#[marcus]

[thekaboom]

[von614]

when you're trying to help with pre-storm protocol but your fellow researchers are too busy roleplaying the furry parents fighting picture

[haydeink]

Come back

[Marcus | Greta Hoffman]

[sqrteleven]

they can solve any mysteries if they team-up

[remiravioliii]

I wanna believe they have a bookclub in the suitcase

[thefirstknife]

Really interesting and cool article which I highly recommend reading in full, about various devs retelling their favourite experiences while working on Destiny, but I do want to highlight one in particular:

Honorable mention to the lore tabs I wrote for Sparrow racers Marcus Ren and Enoch Bast; a queer fan in the deep South emailed me about how they were moved to tears by seeing same-gender relationships in the lore. -Grant K. Roberts

Like, we all knew this. It was absolutely undeniable that Marcus and Enoch were meant to be viewed as a couple. There was literally zero doubt in my mind about it ever since I read it for the first time back in year 1.

But there's really something about being told from the author himself that this was the intended read. Especially in the world of people often denying obvious queerness just because specific labels aren't used in an over the top way where characters just say their sexualities in a way that feels unnatural and weird. I always appreciated the way Destiny did this because it forced you to take the text at face value in the same way you would have to do it for any heterosexual couple. Nobody ever expects a character to say "I am heterosexual," they just accept obvious tells in the text, but for whatever reason queer characters are never afforded the same.

Except in Destiny, which always integrated things like that so neatly into the text. And seeing people ignoring it or denying it because a character didn't show up to say "I am gay" was always frustrating, but I prefer it this way and I am so glad that writers never backed down, and instead just introduced queer characters into the story with dignity and respect that any character deserves.

And every single time anyone suspected or asked if some character is queer, the writers would just go "well yeah, that's how we wrote them, you read it correctly." And it makes the world of Destiny so much more rich with queer characters because of it. Because this is just one extra proof that whenever we suspected it, we were correct. We were always correct because queerness was always intended and written into the setting.

There's a couple of other devs that talk about this in the article, including the writer that suggested Devrim to have a husband, and a Destiny historian who pushed for Micah-10 to be in the game (with honorable mention of Robert Brookes who helped make this possible).

[sleepyafcapricorn]

Hope you don't mind a 2nd request your last one was AMAZING!! Could I request the Volturi finding their mate when she stumbles across the castle late at night and they find out she's blind?

THE VOLTURI'S REACTION TO THEIR BLIND MATE

a/n: of course! i don't have any restrictions on how many requests someone can make. as long as you read the post for the request you made, i'm happy to oblige all the requests unless i'm on a break. :) i'm also really glad you liked it! i tried my best to match the scenario according to the characters.

warnings: however, since i'm trying my best to match the scenario according to the characters, there will be angst, dark content, mentions of blood, implied cruelty, toxic relationships, etc. in the movies, the kings have always been cruel. we can already see that from caius's behaviour and how aro was willing to kill his own sister to get marcus to stay, so i'm trying to match a realistic scenario to their personalities. though, the backstories for the three kings will be different since they rarely go outside. also, the casts i choose for heidi, aro and marcus differ from the ones in the movies because i imagine them to look like that, but if you imagine them to look something else, then feel free to just use that idea too.

masterlists & requests: before you go, have a glass of wine or better yet, recommend a good bottle. any kind of message is always a delight.

DEMETRI VOLTURI — THE CASANOVA

Demetri had been strolling around inside the castle after finishing a feeding. He had just returned to Volterra from a tiring mission, but the blood had quickly filled him up. His senses were sharper now, and it didn’t take much for him to hear the faint sound of a heartbeat coming from just outside the castle walls. It wasn’t unusual for humans to lurk nearby, often drawn in by the beauty of the place, but this time, the scent he picked up was different. Sweet and almost too tempting. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to check. Maybe a little snack. When Demetri stepped outside, he saw you standing by the wall, lightly touching the stone with your hand. You didn’t notice him at first, not until he spoke and asked if you were alright. He kept his usual charming tone, assuming you were just another lost tourist who's either clueless or reckless for wandering alone at night. Either way, it was better to lure you in gently.

But then he noticed the walking stick. The way your eyes didn’t quite focus on him, always looking away. And yet, you answered him perfectly, which made it clear you weren’t ignoring him—you just couldn’t seem to see him.

You explained that you had been separated from your friend and ended up wandering here by accident. For a moment, Demetri felt a feeling of pity. He was about to let you go, but that strong and tempting scent still clung to you, even after he had already fed. He’d never met a human who smelled as good as you did.

All these years, Demetri had one of the strongest resistance to blood, and yet here he was. Tempted, even after feeding? It didn’t make sense. Unless, of course... you were his mate.

Demetri wasn’t shocked by the idea of having a blind mate. That part didn’t faze him. What surprised him was having a mate at all. After all his years, all his killings, and yet somehow, fate still decided to bless him with a sweet and beautiful mate like you?

Still unsure if it was real, he escorted you back to town and easily found your friend by following the faint scent left on you. Later, he fed again until he was completely full, just to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating or caught in one of the guards’ illusions. But even then, he couldn’t get you out of his mind.

—

FELIX VOLTURI — THE EXECUTIONER

Felix had only stepped outside to get some fresh air after hours of nonstop work. He wasn’t expecting trouble. Just a small walk under the night sky. However, the second he picked up the beat of a human heart near the entrance of Volterra, his senses snapped into high alert. He thought Heidi had made sure no humans were lingering too close to the castle, but clearly, something had slipped past her. And honestly, if someone wandered close enough to be bitten, he wouldn’t complain. The darkness of the night made it easy to get away with things.

He approached casually, expecting some clueless tourist or maybe even a ghost catcher, but when he saw you, he hesitated in his steps. You were standing near the castle walls, lost in your own thoughts, and didn’t react until he spoke. His deep voice startled you, and you jumped back slightly before explaining you’d gotten separated from your friend. As you spoke, he noticed two things—you weren’t looking at him directly, and you held a walking stick. That was quick to stop him. You were blind, and your idiotic friend had let you wander this far at night? That pissed him off more than anything else. He knew humans could be irresponsible, but even this much?

Felix didn’t want to hurt you. He had no orders to bring anyone in tonight, and it wasn’t like you were posing any threat. He could’ve let it end there, but something about you made him linger longer—or more specifically, your scent did. It filled the air, rich and sweet, like it was made just to torture him. He found himself thinking about a conversation Marcus once had with him. Something about recognizing a mate by scent alone. It couldn’t be possible.. right? A blind girl, lost in the dark, wandering too close to the Volturi is his mate?

He didn’t know what to do with that thought. Still, he helped track down your friend and gave them a hard warning not to lose you again. His tone wasn’t harsh, but it was firm enough to make them feel it. Then he walked back to the castle at a normal pace, slower than usual, stuck in his head the whole way. The idea unsettled him more than he cared to admit. If you really were his mate… that meant you were in danger just by being close to him. He was loyal to his clan—the same one that despises humans and maintain laws to keep the peace between the two worlds. If staying away was the only way to protect you from the Volturi, then so be it. Even if it meant not seeing you again.

—

HEIDI VOLTURI — THE SEDUCTRESS

Heidi had just finished closing up the last of the evening tours, going over the schedule for the next day and politely turning away any stragglers who hoped for a late-night visit. Of course, the tours were only a cover, a system maintained carefully to feed Volturi members without raising suspicion. Heidi always made sure to tie up loose ends, checking each human off the list before nightfall. Everything was routine until she caught a scent in the air that made her freeze.

It was sweet, powerful, and impossible to ignore. Her eyes quickly scanned the area and landed on you. You were standing near the castle wall, fingers brushing the stone surface. She moved fast, holding her breath to keep control, and approached with a calm, polite voice, asking if you needed help. You explained you had been separated from your friend and had no idea where you were, but you'd overheard some locals talk about the castle and thought you might find them here. The walking stick didn’t escape her notice, nor did the unfocused way your eyes drifted. Still, none of that mattered to her because for the first time in her long life, she knew exactly what this meant.

Out of everyone in the Volturi, Heidi had always been the one who wanted to find her mate. And now that she had, she didn’t care that you were blind. If anything, she found herself even more protective. But as a vampire who's a part of the Volturi clan, the danger was evident and she couldn’t let the others know about you. Not yet. So she helped you find your friend, her smile warm but her tone sharp when she told them never to leave you alone like that again. Then before she turned to go, she quietly promised you that she will make sure to meet with you again. And those words stayed in your mind long after until you could finally meet her again, as she promised.

—

ARO VOLTURI — THE MANIPULATIVE KING

Aro had the ability to see the memories of a person just by touching them. It was a powerful tool he used to determine who was loyal and who was treacherous, and he never grew bored of it. One night, he requested a late-night snack—something light to quench his thirst before the next proper feeding. Out of curiosity, he asked for someone "innocent" as well, wanting to test whether humans truly could be as pure as they appeared. What he didn’t expect was for one of the guards to bring in someone with the most delectable scent he had encountered in years. You followed behind the guard, holding a walking stick, your head turning gently in every direction, eyes never quite settling but still soft.

When Aro greeted you, you looked confused and asked where you were, then explained that you had gotten separated from your friend and had heard of a nearby castle, hoping they might have come here to find you. All the while, Aro took your hand in his own and looked through your memories. He found joy, kindness, warmth, and something that made his expression brighten with interest. He noticed, too, that your friend had already been among the bodies drained during the morning’s feeding, but he said nothing of it. Instead, he offered you a place to stay in the castle for the time being, claiming it would be safer until your friend returned. In truth, he was intrigued—not just by your scent, but by your mind, your light. And as he continued to touch your hand throughout the conversation, his mood only improved, fascinated by a rare gem like you.

—

CAIUS VOLTURI — THE CRUEL KING

Caius wasn’t particularly hungry, only restless. The kind of restlessness that made him crave control, something to assert his dominance over. So, he requested a late-night offering under the guise of a quick feed, something clean and quiet to satisfy the itch. As always, the guard delivered what he ordered for. The scent that entered the chamber was unexpectedly sweet, enough to catch his attention for a brief moment. Curious despite himself, he turned to look, and then immediately froze.

You stepped into the room carefully, guided only by a walking stick, your head turning at every sound, and your eyes unfocused. There was no fear in you, just confusion as you asked where you were, explaining that you'd gotten separated from your friend and had heard of the nearby castle, hoping for them to be in the castle. Caius didn’t answer. He was too busy trying to make sense of the situation. He looked to you in disbelief, thinking this must be a mistake. But then your scent reached him again—rich, intoxicating, unmistakable. His expression darkened with slow, growing revulsion as he realized the truth that you were his mate.

The very idea repulsed him. Caius, a king among kings, bound by blood to a fragile, blind human who didn’t even know what room she was standing in. Fate, it seemed, was mocking him. He had always valued strength, superiority, control and now this? A weak, wandering soul tethered to him by nature's cruel joke? He didn’t care how kind you might be or how rare your scent was. He saw you only as a liability. A stain on his legacy.

Without a word, he ordered you removed from his presence—unharmed, but unseen. He did not want the others to know. He would not acknowledge it. And yet, as you were led away, the bond was faintly inside him, unwanted and inescapable. He stood there alone in silence, seething, not just at fate, but at himself for feeling anything at all.

—

MARCUS VOLTURI — THE EXHAUSTED KING

Marcus spent most of his time in the library, one of the few places within the castle that offered him any sense of peace. It was the only room in the castle not drowned in screams or dread, and the silence suited him. Aro had long since learned to leave him be during these moments, but Caius remained relentless, always sending in fresh humans under the false disguise of a rare vacation to pressure Marcus to feed—to live, to feel again. He never did. Instead, he gave the humans to the guards stationed at his side, suffering in hunger yet feeling calm in the peace.

That night seemed no different, until he heard the soft tap of a walking stick against the marble of the floors. His gaze rose, mildly curious, only to land on the figure entering behind the guard. You followed obediently, your eyes unfocused and unaware, hand lightly brushing the ancient shelves as if trying to understand the shape of the room. He questioned why you came here, then you explained calmly that you’d been separated from your friend, heard the talks from the locals of a castle nearby, and thought perhaps they had wandered here first. Marcus listened silently, already preparing to dismiss you, but then your scent reached him.

It was soft and pure and quite cruel in its beauty—a scent he hadn't encountered in all his years of mourning. The bond struck immediately, that ancient thread tugging at the remains of a heart he’d tried so long to silence. You were his mate. A blind, mortal girl lost in the castle of monsters—tied to a man who had nothing left to give. He felt the weight of fate settle heavily on him, not with joy, but with sorrow. You didn’t deserve him. You deserved a full life, not a broken one.

He sent the guards away with a quiet order and walked you outside himself, keeping his hand near but never touching. Your friend was already nearby, shouting your name in the distance. Marcus watched your face light up at the sound and felt that pull again, bittersweet and painful. He said nothing as he watched you go, only turning back when the last echo of your steps vanished. For your sake and his own, he hoped that would be the last time you crossed his path, though a strange feeling in his soul told him otherwise.