, however, kept a quiet watch over his new patron - aware, acutely, that she was not all that she seemed. The shop was empty, the doors only left open for the stray onlooker or window shopper, though most nights it went unopened. Tonight, it seemed, he would have at least momentary company.

He cleared his throat after her first outburst, taking the short stairs down into the main selling space.

"Ah, yes. Forgive me. Welcome - Is there anything that I could help you find?" He motioned, eyes tracking her glass trinket from before she had seen him. 

"I do assure you that if you were crazy, at the very least, you were not talking to yourself just then. I am Marius - this is my shop." 

[romaninred]

Brief Hiatus notice and a general update~

Life's been a bit complicated, I won't go into detail here. Those who know me know where to find me. <3 I'm not dead, just a little museless, for the world's BS. I hope ya'll will understand and continue rocking our fandom with each other, being awesome, as always. With the new book coming out, I'm sure we'll all be freaking wetting our fan panties soon enough, myself included! 

All the best wishes, for all involved,

Jenn

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

His heart felt a chill. This man had no concept of empathy, it seemed. The man who took from him children, young children, raised at his side, tutored as his own princelings, and tossed them to a bondfire as if they were kindling. There were names that he would never again speak for the pain of it, laughter that would never leave his heart’s deepest recesses…

And Amadeo, shrinking in fear as he was yanked away, those amber eyes wild with fear as they caught a final glimpse of their Master, robed in flames…

"I would have given my immortal soul to torment to find that Amadeo and my Pandora were together in safety, even knowing that I would never again be able to see them. Instead, I watched both disappear, one to my anger, the other to your wrath. Amadeo is still not as he once was, I doubt he will ever again trust me, and Pandora’s heart was closed to me for centuries. Tell me again of anger, as if you are the only one! Tell me of how it felt to read Armand’s words, hmm? Was it pleasant for me? Do you think it brought no tears?" 

He shook his head, turning away again. “I did not want Thorne to kill you. I did not ask it of him. I am sorry that you hurt for it, but I will not be scolded as if you have some dictum over pain and suffering. What right have you earned to cry to me for any of it? I did not take your life, but you took mine.” He might as well have. 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

Santino grew silent. Shouldn’t he think like that as well? Be grateful to know that these two stars in his night sky would be shining together in their happiness while he remained in the dark? He took a deep breath, just letting the rain pouring down on his face as he apathetically realized that it thundered somewhere over the ocean. So much pain…Both in his own chest and in the life of Marius. Yes, his happiest days taken away by his own zealousness…

But was he not at loss as well? Shunned, yes, even hated for what he had done to Amadeo and into what kind of a person he had been molded by his careful methods. And now he was a foe, that cruel person that heartlessly tore away the poor little fledgling from his maker. Nothing he could do about it. But these books sure made certain that he would never be able to forget. No, at least not for a long while, he feared.

“I wish I had more for you than halfhearted apologies,” he finally said after a long silence that nearly made it look as if he had no intentions of speaking up again. “But no matter how much I wish I could undo the past or ease your pain and bitterness… Time is a one-way street and this is dead end. And all regret and sympathy of this world will not change what I have done. And so I cannot offer more than apologies that, in the end, will make no difference either.”

[romaninred]

"The greatest kindness you can do - not just for me, but for yourself - do not bring it up. Do not ask me. Do not pretend to understand and I will not attempt to make you. I have no interest in your side of that story, and for all intent and purpose, I would like to consider the man who wronged me still among the dead." He nodded, looking over at him. "You did not know me, not really. I knew you as nothing more than a demon. There can be no peace that way."  He nodded slowly, looking up at him, his head turning to track the lightning with pale eyes. A small, somewhat sarcastic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as his attention was again focused to Santino. 

"...and do find something else to talk to? Rats and cockroaches won't tell you anything that you need to know after five hundred sum years." His arms shifted to his side, eyes turned upwards again to the rain as it fell, coating his face and lashes. 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"I couldn’t, at first, but as I grew, and my powers increased, after I had tasted of Akasha, yes. I grew to hear them, voices like the static you hear from the minds of humans in their absent living." He turned to face him again as the rain started to fall. Pale hair was pulled down, though no water could stay. The air grew thick, and a veil of water surrounded them both, drenching his clothes through.

"Was it satisfying to watch see you die? After what you had done to me? After all of it, with no apology, watching you weasel your way from one warm heart to the next, leaving each worse than when you found them?" He slowly shook his head, watching the other with narrowing eyes. "You’ve never outgrown your selfish nature, Santino. You wish to know that your death was not in vain - that someone willed it, that you weren’t some secondary thought in the mind of an immortal older than you or I?" He smiled finally, shaking his head. No.

"I thought was messy and ugly. I thought it was rash and done more to get you out of Throne’s way, so that he could have his Maharet, than it was to avenge me." Santino - like Marius - had been caught off guard and bested, only to have the thing he cared for swept away from him. Funny, how time had a way of bringing all things full circle.

"Tell me, how does it feel to stare back into his eyes from that face?  Does she even allow you in her presence?" 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

“Just like that, off the bat?”, he asked with disbelief in his voice and he laughed bitterly. “Maybe I should ask Maharet for a favor among friends so I will not have to live among the wolves and the bears for decades before I start perceiving their minds,” he said with a laugh that showed that he was, in fact, not amused at all.

It was pleasant to feel the rain and for some moments he was silent, listening to Marius as he just let his head fall back so his white face was exposed to the soothing rain. He didn’t care about being wet. There was something oddly calming and it seemed as if it was easier to think. “You say… you didn’t plan it? Didn’t expect that Thorne would act in exactly that way?” he finally looked at Marius insecurely and with a hint of embarassment. “I assume I owe you apologies… I was convinced you knew that Maharet wouldn’t allow it…” But how would Marius know of their deep friendship?

“I only see Maharet’s eyes, Marius. She is to me what Pandora is to you.” And the eyes of his slayer in her skill wouldn’t change it. He took a deep breath. “I am sorry, Marius. But please, do not bring her up. Don’t speak of her- imagine you are gone for a few years only to fnd out that Pandora and Amadeo will marry. And you have to act as if you are happy for them. And they know you are not.” Sorrow appeared in his eyes. Sorrow, anger, embarrassment, jealousy and a certain resignation.The realization that the two he loved the most were out of his reach for good. “That’s why I am so angry, Marius. Because some part of me firmly believes that I would have been able to fix things with Eric. God damn it! I could have made things alright! And then you swept along… and now everything’s over. The winner takes it all- but there are no winners here. So tell me, who of anyone involved truly won more than he lost?” 

[romaninred]

His heart felt a chill. This man had no concept of empathy, it seemed. The man who took from him children, young children, raised at his side, tutored as his own princelings, and tossed them to a bondfire as if they were kindling. There were names that he would never again speak for the pain of it, laughter that would never leave his heart's deepest recesses...

And Amadeo, shrinking in fear as he was yanked away, those amber eyes wild with fear as they caught a final glimpse of their Master, robed in flames...

"I would have given my immortal soul to torment to find that Amadeo and my Pandora were together in safety, even knowing that I would never again be able to see them. Instead, I watched both disappear, one to my anger, the other to your wrath. Amadeo is still not as he once was, I doubt he will ever again trust me, and Pandora's heart was closed to me for centuries. Tell me again of anger, as if you are the only one! Tell me of how it felt to read Armand's words, hmm? Was it pleasant for me? Do you think it brought no tears?" 

He shook his head, turning away again. "I did not want Thorne to kill you. I did not ask it of him. I am sorry that you hurt for it, but I will not be scolded as if you have some dictum over pain and suffering. What right have you earned to cry to me for any of it? I did not take your life, but you took mine." He might as well have. 

[mamablanca]

Toga Party [romaninred]

After a short trip to the land of the unliving, Mama was home, and all the better for it in the walls of her oh so familiar club. The Glass Rose was as close to a baby as she’ll ever have, and all of her ‘girls’ were her adopted children. She could never understand why she’d have ever left it for as long as she did. Oh no, no no. Mama was home and here to stay, and to celebrate, there was a grand themed evening planned. A roman affair, something classic and campy in all the best, and most sexy ways. Her girls were already prepared, though she was personally taking more time. She had gotten caught up in over seeing the decorations of the main entertaining space, draping everything with rich velvets and large pillows for the guests to roll around in, hanging vines and pots of flowers, candles, long tables. The whole nine yards.

But a girl had to give her makeup time too! She’d been silly, but luckily she could work quickly enough to make up for the lost time, by putting her make-up on in a minute flat. Her dress followed, a lovely draping number in rich purple with silver accents at the collar and a belt at the waist; which she pulled in to exaggerate her hips. To crown the whole thing off, she had a new lovely lady to introduce to the world tonight, a new wig that joined the ranks of her many others. This princess was already proving to be as moody as she was classy and sassy. She was long and a luscious shade of brown with shimmering waves that cascaded down to the very small of her back. Perfection. Casi made quick work of slipping in small silver and gold accents to the locks and made a few final touches to her make-up before stepping out to tend to the quickly filling club. Guests were arriving, music was playing, food was being delivered to tables and the first showers were beginning on stage.

Tonight, she would be playing hostess, reuniting with regulars she’d missed in all this time and meeting all the new faces. This was her home, her domain, and she was going to take very good care of it.  

[romaninred]

It was chance that he had found it - chance that he wandered down the street and was drawn in. The night had been productive, two thieves later, and he was clear to go home, to return to his task for the evening. Instead, he was drawn by the smell of grapes and wine, of soil and fresh greenery…

Once inside, it was as though he had crossed into another era. Of course, the people were modern, the music was modern, but there was a long table, set in the old fashion. Of course, the creatures on stage were anything but what he would have found in a Roman’s dream, though perhaps it was better for it:

Not female, he could see that clearly from the moment that he was able to observe them: well crafted and beautiful women, both on stage and in the wings, serving patrons, settling down with them…he was glad in that moment that he had bothered with fresh and clean clothes. He was able to mingle, to find a seat, to watch entranced as they performed. He was, perhaps, a bit over-dressed, but that was quickly forgotten in the dimly lit space, surrounded by smells that were all familiar, some older than others.

[mamablanca]

The evening was panning out to be excellent, the guests were happy and lounging the girls were fantastic, coming on stage with all manors of amusing shows, some with large feathered fans or playing at being different goddesses, it was a treat, and tonight Casi was barely more then a guest herself, enjoying the swarming company and the service of her girls, several of them walking around the room with golden trays as if they were nothing more then flirty servant girls in their own, varying draped dresses. 

Even with so many fine distractions it was impossible not to notice the tall statue of a man that entered her club in that moment. He looked somehow more roman then any of her decorations or the men and women in costume, despite the fact that his attire completely lacked any matching theme. Red….Red with platinum blond hair and bright blue eyes looking out of some of the most masculine features she’d ever seen. Oh, to say she was smitten with him on first sight would have been an understatement. She quickly uncoiled herself from her guests and cleared the distance to greet him. 

"You seem a little lost, darling, a lost lucky man to have stumbled in here. Don’t be shy! Come with me, I’ll show you to the best seat in the house." He was definitely a new face here, but before the evening finished she was determined to earn his return on another night.

[romaninred]

"Lost...?" He wasn't, but suddenly he wondered why not.  He hadn't sensed her coming, though he understood why a brief second later. The first thing he saw was the long, curled locks of her hair as it brushed his shoulders, following her like a veil. The delicate trinkets inside, the shift of her hips...she looked like a priestess. The dress was gorgeous, a Hellenistic dream, but it was next her eyes that had him drawn in. "I do feel rather fortunate. Its quite a show on tonight." Her offer caught him off guard, entrancing him all the further. 

"I'll go on the condition you share your name with me." He hedged, moving after her. 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"Again you insult me; I’m no actor, and if you are one to leave things behind, you would not ask again about the instance of your death! You seek me out, you say you are to apologize, and yet you dig at me again and again!" He was beginning to lose his temper; beginning to find the edge of his patience with this once-dead betrayer.

"When a man states offense, you remind him of your respects. Being polite is not some game, its a means of conveying that respect." Something which Marius was beginning to suspect this gutter rat was incapable of understanding. He leaned forward, down, at the other, eyes narrowing to make his point.

"I hear the voices of rats, I hear the fearful screams of young things dying in the night, sense intent in a swarm of insects, know where birds intend to fly - presumptuous, to think that you are the only one." He said quietly, finally turning to leave the human space that he had started from, starting along the beach. 

He was a mistaken thing, a human creature, but he was not to be denied his own experiences. He wasn’t going to be lectured about peace and who had it - he was allowed, to his mind, not to be at peace after guarding Gods for the better part of two centuries, only to find in his Queen the heart of a cannibalistic monster. Having been nearly destroyed several times over, dropped from one high to the bottom of a barrel, tried by fire and survived - no, he was far from perfect, but he deserved more respect than all of that, especially from one whom he had not directly harmed. 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

He felt terribly frustarted because now he was not sure anymore why he actually sought him out in the first place. As if there could be peace made. “Maybe I cannot forgive and forget either,” he finally said after some moments of thinking. Respect… he closed his eyes and finally just shrugged. “I wonder whether there can be a thing we could agree on,” he finally said, knowing that there were barely topics they could share an opinion on. It seemed as if they were just too different. Why was he even bothering?

“You can?” Genuine surprise appeared on his face. But he never had been a man who was a good actor and so he didn’t even try to hide his astonishment. “I would not have pegged you for the type.” Some part of him was fascinated and the other one was incredibly bitter to hear that he was not alone with such an ability. And out of all people it had to be Marius, of course. As if life couldn’t just be nice for once.

“You did not answer my question. Was it satisfying? Did it bring peace? You know, I would hate to know that I died for nothing.” A dry, bitter laugh as he tried to calm down. Did he hate Marius? He couldn’t tell. He only knew that he wanted him both off the earth and by his side at the same time, torn between fascination born out of who Marius was and terrible aversion due to their shared history.  

[romaninred]

"I couldn't, at first, but as I grew, and my powers increased, after I had tasted of Akasha, yes. I grew to hear them, voices like the static you hear from the minds of humans in their absent living." He turned to face him again as the rain started to fall. Pale hair was pulled down, though no water could stay. The air grew thick, and a veil of water surrounded them both, drenching his clothes through.

"Was it satisfying to watch see you die? After what you had done to me? After all of it, with no apology, watching you weasel your way from one warm heart to the next, leaving each worse than when you found them?" He slowly shook his head, watching the other with narrowing eyes. "You've never outgrown your selfish nature, Santino. You wish to know that your death was not in vain - that someone willed it, that you weren't some secondary thought in the mind of an immortal older than you or I?" He smiled finally, shaking his head. No.

"I thought was messy and ugly. I thought it was rash and done more to get you out of Throne's way, so that he could have his Maharet, than it was to avenge me." Santino - like Marius - had been caught off guard and bested, only to have the thing he cared for swept away from him. Funny, how time had a way of bringing all things full circle.

"Tell me, how does it feel to stare back into his eyes from that face?  Does she even allow you in her presence?" 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"Do not matter…? If you did not matter, sir, I would not waste breath or ambiance on you." He shook his head. "I wanted you dead, I do not deny it, but I did not seek it myself - why do you think that to be?" He swallowed. "You think me so cruel, you think me motivated by a desire to come after you - I told Thorne the scars of my heart and he took vengeance, where I had not. Not for some lack of malice, though it shames me to admit such a sentiment. For the sake of restraint. I would have attacked you, had I decided on it, regardless of it it would have cost my life in return. But I did not, because I felt no real justice in it…"

He looked towards him. “I do not presume to know your scars. There may well be things which I could learn looking to the natural world…” Something in him, the scholar, the cynic, fought back the urge to ask what he thought about insect warfare, or the mauling of lion cubs by the new dominant male. There would be time for questions. His mind returned only to one particular point: 

"If one were to take to heart the teachings of science and biology, humans are animals, the difference being their level of time and self perception, their memory, their need for complex conscience. Abandoning those things…I suppose that could feel like peace.” Being without a long-standing memory sounded like heaven, indeed. 

"You should find good company with Mael." 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

“Sir? You are being very formal.” A dry laugh. But he got to know him so well, this fascinating Marius! And it made him realize how much of a stranger he was to most others. The elusive Santino. Rarely at the same place, the eternal wanderer who sought the company of a select few and remained unknown to most others. And Marius who sure was to many comparable to a father.

“I have thought you had left the past behind. One might think whatever of you, it’s undeniable that you are an astonishing actor. You seemed so normal the times I ran into you on the Night Island…” He had thought there would be peace. And, for a while, there was. “Tell me, did you find peace at least? Did it ease your bitterness, seeing me die in front of your eyes?”

Santino nodded and shrugged finally. “Mael? No. I think maybe Gabrielle knows how I feel. She seems at peace with the world. Maybe she found the same peace.” He was silent for some moments, but then mischief gleamed up in his dark eyes at he glanced up to Marius who seemingly always towered over anyone else in all aspects. “Do not tell me you are not curious to know what it feels like to connect to any mind that is not human. I must admit I always wondered whether it’s something any of our kind can learn.”

[romaninred]

"Again you insult me; I'm no actor, and if you are one to leave things behind, you would not ask again about the instance of your death! You seek me out, you say you are to apologize, and yet you dig at me again and again!" He was beginning to lose his temper; beginning to find the edge of his patience with this once-dead betrayer.

"When a man states offense, you remind him of your respects. Being polite is not some game, its a means of conveying that respect." Something which Marius was beginning to suspect this gutter rat was incapable of understanding. He leaned forward, down, at the other, eyes narrowing to make his point.

"I hear the voices of rats, I hear the fearful screams of young things dying in the night, sense intent in a swarm of insects, know where birds intend to fly - presumptuous, to think that you are the only one." He said quietly, finally turning to leave the human space that he had started from, starting along the beach. 

He was a mistaken thing, a human creature, but he was not to be denied his own experiences. He wasn't going to be lectured about peace and who had it - he was allowed, to his mind, not to be at peace after guarding Gods for the better part of two centuries, only to find in his Queen the heart of a cannibalistic monster. Having been nearly destroyed several times over, dropped from one high to the bottom of a barrel, tried by fire and survived - no, he was far from perfect, but he deserved more respect than all of that, especially from one whom he had not directly harmed. 

[mamablanca]

Toga Party [romaninred]

After a short trip to the land of the unliving, Mama was home, and all the better for it in the walls of her oh so familiar club. The Glass Rose was as close to a baby as she’ll ever have, and all of her ‘girls’ were her adopted children. She could never understand why she’d have ever left it for as long as she did. Oh no, no no. Mama was home and here to stay, and to celebrate, there was a grand themed evening planned. A roman affair, something classic and campy in all the best, and most sexy ways. Her girls were already prepared, though she was personally taking more time. She had gotten caught up in over seeing the decorations of the main entertaining space, draping everything with rich velvets and large pillows for the guests to roll around in, hanging vines and pots of flowers, candles, long tables. The whole nine yards.

But a girl had to give her makeup time too! She’d been silly, but luckily she could work quickly enough to make up for the lost time, by putting her make-up on in a minute flat. Her dress followed, a lovely draping number in rich purple with silver accents at the collar and a belt at the waist; which she pulled in to exaggerate her hips. To crown the whole thing off, she had a new lovely lady to introduce to the world tonight, a new wig that joined the ranks of her many others. This princess was already proving to be as moody as she was classy and sassy. She was long and a luscious shade of brown with shimmering waves that cascaded down to the very small of her back. Perfection. Casi made quick work of slipping in small silver and gold accents to the locks and made a few final touches to her make-up before stepping out to tend to the quickly filling club. Guests were arriving, music was playing, food was being delivered to tables and the first showers were beginning on stage.

Tonight, she would be playing hostess, reuniting with regulars she’d missed in all this time and meeting all the new faces. This was her home, her domain, and she was going to take very good care of it.  

[romaninred]

It was chance that he had found it - chance that he wandered down the street and was drawn in. The night had been productive, two thieves later, and he was clear to go home, to return to his task for the evening. Instead, he was drawn by the smell of grapes and wine, of soil and fresh greenery...

Once inside, it was as though he had crossed into another era. Of course, the people were modern, the music was modern, but there was a long table, set in the old fashion. Of course, the creatures on stage were anything but what he would have found in a Roman's dream, though perhaps it was better for it:

Not female, he could see that clearly from the moment that he was able to observe them: well crafted and beautiful women, both on stage and in the wings, serving patrons, settling down with them...he was glad in that moment that he had bothered with fresh and clean clothes. He was able to mingle, to find a seat, to watch entranced as they performed. He was, perhaps, a bit over-dressed, but that was quickly forgotten in the dimly lit space, surrounded by smells that were all familiar, some older than others.

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"I’m not calling you somehow inhuman!" He huffed and gave the other a sharp look. "And I do not claim to know the world, to know everything - if I had, the world could not have gotten the best of me." He shook his head. 

"Tell me again that I need to leave the past behind, for what good it might do you - You’ve only just begun to tell me that you’re alive. I’m not going to pretend that my grudge will disappear in moments!" Who could have made such a promise?!

"Especially not, if you’re going to continue to insinuate that I understand nothing." He shook his head. "I don’t intend to walk the wilds like Maharet. I don’t find beauty in the dark places, in the creatures that you speak of. I find no wisdom in the face of a shrew, I don’t go asking philosophical questions of a bear." He shook his head. "I’ve loved our mortal kin since before I took the blood. You think me lesser for finding no solace in nature, yet I have no more love or attention to give. History tells a thousand stories, the voices of those who are already passed are not lost to time. Those I might have known, those that I have walked with…those who were long gone before I came to be. Oh, no, I do not think myself as alone as you imagine me to be. I simply find voices in a place that most do not look."

He looked over at the other man. ”You are just as alone as I am. We merely define the term differently. And the truth of it is, we were never alone in the first place.”  

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

Santino nearly laughed. “I thought you know by now that I bite back.” For once, his face was entirely serious. “You wanted to see me dead, Marius. I died because you are the better one at getting people to do what you want.” Thorne had been a good instrument and he wondered whether Marius knew that probably no one but the ancient nordman would have done such a deed for him.

“And now, here I am, and you speak as if you thought I did not matter indeed. And, as anyone else, I do not appreciate people trying to deny all worth to me. Do not think my life was the only price I paid.” He spoke with a great bitterness. Eric… Maharet… How would things have come if things had not gone so terribly wrong? Would he still be with Eric? Would Eric have taken him back? He felt nauseous.

“I firmly believe animals to be better than most people. I have heard the world with the ears of a rat and seen the lands from the eyes of a raven. I have felt the hunt through the spirit of the wolf and I assure you… animals have mastered something we only struggle for.” A serene smile appeared on his lips. “They live in peace with themselves and the world. Isn’t this what everyone longs for? Peace? Where else is your philosophy supposed to lead if not the peace of mind?”

[romaninred]

"Do not matter...? If you did not matter, sir, I would not waste breath or ambiance on you." He shook his head. "I wanted you dead, I do not deny it, but I did not seek it myself - why do you think that to be?" He swallowed. "You think me so cruel, you think me motivated by a desire to come after you - I told Thorne the scars of my heart and he took vengeance, where I had not. Not for some lack of malice, though it shames me to admit such a sentiment. For the sake of restraint. I would have attacked you, had I decided on it, regardless of it it would have cost my life in return. But I did not, because I felt no real justice in it..."

He looked towards him. "I do not presume to know your scars. There may well be things which I could learn looking to the natural world..." Something in him, the scholar, the cynic, fought back the urge to ask what he thought about insect warfare, or the mauling of lion cubs by the new dominant male. There would be time for questions. His mind returned only to one particular point: 

"If one were to take to heart the teachings of science and biology, humans are animals, the difference being their level of time and self perception, their memory, their need for complex conscience. Abandoning those things...I suppose that could feel like peace." Being without a long-standing memory sounded like heaven, indeed. 

"You should find good company with Mael." 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"The books were true." He reminded quietly. "Amadeo is just as much my fault as yours, after that point - I will grant no qualm over that. I do not pretend that you are some grand, over-arching villain." He assured quietly with a shake of his head. He wasn’t so self-righteous as to be unreasonable in that moment.

"I was broken after the fire. I felt that I had failed him - I knew that he needed for his Master, but that man was not strong enough to keep him safe in the first place. I wanted nothing more than to find him again, to draw him away from that place…" He shook his head with a slow breath. "By the time I had healed enough to have any hope of surviving a conflict, I found him…changed. It may have been wrong, I might have not seen, but I cannot see into his mind." He shook his head. "I feared that I would only earn his hate if I tried then to save him. Better that he thought I died in that fire in his defense than I have to live in the knowledge that he blame me as much as I blamed myself.

"As for our being even, no. I do not think there is a way to call us even." He looked over at him. "But I feel no need to be even. It would do me no real good. Your destruction is of no consequence." 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

"I do not claim that I am innocent in that matter," Santino replied with quiet sorrow in his dark eyes that always failed to conceal his true emotions. It was odd to stand next to Marius as the storm approached the coast and he longed for the feeling of heavy rain pouring down upon him. 

The younger vampire sighed. No more of the Dark Ages. “No consequence? It makes it seem as if to you, only those who think like you are actually people.” He felt anger he didn’t dare to voice. “But I do not care. I am alive, and that’s all I care about. Living- have you ever lived the way I did?” No, Marius’ books never hinted anything like that. “Have you ever howled with the wolves or felt the heavy rains of the jungles pouring down on you? Have you ever held your lover in a tight embrace hundreds of feets under the sea? Did you ever swim with the wales and did you ever listen to the mind of a raven? You, Marius, are in love with humanity. But I am in love with the world. And that’s why I, unlike you, am never alone.” 

Santino closed his eyes. “You think you know everything, Marius, but you don’t. “Sometimes, overcoming old fears, old beliefs, old grudges is the only way to learn something you might not have gotten to know any other way but by leaving the past be the past.” 

[romaninred]

"I'm not calling you somehow inhuman!" He huffed and gave the other a sharp look. "And I do not claim to know the world, to know everything - if I had, the world could not have gotten the best of me." He shook his head. 

"Tell me again that I need to leave the past behind, for what good it might do you - You've only just begun to tell me that you're alive. I'm not going to pretend that my grudge will disappear in moments!" Who could have made such a promise?!

"Especially not, if you're going to continue to insinuate that I understand nothing." He shook his head. "I don't intend to walk the wilds like Maharet. I don't find beauty in the dark places, in the creatures that you speak of. I find no wisdom in the face of a shrew, I don't go asking philosophical questions of a bear." He shook his head. "I've loved our mortal kin since before I took the blood. You think me lesser for finding no solace in nature, yet I have no more love or attention to give. History tells a thousand stories, the voices of those who are already passed are not lost to time. Those I might have known, those that I have walked with...those who were long gone before I came to be. Oh, no, I do not think myself as alone as you imagine me to be. I simply find voices in a place that most do not look."

He looked over at the other man. "You are just as alone as I am. We merely define the term differently. And the truth of it is, we were never alone in the first place."  

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

"If your interest is in finishing what either of us have begun, I would say that the time is wasted on you already." He looked over at him with an unimpressed expression. "Your time is running. I have naught to say to a dead man - if you give me reason to, I’ll leave you in the past where you belong. Being forgotten, shunned, is far more punishment than blighting you off the face of the planet, don’t you agree?" He shook his head. 

"I would hear of what demon in you would bring you to strike me with the fury you did. I would hear what apologies you have within you, and would seek to understand. I think I have right to be bitter, and there is little that will change that. There are centuries with Amadeo which are lost to me utterly." He shook his head. The future with his beloved fallen angel was no certain thing, either. Perhaps they would never be righted - and to some degree, Marius would lay that blame at Santino’s feet until his final moments. 

"If there is a man within you who seeks to make right, let him speak." 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

Santino took the time to be silent, to let Marius speak. “You already have made sure that my companions are reduced to the ancients who knew me before these atrocious books…” And the animals who were all his familiars. “But unlike you, I am never alone.” He could howl with the wolves and rest with the bears. Speak to the ravens and embrace the sloths. Care for the fawns and tame the tigers. No, animals were, indeed, better than people, he realized in this second. 

"I am a simple man, Marius, I merely do what I deem to be right at the moment. Back then, following my creed was right. Now, trying to apologize to you is what feels right. Even though I might as well go ahead and try to claim that we are even already. I raised my own hand as little against you as you raised yours against me. And both times we failed." Santino shrugged as if it made no difference. "Amadeo… who keeps you from winning him back? You never returned to him. I have read of your anger, of your disgust. Where have you been, Marius, in Paris, when all he needed was a reason to leave the security of the coven? Where were you when Lestat told you that he’s free? Where were you when he was alone in America? Where were you after Sonoma? If the time with him is lost for good then only because neither of you believes that it can ever be won back." 

[romaninred]

"The books were true." He reminded quietly. "Amadeo is just as much my fault as yours, after that point - I will grant no qualm over that. I do not pretend that you are some grand, over-arching villain." He assured quietly with a shake of his head. He wasn't so self-righteous as to be unreasonable in that moment.

"I was broken after the fire. I felt that I had failed him - I knew that he needed for his Master, but that man was not strong enough to keep him safe in the first place. I wanted nothing more than to find him again, to draw him away from that place..." He shook his head with a slow breath. "By the time I had healed enough to have any hope of surviving a conflict, I found him...changed. It may have been wrong, I might have not seen, but I cannot see into his mind." He shook his head. "I feared that I would only earn his hate if I tried then to save him. Better that he thought I died in that fire in his defense than I have to live in the knowledge that he blame me as much as I blamed myself.

"As for our being even, no. I do not think there is a way to call us even." He looked over at him. "But I feel no need to be even. It would do me no real good. Your destruction is of no consequence." 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

He couldn’t help a smile of his own. Oh, how he understood that. “The world does not often seem to cry as it used to.” The storms of his youth, and the years before the modern age, seemed deeper and more primal to his memory. Most of the wild and ancient things of the world seemed diminished to him now. He could only imagine how she felt. 

"Some habits are best made traditions. Perhaps a walk in the rain, then. I would find pleasure in seeing it with you." 

[redhairedtwin]

Maharet smiled warmly giving a quick nod. “I would take pleasure in it, too.” She linked her arms with his. “Just don’t be too surprised if I end up dancing.” She begins to take a step forward and lets out a soft sigh, one made of contentment for the coming storm and the company but it also had a hint of disappointment. “It is a shame how few places in the world are still isolated enough to have storms like we did all those centuries ago.” She mused.

[romaninred]

He set aside his own umbrella, shifting out of his jacket before offering his arm to her, stepping out with a laugh. "A dance, then? I'm not sure I know too many that would be appropriate..." He teased. Dancing in the rain...something he hadn't done in centuries. Something that brought to mind children, their faces upturned as the tilted and spun barefoot in the grass. He was not nearly so attached to his clothes as to regret his decision to join her. 

"This season is perfect for them. The heat reminds me of Rome in the summer months." 

[romaninred]

[romaninred]

Marius’ eyes turned, senses darting to focus on him. His smile died where it had been as he evaluated the situation, mind reeling. Not dead - no, the beast lived. Something in him was surprised, though the greater part of himself was not. “It will be hard to set fire to me here.” He said finally, eyes turning back to the clouds. There was no accusation in his words, a small leaning towards humor masked by a restraint in his expression. 

"Shall I give you five minutes to make your case, or assume the worst?" 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

It was probably the best chance he would ever get even though last time he had seen Marius, it did not seem as if reasoning with him was an option. And so he stood next to him, his gaze staring into the void. He would rather be one of his animals, not bound to social etiquette and anything that went beyond his own instincts.

"After Blood and Gold… I think wielding the fire is more of your style than mine." His lips curled up into a humorless smile. "And what will you do after these five minutes, Marius? Try to finish what you started or expect me to finish what I started?” 

[romaninred]

"If your interest is in finishing what either of us have begun, I would say that the time is wasted on you already." He looked over at him with an unimpressed expression. "Your time is running. I have naught to say to a dead man - if you give me reason to, I'll leave you in the past where you belong. Being forgotten, shunned, is far more punishment than blighting you off the face of the planet, don't you agree?" He shook his head. 

"I would hear of what demon in you would bring you to strike me with the fury you did. I would hear what apologies you have within you, and would seek to understand. I think I have right to be bitter, and there is little that will change that. There are centuries with Amadeo which are lost to me utterly." He shook his head. The future with his beloved fallen angel was no certain thing, either. Perhaps they would never be righted - and to some degree, Marius would lay that blame at Santino's feet until his final moments. 

"If there is a man within you who seeks to make right, let him speak." 

[romaninred]

"There is some catharsis in watching a storm; watching it build, develop, crest, and fall." There was the urge in him to draw a deep breath, and he took it, though he knew it to be of no real value. The smell of the ground, on the verge of giving up its rain, the damp air and miles of silent midnight coastline. The waves were still, holding their serenity against the heavy clouds that rolled towards the coast. 

"Its going to be wet tonight. I do hope that you packed an umbrella. If not, I’ve come prepared." He smiled gently. 

[redeemedsatanist-blog]

This was probably an awkward situation and Santino was very certain that the tall roman was not even truly aware of who had approached him from behind. Maybe he should just turn around and leave. Did Marius find peace after seeing him destroyed right in front of his eyes? How was he even to tell him that he was in fact still quite alive? “I quite like the rain,” he said lowly and, for the first time since Sonoma, he came to feel shy and awkward.

"In short: not dead."  

[romaninred]

Marius' eyes turned, senses darting to focus on him. His smile died where it had been as he evaluated the situation, mind reeling. Not dead - no, the beast lived. Something in him was surprised, though the greater part of himself was not. "It will be hard to set fire to me here." He said finally, eyes turning back to the clouds. There was no accusation in his words, a small leaning towards humor masked by a restraint in his expression. 

"Shall I give you five minutes to make your case, or assume the worst?" 

[romaninred]

"There is some catharsis in watching a storm; watching it build, develop, crest, and fall." There was the urge in him to draw a deep breath, and he took it, though he knew it to be of no real value. The smell of the ground, on the verge of giving up its rain, the damp air and miles of silent midnight coastline. The waves were still, holding their serenity against the heavy clouds that rolled towards the coast. 

"Its going to be wet tonight. I do hope that you packed an umbrella. If not, I’ve come prepared." He smiled gently. 

[redhairedtwin]

The fire haired ancient smiled slowly, taking a page out of the male’s book she breathed in the scent of the thick air and the smell of the coming storm. Bright sapphire hues, given to her out of love, turn to look at him and she returned the smile. “It will not be necessary.” She says gently. “I love the rain and the feel of it on my skin. I feel it in my bones.” A soft shiver ran through her as the memories of dancing and calling upon the rain in her homeland came flooding back to her. “Old habits die hard, it seems.” She she with a bit of a playful smile. 

[romaninred]

He couldn't help a smile of his own. Oh, how he understood that. "The world does not often seem to cry as it used to." The storms of his youth, and the years before the modern age, seemed deeper and more primal to his memory. Most of the wild and ancient things of the world seemed diminished to him now. He could only imagine how she felt. 

"Some habits are best made traditions. Perhaps a walk in the rain, then. I would find pleasure in seeing it with you." 

[romaninred]

There was no real warning, and Marius rather preferred it that way. She would come around - he had arranged a good surprise to make it worth her while. A large, wall-height canvas rested against a nearby window, while several easels with standard canvases were set up in the artificial lighting. A large table was spread with paints and various spades and knives, with a stack of cleaning clothes and aprons waiting. 

He would get her to paint something tonight - and to have comfortable conversation. 

[bloodanddye]

When Emily walked in she almost wondered if she had entered the wrong place. She knew that Marius had been spending some time about the house, especially after everything with Alexi, and she knew that he painted, but she had never expected his things to be strewn about as they were. The entire room looked exactly what she expected an artist’s studio would, save the furniture.

She could not escape the immediate and profound sense that she had walked in on something personal and private. For a moment she simply shifted awkwardly at her feet, fiddling with the strap of the rainbow-coloured cloth bag that hung over her shoulder. Simple curiosity, which had gotten her into more than her fair share of trouble, bade her to stay, but manners (lingering Victorian manners at that) told her that she should probably leave. It was only then that she caught sight of the Roman.

"I, um… I didn’t mean to intrude" she said softly, truthfully. "I— I…" she gestured in the general direction of the stairs. "I’ll just— I’m going back to my room. I’m so sorry for bothering you."

[romaninred]

"I would be quite cross if you walked away from all this." He crossed his arms lightly. "Come now, I've set out several things for you to work on tonight, and I'll not take no for an answer." He motioned to a nearby couch. 

"If I can bring you anything, please, ask. There is an apron for you, if you would like...?" 

[romaninred]

"There is some catharsis in watching a storm; watching it build, develop, crest, and fall." There was the urge in him to draw a deep breath, and he took it, though he knew it to be of no real value. The smell of the ground, on the verge of giving up its rain, the damp air and miles of silent midnight coastline. The waves were still, holding their serenity against the heavy clouds that rolled towards the coast. 

"Its going to be wet tonight. I do hope that you packed an umbrella. If not, I've come prepared." He smiled gently.